Krsna Kathamrita

 Srila Jiva Goswami writes in Bhakti-sandarbha, anuccheda 153: astu tāvat śuddha-bhakty-ābhāsasya vārtā, aparādhatvena dṛśyamāno ‘py asau mahā-prabhāvo dṛśyate. It is seen that the activities of pure bhakti when performed even without a devotional attitude are still very powerful. Srila Jiva Goswami then cites an example from the Viṣṇudharmottara Purāṇa of an ordinary mouse who became a devotee and a queen due to some superficial contact with the Lord. A similar story is also found the Padma Purāṇa. In the Viṣṇudharmottara (1.167), Markandeya Rishi relates the following to King Vajra. In the country of Vidarbha there lived a king named Chitraratha. He had one hundred and fifteen sons, but only one daughter, whose name was Lalitika. She was endowed with all good qualities and possessed matchless beauty. Her father gave her in marriage to the righteous king of Kashi. That law-abiding king of Kashi had three hundred wives, but Lalitika became his principal queen. Beginning from the dark h

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗮 What is the meaning of bhīṣma-pañcaka? Bhishma left his body on the Makara Sankranthi when the Sun enters Capricorn which generally would fall in the month of January. However, the vrata of bhīṣma-pañcaka is the last week of the month of Kartika. . Bhīṣma-pancaka was not the last days that Bhishmadeva was on the bed of arrows. The name and meaning of this ritual seems to have originated from Krishna or Lord Vishnu giving this vrata to Bhishmadev. It is described in the Padma Purāṇa as well as some of the writings of our ācāryas. . In the 124th chapter of the Uttara-khanda (5th canto) of the Padma Purana, Lord Shiva speaks about it to his son Kartikeya. In text 29 Shiva says: . pravakṣyāmi mahāpuṇyaṁ vrataṁ vidhimatāṁ varaḥ | bhīṣmeṇaitadyataḥ prāptaṁ vrataṁ pañca-dinātmakam || . "O you who are the best amongst the believers in vows, I shall explain to you the very meritorious vow which lasts for five days. Since Bhishma got it from Vi