Daily Practices - What Traditional Lineages Do

Since Sadkakha108 brought it up on another thread, and since I have already been thinking about it, I wanted to introduce this topic for the benefit of those who have not have the opportunity yet to visit our temples and spend some time there to see what types of rituals and practices are performed. We could start with the various songs for arotik, since we do not sing the poems of Bhaktivinode (except for Jagat, who is his grand-disciple), as well as the various festivals such as Bhagavata Saptaha and Mahanta Bhog. Also, a general rundown of the types of lectures and classes, such as afternoon readings of CC. Most people will be used to the program of morning Bhagavatam and evening Gita, as practiced in GM/ISKCON.

If I find time over the weekend, I will try to post an arotik song or two, maybe even with an English translation.

GM and Iskcon share very little in their daily practices, either in aroti or classes. The only common thing would be evening 'Gaur-aroti' by Bhaktivinoda, the rest is different, with various Maths singing hymns composed by their various Acharyas. Some GM have no Bhagavatam reading whatsoever, mostly Ch Bhagavat. Gita is also not a commonly used text.

Better not to lump the two together.

At Chaitanya Saraswat Math in the time of Srila Sridhar Maharaj 70-90% of the bhajans sung through the day were written by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur. The Hare Krishna mantra was only sung 3 times at at aroti time, just before the "Nitai Gaura Hari Bol" ending. The other songs sung were mostly of Narottama Thakura, and a couple written by Srila Sridhar Maharaj, principally "Jaya Sachinandana" and "Prema dhama stotram", which are both glorifications of Mahaprabhu. But on parikrama, devotees almost exclusively sing Hare Krishna Mahamantra. Anyway, it is a fact that Acyutanananda came to learn bhajans at SCSMath and he took the songs back to ISKCON, which were printed in his song book. Most of the old tunes sung in ISKCON in the '70's were learned by Acyutanananda from Madhu Mangal, a blind disciple of Srila Sridhar Maharaj. The main songs of Narottama sung at SCSMath are the ones you find in Acyutananda's song book.

These days, many of the songs written by Srila Sridhar Maharaj are now sung daily. Also, several aroti songs written by Srila Govinda Maharaj are sung too (Nitai Chaitanyadeva aroti, Giriraja aroti, etc.)

Minaketan Ramdasji, dandavats.

Thanks for opening this thread.

What kind of pratices a sadhaka should do daily in your lineage? tilak seva, arcana, yogapitha, asta-kaliya-lila?

I am not sure of a couple of the words to this. I only have an old photocopy of a handwritten songbook, which is difficult to read now. The melody I have heard it sung to is the same one ISKCON uses for the Gurvastakam prayers at mangal arotik.

__________________________

Mangol Arotik Song

Refrain:
jaya rAdhe zrI rAdhe jaya jaya
rAdhe govinda jaya rAdhe

Thakur hamArA nandakI lAlA
ThakurANI zrImati rAdhe

taba pAlaKke dunttu jana vaitane
dunttu mukha sundara sAje
rAtuna carane maNimaya nUpura
runujhunu runujhunu bAje

zyAmagale vanamAlA virAje
rAi gale mati sAje
zyAma zire mayUra mukuTa
rAi zire veni vani sAje

zyAma parecchana pita vAsa
rAi nIlambarI sAje
bhuvana mohana sane bhuvana mohinI
ekAsane virAje

zrI vRndAvana me kusuma kAnane
bhramarA hariguNa gAoye
zrI vRndAvana me nikaTa yamunA
muralI tAna zunAoye

cACcara cikura mayUra kANTHita
kucita keza virAje
sArizuka gAna vacara tamalera jale
tapana tanayA mohana muralI
zuni UjAna vAicale

mayUra mayUrI rava
kokilera dhvani
dAsa manohara karatAi nivedana
dayA kara zrImati rAdhe