Damodar Vrata
Kartik also known as Damodar, is the best, the purest of purifiers, and most glorious of all months. Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math devotees observe the intense sadhana of eight period of devotional service as mentioned in Bhajan Rahasya. Eight verses of Sikshastak of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu are in conformity with the pastimes of SriKrishna of the eight periods (Astayama). Pastimes of Radha-Krishna will be gradually manifested by incessantly thinking, remembering and singing of the eight verses of Sikshastak. This collection features the videos of all the sikshastak shloka explanation by Srila Gurudev followed by narration of Radha-Krishna’s divine pastimes for all the eight periods.
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First Yaam - Shraddha
3:22am to 5:46am. Chanting of the Holy Name Śrī Kṛṣṇa, completely, loudly in the company of devotees and without tenfold offences, which can bestow seven attainments— viz. cleansing of the mind-mirror, extinguishing of the forest fire of birth, death and threefold afflictions, bestowing eternal soothing benefit like moonlight, life of spiritual learning i.e. awakening of the real self, increasing of the ocean of bliss, bestowing at every step sweet taste of complete transcendental ambrosia, holy immersion of body-mind-real self—be supremely glorified.
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Second Yam - Sadhu Sange Anartha Nivritti
5:46am to 8:10am. O Supreme Lord! Your Holy Name bestows all kinds of eternal welfare to the conditioned souls. For that reason, your Holy Names have no direct or indirect connection with the non-eternal material world. These Holy Names have descended in this world. Supreme Lord has bestowed all powers to His Names and no restriction is imposed to utter the Holy Names. No restriction of time, space— rules and regulations, for utterance and remembrance of the Holy Names. O Lord! You are so merciful, out of compassion you have made easy for the conditioned souls to remember and chant Holy Names, but due to my tenfold offences and my greatest misfortune I have got no liking for Holy Name which has been made so easily obtainable.
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Third Yam - Nistha
8:10am to 10:34am. The aspirant who is more humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than tree and who is completely devoid of desire for getting respect from others but giving due respect to all is eligible for doing Hari-kīrtan always.
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Fourth Yam - Ruchi
10:34am to 3:22pm. O Supreme Lord! I have got no desire for wealth, manpower or erudition (desire for deceitful Trivarga— worldly piety, money and lust or even to merge myself with the Impersonal Formless Brahma, i.e. ‘Mukti’— salvation, which is more deceitful). My only prayer is to get causeless one-pointed devotion to You.
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Fifth Yam - Asakthi
3:22pm to 5:46pm. O Nandanandan, in spite of my being your eternal servant, due to predicament of my own deeds, I am drowned in the terrible ocean of births and deaths. Out of compassion kindly think me as dust particle of your Lotus Feet.
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Sixth Yam - Bhava
5:46pm to 8:10pm. Due to offences, our heart has become hard as a thunderbolt. There is no ecstatic transformations when I chant Your Name. O most merciful treasure house of compassion, give me a few drops of feeling for You and save my life.
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Seventh Yam - Prem Vipralambh
8:10pm to 10:34pm. Symptoms of separation grief— even a moment’s separation from Govinda will be considered as an epoch, tears will roll down from the eyes like rainfall, realization of the voidness of the whole world.
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Eighth Yam - Prem Sambhog
10:34pm to 3:22am. Jewel amongst all beloved gopīs Srīmati Rādhikā’s apophthegm—Śrī Krishna can crush this maid servant, devoted to His Lotus Feet, by firmly embracing me or mortifying me anywhere and everywhere by His profligate behavior with any of His beloved gopīs, yet He is my dearest beloved and nobody else.
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Recitation of Gajendra's Prayers by Srila Gurudev
This is the recitation of all the verses of Gajendra's Prayers by Srila Gurudev. This was recorded during the Kartik month at Sri Vraja-mandal in 2002.
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Sri Damodarastakam
Satyavrata Muni has sung in adoration the glories of Lord Damodar (Krishna with corded belly) in eight verses which we recite daily during the Kartik-vrata. (Found in Padma Purana, author: Sri Krishna Dvaipayan Veda Vyasa Muni)
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Shikshashtaka
It is prescribed by our Guruvarga that we should remember the eight verses of Sri Shikshashtaka given by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself, to enter into the eternal eight periods (astayama) pastimes of Sri RadhaKrishna. When we get established in Sri Shikshastaka, then the pastimes will be gradually manifested. So, this is very important.
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Introduction to Śrī Bhajan-Rahasya’
Introduction to Śrī Bhajan-Rahasya 'Śrī Bhajan-Rahasya'—Book is compiled by Revered Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur. He has shown a few hints about his own mode of worship in the form of a book as an instance to his own devoted followers. The introduction of this book is written by Srila Bhaktisiddhant Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad.
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