Planet ISKCON

“Once, in Detroit, a child started to make a noise while Srila Prabhupada was talking. The mother started to chastise the child and Srila Prabhupada said. ‘In vedic culture children cannot be punished.’ So, then the mother’s husband began to chastise her for having chastised the child. Srila Prabhupada said. ‘In vedic culture women cannot be punished.’  So, then the temple commander started to chastise the husband and Srila Prabhupada said. ‘In vedic culture brahmanas are not punished. Then he said that our society consists of children, women and brahmanas so no one can be punished.'”

Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance

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Written by Nandan

The disappearance day of Narottama Das Thakur

Maharaj sang the morning Guruvastakam prayers in Srila Prabhupada’s samadhi. It was gentle, soothing and perfectly in sync with the Vrindavan morning mood. It was also the disappearance day of Narottama Das Thakur (Saturday, 31st October 2015), so in the afternoon around 3pm Maharaj took a sizeable bunch of disciples to Narottama Das Thakur’s samadhi in the Radha Gokulananda temple in Vrindavan.

The walk to the samadhi was accompanied by incredible harinams. First by the passionate kirtaneering monk Gurudas Prabhu from England and then followed by Maharaj himself. Going through the streets of the famous Vrindavan market, Loi Bazaar, and singing the mahamantra was quite an experience and the locals were loving it – all the shopkeepers, vendors and general crowds of people were looking on in amazement, raising their hands and joining in; the ‘rickshawallahs’ were honking away and even the dogs and cows looked perky and interested; it was kind of reminiscent of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Jharikhand pastimes. The monkeys were also looking on with keen interest. No doubt, their darting eyes were appreciating the devotees’ belongings as much as the devotional singing!!

After going down a nondescript alley road in Vrindavan, the devotees finally arrived at the Radha Gokulananda temple. The entrance to the temple was quite inconspicuous and inside, it had that ‘rough round the edges’ old school Indian feel to it. But at the same time, there was some serious potency emanating from there as well. One was in no doubt that one had entered a deeply sacred place.

There was an interesting deity there called Vamsidhari Mahaprabhu who was a beautiful golden looking Caitanya Mahaprabhu standing like Krsna with a flute in his hand. This was in reference to Mahaprabhu manifesting various ‘Swarupa bhavas’ in his Vrindavan pastimes. And of course, the temple had the samadhis of Narottama Das Thakur and Srila Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur amongst others.

After everyone had paid their obeisances to the deities and the samadhis of the various acharyas, Maharaj got everyone to sit down near the samadhi of Narottama Das Thakur. Then for the next ninety minutes Maharaj spoke at length on the wonderful teachings, adventures, glories and overall life story of Srila Narottama Das Thakur – one of the greatest and most important vaishnava acharyas in history.

Maharaj made a lot of potent points within his discussion. For example, it was due to Narottama Das Thakur’s teachings that Bengal went from a culture of sentimentalism to one of real devotional culture based on astute philosophy. Not only that, he was also the one who established the famous ‘Drupada style’ kirtan – famous for starting melodies on long notes.

Once Narottama Das Thakur (as stated in the Narottama Vilasa) was in the Padma River and his body was melting in the river. So how was his samadhi here? The water from that time was actually taken here to form the samadhi.

Maharaj then clarified that the disappearance day is more powerful than the appearance day of an acharya because all the pastimes have been revealed. This is their mercy. All coming in line through Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur, Baladev Vidya Bhushan, Jagannath Das Babaji… all the way to Srila Prabhupada and then finally down to us! Yes us! Who end up wearing different coloured socks and forget our bead bags! It is ALL MERCY!!

But then Maharaj boldly stated that the crux is to stay in the movement – there may be 1000’s of reasons not to stay; for example, they’re not treating me well, my parents, my health etc. But we must make this a lifetime of devotional service. Srila Prabhupada gave us the entrance to Vrindavan, now we have to capitalize on that. Maharaj recalled how it was initially a remote land with just a stump of a Tamala tree and a nasty bull, who the devotees were convinced was the incarnation of Aristasura!

Then Hans Keilman came along, a Dutch architect. Srila Prabhupada said to him to come along for an initiation ceremony. He then asked for who? Srila Prabhupada replied, “For you!” The rest is history, as they say.

The nectar continued to flow throughout the evening and then after the discussion, all the devotees got to view the Govardhan Sila that Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to worship and then later gave to Raghunath Das Goswami. A beautiful sight to finish the trip with.

HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaj ki Jai!!

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The Hindi Bhagavatam translates qualification as “aukad” – is that correct?
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Govardhan Puja Panamá 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “For one who wants liberation from the fruitive reactions of material activities, the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, or glorification of the name, fame and pastimes of the Lord, is recommended as the most perfect process of atonement because such chanting eradicates the dirt from one’s heart completely.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.12)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/0AwlTO

Caitanya Simha das, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and friend and well-wisher to so many devotees, left his body today in the early morning hours at Sri Mayapur dhama, on the disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada,( also happened to be his birthday) to continue his journey back home to Godhead. He started so many on their path, built temples and opened farm communities, worked on Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi and at present with TOVP. The funeral procession, attended by Mayapur Community devotees took place in the afternoon and his body was laid to rest on the banks of Ganges. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada, for saving this soul, for saving all of us.

If crying is the preserve of advanced devotees steeped in devotional mellows, should it bother us to display a show of apparent weakness? Shedding tears in lamentation, as a plea for sympathy, as ostentatious syrupy hype or as a tantrum disguised as frustration, can all be good enough reasons not to appear less than masculine. Yet tears are required while treading the path of devotion. For the ‘average’ practitioner who plods along, pacing himself as if running a super life-long marathon, conserving his serious energy for a later time, the need for earnestness can be a zealous overstated subject matter. We may feel bombarded hearing sermons given by serious preachers who tell the rest of us to get serious. But sometimes the truth hurts. With this in mind, are there any grounds for crying for Krsna? If we fall far short of Lord Chaitanya’s standard of – vipralambha-seva, what on earth can behoove us to weep? Yes, we may shed tears of gratitude to the spiritual master who has kindly accepted us into the spiritual fold. We will bereave the passing of a vaisnava. With a heart softened due to devotional practices and good association, we may feel for those who are immersed in deluding pursuits. “But crying for Krsna?” one may ask. “Am I ready for this? Perhaps if I receive some special mercy I will understand the need for it.” Continue reading "Weeping For Krishna
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I recently heard a somewhat humorous exchange between two devotees. The first devotee in a mood of perhaps legitimate grumpiness said; “I have given the best years of my life to ISKCON” [therefore surely ISKCON owes me] The second devotee replied; “Well if you've given your best years then you might as well give the rest of your years!” This exchange is interesting for a number of reasons, not least because of the two apparent conflicting positions taken by the devotees quoted above. One devotee is clearly feeling that having served ISKCON for many years, ISKCON has perhaps not reciprocated accordingly, while the other devotee seems to be taking the view that come what may, better that he stick to with ISKCON regardless of any real or imagined lack of reciprocation. ISKCON is somewhat at a disadvantage, simply because it is an institution, although I'm not sure when history determined that institutions in and of themselves are negative. Still for sure some shudder to the bone at the very mention of institutions and in many ways that is the biggest challenge that faces those who find themselves charged with the service of maintaining the institution of ISKCON. It is no easy task to overcome the connection that is often made between institutions and how they apparently stifle individualism and encourage 'group think' etc. Continue reading "The Best Days of Our Lives
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Sankirtana in the land of Aztecs! (Album with photos)
Aztecs in Mexico, Mexico City, dance in the pace of Harinama!
Srila Prabhupada: Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat: even a little devotional service can save one from the greatest danger. Devotional service, which begins with chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is so powerful that even if one falls down, he can be saved from all calamities if he somehow or other chants the holy name of the Lord. This is the extraordinary power of the Lord’s holy name. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.1.63 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/X1r45T

Lord Indra was overcome by anger when the residents of Vraja canceled his sacrifice. He tried to punish them by sending forth a devastating rainfall to Vrndavan.

Lord Sri Krsna protected Gokula by lifting Govardhana Hill and for seven days used it as an umbrella to ward off the rain.

The Govardhana Puja festival was celebrated nicely at Sri Nila Madhava temple in Seattle. For go-puja, a two week old calf by the name Radhika-Priya was brought into the temple room and offered worship.

So the other day was Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day and although a little sombre is also a time to reflect and show gratitude for a life less ordinary, indeed non of us would be practitioners of bhakti if it hadn’t been through Srila Prabhupada’s service in fulfilling his guru maharajah’s wishes.

However my time wasn’t spent reading or watching Srila Prabhupada but watching closely clips and classes of my own Guru Maharajah HH Devamrita Swami; who has dedicated his life in serving Srila Prabhupada’s mission.

It was indeed hard for those disciples of Srila Prabhupada to comprehend their spiritual master leaving his body, and I have been meditating on the fact that at some stage in my devotional life the same difficulty and heartache will face me; yes one day my own beloved guru maharajah will leave his body.

So I watched closely trying to grasp and understand what has kept my own guru maharajah serving his beloved Guru Maharajah and how to serve so nicely despite many adversities; what is the key.

Firstly I noted love, for love motivates most of what we do and love for sri guru means even in absence one remains loyal.

But what I noted was that my Guru Maharajah is and remains totally convinced by the words and writing’s of Srila Prabhupada, that these words are enough to convince him that this is the solution to the problems each of us face here in material existence; and looking at how to enliven and enthuse others to read and learn from the books his guru maharaja Srila Prabhupada wrote.

Love and being completely convinced without a moments doubt.

If it wasn’t for this and his continuing enthusiasm to present to each and every one of us I wouldn’t be slowly growing in my own realisations in Krishna Consciousness.

So now as my guru maharajah simply follows and maximises the opportunity this human form of life provides to increase our dormant love of Krishna and sharing that with everyone he meets; may I too become this inspired and convinced to dedicate my own life fully in service to Sri Guru.

And as my guru maharajah followed the example of his guru maharajah Srila Prabhupada may I also learn and follow.

This was my thought’s yesterday I pray as always it makes sense, and as always welcome thought’s and corrections.

Hare Krishna

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2015/09/mind-acronym-3-the-mind-neglects-opportunity-and-denies-reality/

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2015/09/mind-acronym-2-mind-imagines-pleasure/

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2015/09/how-spirituality-increases-our-social-contributions/

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2015/10/overcome-discouragement-through-spiritual-wisdom/

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Why then in Hungary do we set up a community structure that Srila Prabhupada didn’t write about?

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By Niranjana Swami

I have a lot I could say but I will try to keep it as brief as possible. First of all I really should say that I came to the Lithuanian padayatra this year because of the persistent requests of Ananda Gaurangi. And I am grateful that she was persistent in her requests. I came here with a sinus infection and it just wasn’t going away, but finally the last couple of days my voice started to come back. That’s why I was relatively quiet for the first part of the festival. But nonetheless I don’t think it was that relevant that I was relatively quiet, I was still fully participating as much as I could.

Bhakti Caitanya Swami asked us to share some of our realizations about padayatra, and I do have some realizations that I would like to share. As we were speaking, I was thinking about what Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur said in Sri Bhaktiloka. He talks about what it means to follow the path of the previous mahajanas and how sometimes, if people become proud after accepting the initiation, they do not follow that path but they invent new paths, and they cheat themselves and the rest of the world as well. Bhaktivinoda Thakur therefore gave the criteria of what are the symptoms of somebody who is strictly following the path set by our previous acaryas. He gives Srila Haridasa Thakur as the example of one who strictly follows. Srila Haridas Thakur manifested three symptoms of this fact: his determination for spiritual life, this constant chanting of the holy names of the Lord and his compassion for the fallen souls. Haridas Thakur manifested the three symptoms. He said that he would never give up chanting Hare Krishna, even if they cut his body to pieces. So therefore, in his constant chanting, he manifested his determination and his compassion to others. Never giving up chanting, that was also his compassion towards others, especially when he was challenged by one envious brahmana who said, “ Why are you always loudly chanting the holy names of the Lord ? Why aren’t you just chanting to yourself?” In fact, the brahmana was accusing Haridas Thakur: “ Because of your loud chanting, you are disturbing the Lord”. So the brahmana challenged Haridas Thakur, who then explained that actually the loud chanting of the holy names of the Lord is considered to be a hundred times more potent than simply silent chanting. Wherever Haridas Thakur went, he was always loudly chanting the holy names. And then the brahmana asked him to please explain that, “How could you make such a statement that loud chanting is more beneficial?”Haridas Thakura explained that even the plants, the insects and the reptiles are benefited by the loud chanting of the holy names of the Lord. He said that somebody who just chants softly to himself is only thinking of himself, but somebody who is chanting loudly is actually thinking about the welfare of everyone. And then he gave the reference from Srimad Bhagavatam about the importance of loudly chanting the holy names of the Lord, which stated that even plants, reptiles, plants, animals are all benefited, what to speak of human beings.

So my realization of this Padayatra is that all three elements are here in this festival. You have the loud chanting of the holy names of the Lord, you have the compassion by benefiting others and giving them the opportunity to hear the holy names. And for those who are determined to always be engaged in chanting, not only in this festival, but to continue to go on with this process, even after this festival, this determination is also very pleasing, although just fully participating in this one week event requires determination. So all three elements are there of what is the bona fide path to follow and to properly represent our parampara: constant chanting, compassion and determination. This was very satisfying for me to see this. And especially what was also very, very satisfying to me was seeing that not only we are preserving the parampara by manifesting these three symptoms but that these events are also wonderful opportunity for distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books. For me that is the icing on the cake. That makes it so sweet. These events are very, very good opportunities to inspire people to want to know more about this. And therefore these are very, very, good opportunities for making Srila Prabhupada’s books available, so not only these people will hear the holy names but they will carry the embodiment of the holy names in their hands. Srila Prabhupada followed in the footsteps of Haridas Thakur and manifested these three symptoms of strictly following the path of the previous acaryas. This fully manifested in these books. So, all of you, by taking part in this event, are given the opportunity to fully take part in properly representing our tradition and our parampara, our sampradaya. This was particularly very inspiring for me.

I am praying that all of you remain firm in your determination to properly represent our sampradaya, our Srila Prabhupada and Haridas Thakur. Incessantly chant the holy names of the Lord, compassionately give them to others and as much as possible help in distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books. In this regard I would like to also thank Santa Maharaja for his determination for seeing that Srila Prabhupada’s books are available for everyone here in Lithuania. We should all be grateful for him for his incessant determination and efforts to keep Srila Prabhupada alive here in the form of his books. Hare Krishna!

A beautiful dancing rendition by Srimati Campakalata Devi Dasi and her team of the Yadi Prabhupada Na Hoita song written by HH Jayapataka Swami (9 min video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/01bMA0
Lyrics:
(1)
(yadi) prabhupada na haita tabe ki haita
(e) jivana bahita kise?
nitai-gaurera apara karuna ke dita sakala dese
If Srila Prabhupada had not come, what would have happened? How could we have passed our lives?
Who else would have distributed the unlimited mercy of Lord Nityananda and Lord Gauranga all over the world?
(2)
pascatyera yata papi duracari sunyavadi mayavadi
tadera uddara karibare mana hena kon dayanidhi
Which other compassionate person would have endeavoured to deliver the miscreants , sinful, impersonalistic and voidistic people in the West?
(3)
tadera nikate kon jana asi bilaita harinam
sabhya jiva rupe gadite tadera ke haita aguyan
Who else would have come to distribute Harinama to them? Who else would have come forward to transform them into civilized beings?
(4)
dese dese hari-vigraha seva arati ratri-dine
ratha yatradi mahotsava saba sikaita kon jane
Who else would have taught them how to worship the Deity form of Lord Hari day and night with arati-kirtana, and how to conduct the Ratha-yatra and
other grand festivals
(5)
gita-bhagavata caitanya carita premamrta rasasara
kata na sundara sarala kariya ke bujhaita ara
Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta contain the essence of the nectarean mellows of love of Godhead.
Who else would have explained these scriptures so clearly and beautifully?
(6)
kata kasta sahi prita mane rahi ke va dita harinam
ke dita modera puri vrndavana mayapura mata dham
Who else would have tolerated all difficulties, and distributed Harinama with a pleasant heart?
Who would have given us the dhamas such as Mayapur, Vrindavan and Jagannatha Puri?
(7)
parama mangala sricaitanya maha-prabhura siksa dhana
acare pracare sada amadere ke karita niyojana
The teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu constitute the greatest and most auspicious treasure.
Who else would have engaged us in constantly practicing and preaching it?
(8)
premakalpataru nitai-gaurera krpa kana labhibare
niravadhi jaya-pataka hrdaya tomare sarana kare
Sri Sri Nitai Gaura are desire trees of love of Godhead. Desiring a drop of Their mercy, Jayapataka’s heart incessantly takes shelter of Your Divine grace.

A Dozen, Yet More to Come.
Vrindavanlila Devi Dasi: “Agriculture and cow protection are the way to become sinless and thus be attracted to devotional service.”
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/6811uy

Seven years before the ToVP opens and much interest is found at the World’s biggest travel/tourism fair.

Little doubt then that by the time Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Sri Pancatattva and Lord Nrsimhadeva move to their new glorious temple, we will have one of the world’s biggest tourist attractions to manage!

[See image gallery at tovp.org]

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Children Taste the Nectar of Harinam.
Vrindavanlila Devi Dasi: This was the 11th day of Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar Yatra devotees. Their next and also the eleventh village (the eleventh bead of the garland of 108 villages) was Kandibanda. All these days their primary audience had been the youth, farmers and women, but this village proved to be a different one. In this village they were in for a surprise as the primary attendees happened to be the children and the youth- young village! It was a small hamlet with very less population and less water facility. The austere life of Yatra devotees had made each one of them very surrendered and equipoised to the external changes.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/AUmlcs

The Forest Of Talavan (8 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Talavan is one of the12 major forests of Vrindavan. Nestled in the paddy fields of Talavan is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Balarama, who killed the ass-demon Denakasura there. We enjoyed a wonderful day at Talavan having long kirtans and recounting the numerous pastimes that took place in that transcendental abode.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/w2Z8g3

November 16. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Were there some questions we should have asked Prabhupada but didn’t? Were some questions taboo? Were there some questions he didn’t like to answer? Were there some questions he couldn’t answer? What was his general attitude towards answering questions – was he very open, or limited? In general, I think we can safely say that Prabhupada was very open and willing to discuss almost any subject from the Krishna conscious point of view. He might point out an impertinent or illogical question, but he would answer it anyway. He considered questions that did not relate to the points he raised in his lecture as improper. Questions after the lecture should be asked to clear up doubt. So many topics can be discussed in questions, but Prabhupada chose one area of the philosophy to discuss in his lectures and he preferred the questions to be relevant to that. Even if someone asked something off the topic though, Prabhupada would answer it.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490

Shelter toured so frequently and played so constantly that Hare Krishna’s had become as common as stage dives at hardcore shows, especially in the North East. But besides taking the temple to the kids, we were taking kids to the temple.

In downtown Philly, a devotee named Hariyāśva had a vegetarian restaurant named Govinda’s. It was on the ground floor of a muti-story building, the fourth floor of which served as a temple room for kīrtan and Krishna conscious gatherings. Hariyāśva was happy to give us that space up there on Wednesday nights, where we would cook multi-course vegetarian feasts in it’s apartment-sized kitchen for a few dozen hardcore kids who would pack in wall-to-wall week after week for months. The similarities between traditional khol-karatāla kīrtan and the familiar hardcore mosh pit became evident on those sweaty and blissful Wednesday nights. Older but eternally jovial, Hariyāśva himself would often join us and gracefully leap around the kīrtan with a huge, effulgent smile, reminding me of a prancing black horse and erasing the border between “hardcore kid” and “non-hardcore kid.” So many people were jumping up and down in that small fourth-story room that the floor literally began to act like a trampoline, and the pictures and mūrti figures of Krishna started falling off the shelves!

Outside the city, the temple on Allen’s lane was also bustling with an influx of new full-time residents moving in from all parts of the country, eager to become a part of the Krishna Consciousness movement swirling thrillingly like a new hurricane around Shelter and, especially, Ray. Antonio Valladerez, Norman Brannon, Glen Karma, Dan Davis… these were just a few of the names bringing new life into a temple that had been practically deserted just a month or two before.

But things weren’t easy between me and Ray, and the tension between us became clear by the refreshing fragrance of its sudden absence when he went to spend several weeks in Vṛndāvana India. Obviously, Ray was the kingpin of all this spiritual revolution, the central hinge – the main reason all of this Krishna conscious stuff was happening at all. Maybe I was jealous of that, wishing I was #1 instead of #2? Maybe it was just the artistic tension that arose from my definite dislike and incompatibility with the musical direction Ray had steered Shelter towards? Maybe it was simply a personality clash – him being a classic extrovert and me a classic introvert?

I guess it was all of these, and probably more. Nonetheless, he and I always shared, and I think always will share, a deep and very real love for one another; a mutual admiration, respect, and, perhaps most importantly, a mutual willingness to forgive one another. He and I were becoming brothers not just because we soon became students of the same guru; we were brothers in a much more common sense: we fought all the time – but we loved each other.

Brotherhood aside, the tension was becoming too much. If Ray said left, I said right. And if I said left, he’d say right. In my eyes, he seemed so extroverted and superficial about sharing Krishna consciousness, as if our ultimate goal was to make the whole world move into a temple, shave up, wear robes, and eat a lot of burfi sweets. In his eyes I probably seemed like the incurable, stubborn pessimist, an ideologically elitist wannabe-bookworm, a self-made know-it-all. Truth is, both of us were ridiculously young and flawed, spiritually even more than physically – it’s no wonder both of our strong-willed ego’s couldn’t fit in the same band and live in the same building.

One day, a little bit after Ray returned from India with the name Raghunātha (something else to be jealous of), Bhakta Tony came into to the bunk-bed room and called me across the hall into the Equal Vision Records office. “Guṇagrahi Swāmī is on the phone. He wants to talk to you.”

Everyone just happened to be there, even a cool devotee from the Cro-Mags scene, named Kaustubha.

I picked up the phone, confused why all eyes were on me.

“I had a dream,” the Swāmī said.

A dream?

“In my dream,” he continued, “There were two Krishna conscious hardcore bands.”

Oh, now everything made sense! I was getting kicked out of Shelter.

“Why don’t you come down to D.C.,” he concluded “and start a second band?”

It seems like Ray and the devotees made an effort to be gentle about kicking me out – but it wasn’t really necessary at all. I didn’t need a swami’s dream to sell me on the idea of getting out of Shelter and doing my own thing!

Back in my room, I took out my guitar, sat on the floor, and in all of fifteen minutes wrote Holyname – the first song for the first album of my new band.

Excerpt from an early draft of
Train Wrecks and Transcendence: A Collision of Hardcore and Hare Krishna

by Vraja Kishor
www.vrajakishor.com

Tagged: krishnacore, shelter

“Good fortune to all who have assembled here,” he said. “All of you good people, please listen to me. I will speak because we must disclose our own understandings of dharma when we are in the company of saintly and thoughtful people.

“I will speak of my dharma, my duty. You have employed me to wield the scepter and rule the people, so my duty is to protect all of you, and give you employment befitting your various talents and stations. By carefully fulfilling this duty, I will attain the goal that spiritualists glorify. Fulfilling our duty is what makes our fate bright and all our wishes come true, for it satisfies the overseer of fate. A king who only taxes the people but does not employ them in fulfilling their duties not only loses his own fortune, he gains a share of their misfortune. So, my dear citizens, for your own sake and for my sake – out of affection for me, as an offering to my afterlife – please do your duties without jealousy and envy of one another, with your thoughts aiming towards transcendence. All of you please have sympathy for me. All the pure ancestrals, gods, and sages agree that, in the afterlife the results of our deeds are shared equally by the performer, director, and supporters.”

Very interesting points in this section:

• We shouldn’t be in a rush to open our mouths and impose our views and opinions on others, but it is our duty to disclose our understandings of things when we are in the company of those who are fit to correct any mistakes or confirm where we are on the right track.
• Deep humility is evident in King Pṛthu:
  • He speaks of being “employed” by the citizens, and he speaks of his duties towards them
  • He describes himself and his final emancipation as being dependent on their sympathy and mercy
• The way to achieve our desires is not to chase our desires, but to make them chase us. We generate good karma by fulfilling our responsibilities dutifully – and this causes good things to come to us.
• The results of a deed are shared by several people:
• • The person who actually does it
  • The person who inspired / ordered it.
  • The people who helped it get done

The King, Pṛthu, is saying “I will get a share of whatever deeds you do, because you are my citizens and I am in charge of you. So please be merciful to me, think of my well being as well as your own, and do your duties without jealousy and envy of one another.”

I think it is very important that he describes the right way to do duties as anasūya – without jealousy of envy of what other people are doing, or what other people have.

In the next section he will explain how apparently worldly duties give spiritual results.

 From Srimad Bhagavatam 4.21.21 ~ 26
Translated for volume for of Beautiful Tales of the All-Attractive

by Vraja Kishor

www.vrajakishor.com

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Jananivas das S.B.6.16.41 – Nov 5th 2015

Questions and Answers Part 1

Written by Nandan

Arrival in the Holy Dhama

Kartik month in Vrindavan was truly something to behold! Even if one hadn’t been there, most devotees would have heard the stories and recollections of what a place Vrindavan can be during this sacred month.

And Sri Sri Krsna Balaram temple seemed to be right in the middle of it all. The epicentre of all the buzz. The Banki Bihari temple and Sri Sri Radha Raman temple came a close second and third in terms of vibrancy, energy and being super hives of spiritual activity.

Suffice to say, amongst all the faithful pilgrims coming to imbibe the spiritual potency of the holy dhams, an assorted mix of Kadamba Kanana Swami’s disciples were also there. They also had the added pleasure of knowing that Maharaj would be coming to Vrindavan for Kartik very soon. They didn’t need to wait too long… On Wednesday, 28^th October at 7.45 pm, Maharaj finally arrived in Vrindavan to an eager reception of happy disciples and well-wishers who all welcomed him with a nice harinam outside the temple guesthouse.

Considering Vrindavan is generally as dry as a brick kiln, on that day it was absolutely pouring! We are talking monsoon levels. Maybe Vrinda Devi herself was happy to welcome one of her sons back. Either that or Lord Indra was desiring to instigate a second enactment of the Govardhan Lila!! Maharaj personally was happy about all the rain. He had just arrived from Mumbai which was very hot and Vraj is always so dry, a bit of water could only be a good thing.

Maharaj was accompanied by young Nimai Prabhu (personal servant and aspiring lawyer from Germany) and Vishvambhar Caitanya Prabhu, one of Maharaj’s stalwart disciples from Radhadesh, Belgium (now based at the Manor, England).

They were all coming from the Wada Ecovillage and Maharaj was recovering from a severe bout of shingles. To be fair, Maharaj still wasn’t fully out of the woods. He confided that his nerves were still weak in the legs and the day before he had to drink litres of water as part of his check-up.

Nonetheless he was in good spirits. In a little while, Maharaj was settled in his room. Well furbished and clean, he sat on a couch while his disciples surrounding him on the floor. Soon the German jokes started coming out thick and fast. Bear in mind, most of the disciples present were of German origin.

Other disciples also started streaming in, including the wonderfully vivacious Gita Govinda Mataji, a spirited lawyer from Holland. Maharaj then mentioned to Mataji how young Nimai wanted to be a lawyer and then made a joke about a lawyer on a ship who jumped in with the sharks and didn’t get bitten. Why? The sharks gave him “professional courtesy”!! Everyone cracked up.

Looking at the soft cushions and bed in his room, Maharaj started joking about the ‘kasipu’ in his room (referring to the meaning of bed in Hiranyakashipu’s name) and how opulent it was. This was followed by a few more witty comments on the renunciation of a modern day vaishnava. He then mentioned how he had never technically owned a house, even as a householder!

By this time, one of Maharaj’s senior disciples named Adi Keshava Prabhu bought in some piping hot ginger tea. Sipping the tea, Maharaj’s mood became more contemplative. He started talking about all the recent work being done with the Vrindavan temple as well as instructing young Nimai in setting up his Giriraj deity. Maharaj also stated how Vrindavan in Kartik is the ‘real Vrindavan’. After exchanging a few more words with the various devotees, Maharaj ended the day by saying, “Tomorrow is my day to settle and rest.”

Thursday and Friday, Maharaj took it easy with some well-earned rest. However, for Maharaj resting is never a 100% rest. Someone with his personality and energy can’t stay dormant for long, so on both these days Maharaj did get stuck into some high octane evening kirtans in the temple room.

Friday evening at 7pm, Maharaj started off by singing the evening Damodarastakam prayers. The setting was perfect, everything was in its element – the temple, the devotees, Maharaj and the whole of Vrindavan herself.

It was a balmy Indian evening. The temple was packed and heaving to the limit. Sparkling candles were everywhere like sparkling stars in the night sky. There was a beautiful emerald-green canopy which was engulfing the three main altar areas and then spilling out into the walls and corners of the temple interior. There were also garlands decked out everywhere, all-in-all the whole temple was a multitude of colours. The crystal chandeliers in the ceiling were dimly lit and the combination of light against the dark gave a beautiful orange glow to the whole area.

It would have been boiling inside but thankfully the fans were giving a nice gentle breeze and there was the fresh air coming from the open air courtyard section. Devotees of various colours and backgrounds were slowly moving around offering candles to the deities; resembling an ocean of circumambulating cows of different hues and shades.

Maharaj was seated near the front section of the temple near the altars, surrounded by disciples and expert kirtaneers and musicians. Just behind him to the right was the famous shelter giving Tamala tree of the temple courtyard and surrounding the sides of the courtyard were these exquisite Rajasthani arches. Above the delicately lit courtyard, looming in the black sky was the magnificent Vedic style tower of Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi.

In the midst of this sublime setting, Maharaj was singing the prayers so gracefully with his deep, silky voice.  The overall effect was really stunning. The prayers were sung in a slow, sombre mood and then Maharaj effortlessly raised the groove for the ensuing kirtan that would carry on into the starry Vrindavan night.

One of the devotees present for the kirtan that night was Gurudas Prabhu, a monk from England. The following is his recollection of Maharaj’s kirtan that night:

Wow Govinda! Wow Krsna Murari! I will never forget that night as long as I live! It was an explosive, rhythmic, crazy but incredibly melodious kirtan of stratospheric levels. The kirtan seemed to contain a range of rasas that went from sweet to chivalrous, interspersed with some parental lullaby style singing for Sri Krsna as well. Maharaj really seemed to be at home in this environment. If the kirtan could be described in terms of colours, it would have been a range of colours with each colour exhibiting full splendour.

Some of the men were dancing like cowherd boys, as if in a parade following Krsna. Others were musically marching as if like soldiers marching to an anthem, complete with the smashing of wompers and kartals. And then there were those who were individually bopping away.

The women were going round in graceful, circular movements and doing elegant ‘Gopi style’ dancing.

The temple room felt like it was going through a transcendental earthquake; full of musical tremors. Personally, I felt my heart melting but also splashing due to the eruptions of divine molten lava coming from Maharaj’s volcanic sound vibrations. And I knew then that my material conditionings were being thrown out of orbit.

It was a truly epic, life changing experience. After Maharaj wrapped up his kirtan, the famous kirtaneer Madhava Prabhu came on to continue the kirtan. For me, Maharaj’s kirtan became more internal, as it continued well into my sleep! 

HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaj ki Jai!!