A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada – Biography and Teachings | Vaishnava acharya

Sri Gour Mohan De and Srimati Rajani devi became the proud parents of Sri Abhay Caranaravrinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Srila Prabhupada) on the 1st of September, 1896. A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896 AD-1977 AD) or Abhay Carana, as he was previously called, was born on the auspicious occasion of Nandotsava, at the home of his maternal grandparents, in the suburbs of Tollygunge in Kolkata. The fortunate jackfruit tree under which he was born stands tall this day. Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) back then was the capital of British India and the ‘second city’ of the British Empire. The British and the Indians lived in separate parts of the city although they intermingled during work and business. The Indians lived more towards the north of the city while the British lived amongst their theatres, racetracks, and cricket fields in central Calcutta. Sri Gour Mohan De used to reside along with his family in his rented house at 151 Harrison Road (refer – ‘Srila Prabhupada’s pastime places in Central Kolkata’). He was a cloth merchant with moderate income and belonged to the aristocratic ‘Suvarna banik’ (gold merchant) community. We cannot help at this point but contemplate upon the exalted pastimes of another eternal associate of the Lord, Sri Uddharana Datta Thakura, who also belonged to this gold mercantile community (refer – ‘Sri Uddharana Datta Thakura Sripat, Adisaptagram’). Soon after Srila Prabhupada was born, an astrologer had prepared a horoscope for the child and made an accurate prediction. He prophesied that when Srila Prabhupada would reach the age of seventy, he would cross over the oceans, become a great preacher of religion and inaugurate 108 temples.

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Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura – Biography and Teachings | Vaishnava acharya

On the 6th of February 1874 AD at 3.30 pm in the afternoon, Bimala prasad Datta (later renowned as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura) appeared in this world, at a place not very far from the Jagannatha temple in Puri. He was the fourth son of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srimati Bhagavati Devi. We have dedicated a separate article in honor of Srila Bhaktivinoda, who also happens to be an exalted acharya of our Vaishnava sampradaya. Sri Bimala Prasad Datta exhibited the thirty-two bodily symptoms of a great personality, at the time of his birth. He was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck like a Brahmin’s thread, perhaps a sign of his glorious mission.

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Bishnupur – Temple town of Bengal (Video)

To know more about Bishnupur and its rich Gaudiya Vaishnava history, refer to the below articles –

1. Srinivasa Acharya and Bir Hambir : https://www.thegaudiyatreasuresofbengal.com/2018/01/09/glories-bishnupur-temple-town-bengal-part-1-srinivasa-acharya-bir-hambir/
2. Amazing pastimes of Madan Mohan : https://www.thegaudiyatreasuresofbengal.com/2018/01/12/glories-bishnupur-temple-town-bengal-part-2-amazing-pastimes-sri-madanamohana/
3.  Bishnupur , Temple town of Bengal – Temples and their rich history : https://www.thegaudiyatreasuresofbengal.com/2018/01/13/glories-bishnupur-temple-town-bengal-part-3-ancient-sites/

When will Kali Yuga end? | Kalki avatar | Symptoms of Kali Yuga

When will Kali Yuga end?

Kali Yuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, that is marked with violence, deceit, and overall spiritual degeneration is the last of the four ages (Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali). We have presented in detail in our previous article how both the Vedic texts and the astronomical calculations infer that the commencement of Kali Yuga was about 5000 years ago in the year 3102 B.C. In this article, we are going to discuss in detail about the end of Kali Yuga, its symptoms and Kalki avatar. Below are the duration of each of the four ages ( Satya, Treta, Dvapara, Kali) as per Vedic calculations-

• Satya Yuga (entirely characterized by virtue, enlightenment, spirituality) – 1,728,000 years
• Treta Yuga (characterized with a 25% loss of virtue, enlightenment, spirituality than Satya Yuga at its onset) – 1,296,000 years
• Dvapara Yuga (characterized with a 50% loss of virtue, enlightenment, spirituality than Satya Yuga at its onset) – 864,000 years
• Kali Yuga (characterized with a 75% loss of virtue, enlightenment, spirituality than Satya Yuga at its onset)- 432,000 years

A thousand cycles of these four ages comprise a single day of Brahma, the creator of this universe. Brahma lives for 100 such years. At the end of these 100 years, the universe shall dissolve into the causal ocean. Hence, these 100 years of Brahma amount to about 311 trillion and 40 million earthly years [1000 * (1,728,000+1,296,000+864,000+432,000)]. Returning to our immediate discussion, since Kali Yuga lasts for 432,000 years, it shall come to a close in the year 428,899 A.D.

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Beginning of Kali yuga – when did Kali yuga start?

All of us often wonder – When did Kali Yuga start? Is it somehow possible to determine the exact date of the commencement of Kali Yuga? According to Jyotish Shastra, the ancient Indian science of astrology, there was an approximate alignment of planets that marked the beginning of Kali Yuga. The seven planets, including the sun and the moon, could not be viewed on that day as they were all lined up in one direction on the other side of the earth. It can be calculated that on the midnight of 18th February, 3102 BC on the meridian of Ujjain in India, such an alignment of planets truly took place. The dark planet of Rahu hovered invisibly and directly overhead India, being concealed in the blackness of night. According to the Jyotish, this date of 18th Feb, 3102 B.C, marked the onset of Kali-yuga.

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What is Raganuga Bhakti ?

What is Raganuga Bhakti ?

In course of everyday interactions within this remarkable world, the conditioned living entity grows a strong love and affection towards material objects. The soul is deceived with material obsessions as his eyes restlessly cross over from one alluring object to another. The endless material infatuations of this world hold him captive forever. However, when this same love is dovetailed towards Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Lord becomes the sole objective of his life, then this love assumes the form of ‘Raga Bhakti’. Srila Rupa Goswami defines ‘Raga’ in ‘Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu’ as follows :

Iste svarasiki rajah
Paramavistata bhavet
Tan mayi ya behaved bhakti
Satra ragatmikodita
(Bhakti rasamrita sindhu – 1.2.272)
–
Raga is complete absorption in one’s most worshipable object, tempered with emotions that are in accordance with one’s innate mood (sva-rasiki) of transcendental love. When devotion to Sri Krishna is fully complemented by such Raga, it is described as Ragatmika bhakti.

virajantim abhivyaktam vrajavasi-janadishu
ragatmikam anusrita ya sa raganugocyate
( Bhakti rasamrita sindhu 1.2.270)
–
The devotion possessed by the eternal associates of Lord Krishna in Vrindavana is known as the devotion filled with loving attachment (ragatmika-bhakti). While the devotion following in the wake of this ragatmika bhakti is called raganuga-bhakti.

To be concise, the unquenchable thirst to love Sri Krishna falls within the purview of ‘Raga’. The eternal associates of Krishna in Vrindavana (the supreme transcendental abode) are forever immersed in various spiritual mellows that are full of ‘Raga’ (spontaneous divine love). The devotion possessed by these eternal associates of the Supreme Lord is classified as ‘Ragatmika’. While the devotion of those who are keen to attain the bhava (ecstatic emotions) possessed by these residents of Vrindavana, is classified as ‘Raganuga’. ‘Raganuga’ bhakti hence takes shelter of and follows the footsteps of the ‘Raga’ and ‘bhava’ (spiritual emotions) of the ‘Ragatmika’ devotee.

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