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Madhukar das

Madhukar das

Preparing for the auspicious arrival

Preparing for the auspicious arrival

Every year from 1996 onwards, my Śrīla Gurudeva blessed Badger, a little town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, with the dust of his lotus feet and transformed it into New Braj. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.13.10), Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said to Vidura that because he carried the Lord

Noting Śrīla Gurudeva’s Instructions

Noting Śrīla Gurudeva’s Instructions

In a few days it will be my Śrīla Gurudeva’s Vyāsa-pūjā. On Guru Pūrṇimā, or Vyāsa-pūjā day, he would explain what it means to truly perform guru-pūjā. So in today’s Ekādaśī-eve posting, I will share some quotes on this topic so that my mind will hopefully start contemplating

Śrīla Narahari Sevāvigraha Prabhu's practice at night

Śrīla Narahari Sevāvigraha Prabhu's practice at night

Haribol. Please accept my praṇāma. We just now finished our daily morning Bhāgavatam reading. At the end of it, we read something for the appearance day of Śrīla Bhakti Vaibhava Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja and the disappearance day of Śrīla Narahari Sevāvigraha Prabhu. You can watch/listen to reading here. Śrīla

What Gives Me Hope

What Gives Me Hope

New Year’s Day, the day billions of people around the world make new resolutions, has coincided with Ekādaśī Eve, the infinitely more powerful day to make resolutions. Unless you're like Dhruva, who sustained only on air by breathing once every twelve days, or Jarāsandha, who, despite being

Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Prabhu's Santoṣa

Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Prabhu's Santoṣa

On Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja's Vyāsa-pūjā twelve days ago, a beautiful 100-page booklet was published in Hindi containing devotees' sweet remembrances of him. Having nearly finished reading it, I'm feeling inspired today to share a few stories from his early life that our Rays

Māyā's Greatest Trick

Māyā's Greatest Trick

I'm sitting here at my computer, the night before Ekādaśī, thinking of what to write for the pre-Ekādaśī posting I'm supposed to be sending out now. Yesterday was one of the most important days of the year for me: the disappearance day of my Śrīla Gurudeva

Self-Assessment on the Disappearance Day of Śrīla Guru-pādapadma

Self-Assessment on the Disappearance Day of Śrīla Guru-pādapadma

by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja Excerpt from a lecture delivered on October 5th, 1998 Śrī Śyāmasundara Gauḍīya Maṭha, Siliguri (West Bengal) Listen to the article read out by me here: Never Forget Śrī Guru Today’s special festival marks the beginning of the last month of our Cāturmasya-vrata.