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Madhukar das

Madhukar das

Praṇāma-mantra for Śrī Gaṅgā-devī

Praṇāma-mantra for Śrī Gaṅgā-devī

Today is the auspicious appearance day of both Śrīmatī Gaṅgāmātā Gosvāminī and Śrī Gaṅgā-devī. In honor of this sacred occasion, I’m sharing with you a beautiful praṇāma-mantra for Śrī Gaṅgā-devī in Navadvīpa, which you'll find at the bottom of the page.

Avoiding the Perils of Vaiṣṇava-nindā — Part One (Teachings from Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata)

Avoiding the Perils of Vaiṣṇava-nindā — Part One (Teachings from Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata)

Jaya Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura ki jaya! Today I’m beginning a series that I plan to periodically translate and share, centered on the dangers of criticizing Vaiṣṇavas (vaiṣṇava-nindā) as it appears in Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata. During last year’s daily online readings of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, this subject of vaiṣṇava-aparādha kept

👨‍🔬 Why I’m Focusing on Experiments Instead of Habits

👨‍🔬 Why I’m Focusing on Experiments Instead of Habits

Tomorrow is Akṣaya Tṛtīyā, one of the most auspicious days in the calendar for starting something new. It’s said that whatever is begun on this day will not diminish (kṣaya), making it the perfect time to step into something fresh. If you’ve been following me for a while,

Bhaktivinoda-gīti-dhārā Returns — Beginning with Śikṣāṣṭaka

Bhaktivinoda-gīti-dhārā Returns — Beginning with Śikṣāṣṭaka

I’m delighted to announce that, by the mercy of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and our guru-varga, we’ll be restarting the Bhaktivinoda-gīti-dhārā program on Śrīla Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s appearance day—the same auspicious day it was inaugurated last year! 📚 What We’ll Study Together We will start off this program

Mahāprabhu's Love for the Unseen Devotee (Part Three)

Mahāprabhu's Love for the Unseen Devotee (Part Three)

Today, on the auspicious disappearance day of Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura—the Vyāsadeva of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's pastimes—I'm honored to share the third installment in this series of excerpts from his Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata. These passages illuminate the extraordinary glories of Śrī Śrīdhara Paṇḍita and Mahāprabhu&

Mahāprabhu's Love for the Unseen Devotee (Part Two)

Mahāprabhu's Love for the Unseen Devotee (Part Two)

(Read Mahāprabhu's Love for the Unseen Devotee (Part One) here.) ✨In the home of Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita in Navadvīpa, Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu entered an extraordinary state of divine ecstasy known as the sāta-prahariyā bhāva, the twenty-one-hour ecstacy. No longer concealing His divinity, He ascended the throne of Viṣṇu and

Mahāprabhu's Love for the Unseen Devotee (Part One)

Mahāprabhu's Love for the Unseen Devotee (Part One)

To most of the inhabitants of Navadvīpa at that time, Kholā-vecā Śrīdhara was no one special or noteworthy—just another poor, forgettable banana-leaf vendor (kholā-vecā). He didn't even own his own banana trees; he would buy different parts of the trees—the stem, flowers, bananas, and leaves—and