Author Archives: H.H. Indradyumna Swami

This morning we went on harinama samkirtan in Ahmedabad to drum up publicity for this evening’s festival program. People were fascinated to see so many western devotees along with their blissful Gujarati brothers and sisters chanting and dancing in great happiness through the streets of the city. Srila Prabhupada once called ISKCON the, “United Nations […]

Due to unusually cold weather attendance was down at our first festival in Ahmedabad last night. But we made up for it with our preaching on a popular talk show the same evening. Several million people watched “G Television” as myself, Sri Prahlad das and Syama Premi dasi spoke for 40 minutes about Srila Prabhupada […]

Srila Prabhupada wanted his disciples to preach Krishna Consciousness in India.

Today is my close friend Shyamlal prabhu’s funeral. I wrote this letter to him to be read at the ceremony: My dear friend Shyamlal, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I was happy to hear of your departure the other day. It was very difficult seeing you in a painful condition […]

Yesterday evening we took darsan of Lord Padmanabha. Like many other temples in this region of India the Lord is lying down in a mystic slumber. Western, non-Hindu people are forbidden to enter the temple, but ISKCON devotees ( from anywhere in the wor…

Yesterday we traveled north through the jungle to the famous Adi-kesava temple which Lord Caitanya visited 500 years ago during His journey through South India. It was in the Adi-kesava temple that Mahaprabhu found a copy of the 5th chapter of the Brah…

Today in Thiruvananthapuram we visited a temple of Lord Parasurama, a 1,300 year old Siva temple and a Krishna temple built by Bhima 5,000 years ago. The state of Kerala is rich with the ancient culture of India. [ Photos by myself and 5 by Narottam da…

My good friend Shyamlal das, who was born in Navadwip and served most of his life in South Africa, has passed away. Srila Prabhupada personally encouraged Shyamlal a number of times in his preaching activities and gave him several small gifts in apprec…

Today we drove 80 kilometers through a jungle area to the temple of Sri Janardana which was visited by Lord Caitanya 500 years ago. The temple architecture was unlike any other I have seen in India. Sri Caitanya Caritamrita describes how Mahaprabhu cha…

This festival travelling program is a modern day pastime of Lord Caitanya because it’s the result of the desire of all the previous acaryas and of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.

Today myself and Sri Prahlada, who is visiting me from Australia, went on a short parikrama of Vrindavan. Along the way we met my parikrama guru, Deena Bandhu prabhu, who we followed to the Radha Gokulananda temple. His love for Vrindavan is contagious!

I just came back from a 2-day trip to Jaipur. I wanted to get the blessings of Sri Sri Radha Govinda, the beloved deities of Srila Rupa Goswami, for our 6-week festival tour which begins on January 10 in Gujarat. I begged Radha Govinda to empower our c…

My doctor advised me to start exercising by taking short walks. So taking my camera I went with a small group of devotees by taxi to Radha Kunda and walked two times around the sacred lake. It took 30 minutes. By following the doctors orders hopefully …

We need to work hard and set higher and higher goals each time, so that we can achieve the highest goal – a clean heart in which we can cultivate real love for Radha and Krsna.

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“Srila Haridasa Thakur advised that we concentrate deeply on the holy names of Krishna. Lord Caitanya’s teachings on this matter are found in the Caitanya Bhagavata, Madhya 23.650 where it is stated: “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. The Lord said: ‘This is the maha-mantra. […]

“Every day one must complete his prescribed number of rounds, according to his vow. One should chant sincerely being careful not to sacrifice his quality of chanting in his eagerness to complete his vow. One should strive to improve the quality of chanting, rather than increase his number of rounds for show. The name of […]

“Inattention arising from laziness prevents a person from relishing the nectar of the holy names while chanting japa. He is slow to chant and remember the holy names. Even after trying, he soon finds the effort unendurable and wants to sleep or otherwise engage himself in frivolity. “Advanced devotees are cautious against such an offense. […]

A daily routine …. “One must make it a daily routine to chant for an hour in the company of saintly Vaisnavas in a sacred, undisturbed place. Noting the Vaisnavas devotional attitude and their relish for the holy names, the neophyte should emulate this mood and gradually rid himself of all apathy while chanting. Step […]

While recuperating here in South Africa I am focusing on chanting the holy names – which are in and of themselves the best medicine. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s instructions in this regard are important: “Advanced Vaisnavas advise that chanting is best performed in the presence of Tulasi devi and in a place of Lord Krishna’s pastimes. […]

As I convalesce after my recent illness here in South Africa I take shelter of the instructions of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur in his Harinam Cintamani: “The devotee should make it a regular practice to spend a little time alone in a quiet place and concentrate deeply on the holy name. He should utter and hear […]

We have been blessed that Giriraja has come to us so we should be very careful not to become familiar, not make offenses and follow all the rules of bhakti.

Volume 13, Chapter 13 Dec 6, 2013   Memorial Address for Nelson Mandela Delivered at Edison Power Group Memorial Function Durban,South Africa December 6, 2013 Dearest Madiba, It was with profound sadness that I learned of your departure from this world yesterday. Though all of us were aware that your demise was imminent, somehow we […]

Srila Prabhupada always appeared very blissful and joyful but he was never frivolous. Every once in a while he used humour in his lectures but he was always sober. Preaching is a serious business, to convince people about futility of material life and …

“He who yearns to attain the sweetness of pure love in Vrindavan, but by destiny is forced to live elsewhere, laments and always remembers Vrindavan with it’s beautiful splendid groves where Radha and Krishna enjoy pastimes. He meditates on entering Vrindavan and thinks, ‘Now I am serving the Divine Couple.’” [ Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati, Sri […]

Yesterday King Goodwill of the Zulu’s gave me some good advise after my hernia operation: “Swami, you must take advantage of this to finally get some good rest! ” He’s right. And I will

The easiest and most sublime process to awaken love for God is to chant his Holy Names.

Dear Sivarama Swami, Hare Krsna. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I hope you do not mind my writing to you. I have never written to a spiritual master before. You do not know me. My name is Bhaktin Dora and I live in…

Today I went around Vrindavan to say goodbye to all my friends and everything that inspired me during my 5 week visit here. I paid a special visit to the Samadhi of Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami. I’ll be back in India in two weeks to begin preparations for our second Gujarat festival tour which will […]

To enter into Vrindavana we need to develop an intense desire to serve Radha and Krsna as They desire to be served. We should learn this from the brajavasis beginning with Srila Prabhupada.

The deities of Radha-vallabha in downtown Vrindavan are amongst my favorites. Krsna’s dark eyes are so enchanting! Popular amongst the Vraja-vasis, the old temple is not so well known amongst ISKCON devotees. Srimati Radharani is present as Her crown to the left of Vallabha, like at the more famous Radha Raman temple.

Radha Raman is everyone’s favorite in Vrindavan, with crowds of people flocking to see Him each evening – for the last 500 years.

Yesterday I wandered around Mathura alone. To my delight, I found many old temples and interesting people – just like in nearby Vrindavan. The glories of the holy dhamas never cease to amaze me. “By speaking the name ‘Mathura’ one attains the same result as chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna. By hearing the […]

After our month-long parikrama finished, I just kept walking … [ Photos by me 🙂 ]

I have benefited so much from my stay here in Sri Vrindavan Dhama. But today I realised that to obtain the love of God I aspire for I must leave Vrindavan soon and preach again in the west, for Srila Prabhupada writes: “Maya’s is all these newspapers. Preach that throughout the whole world. Sitting alone […]

Pani Gaon means the Village of Water. It is where the great sage Durvasa Muni had his asram 5,000 years ago in Vrindavan. Our parikrama party travelled for two hours in boats down the Yamuna river to visit the ancient and spiritually potent site. We ha…

A special trip to Surya Kunda where Srimati Radharani goes to worship the Sun God daily. There She meets Her beloved Krsna and They have Their sublime pastimes. We prayed to one day have the eyes to see those divine lilas.

“Govardhan Hill is like a flag of intense sweetness placed in the opulent land of Vrindavan. As the king of mountains Govardhan Hill offers very pleasing royal service to the young prince of Vraja.” [ Vraja-riti-cintamani, Chapter 3, v. 1 ]

The other day we visited a quiet and isolated place in Vraja up the Yamuna river. Nanda Ghat is where Krsna’s father was caught by a servant of Varuna for bathing too early in the morning. Devotees loved hearing the pastime how he was rescued by Krsna. The people of the village were curious seeing […]

Lord Balaram is also original Spiritual Master. So duty of Spiritual Master is also to purify the heart of the disciple.