Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Book distribution by a dedicated Prabhupada disciple on her 70th…
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Book distribution by a dedicated Prabhupada disciple on her 70th Birthday (2 min video)
Gauragopala Dasa: This is a wonderful video on Srimati Mohanasini’s Facebook page of her on her 70th Birthday on the streets distributing Srila Prabhupada’s Books.
It is so inspiring, reminds me of how Srila Prabhupada never even began his preaching in the West until he was 70 years of age and look what he achieved!
This amazing preaching by his dedicated disciple, one of the first in the early years, now 70 years old, is telling us all that our preaching can increase many-fold in our older years and give us eternal life!
In here, along with book distribution, she is also sharing news of the Hare Krishna! Film with visitors in New Orleans.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/oHYNEK

Lord Vamanadeva: The Transcendental Trickster! Gurukula…
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Lord Vamanadeva: The Transcendental Trickster!
Gurukula Milestone: 100th student enrolled!
Who is Mr 24/7?
The gurukula now has more than 100 students and on Monday, 31 July celebrated its success by a special assembly and a delicious cake Dhritigopi devi dasi baked. Mukunda Maharaja also graced the occasion as the VIP guest. Principal Vinod Bihari das said he was honored that many parents were relocating to the Tweed in order for their children to attend the school. As the school expands, preparations are underway for more classrooms to facilitate the 120 students enrolled for the 2018 school year, including 20 HSC students enrolled for Years 11 and 12. In a 31 July Tweed Daily News article, Vinod Bihari is quoted as saying: “This phase includes two classroom buildings, a full-size basketball court, pathways and gardens to preserve the natural beauty of our school’s surroundings.”
Read it all in the latest newsletter of the New Govardhana Hare Krishna Community in Australia: https://goo.gl/87KD8R

Our propaganda is to make people Krishna Conscious! Srila…
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Our propaganda is to make people Krishna Conscious!
Srila Prabhupada: Regarding propaganda against animal slaughter in BTG. Please do not print any picture showing how a cow is being murdered in our BTG. This will pollute the whole atmosphere. We are not meant for moving anyone’s sentiment against animal slaughter, we are neither Buddhists or Jains, whose main propaganda is against animal slaughter. Even the so-called vegetarians who do not take Krishna prasadam are as much sinful as the non-vegetarians. Our propaganda is different, to make people Krishna Conscious, which automatically makes them sympathetic against any kind of animal slaughter. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, one living entity subsists on the life of other living entities, either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. But we are neither of them. We are not vegetarian nor non-vegetarian. We are transcendental. We are concerned with Krishna Prasadam. Try to popularize Krishna Prasadam as you have already done. People will naturally become vegetarian without any ghastly propaganda. The pictures of a mahajana or similar pictures for propagating the Bhagavata conclusion should be our objective. Other pictures, there are so many subject matters, just like we follow 4 principles, say for example, illicit sex life, we can publish so many pictures of illicit sex life, but that will not advance our cause. Similarly we may make propaganda against animal slaughter, but that will not advance our real cause. KC is based on pure understanding, not by any sentimental provocation. People must be intelligent enough to catch up this KC movement without being carried away by any sentimental wave. We should always remember that we do not belong to any group like the karmis, jnanis, or yogis. We belong to pure devotional service group, following the footprints of great mahajanas. Our purpose should be that we are in one side and all others they are on the other side. We deprecate everyone, even one who is against animal slaughter. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, it is clearly said that there are two classes of activities. Pious and impious. We do not favor any one of them. Neither we favor any philosophical speculation, we simply stick to Krishna, and wish to render loving transcendental service unto Him. That should be our main objective, and the policy of BTG must be pursued on this line of action. I hope you will understand me rightly. Everyone who is not a KC person is a butcher. Even the so-called pious man, who is not in KC, he is also a butcher. Because he is killing his own self. So in our view, everyone is butcher, and everyone is thief also, because he is enjoying Krishna’s property. So how we can discriminate who is honest and dishonest and butcher and not butcher? Our only test is how one is taking to KC: Even a so-called butcher comes we welcome to chant Hare Krishna.
Hoping you are well.
Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
To read the entire letter: https://goo.gl/CHVU2U

A Secret Pathway (Album with photos) Indradyumna Swami: Just…
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A Secret Pathway (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Just before leaving Vrindavan we went to Varsana to seek the blessings of Radha and Krsna. When a group of blissful sadhus passed by we joined their parikrama and discovered a secret pathway through a forest near Varsana. Some of the ‘desire trees’ in the forest were over 5,000 years old! I hugged one of them and prayed for more service in spreading the holy names of Krsna all over the world. Coming out of the forest we visited other holy places, gosalas and residents of that sacred abode.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/vcjywM

Houston Devotees Safe During Hurrican Harvey, Feeding Victims….
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Houston Devotees Safe During Hurrican Harvey, Feeding Victims.
Hurricane Harvey has caused major destruction in Houston and throughout Texas in the last several days. 21 trillion gallons of rain fell on the Houston area, causing 51 inches of flooding in the worst hit places. Thirty to forty thousand homes were destroyed by floodwaters just in and around Houston; 39 people died, and 13 million were directly affected.
So it’s a relief that ISKCON devotees in Houston are safe – no one was hurt.
They haven’t been completely unaffected: Around eight devotees’ homes sustained flood damage from two feet of water, and they must replace floors, cabinets and doors. Fortunately, other devotees are hosting them while they get back on their feet, and it is heartwarming to see the community members care for each other.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/iwmgpd

How to Reconcile a Sentimental Heart and a Skeptical Mind (5 min…
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How to Reconcile a Sentimental Heart and a Skeptical Mind (5 min video)
Devamrita Swami: It’s a very distressing affliction to have a sentimental heart and a skeptical mind. This syndrome is very prevalent in 1st world and is now even popping up in the 2nd and 3rd world.
Our heart longs for fulfilment, security and love. Simultaneously our mind can be so skeptical and cynical – how to reconcile the two? This problem has to be resolved on a level higher than the material platform through applied spiritual technology.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/1KhYeG

Shraddha Season – Bhaktivedanta Manor. Wednesday 6th September…
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Shraddha Season – Bhaktivedanta Manor.
Wednesday 6th September – Tuesday 19th September
Sraddha period is a very important time for those with deceased parents and grandparents, as during this period offerings are made to help the soul of the ancestor on its journey. Ancestors are important because we owe them our very existence, so the least we can do is to help them, even though they have disappeared from our sight.

ISKCON Vrindavan bags the Green Temple Award 2017 on Vedic Earth…
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ISKCON Vrindavan bags the Green Temple Award 2017 on Vedic Earth Day.
On Varah Jayanti, Friends of Vrindavan held its fifth annual Vedic Earth Day and Green Awards Ceremony at the Swami Vivekananda Auditorium at Vrindavan’s Ramkrishna Mission.
A total of five “Vrindavan Green Awards” were distributed to a distinguished temple, school, campaigner, author and activist.
This year, ISKCON Vrindavan took home the Green Temple award for its environmentally-conscious services, including organic farming, conversion of prasadi flowers into compost, cow protection, marketing of non-dairy cow products like gomutra and govar, and more.

Our Only Hope (Album with photos) Giridhari Swami: This year I…
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Our Only Hope (Album with photos)
Giridhari Swami: This year I had the good fortune of celebrating Sri Radhastami at ISKCON Hong Kong. His Holiness Rtadhvaja Swami Maharaja is visiting and this made the festival very special indeed. We held two programs, one at noon for the temple devotees and close congregational members, and the other in the evening for our Indian congregation. The noon program included an abhiseka of our Devarishi Prabhu’s Radhe-Shyama deities, kirtan, a presentation given by yours truly, aratika, and prasadam. The evening program included a class given by Rtadhvaja Maharaja, puspa abhiseka, kirtan, aratika and prasadam. Both programs were well attended and everyone wholeheartedly engaged in some serious hearing and chanting. I want to share with you an excerpt from a lecture Srila Prabhupada gave in London on the occasion of Radhastami, which I included in my presentation:

Radharani is hari-priya, very dear to Krsna. So if we approach Krsna through Radharani, through the mercy of Radharani, then it becomes very easy. If Radharani recommends that “This devotee is very nice,” then Krsna immediately accepts, however fool I may be. Because it is recommended by Radharani, Krsna accepts.

(Radhastami – August 29, 1971, London)

Our only hope of approaching Krishna is through Radharani. It is fortunate for us that Krishna and Radharani both come together as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the most merciful Lord of all Lords. He only asks that we chant Krishna’s holy name purely and request others to do the same.

Sri Radhastami ki-jaya!
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki-jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki-jaya!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/kBRXs1

Sankirtan Stories. A bouquet of flowers for ……
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Sankirtan Stories.
A bouquet of flowers for … (surprise!)
I was distributing books at a community market in Australia, where I met a florist who had a booth. He was happy to take the Bhagavad-gita and a few small books. He gave a generous donation and on top of that, he gave me a bouquet of flowers. He expressed his interest in visiting the ISKCON farm, New Govardhana, and said he would come for the Sunday feast. I was happy to meet such a favorable person and pleased that he gave me something special to bring back and offer to the Deities.
I stuck the stalk of the bouquet into my backpack, and the flowers visibly stuck out of the top of it. I carried on distributing books, and after an hour or so of not seeing my sankirtan partner, I happened to walk past her while she was in the middle of distributing a book. She reached over just as I walked by and pulled the bouquet from my backpack.
She said to the fortunate soul with Prabhupada’s books in his hands, “You can give her these.”
I later learned that the man she was speaking with had come to the market to buy flowers for his wife and had brought only enough money for that. Because she gave him the bouquet of flowers I had received, he was able to give a donation and take home the Bhagavad-gita. Krsna couldn’t have had me walk by at a more perfect time.
Cc. Adi 12.94-5: “The ocean of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is immeasurable and unfathomable. Who can have the courage to measure that great ocean? It is not possible to dip into that great ocean, but its sweet mellow fragrance attracts my mind. I therefore stand on the shore of that ocean to try to taste but a drop of it.”
Yours in service,
Bhaktin Karly

Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra – Sonepat despite the Turmoil! (Album…
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Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra – Sonepat despite the Turmoil! (Album with photos)
SECTION 144 of IPC (Indian Panel Code) was imposed which prohibits any sort of public gathering or gathering of more than 4 people. Internet was shut for over 5 Days, All public transport was stopped, Over 60 trains were canceled, all School, Colleges & Government offices were not in operation, Markets, Malls & Public services were closed & not in services, To control Violence & Riots The Indian Army had to be in action! Yet ISKCON Kurukshetra took EXCLUSIVE PERMISSION from the Higher Authorities & the Haryana Police for this Jagannath Rath Yatra. The Holy Name is the only solution by which we can get Peace & ever lasting Happiness which was clearly evident during the Rath Yatra. Even though there was complete unrest in the Entire State of Haryana yet everyone came out & greeted the Lord & danced in the Kirtan. Under Heavy Police deployment & Administration watch, The Rath Yatra was taken out! We hearty thank the Haryana Police & the Government officials for their kind cooperation. A complete album of Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Sonepat, Haryana.
Hare Krishna from the Land of Bhagavad Gita, Kurukshetra!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/VFfoFe

Radhastami celebration in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital (Album…
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Radhastami celebration in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Sadhu-sanga, or association with a devotee, means always engaging in Krishna consciousness by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra and by acting for Krishna. Specifically, chanting the Hare Krishna mantra purifies one, and this chanting is therefore recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.59 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/QDWgLo

Radhasthami at the Iskcon Moscow Temple (Album with…
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Radhasthami at the Iskcon Moscow Temple (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: A devotee always thinks of the Lord continuously. While chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, the words Krishna and Hare immediately remind him of all the Lord’s activities. Since his entire life is engaged n the service of the Lord, a devotee cannot forget the Lord at any time. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.1.6 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/MXV1Zp

Message from Houston Iskcon devotees in regards with the…
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Message from Houston Iskcon devotees in regards with the floods.
“Dear Friends, We at the Hare Krishna Temple & Govinda’s Restaurant would like to reach out to area residents to offer anyone who needs food to come to our restaurant at 1320 W 34th St, Houston, 77018 starting tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for take out lunches.
We are not prepared with take out containers since we didn’t envision the degree of damage, so we request people to PLEASE bring their containers for a fresh hot meal. We’re planning on serving 200 people and can expand our services as the need arises.
We pray you & your loved ones are safely protected. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help.
– In gratitude, Hansa Medley M.D.
Director of Outreach, Hare Krishna Temple
Govinda’s Restaurant, 713 979 769

Ratha Yatra in Budapest, Hungary’s capital (Album with photos)…
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Ratha Yatra in Budapest, Hungary’s capital (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Others, who are not devotees, may think, “How can people devote so much time simply to talks of God?” The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is simply the repetition of three words, Hare, Krishna, Rama, but still, devotees can go on chanting this Hare Krishna mantra twenty-four hours a day without feeling fatigued. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.13.1Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/vUV6N7

Giridhari Swami: My dear Devotees, I want to share with you my…
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Giridhari Swami: My dear Devotees,
I want to share with you my 2017 Vyasa Puja offering to Srila Prabhupada. As I mentioned in this offering, Giriraja Govardhana gave me some special mercy with which to glorify His Divine Grace. My realization was that Srila Prabhupada’s service mirrors the service of Sri Giriraja Govardhana. I pray you will feel the same.
Hare Krishna.
The Greatest Devotee of Lord Hari
My dear Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
In late February I had the great privilege of residing in Vraja, near Govardhana, for just under two weeks. Govardhana’s powerful and sweet spiritual atmosphere supported deeper hearing and chanting, association with dear godbrothers, and deeper meditation on you and my service to you.
One morning while on Govardhana parikrama, I recalled a verse very dear to your heart:
hantayam adrir abala hari-dasa-varyo
yad rama-krsna-carana-sparasa-pramodah
manam tanoti saha-go-ganayos tayor yat
paniya-suyavasa-kandara-kandamulaih
“Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Krsna and Balarama, along with Their calves, cows, and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities—water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. In this way, the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krsna and Balarama, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.21.18)
Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami reveals that this verse was spoken by Srimati Radharani Herself – a very significant fact, considering that She is Krsna’s feminine counterpart, His own pleasure potency (hladini-sakti). Indeed, Her love for Krsna is so great that even Krsna Himself cannot fully comprehend it. Therefore He comes as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu just to understand the depth of Radharani’s love for Him. Still, She says that Govardhana is hari-dasa-varya, the greatest devotee of Lord Hari.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains in detail what makes Govardhana the greatest of all servants. He says that Govardhana’s hard rocks become as soft as warm putty to cushion Lord Krsna’s lotus feet and to preserve their auspicious impressions. Feeling the touch of the Lord’s lotus feet, Govardhana displays symptoms of ecstasy. He perspires in the form of melting stones, his hairs stand on end as erect grass and creepers, and tears flow from His eyes as gushing waterfalls. Govardhana’s waterfalls offer cool, fragrant water for Krsna and Balarama to drink and use for washing Their feet and mouths. The Hill provides liquid refreshments such as honey, mango juice, and pilu juice to quench Their thirst; abundant durva grass for making ritualistic hand wash (arghya); soft and delicious grasses to nourish the cows and enable them to produce abundant sweet milk; many caves to provide ideal places for Krsna and His associates to stay, no matter how hot, cold, or wet the weather may be; soft edible roots; jewels to decorate the body; flat rocks for sitting; and mirrors in the form of highly polished stones. Thus Govardhana is a completely selfless servant, one who only gives and never takes. He has only Krsna’s interest in mind – never His own.
As my parikrama and meditation on this verse continued, a very strong realization came to me. Like Sri Govardhana, Srila Prabhupada, you too were a completely selfless servant. That’s what made you extraordinary. You accepted all challenges and austerities to fulfill the instructions of your spiritual master. From beginning to end, your journey was never easy. But you overcame obstacle after obstacle to establish your spiritual master’s mission.
Your teachings, whether in the form of your books, letters, recorded words, or actions, melted your followers’ stonelike hearts, which were filled with impersonalism and voidism, and made their softened hearts into a cushioned place upon which Krsna could rest His tender lotus feet, just as Sri Govardhana did with His puttylike stones.
It is absolutely essential that we, your faithful followers, study your books daily so that the purification process continues uninterrupted. If we fail to do this, the dust of impure desires will accumulate and again encase our hearts in stone.
As Krsna did with Sri Govardhana, He also touched you with His lotus feet – and you savored that ecstasy. As a true Vaisnava acarya, you generally kept that ecstasy to yourself. But sometimes it just could not be contained. On numerous occasions, as you called out the name of your Lord, your external senses became inert, your hairs stood on end, and tears filled your eyes. Krsna answered your call. Saturated with such love for Krsna, you were able to uplift the most fallen and also give them a small taste of that love.
It is absolutely essential as well that we, your faithful followers, connect others with you and your teachings so that they too can experience the sweet taste of pure devotional service.
Like Sri Govardhana, you offered Krsna and Balarama cool fragrant water from the waterfall of your devotion. And you continue to do so as you worship Their Lordships in the form of the many Deities you established around the world. Daily They receive not only honey, mango juice, and pilu juice to quench Their thirst but also six offerings of opulent foods cooked with loving devotion, all for Their Lordships pleasure and satisfaction. Beyond delicious food offerings, you also arranged for Them to be massaged with fragrant oils and pastes just prior to Their morning bath, dressing, and arati. Finally, you had Them serenaded with the sweet chanting of the holy name throughout the day.
It is absolutely essential that we, your faithful followers, maintain the standard of Deity worship you established, for our own purification and to attract the hearts and minds of the conditioned souls burning in the desert of material existence.
Like Sri Govardhana, you offered sweet, succulent grasses to nourish the cows and enable them to produce abundant milk. This you did by establishing sustainable rural communities as part of your varsnarama blueprint to re-spiritualize materialistic society.
Again, it is absolutely essential that we, your faithful followers, follow your instructions to establish varsnarama through these rural communities. The world needs to see working models of a sane, sustainable way of life, with cow protection and livelihoods that work in harmony with nature rather than against her.
Like Sri Govardhana, you offered the caves of your many temples to shelter the Lord and His devotees. These temples are like oases in the midst of Kali’s desert that provide opulent halls for holding public kirtanas, discourses, and honoring succulent prasadam. Neither the fire of passion nor the frigid cold of ignorance can penetrate these sanctuaries, provided we remain sincere sadhakas and preachers.
It is also absolutely essential that we, your faithful followers, maintain your temples for the exact purpose for which you established them—to practice, taste, and distribute Krsna consciousness. If we follow your instructions to practice serious sadhana, we will certainly relish the taste of devotional service, and that taste will create a burning desire within us to distribute Krsna consciousness to others.
Like Sri Govardhana, who offers abundant durva grass used for making religious offerings of arghya, you offered your books as the main instruments for pushing forward Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sankirtana movement. Today, throughout the world, many dedicated sankirtana men and women are dancing to the beat of your brhat-mrdanga; and by their tireless efforts millions are being introduced to Krsna consciousness through your books.
It is absolutely essential that we, your faithful followers, continue flooding the world with the books you labored so hard to write and publish, for only the brilliant light of your books will dissipate the thick darkness of Kali-yuga’s ignorance.
Like Sri Govardhana, who sheltered the vraja-vasis from the torrential rains and thunderbolts of Lord Indra’s wrath, you established ISKCON to shelter the world’s devotees from the horrors of Kali. And much like Sri Krsna, who proclaimed that He and Govardhana are one, you declared that ISKCON is your transcendental body and thus nondifferent from you.
Sri Prabhupada, it is absolutely essential that we, your faithful followers, at least maintain but better expand your glorious ISKCON. If we don’t expand your Society around the world, what hope is there for mankind? You once told us, “The Krsna consciousness movement will go down in history as having saved mankind in its darkest hour.” (Conversation, London, 1973)
On this auspicious day of your Vyasa-puja, we fervently pray to you for guidance, purity, protection, and empowerment so that we may assist you in making this prophecy of yours come true. We beg that just as Sri Govardhana offered His full blessings and mercy to the inhabitants of Vraja, you will bestow your full blessings and mercy upon us, your faithful followers.
Begging to remain your humble servant,
Giridhari Swami