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Post by Ed on Jul 5, 2018 13:18:17 GMT -6
Thank you, I didn’t know about Devakinandana Kaviraj and his work. This was probably a familiar text for Siddha Baba then, and given the connection to Purusottam Thakur and to the Holy Name I see how it would be well known in Sri Kanupriya Gosvami Prabhupada's line too
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Post by Nitaidas on Aug 22, 2018 12:05:22 GMT -6
Greetings Everyone, Sorry I have been so silent of late. I have been trying to wrap up some old projects that have been hanging around me for years. One of them is this book My Gurudeva by Navadvipa Das. The main body of the text is done. I am trying to complete the numerous appendices. There are seven of them. Some are from the original Bengali book. A couple I have added because I wanted to include samples of some of Siddha Manohara Das Babaji's writings. Appendix Six is the first chapter of his Vaidagdha-vilasa which is written in Bengali with numerous Sanskrit citations scattered throughout. Many of those Sanskrit stanzas are from other standard Caitanyite works like Rupa's plays, or Krsnadas Kaviraja's Caitanya-caritamrta, but several seem to be Babaji's own compositions. After giving it a good deal of thought, I decided to translate the name of this work as Skillful Seductions. Vaidagdha means "clever" or "skillful" and vilasa means dalliance or sports or amorous pastime. I thought seduction catches the sense of several of these, although seduction's meaning extends a bit further. If anyone has a better suggestion please send it along. Of the twelve chapters all but one deals with the amorous pastimes of Radha and Krsna. The first, which makes up the sixth appendix in the book is about Mahaprabhu's tremendous compassion or loving-kindness in distributing prema to all living beings during his time here on earth. Appendix Seven is a short play Manoharadas Babaji wrote called Dharma-candrodaya-nataka, the Rise of the Moon of Virtue play. It is also in Bengali with citations from Sanskrit. Anyway, here is the cover of the forth-coming book:  I guess I had forgotten that I used that lovely image of Radhika missing Krsna on this book when we designed the recent Poems from Rupa Gosvamin book. I may switch it out before sending it off. |
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Post by Ed on Sept 22, 2018 21:28:50 GMT -6
Hi, Nitai, 'Skilful Seductions' sounds really well to me, I wanted to ask what do you make of the difference between this picture and other pictures of Siddha Manohar Das Baba? I’ve seen this one being used and I admit I like it a lot, but they do seem to me as two different persons, I remember once seeing a post about it but I couldn’t find it anywhere online
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Post by Nitaidas on Sept 26, 2018 18:18:31 GMT -6
Hi Ed, You mean this picture of Siddha Baba?  or, are there other pictures you have in mind? |
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Post by Nitaidas on Sept 26, 2018 18:32:11 GMT -6
Here is the other photo I have, the one from which the image on the back cover is made,  Do you have other images? |
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Post by Nitaidas on Sept 26, 2018 18:39:16 GMT -6
Here is the new cover of the book: What do you think? |
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Post by Ed on Sept 30, 2018 8:23:58 GMT -6
Hi, Nitai, that's a perfect painting for the cover, isn't? It's very captivating to look at Yes, I was thinking about that first picture of Siddha Manohar Das Baba you posted, and also this one, I've seen it next to Prabhupad Tinkudi Baba's picture, although sadly i don't have it in a good quality format:  Seems to be a mistake on my part, I apologise, people can look different in pictures taken at different periods of their life, but that old post I couldn't find sort of made an impression on me about it so I thought it would be a good opportunity to ask I have another version of the same picture although it's not really any better in terms of quality |
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Post by Ed on Sept 30, 2018 8:30:26 GMT -6
 This is the other version I have, like I said it's not that better, but I haven't been able to find any other online |
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Post by Nitaidas on Oct 4, 2018 12:38:52 GMT -6
Yes. I love the new picture on the cover. I liked the old one too, but since that is on the Ujjvala-nilamani cover I just published, I thought it best to change. The old image, the image of Radha gazing into the distance, pining, waiting for, hoping to meet Krishna is the quintessential condition we find ourselves in as we live our lives. It may be our eternal condition, if we are eternal. It is at least our current condition.
It is hard to tell, but I am reasonably certain that all three images are of the same man. The last one you posted shows him as more aged. He may have lived to over a hundred. If the crocs. didn't get you, one could live to be quite old in Vraja.
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Post by Ed on Oct 7, 2018 9:58:29 GMT -6
As far as I’m able to appreciate those subtleties in the old image, I fully agree with your words.
I think you’re right, and searching through Facebook I’ve seen those three pictures being used by the Bhaktas coming down in Siddha Baba’s parampara, I'll put that matter to rest now. I often wonder about his later years, I consider it a rare luck that I’ll get to read this book.
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Post by Nityānanda dāsa on Apr 25, 2019 6:38:26 GMT -6
Radhe Radhe! Are you still looking for the book by Siddha Manohar Babaji (Sri Gopi-nama-ratna-mala)? I've done some asking around. Also is there a new publication date for this one? I've really enjoyed all the biographies BSP has put out thus far and I'm looking forward to this one as well. Thanks!
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Post by Nitaidas on Apr 25, 2019 11:37:39 GMT -6
Radhe Radhe! Are you still looking for the book by Siddha Manohar Babaji (Sri Gopi-nama-ratna-mala)? I've done some asking around. Also is there a new publication date for this one? I've really enjoyed all the biographies BSP has put out thus far and I'm looking forward to this one as well. Thanks! Welcome to the symposium, Nilamadhava das. Jaya Radhe! Yes, I am still looking for the Sri Gopinamaratnamala. It is the one book of his that has so far escaped me. I have copies of the two others that I know of. I want to add it, if possible as an appendix to the biography of Siddha Baba. I have already done a chapter of his Vaidagdha-vilasa in the appendix of this book and I might add another chapter or two. I am working on his short Bengali play called Dharma-candrodaya about the appearance of Mahaprabhu. Having the Gopi-nama-ratna-mala would complete the collection. Siddha Baba was a superb and profound scholar of the tradition. Add to that the fact that he was regarded as siddha and the weight of his original works, written in the last century, becomes enormous. We don't get original lila texts that often in the later tradition. I also suspect that the Gopi-nama-ratna-mala could be the basis of a powerful sadhana for the rapid cultivation of Krsna-prema. It seems like this is why Siddha Baba created it and how he regarded it. Any help in finding it will be much appreciated. I, for one, am running out of time. I need a crash course in Krsna-preman! The book is mostly done. It is just these last few additions that are holding me up. |
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Post by Nityānanda dāsa on May 23, 2019 14:43:32 GMT -6
Some more food for thought on this publication and/or Siddha Manohar Das Babaji...
I just came across a digitized old catalog (1974) from the Vrindavan Research Institute. I can email it to you if you like. In that catalog I found an interesting listing, but don't know if it is our "Manohardasa"...
Title: Bhjanapaddhatih
Author: Manohardas
Date: 1840
Thoughts? Could it be him??
Radhe Radhe!!
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Post by Ed on May 23, 2019 21:12:38 GMT -6
I think Siddha Baba was born a few years later, perhaps that Manohar Dasa is who wrote Radha's sandhya arati kirtan
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Post by Nityānanda dāsa on Jun 3, 2019 3:24:59 GMT -6
Radhe Radhe!
As part of my efforts to find the book 'Gopi-Nama-Ratna-Mala' I just heard back from one source and received the information that the following titles by "Siddha Manohar Babaji" are available:
Radharaman Rasa Sagar
Anurag Valli
Vaidagdha Vilas
Gaura Govinda Nama Kirtan Ratnamala
Based on Ed's reply above, it looks like there has been more than one Siddha Manohar Babaji. So I'm not sure who authored these or if it is the Siddha Manohar Baba the forthcoming book will be about, but if so, I can get scans of these books for you (Nitai Das-ji). Please advise.
Jai Sri Radhe!!
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