Re: Srila Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Prabhupada

Nityaananda! Gauraanga! Hare Krishna! All the original volumes of the Harmonist have now been released here. It is costing INR 5500 which is $138 which is high but a considerable amount of effort has gone into bringing all the 8 volumes back to publishable quality. It would be a great help if a devotee can kindly sponsor one set for my own reading and for our Puri Ashram library.



The Harmonist As It Is
A Rare Collection of Vaisnava Journals in Eight Volumes

Submitted by Isvara Dasa.

We are pleased to present to the Vaisnava communities and religious scholars the reprint of the "The Harmonist Magazine As It Is".  This publication has been brought to you as a rare collector's items in Eight volumes.

"The Historical Beginning of The Hare Krishna Movement in English"

The original version of The Harmonist appeared in Bengali under the name Sajjana Toshani in 1879,published by Srila Bhaktivinoda  Thakura. After his departure, his son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura established a printing press and began his preaching  mission, The Shri Gaudiya Math. In 1927, he launched the Harmonist magazine, an English version of the original Bengali magazine,  Sajjana Tosani. This he did until 1936, the year of his passing from this world.

It is miraculous that after more than eighty years since the last publication of the Harmonist, the rare and dilapidated copies of The Harmonist are now being brought to life with a reprint of the entire collection. In the last few years ,a number of new magazines using  the same name have appeared both in India and in the West. However, following the mood of His Divine Grace, Srila A.C.  Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who named his translation of the Bhagavad-gita as the 'Bhagavad-gita As It Is', we have also named this reprint "The Harmonist As It Is", to indicate that it is an exact replica of the original.

This task was achieved by photographing each of the odd and somewhat unreadable 5,000 pages. Each negative was then carefully cleaned of all the spots and broken texts, bringing each page to new life. This artisan labor would have been impossible in the West  due to its expensive cost. This whole collection is exactly as it was edited and published under the direction of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta  Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada. Not a single word, no one letter, not even a comma has been changed or added.

The only thing that we have added to facilitate an easy reference to the main subject is a simple index to each volume. The same indexes were then compiled for the complete collection, and printed as a separate booklet.

The index addresses essential philosophical topics, such as jiva-tattva, guru-tattva, Krishna-tattva, rasa-tattva, the history of the  Vedic and Gaudiya Vaishnava traditions, Vaishnava Literature, comparative religion, Vaishnava behaviors and etiquettes,historical  events, articles on social, economical and political issues, and divine poetry.

The Harmonist is the reservoir of all clear conclusions of our predecessor acharyas (Vaisnava Masters), regarding the most important  philosophical subjects any devotee would care to know. Furthermore, this collection can corroborate the veracity of any English translation of our important books,such as Jaiva-Dharma and Chaitanya  Bhagavata since it contains partial translation  supervised  and sanctioned by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada himself.

This collection also contains perfect guidelines for brahmacharis, grihasthas, vanaprasthas, and sannyasis, as well as strategies on how  to behave in society through articles on social, economical, educational and political subjects. Although these articles were written  more than eighty years ago, they still maintain an amazing insights.

Several devotees have expressed their desire to dive more into the spirit of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada's  preaching and activities.

Each of the eight-volume collection is of large format book, 9 x 7' hardbound. Each volume is accompanied by a separate indexed  booklet. Each book averaging 450-550 pages.

This publication can be obtained from Touchstone Media at www.touchstonemedia.com. Bulk sale inquiries can also be made to me at
isvara99@gmail.com.

Your servant,
Isvara dasa.

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Re: Six Questions about Rasa

 

Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krsna

Thank you so much for your answers. Nityananda! Gauranga! Devotees are just like kalpa-vrksa, desire trees! All glories to assembled devotees!

Srinath Prabhuji quoted from Srilla Prabhupada's commentary:

"advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. So Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha, Krsna, Kapiladeva, Balarama -- there are so many forms. So any one of Them, whichever you like... Everyone is... Just like Hanuman. He liked Ramacandra forms, and Arjuna liked Krsna's form. But there is no difference between Rama and Krsna. Ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu [Bs. 5.39]."

This is of great importance for us, devotees who are trying to chant Nitaai and Gaura Naam.( I am hoping this is not off-topic, Srinath Prabhuji quoted and that inspired me to speak a little about Nitaai and Gaura Naam).

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Lord have so many forms and  so many Names. Anadim means without end, unlimited. Srilla Prabhupada is explaining here that there are so many forms and that there is no difference between Them. Similar, there are unlimited Names of Lord and such Names are not different from Him.

So, if we understand this we will also realize that chanting Nityananda and Gauranga is natural process, it is cry of the soul, highest process in this age. Parama karuna pahu dui-jana nitaaai-gauracandra. Lord Nityananda and Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu mercifully appeared in this age to save us and give us highest gift - pure love. Therefore what we can do but cry out Nityananda! Gauranga! and then chant Hare Krsna for Their pleasure. There are unlimited Forms and Names of Lord, but we may conclude that Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga are most merciful Names. Foolish persons think that this process is not autortised, but they do not understand real nature of Lord - that He and His Name are not different.

Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu appeared as hidden, most confidential avatara. He is avatari, but he appeared in form of devotee? He is Lord Krsna with bhava of Srimati Radharani? So confidential, so rare. Similar, glories of chanting His Own Name - Gauranga, are very well hidden, confidential. This is same logic,transcendental logic. And more of that - glories of Nitaai Naam are top most hidden mystery of all times. heno nitaai bine bhai radha-krsna paite nai. Without Nitaai it is very hard to approach Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. Withouth Nitaai Naam it is very hard to become fully absorb in Hare Krsna mantra.

All rasas and mellows are within Names of Nityananda and Gauranga. Lord Nitaai is same Balarama and Lord Gauranga is Sri Sri Radha-Krsna combined in most mercifull form of Gaurasundara. When we are chanting Nityananda we are actually worsiping Lord Balarama because there is no difference. Balarama hoilo nitaai. And when we are chanting Gauranga, Gauranga we are worshiping Sri Sri Radha Krsna.Vrajendra-nandanayei saci-suta hoilo sei. Whole spiritual world, Forms, Pastimes, Associates,everything is within Nitaai and Gaura Naam. It is easy to understand and such realisation is highest knowledge of all time.

Regarding topic about rasas:

Highest philosophy is acintya-bhedaabheda tattva. That is doctrine of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and highest explanation of all relevant topics. From "subjective" point of view highest rasa is "natural, eternal position of soul". So, if someone is servant in dasya-rasa, or sakhya rasa, it is highest rasa for that person. It is absolute subjective reality based on pure love.

From other side, from absolute point of view we may understand that highest rasa is conjugal, madhurya-rasa. So in the same time person situated in dasya or vatsalya-rasa may know - yes madhurya is highest, but my relationship with Lord is also highest! That is acintya-bhedaabheda tatva. It is simply that Lord enjoys in different ways, unlimited ways and we are meant for different purposess. We may not foolisly said - head is more important then stomack or hearth, no, they are all important and together they are forming body. All rasas are part of ultimate madhurya-rasa, and if we are looking from that perspective, we may say that all rasas are indirectly actually part of that rasa. Birds are singing about Radha and Krsna is instantly thinking about Her. Without mother Yashoda, or mother Kirtida how it will be possible for Krsna to sneak at night in "fear" to see Radha. This is variety of relations and it is unlimited variety in spiritual world, but ultimately it's only purpose is to give pleasure to Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. So every rasa, every devotee, possess unique, absolute sweet position and playing unique role in devotion.

All glories to Swami Gaurangapada! Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krsna!

Fool 'smi, Igor

 

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