Stories – Light of Godhead

Secret of success

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: SB 3.23.7

In his previous life, Nārada was a maidservant’s son, but his mother was engaged in the service of great devotees. He got the opportunity to serve the devotees, and simply by eating the remnants of their foodstuff and carrying out their orders he became so elevated that in his next life he became the great personality Nārada. For spiritual achievement the easiest path is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and to serve him with heart and soul. That is the secret of success. As stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura

syamala.ids@gmail.com2017-07-10T22:57:55+00:00July 10th, 2017|Categories: Narada Muni, Service attitude, Spiritual master, Stories|Tags: Servant of the Servant, Srila Viśvanātha Cakravartī|

Krishna only accepts love and affection

Speaker: http://www.bhagavatam-katha.com
Source: Krishna only accepts love and affection

Krishna will only accept an offering that is made with love and affection. One incident that shows this took place in Hastinapura. It is well known that Arjuna and his four brothers were Krishna’s very dear friends and devotees. Duryodhana, who also lived in Hastinapura, was the sworn enemy of Arjuna and his brothers(later they fought each other at the Battle of Kurushetra), but he wanted to invite Krishna to a feast.

Duryodhana was very wealthy, so he served preparations of delicious foodstuffs such as ladu, pera, kachori, sandesh and

syamala.ids@gmail.com2017-07-10T22:46:21+00:00July 10th, 2017|Categories: Arjuna, Duryodhana, Pandavas, Stories, Vidura|Tags: free will, love and affection, offering, reciprocation|

Krishna knows everything

Speaker: Krishna Rupa Devi dasi
Source: Krishna knows everything

A person once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an Archavigraha of Krishna. Suddenly he noticed a similar Archavigraha kept nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, “Do you need two statues of the same Deity?” “No,” said the sculptor without looking up, “We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage.” The gentleman examined the Deity and found no apparent damage. “Where is the damage?” he asked. “There is a scratch on the nose of the Deity.” said the

syamala.ids@gmail.com2017-07-10T22:36:58+00:00July 10th, 2017|Categories: Stories, Supreme knower|Tags: diety, Sculptor, witness|

Bhakti Siddhantas determination for initiation

Speaker: Bhakti Vikasa Swami
Source: Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava

Bābājī Mahārāja told him, “I once accepted a disciple, but he cheated me and went away. I will not make any further disciples.” But Śrī Siddhānta Sarasvatī was not easily discouraged and again begged for mercy. Bābājī Mahārāja responded, “I will ask Mahāprabhu. If He gives permission your request will be granted.” When after a few days Śrī Siddhānta Sarasvatī returned and inquired, “What was Mahāprabhu’s order?” Bābājī Mahārāja replied, “I forgot to ask.” And when Śrī Siddhānta Sarasvatī came for the third time he was directly refused. “I asked,” Bābājī

syamala.ids@gmail.com2017-01-02T23:17:39+00:00January 2nd, 2017|Categories: Bhakti Siddhanta saraswati thakura, Determination, Gaura Kishor das, Initiation, Stories|

Still considered saintly

Speakar: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Breaking Ground

There is a story about how habit is second nature. There was a thief, and he went on pilgrimage with some friends. So at night when the others were sleeping, because his habit was to steal at night, he got up and was taking someone’s baggage. But then he was thinking, “Oh, I have come to this holy place of pilgrimage, but still I am committing theft by habit. No, I shall not do it.”

So then he took someone’s bag and put it in another’s place, and for the whole night

light-of-godhead2016-06-15T04:55:21+00:00June 15th, 2016|Categories: Conditioning, Krsna, Stories|Tags: Habit, Thief|

How Suka became Sukhadeva

Speaker: Radha Krishna prabhu

When Radha and Krishna wound up Their pastimes in Earth, They instructed their male parrot Suka, who is Radharani’s personal parrot, to stay back and speak the Srimad Bhagavatam. After They left Suka felt great separation for whilst Radharani was on Earth She would always speak to him about Krishna. So he was daily hearing Krishna katha. But now he was not getting any more stories or talks about Krishna and so he became very unhappy. He felt he would die. Then once he heard that Siva speaks the Bhagavatam in his abode.

light-of-godhead2018-09-21T16:00:45+00:00May 18th, 2016|Categories: Krsna, Radharani, Stories, sukhadeva goswami, Vyasadeva|Tags: Lord Siva, Parrot|

Example of attachment

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Increase your attachment to the Lord

So the temple is the facility how to become the first-class yogi and how to become the first-class devotee simply by increasing your attachment. This attachment, there is one example that one brahmana, he was daily seeing Lord Ramacandra and then he was breaking his fast. So Ramacandra was out of His station for some royal business. So this brahmana did not take even water seven days. So when Ramacandra returned, Laksmana informed Lord Ramacandra, “Here is Your devotee, My Lord. Because You were absent for seven days and he could

light-of-godhead2016-05-02T18:58:05+00:00May 2nd, 2016|Categories: Attachment, Deity worship, Lord Rama, Stories|

No one can cheat death

Speaker: Indradyumna Swami
Source: The Hourglass

This story about the sculptor, I heard three times in Srila Prabhupada’s lectures. He finds exact time he is going to die and makes 9 replicas of himself. Seeing Yamaraja confused, he laughs within. Yamaraja criticises the sculptor and he gets caught.

light-of-godhead2018-02-20T20:36:01+00:00April 28th, 2016|Categories: Death, Stories, Yamaraja|Tags: Sculptor|

Time destroys everything

Speaker: Indradyumna Swami
Source: The Hourglass

One time I was listening to Srila Prabhupada speak in France. He was saying time will destroy everything. One time Napoleon is adored in France. Here is France, where is your Napoleon now. Nobody thought Roman empire, Greek empire will perish. Even British empire, one time it was said “sun never sets on the British empire”. Now they occupy an island and “the sun never rises on the empire”.

light-of-godhead2018-02-20T20:34:56+00:00April 28th, 2016|Categories: Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, Stories, Time|Tags: British empire, Napoleon|

Krsna is self-effulgent

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: How not to be in the material world

Just like in krsna-lila, Krsna was stealing butter. So the neighboring friends of Yasoda-mata, was complaining… It is not a complaint; it was just to see the fun of Krsna. Krsna was sitting, and they were complaining. They were seeing the bodily feature, how Krsna is feeling. So other ladies complaining, “Mother Yasoda, your son comes to our house and steals butter. You see. We try to conceal them in a darkness so that this boy cannot see. But still He finds out. So better you take away all

light-of-godhead2016-04-18T17:59:53+00:00April 18th, 2016|Categories: Brahman, Krsna, Mother Yasoda, Stories|Tags: Ornaments, Stealing butter|

Krsna is always joyful

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: The Rascals’ Business

We are meeting with so many problems of life. These are called anarthas, unnecessary. I am spirit soul; you are spirit soul. We are as good as God. Anandamayo ‘bhyasat. Our real position is ananda. Sac-cid-ananda. Why we are meeting so many problems? This is due to this body. This is due to this body. Therefore the real culture is, real education is, how to stop this repetition of body. But they do not know. Anandamayo ‘bhyasat. We are part and parcel

light-of-godhead2016-02-08T04:52:43+00:00October 2nd, 2015|Categories: Aristasura, Kesi, Krsna, Material existence, Stories, Supreme enjoyer|Tags: Joyful, Part and parcel|

Real advancement

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: The Rascals’ Business

Everyone is busy how to exploit the resources of material nature. That is advancement of civilization. Advancement of civilization means how to exploit the material resources. But they do not know, the foolish people do not know that is not advancement. That is entanglement. That is not advancement. This knowledge, they are lacking. They do not know what is advancement. Advancement means advancement in spiritual life. That is advancement. We are spirit. In essence we are spirit soul. We have been encaged within

light-of-godhead2016-02-08T04:40:11+00:00October 2nd, 2015|Categories: Dasaratha Maharaja, Lord Laksmana, Lord Rama, Stories, Visvamitra muni|Tags: Businessman, Saint|