Posted by: nimbarka | September 8, 2008

Updates…September 2009

I pay my obeisances to the Supreme Lord Shri Shri Radha Sarveshvara Bhagavan and Their choicest devotee Bhagavan Shri Nimbarkacharya Ji Maharaj; I bow to Jagadguru Shri Shriji Maharaj, to Shri Sadgurudev Ji Maharaj, to all the Sadhus and to all the Vaishnavas… Jay Shri Radhe Shyam!

Please forgive the lack of activity over the summer; there has been quite a lot going on, and I have finally managed to begin updating the site. Please click on the links in the sidebar, or the links below highlighted in blue to see Pictures and a description of activities there.

For the activities over the summer – Shri Sadgurudev Ji Maharaj blessed devotees in Bradford (England) for the Mandir’s first anniversary, Belfast (Northern Ireland) for Shrimad Bhagavat Kathaa Saptaah, Edinburgh (Scotland) for Pravachan and Mississauga (Canada) for the opening of Shri Lakshmi Mandir.

During this time, Hindus lost a great soul, Shri Prakash Gossai, founder of Shri Bhuvaneshwar Mandir New York, Advisor to the President of Guyana on Religious and Cultural Affairs and expert Ramayan Katha Vachak and Bhajan / Keertan Singer at the very young age of 56. Our prayers are with the family, and especially his brother, most devoted to Shri Sanatan Dharma, Shri Bankim Gossai MBE in the UK.

There are more updates to come, including a trip to Salemabad, Rajasthan – the headquarters of Shri Nimbarka Sampradaya, and very privilaged darshan of Shri Sarveshvara Bhagavan; Shri Sadgurudev Ji Maharaj is awarded Hindu of the Year by the Hinduism Today Magazine with full feature article and Shri Sadgurudev Ji’s Yaatra to bless devotees in Germany and Switzerland.

Calendar for the rest of the month of Aashaard and Kaartik Month

19th-27th September 2009: Sharadiya Navaratri (worship of the Divine Mother)
28th September 2009: Shri Vijaya Dashami (defeat of Ravan by Lord Raam and Mahishasur by Deviji)
30th September 2009: Shri Pashankusha EKADASHI (for Nimbarki Vaishnavas)
3rd October 2009: SHRI SHARAD POORNIMA MAHOTSAVA (Raas Leela of the Divine Couple)
5th October 2009: Kaartika Maas Starts – Shri Radha Damodara Puja, evening Deepak offerings
14th October 2009: Shri Ramaa Ekadashi
15th October 2009: Dhana Trayodashi (Dhanteras)
16th October 2009: Narak Chaturdashi (Narak Chaudas) – Yama deep, Shri Dhanvantari Bhagavan’s Appearance day Hanuman Ji’s other birth anniversary
17th October 2009:  Shri Mahalakshmi Appearance Anniversary, Maha Lakshmi Puja, Deepavali, grand offering of Ghee Lamps to Shri Shri Radha Damodara Ji
18th October 2009: Shri Govarddhana Puja, Annakoota
19th October 2009: Bhraatri Dvitiya (Bhaiyya Dooj),gujerati financial year commences.
26th October 2009: Gopaashtami – Gau Puja
27th October 2009: Akshaya Navami
29th October 2009: Shri Devaprabodhini Ekadashi, Shri Tulasi Shaaligram Marriage commences
1st November 2009: Vaikuntha Chaturdashi
2nd November 2009: SHRI NIMBARKA BHAGAVAN’s 5106th Appearance Anniversary, End of Kaartik Maas, end of Shri Shri Radha Damodara Special Puja, End of Shri Tulasi Shaligram Marriage (Vivaah), Kaartika Snaan at Shri Pushkara Teerth

Remember: Kaartika Maasa is the most important month of the year for Vaishnavas to focus on pleasing the Lord. Every evening, we should light a ghee lamp and offer it to Shri Radha Damodara Bhagavan by reciting the Shri Radhashtakam written by Shri Nimbarka Bhagavan and the Shri Damodarashtakam of the Padma Puraana. We should worship Tulasi Mata and pay special attention to the rules for fasting on Ekadashi. On the Purnima, we should celebrate Shri Nimbarka Bhagavan’s appearance day by worship of Sudarshan Bhagavan, and reciting the various stotras, bhajans, keertans and padas that are dear to Shri Nimbarka Bhagavan. Every second one should try to remember the Shri Yugala Maha Mantra :

RAADHE KRISHNA RAADHE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA RAADHE RAADHE|
RAADHE SHYAAM RAADHE SHYAAM, SHYAAM SHYAAM RAADHE RAADHE||

Jay Jay Shri Raadhe! Shyaam!!!

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Posted by: nimbarka | March 27, 2008

Introduction – Sri Nimbarka Sampradaya and Sri Golok Dham Ashram

From time immemorial, the wise have saught the ultimate truth. In ancient Bharata, the Land of the Nobles, the Vedic Seers delved deep into the glory of the unpercievable world. They returned with the immortal verses of the Veda. Yet, due to the passage of time, most of the philosophical parts have dissappeared, leaving only the ritualistic portion. The philosophical conclusions to the Veda are found in the Upanishads. The teachings therein are referred to as the teachings of Vedanta. Due to the highly incomprehendable nature of the subject matter (God!), an incarnation known as Sri Veda Vyasa descended upon the earth at the beginning of Kali Yuga and composed the Vedanta Sutras:- the Aphorisms on the Supreme.

In this day and age, assailed with useless knowledge and an incapacity of focusing on one topic for any useful length of time, the five main Sampradaya Pravartaka Acharyas (the Founding Acharyas of the Five main Vedantic traditions or Sampradayas) provided the main interpretations upon which even a dullard like myself may be able to comprehend the timeless teachings of the ancient Seers regarding the one unifying principle – Parabrahman – God Almighty.

Four of the main Sampradaya Pravartaka Acharyas are Vaishnava: Sri Nimbarkacharya (50 years prior to Shankaracharya – therefore either ca.500BCE or 7/8CE, though traditionally he is thought to have been incarnated 5104 years ago), Ramanuja (11th Century CE), Madhva (13th Century CE) and Vallabha (16th Century). Sri Shankaracharya (8th Century CE) is Smarta (a monist philosophy focused on approaching the Lord through initially pantheism and then extreme monism).

All the Vedantic Sampradayas were established by the Lord Himself, representing the many valid views that He has allowed us to view Him. The strength of Vedic Dharma is that it is a synthesis of completely different philosophies which work (mostly) in harmony to preserve the scripturally endorsed science of the Lord against the superstitious multitude which have sprung up for their own fame and profit.

Bhagavan Shri Nimbarkacharya Ji Maharaj

Bhagavan Shri Nimbarkacharya Ji

Sri Nimbarkacharya is the incarnation of the Sudarshana Chakra of God Almighty Sri Radha Krsna, who appeared on the earth 50 years prior to the advent of Sri Shankaracharya. Sri Nimbarkacharya was the first to scripturally prove that the highest essence of God was Sri Radha Krsna, and that scripturally informed devotion is the only way to achieve liberation from suffering and enter into ceaseless bliss.

Bhagavan Sri Nimbarkacharya Ji

The Lord has taken pity on this lowly servant by allowing me initiation into this wonderful treasure-trove of relatively unexplored knowledge, wisdom and spirituality through the medium of the most revered, His Divine Grace Dharmaratna Swami Shri Gopal Sharan Devacharya Ji Maharaj, the founder of Shri Golok Dham Ashram in Vrindavan and New Delhi. He is the 52nd Spiritual Master in the scripturally authorised tradition of the Nimbarka Sampradaya in the sub-devision of the Svabhurama Devacharya Dvara.

HDG 'Dharmaratna' Swami Shri Gopal Sharan Devacharya Ji Maharaj

On these few pages, I hope to present some day-to-day updates on Shri Golok Dham and Shri Sadgurudev Ji Maharaj’s activities, together with any new research that I can make available regarding our wonderful Sampradaya.

Radhe Krsna Radhe Krsna, Krsna Krsna Radhe Radhe|

Radhe Syama Radhe Syama, Syama Syama Radhe Radhe||

Jay Jay Shri Radhe Shyam!!!

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