About Śivarāma Swami
Śivarāma Swami was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1949. With his family emigrating to Canada during the failed 1956 Hungarian revolution, it was in Montreal, whilst on a search for spirituality, that he came across the teachings of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the Founder-Ācārya of ISKCON. He became an official disciple in 1973, and went on to enter the renounced order of life (sannyāsa) in 1979.
Mahārāja served for over three decades as a member of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission, basing himself in the UK for 25 years, and developing projects in Hungary, Turkey, and Romania. Since the early 2000s Hungary has been his home, but he always spent time travelling and speaking internationally.
Śivarāma Swami is well known for his deep knowledge of Vaiṣṇava literature, and has written almost 30 books on Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism. Amongst them is the ever-expanding “Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana Series", analysing the Vṛndāvana section of the Tenth Canto, and Nava-vraja-mahimā, a nine-volume treatise on the sacred land of Vṛndāvana, intertwining pastime, philosophy and parikramā in a unique and inspiring way.
Since retiring from active management, Mahārāja is now dedicated full-time to his writing. He resides in both New Vraja-dhāma (Kṛṣṇa Valley), a replica of Vṛndāvana and self-sufficient farming project in Hungary’s countryside, and in Māyāpur, ISKCON’s headquarters on the banks of the sacred Ganges River in West Bengal.
You can follow his podcasts and other related matter on his website: sivaramaswami.media
This book is dedicated to those Vaiṣṇavas for whom the path of pure devotional service, bestowed upon humankind by Lord Caitanya, and subsequently taught to the world by Śrīla Prabhupāda, is everything.
The Inspiration
I have given my heart, indeed my very life to Rādhā-Śyāma. They are everything to me. Service to Them is a great privilege. I will continue to serve Them as long as They allow.
I will continue to serve Them as long as this body remains; in fact, I hope that I shall continue serving Them even after this body is no longer of any use.
In this book I have revealed but a few of Rādhā-Śyāma’s glories. But i thought it wiser not to disclose the details of every act of mercy They have shown to me.
And yet, all the things that I have said and all the things i have left unsaid about those two charming youths of New Vraja-dhāma can be known by my illustrious readers through the ultimate bestower of all transcendental truth:
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
(Nava-vraja-mahimā, Vol. 8, p. 732)
