Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Bhadra Campaign (A Part of the GoMatsya Project) brought to you…
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Bhadra Campaign (A Part of the GoMatsya Project)
brought to you by The North American Sankirtan Leaders Team
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated “If on the full moon day of the month of Bhadra one places Srimad-Bhagavatam on a golden throne and gives it as a gift, he will attain the supreme transcendental destination.” The purport further elaborates that “One should place Srimad-Bhagavatam on a golden throne because it is the king of all literature.”
This year Bhadra Purnima arrives on September 5th in North
America, and we are very happy to announce the launch of the
Bhadra Campaign – an opportunity for mass distribution of the most revered Srimad-Bhagavatam. Anyone who participates in this campaign will receive:
1. The great gift of going Back to Godhead
2. Special prayers on their behalf on Bhadra Purnima
3. A golden throne on which to keep the Srimad-Bhagavatam
4. A subscription to Bhakti Pulse (a regular 3-minute audio about SB)
5. Their name inscribed on the Global Preservation Wall
There are three ways in which one can become a part of the
campaign – as an:
1. Advocate – Serve the Srimad-Bhagavatam by purchasing at least one set
2. Distributor – Get a set and refer at least one advocate
3. Organizer – Get a set and enroll at least three advocates
Our goal this Bhadra is to enroll at least 108 advocates in North
America. Please join today. Serve the Srimad-Bhagavatam and share the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Give it to your friends, and encourage them to distribute and enroll others. Give the ultimate gift this Bhadra Purnima!
This campaign is a part of the global GoMatsya initiative:
“Preservation through Mass Distribution and
Education.” www.GoMatsya.com
For More information please contact:
North American Sankirtan

Mother Kulangana has passed from this world. From Polish…
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Mother Kulangana has passed from this world.
From Polish origin, Kulangana devi dasi spent her childhood in Warsaw and along with her family, she escaped of being arrested by the Nazis during World War II.
“We were arrested by the Gestapo and we had to leave our house with our luggage. There were so many of us all walking in a long line. So many children too. There was a train nearby and people were getting on. They said that the train was going to a big prison camp. My father had brought one cow with him, and when the leader of the Gestapo saw that my father was a farmer he told him: “Oh, you are a farmer you are already producting something valuable for the soldiers you can go and so we were not put on the train.

When she came to Krishna consciousness she said that she had seen the real face of the material world and another type of life. Her service for Krishna still revolved around cows and milk. She was well known for making the most delicious – and probably the biggest – milk sweets in the Hare Krishna movement. She used the fresh milk from the manor’s cows and lovingly cooked it for several hours to make sandesh, burfi, rubric and pera of all different kinds. She headed a team of ladies that decorated them with delicate paintings and messages to Krishna, and offer them every morning to the Deities and she liked nothing better than distribute them to devotees afterwards.

Sri Mayapur Dham Celebrates the Appearance of Lord Krishna!…
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Sri Mayapur Dham Celebrates the Appearance of Lord Krishna!
Tens of thousands of devotees and pilgrims gather in Sri Mayapur Dham every year to celebrate the auspicious appearance day of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, who is worshipped in ISKCON Mayapur as Sri Madhava. Between fifty and sixty thousand pilgrims come from all over India to participate in the grand Janmastami festival, and as a result, the Mayapur guesthouses are usually fully booked two months in advance. Many pilgrims end up setting up camp outside, not to be deterred from attending this festival and taking the darshan of Sri Madhava on His appearance day.
To prepare the minds and hearts of the devotees of Mayapur for Janmastami day, the devotees are absorbed in Krishna-katha every morning during Srimad Bhagavatam class for the week leading up to Janmastami. The day before Janmastami, an auspicious Adhivas ceremony takes place in order to invoke auspiciousness for the festival to follow.

On Janmastami day, Sri Sri Radha Madhava and all the deities of Mayapur are offered a new dress, and Their altars and the temple are elaborately decorated. Many of the devotees of Mayapur write sweet ‘birthday cards’ for Sri Madhava, and present thoughtful gifts to Him, which are placed at His lotus feet and remain there until the end of the day.

Lord Krishna, during His manifest pastimes, set the example for everyone by perfectly performing the duties of an ordinary human being. Thus, Sri Krishna received all the requisite samskaras of Vedic society, and in Mayapur, all these samskara ceremonies are performed for Sri Madhava on Janmastami day. A young child is selected to represent Madhava, and a qualified husband and wife to represent Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yasoda, who perform the samskaras for Sri Madhava according to Srila Rupa Goswami’s Sri Krishna Janma Tithi Vidhi, a book that describes in intricate detail how to perform the proper worship of Sri Madhava on His appearance day.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Sri Madhava is brought down from the altar and seated on a beautifully decorated throne, and is given a wonderful reception. Priests then start a yajna and perform all of Krishna’s samskaras. They begin with the Jata Karma ceremony, in which Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yasoda perform a fire yajna for their newly born son and pray for His protection. After that, they perform the Niskramanam ceremony, which is performed when Sri Madhava is taken out of the house for the first time, followed by the name giving ceremony, the hair cutting ceremony, and the piercing of Lord Krishna’s ears. Sri Nanda Maharaja goes for a pilgrimage, and upon his return, out of affection he smells his son’s head, which is called Putra Murdhabhighranam. Thereafter, the Vidyarambha ceremony is performed to inaugurate the starting of Sri Madhava’s education. His Grace Jananivasa Prabhu represents Garga Muni, who teaches Sri Madhava to write His first words, and then grants Sri Madhava Vedic initiation and gives Him the sacred thread in the Upanayanam ceremony. Once Sri Madhava receives His sacred thread, He goes out to beg dakshina for His guru, and all the assembled devotees gather around Him and give donations.

Throughout the day, ecstatic kirtan is performed for Sri Madhava, leading up to His grand Maha Abhisek ceremony, which takes place at 10 pm and continues until midnight.

For His abhisek, Sri Madhava along with Srimati Radhika comes down from the altar, and They are opulently welcomed and are then bathed with numerous items. They are bathed with Panca-gavya – the five sacred items from a cow – and are then bathed with milk, yogurt, ghee, honey and sugar water, which are known as the five nectars. They are also bathed with seasonal and colourful juices, from fruits such as mangoes, grapes, pomegranates, oranges, watermelons, and papayas. Water scented with saffron, rose, aguru, musk and kusha grass is also used to bathe Their Lordships, and fragrant flower waters made with flowers such as rose, bakul, lotus, jasmine, and gandharaj. Radha Madhava are also bathed in coconut water and are given two kinds of showers: Sarva Aushadi and Maha Aushadi, which use natural medicinal and herbal substances to bathe the Lord. After being bathed in these various substances, sandalwood paste is applied and then washed off of Radha Madhava’s forms with a steady shower of pure Ganga water.

Once the Lord’s elaborate abhisek is completed, Their Lordships are dried, and They are then showered in flower petals before They return to the altar to be dressed in fresh clothes.

The devotees of the community, with much love and devotion, cook over 400 preparations to offer to Sri Sri Radha Madhava for Their grand bhoga offering. Once Their Lordships have honoured the preparations offered to Them, the altar opens and Sri Sri Radha Madhava give a breathtaking darshan in Their new night outfit, and at midnight a Maha Arati is performed while all of the assembled devotees engage in an ecstatic kirtan.

Once the deities retire for the night, an anukalpa feast is served to everyone, and the blissful day of festivities comes to an end.

All glories to Sri Krishna Janmastami!

Your servants,
Mayapur Communication

Tulsi Gabbard: Janmashtami Message 2017 (3 min video)When…
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Tulsi Gabbard: Janmashtami Message 2017 (3 min video)
When someone has a birthday we try to please the person whose birthday we’re celebrating. Maybe we buy them some presents or bake them a cake, we try to do something for them that will make them happy. Likewise, on this very wonderful day of celebrating Lord Shri Krishna’s appearance, we should consider what we can do that would be most pleasing to Him.
The Supreme Lord is the owner and controller of everything, there’s nothing that He is lacking. He doesn’t need anything from us but there’s one thing that He wants from us: our love! This is the one thing that we have to offer that makes Krishna very happy! Our love can only be offered as an expression of free will. Love can’t be taken or forced, that’s not the nature of love. Five thousand years ago Lord Krishna appeared on this planet in His original form. He came for many reasons. He came so that we could come to know of the absolute reality of His existence, He came to display His wonderful pastimes and loving exchanges with His devotees.
He came to speak the Bhagavad-gita which is His personal and direct instructions to each of us and as we hear about Shri Krishna and His wonderful pastimes and become more attracted to Him something wonderful happens. The love that we begin to experience for the Supreme Lord attracts Him to us and He begins to reveal Himself to us more and more! This is the ultimate truth that Shri Krishna reveals to us in the Bhagavad Gita.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Fdee6T

41st Los Angeles Ratha-yatra Slideshow. On August 6th, 2017,…
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41st Los Angeles Ratha-yatra Slideshow.
On August 6th, 2017, the 41st Los Angeles Ratha-Yatra, with Their Lordships Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi, each on their own chariot, came out from the Temple to spread Their Mercy to thousands of conditioned souls.
This year, led by an elephant, the parade kicked off the transcendental activities for a most ecstatic day of chanting, dancing, feasting and distributing thousands of books and thousands of plates of prasadam.
This slideshow shares a glimpse of the devotees loving devotional service to the Lord. Please turn up the volume and relish the transcendental sounds of the Jagannathastakam as the Festival of the Chariots shines its light on the beach cities of Santa Monica and Venice.
Jai Jagannatha! Jai Srila Prabhupada! http://cindikphotography.zenfolio.com/p619752361/slideshow Your servant, Dvarakarani Devi dasi
(Note: It was an inflatable elephant in case you’re wondering. It was on a cart with a sound system playing the roaring of an elephant.)

The “Largest Iskcon Temple In The World” – Being…
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The “Largest Iskcon Temple In The World” – Being Built In Columbus Ohio.
It is the desire of ISKCON Columbus and associates to be a place where all are welcomed, connected to Krishna, encouraged to grow in devotion to Him, enabled to practice Krishna consciousness based on the teachings of Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and equipped to propagate Krishna consciousness.
After completing the schematic design and receiving permission from the county, we are in our fund raising phase. This prospectus here: https://goo.gl/UCR8hH
and our website: www.iskconcolumbus.com says it all.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is – The First Book App by the BBT The BBT…
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Bhagavad-gita As It Is – The First Book App by the BBT
The BBT has ventured into the world of Book Apps, and their first release is stunning. “Bhagavad-gita As It Is” is now available for iOS 9.3 and higher (iPhone, iPad, iPod).
Produced by the North European BBT, it is the only stand-alone Book App containing the full text of Srila Prabhupada’s “Bhagavad-gita As It Is,” including the complete art work from the first and second editions, and a selection of photos of Srila Prabhupada.
This Book App is unique in its ease of access; it keeps the Bhagavad-gita constantly at your fingertips. Plus it gives you the flexibility to read in any format you desire: Sanskrit verses, transliterations, translations, purports, or any combination you choose!

The App allows you to make notes, use bookmarks, and modify settings for enhanced readability. Wake up (or go to sleep) to a Gita verse with the Verse of the Day feature on the home-screen of your iOS device. Each App user’s daily verse is unique to his or her device.

The App is currently available in Russian and English, with French and German versions on the way (included in future free updates).

Staying in touch with the “Bhagavad-gita As It Is” has never been so fun and easy!

Download the App today at the App Store – search for “Gita as it is”, or at:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is/id1080562426

and spread the word by ordering your professionally pre-designed promotional cards at info@bbtbooks.org.

And please remember to give us your feedback through the App.

Hara, Krishna and Rama. Vaisesika das: Our life and its…
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Hara, Krishna and Rama.
Vaisesika das: Our life and its situations are like a most delicate egg that may break at any moment.
“When an egg breaks by external power, life ends. When an egg breaks by internal power, life begins …” (Persian saying; provided by Homa Ashkaveri.)
A bhakti yogi therefore, stays always carefully fixed under Krishna’s internal power by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.
Sheltered by – Hare, or Radharani – the internal power of the Lord, the bhakti yogi is nourished amidst even the most severe circumstances and reversals in his or her life.
On the other hand, one who, by default, takes shelter of Krishna’s external power – Maya – suffers hopelessly.

Srila Prabhupada explains the difference between Krishna’s internal (superior) and external (inferior) powers and the means by which one may remain securely under Krishna’s internal, or superior power:

“The word Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krishna and Rama are forms of addressing the Lord Himself. Both Krishna and Rama mean the supreme pleasure, and Hara is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, changed to Hare (Hah-ray) in the vocative. The supreme pleasure energy of the Lord helps us to reach the Lord.

“The material energy, called Maya, is also one of the multi-energies of the Lord. And we the living entities are also the energy, marginal energy, of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the superior energy, called Hara, it is established in its happy, normal condition.

“These three words, namely Hara, Krishna and Rama, are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra. The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His energy, to give protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mothers’ presence. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the Lord Fathers’s grace, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely.” (KC The Topmost Yoga System.)

“Change Inside to Change Outside” (5 min video)If…
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“Change Inside to Change Outside” (5 min video)
If you try to improve your outside world without improving your inside world it won’t work!
We try to achieve something and we do all the steps properly but we don’t change our attitude, we don’t change our consciousness, we don’t change our beliefs and therefore although we’re working externally internally we’re working against ourselves!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/3hKCmy

Lika Camp, Croatia 2017 (Album with photos) Srila Prabhupada:…
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Lika Camp, Croatia 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Haraye namah krsna yadavaya namah, gopala govinda rama sri-mudhusudana. This is another way of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. The meaning is as follows: “I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. He is the descendant of the Yadu family. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Gopala, Govinda, Rama and Sri Madhusudana.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 25.64 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/KEPWdJ

Kirtana Mela Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, 2017 (Album with…
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Kirtana Mela Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In any condition, a man can live in a small cottage, plant a Tulasi tree, water it in the morning, offer it prayers, and continuously chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Thus one can make vigorous spiritual advancement. This is not at all difficult. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 24.261)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/bngnPc

Meet a 64-year-old walking monk
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Meet a 64-year-old walking monk.
Rick Sherman, Sun Advocate Reporter: He has occasionally been mistaken for an escaped prisoner because his saffron robe resembles the orange jump suit worn by many jail inmates. But Bhaktimarga Swami is not a fugitive. He is a Hare Krishna Monk, a Bhakti Yoga instructor and marathon walker. His contacts with law enforcement have generally been benign. “The police have been great by and large,” he mused. “Once they know what we’re up to, they’re impressed, so they’ve been very cooperative.”
Traveling on foot is a common practice in various spiritual traditions, and the Walking Monk believes that it’s an effective way to reach out and communicate the importance of morality and ethical priorities.

The 64-year-old has walked across his home country of Canada and has also traversed Ireland, Israel, Guyana, Trinidad and Mauritius. He is walking 3,500 miles across the United States to promote a healthier lifestyle and a simple meditative life and to celebrate the 50 years since the inception of Hare Krishna in North America.

During a brief sojourn in Carbon County last week, the Swami spoke to a group at the Southeastern Integrated Healing Arts Center in Price, and spent the night in Helper. “People have been very kind to me. I think there is a strong spiritual component to the people here in this state and I think that makes a big difference,” he related.

The Swami’s itinerary follows Highway 6 to Spanish Fork for a few days stay at the Hare Krishna temple, and then on Eureka, Delta, and Garrison, Utah. He said he was looking forward to walking across Nevada on historic U.S. Highway 50 & 6, which are part of the Lincoln Highway. Highway 50 has also been dubbed the “Loneliest Road in America” because towns along the route are few and far apart.

He began his walk across the U.S. in Boston and has divided up the pilgrimage into three “legs.” He walks an average of 20 miles during an eight-hour day, with the goal of arriving at San Francisco by Sept. 15.

There are a few areas where he has had no choice but to ride in his support vehicle on bridges and other areas where pedestrians are not allowed. And he has chosen to walk at night through some areas, such as “hot and sticky” Nebraska.

While Bhaktimarga Swami recognizes the need for personal transportation, he opined that modern society is so obsessed with the automobile, it has resulted in widespread obesity and a disconnect with nature. “Walking is both a physical exercise and it’s also a spiritual experience. There’s charm in the whole thing. You have so much time to ponder and think things over,” he stated.

He observed that Utahns are more fit than the residents of most other states and noted the walking trails in Price and Helper as a step in the right direction. “I would say if everybody gets to do an hour walk every day – like in the morning would be preferable before you get into the crazy world – what a nice difference it would make,” he suggested.
Source: https://goo.gl/PKjSy1

TOVP: The first chakra permanently installed (Album with…
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TOVP: The first chakra permanently installed (Album with photos)
Parijata: Thursday 10th of August, was the auspicious installation of the Planetarium Wing Chakra.
The whole of Mayapur community came to the ToVP site to witness and visually see this monumental event.
The devotees in Mayapur haven’t seen the Chakra before in a close proximity. Everybody was blown out and Mayapur is still buzzing today with this wonderful transcendental activity.
Sadbhuja and the ToVP team were praying very hard that the monsoon rains would hold off while the Chakra and the Kalash were assembled in Mayapur.
The rain had stopped for more than 2 weeks and the weather was perfect! On the installation day, the weather was fabulous without even a cloud in the sky.
One hour after the Chakra went up, it started pouring with rain like we have never seen before for a solid 2 hrs.
Sadbhuja Prabhu feels and has full faith the demigods have come down to bless this Chakra.
The devotees are of the same opinion, the demigods have come down to bestow their blessing on us and this wonderful installation.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/QDn8X1

Ambarisa Das: Auspicious Initial Chakra Installation, Mayapur…
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Ambarisa Das: Auspicious Initial Chakra Installation, Mayapur 8/10/17 (Album with photos)
Blessed by the presence of Jayapataka Maharaj, Jananivas prabhu, Mayapur Mangement and Sadbhuja prabhu with the TOVP team. MC’d and organized by Braja Vilas prabhu. Immediately after the ceremony, heavy rain came after many days without. Most auspicious. Srila Prabhupada ki Jaya!!!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/9vSTPw

Marriages which make the Kurukshetra war look tame :-)Kadamba…
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Marriages which make the Kurukshetra war look tame 🙂
Kadamba Kanana Swami: I had a disciple who was living in a small flat – just a one room studio with a bathroom and kitchenette. In the room, there was a sofa which could turn into a bed. There were chairs and every chair had stuff on it. When you would enter, you sort of have to dig through all the stuff to get a place to sit down. This is called a bachelor’s flat!

‘Robin Roberts’, famous news anchor from (ABC)…
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‘Robin Roberts’, famous news anchor from (ABC) American Broadcasting Company’s ‘Good Morning America’ gets a ‘Perfection of Yoga’ book by the great transcendental author Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. (Album with photos)
Drumila Dasa: I was just about to call it a day when I looked down the sidewalk and saw ‘Robin Roberts’ and her entourage coming down the sidewalk in front of the Supreme Court building. I didn’t have time to be apprehensive or get the jitters. I just tried to be as natural as possible and was able to give her the book. And as a bonus, I was able to describe to her the wonderful movie about the author of her book, called ‘Hare Krsna, The Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami who started it all.’ I gave her a bookmarker with all the pertinent info on it about the film(pictured). Then proceeded to tell her, how it won the Jury Prize at the prestigious ‘Illuminate’ film festival in Sedona, Arizona. She was genuinely humble, and gracious, and thanked me for what I was doing. Robin Roberts is also a breast cancer survivor.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/aEZrXq