A Stream Of Nectar

Reflections on Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Bhakti

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Rāgānugā Bhakti

Mañjarī Bhāva

Guru Tattva

Siddhānta

Teachings of 108 Śrī Śrīmad Ananta Dās Bābājī Mahārāja

  • Another Sweet Aspect of Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s Mercy

    Question: Dear Tarun, in your dīkṣā-paramparā, one of the principal ācāryas after Śrī Jahnavā Mātā is Śrī Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita. But in Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (127) we read: vasudāma sakhā yaś ca paṇḍitaḥ śrī-dhanañjayaḥ “Kṛṣṇa’s friend Vasudāma became Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita in Gaura-līlā.” Your Gurudeva, Śrī Ananta Dās Bābājī Mahārāja, practices and teaches mañjarī-bhāva-sādhana. How can this be if…

  • Bhāvollāsa-rati: The Sthāyī-bhāva of the Mañjarīs — My Gurudeva’s Explanation

    There is sometimes confusion about the position of bhāvollāsa-rati in mañjarī-bhāva. Is it merely a sañcārī-bhāva — a supporting or transitory emotion — or does it become the permanent governing love of the mañjarīs? For me, the clearest answer is found in the teachings of my Gurudeva, 108 Śrī Śrīmad Ananta Dās Bābājī Mahārāja. guru-mukha-padma-vākya,…

  • Where Is My Siddha-Deha Now? Understanding Eternal Identity and Eternal Time

    There is a question that naturally comes up when we first hear about the siddha-deha: “If my siddha-deha is my eternal spiritual form, then where is it now? What is it doing while I am sitting here performing sādhana?” This is actually a very understandable question. We live in a world where everything happens according…

  • Śrī Guru — The Living Current of Divine Grace

    A reflection on Śrī Guru Tattva Vijñāna by Śrīla Ananta Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja There is a profound difference between accepting the idea of a spiritual teacher and understanding Śrī Guru-tattva.For the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, Śrī Guru is not merely a learned person from whom we acquire religious information. Nor is Guru simply an adviser whom we…

  • Honoring Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura Without Rewriting Gauḍīya History

    There is a story that is sometimes repeated in modern Gauḍīya circles:After Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His immediate followers, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism supposedly entered a long period of darkness and degeneration, until Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura appeared in the nineteenth century and “saved” the tradition. I find this narrative deeply problematic. Not because I have too little…

  • The mystery of Krishna’s flute sound

    My Gurudeva writes: In his kinkari svarupa Sripada Raghunatha is staying with Sri Radharani in Yavata as Syama suddenly plays His enchanting flute in a distant forest. When She hears this flute sound Srimati Radharani is stunned. This flute sound is called snigdha or ardra (pleasant) and is full of love and flavour. This flute…

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