What follows is a review of one reader of Gaura Book:

Here's the info of what it contains :

Vedic Cosmography

Your Best Friend
Grhasta Manual
Cookbooks (Yummy...)
Brahmacharya Section (Can’t miss this one…many original articles. Also has 2 fantastic books.)

And many other books are there ....you read and find out what else is there. (My incentive :-)

And many articles … almost all articles are from this section. The philosophical analysis and mention of whatever pure spiritual teachings available in all the religions of the world are really a revelation and a welcome addition. They include.

Modern Science (starter)
Anthropology and History (Hmmm...very interesting. It has some real revealing facts that support the Puranic conclusion and we see a lot of lies exposed in the name of writing history)
Astronomy and Cosmography (Vedic Cosomology is a very great science alright...)
Modern Scientific theories exposed (Prabhupada was fond of bashing these speculations on evolution, universe)
Introduction to Vedic Science (Baby Feeding...Karma, Soul, etc...good sources). Also nice magazine articles.
Important Lessons for devotees (Really important as it says)
Advanced Philosophy (You should read this in real detail very carefully ... it's quite involved with so much analysis of every major faith and philosophy in the world and it is a minefield of pure devotional revelations. Now-a-days we see so much hate and other problems, and this loving approach to appreciate everything good in others is characteristic of our paramahamsa acharyas.

So anyway, getting to the book list, it has :

All Prabhupada Books (by browsing links to Vedabase, Vanipedia, etc… These books are not available in this ebook. Includes links to Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatam, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Nectar of Devotion, Books on Reincarnation, Life comes from life etc...)
[Note : It has links to where you can download all Prabhupada's books posted by others on websites and even Internet Archive -- Sacred texts, so that is consolation for those who want to read offline]

Books directly available in this database are :

Special mention is needed as this is the Only place where you can download the full Chaitanya Bhagavatam.

Krishna Chaitanya Charita Mahakavya -- this is rare. I have yet to find this anywhere else.
Chaitanya Charita (Kavi Karnapura — rare)
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita By Acharyas (Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakura commentary (this HAS to be read, we haven't seen Gita in this flavour + Srila Prabhupada (only links to The BBT Vedabase)
Glories of Lord Nityananda Prabhu
Nityananda Charitamrita
Compilation of The Pastimes of Lord Nityananda

Chaitanya Bhagavata (Full 7 volumes — verses patchy, perhaps CHM botched up the diacritics, but the English is perfect. It is Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's Commentary. For consolation, a separate book of only verses is available and it is perfectly done.)

Shrimad Bhagavatam (Links To Vedabase Given)
Chaitanya Charitamrta (Links To Vedabase)
Shri Chaitanya Chandramrita
Jaiva Dharma
Brahma Samhita
Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya
Shikshashtaka with Commentaries

The Holy Names of Nityanaanda and Gauraanga (A LOT of info from so many scriptures. I say this changed my spiritual life totally along with the Hare Krisha maha mantra. I have sworn allegiance to them)

Maha Mantra Yoga (Hare Krishna Mahamantra MUST READ)
Hari Naam Chintamani (By the Naamacharya Himself)
Divine Name Haridasa
Shri Namaamrita
Levels of Nityananda Gauranga and Hare Krishna Chanting
Nityananda Gauranga in Vedas, Puranas, Smritis and Shrutis
Additional Important Scriptures
Songs on Nityananda Gauranga
Bhaktivinoda Vani Vaibhava (All 3 volumes — Sambandha, Abhideya, Prayojana … All his writings in one book)
Glories of Lord Balarama
Glories of Lord Krishna
Glories of Shri Radha
Chaitanya Mangala
In Search of the Ultimate Goal of Life (A very rare unpublished book of Prabhupada — very advanced)
Life of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Gaudiya Kanthahara (Essence of the Siddhanta)
Other books also include : Tattva Muktavali (Mayavada Shata Dushani – Madhva smashes imposters who claim to be Supreme)
Madhurya Kadambini (For the science of spiritual advancement)
Prakrita Rasa Shata Dushani
Unauthorized and Deviant sects
Hari Bhakti Kalpa Latika
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (Sooo sweet….)
The Path of Dedication
Tulasi Worship
Ekadashi Glories
Krishna Bhajanamrita
Sri Gayatri Mantrartha Dipika
Vaishnava Song Books (Infinite Bhajans for the Soul. Also contains poems -- Sharanagati & Kalyana Kalpataru)
Ramayana Mahabharata (Pure Devotional translation. No devotee’s collection is complete without these 2 greatest and most well known books.)
Ananda Vrindavana Champu
Vaishnava Siddhanta Mala QnA
Six Sandarbhas (Most advanced, for the real serious. These are really advanced)
Vedanta Sutra (Govinda Bhashya — the Ultimate Commentary on Vedanta. This is the only English translation made by pure devotees and is almost fully complete, except for some few odd verses and a smalls subsection. No one has fully translated it as of yet...)

1000 Questions and Answers (Mixed bag. Some of them are not answered - deals with various topics at random but some of them have some really good realizations. Very fitting replies given too.) But there was this one set of 30-40 odd questions that was really botched up with questions and answers randomly scattered with no continuity. Hope they fix that.

Some Beautiful Realizations of devotees (I’ve seen this one before, taken from well known sources).
Beautiful and inspiring -- but if you're really serious, then read, or it might be too much to swallow.


The book is available from 2 links : http://www.be-pure.info/Vedic-Literature.html


Also the full review for the book is located here : http://nitaaiyoga.com/ebooks/#comment-2447GauraEbook.zip

Mittwoch, 27. Juni 2007

NGN Chintamani Verse 1


gauranga nama cintamani, chaitanya rasa vigraha
nitya shuddha purna mukta nama nami abhinna

Listen to full NGN Chintamani




"The Holy Names of Lord Nityananda and Lord Gauranga are the most precious and valuable touchstones fulfilling the desires of all living entities in the material and spiritual worlds. The Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas are the transcendental and unlimited storehouses of pure divine mellows and are the only means to revive the consciousness of the spiritually dead and violently offensive materialistic civilization. The Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga are eternally pure and completely free of any material contamination because They are non-different from the Supreme Personalities of Godhead Their Lordships Shri Shri Nityananda Gauranga Themselves, Who are none other than Their Lordships Shri Shri Balarama Krishna."

(Nityananda Gauranga Nama Chintamani - The Divine Wish-Fulfilling Touchstones of the Holy Names of Nityaananda and Gauraanga, Translated and Compiled By His Holiness Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada)

NG Nama Chintamani Verses 1-50

Montag, 25. Juni 2007

Bring the mind back

Inattentive chanting arises basically due to a lack of meditation while chanting. So there is no mechanical formula or quick shortcut to stop inattentive chanting unless one starts meditating on the divine meanings of the Holy Names while chanting which in turn one can do only when one develops positive taste for the Holy Names. You don't have to worry too much while chanting. Just take a small precaution that whenever you find out that your mind has wandered away while chanting, please bring it back on the Holy Names. You should not let your mind wander even after you come to know about it while chanting. Then that will be a deliberate thing and thus unfavorable to Naam Prabhu. This small endeavor of bringing it back to the Holy Names while chanting is enough to gradually fix our mind on the Holy Names.

- Swami Gaurangapada

Read more here: http://nitaai.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=441&p=651&hilit=Naam#p649

Samstag, 23. Juni 2007

Nityaananda & Inherent Purity

lotus "Simply by chanting or hearing the name of Lord Nityaananda, the sinful inclinations in the hearts of all the living entities in the universe are permanently destroyed and their inherent purity is automatically awakened. On chanting or hearing the name of Lord Nityaananda, even the merchants, degraded, fallen and foolish people are purified and immediately become realized in the Absolute Truth and devotees of the Lord."

- Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura

Freitag, 22. Juni 2007

Nityaananda Gauraanga & Devotee

"One is qualified to worship Their Lordships Nityaananda-Gauraanga as Devotees, when one actually is a devotee. Worshiping Them as the Two Jagad Gurus, The Supreme Absolute Truth, especially through chanting Their Most Magnanimous Holy Names makes one actually a devotee."- mentus

Mittwoch, 20. Juni 2007

There is no difficulty

prabhupada-color-bliss "If you simply chant Nitai-Gaura (Nityaananda Gauraanga) and dance, then you'll become happy. There is no difficulty. There is no difficulty."

(Shrila Prabhupada, Baltimore, July 7, 1976)

Dienstag, 19. Juni 2007

Gauraanga - Topmost Principal Name



Question: What is the most principal Holy Name of God?

Answer by Swami Gaurangapada:

"GAURAANGA" IS MOST PRINCIPAL AMONG THE MOST PRINCIPAL NAMES OF LORD KRISHNA.


(I) In the Brhad-visnu-sahasranama-stotra, Uttara-khanda, Padma Purana (72.335) it is said:

rama rameti rameti, rame rame manorame;
sahasra-namabhis tulyam, rama-nama varanane.

Lord Siva addressed his wife, Durga: "O Varanana (lovely-faced woman), I chant the holy name of Rama, Rama, Rama and thus constantly enjoy this beautiful sound. This holy name of Ramacandra is equal to one thousand holy names of Lord Vishnu (Vishnu-sahasra-nama-stotram)."

(II) In the Padma Purana it its mentioned:

visnor ekaika namapi, sarva vedadhikam matam
tadrk nama sahasrena, rama nama samasmrtam

"Each Name of Lord Vishnu is greater and more potent than the entire Vedas combined together, and Lord Rama's Name alone is more superior that a thousand Names of Lord Vishnu."

(III) In the Brahmanda Purana it is stated:

sahasra-namnam punyanam, trir-avrttya tu yat phalam;
ekavrttya tu krishnasya, namaikam tat prayacchati.

"And the pious results (punya) achieved by chanting the thousand holy names of Vishnu (Vishnu-sahasra-nama-stotram) three times or the Holy Name of Rama thrice can be attained by only one utterance of the Holy Name of Krishna."

(IV) Prabhasa Khanda of Padma Purana states:

namnam mukhyataram nama, krishnakhyam me parantapa;
prayascittam asesenam papanam mocakam param.

"O Arjuna, the Holy of Krishna is the most principal (mukhyataram) among all Names of God. One can atone for unlimited sinful deeds by chanting the Name of Krishna which is the supreme destroyer of all sins."

(V) Finally in the Brahma-Rahasya it is stated:

krishna-caitanyeti nama, mukhyan mukhyatamam prabhoh;
helaya sakrd uccarya, sarva-nama-phalam labhet.

"The Holy Name Krishna Chaitanya or Gauranga is the topmost or the most principal (mukhyan) even among all the important primary and most principal (mukhyatamam) Holy Names of the Lord Krishna. By chanting this name just once, a person attains the spiritual results (punya) of chanting all the other holy names of the Lord."

So from the above five very important verses we can easily come to the following conclusion:

Secondary Names of God like Brahma, Paramatma, Shrishtikarta etc. take us only to the heavenly planets or maximum can grant us liberation or mukti. But the following Primary Names of God can elevate the soul to the Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual world:

Vishnu's Name = Principal Name of God more than all the Vedas combined together

Rama's Name = More Principal Name (Mukhya) of God =1000 Names of Vishnu

Krishna's Name = Most Principal Name (Mukhyataram) of God = 3 Names of Rama or 3000 Names of Vishnu

Gauranga's Name = Most Principal (Mukhyan) among the Most Principal Names (Mukhyatamam) of Krishna = Sum Total of all the result achieved by chanting the Names of Krishna, Rama and Vishnu

Let's conclude by the divine words of Shrila Jagadananda Pandita in his great book Prema-vivarta, confirming the above conclusion:

gaura ye visala nama sei nama gau;
anya saba nama-mahatmya sei name pau.

"The most powerful names of God are the names of the most merciful incarnation of God, who is known as Lord Gauranga. The glories and power of all the other names of God are completely present in the Names of Lord Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and thus They should be constantly chanted."

For more information see here...

Freitag, 15. Juni 2007

Principal and Secondary Holy Names


The Secondary Names of God and Their Symptoms

jada krtira paricaye nama yata
prakrtir gune gauna vedera sammata
srsti kartta paramatma brahma sthiti kara
jagat samharta pata yajnesvara hara

According to the Vedas, the secondary or inferior names of the Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna are those which are in connection with the material world. For example: "God," "Creator of the Universe," "Paramatma," "Supersoul," "Brahman," " Maintainer of the Universe," "Destroyer of the Universe," "Savior," and "Lord of Sacrifice," and "He who takes away," are some inferior or secondary names of Godhead. (Hari-nama-cintmmari)

Fruits of the Principal and Secondary Names of the Lord

ei rupa nama, karma-jnana-kanda-gata
punya moksa dana kare sastrera sammata
namera ye mukhya-phala krishna-prema-dhana
tara mukhya name matra labhe sadhugana

These inferior names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna are called upon by those who are on the paths of karma and jnana. According to the scriptures, one who calls upon these names gets piety and liberation. On the other hand, the result of chanting the principal names of the Lord [Govinda, Gopmla, Rama, Nandanandana, Radhanatha, Hari, Yasomati-pranadhana, Madana-mohana, Syamasundara, Madhava, Gopinatha, Vrajogopa, Rakhala, and Yadava] is krishna-prema. In this way, the saintly attain love of Godhead by chanting the principal names of Godhead... (Hari-nama-cintmmari)

http://nitai.in/nitaiveda/naamtattva.html

Principal, Most Principal and Topmost Principal Holy Names

(I) In the Brhad-visnu-sahasranama-stotra, Uttara-khanda, Padma Purana (72.335) it is said:

rama rameti rameti, rame rame manorame;
sahasra-namabhis tulyam, rama-nama varanane.

Lord Siva addressed his wife, Durga: "O Varanana (lovely-faced woman), I chant the holy name of Rama, Rama, Rama and thus constantly enjoy this beautiful sound. This holy name of Ramacandra is equal to one thousand holy names of Lord Vishnu (Vishnu-sahasra-nama-stotram)."

(II) In the Padma Purana it its mentioned:

visnor ekaika namapi, sarva vedadhikam matam
tadrk nama sahasrena, rama nama samasmrtam

"Each Name of Lord Vishnu is greater and more potent than the entire Vedas combined together, and Lord Rama's Name alone is more superior that a thousand Names of Lord Vishnu."

(III) In the Brahmanda Purana it is stated:

sahasra-namnam punyanam, trir-avrttya tu yat phalam;
ekavrttya tu krishnasya, namaikam tat prayacchati.

"And the pious results (punya) achieved by chanting the thousand holy names of Vishnu (Vishnu-sahasra-nama-stotram) three times or the Holy Name of Rama thrice can be attained by only one utterance of the Holy Name of Krishna."

(IV) Prabhasa Khanda of Padma Purana states:

namnam mukhyataram nama, krishnakhyam me parantapa;
prayascittam asesenam papanam mocakam param.

"O Arjuna, the Holy of Krishna is the most principal (mukhyataram) among all Names of God. One can atone for unlimited sinful deeds by chanting the Name of Krishna which is the supreme destroyer of all sins."

(V) Finally in the Brahma-Rahasya it is stated:

krishna-caitanyeti nama, mukhyan mukhyatamam prabhoh;
helaya sakrd uccarya, sarva-nama-phalam labhet.

"The Holy Name Krishna Chaitanya or Gauranga is the topmost or the most principal (mukhyan) even among all the important primary and most principal (mukhyatamam) Holy Names of the Lord Krishna. By chanting this name just once, a person attains the spiritual results (punya) of chanting all the other holy names of the Lord."

In the Vishnu-yamala it is said:

krishna-chaitanya-namna ye, kirtayanti sakrn narah;
nanaparadha-muktas te, punanti sakalam jagat.

"Those who chant the name of Krishna Chaitanya or Gauranga even once, become free from all offenses and purify all the worlds by their very presence."

Shrila Jagadananda Pandita says in Prema-vivarta:

gaura ye visala nama sei nama gau;
anya saba nama-mahatmya sei name pau.

"The most powerful names of God are the names of the most merciful incarnation of God, who is known as Lord Gauranga. The glories and power of all the other names of God are completely present in the Names of Lord Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and thus They should be constantly chanted."

(From: http://nitaai.com/nitaiveda/most_principal_name_of_god.html)

Donnerstag, 14. Juni 2007

Innumerable Holy Names


“O Lord, out of Your causeless mercy You have manifested Your innumerable names and empowered Them with Your own transcendental potencies. You have not imposed rigid rules for chanting and remembering these names, nor laid down conditions barring anyone from chanting or remembering Your name even during eating, reclining, or sleeping. But I am so wretched that I am not attracted to Your names.”

(Shri Shikshashtaka - Verse 2)

"Because people vary in their desires, by Your mercy You have distributed various holy names. Regardless of time or place, one who chants the holy name, even while eating or sleeping, attains all perfection. You have invested Your full potency in such individual holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attachment for chanting Your holy names.”

(Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita - Antya-lila 20.17-19)

Mittwoch, 13. Juni 2007

Tremendous influence of Nama-Sankirtan

After the acceptance of Sanyas, Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu toured all over India for a period of six years sanctifying all the places on His way and converting lacs and lacs of people to His unique path of Transcendental Love by spreading the Divine Dispensation of Nama-Sankirtan (congregational chanting of the Holy Names). He conquered the whole of India, from the great Himalyas to Cape Comorin by this most efficacious, catholic, and simple method. This new process is profound and easy at once. It has got the dual capacity of satisfying a profound scholar well-versed in the Sastras and gifted with the art of debate, and an ordinary unlettered man of the street. This marvelous combination in bringing together persons, diametrically opposite, under a single banner was never before experienced by any one in the whole history of the world. Such a unique and sublime process of self-realization accessible to the classes and masses was never popularized to the inhabitants of India or the world by any of the Prophets, Messiahs, Acharyas, Saints, Philosophers, or even the Descents (Avataras) of the Supreme Lord prior to the Advent of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This is an undisputed fact. Making full use of this wonderful weapon of the highest potency, He did marvels which human language cannot adequately express. The tremendous influence of the Nama-Sankirtan (congregational chanting of the Holy Names) has pierced through all our adamantine coatings, the result of the worst type of the accumulated heaps of sins of many births, and left Its impressions of firm faith and love to the Beloved Supreme Lord Shri Gaura-Krishna. Everyone without exception could feel the inexpressible glory, the universal and all round efficacy of the Name. That a good many of them have lately adopted this process of chanting the Divine Names, is the solid proof of Its efficacy and popularity. Even the wild animals were no exceptions; inspired by the Divine Influence of the Holy Name, they forgot their ferocious nature-the worst animal instincts in them- they danced; they kissed each other, they rubbed their faces; they shouted with extreme joy; they rolled on the ground and what other wonderful actions they did, can be adequately expressed only by an eyewitness.

(Adapted from "Divine Name" - Ch.10 "Mahaprabhu's Discourse on Naam")

Dienstag, 12. Juni 2007

Introductory words

Dear guest,

Since longer i have been thinking of joining the immense surfing community which has presently arisen on the wave of Web 2.0, the web of common people, where the words, life destinies and experience of each and everyone of us has got some specific value. The distance, time and language are no longer a barrier nowadays for getting people together and connecting them on an essential and common plane, the plane of life and its experience. Everybody follows a certain path in his or her life. This path was shaped by a sequence of events, which are specific and unique to each and everyone of us. All of us has the natural tendency within of sharing the taste of our own life, as the life is the very substance for every living being and thus a kind of urge arises within the heart of a person to share it with others.

In this blog i would like to share with You the taste of a life, which is being shaped by the power and sweet will of the Name Divine, especially by my dearest and the most merciful Holy Names of NITYAANANDA GAURAANGA. The main aim is to offer You (and me by posting) a new possibility of approaching the life, to offer You more freedom of choice by presenting to You an alternative, which the mundane world is failing You to offer.


Yours in the service of the Divine Names,

mentus