"Sri Gita-govinda is a 'jewel book' brought by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We all know that Sri Jayadeva Gosvami has written this beautiful Gita-govinda, but without Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu it would have remained locked like a pearl in the oyster shell or a jewel in a locked case. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu manifested the glories of Sri Gita-govinda. Just as without Srila Rupa Gosvami no one would have known the inner moods of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, similarly, by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu relishing the moods of Sri Gita-govinda its glories became manifest for the whole world. I have explained this very high-class philosophy, but only rare devotees in this world can understand it. I have called you here only to give you this."
-An excerpt from a lecture entitled "The Jewel Book" by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaj

PremaDhvani.org

Sri Gita-govinda

Song 15 – ramate yamuna-pulina-vane

Choices - Sri Prahlad

1 - Mirabai

Caring - Krishna Nandini Mataji

Chapter 2 - Sankhya Yoga

1- Oṁ Ajñāna - Timirāndhasya

6.1 Tapta Kanchana Gaurangi

Vinati

Hari Bin Mori Kaun Khabar Le (Meera)

Initiation is the beginning of a lifelong commitment to this path. As soon as we have faith in a guru and the willingness to serve and to follow, then our relationship with our Guru has been established. But the particular ceremony, the particular offering of initiation is a deep, sincere, lifelong commitment to follow. ‘yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado’ to please our Guru, and please all the previous acharya and Krishna, though the sincerity of our efforts, 
So these vows that are taken, sometimes Prabhupad would call them rules and regulations. And especially Srila Prabhupada explains from Krishna’s words in Bhagavad Gita ‘raga-dvesa-vimuktais tu’ these are the regulative principles of freedom. They're not meant to bind us, they're meant to the parade us because we're already bound. Sometimes people think that these rules and regulations are too restrictive. But the reality is we are already restricted, our hands, our legs, our heads, our feets, our hearts, our brains, every part of us is shackled, like prisoners of Maya’s dictations. And whatever principles there are in Bhakti, are there to liberate us from those shackles, liberate us from that bondage, so that we could actually be free to live by the real spirit of the soul, to be free, to love Krishna, to be an instrument of Krishna’s love and to be happy, to be free from the fear of death and all the uncertainties of life. So, we're taking vows for this purpose.

Initiation Is The Beginning Of A Lifelong Commitment

When a devotee gives in charity, he doesn’t think that ‘I am giving something which is mine.’ He thinks that ‘this is the property of God and is meant for the benefit of others, and I am simply the servant delivering it for the benefit of others. I don’t get credit, the master who has created it, the Lord who has sent it to this person, he gets the credit, I am only did the deliverer, I am only the servant.’ This is knowledge. But even such charitable understanding of life is so rare in this age of kaliyuga. In this age everything wants to take more and more and more and more. For me, for my family, for my society. This is the mentality of Shishupal, who want to take the property of Krishna and enjoy. And the jiva soul which is part and parcel of Krishna, is also meant simply meant for Krishna’s service. As Rukmini is simply meant for Krishna’s service. And the exploitative forces of this world being directed by material energy or maya are trying to take our consciousness which is meant for Krishna, trying to take it and exploit it, rape it, use it for its own exploitative purposes. And the whole human society is simply victimized by the exploitation of materialistic forces.

Exploitative Mentality Of Maya And It's Remedy

In the situation you are speaking out, if you are not associating with devotees very-very regularly, hearing from them, doing some seva, doing sadhana, you are finished, your consciousness will definitely be washed away by illusion. But if this is the service they were asked to perform, we have to do it as Priyavrata had to do it. But we have to be very careful. The first thing is we must regularly associate with devotees, understand how desperate we need to and have good sadhana. And the second thing is we are working so hard, we are competing so ferociously, what are we going to do with the results? We have to give it to Krishna; we have to make that sacrifice. Then, Krishna sees that we are actually doing it for Him and then He will actually really protect us.

1- Oṁ Ajñāna - Timirāndhasya

Nityananda Charan Das

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