The Journey Of An Ardent Book Distributor in Malaysia – Malini Priti Devi Dasi
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Noted for her welcoming smile and joyful service as a book distributor, Malini Priti Devi Dasi (Meera Thuraisingam) is an exemplary disciple of HH Jayapataka Swami, serving locally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but inspiring devotees worldwide.  Raised in Krishna Consciousness, her first book distribution service started at fourteen during a Hindu festival called Thaipusam, celebrated […]

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Hungarian Minister Praises Krishna Valley’s 30 Years in the Service of a Sustainable Future
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Hungarian officials and other representatives join H.H. Sivarama Swami in the opening of the ox-powered facility. On May 20th, 2023, Hungary’s largest and only active ox-powered treadmill was inaugurated at ISKCON Krishna Valley. The treadmill is a power-generating machine that uses animal power rather than fossil fuels. Power generated from the treadmill will be used […]

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New Online Learning Platform Features Several Well-Known Devotees
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Vani School, a new online learning platform, aims to connect subscribers with established and professional teachers from the diverse yoga landscape and culture and features many devotees known to the ISKCON family. The initiative was inspired by the vision of Radhanath Swami to offer a single platform to showcase some of the most influential young […]

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Eindhoven, Holland Enthusiastically Welcomes 2023 Ratha Yatra
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Photos courtesy of Ananda Jita Das Devotees recently celebrated the Ratha Yatra festival in the streets of Eindhoven, Holland. Their Lordships, accompanied by marching bands and patriotic floats, bestowed darshan upon the enthusiastic crowds of Eindhoveans. The ISKCON Eindhoven community has been organizing this annual Ratha Yatra Festival there every year since 2007. This year, […]

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ISKCON Punjabi Bagh’s Children Celebrate World Environment Day
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On World Environment Day, a group of 30 students and seven teachers from ISKCON Punjabi Bagh’s Hare Krishna Sunday School gathered in a nearby renowned park to celebrate and raise awareness about the importance of caring for our planet. The participants engaged in various activities aimed at promoting environmental consciousness. The day commenced with a […]

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Vakresvara Pandita Appearance
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In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, verse 71, it is stated that Vakresvara Pandita was an incarnation of Aniruddha, one of the quadruple expansions of Visnu (Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Aniruddha and Pradyumna). He could dance wonderfully for seventy-two continuous hours.

When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu played in dramatic performances in the house of Srivasa Pandita, Vakresvara Pandita was one of the chief dancers, and he danced continuously for that length of time.

Sri Govinda dasa, an Oriya devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, has described the life of Vakresvara Pandita in his book Gaura-krsnodaya. There are many disciples of Vakresvara Pandita in Orissa, and they are known as Gaudiya Vaisnavas although they are Oriyas. Among these disciples are Sri Gopalaguru and his disciple Sri Dhyanacandra Gosvami. (Adi 10.17)

In the Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-lila, Chapter Twenty-one, it is stated that Devananda Pandita and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya’s father, Visarada, lived in the same village. Devananda Pandita was a professional reciter of Srimad Bhagavatam, but Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not like his interpretation of it.

In the present town of Navadvipa, which was formerly known as Kuliya, Lord Caitanya showed such mercy to him that he gave up the Mayavadi interpretation of Srimad-Bhagavatam and learned how to explain Srimad-Bhagavatam in terms of bhakti.

Formerly, when Devananda was expounding the Mayavadi interpretation, Srivasa Thakura was once present in his meeting, and when he began to cry, Devananda’s students drove him away. Some days later, Caitanya Mahaprabhu passed that way, and when He met Devananda He chastised him severely because of his Mayavada interpretation of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

At that time Devananda had little faith in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as an incarnation of Lord Krsna, but one night some time later Vakresvara Pandita was a guest in his house, and when he explained the science of Krsna, Devananda was convinced about the identity of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Thus he was induced to explain Srimad-Bhagavatam according to the Vaisnava understanding. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, verse 106, it is described that he was formerly Bhaguri Muni, who was the sabha-pandita who recited Vedic literature in the house of Nanda Maharaja. (Adi 10.77)