Swami B. V. Tripurari

Questions on today's Swami call: Dandavat Pranams Guru Maharaja! Recently I came across Guru Gita from the Skanda Purana, and it made me wonder if we have any such texts in our tradition that comprehensively speak of the Glories of Sri Guru and explain the Guru Tattva that practitioners can read and meditate upon. There is this discussion in Jaiva Dharma, chapter 9, that confuses me: Adwaita d...

Questions on today's Swami call: My question is a bit strange: what should one do in case onebecomes a target of an "attack" by someone who can utilize spirits/ghost entities or some kind of energetic influence or spells? I remember Bhaktivinoda Thakur used to read the Bhagavatam when he was attacked by the mistik who pretended to be Bhagavan. But for one whois far less eligible than B...

Questions on today's Swami call: Jay Sri Radhe most respected dear Swamiji, deeply grateful to be able to reconnect with YOU like this. U might remember me under the NAME of MALATI. Much of the FAITH & STRENGH 4 BHAKTI YOU did implant into my SOUL - many years ago. I still remember WORD by WORD many of the Secrets & Divine treasures u told me 1993 in VRINDAVAN. My question please: HOW...

Dear Guru Maharaja, is it possibly an upset for Radharani to have Sri placed next to Krsna? Are interfaith relations ultimately not meant to last, since the practitioners will attain different goals? Where in Bhaktivinoda Thakura's writings are the theological points of Christianity and Vaishnavism you spoke of found in, Guru Maharaja? Guru Maharaja mentioned recently that he says special pray...

Questions on today’s Swami Call:  Bhaktivedanta Swami in his purport says in his purport to Bhagavad Gita 10.38: "Among the confidential activities of hearing, thinking and meditating, silence is most important because by silence one can make progress very quickly." These words sound very inspiring, could you comment on this? Dandavats, dear Guru Maharaja. I have a question about the theod...

Can you share something about your relationship with Agnideva Prabhu who passed away recently? What is the role of reason in the life of faith? Dandavats Guru Maharaja. I want to know what how you felt after Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance. What did you think to be the right succession of leadership in Iskcon? Did the eleven zonal acharyas/gurus appoint themselves or were they chosen by Prabhupad...

Questions on today’s Swami Call:  If Krishna's marriage to Radha and the young gopis happens during the gopi vasta harana lila, and is a legitimate form of marriage, then it seems the gopis' subsequent marriages to their "husbands" would be parakiya and their relationships to Krishna would be svakiya. Jiva Goswami says so I believe. Is this correct? Is this another case of wonderfu...

Questions on today's Swami Call: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Dandavat pranams. Is it okay to read the Sri Caitanya-Caritamta before completing the Srimad Bhagavatam? Also, what is your favorite book? As Sri Krishna's mercy flows downward reaches the lowest places, is the best way to attain his mercy to lower and humble ourselves? Does the topic of mercy and effort relate to the Bhagavad-g...

Questions on today's Swami Call: When our mind is filled with bhakti, are we connecting directly with Sri Krishna? How do we figure out what seva to offer if we are not aware of our gifts? Or if we have an idea of what our gifts are, how can we overcome our fear that by expressing them we may be seen as not humble? How should we understand the phrase "Krishna will provide"? Does the fo...

Questions on today's Swami call: How to hear the caitya-guru before we have reached higher stages of bhakti? Are there any contemporary sadhus that you would recommend hearing from? What is the difference between Dvaraka bhava and Mathura bhava? If Sri Krishna is supposed to be humanlike, why did he mature faster than normal? Why do some devotees in the Brhad-Bhagavatamta say that they have no...

Questions on today's Swami call: Dear Guru Maharaja, how can learn to see the good qualities in others like you do instead of getting stuck on bad qualities that I perceive If one does the heavy lifting of overcoming a bad tendency in this life, will one be reborn without that tendency in the next life? What is the role of constructive criticism in Gaudiya Vaishnavism? Dandavats Guru Maharaja....

Questions on today's Swami call: Is the limb of saranagati called atma-niksepa the same as the limb of bhakti called atma-nivedanam? Could the idea that bhakti is not inherent cause the problem of thinking that one has to go to a different guru if one does feel they are making progress? Is it correct that the svarupa-sakti in the jiva is minute and needs stronger

Questions on today’s Swami call: The Narada Bhakti Sutra offers different definitions of bhakti. How would you define bhakti? Comment: It appears that Bhagavad-gita 10.10 goes well with the emphasis of the Bhaktivinoda parivara that everything will be revealed from within in due course of our practice. XXX What is the role of varnasrama in the practice of bhakti? What do you think of attempts amon...

Questions on today’s Swami call: There is a song that is said to be written by Sri Vrindavan Das Thakura, the translation of which mentions Nityananda Prabhu dancing with sakhis. What should we make of this? Why did Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu show his sadbhuja form to Sri Nityananda Prabhu? Is there any worship of Sri Sadbhuja Gauranga in the Bhaktivinoda parivara? Pranams, dear Guru Maharaja. Is the...

Questions on today's Swami call: Does Sri Krishna ever jokingly encourage his gopa friends to unite with gopis? Hare Krishna! Dandavats, Guru Maharaja. If calamity is predicted in scripture, is there any point in praying for the world? Why did Lord Krishna create the yugas? Are the secondary rasas more prominent in the material world? Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that adept sadhakas can adv...

Questions on today's Swami call: How can one carry the environment of the dhama with one when leaving after a visit? Are we practicing raganuga-bhakti before we attain ruci? Are the terms aparoksa/paroksa synonymous with jnana/vijnana? Could you share something about your experience in leaving Iskcon? When external circumstances keep me from doing my desired amount of book distribution seva, I...

Questions on today's Swami call: If I made a commitment to be patient and kind, would it be okay to detach from this commitment in extenuating circumstances? How can I avoid offering too ordinary prayers to Sri Krishna rather than dignified prayers? Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's associate Kalidas would accept maha-prasadam from everyone without considering their level of advancement. I myself...

Questions on today's Swami call: In Jaiva Dharma, the jiva-shakti is called incomplete. How could any of Bhagavan's shaktis be incomplete? Can you simplify the description from Jaiva Dharma of how Bhagavan manifests in relation to his different shaktis, such as cit-shakti, jiva-shakti, and maya-shakti? Are jivas manifest in the world through the jiva-shakti? What does it mean to be a "...

Questions on today's Swami call: What is the difference between Lord Shiva and Maha-Sankarshana? Dandavat pranams, Guru Maharaja. What can we lear from experiences where we thought we were going to die but forget to pray? Should I eventually give up my habit of offering Sri Krishna ready-made cakes from the store? If Lord Shiva and Maha-Sankarshana are one, why is it listed among the ten offen...

1. Follow-up from last week on consciousness: "If the difference between vishaya (object) and ashraya (subject/shelter) disappears at a certain point, then in terms of the subjective experience of the manjaris, does the difference between Radha and Krishna also disappear to them, and does service to one become service to the other?" [ 00:25 ] 2. Object of consciousness: "Can consciousn...

• [ 00:43 ] : I would appreciate your guidance regarding the Mridu stage of Anartha-nivritti as described in Madhurya Kadambini. When I am conscious of an anartha being triggered and there is emotional pain, I notice that remembering Krishna and taking shelter of philosophical understanding brings relief. Is this movement from being absorbed in the anartha to returning to remembrance a healthy sig...

• [00:00:21] : Is the fear justified that if someone sees Krishna personally while awake, they might be considered insane and unable to perform their service to the Guru? • [00:06:50] : Who is the Sri Guru who resides in the heart along with Paramatma, if Paramatma is a passive witness and Guru provides active guidance from within? • [00:09:40] : Could you explain the "Sphota" theory regar...

Questions on today's Swami call: Obeisances, Srila Maharaja. How do the levels of kanistha, madhyama, and uttama relate to the nine stages of bhakti? Pranam, Guru Maharaja. Will our eternal identity and service upon attaining perfection be determined by qualities inherent one one's self or by the desires of Sri Sri Radha Krishna? Is sakhya-rasa an uddipana for other Vraja-vasis than the go...

Questions on today's Swami call: Dandavats, Maharaja. Pranama to you and all the devotees here. You mentioned in another session that one can make Krishna-bhakti a limb of one's guru-bhakti, rather than the other way around, and this will be pleasing to Sri Krishna. How does one do this? Could it, for example, be to pray to Krishna to bless us in fulfilling the desires of our spiritual mas...

Questions on today's Swami Call: To what extent is Gaudiya Vaishnavism intertwined with Bengali culture? Is it necessary to adopt this culture to experience Gaudiya Vaishnavism fully? What does it mean that Sri Krishna's lilas are present in his name? Pranams, Maharaja. If someone is aspiring for madhurya-rasa and joints the lineage of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, will they...