A gifted artist gives up a career on Madison Avenue for a simple life of spiritual dedication.
By Nandarani Devi Dasi
In the spring of 1969, the Today Show ran a special on the paintings of Alfred Valerio, a Madison Avenue ad designer on his way to the top of the commercial art world. While most of his contemporaries starved in their studios, Alfred was selling his paintings for $1,000 each and taking contracts for everything from corporate logos to city hall murals.
Thirteen years later, Alfred (now Bhaktisiddhanta dasa) has no time for what he considers the meaningless art of the commercialized West. From his headquarters in Mayapur, West Bengal, Bhaktisiddhanta oversees teams of sculptors, painters, and craftsmen as they erect a 160-foot-high memorial to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder and spiritual guide of the Hare Krsna movement.
A figure takes shape under the skillful hands of Bhaktisiddhanta dasa, working here in Los Angeles in 1976. To create the figure, he uses the traditional Indian method of puttala, constructing a base of straw upon which he will mold the final form in clay.
Of course, back in 1969 Alfred couldn’t have dreamed he’d soon be chanting Hare Krsna, living a simple life in an Indian village, and helping to build a masterpiece of classical Vedic architecture. His background was solidly in Western art. Trained by a host of commercial art and fine art professionals at the Los Angeles College of Art and Design, Alfred became the friend and protege of Thomas Buechner, the director of the Brooklyn Museum. On a John F. and Analee Stacy fellowship for classical painting, he studied two years in Italy and produced more than seven hundred paintings.
To satisfy his interest in the philosophical side of life, he turned to Western religious sources. An Italian Catholic, he naturally looked to the Bible for spiritual direction as well as pictorial themes for his art. While in Florence, he painted murals for churches and seriously considered letting his beard grow, donning a long flowing robe, and joining the order of Capuchin monks. But he gave up that idea and returned to the States to begin his career.
He models one of the heads for the final diorama, part of the First American Transcendental Exhibition at the Los Angeles Hare Krsna center.
“I was frustrated as an artist,” reflects Bhaktisiddhanta, “because I wanted to amalgamate truth and beauty. But the truths of life around us—birth, old age, disease, and death—are far from beautiful. And the beauty we do see is so temporary and insubstantial that it doesn’t represent any lasting truth.” Unable to find a satisfying solution to his dilemma, Bhaktisiddhanta had to content himself with producing ads for Jeeps, Tide, Ivory Soap, and Duncan Hines cakes.
Then Bhaktisiddhanta and his wife, now known as Vidya-devi dasi, paid their first visit to a Hare Krsna temple, in Miami. “I was astounded,” he remembers. “I was introduced to Lord Krsna, who is simultaneously the Absolute Truth and the embodiment of Absolute Beauty. I knew immediately that Krsna consciousness was what I’d been looking for.”
Joining the Hare Krsna movement didn’t slow down Bhaktisiddhanta’s art production in the least. In fact, it gave his artistic life new depth and direction. Now at last he had a worthy subject for the painting, sculpture, and architecture he’d mastered.
Bhaktisiddhanta reflects on the first lecture he attended at the Hare Krsna center in Miami: “The speaker described how Maha-Visnu, an expansion of Lord Krsna, creates the cosmos by exhaling universes as He lies in the Causal Ocean. I anticipated with great excitement being able to illustrate the actual creation in full detail.”
The final diorama
Even more exciting for Bhaktisiddhanta was discovering the personalistic theology taught in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, two basic books of Vedic knowledge. This theology encompassed the life and activities of a personal God, not an abstract, impersonal energy. Bhaktisiddhanta learned that God has form and personality along with an enchanting kingdom full of His friends and relatives and a variety of flowers, trees, birds, and animals. Moreover, Krsna consciousness was exemplified by a self-realized master of the art of serving God—Srila Prabhupada.
“To become a professional artist you must find an art master and study under him,” explains Bhaktisiddhanta. “So the idea of accepting a guru wasn’t new to me. I’d had many art ‘gurus’ who’d helped me shape my art style and professional techniques. But my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, was able to improve my art in a more profound way, by giving it a spiritual foundation.”
Now Bhaktisiddhanta is offering that spiritual art back to Srila Prabhupada. His expertise in sculpture and painting is helping to produce a unique architectural masterpiece—Srila Prabhupada’s puspa-samadhi, or memorial tomb, in Mayapur. He described some of its features: “Around the dome of the samadhi will stand sixteen twelve-foot-high statues depicting devotional practices taught by Srila Prabhupada, such as worship of the Deity in the temple, protection of cows, Vedic education, and distribution of literature about Krsna. Nine eight-foot-high statues will show various ways to serve Krsna—hearing His instructions, chanting about Him, remembering Him, and so on. In addition, sixteen hundred feet of bas-relief panels will portray devotees chanting Hare Krsna in chorus while hundreds of demigods shower flowers and benedictions upon them and Srila Prabhupada.”
The Srila Prabhupada memorial Bhaktisiddhanta dasa is helping to build in Mayapur, West Bengal.
Working as an assistant to His Holiness Surabhir-abhipalayantam Goswami, the chief architect for the Mayapur project, Bhaktisiddhanta has designed all the figures that embellish the samadhi. He gives his drawings to sculptors, who carve the pieces and later cast them in cement or bronze under his direction. Bhaktisiddhanta is also preparing a larger-than-life-size statue of Srila Prabhupada, which will sit in an ornate inner chamber four stories high. In addition, he plans more than a dozen three-quarter-size plaster dioramas that will encircle the eighty-foot-wide building and portray the philosophy of Krsna consciousness and the pastimes of Lord Krsna.
Simultaneously, Bhaktisiddhanta is helping to construct a traditional samadhi in Vrndavana, the town ninety miles south of Delhi where Krsna enacted His childhood pastimes. This samadhi, which marks the actual resting place of Srila Prabhupada’s body, will be finished in luminous white marble. It will house a museum of dioramas portraying Srila Prabhupada’s life.
Worshiping the Deities of Radha and Krsna every morning in the Hare Krsna temple in Vrndavana inspires Bhaktisiddhama for his creative work.
Bhaktisiddhanta’s work will by no means end with the completion of the samadhis in Mayapur and Vrndavana. At that point he will simply turn his attention toward the greater task of spreading Krsna consciousness all over the world through art.
“Architecture coupled with painting, sculpture, and dioramas is a potent way to spread Krsna consciousness,” says Bhaktisiddhanta. All major religions have glorified God by erecting magnificent buildings—temples, mosques, churches, cathedrals, synagogues. We want to affirm the permanence of Vedic culture through splendid architecture, and we also want to introduce the West to Krsna, the pinnacle of artistic expression.
One of a series of watercolors he painted to show the stages in the construction of the Srila Prabhupada memorial he is helping to build there
“Just as the philosophy of Krsna consciousness is gradually bringing about a spiritual revolution in the field of Western philosophy, I believe the art of the Hare Krsna movement will cause a similar revolution in the art world. The philosophy is personal and the art is personal—nothing abstract about it. Abstract art typifies social alienation. But people don’t want to be alienated: they want meaningful personal relationships. Through our sculptures, paintings, and dioramas, people can learn the philosophy of Krsna consciousness and begin to reestablish their eternal relationship with the Supreme Person, Krsna.”
Many Hare Krsna leaders agree with Bhaktisiddhanta that art and spreading Krsna consciousness go hand in hand. For example, the heads of the Hare Krsna centers in Baroda and Bhubaneswar have requested dioramas for teaching Krsna consciousness. Bhaktisiddhanta will design and direct the production of dioramas from the Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, two classical Vedic histories. And his team in Mayapur will cast lightweight figures in bronze and aluminum for shipment to the West.
He consults with His Holiness Surabhirabhipalayantam Swami and a local craftsman at the Vrndavana construction site.
Although busy with two large construction projects, Bhaktisiddhanta still finds time to use his illustrational talents. In Vrndavana, he often turns his attention to what he was first trained for—book illustration. His current project is The Life of Srila Prabhupada, a 32-page illustrated booklet based on the Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta, a biography of Srila Prabhupada by Srila Satsvarupa dasa Goswami. In his illustrations, Bhaktisiddhanta has caught the mood of Srila Prabhupada as he struggled with determination to spread love of God worldwide. Another book consists of on-site illustrations detailing the arduous task of building the samadhis in Mayapur and Vrndavana.
For Bhaktisiddhanta, life in the Hare Krsna art world is far more exciting and productive than life on Madison Avenue. “By the ingenuity of my spiritual master, I have found a satisfying way to put all those years of training and experience to use. My love for my work grows as I find newer and more potent means of achieving and teaching spiritual knowledge through art.”
We were honoured to welcome Agnimitra Paul, Minister of Urban Development from West Bengal, to Bhaktivedanta Manor. Thank you for taking the time to visit us and be part of our community.
There is no motorised vehicle traffic allowed at Govardhan Eco-Village. Everything and everyone is transported by electric buggy. Hence, the whole area is very quiet and peaceful with no pollution.
There are many lakes and forests with areas that replicate the forests of Vrindavan, such as, Shyamakunda and Radhakunda. There is a pool for swimming, two restaurants, Ayurvedic clinic and anyone who comes here will feel rejuvenated spiritually and materially.
The Governing Body Commission (GBC) approved a new ISKCON Environmental Ministry and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) study committee on the final day of its 2026 Midterm General Meeting at Govardhan EcoVillage. In her Day 5 video report, Parijata Devi Dasi, Director of Communications for the GBC, said members also continued discussions on the position of […]
New York City (Sent from Brooklyn on October 24, 2026)
Where I Went and What I Did
For week 42 of 2026 I was based at ISKCON NYC in Brooklyn, and I chanted Hare Krishna with Rama Raya Prabhu’s NYC Harinam party every day, except Sunday, when I chanted with BYS devotees and two young female devotees in Downtown Brooklyn for an hour and a half.
During this week Srila Prabhupada’s disciples Dayananda Prabhu (right) and Rupa Vilasa Prabhu (center) spent a several days in the New York area giving classes and promoting their books.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam,Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, and The Nectar of Instruction. I share quotes from Improvisations to Music, Book 2by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami and notes on classes by Vedavyasapriya Swami, and Dayananda, Arcita, Hansarupa, and Rupa Vilasa Prabhus.
Thanks to Madhu Sri Prabhu for his kind donation. Thanks to the BYS devotees for the video of their harinama. Thanks to Meru for his photo of Dayananda and Rupa Vilasa Prabhus.
Itinerary
September 23–December 31: NYC Harinam – October 25: Washington, D.C. harinama with Sankarsana Prabhu – November 1–???: serve Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami at Stuyvesant Falls
That venue in Manhattan was very busy, and once we had at least four visitors at our book table.
One policewoman did a few dance steps as she passed by our party of devotees chanting Hare Krishna. I got out my phone to take a video, but I wasn’t fast enough (https://youtube.com/shorts/YwMmTXsLd6Q?feature=share):
I asked Maha Mantra Prabhu what she said to the devotees that made them laugh, and he replied, “She said, ‘I’ll come back to dance with you guys.’”
On Sunday, I planned to do harinama over the Brooklyn Bridge with the Bhaktivedanta Youth Services devotees, but the uptown trains were super delayed so we decided to chant in Downtown Brooklyn.
Coming up in November we have a “Be a Monk Challenge” at ISKCON NYC. Organizers say it is their best program.
This summer at New Mayapur in rural France they had one for a whole week!
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.23.10, purport:
“Kardama Muni was a great soul, and therefore he was under the spiritual energy, which means that he was directly connected with the Supreme Lord. The symptom of this is Krishna consciousness, constant engagement in devotional service.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.23.21, purport:
“That is the way of a God-gifted person. A devotee like Kardama Muni exhibited such opulence by his yogic power at the request of his wife, but when the opulence was produced, he himself could not understand how such manifestations could be possible. When a yogi's power is exhibited, the yogi himself is sometimes astonished.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.23.41, purport:
“In the modern age, man is trying to go to other planets, but so far he has been unsuccessful. It is not possible to travel to any other planets because by the laws of nature even the demigods cannot move from one planet to another.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.23.42:
“What is difficult to achieve for determined men who have taken refuge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's lotus feet? His feet are the source of sacred rivers like the Ganges, which put an end to the dangers of mundane life.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.23.43, purport:
“By the actions of Kardama Muni we can understand that in spite of his immense mystic power, he remained a devotee of the Lord. That is the real position of every living entity.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.23.52, purport:
“This relief means spiritual instruction. Relief does not mean material comforts. Material comforts will end with the end of the body, but spiritual instruction will not end; it will go on with the spirit soul. Instruction in spiritual advancement is necessary.”
“The spiritual master cannot accept service from a disciple without awarding him spiritual instruction. That is the reciprocation of love and duty.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 5.41, purport:
“Ignorance and the jugglery of words are very common in human society, but they do not help one understand the inconceivable energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 5.64:
“Lord Krishna is the creator, and maya only helps Him as an instrument, just like the potter’s wheel and other instruments, which are the instrumental causes of a pot.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 5.66, purport:
“The conditioned state is caused by misuse of the individual independence of the spiritual platform, for this separates the living entity from the association of the spiritual energy. But when the living entity is enlightened by the grace of the Supreme Lord or His pure devotee and becomes inclined to revive his original state of loving service, he is on the most auspicious platform of eternal bliss and knowledge.”
“The natural position of the living being is always as a subordinate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one agrees to act in such a position, he attains perfection in life, but if one rebels against this principle, he is in the conditioned state.”
From The Nectar of Instruction, Text 4, purport:
“The conclusion is that we should always keep company with devotees, observe the regulative devotional principles, follow in the footsteps of the acaryas and in full obedience carry out the orders of the spiritual master. In this way we shall be able to develop our devotional service and dormant Krishna consciousness.”
From The Nectar of Instruction, Text 5, purport:
“The chanting of the holy names of Krishna is so sublime that if one chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra offenselessly, carefully avoiding the ten offenses, he can certainly be gradually elevated to the point of understanding that there is no difference between the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself. One who has reached such an understanding should be very much respected by neophyte devotees.”
“Everyone begins his devotional life from the neophyte stage, but if one properly finishes chanting the prescribed number of rounds of hari-nama, he is elevated step by step to the highest platform, uttama-adhikari.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Improvisations to Music, Book 2:
“Peacocks make pure devotees
dizzy, and they faint in love
of God down into the dust of
Vrindavan. Those birds
don’t sing a few choruses and
then sit down but praise all day
and night.”
“O Krishna You subdued the gopis
and Srila Prabhupada
told us to simply cry
for You. He told us to be chaste.”
“Although we have in mind some pure instructions
and although we may become tired of official interactions,
we don’t quit our duties or try to escape.
We have hope.”
“I told her to let it go
let yourself go
and become detached from what you were
and what you think you must become.”
“Krishna is the residence
country we live in
He meets us at death and
sustains us till then.
What else
is there to say?”
“All you need to become a pure devotee
is time.”
“Remember the time we went to the park with the Swami?
We sang a song sang
our hearts out.
Hare Krishna—was that Krishna we felt?
Yes, He was there
although I know these are complicated
post-modern times
and that’s difficult to believe.”
“Krishna, we share the promise
of surrender, worship, kirtana—
all offered to You—and Your taking us back
to where we belong.”
“As a solitary lover of
Lord Krishna I aspire to know
from Him my own strength
His comfort, so I can
give Him to others.”
“Don’t give up earnest account
to worship in a church
especially the mandira of the
mind.”
“Krishna You sure spin us around.
Still, an earnest devotee gives his
very best for Your service.”
“I don’t spend my time worrying
about this earth—just me and Krishna
my offering my
prayer
His mercy
‘because this earth world is too
big for me to judge.’”
“On Gaura-Purnima
Cold stars and
night turning to morn— see Lord Caitanya’s
devotees coming to worship Him
and bless us
with enough mercy that we can fulfill our duties
feel the bhakti
that pleases Him.”
“Looking ahead today I ask
not for extreme originality or
genius but simply
to please by sincere and simple
chanting.
I’m so poor I ask only for
clear vision to see
Syamasundara with an inner eye.
My master assures me it
can’t be done except through devotion
which starts first with the ear.”
“I mean
can we sing of Krishna
through world music
sung with heart?”
“As for the maha-mantra
—I’d like to really come home to that all-loving sound one day.”
“‘Hypnotized by Krishna.’ Srila Prabhupada
said that and chuckled
thought it over and
chuckled again, ‘Yes.’ Hypnotized
by Krishna. Instead of earning money they
work for Krishna at New
Vrindaban or in the Boston
temple.”
“Pressure creates heat. Well, when you
confront nondevotees there’s
plenty of steam—enough
to cook by.”
“O Kana I’m Your fan
son merry-maker
I’m here
for You.
I depend on You to love me.”
“Krishna played with
the cows and escaped for interludes
with the gopis
He loved.”
“I intend to remember Krishna
the Lord of the Yadus
who was such a close friend of Arjuna
and all the Panḍavas
although they suffered.
So what is this? What is this
‘hypnotism’ that their love
increases despite the bad
luck?
It’s Krishna’s nature, and taking it
is like drinking hot sugar cane juice.”
“The promise I made to the Swami
I will not abrogate
the gate is
open and
freedom is ours—
the regulated principles of freedom.”
“O Krishna, You allow me
to improve under any circumstance
and I am grateful.”
“When I die I’ll be likely
to have some kind of Krishna conscious
thought. Then can I go to Him I
don’t insist it has to be back in
Goloka right away because
I don’t have that kind of laulyam
but with Him in a next life where I can
continue to yearn intimately.”
“Krishna told Arjuna to be responsible
for his human life
to do as he liked
after hearing from Him.
Go to hell or Goloka—
it’s up to you.
I chose the Bhaktivedanta Swami marga,
although that way is sometimes hard
to follow.”
“We each want
to please the Swami, but
not all of us can jump through
quite so many hoops
or see black
or only white.
And what is said
and lived
cannot be taken back.
May we each
be careful.”
Vedavyasapriya Swami:
The quote in the Bible, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was God,” indicates that the creation began from sabda (sound).
The deity comes so we can render service to Him.
As the pujari respects the deity, he should respect the congregation.
Spiritual knowledge is always required.
If you chant Hare Krishna and follow the Vaishnava etiquette, you will come up to the mode of goodness.
As soon as the sunrises, the mode of passion will increase.
Discipline indicates a disciple.
Krishna and His parts are simultaneously existing. The jiva is not created. We come to this world when we misuse our little independence.
Why did Srila Prabhupada come to the United States? He could hardly make one devotee in India. Do you think he did not have the potency?
Everything in the material world is bad. Therefore Krishna does not take sides, samo ’ham sarva bhutesu.
You should become like a child holding the hand of your spiritual master, completely protected.
Every devotee is indebted to the general mass of devotees and especially indebted to their superiors.
Varnasrama is meant to bring one to the platform of devotional service.
If we are not surrendered to Krishna, the material nature will force us to be obliged.
If the atma and paramatma are in communication there is no need for material activity.
Srila Prabhupada presented Krishna consciousness as simply as possible so that everyone can follow it.
Once a reporter asked Srila Prabhupada, “How do you like our country?”
He replied, “Who says it is your country? You stole it from the previous residents. It belongs to Krishna, and I have come to tell you to give it back to Krishna.”
Our life should not be wasted considering how we came to this material world. We should be considering how to get out of it.
Vyasa-puja is not for the spiritual master, but it is for the disciple to glorify him.
Dayananda Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada felt we could have unlimited lila festivals, in addition to Ratha-yatras, that would be attractive to people.
Srila Prabhupada wanted congregational devotees to preach also, going to door-to-door, distributing books, and cultivating individuals.
We do not have try separately to save the environment. Just by following the Vedic culture you will automatically save the environment.
Vedic culture offers:
1. Higher enjoyment
2. Vedic Celebration
3. Devotee Association
Instead of spending money for sense gratification, we spend money on sankirtana festivals, sharing the names, forms, and pastimes of Krishna.
Our movement is meant to focus on people who are a little open minded, not those who are complete convinced of their own philosophy.
The Indian community has saved us monetarily and as far as prestige, when we were considered a dangerous cult, but we should not depend solely on them.
Comments:
These monthly sankirtana festivals engage the congregation and in many places they are very successful.
Hare Krishna Dasa maintained his family for years by distributing books door-to-door for five hours a day in a nearby Italian village of 5,000 people.
You mentioned greed. Here’s a nice verse of greed: “The Personality of Godhead [Vamanadeva] said: ‘O my dear King, even the entirety of whatever there may be within the three worlds to satisfy one’s senses cannot satisfy a person whose senses are uncontrolled. If I were not satisfied with three paces of land, then surely I would not be satisfied even with possessing one of the seven islands, consisting of nine varsas. Even if I possessed one island, I would hope to get others.’” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.19.21–22)
Arcita Prabhu:
The present heads of states have no clue what the goal of life is or how to attain it.
We see people who have great fame and wealth but are still unhappy.
Leaders of antagonistic countries are well situated themselves but they are so unhappy that they have to kill people of neighboring countries.
One German Sanskrit scholar was originally very interested in meeting Srila Prabhupada and talking with him, but he could not appreciate Srila Prabhupada mentioning Krishna in his translations when Krishna was not specifically mentioned in the verses. Because Srila Prabhupada understood Krishna’s purpose of convincing everyone to become His devotee and to attain His spiritual realm, he would sometimes mention Krishna before Krishna mentioned Himself.
You are free to join ISKCON or to not join ISKCON, but if you do join ISKCON and live in the temple you do have to follow the authorities.
All these people who split off from ISKCON create their own groups, and then they have their own authorities. Often there is one leader, and everyone has to follow him.
A brahmana never charges for teaching. He knows that Krishna will maintain him.
In my travels I judge the level of bhakti based on how the tulasis are thriving.
Hansarupa Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada said, “What good will your three-minute speech do?” But Srila Prabhupada’s association was so valuable that one moment’s association was enough inspire one.
People thought they could find something valuable in the books of other authors, but actually it is offensive to think that Srila Prabhupada did not give everything required.
Success is only there when one is fully in line with the spiritual master.
Once Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami realized what the goal of life was, they made arrangments to disengage themselves from their service to the king.
Srila Prabhupada did not say “sincerely” or “best wishes” but “your ever well-wisher.”
We should be endeavoring to give Srila Prabhupada more than that 11-story building on 55th Street.
Our singularity is alignment with guru and Krishna.
If you associate with people who are less serious, you will become less serious. If you associate with people who are more serious, you will become more serious.
Rupa Vilasa Prabhu:
You may claim that you have surrendered your life to Krishna, but time will tell if you can actually sustain that level of surrender.
Caitanya-caritamrita describes Haridasa Thakura as being “deeply determined.” That is required for spiritual success.
If we avoid offending Vaishnavas we can make quick progress.
People think that on the Internet they can say anything they want about any devotee, but if they make offensive statements about a devotee it will ruin their devotional service.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had the 32 qualities of a great personality at birth.
An astrologer predicted upon his birth, “This child will become famous all over the world as a brilliant acarya [spiritual authority].”
Lord Jagannatha appeared to Bhaktivinoda Thakura and said, “I didn’t bring you to Puri to execute legal matters, but to establish Vaishnava siddhanta.”
Bhaktivinoda Thakura responded by saying he did not have power and asked Him to send someone from His personal staff to assist him.
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s grain ceremony was performed on the Jagannatha cart.
In terms of geneology, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was related to Narottama Dasa Thakura.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura, seeing Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s tendency toward renunciation, advised him to take initiation from Gaurakisora Dasa Babaji Maharaja.
In his Nama-bhajana Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes:
“The holy name has been accepted in all respects to be an incarnation of Krishna on this earth. Although He seems to be just a word, still, by His unimaginable powers, He is spiritual and is a special incarnation of Krishna.”
“As Krishna and His name are identical, Krishna has descended to the earth as the holy name; so, Krishna’s name is the first introduction to Krishna. With determination to reach Krishna, jivas the living beings must first accept the name of Krishna.”
In addition to his health issues, Bhaktivinoda Thakura did not want to challenge his diksa-guru, Bipin Bihari, who sided with the smartas that birth in a brahmana family was required to perform the activities of a brahmana. Thus he sent Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to argue in his place.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura advised Gaurakisora Dasa Babaji Maharaja to go to Calcutta and get medical treatment for his failing vision. Babaji said as long as he could see the Lord in his heart he had no need.
Comments by me:
Although we do not have Haridasa Thakura’s photo on the altar, Srila Prabhupada put his name in the prema-dvani prayers. In one class Srila Prabhupada says, “Just like Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa Thakura, we give ‘Jaya. Thakura Haridasa Thakura ki jaya,’ we say. This Haridasa Thakura was born in a Muhammadan family. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu made him Namacarya Srila Haridasa Thakura. He was chanting Hare Krishna mantra daily three hundred thousands of times. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu selected him namacarya. Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself came to broadcast the glory of Hare Krishna maha-mantra. So instead of becoming Himself the acarya, He designated Haridasa Thakura as acarya.” (Srila Prabhupada, class on Bhagavad-gita 2.26, Hyderabad, 30 November 1972)
When Srila Prabhupada gave a class stressing how one had to be pious to engage in devotional service, one disciple said, “I do not think I have done anything pious in my life.”
Srila Prabhupada replied, “I created your pious activities.”
By chanting Hare Krishna in public, as he recommended, we are creating pious activities for others, specifically the pious activity of hearing the glories of the Lord.
It is certainly good if we can follow up with people who have some initial contact with us, but even if we don’t follow up on their ajnata-sukriti, Krishna will follow up. They will get another chance to advance in devotional service by His grace.
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The Vedic literature gives different clues how we can attain real happiness. Here is one from the divine avatarLord Vamanadeva, who advises against greed.
etavataiva siddho ’ham
vittam yavat prayojanam
“The way of happiness is to be fully satisfied to receive that which is absolutely needed.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.19.27)
SEVA Care of Alachua will host a celebration of the life of Kripasindhu Dasa on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at the ISKCON New Raman Reti temple in Alachua, Florida. The program will feature remembrances from 1 to 4 p.m., followed by prasadam at 5:30 p.m. All times are US Eastern. The memorial will also be […]
2026 retreatants gathered at New Vrindaban. Men from across North America recently gathered at New Vrindaban in West Virginia for the annual MAN-tra Retreat. With inspiring, thought-provoking presentations, joyful kirtans, meaningful association, and delicious prasadam, the retreat proved to be just what the doctor ordered for its grateful participants. Anuttama Dasa, a GBC member and […]
ISKCON New Dvaraka Los Angeles has announced a cremation service and a memorial gathering for Drutakarma Dasa, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, on October 23 and 24. The cremation service will take place on Friday, October 23, at 9 a.m. at Odd Fellows Cemetery, 3640 Whittier Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90023. According to the announcement, […]
Shyamala Kishori dd is a longtime member of the Krishna House in Gainesville. She was a Gurukuli, and her parents are SP disciples. Her classes are some of the most popular in Gainesville, and I thought this one could be shared on Dandavats. It is wonderful to see our lady devotees presenting.
Thank you
Yours in service
Brahmatirtha das
Channel: Krishna House Gainesville
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Michael Cremo, who has died aged 78, was a self-described “Vedic creationist” and “alternative archaeologist” who devoted his life to contradicting the widely recognised account of Darwinian evolution; using the most spurious evidence he claimed that humans did not evolve from other species but have lived on Earth for millions of years.
Cremo’s theories were not, he insisted, the rantings of a religious zealot at odds with modern science, but instead deserved a place in intellectual debate. While his belief in distant civilisations arose from his reading of ancient Sanskrit writings, he set out to demonstrate his ideas with scientific evidence, the best of which was a mortar and pestle found lodged in a fossilised riverbed supposedly dating back 30 million years.
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Known in the Hare Krishna world as Drutakarma Dasa, Cremo was to some a refreshingly free thinker and truth-seeker. Others regarded him as one of the most dangerous men in archaeology whose pseudoscientific ideas were on a par with those of the British conspiracy theorist David Icke.
In Forbidden Archaeology: The Hidden History of the Human Race (1993, with Richard Thompson) he catalogued bones and artefacts which, he claimed, proved that people like us existed millions of years ago. Experts accused him of relying on poorly documented 19th-century archaeological finds. “It’s not evidence at all,” declared one biological anthropologist who reviewed his book.
Dismayed by this cold reception, Cremo described the mainstream scientific community as “Darwinian fundamentalists”. He did, however, find common cause with Christian creationists who agreed that humans once coexisted with ancient primates rather than evolving from them.
Day 5 | The Lord’s Love for His Devotees | ŚB 10.13.50 | HH Ramai Swami Maharaj
Channel: ISKCON GOVARDHAN ECO VILLAGE (GEV)
Join us for Day 5 of the Seven Purposes of ISKCON lecture series with **HH Ramai Swami Maharaj**, exploring Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.50.
Verse – Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.50 …
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A screening of Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All drew approximately 250 people to Suncoast CineCentre in Durban, South Africa, in September. Hosted by ISKCON Durban as part of the movement’s 60th-anniversary commemorations, the in-person event attracted an audience largely new to ISKCON, according to project leader Smita Krsna Das, with responses indicating greater appreciation of Founder-Acharya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada’s life and mission.
Every year the GBC body has two meetings, one in February/March in Mayapur, and another in October at a different location every year.
This year all the members, including ministers and other leaders, came together at Govardhan Eco-village and stayed for five days discussing ways to improve and spread the Krsna Consciousness Movement all over the world.
We were honoured to welcome Agnimitra Paul, Minister of Urban Development from West Bengal, to Bhaktivedanta Manor. Thank you for taking the time to visit us and be part of our community.
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Verse – Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.50 …
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Today's LIVE Program 
Mangal Āratī || 4:30 AM
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