Session 1 - 17th February 2026

Preface

About Rupa Goswami

sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale
svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam

When will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?

Rupa Goswami Contribution

nanã-sastra-vicãranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau
lokanam hita-kãrinau tri-bhuvane mãnyau saranyakarau
radha-krna-padaravinda-bhajananandena mattalikau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvamis, namely Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, and Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, who are very expert in scrutinizingly studying all the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. Thus they are honored all over the three worlds and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopis and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Radha and Krishna.

6 Goswami photo - who is who?

Nectar of Instruction - different commentaries

• Sri Upadesämrta - A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• Anuvrtti tika - Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvati Gosvãmi Prabhupãda
• Piyusa-varsini-vrtti - Srila Bhaktivinoda Thäkura

Overview

• Text 1- 7 - Vaidhi Sādhana Bhakti
• Text 8 - Ragãnugã Bhakti
• Text 9 - 11 - Bhava Bhakti and Prema Bhakti

Outline - Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur

• 1- Symptoms of a self-controlled madhyama adhikäré
• 2,3,4 - His external behaviour and devotional niyamas (practices)
• 5,6,7,8 - His internal development and vision
• 9,10 - The successive order of worshipable places and personalities
• 11 - The highest glory in the entire universe

Conducted under the supervision of Rupa Goswami

Prabhupãda spread this Krishna consciousness by the mercy of Rüpa Goswãmé. Prabhupãda used to pray to Rüpa Goswãmé, 'You please give me your mercy.' And he got that mercy. I know this because I saw some of the things he did while at the Rãdhã Dãmodãra Temple. My room is still located in the same place as it was then. Many times in the middle of the night, at midnight or one or two in the morning, I would hear a voice crying from inside the courtyard near Rüpa Goswāmé's samādhi-mandira. That voice was calling out and crying regularly but I did not know what it was because I was ying to take rest. "But one night, on the full moon, I heard that voice again, so I climbed up to the roof of our house and looked down into the Rãdhã Dämodara courtyard. I saw something very amazing.

Çréla Prabhupãda was sweeping the courtyard of Rüpa Goswãmé's samädhi. He was bending down with a small broom and, as he swept the ground by the samädhi, he was crying out, 'He Rüpa! He anãtana! He Gurudeva! Please give me your mercy. Without your mercy I cannot do anything. Give me our mercy. Give me strength so that I may fulfill your orders! Then I realized that it was he who almost every night was calling out as he was sweeping like this." "Many years later, when I heard that it was actually he who had been chosen by Caitanya Mahäprabhu to spread the Hare Krishna mahã-mantra around the world, I was not surprised".

Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī was the leader of all the Gosvāmīs, and to guide our activities he gave us this Upadeśāmṛta (The Nectar of Instruction) to follow. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left behind Him the eight verses known as Śikṣāṣṭaka, Rūpa Gosvāmī gave us Upadeśāmṛta so that we may become pure Vaiṣṇavas.

In all spiritual affairs, one’s first duty is to control his mind and senses. Unless one controls his mind and senses, one cannot make any advancement in spiritual life.

Bhava-bhakti and Prema-bhakti is not a formula, it will be only revealed by Krishna when He thinks we are ready.

We are focused on achieving the highest, while ignoring the basics. Focus on the basics, and beg for mercy, and everything related to Bhakti will eventually be revealed.

Advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness depends on the attitude of the follower.

Focus on becoming a simple devotee, not a big devotee.

Upadeśāmṛta constitutes the first instructions for neophyte devotees. One should follow these instructions very strictly. Then it will be easier to make one’s life successful. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Conceptual Flow

Right now our senses are our master, instead of us.

It is very difficult to control the mind and senses without being fully Krsna conscious. Without engaging the mind in Krsna, one cannot cease such material engagements.

• Bhagavata-Gita 2.60 Purport

We cannot control mind and senses, but we need to engage them into Krishna.

Session 2 - 24th February 2026

Sloka 1

Real atonement involves coming to real knowledge, and for this there is a standard process. When one follows a regulated hygienic process, he does not fall sick. A human being is meant to be trained according to certain principles to revive his original knowledge. Such a methodical life is described as tapasya. One can be gradually elevated to the standard of real knowledge, or Krsna consciousness, by practicing austerity and celibacy (brahmacarya), by controlling the mind, by controlling the senses, by giving up one's possessions in charity, by being avowedly truthful, by keeping clean and by practicing yoga-asanas.

Is controlling the urges Bhakti?
It's a stepping stone for Bhakti. Bhakti is a matter of faith. The more faith we have, the more surrendered we are to Krishna. Anyabilasita sunyma...

The acceptance of that which is favourable and the rejection of that which is unfavourable are not direct limbs (angas) of suddha-bhakti. Rather, they are aspects of that faith which is characterised by surrender (Saranagati), which in turn bestows qualification for bhakti.

The attempt to restrain these six urges does not constitute bhakti-sädhana, rather it is a staircase to ascend to the platform of eligibility through which one may enter the temple of bhakti.

#SB-6-1-9

Mahãraja Pariksit said: One may know that sinful activity is injurious for him because he actually sees that a criminal is punished by the government and rebuked by people in general and because he hears from scriptures and learned scholars that one is thrown into hellish conditions in the next life for committing sinful acts. Nevertheless, in spite of such knowledge, one is forced to commit sins again and again, even after performing acts of atonement. Therefore, what is the value of such atonement?

#SB-6-1-10

Sometimes one who is very alert so as not to commit sinful acts is victimized by sinful life again. I therefore consider this process of repeated sinning and atoning to be useless. It is like the bathing of an elephant, for an elephant cleanses itself by taking a full bath, but then throws dust over its head and body as soon as it returns to the land.

REAL ATONEMENT

A sinful activity cannot be counteracted by a pious activity. Thus real prayascitta, atonement, is the awakening of our dormant Krsna consciousness. Real atonement involves coming to real knowledge, and for this there is a standard process.

The preacher of kṛṣṇa-kathā is always beyond the clutches of death. This is the significance of controlling the urge to speak.

Mano-vega

3 stages -

1. Get angry and you just speak anything and you are unaffected
2. Provoking situation, you get angry and then repent soon after
3. Provoking situation, anger and thoughts are there to loose it, but you control

Session 4 - 10th March 2026

Sloka 2

Explains what 6 wrong things we do, and sloka 3 explains how we can overcome all that. We need to stop all the 6 activities listed in sloka 2 -

1. eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required;
2. overendeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain;
3. talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters;
4. Practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically;
5. associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Krsna conscionsness; and
6. being greedy for mundane achievements.

SP - Human life is meant for plain living and high thinking.

We are not content and hence we get engage into over-endeavouring.

Extended sense gratification - sense gratification of those who are around us - family, friends, relatives, country men, etc.

7 klesas that one under goes when he is under the influence of material world -

1. adhidaivika-klesa (sufferings caused by the demigods, such as droughts, earthquakes and storms),
2. adhibhautikaklesa (sufferings caused by other living entities like insects or enemies)
3. adhyatmika-klesa (sufferings caused by one's own body and mind, such as mental and physical infirmities)
4. birth
5. old age
6. disease
7. death

ISO

isavasyam idam sarvam yat kinca jagatyăm jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjitha
mã grahah kasya svid dhanam

Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.

S.B. 1.2.8 (prayasas)
dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathäsu yah
notpadayed yadi
srama eva hi kevalam

The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.

Session 5 - 17th March, 2026

Instead of trying to control our vegas, we should first control our sex faults - atyahar.

for without religion, human society is no better than animal society.

prayasas

Overendeavour, unnecessary endeavour
Prayasas is need for atyaharas.
Caused by atyähãra
Misuse of intelligence production of unwanted things- factories, slaughter houses, liquor shops, etc.

prajalpa

unnecessary talking
newspapers, novels, crosswords
playing cards, fishing, TV, mundane debating
frivolous activities in general

If we must talk, we should talk about the Krsna consciousness movement.

Intelligent persons interested in Krna consciousness should never take part in such activities.

Importance of Association

Text 2: jana-sanga - association with worldly-minded persons

Text 3: sanga-tyägät - by giving up the association of nondevotees

#BG-2-62: sangät sañjayate kãmah - Ones desires and ambitions develops according to the company one keeps

Examples of bad association - Ravan (surpankha), Kaikeyi (manthara), Ajamila

jana-sangas

asat-sanga-tyaga, - ei vaisnava-acara
'stri-sangĩ' - eka asadhu, 'krsnabhakta' ara
-- CC Madhya 22.87

SP - We have established ISKCON to give people an opportunity to associate with those who have forgotten Krsna.

Laulyam - greed - hankering - if for material things it can drown you.

"The fact is I am the only one in India who is criticising, not only impersonalism and demigod worship, but anything that fall short of complete surrender to Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead." He said, " we must declare it boldly that unless they surrender to Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead they can never have peace or happiness. My Guru Maharaj never compromised, I never compromise and similarly my disciples should never compromise."
-- SP Letter to Giriraj Swami (Jana-sanga)

Session 6 - 19th March, 2026

Sloka 3

Questions asked and answered by SP -

1. How to perform Bhakti
2. Who can perform Bhakti

How to perform Bhakti -

• 9 limbs of Bhakti - sravanam kirtanam...
• Tad viddhi pranipatena...

Who can perform Bhakti

When by good fortune one comes in contact with a pure devotee and hears from him patiently, one begins to follow the path of devotional service. Such an opportunity is offered to a person who is sincere.

Where to perform Bhakti

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is giving such a chance to humanity at large. If by fortune one takes advantage of this opportunity to engage in devotional service, the path of liberation immediately opens.

utsahan

Similarly, we have to execute devotional service with patience, with enthusiasm. utsähãn niscayad dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartant. We must be enthusiastic that

"I shall engage myself very nicely in this Krsna consciousness movement." That is the first qualification, enthusiasm. Dullness will not help you. You must be very enthusiastic. My Guru Maharaj used to say, prana ache yara sei hetu pracãra. A person can become a preacher if he has life. A dead man cannot become a preacher. So you must be very enthusiastic that "I shall preach the glories of the Lord to my best capacity." It is not that one has to become a very learned scholar to become a preacher. Simply it requires enthusiasm,

"My Lord is so great, so kind, so beautiful, so wonderful. So I must speak something about my Lord." This is the qualification, enthusiasm. You may not know Krsna perfectly. It is not possible to know Krsna perfectly. Krsna is unlimited. We cannot know Krsna cent percent. That is not possible. But Krsna reveals as much as you can understand. So if we are sincere servants of Krsna, utsähän, and if we serve patiently, then Krsna reveals.

Lec NOD New VEndavana 72

niscayād dhairyāt

The example is given in this connection. Just like a girl gets married. Generally, she wants a child. But if she wants a child immediately after marriage, that is not possible. She must wait. She must serve her husband nicely. utsähãn niscayad dhairyt tat-tat-karma-pravartanät. Just like a faithful wife. The time will come when she becomes pregnant and she will have a child. So niscayad means ... the girl must know because she's married, because she has a husband, that there must be a child. It is a fact. It may be little later.

Similarly, when you have entered into devotional service, bhakti-yoga, bhakti-mãrga, your success is assured, provided you are enthusiastic and patient. Not that "Immediately I want a child," "Immediately I become fully Krsna consciousness and perfect." No. There may be so many imperfections. Because we are in the imperfect atmosphere. But if you go on patiently executing your duties in devotional service as it is directed in the sästrãs and confirmed by the spiritual master, then be rest assured that your success is guaranteed. This is the way. utshãn niscayād dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanãt. You must execute the duties.

Confidence - niscayad

Therefore those who are saintly simply depend on Krsna. Why? If Krsna is supplying to the elephant down to the ant, why not to me? I am engaged in His service. Is He so ungrateful? If you render some service somewhere, you are given some wages. So if you are engaged in Krsna's service do you think you will starve? Why? You cannot starve. He is the well-wisher of all living entities. Why not for you?

This confidence must be there. If He is the well-wisher of everyone and I am engaged in His service, is He not my well-wisher? So we should simply depend on Krsna. We should simply exert all our energies for the service of Krsna, then everything will be all right. This is called surrender, this is called confidence. Krsna will supply everything. Let me engage in His service. Well-wisher. "Attain peace from the pangs of material miseries." And those who are not confident that Krsna will protect them, suffer pangs of anxiety: "Oh, how will I eat? Where shall I live? What can I do? How shall I protect myself?"

... Just like the child. The child in the lap of the mother is confident that "My comfort, my food, my dress, everything is there. My mother is there." So natural. Not only human being, even cats and dogs where the mother is there, she is there, it knows that "My protection is there," confident.

As soon as one grows, keeps away from the mother, from the father, the so-called independence.

Actually we are dependent on Krsna. He is supplier. He is giving us food, everything. So we must have confidence. That's all. That is training. That is Krsna conscious. Our only business should be simply to serve Krsna. Then everything is there.

Lec BG 5.26-29 New York 66

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur -

Maintaining one's existence by appropriate means and cultivating bhakti are two essential activities for devotees.The first half of this verse indicates attitudes that are favourable for the cultivation of bhakti, and the second half describes how a devotee should conduct his life. Enthusiasm, optimism, patience, executing activities that nourish bhakti, renouncing bad association and adopting the good behaviour of devotees are the means of obtaining success in bhakti.

tat-tat-karma-pravartanãt

Just like we have asked our students to chant sixteen rounds a day minimum. Sixteen rounds is nothing. In Vrindãvana there are many devotees who chant 120 rounds. So sixteen rounds is the minimum.

Because I know that in the Western countries it is difficult to finish sixty-four rounds or 120 rounds. Minimum sixteen rounds must be completed. tat-tat-karma-pravartant. This is the direction.

Observing the regulative principles. In this way, we must abide by the direction of the spiritual master and the sästra. Then rest assured, success is guaranteed.

Session 7 - 24 March 2026

2nd verse of Ohe Vaisnava Thakur - first 4 sloka of Upadesamrta

An experienced devotee explains, and an inexperienced devotee learns from him.
We should also invite pure devotees to our home, offer them prasada and be prepared to please them in all respects. This is called bhunkte bhojayate caiva.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness has been established to facilitate these six kinds of loving exchanges between devotees. This Society was started single-handedly, but because people are coming forward and dealing with the give-and-take policy, the Society is now expanding all over the world. We are glad that people are donating very liberally to the development of the Society's activities, and people are also eagerly accepting whatever humble contribution we are giving them in the shape of books and magazines dealing strictly with the subject matter of Krsna consciousness.

"As far as our Krsna consciousness movement is concerned, we are getting money naturally, by the grace of God, by selling our literature. This literature is not sold for our sense gratification; to spread the Krsna consciousness movement we need so many things, and Krsna is therefore supplying us the requisite money to advance this mission. The mission of Krsna is to spread Krsna consciousness all over the world, and for this purpose we naturally must have sufficient money ... There is danger for a preacher when he receives great quantities of money, for as soon as he spends even a single cent of the collection for his personal sense gratification, he becomes a fallen victim."

(SB 7.13.32 purport - dadati-pratigrhnati)

BG 4.24-4.34 NYC August 12 1966

Now, suppose if there are hundred person in a society, twenty-five percent students, twenty-five percent retired life, and twenty-five percent sannyāsa, renounced order of life. Now, out of 100 persons, seventy-five percent, they are engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. The rest twenty-five percent who are ghasthas, they are meant for sacrificing fifty percent of their income for this seventy-five percent. That is the whole program of varnaśrama-dharma. That is a kind of spiritual communism. Spiritual communism. For spiritual advancement of a society, the whole social order is so arranged that seventy-five percent of the people, they are engaged in the matter of spiritual advancement of knowledge and twenty-five percent of the population, those who are earning, those who in family life, those who have got factories, business and so many things, they should sacrifices fifty percent of their income for these seventy-five percent persons who are engaged in spiritual emancipation. So that is the whole program.

Sloka 5

Pre-kanishta Adhikari - Praktra-sahajiya or Prakrta-bhakta

prakrta-sahajiyas

The prākrta-sahajiyās generally chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, yet they are attached to women, money and intoxication.

Although such persons may chant the holy name of the Lord, they are not yet properly purified. Such people should be respected within one's mind, but their association should be avoided.

(Srila Prabhupada NOl Text 5, Purport)

prakrta-bhakta

A person who is very faithfully engaged in the worship of the Deity in the temple, but who does not know how to behave toward devotees or people in general is called a prakrta-bhakta, or kaniştha-adhikāri.

The kaniştha-adhikāri is a neophyte who has received the hari-năma initiation from the spiritual master and is trying to chant the holy name of Krna. One should respect such a person within his mind as a kaniştha Vaişnava.

Those who are innocent but simply carried away by bad association should be shown favor if they are eager to receive proper instructions from pure devotees

(Srila Prabhupada NOl Text 5, Purport)

Sees Krishna only in deities

kaniştha-adhikari

those neophyte devotees who are actually initiated by the bona fide spiritual master and are seriously engaged in carrying out the orders of the spiritual master should be offered respectful obeisances.

When a neophyte devotee is actually initiated and engaged in devotional service by the orders of the spiritual master, he should be accepted immediately as a bona fide Vaişnava, and obeisances should be offered unto him.

(Srila Prabhupada NOI Text 5, Purport

Pro Kanishta-adhikari

Respectful obeisances

Session 8 - 26 March 2026

When we hear from a Kanishta Adhikari, his/her consciousness gets passed on to us.

We receive consciousness from someone who is higher adhikari and give consciousness to someone at same or lower level.