Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana

The land of Vrndavana is saturated with the most confidential loving pastimes of Sri Krsna and His eternal associates. It is a place unique within the spiritual sky, for the loving devotion of the vraja-vasis is spoken about within the great gathering hall of Lord Narayana. This love has been freely distributed to one and all by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. His teachings and His sankirtana movement have spread worldwide through the medium of Srila Prabhupada. It is the humble desire of this author to attain such bhakti and share its glories with our illustrious readers.

With this second book in his planned series Krishna in Vrindavan, Sivarama Swami again inundates our hearts with the nectar of pastimes and conversations from the transcendental land of Braja. Based on the commentaries of Srila Prabhupada and the previous acaryas. Na Paraye 'Ham explains some of the principles of transcendental love — describing Sri Krishna's love, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's love, and Srimati Radharani's love, respectively. Their love flows like great rivers into the ocean of prema, and by the mercy of our predecessor acaryas, devotees can touch the shores of that ocean and savor some drops of its nectar.

This the third volume of the Krsna in Vrndavan series is replete with the pastimes Lord Krsna manifested five thousand years ago. The focus of Krsna-sangati is how during these pastimes Krsna repeatedly leaves and then again meets the residents of Vrindavan. Devotees always want to meet Krsna, but to increase their bliss and their love He repeatedly separates from them. That is His mercy. However when the Lord and His pure devotees meet after extended periods of separation they both taste the happiness of samaddhimat-sambhoga. But whether in separation or meeting with Krsna, His associates always bathe in transcendental ecstasy. Sivarama Swami brilliantly weaves the different commentaries that the acaryas have written on Lord Krsna's pastimes with verses from sastra into an absorbing transcendental narrative.

From the introduction by Gopiparanadhana Dasa: In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin. — Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.25 In Suddha-bhakti-cintamani, Sivarama Swami is making a major statement to the devotees of ISKCON as he traces the progression of faith, attraction, and devotion through regulated devotional practice. What he says here is invaluably useful for all who have strayed from Krsna and are serious about going back to Him. He explains how the adhikaras for various depths of hearing krsna-lila are acquired in the course of this standard cultivation. In this way he gives us the information we need to decide for ourselves what we are ready to hear and speak about. And he does this with strict adherence to guru, sastra, and sadhu.