As a continuation of remembering the glories of our Guru Maharaj H H Mahavishnu Goswami, I am presenting below the letter that were written by one of the great stalwart and exalted Vaishnavas of ISKCON to our Guru Maharaj.

Glorification of Maha Bhagavata Srila Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj – Part 2 [granthraj]

Glorification of Maha Bhagavata Srila Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj – Part 1 [granthraj]

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It is one month now our Guru Maharaj H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj entered into Samadhi and left for Krishna loka. He became role model for all of us by teaching how to live and how to leave. While performing Guru arati by H H Radhanath swami maharaj at Nasik ISKCON temple, we could understand the Bhava and deeply thinking how pure our Guru Maharaj is that by the mercy of Lord he could hit the target and achieved the supreme goal of life to go back to Godhead. His each instructions are documents. Only remembering him is not enough but to practice his instructions is important. Maharaj clearly told us that your chanting, reading Bhagavat gita and Srimad Bhagavatam is good, but if you follow and practice my instructions then you will be more connected to me than before.

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Today we will share a beautiful offering of H H Janananda Goswami Maharaj unto our spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj on the occassion of his samadhi on 27th Jan 2010. H H Janananda Goswami Maharaj is a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He had become a devotee in London and served there in the beginning years of his Krishna consciousness (early 70’s) wherein he had spent a lot of time with our Guru Maharaj. Janananda Maharaj is a very exalted devotee, traveling and preaching all over the world, the main driving force behind the World Holy Name initiative and various other wonderful projects in ISKCON. His kirtans, harinam, spontaneous skits, realizations, scholarliness in the shastras, witty nature, humility and many other transcendental qualities attracts even the most demoniac souls to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna.

Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva,
Kalacakra Krsna das
H H Janananda Goswami wrote:

Dear Mahavishnu Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances and ecstatic embraces. All glories to Srila Prabhupada who brought us together and has now separated us at least for a while. But not really. I cannot but remember many wonderful times together laughing and laughing. You were just like my favourite uncle. I love your sense of humour. Right from the first time I saw you, maybe back in 1974, I was naturally attracted to you. You used to roll up to Bhaktivedanta Manor in that little old car – what was it? After your work you would come. I remember you sitting in Prabhupada’s room quietly studying his books – practically unseen by the “busy” devotees who had “things to do”. At that time you hesitated to heed Prabhupada’s call to join him and preach.

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It is one month since our Gurudev left our physical vision. Days and hours are difficult to pass by but we are remembering him more and more. It is only by remembering Gurudev’s glories again and again that we can purify our life and please him. I would humbly like to share the transcribed speech of H H Radhanath Swami Maharaj on 27th Jan 2010 when our Guru Maharaj H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj entered Samadhi.

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This is the concluding part of the excerpts of the wonderful class given by our beloved Guru Maharaj on Srimad Bhagavatam verse 4.28.42:

Survive To Serve – Part 3 [granthraj]

Survive To Serve – Part 2 [granthraj]

Survive to Serve – Part 1 [granthraj]

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The following is the continuation of the excerpts from a wonderful class given by our beloved spiritual master. Maharaj was speaking on the following verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.42:

pare brahmaṇi cātmānaḿ
paraḿ brahma tathātmani
vīkṣamāṇo vihāyekṣām
asmād upararāma ha

We are all trying to be devotees of the Lord and what holds us back is the illusory energy of the Lord. The way to get out of the clutches of the illusory energy is to learn the art of being always connected with the Lord. Now the question us how to engage ourselves, because we have on the one hand our own material responsibilities. Maharaj explained the following practical ways to be followed so that our day to day life is completely spiritualized.

Survive to Serve – Part 1 [granthraj]

Survive To Serve – Part 2 [granthraj]

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The following is the continuation of the excerpts from a wonderful class given by our beloved spiritual master. Maharaj was speaking on the following verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.42:

pare brahmani caatmaanam / param brahma tathaatmani
vikshamaano vihaayekshaam / asmaad upararaama ha

"King Malayadhvaja could thus observe that the Supersoul was sitting by his side, and that he, as the individual soul, was sitting by the side of the Supersoul. Since both were together, there was no need for separate interests; thus he ceased from such activities."

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The following is the excerpts from a wonderful class given by our beloved spiritual master. Maharaj was speaking on the following verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.42.

pare brahmani caatmaanam / param brahma tathaatmani
vikshamaano vihaayekshaam / asmaad upararaama ha

"King Malayadhvaja could thus observe that the Supersoul was sitting by his side, and that he, as the individual soul, was sitting by the side of the Supersoul. Since both were together, there was no need for separate interests; thus he ceased from such activities."

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We saw in the mail "Detachment in Practice" that Parikshit maharaj exhibited the highest quality of renunciation of his kingdom, wealth and everything. In fact, few verses before he graciously accepts the curse of the brahmana as the mercy of the Lord and accepts it without any retaliation. Our nature is that any reverse to our sense gratification we tend to rebel against it and the whole life is wasted on the rebellious plot. This needs to be avoided. As Maharaj says, "A devotee welcomes any situation as long as he is in this material world because his attention is fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord." Since our attention is not fixed we tend to waver and glide down from devotional service and we don’t even realize it. Whereas Parikshit Maharaj was able to accept the curse because his attention is fixed and his objectives are very clear. How was his attention fixed and objectives were clear will be seen from the same verse we discussed yesterday.

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This is the transcription of the wonderful class of HG Vaijayanthi mala Mathaji in Abu Dhabi on S.B.5.19.3:

In Valmiki Ramayan, Valmiki muni inquired Narada muni whether there exists a personality who possesses 16 qualities. Narada muni said it is Lord Sri Rama.

In the previous mails we saw the first 9 qualities of Lord Rama. In this mail we will see the next 2 qualities.

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This is the final part of the transcription of the lecture given by our beloved spiritual master in Auckland in the year 2003 on the Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.31.4.

Maharaj was insisting on the importance of neutrality and equipoise so that we can go near Krishna.

Let Your Existence Be Filled With Krishna – Part 4 [granthraj]

Let Your Existence Be Filled With Krishna – Part 3 [granthraj]

Let Your Existence Be Filled With Krishna – Part 2 [granthraj]

Let Your Existence be Filled With Krishna – Part 1 [granthraj]

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This is in continuation of the transcription of the lecture given by our beloved spiritual master in Auckland in the year 2003 on the Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.31.4:

yah panca-bhuta-racite rahitah sharire
cchanno ’yathendriya-gunaartha-cid-aatmako ’ham
tenaavikuntha-mahimaanam rshim tam enam
vande param prakrti-purushayoh pumaamsam

"I am separated from the Supreme Lord because of my being in this material body, which is made of five elements, and therefore my qualities and senses are being misused, although I am essentially spiritual. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental to material nature and the living entities, because He is devoid of such a material body, and because He is always glorious in His spiritual qualities, I offer my obeisances unto Him."

Let Your Existence Be Filled With Krishna – Part 3 [granthraj]

Let Your Existence Be Filled With Krishna – Part 2 [granthraj]

Let Your Existence be Filled With Krishna – Part 1 [granthraj]

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As told by HG Devakinandan Prabhu in his recent mail, "The pain of bearing the physical disappearance of our Spiritual Master is very acute. Our hearts are vacant without his smile, his laughter, his humour, his love and his guidance. Who will encourage us even when we performed minute service, who will pat us on our backs to push us further to do more service, who will believe in us when everyone has given up?"

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This is in continuation of the transcription of the lecture given by our beloved spiritual master in Auckland in the year 2003 on the Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.31.14

Let Your Existence be Filled With Krishna – Part 1 [granthraj]

yah panca-bhuta-racite rahitah sharire
cchanno ’yathendriya-gunaartha-cid-aatmako ’ham
tenaavikuntha-mahimaanam rshim tam enam
vande param prakrti-purushayoh pumaamsam

"I am separated from the Supreme Lord because of my being in this material body, which is made of five elements, and therefore my qualities and senses are being misused, although I am essentially spiritual. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental to material nature and the living entities, because He is devoid of such a material body, and because He is always glorious in His spiritual qualities, I offer my obeisances unto Him."

Maharaj gave instructions on how to get release from the imprisonment of this material existence by recognizing the transcendental lord. Maharaj was feelingly singing the following wonderful verse describing the beauty of Lord Krishna. This verse is very dear to the heart of our beloved Gurudev.

vamshi vibhushita karaan nava-neera daabhaat
pitaambaraat aruna bimba phalaadaroshtaat
purnendu sundara mukhaat aravinda netraat
krishnaat param kim api tattvam aham na jaane

One whose hand is decorated with nice flute, whose complexion is like the newly formed clouds, who is adorned with yellow clothes, whose lips are red like the bimba fruit; whose face is like the full moon, whose eyes are like lotus flower, I know no truth greater than that Lord Krishna.

"Here the poet is describing that this whole transcendental figure is always dancing on the lotus of my heart and my mind is full with this figure. I do not have any other place for anybody else. This should be our goal. Mind is our enemy if it is not filled with this transcendental figure. Because our mind is not full, we discriminate and we do so many things here and there and make the mess of the whole thing. Please, please always the mind must be controlled and completely filled with this. There is no place for other things. Enough of it we had for the whole of life time. How many years have gone? Such a transcendental figure is there and therefore the devotee says, ‘krishnnaat param kimapi tattvam aham na jaane.’ I do not know any other substance except this transcendental figure and this is the subject matter of Kapiladeva’s instructions through the living entity who is unborn and is praying.

Anything which is not Krishna’s, we reject it as a poison. Some living entity may claim that ‘I am Krishna’ and his face is completely gone. Rubbish. He is aging and dying and he is saying ‘I am Krishna’. His hair is grey and he has to put all the coal in this world to make it black and even then it is grey and he claims himself as Krishna. Save yourself from this misguidance. Why are we running here and there? We have to understand that Krishna’s energy is never obscured. His transcendental figure never changes. Such a Lord we have and we run after some material figures and it is a mockery of the whole of our material existence. Such nice transcendental form is there, such nice pooja is there. What is there in worshipping a person who is dying?

Srila Prabhupada gives a nice example. The frog has two qualities of mystic power. One is he can breathe under the earth and the second is his tongue can stretch to catch the prey. This frog is easily eaten by the snake. So one frog was already in the jaw of a snake. Within just a second, it is to be consumed. But in the meanwhile, he saw an insect. And he stretches his tongue to catch the insect. This is our way. We are losing ourselves but we run after pooja and prathistaasha- name, fame and worship.

In the verse above it is said that we do not know anything apart from Krishna tattva . We should come to this conclusion and this is the purport of the Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.31.14. We should remember always that we were in the same position as the unborn child. Kapildeva is giving nice instruction through the mouth of the unborn child."

Maharaj’s instructions on how to control our senses and mind so that we can come to the conclusion that we do not know anything apart from Krishna , shall be posted in the ensuing mail, Krishna willing.

Thank you very much,
Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev,
Vaijayanthimala devi dasi,
Abudhabi.

Disclaimer: This article was originally published in the Yahoo Groups granthraj – run by the disciples of H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj – by the devotee name mentioned above. The posting in this article, is original realizations of our Guru Maharaj and the devotee who wrote this. Any comments regarding this article would be passed on directly to the devotee. In this article, ‘Maharaj’ and ‘Gurudev’ implicitly refer to our spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj.

This is a humble effort to transcribe the remaining part of the lecture of our beloved Guru Maharaj during Initiation lecture in Singapore on 1st Jan 2002.
In SB 11.7.37, (Lord Krishna Instructs Uddhava)

bhutair aakramyamaano pi / dhiro daiva vashaanugaih
tad vidvaan na calen maargaad / anvashiksham kshiter vratam

"A sober person, even when harassed by other living beings, should understand that his aggressors are acting helplessly under the control of God, and thus he should never be distracted from progress on his own path. This rule I have learned from the earth."

The Real Meaning of Initiation – Part 2 [granthraj]

[granthraj] The Real Meaning of Initiation – Part 1

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The following is a humble effort to transcribe the transcendental lecture spoken by our beloved spiritual master in Auckland in the year 2003 on the Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.31.4.

yah panca-bhuta-racite rahitah sharire
cchanno ’yathendriya-gunaartha-cid-aatmako ’ham
tenaavikuntha-mahimaanam rshim tam enam
vande param prakrti-purushayoh pumaamsam

"I am separated from the Supreme Lord because of my being in this material body, which is made of five elements, and therefore my qualities and senses are being misused, although I am essentially spiritual. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental to material nature and the living entities, because He is devoid of such a material body, and because He is always glorious in His spiritual qualities, I offer my obeisances unto Him."

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In Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28, "Puranjana Becomes a Woman in the Next Life" – King Puranjana owing to excessive attachment to his wife and being engrossed in thoughts of worrying about her at the time of death, is born as a woman in his next life. He takes birth as the daughter Vaidarbhi of King Vidarbha. Vaidarbhi gets married to King Malayadhvaja and during vanaprastha follows her husband and serves him and performs austerities herself. Her relationship with her husband is compared with the relationship of the disciple with his spiritual master. The example and comparison teaches us at two levels:

a)Vanaprastha duties for wife and husband
b) Relationship of disciple with spiritual master

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Everyone in this material world, they are after peace, but they don’t want to control the senses. It is not possible. Just like we are diseased, and doctor says that "You take this medicine, you take this diet," but we cannot control. We are taking anything we like, against the instruction of the physician. Then how we can be cured? Similarly, we want cure of the chaotic condition of this material world, we want peace and prosperity, but we are not ready to control the senses. We do not know how to control the senses. We do not know the real yogic principle of controlling the senses. So there is no possibility of peace. Artificially, we may try for it. It is not possible.

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This is a humble effort to transcribe the remaining part of the message from lecture of our beloved Guru Maharaj during Initiation of devotees in Singapore.
In B.G. 4.34:

tad viddhi pranipaatena / pariprashnena sevayaa
upadeksyanti te jnaanam / jnaaninas tattva darshinah

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self realised souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."

[granthraj] The Real Meaning of Initiation – Part 1

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By now most of the disciples and well-wishers of our Guru Maharaj H H Mahavishnu Goswami might have come to know about his peaceful passing away from this world. Below is the detailed mail from H G Devakinandan Prabhu on the glorious departure of our dear spiritual master and one of the most exalted Vaishnava to have graced us in our lives. His apparent physical absence is the most difficult one for us to bear but if we sincerely obey and follow his instructions he will live with us always.

Transcendence in Action – Part 7 [granthraj]

Transcendence in Action – Part 6 [granthraj]

Transcendence in Action – Part 5 [granthraj]

Transcendence In Action – Part 4 [granthraj]

Transcendence in Action – Part 3 [granthraj]

Transcendence in Action – Part 2 [granthraj]

Transcendence in Action [granthraj]

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