Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Harinam Utsav 2018 Mumbai (Album of photos) “Come one,…
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Harinam Utsav 2018 Mumbai (Album of photos)
“Come one, come all, chant the names of Lord Krsna,” said Lord Nityananda even to the most downtrodden. This holy name of the lord is non-different than him. Chanting his glories with all your heart in the association of like-minded devotees will yield the ultimate satisfaction for Lord Gauranga. Here are some moments of sankirtan we enjoyed.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/59Yzxt

Bliss In The Buckeye State (4 min video) Indradyumna Swami: Our…
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Bliss In The Buckeye State (4 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Our show in New Albany, Ohio was attended by a number of government officials, including the mayor of the city. After the program, he very kindly told us, “Your show is better than any Broadway theater.”
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/PvkZFg

“I curse your children to become devotees of…
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“I curse your children to become devotees of Krishna!”
Urmila Devi Dasi: We met with people who had taken up Krishna consciousness in 1980-82 when all religion was illegal in the then Soviet Union. We heard this story from one woman:
Her husband came home one day when she was cooking meat, and said he had become vegetarian. When she asked if he would eat dinner she had already cooked for that day, and start vegetarianism tomorrow, he refused. Within a year, she started chanting Hare Krishna also. Her husband was put into prison for being a devotee, though his two and one-half year sentence got reduced to two years because of the pressure from devotees of Krishna in the US and Europe. In the jail was one other devotee, and they convinced four criminals to take up Krishna consciousness also, so altogether there were six devotees in that prison. On the day of celebrating the appearance of Lord Caitanya in the world, the wife was able to arrange (bribes??) to bring enough prasadam (vegetarian food offered to Krishna) to feed 2,000 prisoners. They all ate peacefully and at least for a while gave up their criminal demeanor.
While the husband was in jail, the government threatened to remove their children from the home because the mother was not feeding the children meat, and was “not training them according to Soviet culture.” The wife got permission in the court to speak and said, “Because you are threatening to take my children from me, I curse your children to become devotees of Krishna!” That curse scared the prosecutor, and he dropped the case. But six months later, his grown son did, indeed, join the Hare Krishna Movement and, even today, is one of the main leaders of the Movement in Russia.

Caitanya Caritamrita By Radha Padma (18 min video)
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Caitanya Caritamrita By Radha Padma (18 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: “Even while engaged in various activities, devotees whose minds are completely absorbed at Your lotus feet, and who constantly hear, chant, contemplate and cause others to remember Your transcendental names and forms, are always on the transcendental platform, and thus they can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.2.37).

HH Gunagrahi Das Goswami placed into Samadhi (Album of…
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HH Gunagrahi Das Goswami placed into Samadhi (Album of photos)
“He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die When thou art living still in sound! The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try To spread the holy name around!”
The glorious departure of HH Gunagrahi Das Swami Maharaj continued today with Maharaj being placed into Samadhi at Iskcon Goshala amongst other exalted souls.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!
All glories to HH Gunagrahi Das Swami Maharaj!!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Na27Yv

DASI Creates Service Opportunities for Young Women in ISKCON….
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DASI Creates Service Opportunities for Young Women in ISKCON.
It’s a bustling evening on Janmastami, Lord Krishna’s appearance day, in Village of Vrindavana, a pop-up reconstruction of famous temples and pilgrimage spots at ISKCON of Alachua, Florida. Against the ink-black night sky, ten young women in bright, multicolored costumes are portraying Krishna’s rasa dance with the gopis. Their fusion of Bharatanatyam, Odissi and modern dance puts a cherry on top of the night’s festivities and has everyone grinning and applauding.
The girls – some from Alachua, and some from North Carolina and Chicago, Illinois – are members of DASI, a brand new organization that aims to encourage and inspire young women to use their talents and time in service to Lord Krishna.
To read the entire article please click here: https://goo.gl/g5DX9g

“Secrets to Self-Improvement” (Album of photos)
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“Secrets to Self-Improvement” (Album of photos)
On the 30th of August, 2018, Vaisesika Dasa gave a motivational talk entitled “Secrets to Self-Improvement”, as a part of Mindfulness & Conscious Living Series @Intel HQ in Santa Clara, California. It was attended by 300+ employees worldwide who enthusiastically took back valuable nuggets of wisdom to aid in their personal & professional life.
Vaisesika Dasa reflected on the famous quote of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura,“Intrinsic in every living being is the ability to rise in due course of time”. He shared five practical tips for self-improvement, viz.: write down your goals, get a house-on-fire-desire, gather quality information, collect mentors and practice.

Bhakti & Science – Village to Village. The highlight of the…
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Bhakti & Science – Village to Village.
The highlight of the tour was the Russian conference. When Caitanya Candra Caran Das and Bhakti Vijnana Goswami (originally a scientist himself) heard the news that a representative of the BIHS was in Europe, and wanted to give a seminar in Russia, they gave their blessings to Abhinanda, Vasushretha, and Jagannath Baladeva to mobilize the academic devotees throughout the country. Murali was amazed by their efficiency: “Immediately all these devotees got overnight trains and airplanes from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ukraine, etc. to Yekaterinburg.” And in two weeks time an elaborate conference was organized for the weekend of July 21-22, with dozens in attendance (many Phd’s). Murali held the the group’s attention all day Saturday with the Mustery of the Sacred Universe seminar.On day two, he gave the “Modes of Material Nature” talk interspersed with snippets of BI history, and the other qualified academics also gave their presentations. Every meal was a feast, and kirtans were plentiful. Murali was surprised that the local devotees had heard of his musical talents, “Then at the end, they gave me a violin. I was a little out of practice, so I just did the Prabhupada tune!”
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/yvwauW

ISKCON Kiev: Most spectacular offerings for Srila…
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ISKCON Kiev: Most spectacular offerings for Srila Prabhupada’s Appearance Day (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If one can please a pure devotee of the Lord, such action means immediate satisfaction of the Lord, even though such a person is not officially qualified to receive the mercy of the Lord. Letter to Yeager, December 20, 1970.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/3nmA9o

Sri Vyasa Puja – ISKCON of Alachua (Album of photos) Srila…
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Sri Vyasa Puja – ISKCON of Alachua (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The secret of surrendering to Krishna is that such surrendered devotee sees that everything is part of Krishna’s plan. Whatever is meant to be I am doing. Let me do it with my full attention to every detail. Let me become absorbed in such service, never mind what it is. Let all other considerations be forgotten and only my desire to do the thing best for Krishna’s alone pleasure is my motive. Letter to Jayapataka, December 19, 1972
Find them here: https://goo.gl/k9Mg7K

Srila Prabhupada’s ingenuity! Ramesvara das
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Srila Prabhupada’s ingenuity!
Ramesvara das: What Srila Prabhupada did was so ingenious, it has to be appreciated from a historical point of view. No one in modern history has ever made philosophy books popular for the mass market. So what Prabhupada did was a stroke of genius and he should be described as…this should be understood to be part of Prabhupada’s genius in knowing how to popularize Krsna consciousness.

Janmastami 2018 – Zurich (Album of photos) Srila Prabhupada:…
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Janmastami 2018 – Zurich (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The secret of surrendering to Krishna is that such surrendered devotee sees that everything is part of Krishna’s plan. Whatever is meant to be I am doing. Let me do it with my full attention to every detail. Let me become absorbed in such service, never mind what it is. Let all other considerations be forgotten and only my desire to do the thing best for Krishna’s alone pleasure is my motive. Letter to Jayapataka, December 19, 1972.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2LHeKC

Revati Raman Das, Tirupati: Recently I heard a lecture by a…
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Revati Raman Das, Tirupati: Recently I heard a lecture by a devotee who recounted how a world-famous traditional Carnatic musician from South India named Balamurali Krishna became mesmerized by your divine bhajana of Sri Shad-Gosvami-ashtaka. In the 1980s a party of traveling sankirtana devotees set up a stall in Chennai to distribute books while your singing of Sri Shad-Gosvami-ashtaka played in the background. A passerby dressed in a simple way stood nearby for quite some time, absorbed in hearing your bhajana with closed eyes. A Western devotee taking care of the stall thought he might be there to steal, and so the devotee was trying to push him away.
Meanwhile, a local devotee helping at the stall informed the Western devotee that the man was the world-famous Carnatic singer Balamurali Krishna and that the Western devotee shouldn’t treat him that way. Then the devotee apologized and started conversing with him. During the conversation, Balamurali Krishna asked the devotee, “Who has sung this song?” The devotee replied, “It is our founder-acarya, Srila Prabhupada.” Balamurali Krishna then said, “This voice and music are not from this world but from the spiritual world.” Srila Prabhupada, even an ordinary materialistic person can recognize that you are undoubtedly an ambassador from the spiritual world. Of this there is no doubt.

Saint Petersburg, Russia: Srila Prabhupada Vyasa Puja…
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Saint Petersburg, Russia: Srila Prabhupada Vyasa Puja Celebration 4th September 2018 (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The secret of surrendering to Krishna is that such surrendered devotee sees that everything is part of Krishna’s plan. Whatever is meant to be I am doing. Let me do it with my full attention to every detail. Let me become absorbed in such service, never mind what it is. Let all other considerations be forgotten and only my desire to do the thing best for Krishna’s alone pleasure is my motive. Letter to Jayapataka, December 19, 1972.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/aDaA74

Ambarisa Das: 2018 Tribute. Dear Srila Prabhupada, please accept…
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Ambarisa Das: 2018 Tribute.
Dear Srila Prabhupada, please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to your international mission to bring the mercy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Love of Sri Krishna to all the people suffering in this material world.
This is called a ‘Tribute’; formally “an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration.” One can barely scratch the surface.
Srila Prabhupada, thank you for giving us the Holy Name of Hare Krishna. Without this simple method of contacting the Supreme Personality, how could we survive in this dangerous place? It keeps us safe and focused, and there are no hard and fast rules. This simple method is the underpinning of the sublime spiritual life you have taught us.
Srila Prabhupada, thank you for saving us from ignorance. Your books are the shining beacon for all the bewildered and misdirected people of Kali-yuga. Before reading your books, I was completely lost. Your boundless mercy has saved me and countless others from madness and nihilism.
Srila Prabhupada, thank you for saving me from banality. It is the 50th reunion of my high school graduating class. I keep getting invitations to join classmates for a golf weekend. After 68 years on this planet, this is the best they can come up with as a way to spend their years leading up to inevitable death?
Srila Prabhupada, thank you for giving me a purpose. I was lost for so many years, not knowing the purpose of life. The result was self-destruction. Before reading your books and listening to your recorded classes, my ignorance kept me bound up in a downward spiral.
Srila Prabhupada, thank you for saving me from boredom and lethargy. Krishna Consciousness as you have taught us is a dynamic ever-expanding experience, even beyond birth and death. It is constantly challenging us and is tailored to our individual abilities and spirit.
Srila Prabhupada, thank you for the gift of good association. Because of ISKCON, we can go anywhere in the world and find devotees for association, without which we would surely fall.
Srila Prabhupada, thank you for introducing us to prasadam. The world is full of nasty things to eat which totally pollute the consciousness and keeps the jivas in the cycle of birth and death. By honoring prasadam, the entire atmosphere becomes purified, and we become qualified to hear the message of Bhagavatam.
Srila Prabhupada, thank you for revealing all the Vaisnava festivals which help keep our focus on Sri Krishna throughout the whole year. Mundane celebrations seem so stale compared to the holidays of the transcendental world.
Srila Prabhupada, thank you for showing us how to beautifully worship the Archa vigraha of Sri Krishna and Mahaprabhu. The deity worship in ISKCON is second to none and is famous around the world.
Srila Prabhupada, thank you for circling the planet non-stop for 12 years to bring your unconditional mercy to all the people of the earth. You have given everything and all in all to benefit us. There is no way we can ever repay you but to remain stringently loyal to the program and organization you have freely given with love
Your servant, life after life, Ambarisa das.

The Brand New BBT Dictionary App! An aid to BBT production
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The Brand New BBT Dictionary App!
An aid to BBT production: The BBT produces books in many languages. Neces­sity is the mother of invention, and necessity has left us venturing into machine learning, neurolinguistic programming, and a fusion of science, computational linguistics, and Srila Prabhupada’s books. Years ago, we had fairly stable editorial teams in most of our languages. Nowadays devotees are more mobile in their services, and we’ve had to figure out ways to help ever new editorial teams use our layout software for hyphenating and finalizing their files – work best done by native speakers.

The Kazakh Switch, From Cyrillic to Latin. BBT
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The Kazakh Switch, From Cyrillic to Latin.
North European Bhaktivedanta Book Trust: The change in scripts has been in discussion since 2006. The deci­sion was announced in October 2017, with the goal for a complete transition to the new writ­ing system by 2025. Most of the country’s reasons are probably obvious – nationalism, a move to distance the Kazakh people from their past as a Russian colony, and shifting political and economic allegiances. But there’s also an idea that Cyrillic has never suited the Kazakh tongue because Kazakh has a number of sounds that don’t have natural Cyrillic equivalents.

The ISKCON Song (5 min musical video)
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The ISKCON Song (5 min musical video)
7 Purposes of ISKCON | The Hare Krishna Movement Mission.
This is a vibrant, beautiful song (in Hindi with English subtitles) – explains the 7 purposes of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Helps one understand what ISKCON stands for and what it does worldwide. Easy to memorize and remember too! Your feet will go tapping with the song…

George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord is Apple Records’ most played track this century!
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George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord is Apple Records’ most played track this century!
George Harrison’s number one single My Sweet Lord has topped a chart of the most played songs this century that were released on The Beatles’ Apple Records label.
The single has received more public airplay since 2000 than Imagine by John Lennon and the Liverpool band’s Hey Jude, which was the first single released on the label in the UK 50 years ago.
My Sweet Lord went to number one upon its original release in 1970 and again in 2002 when it was re-issued following Harrison’s death.

Devotee Company Serves Out “Pure Bliss” to 500 Stores in the…
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Devotee Company Serves Out “Pure Bliss” to 500 Stores in the U.S.
Pure Bliss Organics distributes roughly a million servings a year of their unique brand of Krishna prasadam. They also donate a trail mix for the thrice weekly Harinama in Atlanta, and serve devotees by providing discounts on their products to traveling sankirtan parties and the Sadhu Sanga Kirtan Retreat.

All gluten-free and certified organic, their granolas include three no-sugar types sweetened with date paste, two grain-free with half the carbs, and one high-protein. Granola flavors include banana, cashew butter, peanut butter vanilla, maple cranberry, and carrot cake.

Pure Bliss also offers seven different energy bars such as acai coconut, lemon cranberry, white chocolate raspberry, and chocolate sun butter, as well as their extremely popular energy bites with the same flavors. Finally their gourmet nut mixes include conconut honey almonds, sesame honey cashews, and maple cinnamon mixed nuts.
To read the complete article please click here: https://goo.gl/XC3W11