A Gaura Pūrṇimā Announcement: Commencing a new Bhaktivinoda-gīti-dhārā program

It’s nearly midnight as I’m writing this, and to be honest, I am so tired! But I couldn't let the night pass without making a quick, informal post to let you all know what is about to blossom.

We’ve been discussing beginning a new Bhaktivinoda-gīti-dhārā series—one with absolutely no fixed timeline. The idea is to take off the pressure and daily spend as much time as we like with each and every song of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. I also really want to bring in more guest speakers to share their insights with us as we go along.

I was thinking that tomorrow—our Gauḍīya New Year Day, Gaurābda 540, the most auspicious appearance day of Śacīnandana Gaurahari—would be the absolute perfect day to commence this program in honor of Gaura-śakti-svarūpa, Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura.

I think there is no better way to honor and please Mahāprabhu than by honoring and praying to his dear ones, so on this day, I'd like to share with you a beautiful verse by Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī:

so ’py āścarya-mayaḥ prabhur nayanayor yan nābhavad gocaro
yan nāsvādi hareḥ padāmbuja-rasas tad yad gataṁ tad gatam
etāvan mama tāvad astu jagatīṁ ye ’dyāpy alaṅkurvate
śrī-caitanya-pade nikhāta-manasas tair yat prasaṅgotsavaḥ
— Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī’s Śrī Caitanya-candrāmṛta (50)

That supremely astonishing Lord (Śrī Gaurahari) was not visible to me (due to my inability to truly perceive Him) and, because of this, I never tasted the ambrosia of Śrī Hari’s lotus feet. Whatever was meant to happen has happened. But now, I have one prayer: May I attain the joyous festival of intimate association with those whose minds are completely immersed in Śrī Caitanya’s lotus feet and who decorate the earth even today.

There is actually so much more I'd like to catch up with you on. I have so many ideas and inspirations for this new program, and I really want to tell you all about the Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura retreat and the Navadvīpa parikramā that just wrapped up. But because it's so late, all of those details will just have to wait for another post.

For tomorrow, we will simply begin. We will start with the very first song of Śaraṇāgati, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu Jīve Dayā Kari,” and then we will read together about the appearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

We will start at our regular time: 7AM India Standard Time (about seven hours from when I send this out).

I am looking forward to beginning this journey with you. I hope you have a deeply inspired Gaura Pūrṇimā festival tomorrow that charges you up for the entire rest of the year!

Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura ki jaya!

Śrī Śacīnandana Gaurahari ki jaya!