Author: HH Bhakti Vikas Swami

Foolishly, people who are enamored of the glitter of modern materialistic advancement are thinking that the Krsna consciousness movement is for less intelligent men. “I am better off being busy with my material comforts — maintaining a nice apartment, family and sex life.” These people do not know that at any moment they can be […]

For a devotee to live with nondevotees is so obnoxious and troublesome, it is sometimes mentioned, better to remain within a cage surrounded by fire, and still, don’t remain with nondevotees. You prefer to live within a cage surrounded by fire. That living is preferable than to live with this nondevotee class. Srila Prabhupada Room […]

Whenever Prabhupada visited the New York temple, the devotees there would perform a play. Once the devotees performed “The Kidnapping of Rukmini” and Prabhupada enjoyed the performance. He laughed when an envious prince, played by Nayanabhirama dasa, saw Rukmini and said he was going to faint. And when Balarama cut off Rukmi’s beard, Prabhupada said, […]

If you simply take little trouble to understand Krsna… That tapasya required: to read Krsna’s instruction, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and try to understand Krsna. Because that tapasya, if you take little painful… It is not painful; it is very pleasing. But we avoid it. We think it is painful: “Ah! Who is going to read books? […]

Don’t you see the indication by Krishna that we must make propaganda in the German language in that part of the world? So, you have to adjust things by the indication of Lord Krishna. Don’t do anything whimsically. The direction comes through the spiritual master, and anyone who abides by the order of the spiritual […]

The spiritual master and Krishna are two parallel lines. The train, on two tracks, moves forward. The spiritual master and Krishna are like these two tracks, they must be served simultaneously. Krishna helps one to find bona fide spiritual master and bona fide spiritual Master helps one to understand Krishna. If one does not get […]

Unless one is a fully qualified brahmana, he cannot advance in the spiritual science. A real brahmana is never envious of Vaisnavas. If he is, he is considered an imperfect neophyte. Impersonalist brahmanas are always opposed to Vaisnava principles. They are envious of Vaisnavas because they do not know the goal of life. Na te […]

Once at a lecture in the temple room in Los Angeles in 1970, just after moving into the building, Srila Prabhupada asked the assembled devotees, “Is anyone not chanting sixteen rounds? ” Only one boy raised his hand. It was Bhakta dasa. Prabhupada said, “You are not finishing sixteen rounds? ” “Well, Srila Prabhupada,” he […]

A devotee … should also make friendship with persons who are on an equal level with himself or who have the same understanding that he does. For a devotee, there is no point in making friendships with ordinary persons; he should make friendship with other devotees so that by discussing among themselves, they may elevate […]

The Supreme Godhead here explains the different kinds of austerity and penance. First He explains the austerities and penances practiced by the body. One should offer, or learn to offer, respect to God or to the demigods, the perfect, qualified brahmanas and the spiritual master and superiors like father, mother or any person who is […]

Any language, you should submit, and you should feel that, that “I am worthless. My Guru Maharaja has given this chance to serve Krsna, to offer Krsna… My Lord, I am worthless. I have no capacity to serve You. But on the order of my Guru Maharaja, I am trying to serve You. Please do […]

How Krsna becomes attracted by the devotional service of His devotees is described by Narada in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Seventh Canto, Tenth Chapter, 37th verse. There Narada addresses King Yudhisthira while the King is appreciating the glories of the character of Prahlada Maharaja. A devotee always appreciates the qualities of other devotees.” … So that was the […]