Siddh Baba Jaikrishna Das

Kamyavan,  29.03.18 (VT): Yesterday was the disappearance day of Siddh baba Jaikrishna Das Das of Vimal kund, Kamyavan.

On this occasion, we share with you the story of how Gopal appeared before Baba not only once but twice.

Jaikrishna Das Babaji was in the lineage of Shri Gangamata Goswamini of the Gangamata Matha in Puri. No one knows who his guru was or where he was from. He settled in Kamyavan where villagers build him a hut so that he would stay.

On day, there was a knock at Baba’s door. He did not answer it. He could hear some children playing outside.

“Bengali Baba! Bengali Baba! Open your door!” said one boy. Baba said nothing.

“Baba, o Baba! We are very thirsty! Please give us some water!” As usual, some boys had come to disturb his meditation. He kept silent.

“Bengali Baba!! I know what kind of nice bhajan you are doing! You heartless Baba, you are as cold blooded as a butcher! Hey! Come out of your hut and give us water! We are sooo thirsty!!”

Vimal Kund (P.C. Manorama Dasi)

Baba burst out of the door with a stick in hand. But as soon as he opened the door, he was surprised to see the banks of Vimal kund filled with so many beautiful cows, and many cowherd boys, each surpassing the other in beauty. His anger disappeared immediately.

He said to the ringleader, “Lala! Which village do you come from?”

Krishna and the cowheards, P.C. A Glimpse of Krishna

“I’m from Nandgaon,” the boy replied.

“What’s your name?”

“Kanhaiya.”

Bābā turned to another boy and asked “What’s your name?”

“Baldau,” the other boy replied.

Kanhaiya said, “Baba, don’t waste time. First give us water, then talk.”

Baba did not have any cups or glasses. So the boys cupped their hands and Baba poured water directly into them from his water pot.

As Baba served the water, Baba looked into Kanhaiya’s eyes, and Kanhaiya stared into Baba’s. It was like some magical spell, so absorbed they were in each other. Kanhaiya wasn’t drinking; he was only looking at Baba with so much love. The water fell like a stream on the ground, but neither of them noticed.

The boys started laughing and clapping their hands, and it was only then that Kanhaiya realised what he was doing, and started to drink.

When he was satisfied, Kanhaiya said, “Look, Baba! We come from a long ways away every single day, and we don’t get anything to eat or drink. We are going to come to you every day from now on. Keep some snacks and drinks for us.”

Baba said, “No, Lala! Don’t come and disturb me like this every day!”

Vrinda Devi at Kamyavan

Baba immediately went inside and shut the door. But there was something so mysteriously attractive about those boys. He felt the irresistible urge to have another look. But when he opened the door, all the beautiful cows and cowherd boys were gone. How could they disappear in just a moment? Was it all a dream? A hallucination? No. The water Baba had spilled was still there on the ground. And their sweet fragrance still lingered on the banks of Vimal Kund.

The next day, an old Brajwasi woman came to Jai krishna das Baba with a beautiful deity of Laddu Gopal. She said, “Baba, I am very old! I can’t serve my Gopal anymore. Please serve him from now on.”

Baba said, “How can I serve Him, mother? Gopal is a small baby, and needs so much care. Where will I get all the things he needs?” “Don’t worry about that, Baba,” said the old lady. “I will provide everything he needs.” Speaking thus, the old woman went away.

Jaikrishna Das Baba’s samadhi

That night, in his dream, Baba ji saw that the old lady was actually Vrinda Devi, showering him with her blessings. Krishna’s nature is topsy-turvy. Sometimes someone calls for him, but He does not come. Sometimes someone does not call for him, yet he comes. Sometimes he even comes to those who completely snub him. Many great ascetics call and call for him till they are worn out, and he does not even appear in their mind’s eye. But for his accomplished devotees, he is always right behind them.

After serving Gopal for some days, Siddha Jai krishan Das Babaji left his body on chaitra shukla dwadashi.  The gopis heard the call of Shri Krishna’s flute, and he seemed to be hearing the flute song as he departed. His last words were, “Where is my shawl? Where is my blouse? Where is my beautiful skirt?”

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Delhi/Braj, 2018.03.29 (VT) Yesterday, Hema Malini and Shailjakant Mishra were in Delhi Parliament to discuss the development of three areas as parkland reserves.

The pair met with the Railway minister and Defence minister to gain ‘No Objection’ clearances for the parkland reserves. Both the railway minister and defence minister gave assurances that there should not be any objection to the parkland projects and encouraged Malini and Mishra to submit the detailed applications for the projects.

The first proposal for parkland development was discussed with Union Railway Minister, Piyush Goyal. Near the State Bank intersection in Mathura, in an area belonging to the Railways Department, there is a pond. The Rail Minister gave his theoretical approval for a park in the area adjacent to this pond.

Union Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, expressed willingness for the development of two parkland areas in the Mathura Defence colony area of Mathura.

Hema Malini has been the Member  for Mathura in the Lok Sabha (Lower house of the Union Government) since 2014.  Shailjakant Mishra has been the Vice President of the Braj Tirtha Vikas Parishad (BTVP) since 2017. The two are working together for the cultural and economic upliftment of Braj.

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Mathura, 2018.03.30 (TNN): A massive scam unfolded in Mathura’s Khayra village on Tuesday evening when teams of UP and Rajasthan police confiscated as many as 80 brand new tractors purchased in neighbouring states on loan, and later shown as stolen. According to senior police officials, it was the “tip of the iceberg” as over 5,000 tractors were purchased on finance in four states — Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana– and later shown as missing in the last five years.

They also said that the Mathura village and its nearby areas were the “fountainhead” of the racket, where the new tractors, all purchased on loan in the four states and shown as missing, used to be brought. Later, their number plates and documents were forged and they were sold to unsuspecting buyers in East UP, Bihar and West Bengal.

The state police have now decided to form an SIT to look into the matter in detail. “A Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be formed to inquire into the details as many bank and financial companies have been defrauded,” said senior superintendent of police (SSP), Mathura, Prabhakar Chaudhary.

Narrating the modus operandi of the racket, police said that its local contacts in the four states used to purchase the tractors on loan. Later, the farm vehicles were discreetly sent to the Mathura villages and the locals used to approach police saying that the tractors have gone missing. “Over 5,000 tractors were stolen and resold by forging their papers and overwriting engine and chassis numbers in such a way,” a senior police officer said.

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After our visit to Bhramar Ghat and Jai Singh Ghera, team VT, our Parikrama series has now reached Radharaman Temple.

Radharaman Temple, one of the seven ancient temples of Vrindavan, is located just outside the Northern wall of Nidhivan. It was founded by Gopala Bhatta Goswami, one of Lord Chaitanya’s six empowered disciples.

Shri Gopala Bhatta Goswami was always engaged in discourses about love of Godhead in the company of Rupa and Sanatana Goswami.

Gopala Bhatta and his family were residents of Shri Rangakshetra (near Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, South India). During his visit to South India, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at the Bhatta residence (which is still intact) and he brought Gopala Bhatta and his exalted family members into the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya and instructed them on the methods of worshiping God in His most intimate form, as Radha-Krishna.

Shri Gopala Bhatta Goswami worshiping a Shila, P.C. Dandavats

Gopala Bhatta later left for Vrindavan and here he became Gopala Bhatta Goswami. In Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Gopala Bhatta Goswami has been described as the 47th branch of the Lord Chaitanya’s disciple tree. In the purports of Chaitanya Charitamrita, Gopal Bhatta’s conversion to Gaudiya Vaishnavism and other details of his life has been elaborately explained by Shrila Prabhupada.

Gopal Bhatta began worshiping a sacred Shaligram Shila that he had brought from Nepal while on pilgrimage. However venerable the Shila, Goswami longed to worship the lord in His deity form. Goswami ji used to think wistfully that, if he had a deity, he would be able to dress Him with decorative garments and ornaments and offer him nicely prepared foodstuffs.

One day in 1542 A.D., the Shalagram Shila, which is understood to be non-different from Shri Krishna, fulfilled Goswami ji’s desire by appearing in the form of Radharaman ji who is Krishna, the lord of Radha. Gopala Bhatta Goswami was pleased to render all sorts of loving service to his deity such as bathing, dressing, decorating, offering foodstuffs, etc.

Radha Raman ji’s Shalagram form can still be seen on His back. Devotees get a chance to have darshan of the Shaligram Shila form on Thakurji’s back when Radharaman ji is brought out for abhishek on His appearance day (on Vaishaka Purnima). More than twenty five gallons of milk are used in the bathing ritual. 

Shri Gopala Bhatta’s disappearance anniversary (Shravana Krishna 4-6) is celebrated in the temple with great pomp and ceremony and the temple holds frequent cultural programs, in which artists are given the opportunity to perform in front of Shri Radharaman Lal. 

Lord Radharamana is not more than twelve inches height, yet He is very, very beautiful and to have his darshan is a great blessing. There is no deity of Radharani in the temple, but on Radharaman’s left is a reverentially placed representation of Shri Radha. Puja is carried out very opulently with much solid silver paraphernalia, including a huge silver elephant on which Radharaman ji sits for one day of the year.

The place where Shri Radharaman appeared

Once shri Gopala Bhatta Goswami brought Shri Chaitanya’s kaupina (loin cloth) from Jagannatha Puri, and this is still kept within the temple compound. Other Shalagram Shilas previously worshiped by Gopala Bhatta are also kept in Gopal Bhatta’s Samadhi temple, behind the main temple. The place where the Shri Radha Raman’s deity form appeared is commemorated in the courtyard near Shri Gopala Bhatta’s Samadhi.

The new temple building was completed in 1826 by Shah Kundan Lal and his elder brother Shah Phundan Lal who also built the Shahji temple near the entrance of Nidhivana.

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Vrindavan, 2018.03.31 (VT): Steven J. Rosen [Satyaraj Das], the editor of the Journal of Vaishnava Studies (JVS), is a well-known and prolific author of books on Vaishnava spirituality and comparative religion. He is also a chronicler of kirtan in the Western world and associate editor of Back to Godhead magazine. He was recently in Vrindavan (February, 2018), though, unfortunately, our paths didn’t cross. That being said, the two of us have known each other for decades and have spent a bit of time together, especially when I was at the University of London. Indeed, a portion of my translation of Gopala Champu was in the very first edition of JVS in the fall of 1992. Each issue of this journal contains scholarly articles constellated around a particular theme; that of the first issue happened to be “Vraja, Land of Krishna.”

VRINDAVAN TODAY: So what made you start with that subject?

STEVEN ROSEN: Well, first let me briefly talk about how JVS came into being and developed as an academic journal. I was sitting in my living room, in New York, with Pradyumna, an early disciple of (A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami) Prabhupada, and we were discussing scholarly breakthroughs and the importance of thorough and objective study. Tony Stewart had recently completed his PhD thesis on Sri Chaitanya, and David Haberman had completed his on raganuga bhakti, and there were many others too. It seemed clear that these scholars were on to something, unearthing useful information, material that could serve the purposes of the discerning practitioner as well.
So we conceived a book and a journal. I immediately started interviewing the most renowned scholars in the field for the book. Soon after, a volume of these conversations was self-published: Vaishnavism: Contemporary Scholars Discuss the Gaudiya Tradition. The late Ed Dimock, the doyen of Vaishnava studies in the West (at the time), wrote the foreword. He loved the book. Needless to say, with his endorsement and the many prominent names interviewed in the volume itself, it did well. Very well. Next thing I knew, we were republishing it through Motilal Banarsidass and it was picked up for study in many college courses.

But what was interesting was how much Vrindavan became a part of those discussions. A lot of that book turned out to be about Vrindavan, in fact, even though, ostensibly, it was a book about Vaishnavism in general, and Gaudiya Vaishnavism in particular. Still, Alan Entwistle spoke about Vrindavan extensively; David Kinsley spoke about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s journey in Vrindavan; Rick Jarow talked about its esoteric aspect, as did Shrivatsa Goswami. So it became clear: the premier issue of JVS should focus on Vrindavan.

Incidentally, the journal knew immediate success: The Southern Asian Institute newsletter at Columbia University ran a full-length article about JVS, praising it in various ways, and, in the Second Edition of Klaus Klostermaier’s Survey of Hinduism, one of the most widely read textbooks on the subject, he wrote, “In late 1992, the first issue of a quarterly Journal of Vaishnava Studies under the general editorship of S. J. Rosen began to appear from Brooklyn, New York. Its book-length issues carry important scholarly as well as devotional articles and the new journal is likely to stimulate research and disseminate knowledge on this major religion associated with the name of Vishnu.” High praise, indeed!

VT: As I recall – and since our focus in this interview is Vrindavan — there were a lot of good Vraja-related articles in that first issue, from translations of Vaishnava texts to theological interpretations, to accounts of personal experience. What did you find particularly relevant or meaningful?

SR: I liked the balance in that issue, and we tried to replicate that technique in every issue since. From the beginning, we wanted the journal to include material by both scholars of Vaishnavism and by Vaishnava scholars. In other words, we wanted material by people who were academically trained in the historical study of religion but no less by scholarly practitioners. We do that to this day. We try to make each issue a thorough exposition on a particular theme, so that a reader will have a rather complete understanding of a given subject by the time he or she is done. So, since we were covering Vrindavan, we had direct translations of texts, such as yours and the one by Gerald Carney; we reprinted O. B. L. Kapoor’s brilliant piece on Vrindavan from a philosophical perspective; Jack Hawley looked at Vrindavan arts and drama; Rick Jarow and Howard Wheeler offered personal experiences of living and travelling in Vraja; Ranchor Prime covered an ecological perspective; Klaus Klostermaier even gave us an overview of Vrindavan’ political climate. So, that’s the idea – to look at a given subject from many angles, giving space to many voices.

VT: So, in addition to the premier issue, which was exclusively about Vraja/Vrindavan, did the subject come up in other volumes?

SR: Oh, yes, repeatedly and in various ways. We actually had another full issue on Vrindavan where we published the proceedings of an important Vraja Conference in 1994 (3.1). This was held at Shrivatsa Goswami’s place, Jaisingh Ghera, or the Sri Chaitanya Prema Samsthana, as it is also called. That issue had two really important articles, in particular: one by Margaret Case, where she focuses on Growse’s work in historical context, and another by Dennis Hudson — breakthrough work on “Vraja Among the Tamils,” where he explains the significance of Vrindavan for South Indian Vaishnavas. (I should mention, too, that one of our important techniques is to cover all the legitimate sampradayas. So each issue tries to articulate the theme at hand from Madhva perspectives, Ramanuja perspectives, and so on.)

But back to Vrindavan. We also had an issue on famous Vaishnava temples (3.3). That volume included articles by David Haberman, where he looked at the origins of Sri Nathji on Mount Govardhana; Catherine Asher explored the temples of Man Singh; Margaret Case did Govindadeva and Radharamana; and Charles Brooks even did a lengthy piece on ISKCON’s Krishna-Balarama temple.

There was also a “Festivals” issue (7.2), where Jack Hawley wrote about Govardhana-puja and Tracy Pintchman covered Karttik. We also had a “Short Translations” issue (12.1), with an article by Pintchman about Tulasi and one by Haberman about Govardhan. Now that I think of it, we had an entire issue on Govardhan (23.2), including numerous articles about the landscape and theology of the area. So that’s Vraja too.But, really, Vraja/Vrindavan shows up in JVS even where you might least expect it: there were issues on ecology and the environment (18.2 and 24.1), for example, where Gerald Carney wrote about “the religious ecology of Vrindavan” and Graham Schweig wrote about the Vraja Gopikas and the indigenous plant life of the area. There really is so much on Vraja and related themes in so many issues.

VT: What is the relevance of Vraja-Vrindavan to the modern world? Do you have any ideas on Vrindavan and globalization?

SR: I believe that the theology of Vraja, or Vraja-bhakti, includes the deepest philosophical and spiritual insights I’ve encountered anywhere, in any religious tradition, bar none. The Six Goswamis of Vrindavan and their successors have developed it into a complex spiritual science, as you know, and it could only benefit the world to become aware of it, to partake of its profundity. That being said, sometimes, when a secret gets out, it diminishes in value. I don’t think, on a spiritual level, Vraja could ever truly lose its value, or become impotent, but it can certainly become covered, or more difficult to access.

Oh, this brings me into sensitive waters, not to mention the Yamuna [laughter]. I have mixed feelings. While I am glad that Vrindavan – largely through ISKCON’s work — is reaching more people than ever before, it is a bit sad to see that people can no longer bathe in the Yamuna, for example, at least not like they used to, and that pollution and other more Kaliya-esque aspects of modernity now make Vraja virtually unrecognizable. Pros and cons, I guess.

If Vrindavan was initially developed by the immediate followers of Mahaprabhu, from Lokanath Goswami and Bhugarbha to Rupa and Sanatana, the beginning of its external demise came soon thereafter. We all know how Aurangzeb and others had a hand in dismantling important temples, like Keshavadev, at Krishna’s birthsite. As I see it, this work continued with Partition, when India became a secular industrial power. At that point, she could have taken shelter of her ancient spiritual culture. But the die was cast, as it were. India was to move into the modern world, for better and for worse, both. Look, it’s not that spirituality and material progress can’t go hand in hand. Laptops, satellites, TV – these are not necessarily the enemy. Not in and of themselves. They all have utility, if properly engaged. Yukta-vairagya, right? But these things divorced from spiritual sensibility. That’s the problem.

I love that Vraja is now known around the world, and that people can now more readily enter into her mysteries, if not her waters. But that also has a downside, doesn’t it. More and more people are coming, and a village becomes a town becomes a city. It is dangerous. That being said, there are still parts of Vrindavan that are the same – but you have to know where to go. There are parts of Vrindavan that still feel like a rural settlement, as if Krishna might jump out of the bushes and remind you to play with him. But this is restricted to out of the way places. And even the central area, attacked though it is by modernity, is still Vrindavan, and for those fortunate souls who do not have that all-too-common material speck covering their eyes, they can see it. God knows, they can see it.

VT: When you do these theme issues, what is your objective? Do you believe in the Western scholarly historical method? Can a believing Vaishnava also follow the historical method? How do you feel about this?

SR: I look for themes that need to be explored. I look for significant recent scholarly research. Really, I think to myself, “What subject would I most like to read about, to know about, and what subject needs the most explication?” Those are my central questions. Then we put out a call for papers, and we see what comes in. JVS has a great reputation. It is the longest running “Hindu” journal in the academy, and it’s considered prestigious to publish in it. Accordingly, we get the biggest and most accomplished scholars in the field, along with scholarly devotees and academic newcomers who need an outlet for their research.

Your second question is more thorny. I do believe in the scholarly, historical method, but I always think, at least for me, it needs to be counterbalanced by guru, sadhu and shastra, at least if one is to rely on it for conclusive knowledge. Still, that being said, facts are facts. If someone knows the languages, for instance, and they translate something, or dig up historical information that is indisputable, well, I think it can at least be seriously considered, gauged against what the tradition itself has to say about it. Balance is needed, no doubt, but scholars and historians have their part to play and have important information to offer.

I remember once conveying to David Haberman that traditional analogy about the bottle of honey. You know the one: If you really want to taste the honey, you have to open the jar and lick what is inside. You can’t know the honey by reading the label. Analogically, the person who is “merely” a scholar cannot truly taste the tradition, and so his or her findings are always suspect; they are not able to truly articulate or represent the tradition in any accurate way. But Haberman’s answer was good. He said, “Maybe we don’t taste what is inside, but we can read the label. So we can tell you a lot about the content, sometimes more than an illiterate person who merely tastes it.” There’s definitely some truth there. Ideally, a devotee-scholar is best, like the Six Goswamis. But then the counterargument would center around true objectivity. Can a believer be objective enough to explore his or her own tradition with real impartiality? They have a vested interest. These are no doubt complex questions, and space is short.

VT: What are recent developments in JVS, and where do you see it going?

SR: Some years ago, Graham Schweig came on board as a senior editor. He has helped immensely as a liaison with the academic community. In fact, he recently effected an affiliation with the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley. So JVS is now connected with The Mira & Ajay Shingal Center for Dharma Studies at the University of California. This increases our prestige, and it is quite an honor, actually. But more, we are moving into the digital age, and we are working toward making JVS an online resource, both for back issues and for our general subscribers. I don’t think we will ever become a solely online journal. After all, old codgers like myself will always prefer to hold a book in our hands, to smell the print, to feel the pages. No substitute for that, as I’m sure you know. Just as Vrindavan moves into modernity but will always keep precious pockets of its past, so, too, will JVS. We will become state-of-the-art, no doubt, and endeavor to accommodate modern readers, but we will always have print copies as well, at least for those of us who understand its value.

VT: In fact, I think it would be really great if you could publish a single volume of the best articles related to Vrindavan. You have previously done this kind of thing and it seems to be a really great idea. Certainly we at Vrindavan Today would like to be able to share some of this Vrindavan-related research with the world.

Thank you very much for taking the time to share with us an insight into the great service you are doing, which goes well beyond sectarian boundaries to make Vaishnavism, and in particular the mood of Vrindavan, more widely known and understood. It is very much appreciated and I hope that you will come and visit again many more times in the future.

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Mathura 2018.03.31 (VT): Braj is home to several ancient Hanuman temples, including Gujar Ghati Hanuman in Mathura. Gujar Ghati Hanuman is said to be the older brother of Mehandipur Balaji Hanuman. Like Balaji Hanuman, Gujar Ghati Hanuman is said to fulfill the desires of devotees who pray with an earnest heart.

Today, on the birth anniversary of Shri Hanuman, devotees of Lord Hanuman packed themselves into the temple to catch a glimpse of the abhishek ceremony which was done using almost 400 kg of panchamrita (five nectars): milk, curd, sugar, honey and Ganga water.

After the abhishek, panchamrita was distributed among devotees, who felt very blessed to partake of this rare nectar, then Hanumanji was dressed in fine attire ready for the evening darshan.

The temple is filled with devotees every day because the power of the temple to change people’s lives has been proven time and time again. There are countless stories of people who have received blessings enabling them to overcome difficulties and worrying situations.

Gujar Ghati Hanuman is hundreds of years old and is said to be self-manifested. Many people come to the temple for hours per day, where they sit to meditate and absorb the devotional atmosphere.

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Barsana, 2018.03.31 (VT): In an interstate operation, Delhi Police swooped down on a notorious village near Barsana and conducted a massive search for illegal activities on Friday.  It came as a major crackdown as the police had never dared to enter this village before.

Many of the residents of Hathia, bordering Rajasthan, have been implicated in highway robberies, vehicle theft and other criminal activities. The village, situated 22 km from Nandgaon, is a place where patronage is given to criminals by those living there.

Police have made several attempts to catch the criminals and break the crime rings, but until now have been unsuccessful. Agra officer, Satish Parihar, was recently killed in an encounter and Mathura officer Sultan Singh suffered bullet wounds when police surrounded gang members at their hideout.

The villagers were suspects in a scheme to sell fake gold in the year 2000 and, more recently, the names of several of Hathia’s residents have been implicated in the manufacturing of illegal firearms. Law-abiding people are afraid to go to the village and furthermore the high incidence of crime there is causing damage to Hindu-Muslim relations as it is predominantly Muslim.

The police failed to apprehend the suspects in the raid or to locate the firearms storehouse that they expected to find. It is suspected that information about the police raid was leaked, which helped the suspects to flee before they arrived.

The raids were conducted after Delhi Special Cell officers arrested Khajan Singh of Nagala Jagrurupa village. Police found 15 pistols and ammunition in Singh’s possession. Delhi Special Cell Officer, Pavan Kumar said that police extracted information from Singh about the firearms syndicate including the names of buyers and sellers of illegal weapons.

Police of several states are involved in the attempt to break the crime syndicate. The team of Delhi police involved in the raid on Friday included: SI Haridwari Lal, Head Constable Upendra Baliyan, Constable Bipin and Ravindra.

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Vrindavan, 2018.03.31 (Malati Dasi, VT): “I only expected ten people when I first conceived of this program several years ago,” said Babaji Satyanarayana Dasa, director of the Jiva Institute for Vaishnava Studies, at the closing ceremony of the second year of the Bhakti Tirtha course, “but now we have over 40 students from all over the world. I am very satisfied with the results.”

Not only Babaji but also Sanskrit teacher Jagadananda Das Ji and all the students were satisfied with what has been achieved in this second year.

Babaji emphasized the unique opportunity to study comfortably in one place without having to do any other work or worrying about food and shelter. “I did not have such a facility when I studied,” he said. “I had to search out different teachers and study from them in my spare time, after doing my service during the day. And I was not even encouraged to study. For you, it is much easier now.”

Babaji’s desire has always been to create a place of learning here at Jiva where the knowledge of the Gaudīya sampradāya is preserved and taught through suitable modern techniques in a contemporary context. The format of the Bhakti-tirtha course has already proven successful enough to become a model for similar concerted efforts of training in the Gaudīya school.

We, the students, who have been able to attend the complete five ½ month course felt very fortunate that Babaji created such a facility for us. From the middle of October until end of March we have been spoon-fed this precious knowledge by someone who has understood and realized it. In this Bhakti Tirtha Course, which is designed for five years, Babaji is covering some of the basic works of all the Six Philosophical Indian Schools (Ṣaḍ-darśana). Last year we studied Yoga and Nyāya. This year we studied a treatise from the literary tradition analyzing poetic embellishments, Alaṅkāra-Kaustubha, along with Rupa Gosvāmī’s Bhakti-Rasāmṛta Sindhu, an erudite exposition of the stages of bhakti from the beginner to perfection.

The other subject that Babaji teaches throughout the course are the Ṣaṭ Sandarbhas, the six treatises on the Bhāgavata Purāṇa that he studied in depth from his own guru and translated from Sanskrit into the English language with his own commentary.

Towards the end of year Babaji also gave an introductory course on Hinduism to students from Rutgers University, which the Bhakti-tirtha students also attended.

Knowledge of Sanskrit is essential to deeply absorb oneself in these wonderful works and also to follow Babaji’s explanation. To facilitate that, Jagadananda Prabhu has made it his mission to teach the students Sanskrit “in the most painless way possible.” He wants to avoid dreadful memorization of declensions and conjugations and instead tries to familiarize the students with the most common word forms through repetition and recognition in order to quickly enable them to study Sanskrit commentaries of the most common philosophical works that are studied by Gaudīya Vaiṣṇavas.

Jagadananda also gave several lectures on Gaudiya Vaishnava history and an expanded course on the social and literary story of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement in the context of Indian and world history will be given as a part of the curriculum next year. The goal of Jiva is to provide an integrated education that includes both classical Indian and Western approaches. The history course will be more in the critical tradition that arose in the West, examining the available evidence and drawing conclusions from it.

In addition to these regular classes, we had several guest speakers and additional programs on the weekends. Every Saturday Radhika Devi read selected verses from Śrī Jīva Gosvami’s Gopāla Champū that she herself translated and commented on them.

Krishna Kinkari Devi from the Puṣṭi-Mārga tradition gave several classes on the dramatic performance and musical arrangements of Rasa Lila performances in Vrindavan, which culminated in the attendance of such a performance. Also, Master Hashijoki and her team from Siberia came here twice and gave practical workshops on bodywork and sound to achieve a higher level of awareness and vocal expression.

Some of the cultural programs were the traditional celebration of festivals such as Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī’s appearance day, Sarasvatī Pūjā, Holi festival, Odisi dance and the Vrindavan Today Bhārta-nāṭyam performance.

After the summer break, the third semester will start again in the middle of October. Audio recordings of the first two semesters are available through the website of Jiva Institute, www.jiva.org.

New students can still join the course, but it is recommended to first listen to the previous recordings.

The post Second Year of Bhakti Tirtha course successfully completed at Jiva Institute appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Radha Kund, 2018.04.01 (VT): Despite promises, authorities have not yet organized a visa extension for Sudevi (Friederike Irina Bruning), and once again she is being told that she has to leave the country. Sudevi is a German national who has been serving Braj’s cows and calves for the last 38 years in her Goshala in Radha Kund.

Four months ago, when Sudevi’s visa was nearing expiration, she was promised a one year visa extension. An extensive campaign was launched to help her with official and social media rallying to the cause of spreading awareness about the injustice of deporting someone who has dedicated her life to selfless service.

During an interview, Hema Malini said that people should not think that she is a foreigner so we don’t need to not help her. Malini said, we need people like Sudevi. Malini said that she will contact External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in regards to Sudevi’s visa and promised to help gather support for the goshala’s work. (watch interview here)

Sudevi said that the Radha Surabhi Goshala needs Rs25 Lakh (US$38,000) per month to run. She collects this amount in donations and also uses her own money from rental properties in Germany. Food and medicines are provided to the cows, calves and bulls, many of which come to the goshala in an injured and sickly state.

P.C. BHOORISHRINGA

Despite her many years of dedicated service, Sudevi’s tension regarding visa is not coming to an end quickly. She cannot become an Indian citizen because that would mean losing the rental income on properties in Germany, which she uses to fund the Radha Kund Goshala.

Sudevi is like a mother to the cows, and has been described as Braj’s Mother Teresa. She lives with the cows and does not even take milk from them for personal use as she wants the cows to feed their calves and the orphaned calves in the shelter.

The goshala now has 1300 cows and the number keeps increasing as sick and injured cows from the streets are dropped off at the goshala. Despite the huge effort needed to raise the funds to feed and care for so many injured and sick cows and calves, Sudevi’s determination makes it possible and the thought of turning away any cow or leaving the cows is horrifying for her.

Around 60 locals work in the Radha Surabhi Goshala and Sudevi has the support of the local community of Radha Kund. Everyone is hoping that the authorities will do the needful so that Sudevi can continue her work of serving Braj’s cows.

The post Efforts to save 1300 cows: Hema Malini joins the fight for Sudevi’s visa appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2018.03.31 (VT): Radhika Swamini or Rishika Devi, artist and author, released her newest book at Jiva on Friday. The book is a poetical rendition of portions of the Gopala Champu by Jiva Goswami. Radhika Devi is a longtime student of Sanskritic culture and poetics. The book can be obtained at the Jiva Institute. We are presenting a few excerpts from the Goloka Vilasa Champu.

Swamini is also an artist and designed the front cover.

Sarvaṁ sarvātmakam

Everything is alive in the dhāman.
All objects so said are in fact but
Actors in the play in the Lord.
How the rivers sport.
How the mountains tremble.
How the sands induce amour.
Now to understand the divine
Place of the Lord’s love-ports we
need but hear with the purest ear
newly tuned to the poet’s
divinely heard words.

Goloka Vṛndāvana Vilāsa

Atha, O king, that place of Nanda Maharaj
Vraj is naturally endowed with all opulence.
Yet as soon as Krishna appears, just see, it
becomes the Palace-of-Grace per se viz.
Hara, the Goddess of Fortune, known as
Amazing Sri Radhika Devi.

What is Vrindavan but the Deity of the Earth?
What is Vrindavan but that place where even
the slightest touches provokes but the winds of bliss
and mirth, to purify – poets say – but by
the lightest ruse of kissing new birds?

Does it not bestow artha, kama and dharma indeed
and does it not confer moksha?
Yet Vrindavan itself, it is said, is not
enamored as it binds the eager souls but to her own ever
unfolding quality in that land of cows, calves, plants and the
Jumma sand-banks of immortality?

Śvetadvīpa also Known as Goloka

In Vrindavan all contradictions are resolved, viz.
Virodhālaṅkāra. Yet Poets fail to explain how
Vrindavan remains the enigma of speech.
Yet again the literati bards never fail to
hail provisions of poetic descriptions
of that art which in fact is beyond
its own reachable
prediiection!

Ah! in Vrindavan we find the eternal ballroom of bliss.
Is it not the son of Nanda who, giving ānanda to all,
appears in the the midst of this forest of Braj,
and is not by his sweet will that all types of folks
are privy to the charm of that vast shyama forest
of pastimes of fulfilling the wants of all?

Where all walking is dancing,
where all talking is song,
where the sound of the flute announces
the coming of the best friend of all,
where all things relishable are meant but for the self
in service to Krishna and his Braja land.

Just hear this: it is said of Vrindavan
that all things revealed are but items-cum-objects
of pure ananda, that is, bliss. Poets say, are you yourself
not included, viz.scriptural ‘so’ ham seeing the self as but his part and parcel?

Shame to hear that only a few devoted folks
wandering this earth have realized the ever
extended bliss, mirth and girth of that Goloka.

A Ground-Map of Gokula

What else can i say: that place, that Goloka sports cows
who give endless flows of milk,
yet time there – all but phased –
is yet conspicuous by its own absence.

Here is visualization for those folks wishing to
compose a blue-template of sorts, viz. Goloka.
Gokula is the center of a thousand-petalled lotus
sustained by the spirituality of Baladev, called Ananta.

It is said Gokula is encircled by an astonishing square
named Śveta-dvīpa or Goloka. Again that domain is quartered
in four lots where the four Gods viz. Visnu forms,
Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Aniruddha and Pradyumna, resort.

That Place is endowed with the four goals of human life;
Ten spears guard the ten directions, including up and down.
The entire town so to speak is endowed with the eight treasures and siddhis.
Ten dikpalas, or protectors in the form of mantras
surround the precincts divine.
Indeed the four Vedas
are part of that
corpus of
guards for
the entire
plateau
of that
heart-
land of
mine.

Atha Para-Deśa

Who would not wish to hear about
the ultimate para-deśa named Vrindavan,
where twelve forests ever remain fresh.
Animals, birds and deer, insects et al,
including the human beings such as ourselves
reside there eternally without death.
Sayeth the Lord, upon dying those folks
who inhabited the divine dhaman
come then to My abode.

Ah! Is not the river Kalindi
the Susumna channel,
leading but to the
eternal nectar-drenched
place designated as paramārtha-deśa-vākya,
the place of ultimate meaning, where objects and sounds
collapse into One Unbroken Whole?
In their divine bodies
the celestial inhabitants serve me continually.
In fact, all the Devas
and the combination of all elements
who or which reside there
in a spiritual form are but myself.
In fact am I not the epitome of those devas?
True, I may appear to come and go
in the world of matter and men,
but I do not, for a movement
leave that pleasurable court par excellence.
Ah, that place divine – impure
to the material eye of so called
seekers – as such is aprakaṭa,
in fact invisible viz. That!
For the blind on this path!

Vismaya Yoga-bhūmikā.

As variegated forms are drawn on reamed slates
so multiple objects of various sorts are depicted
here as pramana, or evidence of the
Endless Portal Court Supreme.

As if seeing in a spotless mirror, the entire Braj,
composed of pristine elements for seeing and hearing,
acts like the chintamani stone, fulfilling the desires
of all who sit as if under the rarest Tree – kalpa-vṛkṣa.

Who can deny seeings the inhabitants of this astonishing
place make the mind unsteady, the heart triple phased.

Essence of Things

The special features of Krishna were revealed and indeed
are considered to be the essence of all things, so to speak.
Dd the Lord not show himself as the ruler of Vaikuntha
when along with his friends, deep in the river Jumna,
that Brahma-hrada place of the greatest mystery,
He appeared as such, none other than the Lord of LOrds,
He, whose glories are sung by the Vedas, but now
appearing in yellow dhotied dramatized silk-cloth?

Palace of Pure Light

That place called Goloka is the supreme manifestation,
indeed the realm of pure light, which very few know
called jyoti herself. Is it not made of knowledge and bliss alone,
since as we know, shakti is non different from
shaktiman, indeed the same as his svarupa-cum-body et al?
Thus, poets say, a felicitous Two-in-One Yugal!

It is that very jyoti indeed that reveals something
we call a bloom of sorts. It is that very feature which
produces, so to speak, the unfolding rose-portals
of the Lord’s human-like pastimes.

Radhika Swamini giving a reading.

Presenting book to Satyanarayana Dasaji.

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Vrindavan, 2018.04.01 (VT): The next stop on our Vrindavan Parikrama is Radha Gokulananda temple, which is home to the deities of four great Vaishnavas – Lokanatha Goswami, Baldeva Vidyabhusana, Shri Vishwanatha Chakravarty and Narottamdas Thakura. A stone from Govardhan Hill that bears the actual thumbprint of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who gave this most worshipable shila to Raghunatha Das Goswami can be seen here.

Radha Gokulananda temple is situated only two minutes walk from Radharaman temple.  This center of Bengali Vaishnava bhajan and preaching is one of the saptadevala (seven original temples) of Vrindavan.

Samadhi memorials of great Vaishnavas in Radha Gokulananda temple grounds

Founded by Lokanatha Goswami, this great Acharya’s samadhi (memorial) is also here along with the samadhi of Narrotamdasa Thakura and Shri Vishwanatha Chakravarty. The vast literary contributions of the lineage of this temple – Narrotamdasa Thakur, Shri Vishwanatha Chakravarty and Baladeva Vidyabhushana reveal the purity of their single-minded devotion to Radha and Krishna.

The Radha Krishna deities belonging to these three acharyas are worshiped here, namely Radha Vinoda, worshipped by Lokanatha Goswami, Radha Gokulananada worshipped by Vishwanatha Chakravarty Thakura and Radha Vijay Govind, worshipped by Baldeva Vidyabhusana. Narottamadas Thakura’s deity of Lord Chaitanya is also here. Radha Vinoda and Radha Vijay Govind are pratibhu extentions of the original deities, which were shifted to Jaipur for safe keeping due to being under threat from Mughal rulers. The Radha Gokulananada and Mahaprabhu deities are the original ones.

Lokanatha Goswami

Lokanatha Goswami was born in the village of Talkhari, Jessore, in what is now Bangladesh. He left his home at an early age and after meeting Lord Chaitanya, completely lost interest in material life.

During a lecture on the occasion of Lokanatha Goswami’s Disappearance Day, Shrivatsa Goswami told listeners: “When Mahaprabhu took sannyas, Lokanatha came to Vrindavan. While visiting the places of Krishna’s pastimes, he discovered the deity of Radha Vinod from ‘Kishori Kund’ in the village of Umrao. Lokanath Goswami used to carry this deity in a bag hanging on his neck, wherever he went.”

The local villagers and cowherd men of Umrao wanted to construct a bhajan kutir for Lokanath Goswami, but Goswami ji refused to accept it. In order to protect the deity, he prepared a cloth bag, which he would keep around his neck at all times. Sri Radhavinoda became like a jeweled necklace around the neck of Lokanatha Goswami. The cloth bag was his temple.

Lokanatha Goswami’s Samadhi, Radha Gokulananda Temple

Another example of the strict vairagya (renunciation) that Lokanath Goswami maintained is that he asked Krishnadas Kaviraj not to mention him in the Chaitanya Charitamrita. Krishnadas Kaviraj did mention Lokanath Goswami’s name as one of the 6 Goswamis of Vrindavan, and a few details regarding his life were added into the purport by AC Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada.

Shrila Lokanatha Dasa Goswami is mentioned as follows in the Chaitanya Charitamrita:

sange gopala-bhatta, dasa-raghunatha, 
raghunatha bhatta-gosai, ara lokanatha:

When Rupa Goswami stayed at Mathura, he was accompanied by Gopala Bhatta Goswami, Raghunatha dasa Goswami, Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami and Lokanatha dasa Goswami.

Govardhan Shila at Radha Gokulananda temple

AC Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada gives the following information about Shrila Lokanatha Goswami: “Shri Lokanatha Goswami was a personal associate of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and a great Devotee of the Lord. He was a resident of a village named Talakhadi in the district of Yashohara in Bengal. Previously he lived in Kachnapara. His father’s name was Padmanabha, and his only younger brother was Pragalbha. Following the orders of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Shri Lokanath went to Vrindavana to live. He established a Temple named Gokulananda.”

After carrying Radha Vinod around in a bag on his neck for several years, when Rupa and Sanatan Goswami came to Vrindavan, on their request moved from Khadiravan forest near Umrao village to Vrindavan.

Lokanath Goswami’s pastimes help us to remember to disassociate the external appearances from the internal devotional state. Lokanatha Goswami was most attached to Lord Chaitanya. Instead of waiting for Mahaprabhu to come to Vrindavan, Lokanatha Goswami followed him to South India and ended up missing him when he passed through Vrindavan. Even after months of travelling, and returning to Vrindavan only to find that Mahaprabhu had just left, Lokanatha Goswami was not ready to give up. At this time, Lord Chaitanya appeared to him in a dream, instructing him to stay in Vrindavan, and blessed him to feel the Lord’s presence always.

Narottama Dasa Thakura

Srila Lokanatha Goswami gave initiation to Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura. There is no mention in the shastras that he accepted any other disciples. Narottama Thakura served him in secret by going in the dead of night to the place where Lokanatha would pass stool and urine and cleansing the area very carefully. Seeing Narottama’s humility, Shri Lokanatha accepted him. Narottama Dasa Thakura wrote hundreds of bhajans including the well known Shri Guru Charana Padma

Raghunatha Das Goswami

Raghunatha Das Goswami is the author of Manah Shiksha, the prayer that Vaishnavas repeat daily in order to direct their minds away from distractions and towards Shri Krishna.

Mahaprabhu’s Govardhan Shila at Radha Gokulananda temple

He was born in West Bengal to wealthy parents who hired servants and guards in an attempt to stop him from running away. He was strongly attached to Lord Chaitanya and being pleased with Raghunatha Das’ renunciation Mahaprabhu gave him the Govardhan Shila that he had been keeping for three years.

Govardhan Shilas are a transcendental form of Shri Krishna’s body and this Shila had been washed by Mahaprabhu’s tears of devotion. It had become so soft that Mahaprabhu’s thumb print was imprinted on it.

Raghunatha Das was extremely renounced, and when in Jagannath Puri, he ate only rotten rice Prasad from Jagannath temple. He would wash the rice and add a little salt. Mahaprabhu instructed him that, for the purpose of worshipping the Shila, only some water and tulsi leaves are required.

Ragunatha Das’ absorption in bhajan was so complete that, while staying at Radha Kund, he was oblivious to the need to build a shelter for himself and was only convinced to do so after Sanatana Goswami told him that he had seen Radha Rani herself sheltering Ragunatha Das’ body from the sun with her sari.

Raghunatha Das Goswami was instrumental in the development of Radha Kund. When Lord Chaitanya pointed out the place where Radha Krishna made Radha Kund and Shyama Kund, the kunds were only small ponds in a field.  Raghunatha Das Goswami knew that Lord Chaitanya wanted the holy places of Vrindavan to be excavated for the benefit of all people. He thought of excavating them but, being an renunciate, he didn’t want to entangle himself in money etc. Radha-Krishna understood his heart. At the same time, a wealthy merchant was on his way to Badrikasrama with the intention of building a beautiful temple for Lord Badrinath. Badrinath appeared in the dream of that merchant and instructed him to excavate Radha-Kunda under the guidance of Raghunath Das Goswami instead. In this way Radha-Kunda and Shyama-Kunda were excavated.

Vishwanatha Chakravarty Thakura

Vishwanatha Chakravarty is the writer of the famous eight verse Gurvashtakam. Appearing in 1638, Shri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura (Hari Vallabha Dasa) came in the disciplic succession of Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura. Visvanatha took initiation from Sri Radha Ramana Cakravarti. He was known as “the crest jewel of the Vaisnavas” because of his pure devotion, scholarship, and realized perception of Radha Gokulananda’s intimate conjugal pastimes.

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura wrote over forty Sanskrit books on the science of pure devotion to Radha Krishna. He also wrote the sweetest, most highly realized rasika tikas (commentaries) on Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, the works of Srila Rupa Goswami, Kavi Karnapura, and Narottama Dasa Thakura.

Baladeva Vidyabhushana

Baladeva Vidyabhushana (ca. around 1650 -1743) was a prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava acharya (religious teacher) He born in Gauradanda, Orissa. During his travels he again came to Utkaladesa (Odisha) and met with Sri Radha-Damodara Deva, a grand-disciple of Sri Rasikananda Deva. Sri Radha-Damodara Deva explained the conclusions of Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology as expounded by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In a very short time Baladeva Vidyabhushana became very expert in Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy.

With the permission and blessings of his guru, he moved to Vrindavan to further study these teachings under Sri Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura. Shri Baladeva received the title ‘Vidabhushana’ (ornament of knowledge) after he presented in the Royal court, the work Govinda Bhashya, which is the Gaudiya Vaishnava commentary on Vedanta Sutra. Instead of attempting to write the commentary himself, Baladeva Vidyabhushana prayed at Govind Dev temple and Govind Dev Himself narrated the commentary for Baladeva Vidyabhushana to scribe.

Radha Gokulananda temple and surroundings

Radha Gokulananda temple room

These days, after taking darshan of the deities of these great Vaishnavas, devotees sit in the temple, in the area around Shrila Vishwanatha Chakravarty’s Samadhi with kartals and mridanga and lose themselves in kirtan. Narottamadas Thakura’s bhajans are sung here with great devotion.

Currently, Acharya Shrivatsa Goswami Maharaj is the temple sevait. Shrivatsa Goswami is dedicated to promoting the glories of this ancient temple and is active in the efforts to conserve the natural and cultural heritage of Vrindavan.

Garden area at Radha Gokulananda Temple

There is a vacant area next to Vishwanatha Chakravarty’s Samadhi that used to be a sacred grove. In ancient times, temples were surrounded by gardens, however, as the town developed, many of these gardens were sold off or fell into disrepair. In December 2017, Friends of Vrindavan began work to restore the upvan (garden) adjacent to Radha Gokulananda temple. When work is complete, this sacred grove and much needed green area will be known as the ‘Sacred Grove of Manjulali’

The post Gokulananda Temple: A center of meditation for the Gaudiya Acharyas appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

2018.04.03 (VT):  In a wave of violent protests in Mathura and across India yesterday, shops were looted, government and private property was set ablaze, trains were delayed, 9 people were killed and thousands more were injured. Thousands have of protesters been detained and arrested and the protests are paralyzing the nation.

There were long delays for passengers yesterday after trains were not able to pass through Mathura station. Protesters blocked railway tracks and hurled rocks at trains, causing injury to over 200 passengers, including women and children. Dozens of trains were stopped outside the city as protesters climbed onto train carriages at Mathura Station and terrorized passengers. Hundreds of protesters stormed the station looting the station shops and overturning garbage bins. The streets of Mathura were blocked by demonstrators and protesters destroyed several private vehicles and a Government bus.

Protester destroying a signboard. P.C. Patrika.com

The protests being held against a Supreme Court ruling on March 20 which protects public servants from being arrested under the SC/ST Act without a preliminary inquiry. Previously, under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, public servants could be arrested on suspicion of atrocities against persons of Scheduled Caste and Tribal background. The Supreme Court ruled that the act was being misused to harass officials and amended the law. Under the amended law, after a complaint is made, public servants must be investigated within a 7 day period.

People of the SC/ST community feel that the law to protect them has been diluted and that there is no safety for those who lodge complaints if a person being investigated is at liberty to use their power to further threaten or harm the person making the complaint against them.

The Supreme Court has been petitioned to speed up the process of reviewing the law, however the court not yielding to pressure. Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, said there was no urgency to list the case, and that it would be taken up in time.

The situation in Braj is calmer than in other parts of India. In Jharkhand yesterday, 1600 people were arrested and 200 people were arrested in Meerut. In Gwalior, police  imposed a curfew on some parts of the city and the internet was shut down in Punjab and Gwalior. Police have been injured by protesters and several protesters have been killed by police firing. Yesterday, 9 people lost their lives in the protests.

Vehicles set alight by protesters, P.C. Sakib Ali/HT

Vrindavan is less affected by the protests than Mathura, but there is an atmosphere of fear and the streets are quiet. Children are missing another day of school due to the civil unrest. In Mathura, people are too afraid to open shops because of looters and several people had their cars burnt by protesters taking out their anger on private property. Innocent people have been injured and made to wait for hours for transport during extremely hot weather. Train windows were broken by stones and Government buses have been vandalized and set alight.

Mathura police allowed the protests to continue but, in other areas, police charged protesters with batons and opened fire. Local leaders and politicians are urging protesters to refrain from violence.

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Barsana, 2018.04.04 (VT): Braj’s biggest goshala, which was producing 4000 litres of milk, has stopped all milking of cows from 1^st April. Milk from the ashram’s 700 lactating cows will now be used only to feed their own calves and orphaned calves.

Ramesh Baba made the decision to stop all milking after he discovered that workers at the goshala were taking so much milk from the cows that their calves were becoming weak and dying. Babaji was so disgusted by this greedy behavior that he decided to stop the workers from collecting and selling milk.

Shri Ramesh Baba

The 4000 litres of milk that was taken from the cows at Mataji Goshala was used for the Radha Rani temple and ashram and was also sold to local dairies. The cost of running the goshala is Rs22 Lakh (US$34,000) per day.

Mataji Goshala is home to 50,000 cattle. Cows that suffer injuries on the roads and those who are rescued from smugglers are regularly dropped at the goshala. The goshala is also home to a state-of-the-art gas renewable energy plant that produces gas and electricity from the manure collected from the goshala.

Ramesh Baba started the goshala eleven years ago, with only two cows.  Ramesh Baba is known for his captivating lectures, environmental activism and the Braj Yatra Parikrama that he organizes every year.

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Braj, 2018.04.05 (VT): Forests and foliage have always been a significant part of Braj culture. The entire land was once green with forest cover, there were as many as 12 forests and 24 sub-forests.

Mahavan, one of the 12 forests of Braj situated on the east side of the Yamuna, was a dense grove that is now a small town filled with houses and concrete structures. In those days, the entire East bank from Bhadravan, opposite Nandghat, Bhandirvan, Belavan and up to Lohavan, was covered with dense foliage.

Deer at Raman Reti, Gokul.

On the Western side of the Yamuna, Sri Govardhan stood tall surrounded by Vrindavan. There were other forests like Kamavan, Kokilavan, Taalavan, Kumudvan, Khadirvan, Madhuban etc. a total of 52 forests and sub forests where Krishna performed his magnificent lilas. The entire Braj was a splendid land of lush green forests where trees were laden with fruits and flowers, birds sung day and night, deer gleefully played and peacocks danced in ecstasy. So beautiful and serene was the place. Its rivers, ponds and lakes had waters crystal clear and pure like the unalloyed heart of a saint.

This sacred land was home to many saints who came here to find the absolute truth, where great sages like Dhruva Maharaj, Rishi Durvasa, Rishi Angira and King Shantanu lived great lives while performing austerities and penances.

The forest of Vraja at Govardhana. (From http://www.travelingmonk.com/)

The flora and fauna of Braj plays a vital role in the lives of the Brajwasis. Affection for trees and their importance is deeply ingrained in Braj’s culture. Planting and caring for trees is considered equal to pilgrimage, worship and yajna .The love for Krishna is seen in every home and therefore Brajwasis serve the Lordship in the form of deities with various delightful offerings from nature in the form of garlands made with Kadamb flowers and leaves, crowns decorated with peacock feathers and delicious eatables made with fruits and milk.

Braj is incomplete without the dance of the peacock in the monsoons, the song of cuckoo birds at dawn, the playful cows and calves returning to their homes at dusk, the chitter chatter of the gopis while churning butter, the gurgling burbling of the Yamuna waters, the cool scented breeze and the lush green forests. Tress are the lifeline of Braj. In so many ways they have served us like a loyal member of our family and stood by us in time of both joy and grief.

The marker of Saubhari Rishi’s tapasya under the banyan tree.

O! dear Pipal, Paakar and Banyan tree, the naughty Nandnandan has stolen our hearts! O! Kurbak, Naagkesar, Punnag and Champa, have you seen him? O! Creepers and vines, you have embraced those trees that were lovingly touched by Shyamsundar, can you tell us where he is?  We wonder if the trees of Rasaal, Priyaal, Kathal, Kachnnaar, Aam, Jamun, Bel, Maulsri, Kadamb, Kareel, Chonker and Neem and many other trees associated with the pastimes of the Lord still exist on the banks of river Yamuna.

Where else can you find such unconditional love for trees except in Vrindavan? It is a sin even to scratch a leaf with your nail. They are the great sages and saints who after thousands of years of penance and hardship were blessed with a fortune to take the form of these trees and plants so that they can witness the The Divine Couple who are still wandering in Braj engaging in wonderful pastimes.

A Tatia sthan sadhu sweeps the kunj.

Even now when there is unrestricted felling of trees and construction going on in full swing, there are several places where trees are considered more sacred than a temple. Instead of cutting them down. people have built structures around them leaving enough space for them to grow and spread. One such example is Tatiya Sthan situated on the Parikarma Marg, where the temple and ashram has been built in such a way that no plant or tree was hurt or cut down in the process, maintaining the sanctity and tradition of the Dham.

Those trees under which Krishna used to enjoy meals and relax during the afternoon time, where he played on the banks of Yamuna river, where saints meditated on the intimate pastimes of the eternal couple have all disappeared and, instead, large factories have mushroomed emitting poisonous smoke, their waste being dumped on the banks of river Yamuna which has black mucky water now on which thousand of insects and mosquitoes are breeding.

Mathura used to be a beautiful place surrounded with lush green forest but now it has turned into a concrete jungle with houses and buildings to be seen everywhere. The Kunds have been neglected so much that they have been covered with green moss, some have dried up and become dumping areas for garbage. Trees have been cut down to make space for factories and high rise buildings.

Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi (UP Governor 1952-57)

In 1953, the then governor Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi had started a massive afforestation drive at Goverdhan called Van Mahotsav, which became a tradition in the state of Uttar Pradesh that saved the green cover of the region from rapid deforestation. The result is that there are now 25,000 acres of forest in Agra, Mathura has 3000, Mainpuri has 4000, 400 in Eta and 15,000 acres in Bulandhshar.

Near the canals flowing through several towns and cities in the state about 1000 miles of forest area are still existant. Blocks of forest cover are found in Baad, Salempur, Farah, Anyor, Sakeetara, Nandgaon, Kotwan, Kaamar, Kokilavan, Bathankala, etc. which have been saved and protected to some extent.

Places like Agra Janpad, beside the Yamuna, Mau, Kukraitha, Babarpur, Muhammadpur, Artauni, Dhandupur, Chalesar and Nayamatpur also have some green foliage left. Saseem and English Babool trees are very commonly found in Agra.

Bharatpur has a bird sanctuary which has some green cover and lakes for migratory birds arriving each year during winters.

Agra also has the Keetham lake and the Surdas forest which are quite famous and popular with visitors. Mathura-Vrindavan road, Dhorera Bangar and Sunrakh had a good forest block which is now being turned into colonies and residential areas.

These forest blocks had trees like Babar, Kadeb, Sisam, Jamun, Khair, Chonker and English Babool which have almost disappeared and are hardly seen now. A few years back, one could easily spot animals like deer, rabbits, hedgehogs, neelgai (blue bull), jackal, partridge and mongoose. But these animals are much rarer now.

Rapid development and globalization, which may be good in terms of economic growth and employment opportunities, but, along with material advancement, we are sadly losing a rich heritage and culture that holds a very crucial place in Braj.

The divine beauty of this land which enchanted many poets, is unfortunately now vaporizing with the toxic gases emitting out of the huge refineries built on the eternal land of Shyamsundar, who played unlimited pastimes in these forests. Will Braj culture completely perish under the huge storm of devastation wearing a mask of development? Are we so ungrateful to forget and neglect them completely?

It is now imperative that we build animal and bird sanctuaries, a home for deer, monkeys, peacocks, neelgai and other animals that have lost their natural habitat due to urbanization.

On both sides of Yamuna, as well as in the entire Mathura–Vrindavan region there is an urgent need to plant more trees  that can give dense shade and shelter, along with fruits and flowers. Immediate action is required to revive the green belt under which 2000 square miles of Braj was reserved for cooling and refreshing forests. Efforts to save the culture of Braj Dham should not be the responsibility solely of the Government but should be equally shared by every Brijwasi. We must save and protect our home.

Picture taken today at Cheer Ghat. See photo gallery: http://news.vrindavantoday.org/gallery/katyayani-devi-other-cheer-ghat/

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Sita Ram Laxman and Bal Krishna and Balaram at Malukpeeth

Braj,2018.04.05 (VT): Today is the appearance day of Maluk Das (1631-1739). Maluk Das was a transcendentalist of the highest order. His firm belief that the Lord is supporting all came across in his eloquent poetry that has inspired people for centuries. Maluk Das described God in a way that even the Mughal rulers of the age in which he lived could appreciate. He was not interested in sectionalism and caste boundaries and wrote:

“In the house of God there is no caste or creed. Whoever worships God is with Him”

(jati pati puchhe nahi koi, Hari ko bhajay so Hari ka hoi)

Rajendra Das Maharaj placing silver padukas on Maluk Das’ samadhi

Maluk Das is succeeded by the line of Maluk Peetadishwar Swamis, whose current acharya is Maluk Peetadishwar Rajendra Das Maharaj.

Maluk Das was born on Vaishak Badi Panchmi in 1631 and lived a long life of 108 years. He was born in Kadha village, Kaushambi District, Allahabad, UP.

Maluk Das spoke basic truths about the purpose of human life, encouraging people to aim to live a saintly life by taking a few simple steps and remembering the purpose of life. Otherwise, we get caught up in the own selfish pursuit of happiness and create a world where people are simply engaged in fighting for their own interests.

According to Maluk Das, our selfishness makes every relationship in this world  a lie, and it is only our acts of kindness that reach the Supreme.

Whoever is suffering, let them be happy. Give me their sorrow

(Jo dukhiya sansar main, khovao tikna dukh. Dalidar saump Maluk ko, logon dijo such)

Maluk das was well known for his charitable activities. When he was only ten years old, he would distribute blankets to pilgrims and cover sleeping Sadhus with blankets with the blankets that he was supposed to sell.

Many miraculous events are associated with Maluk Das ji, including the story of how he became absorbed in bhakti. In his youth, Maluk Das became irritated with a jagran program that interrupted his sleep. Interrogating the pujari, he demanded to know the point of such programs, since people need to work for their keep. The pujari disagreed, saying that the Supreme feeds all.

In order to prove his point, the Young Maluk Das said that he would go into the jungle for 24 hours and that if God didn’t come to feed him, the pujari would have to admit that he is wrong and stop disturbing people with kirtan programs.

Maluk Das went into the jungle and climbed up a tree, where he sat in a high branch. After only three hours, a traveller came by and sat under the tree leaving a sack of food when he left. Maluk Das was sure it was some trick, so he refused to eat the food.

Soon after a gang of robbers arrived at that spot. They saw the food and Maluk Das sitting in the tree.  Thinking that Maluk Das had poisoned the food and laid it as a trap, the robbers demanded that he come down from the tree and eat the food. Maluk Das refused but the five robbers beat him until he complied.

Shri Maluk Peeth Seva Sansthan , Vrindavan

After this incident, Maluk das went back to the pujari and admitted that the pujari was correct in thinking that the Supreme feeds all of us – if we don’t eat of our own accord, he arranges that we get beaten until we agree to partake of the fruits that the Supreme has designated for us.

Maluk Das’ most famous doha relates to this story of his becoming aware that the Supreme is taking care of all:

“Pythons don’t labour, birds don’t work, but Shri Ram is making providing for all”

(Agagar kare na chakri panchhi kare na kaam das maluka kaha gaye sabke data Ram)

These days, at Malukpeeth Seva Sansthan, situated behind Gopeshwara Mahadev temple, Vrindavan, Rajendra Das Maharaj continues the tradition of encouraging people to stop relying on their own strength and surrender to the Supreme.

During a lecture, Maharaj described  five wrong behaviours where we rely on our own ability to enjoy instead of realizing that actual bliss comes from feeling that the Supreme is always with us.

Rajendra Das Maharaj speaking on the occasion of Maluk Das’ Appearance day

These five, most dangerous sins are:

1) Gambling

2)Earning money from immoral activities

3)Taking intoxicating substances

4)Killing and Eating meat

5)Having illicit affairs

Maharaj says that if we indulge in any of these sins, the others will soon follow and we become more engangled in this age of quarrel (Kali Yug). But, if we can keep ourselves away from these things, we will live in bliss. We will become immune from interferences in our bhajan and will be living in the Age of Goodness (Satya Yug) despite the advanced environmental and societal degradation.

Hall at Shri Maluk Peeth Seva Sanstan during Rajendra Das Maharaj’s lecture

Maharaj embodies the spirit of blissful devotion. There is a lightness about him, a carefree joyousness that gives away his absorption in bhakti.

Rajendra Das Maharaj’s tireless efforts to explain scriptures and make them easily understandable was recently recognized by the President of India who awarded him the honorary title Doctor of Literature (D.Lit).

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Braj, 2018.04.05 (VT): Vrindavan Today brings you the news of Vraja – Vrindavan’s culture, heritage, issues, devotion, events etc. But our mission remains incomplete without writing about the Brajwasi personalities who are masters in their own field. Vrindavan is glorified for being the land the pastimes of Shri Krishna and its temples, and the contribution of artists has added to the glory of Vrindavan. Art and culture illuminate our inner lives and enrich our emotional world and the role of painters is very significant in propagating culture.

Art is the immediate presentation of man’s creative search, and when used properly, becomes an aesthetic expression our search for connection with the Supreme.

Vrindavan Today correspondent interviewed Shri Nritya Gopal Sharma, who is an asset for not only for Vrindavan, but for the entire land of Vraja and the extensions of Vraja in the spiritual communities worldwide.

An ardent admirer of the miniature form of paintings that emerged during the 16th century in North India, Nritya Gopal Sharma draws his inspiration from the country’s tradition of religious art.

Since Vaishnavism is primarily based on Lord Krishna’s life and His homeland Brajbhoomi, it was natural that this theme became the principal source for NG Sharma’s works. When we asked him for the inspiration behind his creativity, he said, “I feel that Shri Krishna wants me to paint Him, He is my only inspiration. Moreover, the compositions depicting and glorifying the Radha Krishna’s Divine Couple pastimes, have always occupied the centre of my imagination.”

Born in 1958 in Vrindavan, Shri Nritya Gopal Sharma is an artist by nature with no formal professional training. Sketching was his childhood love and, this hobby later graduated into a job. Sharma ji recalled, “During my youth, one of my old family friends was engaged in the export of art and craft. He was the first person to recognize my talent and asked me to dedicate an hour everyday to painting for the export market.”

NG Sharma began his carrier painting in the tradition of Mughal art. The determination to do something challenging shifted his focus from Mughal paintings to miniature works. Having learnt the basics of miniature paintings from family friend Shri Gopal Prasad Bhatt, his earlier works were in the Rajasthani and Mughal styles.

Even though Nritya Gopal Sharma has been honored for his Mughal style painting, he enjoys doing religious and traditional paintings. He finds much satisfaction and peace making the paintings of Radha and Krishna. As he himself puts it, “there is always something challenging and extremely beautiful to be found while painting the most popular subjects in Braj.”

The Kishangarh and Kangra styles are also reflected in my works.” “Over the past 40 years, Indian miniature paintings have become increasingly popular in both India and the West. The paintings have attracted the interest of art scholars, collectors, artists and art-lovers on account of their meticulous workmanship, the passionately warm and vibrant scheme of colors and the enormous variety of styles and themes.

The bright future of this artform convinced me to continue working in this style” added Nritya Gopal ji. He elucidates the mythical moments of life – the life of a Mughal or a pastime of Lord Krishna’s with equal ease and has a sharp knowledge of both areas.

The medium of miniature paintings allows for a rich storytelling through the medium of vibrant colors and sharp yet delicate brush strokes. His  works uniformly express a decided formalism and a feel for the glory and grandeur of the ancient times.

Gossamer-veiled women with pinched noses, doe-eyes and graceful stances are the major subjects of his works. One poignant scene depicts the workers who were made to sever their fingers after finishing work on the Taj Mahal. Amidst all the lamenting and crying, the emperor is shown sitting peacefully, enjoying the glory and magnificence of the monument erected in memory of his beloved wife.

In spite of being honored with a number of state and national awards, Sharma ji still believes in living a life of simplicity dedicated to God. His first official recognition was a state level award in 1985 for a portrait of Bahadur Shah Zafar on a 4 inch square ivory sheet. In 1987 he was again bestowed with a state honor for his 12 by 6 inch ivory painting depicting a musical event in the Rangmahal of Jahangir.

At the national level, the president’s award came to him in 1992 for a painting on marble plate depicting a scene in the court of Jahangir. He was also sent to Chilie (Santiago) by the Indian government where he won considerable appreciation for his work.

In one of his earlier works entitled ‘Love’, he has portrayed how, after the death of Emperor Shahjahan, when his body was taken to be buried at Taj Mahal, his soul went to meet his wife’s soul, thereby strengthening the bond of love.

One of his paintings depicting Shri Krishna won special accolades from HRH prince Philip at Berlin in 1996. About this work, entitled ‘Sustaining Creation’, Sharma said, “in this painting, I tried to visualize the different places in Krishna’s life. I portrayed this through the medium of flower with each of its petals showing a different aspect of his life.”

The almighty lifting the Govardhan hill, which shows Shri Krishna’s role  as the savior of mankind forms the centre of the work. The petals depict other events like baby Krishna resting in Yashoda’s lap, playing the flute and comforting animals and friends and, again, His role as a savior who fights off demons.”

The flower theme also highlights the connection between worshipping Shri Krishna and Braj Dham and understanding the beauty of nature and the need for conservation. The painting was gifted to Prince Philip by S. P. Godrej, the then WWF India President.

Nritya gopal Sharma’s tireless efforts and dedication to the traditional Braj style of minature painting has helped in reviving this art in the country. His favorite work seems to be one in which he depicts the maharaas of Krishna with several gopis and Radha in the centre (see below). Sharma said “I have a belief that the Lord orders me to paint and so, the moment any thought strikes my mind. I put it on paper and fill it with colors.”

Apart from painting scenes, he is also passionate about painting portraits. His first portrait was that of Indira Gandhi. He subsequently made portraits of Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other prominent public figures. He has also earned special accolades for making a portrait of the British queen on a coin.

In response to our question about what really satisfies him as an artist, he quickly responds, “ I like to teach and develop the traditional Indian arts”.

He has trained a lot of young talent in various art forms especially miniature painting. Some of his students have already received awards for their works. Beyond creative pursuits, this great artist devotes himself to worshiping and serving Lord Krishna.

His artistic and scholarly pursuits are ultimately dedicated to the Lord, and as well as helping him to focus on the Lord’s pastimes, his paintings help draw the public’s attention to the mysteries of history and the Lord’s pastimes.

As long as discerning painters such as Nritya Gopal Sharma continue to paint with commitment and dedication, the miniature style of painting is sure to flourish throughout the world. Through his art, we get a glimpse of the intrinsic affinity of all towards the all-pervading energy of bliss whose subtle rays illuminate every corner of the universe.

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Navneet Priyaji Temple, Gokul

Braj, 2018.03.06 (VT): Blind poet Surdas, who lived in Braj in the 15^th Century, proved the power of his transcendental vision time and again to all those who doubted him.

The pujaris of Navanita Priyaji temple in Gokul, where Surdas used to sing to Thakurji began to notice that Surdas was inclined to sing about  Thakurji’s poshak and ornamentation. Wondering how he managed this, the Goswamis decided to test him.

One summer day, the Goswamis decided to dress Priyaji in only pearls. Surdas began to sing about Shri Krishna’s childhood pastimes of smearing butter on his face and laughing with the gopis. The Goswamis questioned Surdas about what he was singing and Surdas replied that he was singing about the Lord’s childhood form, as He appears on the altar today.

In yet another test of his ability to ‘see’, Surdas showed that his vision was firmly fixed on the Supreme and never waved from his resolve.

Tansen once sang one of Surdas’ compositions in front of Emperor Akbar. Recognizing the beauty and power of the bhajan, Akbar instructed his officials to summon Surdas to the court. The officials found him living in Mathura.

Surdas and Akbar meeting, P.C. Chip Level

When Surdas was brought in, Emporer Akbar paid respects to him and asked him to sing. Surdas sang his famous “Sur Pacheesi” (25 Verses by Surdas), which greatly impressed the Emporer.

Suspecting that Surdas was a true renunciate, but wanting to test this, Emporer Akbar asked Surdas to compose a song about the glories of the royal court, an ode to Akbar. To this request, Surdas replied that he has had a glipse of the glories of Shri Krishna and everything else pales in comparison, so he would be unable to compose the  ode to the emperor.

Akbar was impressed that Surdas did not fall to temptation – despite his lack of material wealth and the difficulties he faced being blind, Surdas was not interested in material comforts.  Surdas‘ cultivation of superb verse and music had quietened the of his mind and he was able to keep his composure and make the right decision to avoid being diverted from bhakti.

We pray to Surdas that our devotional practice and austerities will be enough to keep us safe and guide us to make the right decision when we are put to the test.

Surdas’ famous bhajan in which Shri Krishna tries to quieten his mother’s anger but at the same time denies stealing butter:

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Mathura, 2018.04.07 (VT): Mahant Ballabhdas Maharaj has filed a police report saying that five bronze statues and other items were taken from Radhamohan Temple in Chaumunha on Thursday night.

The thieves broke into the temple while the pujaris were sleeping in the building. The pujaris heard the noise and chased them away.

The thieves got away with Radha-Krishna’s silver crowns, Matarani’s parasol, cash and sacks of wheat. The thieves were attempting to take a motorbike when Ballabhdas Maharaj heard sounds and alerted the other pujaris who chased them away.

Ballabhdas Maharaj told police that five bronze statues were taken from the temple, but they were found in the field 100 metres from the temple.

Maharaj had earlier filed a complaint about local people who were hanging around the temple. It is suspected that the same youths are responsible for the break-in.

Devotees are angry at the attack on Thakurji’s property.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. There have been several cases of ancient deities being stolen and pickpockets seem to have no shame in working in temples. Even Braj’s Laxmi Devi, at Belvan is a pratibhu deity because the original was stolen.

The thieves got away with temple property but it seems that the deities refused be taken far from the temple.

In 2013, another set of deities were returned Their temple by Mathura Police after they were located in a nearby village. Sanket Bihari Lal, of Sanket Van Dham and the deities were returned to Their temple in Nand Gaon a year after they had been taken.

The pujari at Laxmi Devi temple in Belvan said that they have an idea of the whereabouts of the deity, stolen many years ago, and that ruin has come upon the family who live in the house where the stolen Laxmi Devi is kept.

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Vrindavan, 2018.04.07 (VT): After taking you for darshan of Shri Gokulananda temple, ‘Vrindavan Today’ continues around the original Vrindavan Parikrama Marg, as described in Vrindavan Prakashmala. Today, we are stopping in  at  Radha Vamsa Gopala temple.

Radha Vamsa Gopala temple is just two minutes walk from Gokulananda Mandir, towards the Yamuna. When we entered the temple, the people living there were protective and were not ready to say much about the temple. Outsiders are not encouraged to enter the temple and the priests have to be convinced before they allow darshan.

Shrila Prabhupada’s room, P.C. HH Badrinarayan Swami

It is said that ISKCON’s founder Shrila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami prabhupada resided in this temple from 1954 to 1962. It was here that Prabhupada wrote his first commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. An old Hindi edition of Bhagavad Gita belonging to him was found here in 1978 and was transferred to the ISKCON Museum at Hare Krishna land, Juhu, Mumbai.

This Nimbarki Sampradaya temple was founded by Mahant Prahalad Das 250 years ago. Prahlad Das was the Rajguru of the then princely state of Rajnand of Chhattisgarh.

The temple is one of the akhara (ashrams) of Shyam Digambari Nirvani Ani Akhara. Mahant Niranjan Das, who is in the disciplic succession after Prahlad Das, married a princes of the Rajnand royal family. The entire village of Chirchari was gifted to him as dowry.

The temple was renovated in 1923. After the demise of Mahant Niranjan Das, his son Mahant Gopal Das became the owner of this temple. After him Mahant Patit Pavan Das served and looked after the temple.

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Radha Kund, 2018.03.06 (VT): Radha Kund is full of fascinating devotees; people who have given up worldly life to spend all their time absorbed in meditation on Shri Radha and Krishna’s pastimes. Even among the exalted sants and sadhus of Radha Kund, Shri Anant Das Babaji stands out.

Pandit Anant Das Babaji is the Mahant of Radhakund and one of the most respected scholars in the Gaudiya Sampraday today. As well as doing daily Radha Kund parikrama at such an advanced age, Anant Das Babaji is renowned for his translations and commentaries on around 60 important scriptures.

Every evening before sunset, Anant Das Babaji sets out to do Radha Kund parikrama. He has spent most of his life in this way – writing, teaching and serving deities throughout the day, and walking around Radha Kund in the evening. After living in Braj for 70 years, Babaji appears completely in tune with the divine spiritual energy of Radha Kund.

Maharaj was born in Jharkhand in 1927. In his youth, he lived and worked as a teacher and had a wife and children, before leaving it all behind to live as a renunciate. He met his Guru, Shri Kunjabihari Das Babaji Maharaj, in 1950, but it was several years before the Master allowed him to return to Radha Kund and reside there permanently.

Over the next several decades, Maharaj underwent a deep study of the Gaudiya scriptures and devoted himself to intense spiritual practices. Later, under his Guru’s guidance, he began to write commentaries on the Gaudiya scriptures. Maharaj is the current Mahant (abbot or spiritual leader) of Radha Kund, and has thousands of disciples from all over India and abroad. As Mahant, the gaddi or spiritual seat he occupies is that of Shri Raghunath Das Goswami.

Through Babaji’s discourses, translations, and by his mercy, the glories of Radha Kund and the six Goswamis are revealed, with the special flavor of his Guru Parampara’s mood.

As can be expected at such an advanced age, it is not easy for Babaji to move around physically, but he is not about to let such difficulties stop him from having darshan of his beloved Shri Radha Kund.

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