Author Archives: Dandavats

By Gargs Allard

If one sees this movie for what it is (and is advertised) – the story of the swami who started the Hare Krishna Movement against all odds – then it is an amazing account of spiritual purity, power and accomplishment. The non-devotee, however much he or she may or may not be turned off by Hare Krishna people, has to acknowledge there was certainly something that attracted its followers of the late sixties and early seventies. This film more than aptly shows what that was, or who it was – Srila Prabhupada.

By the BBC Hundreds of festival-goers have joined a procession in which a 40ft (12.1m) chariot was pulled through Leicester city centre. The Hare Krishna Festival of Chariots began in Granby Street with a welcome ceremony and ended at Cossington Park, …

By Indradyumna Swami

“I just wanted to thank you for your talk. It literally saved my life.” “Saved your life?” I said, thinking that perhaps she was speaking metaphorically. “Yes,” she said. “Two years ago my only child, my 16 year old son, was killed in a head-on car collision. I was devastated and as a result my relationship with my husband deteriorated quickly. We began quarreling and fighting and eventually separated. Six months ago we divorced. Because I was so distraught I couldn’t focus at work, and several months ago I lost my job. My friends were unable to cope with me, and one by one they abandoned me. I couldn’t make sense of it all. I kept asking, ‘why is all this happening to me?’” She paused and then said: “There seemed to be no reason to keep living. So I came up here to the coast last week with the intention of ending my life.”

By Acarya Dasa

It is believed that the deity of Guruvayurappan was once worshipped by Vasudeva and Devaki, Lord Krishna’s parents, and represents the Maha Vishnu form as revealed to them when Krishna appeared. The deity was also later worshipped by Krishna Himself. Carved from ‘Patala Anjanam’ stone or black bismuth and in a standing pose the deity is a four-armed form of Vishnu carrying the conch Panchajanya, the discus Sudarshana Chakra, the mace Kaumodaki, the lotus and adorned with a divine Tulsi garland. The deity faces east and is four feet tall. Despite the size of the deity devotees consider Him to be little Krishna. He is worshipped according to pooja regulations stipulated by Adi Sankaracharya and later formally recorded in the Tantras by Chennas Narayanan Namboodiri (born in 1427).

By Venu Gopal Das The consciousness of the gopis is exemplary.The entire day they think of how to serve Krishna. Their minds are not focused on material desires or selfish delusions. When they meet amongst each other, instead of going on about themsel…

By Nikunja Vilasini Dasi Nick Vujicic was born without arms and legs. “Why me?” he always asked until he discovered that God had chosen him for a purpose. Because of his disability, he was able to reach out to people and give them courage. Nick’s zest …

By Parvati devi dasi This is an appeal for your help for Prabhupada’s Vrndavana Samadhi Project. This year, somehow the donation level has fallen below normal. For the first time in 17 years, I had to break a small Fixed Deposit to put in the working …

By Hare Krishna Lifestyle

Srila Prabhupada’s disciple, one of the best kirtaniyas in the world – Bada Haridas Prabhu shared with the HARE KRISHNA Lifestyle some of his most intimate life moments. He opened up about chanting mantras, his family life, and his spiritual master.

By Rachel Mainwaring Rock legend Chrissie Hynde helped reopen a new Cardiff restaurant and even handed out flyers. Not everyone recognised her but she was completely unfazed. The Pretenders star Chrissie Hynde was in Cardiff on Saturday to reopen Atma …

By ISKCON Coimbatore

The year 2016 marked the Golden Jubilee (1966-2016) of the incorporation of ISKCON ( International Society for Krishna Consciousness) in New York by its Founder Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In continuance with the Golden Jubilee celebration, ISKCON Coimbatore is now presenting a series of inspirational life-changing talks titled “Saaram”. The first of its kind was held on 12th July 2017, at Nani Phalkiwala Auditorium, Mani’s High School, Coimbatore.The function was inaugurated by HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami (Zonal Secretary) ISKCON, along with Ms Vanitha Mohan, President, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other dignitaries from Coimbatore.HG Gaur Gopal Das from ISKCON Mumbai, life coach, and international motivational speaker addressed the gathering on “Sutras for a Happy Life”. HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami delivered an inspirational speech and also highlighted the significance of the upcoming Sri Kovai Chandra temple project at ISKCON, Coimbatore.The audience expressed their gratitude and appreciation towards the committed service of ISKCON in enlightening people with the secrets of Vedic scriptures, which is vital to achieve success and taste real happiness in life.

By Lila Shukha Dasi I never thought, despite my secondary career as a teacher, that I would now be the one teaching what I had been lovingly taught. And as I taught, reluctantly and uncomfortably at first, the more grateful I felt to those who had pass…

By Rupavati Devi Dasi A successful model Evgeniya Fedorova from Saint Petersburg, representative of the Vaishnava Culture, shared with the HARE KRISHNA lifestyle blog her story about how to turn non-sattvic business into a sattvic one, how to be a vedi…

By Sam Newhouse

Bhakti yoga center in Fishtown, Pennsylvania, United States is part of a new “urban-rural farm connection” project. “We’re in a very serious situation, as the only species that has destroyed its own habitat, and we need to understand that without a connection to the land – and all that that connection entails in terms of a balanced lifestyle – there’ll be no major solution,” Swami said. “The question is, how many urbanites want to invest in a rural connection, if not moving to a rural area, at least developing an active reciprocal relationship?”

By Vaishnava das The all merciful Lord Sri Gaur Hari, as He travelled from village to village throughout the south of India, continued to distribute love of Godhead wherever He went. Hearing the nectarean names of Hari from His lotus mouth, thousands a…

By Sunanda Das

Most significantly was the presence of Lord Nityananda’s Padukas and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Sitari from Mayapur along with His Grace Sriman Jananivas and Vraja Vilas prabhus representing the TOVP. Maharaja dedicated over three hours of prime-time to the TOVP presentation and fundraising showing by his own example the importance of the project. Due to his inspiration over $1 million U.S. was raised in pledges.

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 June 2017. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Indiv…

By Mayapur Internal Communications Team

Starting in the late 80’s with one small chariot, Ratha-yatra was celebrated just inside the Mayapur campus by the gurukula students. As time went on, Ratha-yatra grew, and the campus grounds could no longer hold the festival. We had to start thinking big. In 1997, the Mayapur management organized the first ever Ratha-yatra festival coming from Rajapur to ISKCON Mayapur with three grand chariots. It was only with their leadership and expertise that this festival continues today.

By Greg Cook

Around noon on Saturday, men wrapped in white robes gathered just off Boston’s Boylston Street in the middle of a festive crowd of women dressed in bright colored saris and men in dhoti kurtas, with gopi dots and lines of color painted on their faces. The robed men lined up before the tall yellow chariot wagon, garlanded with flowers, that resembled a temple on wheels. One man raised a coconut above his head, then smashed it on the pavement for an auspicious beginning to the annual Festival of Chariots — or Ratha Yatra (a Sanskrit phrase that roughly translates as “chariot procession”) — by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness Boston or ISKCON Boston or more generally known as the Hare Krishnas.

By TOVP

Operation FullDome is a way to give any visiting guest to Sri Dham Mayapur an opportunity to experience the most unique immersive spiritual experience in a spiritual town. The visitors will relax in comfort and watch high-quality presentations of professionally made FullDome films, using only top grade technology – the same technology that Disney, NASA, and many Fortune 500 companies use. This place will become the pivot point of interactive educational and spiritually riveting audio-visual experience. The proceedings from this project will go towards the TOVP Exhibits.

By ISKCON Sannyasa Ministry

Srila Prabhupada on “What is a Sannyasi?” As there are hairs and nails on the body and sometimes we separate these parts from the body similarly when the material energy is separated from the service of the Lord it is inferior energy. Inferior energy is not false but temporary. The same temporary energy when surcharged with Krsna consciousness it transforms into supreme energy by the supreme will. By this will any energy can be transformed into another just like electronic energy in a refrigerator or in a heater, to an ordinary layman, he sees cold and hot but to an electrician he sees electricity. So when one is engaged in the service of the Lord that person is already in the spiritual energy, and a sannyasi is to transform himself from the inferior to the superior, spiritual energy. If your consciousness is absorbed in Krsna you are always a sannyasi.” (SPL to Jayananda, 29th September, 1967)

By Romapada Swami Question: Srila Prabhupada’s translation indicates that “a-brahma-bhuvanal – up to the Brahmaloka plane” The Bhagavatam seems to say that Satya Loka is not subject to birth, death, old age and disease. The Bhagavad Gita seems to say t…

By Rachna Tyagi

So, what are the prerequisites to join them? “ISKCON is a calling. The person coming to ISKCON actually comes to serve Krishna. He wants to dedicate his life to Krishna,” says Das. As a student of structural engineering in IIT-Madras, he came across a book on Prabhupada at a library in IIT-Bombay. He says, “When I read that, I felt it was something that nobody had taught me. I was very inspired, especially after I finished reading the Bhagavad Gita. I felt this was what I should dedicate my life to. I then switched over to philosophy, did my master’s and got my doctorate on the topic,” says Das.

By Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami So the more we will clear ourselves and dip ourselves into this process of sadhana-bhakti, which is the bhakti-lata-bija, then the more our greediness and our possessiveness for Krishna will grow. And when we’re possessi…

By Vijay Krsna Kumar Das

Scholars and academicians from various parts of the country and abroad converged at the Kalina campus of Mumbai University to participate in a first of its kind International conference on the topic “Relevance, Role and Resurgence of Vaishnavism studies in 21^st century.” Jointly organized by the Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha Research Center of ISKCON and Shree Halari Oswal College, the conference witnessed participation of more than 200 students, scholars and administrators from the field of academia. Honorable Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University, Dr. Sanjay Deshmukh and several other dignitaries like Dr Satish Modh, Director of Vivekanand Institute of Management Studies, Mrs Maya Shahani, Chairperson at Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management, Dr. Chandrakant Puri, a Chair Professor at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Contemporary Studies, HG Gauranga Das from ISKCON Mumbai inaugurated the conference by lighting the lamps. It was followed by Sarasvati Vandana and the University Anthem.

By Ravindra Svarupa Das

Srimad-Bhagavatam Eleventh Canto Chapter 31: The Disappearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Dāruka delivered the account of the total destruction of the Vṛṣṇis, and upon hearing this, O Parīkṣit, the people became deeply distraught in their hearts and stunned with sorrow. Feeling the overwhelming pain of separation from Kṛṣṇa, they struck their own faces while hurrying to the place where their relatives lay dead.

By Anantashesh Das Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura instructed Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to establish scriptural learning in Mayapur. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura worked out a detailed tenfold curriculum of study of all of the major …

By Ananta Gauranga Das When Alexander the Great lead his men through the Gedrosian Desert, the loss of life was colossal. He sent phalanxes of his army in search of water. After many hours they came back with just enough to fill a helmet. The parched a…

By Mayapur Internal Communications team

In the book The Seventh Goswami, a biography of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura , it is stated that Thakura Bhaktivinoda prayerfully invoked the Lord, and expressed his heartfelt desire, “When will that day come when the fair-skinned foreigners will come to Sri Mayapur-dhama and join with the Bengali Vaisnavas to chant ‘Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana!’ … Very soon the chanting of Harinama sankirtana will be spread all over the world. Oh, when will that day come when people from America, England, France, Germany, Russia will take up kartals and mrdangas and chant Hare Krsna in their towns?” Interestingly enough, just one-hundred years after Thakura Bhaktivinoda predicted this, three-thousand devotees form America, England, France, Germany, Russia and fifty other countries gathered at ISKCON Mayapur, joined together with one-thousand Bengali Vaisnavas, and chanted and danced together, chanting “Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana Gaura Hari!”

By Niranjana Swami The intelligent Queen Kunti here points out that even though Lord Krsna is dealing with her affectionately as a relative, He is not compromising His position as the well-wishing Soul of the universe. In other words, the Lord doesn’t …

By Danavir Goswami A synonym for the word guru is acarya which means one who teaches by example. Guru means preacher and preacher means acarya— äcära pracära. A devotee who executes sadhana bhakti carefully for many years may be allowed to accept disc…

By Hari Parsada Dasa A confidential thought gets exposed as soon as it reaches six ears. (This means that the confidential thought should stay always between the two ears of the speaking friend and the two ears of the listening friend. As soon at the t…

By Karnamrita Das

In the lives of great persons there is always opposition and apparent road blocks in accomplishing their goals or mission in life. Whether through another person, an accident, their own body or mind, or some natural disturbance, what appears on the surface to be an impediment is passed through and the glory of the person is revealed. Practically we can see that great success in any undertaking or field is not accomplished without passing through many setbacks and even failure. In the personal growth or success literature such perseverance and determination in the face of what seem insurmountable odds are part of any great person’s story.

By Danavir Goswami Driving an automobile in the service of the Lord (dasyam) is equal to performing any other service in bhakti-yoga such as sravanam, kirtanam, distributing books, offering arati to the deities, managing a temple, etc. Sri Daruka, Sri…

By Vaisesika Dasa Sunday feast lecture in London Iskcon Temple. How to install the Srimad Bhagavatam in your house. Those persons who worship the Vaishnava literature Srimad Bhagavatam in their house are freed from all sins and they become worshipable …

By ISKCON Indonesia Perkumpulan (Indonesian for “Association”) ISKCON is a legal body registered with the Indonesian government since September 2015. Perkumpulan ISKCON was founded directly by the ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC) representatives …

By Iskcon Desire Tree Pancharatna Das was and still is one of the important managers in Mayapur, who started living there since the middle of 70 and till now is striving to make this place better.Read More…

By Mukhya Devi Dasi

The State of the State – your tithing dollars at work! Wow, we are already half way through 2017, so here’s a peek at what your tithing dollars are allowing us to do at the Temple. We have spent the past 16 months working on securing development permits for Phase II of our master plan, which includes building guest cottages around the pond. It’s been a long and tedious process, where every department of county regulators comes over to have a look and give opinions on what we want to do. Thank you to all of our donors and tithers, your generous contributions make these projects possible. Please encourage your friends to support our temple; we are here to serve you!

Bhagavata Pradipika, a free monthly e-magazine on the Srimad Bhagavatam, is an initiative of the Bhaktivedanta Vidyapitha to share the unparalleled wisdom of the Bhagavatam with the whole world.Read More…

By Ravindra Svarupa Das Although Lord Krsna, being the possessor of infinite powers, is the only cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of innumerable living beings, He simply did not desire to keep His body in this world any longer. Thus H…

By Bhakti Charu Swami Man has the chance to bloom spiritually by raising himself to the highest level of love of God.The Vedic scriptures divide consciousness into five categories, namely covered, shrunken, budding, blooming, and fully bloomed. Trees …