Author Archives: Dandavats

By Kesava Krsna dasa The dialogue of Bhagavad-Gita was transmitted as a live commentary from the heart of Sanjaya to Dhrtarastra. Such mystical ability did not require communication masts or radio waves, but the grace of Guru, in this case Srila Vyasad…

Dhruva Maharaja dasa: Lord Caitanya’s teachings to Rupa Gosvami at Prayag narrated in Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 19 are like a treasure map leading one to love for Radha-Krsna in Goloka Vrindavana. The path taught by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu begins with conditioned souls wandering in the material world (Texts 135-147) and reveals the course they should follow, symptoms detailing their progress, obstacles along the way, and finally the jewels of bliss in various forms (bhavas) derived from following this map. As an offering for Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja this year I recorded Texts 135-257 with his purports as a 3 hour audiobook, and want to share it with devotees. Please visit http://sadhusangaonline.com and choose an option: listen online — download the files — or subscribe to the podcast.

By Sri Nandanandana dasaMany geneticists view that modern man developed and came out of Africa where they migrated across lands to settle in ancient India. From there they spread out in all directions, even into Europe. This is called the “Out of Afric…

By Giriraj Swami Someone could question, “Why should Krishna listen to the prayers of a devotee? So many people are praying to Krishna; why should Krishna listen especially to a devotee? Is that not also partiality?” Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura…

By Parvati devi dasi

Caturmasya and Monsoon is upon us, and the Samadhi Dome is quite damp inside because there was leaking from the Kalash base at the top. We repaired that. But we needed a de-humidifier, which is not a cheap. The Museum roof leaked too, because of damage during a hailstone storm some months before, aggravated by monkeys sporting up there. We’ll have to replace the fiberglass. Vyasa Puja is coming up soon. Srila Prabhupada is sitting right here in Vrndavan in his divine eternal resting place.

By Srutakirti dasaThis was one of Srila Prabhupada’s qualities. He was very careful not to discourage anyone through criticism. If they were capable of dealing with it then he would chastise them. Otherwise, he was the greatest transcendental diplomat …

By Krishnanandini Devi Dasi The best parents are good role models for their children. They demonstrate the spiritual way of life through words and deeds, understanding that children learn what they live. They seek out other parents or families trying t…

By Mohini Radha Devi DasiSome people fantasize about accumulating immense wealth and dream of what they would buy if they only had enough. To them, happiness hovers elusively on the other side of that new car, that big house, that diamond necklace. Wh…

By Chaitanya Charana DasaWhen the media assault our eyes with images of half-naked bodies, lawmakers fight back with anti-obscenity laws, and the media complain that the government is policing personal morality. “Who are you to restrict our sexual enj…

By Karuna Dharini Devi Dasi I am only starting to understand that I was an enemy to the gardener. Whatever prestige I maintained in the garden is just so much rotten mulch. I hereby permanently drop it as garbage! Pride which is not for the satisfactio…

By Arcana Siddhi Devi Dasi Later, after becoming a devotee, I discovered that according to the Vedic teachings my assertions were right. But now I could understand something about the nature of that absolute reality: It is Krishna. Everything we see in…

By Satswarup dasa Goswami At his father’s request, Gopal Agarwal had done as he had done for several other sadhus, none of whom had ever gone to America. It was just a formality, something to satisfy his father. Gopal had requested a form from the In…

By Administrator Today’s class in London. Very analytical and detailed description of the ontological position of Lord Balarama. Authorized and refined theology presented in a language everyone can understand. Nice section of questions and answers.Read…

It is now 2018. Thousands of books are landing on the laps of the conditioned souls every day. As you read this, someone somewhere is donating Laxmi to get a boom from a sankirtan devotee. For those who are out there on the front line, im sure you ca…

By Vijaya das When Rama Raya Prabhu returned to New York from Vrindavan after Aindra Prabhu passed on, he decided to go to New York City and just do harinama 365 days a year. He thought that his good friend Aindra would be pleased if he did that servic…

By Giriraj Swami In every sphere of activity in the material world there is deterioration; everything in the material world declines. A new house, for example, is very nice, but it gradually deteriorates, and eventually, when too old, it has to be rebu…

By Mandaleshwara dasa When I tell you that the Naimisharanya meeting of sages some fifty centuries ago is of great importance to us today, you may doubt. After all, the meeting was so long ago and in a forest in India, so you naturally wonder what rele…

By The World Holy Name Festival Team

Since we’re just a month away from the World Holy Name Festival, we’re presenting ideas for temple Presidents and devotees to make the most of this spiritual event.T he World Holy Name Festival organising team has carefully curated a list of inspirational ideas which can be taken up by one an all, alone or with family or with friends.

By Yogesvara Dasa To spread Krishna’s teaching abroad required someone who was both an exemplar of the Bhakti tradition yet flexible enough to adapt its teachings to a world governed by science and technology. Abhay had that balance: a devotee raised i…

By Purushottam Nitai Das Stars of this world are mortal beings, they are infinitesimal. Their name and fame stays with them for a limited period of time. In fact Krishna is the original superstar because he has all beauty, all strength, all intelligenc…

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Ishopanishad teaches us that we should be very careful. We don’t say that you shouldn’t advance in material education. You can advance, but at the same time, become Krishna conscious. That is our…

By Aja Govinda DasaSectarian and political disputes are common not only today but occurred even during the time of Sri Parashurama, an empowered incarnation of the Supreme Lord who appeared several ages before Lord Ramachandra, millions of years ago. T…

THE WAIT IS OVER!
It had been a long journey but Prabhupada’s story finally made it to the big screen in June of 2017. There, the film won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Film at the Illuminate Film Festival, and screened in multiple festivals across t…

By Iskcon Mayapur For the last 33 years, an enthusiastic group of ISKCON Youth has worked together each year for an entire month before the annual Jhulan Yatra festival in Mayapur. In order to prepare for the festivities, these dedicated servants of Sr…

By Radhika krpa Devi Dasi

The Indian State of Haryana witnessed the grand opening of it’s first Iskcon temple. Fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s desire of twelve Temples in Delhi NCR His Holiness Gopal Krsna Goswami Maharaja ji has taken the target exceedingly beyond that. Under his guidance has come up a Majestic, Regal, Grand Palace Temple in Bahadhurgarh; a busy town of Haryana.

By Premanjana Das During the stage program of the inauguration, Smt Usha Bhardwaj w/o Late Sri Gopal Bhardwaja revealed that they met Srila Prabhupada for the first time in 1972 in Australia and their faith grew in spiritual life upon receiving persona…

By Radha Govinda SwamiPrabhupada was at that time alone, so I did not recognize that he is Prabhupada. “Where is A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami?” I asked Prabhupada. So he asked me, “Why you want to meet with him?” I replied, “Because he is my guru. I like h…

By Vraja Vihari Dasa”What’s it like to go back home to Krishna?” wondered ten-year-old Kiran at the weekly gathering for children from our congregation. I responded by speaking about Goloka Vrindavana, our real home, where we aspire to go after our te…

By Kesava Krsna DasaDeath is a 100% certainty. How are we going to face it? If it comes when we least expect it, this is what makes death so mystifying, yet it is often kept away at a distance within the mind. People know they will die, but how they…

On Saturday 7/14/18, the actual day of Rath Yatra in Jagannath-Puri, Lord Jagannath gave traditional floral crown/Tahia Darshan followed by Pahandi, Chariot pulling with ecstatic kirtan. Inspired by Ananda Bazaar, clay pot (Kudwa) filled specialties w…

By Satyaraja DasaAround this time, the devotees had released the “Happening” album, an assortment of devotional songs sung by Prabhupada with musical accompaniment. They had placed an ad for the record in the Village Voice and were receiving orders fro…

By Madhavananda Das”For various reasons, common people do not easily develop faith in exalted persons who are still living, whereas they tend to develop great faith in the activities of mahajanas who have passed away.” (Jaiva Dharma chapter 22) The pro…

By Mayapur Sasi dasa For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of July 2018. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Indiv…

By Srutakirti dasa”This evening you can make me some puffed rice and peanuts,” he said. “It will fill me, but it is not heavy. What I ate last night made it difficult for me to get up and do my translating work. With puffed rice there is no indigestion…

By Chaitanya Charana DasaImagine a farmer who gets a Mercedes Benz as a gift. The only vehicle he has ever seen is a tractor, and the only purpose he knows for any vehicle is plowing. So he hitches a yoke to his new Mercedes and starts driving it over …

By Navina Syama Dasa Sam Surya goes to his city’s orphanage one day and makes a large donation. Elsewhere in town, Andy Andhakara robs a bank. What led these two to make such drastically different choices? Was it their own volition, or the force of som…

By Devaki Devi Dasi In the purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.4.12, Srila Prabhupada nicely explains the art of fanning the spark of good qualities in another person. Here, Sati speaks to her father Daksha after he insulted her husband Lord Shiva. Before s…

By Sri Nandanandana Das Sometimes people ask who is Lord Balarama? And the answer is that He is the brother of Lord Krishna. However, He does many things besides that. How we understand this is to first recognize that, according to Vedic scripture such…