Vaiṣṇava Kaṇṭha-Hāra, The Guidebook for the Spiritually Inclined

“Vaishnava Kantha Hara of Krishna Balaram Swami is a faithful guide to Vaishnava life and literature as revealed in the works of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.”

Although originally published in 1988, the book Vaishnava Kantha-Hara was not available on our website because of what the unscrupulous ISKCON editors did to the book prior to printing, at a time when they had been trusted to proofread and print the book. Unbeknownst to the author, at the time of proofreading they decided on their own to make severe changes to the text without informing the author of this otherwise amazing book. Vaisnava Kantha-Hara was printed during a time when editing and publishing decisions were not entirely secure and was open to this type of unauthorized editing to occur. It is also not surprising that the same occurred to the books of our Paramguru Srila Prabhupada while he was still physically present, and that his books continued to be changed by ISKCON even after he departed from this world.

SECOND EDITION IS NOW AVAILABLE

In 2018 Vaishnava Kantha-Hara was again published by His Divine Grace Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Sri Krsna Balaram Swami with all the corrected information. You can now download the new book at the end of this page. Please be sure to read the My Mission and Introduction texts of the book which gives all information about the back history of the Vaisnava Kantha-Hara book.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Unbroken Chain of Disciplic Succession
Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide
Swamiji’s Horoscope
Sri Krsna Balaram Swami (Photo)
My Mission
Introduction

CHAPTER ONE: SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU

The Inconceivable Potency of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
The Proof About Lord Chaitanya Being God
Chanting the Lord’s Holy Names
The Potency of Lord Chaitanya’s Mission
The Benefits of Chanting Hare Krsna
The Magnanimity and Mercy of Lord Chaitanya
The Supreme Lord’s Holy Name

CHAPTER TWO: THE SURRENDERED SOULS

The Orgin of the Word “Vaisnava”
Qualifications of a Vaisnava
Symptoms of a Vaisnava
The Rareness and Value of Vaisnavas
The Purifying Remnants of a Vaisnava
A History About Charanamrta
Vaisnavas are Detached
Vaisnavas Respect Everyone
Performing Achamana
Wearing Vaisnava Tilak, and Its Results
A Vaisnava’s Functions
Performing Devotional Service Life After Life
Liberating Association
Vaisnavas Do Not Use Anything Not Offered to the Lord
The Directions Faced While Eating Yield Different Results
Rareness of a Devotee
Results of Vaisnava Association
Potency of a Vaisnava
Strictness of a Vaisnava
Vaisnavas Carefully Chant Japa
A Pure Vaisnava is Naturally Qualified to Establish the Deity
A Pure Vaisnava Realizes Krsna in His Heart
The Goal Should be to be Krsna Conscious
Vaisnava Etiquette Regarding Paying Obeisances
The Exalted Position of the Vaisnava
Rareness of Vaisnava Qualities
The Vaisnava’s Perfection
The Vaisnava’s Relationship With the Lord
Superiority of Vaisnavas
Chanting the Holy Name of Govinda
Surrender is the Primary Requirement for a Devotee
Vaisnava – The Paraphernalia of the Lord
The Six Divisions of Surrender
Only a Self-Realized Soul Can Know God in Truth
Worshipping Vaisnavas is the Best
The Bad Results of Criticizing a Vaisnava
The Ways and Results of a Devotee’s Service
Devotional Service Purifies All Sins
Advice of a Saintly Person
Offenders of Vaisnavas
Abstaining From Demoniac Worship or Worships in the Mode of Ignorance
The Obstacle of Receiving Too Much Respect
Classifications of Devotees
The Devotee’s Perfect Position

CHAPTER THREE: THE SPIRITUAL MASTER

Spiritual Master Must be a Vaisnava
Symptoms and Rareness of a Qualified Guru
A Guru Teaches by Word and Example
A Pure Guru is Nondifferent from God
Unqualified Gurus
Symptoms of an Unqualified Guru
The Guru and Disciple Examine Each Other
Etiquette and Function of a Spiritual Master
Pleasing the Great, Merciful Guru
Submissively Worshipping the Worshiper-God
The Association of a Vaisnava
Pleasing the Vaisnavas
Worshipping the Spiritual Master After Worshipping Lord Krsna
Only a Bonafide Guru Can Bless One With Liberation
A Disciple Should Only Worship Their Own Guru
The Manner of Dealing With One’s Own Guru
Potency of Receiving Spiritual Initiation from a Scripturally Authorized Guru
Only the Most Fortunate Souls Obtain a Pure Guru
External Symptoms of a Pure Guru

CHAPTER FOUR: THE DISCIPLE

Finding Time to Search for True Guidance
Qualifications and Disqualifications of a Disciple
Approaching a Qualified Spiritual Master
The Process of Initiation With Mantras
The Results of Having a Dirty Heart
Attachment to Devotional Service
Guidance of a Proper Guru
Disciple Must Carefully Obey the Guru’s Orders
Attitude of a Disciple
The Result of Serving a Pure Guru
Improper Service to the Spiritual Master
Personal Association of a Saintly Person
The Mercy of the Spiritual Master
In Every Circumstance a Disciple Must be Favorable to Guru
How to Attain Liberation

CHAPTER FIVE: ETIQUETTE AND AUSTERITIES

Respecting the Spiritual Master
Respecting Spiritualized Paraphernalia
Giving up the Association of Envious People
A Devotee Respects Everyone
The Proper Way to Visit Holy Places
Cleanliness and Purity
Seeing a Vaisnava Dance in Ecstasy
Natural Humility of a Vaisnava
Everyone Should Become a Vaisnava and Worship the Supreme Lord
The Purpose of Going to the Places of Pilgrimage
Worshipping and Using Tulasi
Austerities for Ekadasi
Kartika-Vrata
Observing the Bhisma Panchaka
Maintaining the Body to Serve Krsna

CHAPER SIX: CHANTING THE HOLY NAMES OF THE LORD

Lord Chaitanya Appears to Introduce Harinama Sankirtana
The Purifying Effect of Chanting the Holy Name
Offenses Against Chanting
Chanting the Glories of the Lord
Special Conditions for Chanting
Controlling Lord Hari by Chanting His Holy Names
Comparative Results of Chanting Different Names of the Lord
Chanting Japa or Gayatri on the Fingers

CHAPTER SEVEN: DEVOTIONAL SERVICE

Benefits of Deity Worship
Undeviating Devotional Service
Liberation Through Devotional Service
Deity Worship and Envy Do Not Go Well Together
Flowers Fit to Offer to the Deity
Flowers Which Should Not Be Offered to the Lord
Offering Leaves to the Lord
Tulasi Must Be Present in All Deity Worship
Inappropriate Times to Pick Tulasi and Grass
Offering the Lord Nice Varieties of Food
Categories of Worship
Proper Times to Install the Deity
When the Personality of the Deity Leaves the Deity
Installation of the Deity
Atha Mula Mantrani
Everyone Can Benefit From the Worship of the Deity
The Potency of Taking Charanamrta
One Should be Spiritually Initiated to Worship
The Benefits of Worshipping Salagrama Sila
The Result of Putting on Tilaka With Different Fingers
The Benefit of Clapping Hands in Front of the Deity
Acceptable Ways of Paying Obeisances to the Lord
Achieving Realizations in Knowledge
Potency of Devotional Service
Devotional Service Requires Love
The Greatness of Devotional Service
Authoritativeness of Devotional Service
The Srimad Bhagavatam Prescribes Devotional Service
Without Devotional Service, Everything Else is Useless
Eating Before Worshipping the Supreme Lord
Following Spiritual Vows

CHAPTER EIGHT: VARNASRAMA

Occupational Duties in Varnasrama
Vaisnavism
Grhasthas and Vaisnava Association
The Qualities and Activities of a Brahmana
Activities and Qualities of the Grhastha
Bondage of a Grhastha
Material Enjoyment Always Ends in Frustrations
Liberation and Bondage
The Result of Breaking the Chastity of a Chaste Lady
Vanaprastha
The Eight Rules of Celibacy
Rules of Eating and Taking Rest
Requirements for a Sanyasi’s Stick
A Real Sanyasi Lives for Others
Requirements of a Sanyasi

CHAPTER NINE: THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM

Srimad Bhagavatam is Ever-Fresh
Glorification of the Deliverers of Srimad Bhagavatam
Lord Krsna Appears as the Srimad Bhagavatam
The Two Kinds of Bhagavatas
Various Categories of Scriptures
Transcendental Instruction
Importance of Keeping Srimad Bhagavatam at Home
Results of Offending the Srimad Bhagavatam

APPENDIXES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
REFERENCES
GLOSSARY
VERSE INDEX

Dimensions: Length 9.8″ x Width 6.69″ x Height 0.31″ (25 × 17 × 4 cm)
Weight: 1.57 Lbs (1.4 kg)
343 Pages, Hardbound

Language

English