Two brāhmaṇa gentlemen named Cāpala and Gopāla, who also happened to be maternal uncles of the Lord, were inflicted with leprosy by way of chastisement, and later, when they were repentant, they were accepted by the Lord. In the course of His preaching work, He used to send daily all His followers, including Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu and Ṭhākura Haridāsa, two chief whips of His party, from door to door to preach the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam All of Navadvīpa was surcharged with His saṅkīrtana movement, and His headquarters were situated at the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and Śrī Advaita Prabhu, two of His chief householder disciples. These two learned heads of the brāhmaṇa community were the most ardent supporters of Lord Caitanya's movement. Śrī Advaita Prabhu was the chief cause for the advent of the Lord. When Advaita Prabhu saw that the total human society was full of materialistic activities and devoid of devotional service, which alone could save mankind from the threefold miseries of material existence, He, out of His causeless compassion for the age-worn human society, prayed fervently for the incarnation of the Lord and continually worshiped the Lord with water of the Ganges and leaves of the holy tulasī tree. As far as preaching work in the saṅkīrtana movement was concerned, everyone was expected to do his daily share according to the order of the Lord.
Fervent
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Preface and Introduction
SB Canto 1
There were 16,100 beautiful girls who were daughters of many kings and were forcibly stolen by Bhaumāsura, who kept them captive for his carnal desire. These girls prayed piteously to Lord Kṛṣṇa for their deliverance, and the merciful Lord, called by their fervent prayer, released them all by fighting and killing Bhaumāsura. All these captive princesses were then accepted by the Lord as His wives, although in the estimation of society they were all fallen girls. The all-powerful Lord Kṛṣṇa accepted the humble prayers of these girls and married them with the adoration of queens. So altogether Lord Kṛṣṇa had 16,108 queens at Dvārakā, and in each of them He begot ten children. All these children grew up, and each had as many children as the father. The aggregate of the family numbered 10,000,000.
SB Canto 6
A devotee never aspires for the heavenly planets. The heavenly planets, liberation and hell are nondifferent for a devotee, for he does not discriminate between different positions in the material world. A devotee is always eager to return home, back to Godhead, and remain there as the Lord's associate. This ambition becomes increasingly fervent in his heart, and therefore he does not care about material changes in his life. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments that Mahārāja Citraketu's being cursed by Pārvatī should be considered the mercy of the Lord. The Lord wanted Citraketu to return to Godhead as soon as possible, and therefore he terminated all the reactions of his past deeds. Acting through the heart of Pārvatī, the Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart, cursed Citraketu in order to end all his material reactions. Thus Citraketu became Vṛtrāsura in his next life and returned home, back to Godhead.
SB Canto 8
It may also be concluded that since a tree lives on the strength of its root and when the root is nourished with water all the parts of the tree are nourished, one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the original root of everything. Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very difficult to approach, He is very near to us because He lives within our hearts. As soon as the Lord understands that one is seeking His favor by fully surrendering, naturally He immediately takes action. Therefore although the demigods did not come to the aid of Gajendra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead immediately appeared before him because of his fervent prayer. This does not mean that the demigods were angry with Gajendra, for actually when Lord Viṣṇu is worshiped, all the other demigods are also worshiped. Yasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam: if the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied, everyone is satisfied.
The King of the elephants was so very eager to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead that when he saw the Lord coming in the sky, with great pain and in a feeble voice he offered respect to the Lord. A devotee does not consider a dangerous position to be dangerous, for in such a dangerous position he can fervently pray to the Lord in great ecstasy. Thus a devotee regards danger as a good opportunity. Tat te'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ. When a devotee is in great danger, he sees that danger to be the great mercy of the Lord because it is an opportunity to think of the Lord very sincerely and with undiverted attention. Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). He does not accuse the Supreme Personality of Godhead for having let His devotee fall into such a dangerous condition. Rather, he considers that dangerous condition to be due to his past misdeeds and takes it as an opportunity to pray to the Lord and offer thanks for having been given such an opportunity.
SB Canto 9
Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied: After accepting the throne of the government by the fervent request of His younger brother Bharata, Lord Rāmacandra ordered His younger brothers to go out and conquer the entire world, while He personally remained in the capital to give audience to all the citizens and residents of the palace and supervise the governmental affairs with His other assistants.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
It is that lover I search for. After making me drink the honey of His lips, He has gone elsewhere, and thus He has thrown me, hankering fervently for Him, into the ocean of distress.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
This brāhmaṇa knew that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was the only Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī in Benares at that time and all the others were Māyāvādīs. It is the duty of a gṛhastha to sometimes invite sannyāsīs to take food at his home. This gṛhastha-brāhmaṇa wanted to invite all the sannyāsīs to his house, but he also knew that it would be very difficult to induce Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to accept such an invitation because the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs would be present. Therefore he fell down at His feet and fervently appealed to the Lord to be compassionate and grant his request. Thus he humbly submitted his desire.
I fervently appeal to everyone to adopt the method of devotional service given by Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda and thus be freed from the miseries of material existence and ultimately achieve the loving service of the Lord.
CC Antya-lila
When they all requested very fervently that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu take a full meal, He still would not do so. Instead, He responded to their request by accepting half as much as usual.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
In this division of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu there are five general topics: (1) vibhāva—special symptoms or causes of ecstasy, (2) anubhāva—subsequent ecstasy, (3) sāttvika-bhāva—constitutional or existential ecstasy, (4) vyabhicārī-bhāva—aggressive ecstasy and (5) sthāyi-bhāva—fervent or continuous ecstasy.
The word rasa, used in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, is understood by different persons differently because the exact English equivalent is very difficult to find. But as we have seen our spiritual master translate this word rasa into "mellow," we shall follow in his footsteps and also translate the word in that way.
The particular loving mood or attitude relished in the exchange of love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called rasa, or mellow. The different types of rasa, when combined together, help one to taste the mellow of devotional service in the highest degree of transcendental ecstasy.
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Thereafter, with great humility, the King offered each of them 100,000 cows in exchange for the one cow that was causing the fight between them. He prayed to them that he was their servant and that there had been some mistake. Thus, in order to rectify it, he prayed that they be very kind upon him and accept his offer in exchange for the cow. The King fervently appealed to the brāhmaṇas not to cause his downfall into hell because of this mistake. A brāhmaṇa's property is called brahma-sva, and according to Manu's law it cannot be acquired even by the government. Both brāhmaṇas, however, insisted that the cow was theirs and could not be taken back under any condition; neither of them agreed to exchange it for the 100,000 cows. Thus disagreeing with the King's proposal, the two brāhmaṇas left the place in anger, thinking that their lawful possession had been usurped.
O unconquerable Lord, You are the Supreme Personality. No one is equal to You or greater than You. No one can be more glorious in his activities. All glories unto You! All glories unto You! By Your own transcendental nature You fully possess all six opulences. As such, You are able to deliver all conditioned souls from the clutches of māyā. O Lord, we fervently pray that You kindly do so. All the living entities, being Your parts and parcels, are naturally joyful, eternal and full of knowledge, but due to their own faults they imitate You by trying to become the supreme enjoyer. Thus they disobey Your supremacy and become offenders. And because of their offenses, Your material energy has taken charge of them. Thus their transcendental qualities of joyfulness, bliss and wisdom have been covered by the clouds of the three material qualities. This cosmic manifestation, made of the three material qualities, is just like a prison house for the conditioned souls. The conditioned souls are struggling very hard to escape from material bondage, and according to their different conditions of life they have been given different types of engagement.
Mukunda-mala-stotra (mantras 1 to 6 only)
Unfortunately, in this iron age the members of well-to-do families generally misuse their wealth. Instead of improving their spiritual condition, they are misled by faulty association and fall victim to sensuality. To be saved from this faulty association, King Kulaśekhara prays fervently to the Lord that he may never forget His lotus feet in any future birth. A devotee who perfects his devotional service certainly goes back to Godhead without a doubt, so for him there is no question of birth or death. And, as mentioned above, a devotee who does not achieve complete perfection is guaranteed to take his birth in a learned and well-to-do family. But even if a devotee is not given the advantage of good parentage, if he can attain the benediction of always remembering the lotus feet of the Lord, that is greater than any number of material assets. Constant remembrance of the Lord's name, fame, qualities, and so on automatically nullifies the reactions of all vices and invokes the blessings of the Lord.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because Kṛṣṇa is there, if He sees somebody is actually serious to understand Him—just like Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja, did not..., he did not make any guru, but with fervent desire he went, "Yes, I shall find out Kṛṣṇa." Mother said "Kṛṣṇa can be found in the forest," so he went to the forest, and he began according to his own way. Then Kṛṣṇa sent Nārada Muni, that "This boy is very serious. Go and give him real mantra." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Two things required: guru and Kṛṣṇa. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. Mālī hañā kare sei bīja koro āropana. "I have got some seed of bhakti, and I keep it in the iron chest." No. You must make cultivation of bhakti-bīja: mali hañā sei bia koro āropana. And how to nourish the bīja? Śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye śecana: (CC Madhya 19.152) by śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Water is this. Then bhakti-latā will come out a tree, and you will get the fruits and enjoy.
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
I could not understand why your manager, Mr. Wankawala, refused to carry out the orders of your letter under reference. Anyway, my fervent request to you is that you continue to help me as per your above letter. It will be good to you and to your business. I am trying to open several Radha Krishna Temples as I have already done in several places, in USA and Canada, and next I am going to open in Europe also. So please ask your Calcutta manager to carry my goods free of freight charges as per your letter under reference, dated 11th April, 1966.
Some of my Indian friends are ready to donate Sri Sri Radha Krishna Vigraha for installation in the temples. Formerly, also, one Mr. Bhargava of Agra, he donated one Pair of Radha Krishna Vigraha, with dress, and it was sent to Calcutta, and your Calcutta office was kind enough to carry it free of freight charges. Now they have denied. I have to import at least 20 Pairs of such Vigraha, and if you at least carry the Vigrahas, freight charges free, it will be a great help to my cause.
1969 Correspondence
I shall be glad to hear what about the press matter and printing Back To Godhead in German Language.
Chanting 16 rounds without fail, performing Kirtana at least twice daily, morning and evening, discussion on Bhagavad-gita, and Srimad-Bhagavatam in the class, and work diligently and cooperatively amongst yourselves is my fervent request. Kindly follow this and be happy.
Please convey my blessings to Krishna das and Uttama Sloka. I have received letter from Jaya Govinda that he is anxious to come back to Germany. I have also advised Krishna das to arrange for his passage, but I have not heard anything from them. Please let me know at your earliest convenience. Hope you are well.
Gradually, as he advances in understanding Krishna, he should go up and up. In this way, one should try to see the face of Krishna; and His dealing with the Gopis is compared with His sweet smile. So for the present we should better stick our faith and observation to the Lotus Feet of Krishna and pray fervently that He may give us the strength and capacity to understand Him as He is. Because as soon as we are able to understand Him as He is, immediately we become liberated persons, eligible for entering into the Kingdom of God. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, 4th Chapter where the Lord says "Simply by understanding My transcendental position, appearance, disappearance and activities, one becomes eligible to enter into My Abode, just after giving up the present material body."
Regarding your second question about the rasas in Narayana's Abode, it does not go higher than servitude and reverential friendship.
1970 Correspondence
Yesterday Karandhara presented me a check signed by you for $4,000 in my favor, but I have countersigned in favor of ISKCON L.A. as they have already purchased our worldwide tickets. I am starting next week sometimes. I have asked Tamala to come here and Hayagriva to come here. Rupanuga, Bhagavan das and Kirtanananda Maharaja are already here, so I am fervently appealing to you all not to create fracture in the solid body of the Society. Please work conjointly, without any personal ambition. That will help the cause.
It is the injunction of the Vedas that the Spiritual Master should not be treated as ordinary man even if sometimes the Spiritual Master behaves like ordinary man. It is the duty of the disciple to accept Him as Superhuman Man. In the beginning of your letter your comparison of the soldier and commander is very appropriate. We are on the battlefield of Kuruksetra—one side Maya, the other side Krsna. So the regulative principles of a battlefield, namely to abide by the order of the commander, must be followed.
1971 Correspondence
It is very nice. So far as my going there by the 27th June, that may not be possible. Most probably I will have to attend London festival this year because three times I have attended Rathayatra festival in San Francisco and this time I have been very fervently requested to attend the London Rathayatra festival, where they are expecting 50,000 participants also. So it is not possible to attend both festivals. I will try my best to go to San Francisco also, but there is little chance. Still, I shall go to San Francisco when I return to U.S.A. So you should go on with the festival more enthusiastically, even in my absence.
Presently I am in Bombay and from here I am going to Moscow on the 20th June, for five days. From there I shall visit Paris and then London. After the festival I will be going to N.Y. and then on to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
1972 Correspondence
I thank you for your letter dated 28th December, 1971 and have read it carefully.
Yes, take the Doc Bungalow property. As soon as you get it we will begin construction immediately. We should prefer to construct our institution by Mayor's gift land. So work very fervently to get it. I think you are very expert. But if you need someone to help you I can send someone. But I think you are very strong.
We can take Radha Damodara as hopeless, but the two rooms should be maintained as my right. For the time being make Vrindaban your headquarters. Maintain Radha Damodara Temple two rooms and verandah. Don't fight with Gauracandra.* Offer respects to Radha Damodara. Every day go and see that my rooms are kept nicely. We require Radha Damodara and Brahma Kunda rooms, because if we do something gorgeous some of our men must live there and oversee the work.
1974 Correspondence
I am very much grateful for your contribution of so many books on Vallabh Sampradaya and also the framed pictures. They are being kept in Delhi, and when I return to Vrindaban via Delhi, I shall see them.
We are contemplating to open our newly constructed temple in Vrindaban during the Appearance Day of Lord Ramacandra festival, and I wish very fervently that your Holiness may be present on that occasion. If you have got time to attend the ceremony, kindly let me know, and we shall make necessary arrangements for your reception.
1976 Correspondence
When you came to see me in Bombay I had already accepted to become the member of the Co-ordinating Committee of the Gita Prachar Conference.
As you know I am trying my best to preach the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita all over the world, and I am experiencing some glimpse of success in this connection. Naturally, I'm inclined to preach the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita very fervently in India. India is the land of spiritual culture. But gradually, India, being influenced by the material allurement; Its spiritual culture is being forgotten.
It is the duty of the Indian Leaders to note this degradation. There is no harm to become materially advanced, but if simply for material advancement we forget our spiritual basis, it will be a great loss. Therefore, I am also very eager to revive India's spiritual culture with the help of the Gita Foundation.
On the inside veranda, you can have Gaura-lila carved. It will be a great attraction and I shall be very glad to have it. Either plaster or wood is alright, whichever is easier and cheaper to do, you can do. Of course, it would be very attractive in wood. But it is my fervent request that the devotees not make any "bombing-lila" as it was publicized recently.
Just like in our Vrindaban temple, you can have 3 Deity compartments. Facing the altar, Nrsimhadeva can be on the left, Guru-Gauranga in the center, and Jagannatha-Subhadra-Balarama on the right so that you can organize Rathayatra. You can begin the construction with cornerstone.
I would like to receive copies of the letters that you have written to the government officials there as you had mentioned, and also the copies of their replies.
Amongst us there are Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists and others who in the same way initiating themselves with shaved head, sikha, tilaka and sacred thread are engaged in singing Krishna nama in accordance with the scripture, "krsna kirtana gana nartana parau." So I fervently request my gentle countrymen to have a thorough investigation of our affairs so as to discontinue their uncalled for agitations.
There has been various remarks about our income and expenditure, and on this some questions were raised in our Lokeshava and discussions made there to. The Lokeshava members accepted the fact that our various expenses are met up with our income of selling various books, as well as various donations from the public. Up till now my humble self could write at least 84 books and print them in English. Those are Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto I to VII (24 volumes), Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, Shri Chaitanya Charitamrta (17 volumes), the Nectar of Devotion, Krishna Consciousness The Topmost Yoga System, Shri Isopanisad, etc., etc.
| Page Title: | Fervent |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari, Mayapur |
| Created: | 25 of Jun, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=7, CC=3, OB=4, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=10 |
| No. of Quotes: | 25 |