Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Jagannath Ratha Yatra Kathmandu 2018 (Album of photos) ISKCON…
→ Dandavats

Jagannath Ratha Yatra Kathmandu 2018 (Album of photos)
ISKCON Nepal organized The Festival of Chariot “Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra 2018” at Kathmandu on 14th July 2018. A huge number of devotees attended this annual Ratha Yatra festival from various parts of Nepal. Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra themselves come out of the temple to the street so that people can take the holy view (darshan) of their Lordships. Ratha Yatra used to be celebrated only at Jagannath Puri, Orissa. But Srila Prabhupada (Founder Acharya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness) started this Ratha Yatra Festival worldwide. In different cities of each and every country, Jagannath Ratha Yatra takes place. Total attendees in Kathmandu Jagannath Ratha Yatra was about 2500+ of devotees.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/mqKZtQ

“Move in the direction of perfection” Bhakti Bhringa Govinda…
→ Dandavats

“Move in the direction of perfection”
Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami: People come to ISKCON and everybody is enthusiastic. Something that attracts them to Krishna Consciousness causes an awakening of their faith. And all of us have had different experiences of what impelled us to take up the process of surrender to Krishna. And many people they start by reading the literature [Srila Prabhupada’s books in this context], but after sometime, they just don’t read any longer. And then the problem start to come, and we know that there are many different types of problems that devotees experience. Sometimes devotees lose taste, sometimes devotees just retire from doing devotional service because they need to get their taste elsewhere.
But the idea of coming to Krishna Consciousness is to undertake these activities which will bring us to the stage of perfection. We are idealists, because we have heard that this is the process we can follow to become free from defects and become perfect. And the essential part of that process is to know Krishna.
And to know Krishna we have to read about Krishna. Krishna says: if you want to do that you always have to hear from Me.
Lately a lot of times devotees listen lectures of good devotees. But how many of you devotees listen to Prabhupada’s lectures on a regular basis? [devotees raising hands] Well, that’s good cause then you can hear from Srila Prabhupada. A lot of people [raised their hands], it’s good that you can listen to Srila Prabhupada because then you can understand the real command of the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness that Prabhupada has.
Often times when you hear his lectures – every sentence that he tells will be substantiated by a quote from shastra. When you hear that you become… at least when I hear those lectures I become so overwhelmed. You know, I will never possess the understating of my spiritual master nor will I be able to speak like my spiritual master, often I pray “Prabhupada, let me speak like you in a very clear, very shastric, very understandable way.”
That, my dear devotees, means you have to read the books. Sometimes I ask devotees who’s been devotees for 20-25 years :
– How many times have you read Bhagavad Gita in 25 years?
– One time. Or two times…
– Have you read Srimad Bhagavatam?
– No…
So what to speak of Nectar of Devotion, Ishopanishad and Upadeshmrita and many other books. This is a real point that has me worried. Because when devotees, when they don’t absorb themselves in advancing in Krishna Consciousness – often times they just go in the opposite direction.
Even though one may be doing a lot of service. But if their consciousness is not vibrating with the knowledge, with the learning for Krishna Consciousness – they are not really advancing so nicely in devotional service. […]
We have seen examples of perfect people. Now it’s time that we actually start thinking that we are in Krishna consciousness because we want(!) to become perfect.
Of course we love the sankirtan mission. You can’t become perfect unless you do sankirtan, because Caitanya Mahaprabhu bestows great mercy upon the people who engage in sankirtan. But at the same time that mercy will help us to have the realizations when we study the books, chanting the Holy Name, so its real serious.
I’ve had too many people fall away, and generally I don’t say this and I don’t preach this so much, but it’s a reality. That when disciples behave sinfully I receive the karma. We have heard that and it’s a shastric fact. And I can honestly say that I experience that. So that’s why I’m not trying to make anyone feel guilty or to make people cry or something like that. But it’s a reality. And therefore that’s why I’m requesting everybody to move in the direction of perfection.

Preparing for Pol’and’Rock festival in Poland (Album of…
→ Dandavats

Preparing for Pol’and’Rock festival in Poland (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Polish Woodstock 2018 [ Now Pol’and’Rock ] is still one week away. But our boys are already on the field setting up ‘Krsna’s Village of Peace.’ Over 1 million people are expected at the event. We plan to distribute over 150,000 full plates of prasadam [ 40 tons of foodstuffs ] and have Ratha Yatra 4 days in a row through the masses of people. Srila Prabhupada, please shower your mercy upon us that we may successfully achieve our goals to please you! We live only to serve you.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/PiJ3QF

Radhadesh Kulimela 2018 (Album of photos) Srila Prabhupada: In…
→ Dandavats

Radhadesh Kulimela 2018 (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In this age, hearing is more important than thinking, because one’s thinking may be disturbed by mental agitation, but if one concentrates on hearing, he will be forced to associate with the sound vibration of Krishna. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.24.35)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/DoQ9BC

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Krishna Valley in Hungary…
→ Dandavats

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Krishna Valley in Hungary (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Those who are advanced and highly qualified and are interested in the essence of life know the good qualities of Kali-yuga. Such people worship the age of Kali because in this age, simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one can advance in spiritual knowledge and thus attain life’s goal. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11.5.36)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ZXA2SG

YUGA DHARMA ASHRAM VISIT – July 2018
→ Dandavats

YUGA DHARMA ASHRAM VISIT – July 2018 (Album of photos)
“In this Age of Kali, Lord Sri Krishna Himself descended as Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to preach the eternal religion of Krishna Consciousness through the process of chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra which is the only religious principle for this Age.” Fortunate again to join up with Rama Raya prabhu and the NY Harinam devotees.

On Polish Tour with His Holiness Indradyumna Swami. Yamuna Devi:…
→ Dandavats

On Polish Tour with His Holiness Indradyumna Swami.
Yamuna Devi: “The first evening program we attended was just amazing. There was a little sankirtan in the town center when we got there which was wonderful and when the program started, Dina and I sat in the audience so that we could realize the visuals of it. They put up some flags and festoons from Puri, then a kirtan began with all the devotees on the stage sitting swaying back and forth in rhythm to the male singers. Two back-up singers, a man and woman, danced and sang with microphones and two gorgeous young girls danced in beautiful unison with the devotees in the background.
There was an astonishing situation in front of where Dina and I were sitting where a young of about 12 with Down’s syndrome sat with his father or grandfather in his late 60s, and as the evening went on the boy started clapping, then he started raising his hands in the air, waving them back and forth. And then to no avail the father tried to hold him down by his trousers, but the boy began to jump up and down in his chair. Finally a devotee girl from the stage picked him up onto the stage and danced back and forth with him. Everyone was so touched by that, it literally brought tears to our eyes. After the kirtan, they immediately launched into a Ramayana play with wonderful costumes which was narrated in Polish. Then after a lecture on the Holy Name by Indradyumna Swami—so Krishna Conscious, inviting, easy, and simple—an enthusiastic kirtan followed that pulled everyone into it. The audience comprised people from ages seven to ninety-seven there; literally the whole village turned out to come for this festival.”
– Excerpted from “Yamuna Devi: A Life of Unalloyed Devotion”

Arjuna and Karna. While the Battle of Kurukshetra was at its…
→ Dandavats

Arjuna and Karna.
While the Battle of Kurukshetra was at its peak, Arjuna and Karna were fighting each other. It was a battle to witness, a flurry of arrows was being exchanged, and even Gods were witnessing this epic battle between the 2 warriors.
Arjuna would shoot his arrows and the impact of these arrows would be so much that Karna’s chariot would go back by 25-30 feet. People who witnessed this were amazed by the skills of Arjuna.
Karna was no less. When he shot arrows, Arjuna’s chariot would also shake and go back by 3-4 feet.
More than everyone, Krishna would applaud Karna every time his arrow hit Arjuna’s chariot. But not once did He applaud Arjuna’s skills!
At the end of the day, Arjuna asked Krishna: “Oh Lord, I have shot so many arrows at Karna’s chariot, it was being displaced like a feather in wind, but not once did you appreciate me. Rather, you would appreciate his skill despite his arrows just displacing my chariot a little”.
Krishna smiled and replied, “Oh, Arjuna, remember, your chariot is protected by Hanuman at the top on your flag, Me as your charioteer in the front and by Sheshnag at its wheels, yet the whole chariot would still sway and displace whenever the valiant Karna hit us with his arrows”.
“But Karna’s chariot is not protected by any such force, he is on his own, yet he fights valiantly”.
It is said that after the battle of Kurukshetra was over, Krishna refused to get off the chariot till Arjuna got down. Once Krishna alighted from the chariot, it caught fire and turned to dust.
Krishna said, “Oh Arjuna, your chariot was destroyed by Karna a long time ago, it is I who was still protecting it.”
“Never in your life have the arrogance to say that you have achieved big heights. If you have achieved something, it is the divine will, it is the divine intervention that has always protected you, cleared your path and given you the right opportunities at the right time”!

Harinam at Bajrasandi Park, Bali (Album of photos) Shrila…
→ Dandavats

Harinam at Bajrasandi Park, Bali (Album of photos)
Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur: “If we simply engage in discussing topics of the Lord while living anywhere by the Lord’s mercy we can realize the glories of devotional service, the Lord’s mercy, and come to remember the Lord in our day-to-day life. A devotee should live wherever the Lord is pleased to keep him and should forget his own material miseries. When the propensity to serve the Lord is awakened in the heart while discussing hari-katha in the association of devotees, then we will automatically remember Hari under all circumstances. In order to test us, the Supreme Lord is always present behind what we can see. If we see the Lord’s mercy behind each and every incident, we will no longer feel distress. The material world, material existence, is the place where we are tested. If we wish to pass the test, we must hear krsna-katha from the pure devotees. Even though at present we may not always have the opportunity to hear hari-katha in the association of devotees, if we continuously hear it in the form of discussing Vaisnava literature, we will not feel the absence of Vaisnava association.” From complications of SBST in Amrita Vani: 2. How is it possible to hear hari-katha in the association of devotees if we live far from the devotees or at home?
Find them here: https://goo.gl/7eZPCq

THE PURPOSE OF SAFFRON CLOTH – Srila Bhaktisiddhanta…
→ Dandavats

THE PURPOSE OF SAFFRON CLOTH – Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada explains why he and his followers adopted saffron-colored cloth.
Also: * PSEUDO RELIGIONISTS POSING AS ACARYAS – Stern warnings from His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
* NAMA-TATTVA: TESTS ON THE PATH OF NAMA SANKIRTAN – Srila Sanatan Goswami elucidates on some subtle aspects of the process of chanting.
* PLEASING SERVICE – Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja speaks about how real service is done for the pleasure of the master.
To read the complete magazine please click here: https://archive.org/details/bindu429

ZAMBIA RATHA YATRA 2018, Africa (Album of photos) Srila…
→ Dandavats

ZAMBIA RATHA YATRA 2018, Africa (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 17.31)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/P6BKDX

TOVP: Coffer ceiling update. Sadbhuja Das: Rangavati d.d. has…
→ Dandavats

TOVP: Coffer ceiling update.
Sadbhuja Das: Rangavati d.d. has completed the Coffer Ceiling concept with its measurements for erection and execution of construction for MacCoy company. This is a final concept. It is very workable and following with the existing Dome structure, which you can’t see here. In one row this is a 36 segments and total it is 432 items.

Getting deeper into Krishna consciousness. Indradyumna Swami:…
→ Dandavats

Getting deeper into Krishna consciousness.
Indradyumna Swami: This is a family that has been visiting our festival in Poland every summer for 12 years. They plan their vacation around our event. After our program this evening they decided to go deeper into Krsna consciousness and bought 10 books; one copy each of Srila Prabhupada’s large size Bhagavad Gita and one copy each of a smaller version of the Gita. They also purchased 4 other books on the science of self-realization. “We have plenty of time to read them now on our vacation,” the gentleman said as they left. Srila Prabhupada must be so pleased!

LORD SRI JAGANNATH DEV RATH MAHOTSAV 6TH DAY SWAMI BAGH ASHRAM,…
→ Dandavats

LORD SRI JAGANNATH DEV RATH MAHOTSAV 6TH DAY SWAMI BAGH ASHRAM, Iskcon Dhaka, Bangladesh (Album of photos)
A special event was held today with the part of a little student of ‘awake student society’ in ISKCON BANGLADESH. Among events was mridangam show, Vedic drama, dance, Bhajan & kirtan.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/sR7CFJ

Behind The Scenes – Summer Krishna (13 min video)
→ Dandavats

Behind The Scenes – Summer Krishna (13 min video)
A detailed look into the activities and philosophy behind Viva Kultura’s stage show which is the very center of our festival program. Meet the actors and witness both their practice sessions and live performances on stage. The professional nature of the show, along with the devotion of the actors, combine together to enthrall audiences night after night this summer along the Baltic Sea coast in Poland. Under Indradyumna Swami’s guidance, the powerful spiritual message of India is slowly but surely penetrating the hearts of the people of this country.

Scandinavian Bhakti Sangam 2018 (Album of photos) Srila…
→ Dandavats

Scandinavian Bhakti Sangam 2018 (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In the transcendental loving service of the Lord, it doesn’t matter whether we are working, cooking, painting, writing, chanting, or whatever; they are all the same. There are no such distinctions of higher and lower on the transcendental platform. The important thing is that we are engaging our time and energy in the service of the Lord. After all, we are so tiny, what can we do? Krishna sees simply that this time is being spent in His service. Letter to Karunamayi, February 25, 1968.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/bCWb8B

Finance Exec Talks Krishna Consciousness in the Workplace. One…
→ Dandavats

Finance Exec Talks Krishna Consciousness in the Workplace.
One colleague, saying goodbye before he left to start his MBA, asked, “Why are you always so happy?”
“Because I feel like I’ve been given knowledge that reveals the secret of happiness,” Yasoda-dulal replied. He then handed his colleague a copy of “The Journey Home,” which tells the story of how Radhanath Swami discovered that secret. The man returned four days later saying, “I finished the book. It’s mindblowing.” He has kept in touch ever since.
When colleagues have shown interest, Yasoda-dulal has also given them copies of other books like the Higher Taste cookbook and Srila Prabhupada’s “Science of Self-Realization.” He has invited some of them to kirtans, yoga or introductory talks at the Bhakti Center, where they have enjoyed the programs and connected with teachers such as Radhanath Swami and Niranjana Swami.
To read the complete article please click here: https://goo.gl/kjXfUF