Planet ISKCON

Hare Krishna! Sh. Arvind Kejrival ( Delhi CM) Visited Iskcon Rohini On Janmashtami
The leaders of rulling party (CM ARVIND KEJRIWAL) and opposition party (VIJENDER GUPTA) took shelter of Lord KRISHNA under at iskcon temple rohini in Delhi The grand festival took place on janmashtami 5th Sept both the leaders took darshan performed aarti and did Abhishek of the Lord. CM came along with his wife and his father and several MLA’s of aap party was also present. In photo the temple president (iskcon rohini) HG KESHAV MURARI DAS is describing Krishna katha and performed acstatic kirtan.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19629

How to Practice the Art of Forgiveness
We can master the art of forgiveness when we religiously practice and learn to maintain the consciousness of compassion, to pray as a well-wisher of everyone and to view every situation as an opportunity to sincerely take shelter of the mercy of the Lord through remembering him and chanting his holy names. To achieve inner peace we must change ourselves. And simply by sincerely chanting the holy names, we transcend all of the negative forces in this world and attain the supreme everlasting peace of Krishna consciousness.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19624

The post Daily Darshan – September 7th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Ramai Swami: The Bhakti Centre on the Gold Coast celebrated Janmashtami on Saturday and Brisbane temple on Sunday. Devotees and guests at both places felt great satisfaction and bliss participating in the many activities throughout the day and night.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/AZOiBO

Balaram Jayanti Class – HG Hari Kirtan Dasa – 29.08.2015

I like to remem­ber Srila Prabhupada’s empha­sis on the impor­tance of chant­ing Hare Krishna mantra. When Srila Prab­hu­pada teaches that the top­most stage of God real­iza­tion can be attained sim­ply by chant­ing the holy names, we are pleased and con­vinced. Even though I can’t take up the chant­ing prop­erly, still it is a solace and inspi­ra­tion to hear Prab­hu­pada tell us about it.

From Viraha Bhavan #169
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Krsna is the embodiment of love and affection. He sees the good qualities of a living entity, overlooking the bad. Even if someone is in a lowly position Krsna is so kind that He can raise him to the topmost position, even up to Krsnaloka.

Sri Krishna Janmashtami 2015 at Sri Jagannatha Mandir, ISKCON Malaysia HQ (Album with 100 photos)
See them here: https://goo.gl/us24M8

Hare Krishna! Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja Pack
All of the followers of Srila Prabhupada for generations to come adhere to the guidance, association and serve the mission of His Divine Grace, while deepening one’s individual connection and relationship with and recognizing him as the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON and our primary Siksa Guru for all time. This booklet through its various elements will guide the devotees worldwide as to how to make proper arrangements for this ceremony in order to establish Srila Prabhupada’s supreme position in ISKCON as the Acharya
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19618

Hare Krishna! O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands!
Giriraj Swami: Today is Srila Prabhupada’s divine appearance day. Here is my offering to him: In Los Angeles in 1968, on the disappearance day of your guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, you explained your commission: “Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja … underwent very severe penances for starting this worldwide movement. That was his mission. In 1896, Bhaktivinoda Thakura wanted to introduce this Krsna consciousness movement by sending the book Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts. Fortunately, that year was my birth year, and by Krsna’s arrangement, we came in contact… . Who knew that I would come to his protection? Who knew that I would come to America? Who knew that you American boys would come to me? These are all Krsna’s arrangement. We cannot understand how things are taking place.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19615

Sri Krsna Janmastami Festival 2015 at Bhaktivedanta Manor (Album with 328 photos)
These pics are mainly of the dedicated vaishnavas who worked so hard to make this happen. All Glories to Their Service.. Sri Krsna Janmastami Ki Jaya….
See them here: https://goo.gl/kat7TF

Janmashtami at ISKCON New Govardhana - Sri Sri Radha Govardhanadhari’s Photos (Album with photos)
Read the entire article here: https://goo.gl/SlJ5Ic

My dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my prostrated obeisances in the dust of your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Loving Grace and to your auspicious arrival in America.

At this time your devotees and admirers are reflecting upon your momentous departure from India and your historic arrival in America some fifty years ago. What could have motivated you to make that historic journey—and how could you have succeeded in your impossible mission?

In Los Angeles in 1968, on the disappearance day of your guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, you explained your commission: “Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja . . . underwent very severe penances for starting this worldwide movement. That was his mission. In 1896, Bhaktivinoda Thakura wanted to introduce this Krsna consciousness movement by sending the book Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts. Fortunately, that year was my birth year, and by Krsna’s arrangement, we came in contact. . . . Who knew that I would come to his protection? Who knew that I would come to America? Who knew that you American boys would come to me? These are all Krsna’s arrangement. We cannot understand how things are taking place.

“Thirty-two years ago in Bombay, sometime around the 9th or 10th of December—Guru Maharaja was indisposed, and he was staying in Jagannatha Puri, on the seashore—I wrote him a letter: ‘My dear master, your other disciples—brahmacari, sannyasi—they are rendering you direct service. And I am a householder. I cannot live with you; I cannot serve you nicely. So I do not know—How can I serve you?’ Simply an idea—I was thinking of serving him: ‘How can I serve him seriously?’ The reply was dated 13 December 1936. In that letter he wrote, ‘My dear such and such, I am very glad to receive your letter. I think you should try to push our movement in English.’ That was his writing. ‘And that will do good to you and to the people who will help you.’ That was his instruction. And then in 1936, on the 31st of December—that means just a fortnight after writing this letter—he passed away.

“I took that order of my spiritual master very seriously, but I did not think that I’d have to do such and such thing. I was at that time a householder. But this is the arrangement of Krsna. If we strictly try to serve the spiritual master, his order, then Krsna will give us all facilities. That is the secret. Although there was no possibility, I never thought, but I took it a little seriously by studying a commentary by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura on the Bhagavad-gita. In connection with the verse vyavasayatmika-buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana [Bg 2.41], Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives his commentary that we should take up the words from the spiritual master as our life and soul. We should try to carry out the instruction, the specific instruction of the spiritual master, very rigidly, without caring for our personal benefit or loss.”

To prepare for your departure to America, you engaged in intense sadhana and prayer to receive the mercy and power to execute your service, as recounted by the pujari at Sri Advaita Acarya’s house in Santipura. He came to your Mayapur Candrodaya Mandira carrying a copy of the Back to Godhead article about you entitled “A Lifetime in Preparation” and related the following account:

“Just recently an amazing realization occurred to me that I wanted to share with devotees everywhere. I have been the pujari and sevaite at the house of Advaita Acarya for many years. I was also there back in the 1940s and ’50s. At that time, I noticed that one grhastha Bengali devotee used to come to the temple quite regularly. He was dressed in a white khadi dhoti and kurta, and he always came alone. He would sit at the back of the mandira without speaking, and he would chant hari-nama on his mala very quietly and deeply. I noticed that he came on the weekends, usually once every month or two in a regular way. After chanting there for many hours, he would always thank me when he left. His presence was profound, and I became attracted to him. Since his devotions were solitary, I never spoke to disturb him. Sometimes I happened to notice that while he was chanting, his eyes would be full of tears and his voice would be choked up.

“Then for a very long time he did not come. However, I distinctly recall that in August of 1965 I saw a saffron-clothed sannyasi sitting in the back of the mandira. In a moment I recognized him to be my old friend from before. Again he sat for a long time chanting Hare Krsna. I could see his beads moving, his eyes closed in concentrated devotion. He was weeping unabashedly, even more than he used to while he took the holy name. Finally, as evening came, he paid his dandavata pranama for a long time. When he arose he came up to me and again thanked me for my seva here at Advaita Bhavan. I asked him, ‘Who are you? I remember you from so long ago.’

“He replied, ‘My name is Abhaya Caranaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami. I am an unworthy disciple of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Srila Prabhupada, my divine master. I have been coming here for such a long time because my gurudeva has given me an impossible mission. His desire was for me to go across the ocean to the Western countries and spread the sublime teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There are countless souls there who have never heard of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, and so they are suffering greatly. I have not known how this mission of his will be successful, so I have been coming here to this special house of Advaita Acarya, where He, Nityananda Prabhu, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would gather together to plan the sankirtana movement. It was here that They launched the inundation of love of God that swept India and continues to this day. Thus, I have been praying very earnestly here that They will all give me Their mercy, that somehow They will empower me and guide me. I want to satisfy my gurudeva’s desire, but I am feeling unqualified to do this.’

“As he was speaking to me, I saw tears falling down on his cheeks again. Then he continued, ‘Tomorrow I am leaving for Calcutta to go on a ship across the ocean to America. I do not know what will befall me there, but I am praying most earnestly here for help.’ Then he very humbly asked me for my blessings. I was indeed moved by this Vaisnava’s sincerity and determination as I watched him depart upon his journey.

“It was a few years later that I began noticing, for the first time, white Vaisnavas coming to Advaita Bhavan. They were wearing dhotis and saris and chanting on tulasi-mala. I never spoke to any of them, but then one of them gave me this Back to Godhead magazine from America. As I was looking at the photographs, suddenly I recognized a painting of the founder-acarya who had brought Krsna consciousness to the West. It was a picture of my friend Bhaktivedanta Swami, who had come and prayed here so many times before. Then I realized that he had actually accomplished that impossible mission of his gurudeva. I saw that it was indeed he, starting alone and without pretense, who had accomplished this glorious miracle against all odds.

“As soon as I saw this, I came here to his temple in Mayapur to tell you this information. I know that he has gone from this world now, but I thought perhaps you might want to know this story about your and my beloved Srila Prabhupada.”

In your talk on your guru maharaja’s disappearance day, you asked us to continue his mission—your predecessor’s mission—in the same spirit. “I tried a little bit in that spirit, so he has given me all facilities to serve him. Things have come to this stage, that in this old age I have come to your country, and you are also taking this movement seriously, trying to understand it. We have got some books now. There is a little foothold of this movement. So on this occasion of my spiritual master’s departure, as I am trying to execute his will, similarly, I shall also request you to execute the same order through my will. I am an old man; I can also pass away at any moment. That is nature’s law. Nobody can check it. So that is not very astonishing. But my appeal to you on this auspicious day of the departure of my guru maharaja is that at least to some extent you have understood the essence of this Krsna consciousness movement, you should try to push it on. People are suffering for want of this consciousness.

“As we daily pray about devotees,

vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca
krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo
vaisnavebhyo namo namah

[“I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.”] A Vaisnava, or devotee of the Lord, his life is dedicated for the benefit of the people. You know—most of you belong to the Christian community—how Lord Jesus Christ said that for your sinful activities he has sacrificed himself. That is the determination of a devotee of the Lord. They don’t care for personal comforts. Because they love Krsna, or God, therefore they love all living entities, because all living entities are in relationship with Krsna. So similarly you should learn. This Krsna consciousness movement means to become Vaisnava and feel for the suffering humanity.”

* * *

To prepare us, his followers, to continue his mission, Srila Prabhupada taught us and nurtured us and cared for us selflessly. Once, in Calcutta, he found the temple in quite a bad state due to its being poor and the president’s having become preoccupied with a temple incense business. The president was spending most of his time in his office taking care of the business with one devotee who was his salesman, and he was neglecting the other devotees, who really had no one else to look after them. We were really poor in those days, and the devotees were living under very austere conditions. For instance, we never had milk or ghee—just rice, dal, and simple boiled vegetables. One devotee, Sudama Vipra, had a big, strong body, and he was feeling undernourished. So after aratis, after the fire had gone out from the ghee lamps, he would take the wicks and squeeze what little ghee was left on their ends onto chapatis or other prasada.

 

When Srila Prabhupada arrived, many devotees went to him to complain about the situation. And he was concerned. After hearing complaints from so many devotees, he finally called a meeting. Practically all the devotees in the temple came to Srila Prabhupada’s room, and he listened sympathetically to what each had to say; he was really concerned and wanted to improve things. So, he made a system. He named certain leaders and said that they should get together every week and discuss the problems and that whatever they decided they should write down in a book of minutes and all sign it and then do what they had agreed.

But then Srila Prabhupada’s mood seemed to change, and he said, “Actually, we shouldn’t become too involved in such matters, because our real business is to hear and chant about Krsna, and if we become too absorbed in making material arrangements, we will forget our real business of Krsna consciousness.” He said that it is our tendency to discuss mundane topics and that we should be careful and try to minimize the mundane talks and focus on hearing and chanting about Krsna.

Then Srila Prabhupada said that he never complained, because his policy was, “Everything for Krsna; nothing for myself.” He mentioned how he had suffered in so many ways in the course of establishing the Krsna consciousness movement; he had struggled to get passage to America and then on the way suffered two heart attacks at sea, and even when he got to America he had suffered in so many ways—he had buzzing in his ears and his head. “I cannot even describe how much I suffered,” he said. “Nor do I want to.” But he had never complained.

“Everything for Krsna; nothing for myself.” That is why, as a service to Krsna, Srila Prabhupada was serving us—because his ultimate goal was to bring us back to our eternal relationship with Krsna and engage us in His service. Essentially, he was bathing us, feeding us, and dressing us—teaching us how to live as human beings so that ultimately he could bring us to the position where he could offer us for Krsna’s service.

He asked for only one thing—that we continue his mission.

In my case, he asked that I write.

In Gorakhpur, Sri Hanuman Prasad Poddar, the renowned head of the Gita Press, had invited Srila Prabhupada and the devotees to stay at Shri Krishna Niketan, his large palatial estate and former residence.

There Srila Prabhupada received the latest issue of Back to Godhead, which included an article I had written in Boston before I had left for India—“The Genuine Spiritual Master.” It was the first I had written. Srila Prabhupada was very encouraged by the article and called for me.

“I saw your article in Back to Godhead,” he said. “It was very nice. You should write. This is your first business. Go on writing. We require many, many such articles about Krsna consciousness. So you should devote yourself to writing.”

“I will try,” I replied. “But why are you are asking me? I have no special qualification.”

“We require many to do this work,” he said, “and we need you also. So you travel with me and I will guide you. You come and stay with me.”

As it happened, I never got to travel with Srila Prabhupada and be personally guided by him in writing, but the instruction remained.

Then, years later, on the night that Srila Prabhupada finally succeeded in getting the Juhu land, after the signing of the documents and the sharing of prasada, he reclined back on the bolsters of his asana and remarked, “It was a good fight!” And then he added, “Someone should write a book about it.” So I always had it in my mind to write such a book, by the grace of Srila Prabhupada.

Later, in a conversation in June 1977, he reiterated his desire that the book be written:

Tamal Krishna: You always came out victorious—always. I have never seen you defeated. In Bombay it was absolutely impossible. It seemed to be impossible.
Prabhupada: Nobody encouraged—not a single man. Who could see that such a big project would come up?
Tamal Krishna: Only you could see that—you and Radha-Rasabihari. I was . . .
Prabhupada: Still, I was determined: “No, this place is very nice.”
Tamal Krishna: They should write a book about that.
Prabhupada: Yes, it is worth writing, history.

Srila Prabhupada, for a fallen soul like me, such a task is impossible. I lack intense sadhana and prayer, I lack faith and surrender, I lack experience and confidence, and I lack humility and purity. But I remember what you wrote when you arrived in America in September 1965, on board the Jaladuta at Boston’s Commonwealth Pier:

“I am very unfortunate, unqualified, and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction . . .

“Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, my Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure as You like.

“O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message, so if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable . . .

“Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. . . .

“O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like.”

Also, Srila Prabhupada, I depend on the mercy and support of your sincere disciples and followers, and I pray to them as well.

durgame pathi me ’ndhasya
skhalat-pada-gater muhuh
sva-krpa-yasti-danena
santah santv avalambanam

“My path is very difficult. I am blind, and my feet are slipping again and again. Therefore, may the saints help me by granting me the stick of their mercy as my support.” (Cc Antya 1.2)

I am sure that your and their mercy will bring all success.

Your eternal, hopeful servant,
Giriraj Swami

[republished from 08-15-2009]

When the student is ready
the guru is sent to help--
by the grace of Shri Krishna
our spiritual life revived.

Wandering by karma
throughout the vast Universe
sometimes as a great demigod
down to a lowly bug.

read more

Hare Krishna! A Child Sent by Krishna
In a little house in the Tollygunge suburb of Calcutta, a male child was born. Since he was born on Nandotsava, the day Krsna’s father, Nanda Maharaja, had observed a festival in honor of Krsna’s birth, the boy’s uncle called him Nandulal. But his father, Gour Mohan De, and his mother, Rajani, named him Abhay Charan, “one who is fearless, having taken shelter at Lord Krsna’s lotus feet.” In accordance with Bengali tradition, the mother had gone to the home of her parents for the delivery, and so it was that on the bank of the Adi Ganga, a few miles from his father’s home, in a small, two-room, mud-walled house with a tiled roof, underneath a jack-fruit tree, Abhay Charan was born. A few days later, Abhay returned with his parents to their home at 151 Harrison Road.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19612

Hare Krishna! A Special Recipient of Srila Prabhupada’s Mercy
Giriraj Swami: For Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja this year, I wish to tell you about his dear friend and staunch devotee Mr. P. L. Sethi. May this story inspire you in Srila Prabhupada’s service—in Krsna consciousness. Mr. Sethi replied, “No. Why should we stop?” Mr. Mhatre threatened, “Well, you can build it up, but I will come in the night with fifty gundas [hooligans] and break it down.” And Mr. Sethi turned to his son, who was by his side, and said, “Brij Mohan, bring my revolver and my rifle.” Then Mr. Sethi said to Mhatre, “Don’t bring fifty gundas. Bring a hundred. Bring two hundred. I have two hundred and fifty cartridges.” He was that staunch. Then he and his son—he with rifle in hand, his son with revolver—stayed up all night, in the pouring rain, to complete and protect the project. And no one came to disturb the work.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=9828

Janmashtami day at Shree Krishna Balarama Temple - ISKCON Vrindavan (Album with photos)
1. Gurukulis performance 2. Abhisheka on the kitchen of Krishna hall 3. Sponsor’s Abhisheka in Krishna hall 4. Main Krishna’s abhisheka in the temple
See them here: https://goo.gl/Ku1NOJ

Hare Krishna! Honoring Srila Prabhupada
Radhanatha Swami: When Srila Prabhupada began his book distribution he was the only distributor. He would take his magazines and just go from tea shop to store at his old age trying to convince people to accept the message of Krishna in the form of Back To Godhead Magazine. And in a few years he created the largest publisher in Indian literature in the history of the world. Hundreds, of millions of books have been distributed. Sometimes tens and thousands of Bhagavad-Gita distributed in one day, by those who are touched by his spirit of compassion. We can speak on this subject for many many hours, days, weeks, months, years and life times. What was Srila Prabhupada’s motivation? Selfless, unconditional love for Krishna. Selfless unconditional love and compassion for you and me to share the highest treasures of the spiritual world, which can be easily attained by simply orchestrating our propensities and life, in a spirit of devotion, toward Krishna and chanting his holy names. On the basis of the holy scriptures, Srila Prabhupada established everything he said.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=13034

Hare Krishna! Appearance day of HDG Srila Prabhupada
An excerpt from the Prabhupada Lilamrta about Srila Prabhupada’s mother, Srimati Rajani Devi. Abhay’s mother, Rajani, was thirty years old when he was born. Like her husband, she came from a long-established Gaudiya Vaisnava family. She was darker-skinned than her husband, and whereas his disposition was cool, hers tended to be fiery. Abhay saw his mother and father living together peacefully; no deep marital conflict or complicated dissatisfaction ever threatened home. Rajani was chaste and religious-minded, a model housewife in the traditional Vedic sense, dedicated to caring for her husband and children. Abhay observed his mother’s simple and touching attempts to insure, by prayers, by vows, and even by rituals, that he continue to live.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=11858

Hare Krishna! A Vaisnava Soldier Departs
What a more auspicious day than Janmashtami day to leave this mortal world, surrounded by loving family, devotee friends and the holy names of Krishna. This is the atmosphere in which Sankirtan Prabhu departed on September 5th 2015 at 10.15am, at his sister’s home, Vanamali Devi Dasi, in Lungern outside Zurich, Switzerland, his native country. The last words Sankirtan Prabhu uttered as he prepared for departure were, “When I hear Srila Prabhupada’s bhajans and his singing I feel that he is calling me to…” Sankirtan Prabhu met the devotees while traveling around the world in the early 1980s when he came across Srila Prabhupada’s books in Peru, Bolivia. He later travelled to Australia and New Zealand and finally met his initiating spiritual master, Lokanath Swami.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19602

HH Bhakti Caru Swami – Brahma Samhita Part 1 – 30.08.2015

"....when Hare Krishna mantra is vibrating on your tongue, and you are hearing attentively, then your consciousness becomes clear, or Krishna consciousness, and there is no question of Maya or hazy consciousness."

Letter to Haripuja dasi
25th June, 1972

We read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Ten, Chapter Two: “Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krsna in the Womb.”

TEXT 18

tato jagan-mangalam acyutamsam
samahitam sura-sutena devi
dadhara sarvatmakam atma-bhutam
kastha yathananda-karam manastah

SYNONYMS

tatah–thereafter; jagat-mangalam–auspiciousness for all living entities in all the universes of the creation; acyuta-amsam–the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is never bereft of the six opulences, all of which are present in all His plenary expansions; samahitam–fully transferred; sura-sutena–by Vasudeva, the son of Surasena; devi–Devaki-devi; dadhara–carried; sarva-atmakam–the Supreme Soul of everyone; atma-bhutam–the cause of all causes; kastha–the east; yatha–just as; ananda-karam–the blissful (moon); manastah–being placed within the mind.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulent Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for the entire universe, was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devaki. Devaki, having thus been initiated by Vasudeva, became beautiful by carrying Lord Krsna, the original consciousness for everyone, the cause of all causes, within the core of her heart, just as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the rising
moon.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

As indicated here by the word manastah, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was transferred from the core of Vasudeva’s mind or heart to the core of the heart of Devaki. We should note carefully that the Lord was transferred to Devaki not by the ordinary way for a human being, but by diksa, initiation. Thus the importance of initiation is mentioned here. Unless one is initiated by the right person, who always carries within his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot acquire the power to carry the Supreme Godhead within the core of one’s own heart.

The word acyutamsam is used because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is sad-aisvarya-purna, full in the opulences of wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, beauty, and renunciation. The Supreme Godhead is never separated from His personal opulences. As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.39), ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan: the Lord is always situated with all His plenary expansions, such as Rama, Nrsimha, and Varaha. Therefore the word acyutamsam is specifically used here, signifying that the Lord is always present with His plenary expansions and opulences. There is no need to think of the Lord artificially as yogis do. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.13.1). Yogis meditate upon the Supreme Person within the mind. For a devotee, however, the Lord is present, and His presence need only be awakened through initiation by a bona fide spiritual master. The Lord did not need to live within the womb of Devaki, for His presence within the core of her heart was sufficient to carry Him. One is here forbidden to think that Krsna was begotten by Vasudeva within the womb of Devaki and that she carried the child within her womb.

When Vasudeva was sustaining the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, he appeared just like the glowing sun, whose shining rays are always unbearable and scorching to the common man. The form of the Lord situated in the pure, unalloyed heart of Vasudeva is not different from the original form of Krsna. The appearance of the form of Krsna anywhere, and specifically within the heart, is called dhama. Dhama refers not only to Krsna’s form, but to His name, His form, His quality, and His paraphernalia. Everything becomes manifest simultaneously.

Thus the eternal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with full potencies was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devaki, exactly as the setting sun’s rays are transferred to the full moon rising in the east.

Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, entered the body of Devaki from the body of Vasudeva. He was beyond the conditions of the ordinary living entity. When Krsna is there, it is to be understood that all His plenary expansions, such as Narayana, and incarnations like Lord Nrsimha and Varaha, are with Him, and they are not subject to the conditions of material existence. In this way, Devaki became the residence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is one without a second and the cause of all creation. Devaki became the residence of the Absolute Truth, but because she was within the house of Kamsa, she looked just like a suppressed fire, or like misused education. When fire is covered by the walls of a pot or is kept in a jug, the illuminating rays of the fire cannot be very much appreciated. Similarly, misused knowledge, which does not benefit the people in general, is not very much appreciated. So Devaki was kept within the prison walls of Kamsa’s palace, and no one could see her transcendental beauty, which resulted from her conceiving the Supreme Personality ofGodhead.

Commenting upon this verse, Sri Viraraghava Acarya writes, vasudeva-devaki jatharayor hrdayayor bhagavatah sambandhah. The Supreme Lord’s entrance into the womb of Devaki from the heart of Vasudeva was a heart-to-heart relationship.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

We have gathered here at the lotus feet of Lord Krsna to remember and celebrate His appearance within the world. According to Vedic literature, Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (krsnas tu bhagavan svayam). He is the Absolute Truth, the origin of all that exists. And He is realized in three features, nondual (advaya), as explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.11):

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate

“Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma, or Bhagavan.”

Brahman is the impersonal effulgence that emanates from the transcendental form of the Lord, Paramatma is the localized feature of the Lord, within the heart, and Bhagavan is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna Himself, full in six opulences.

The form of Krsna is not material. Our bodies are material, distinct from the soul, which is spiritual. The Bhagavad-gita (2.13) explains,

dehino ‘smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.” The soul is a nonphysical, nonchemical particle of spiritual energy, and it is the soul that animates the body. As long as the soul is in the body, we say the body is alive. Actually, the body is never alive; the body is just a machine. But it appears to be alive when the soul is present to animate it. And when the soul leaves the body, the body has no capacity to act, to function, and then we say that the body is dead. In conditioned beings, such as us, there is a distinction between the body, which is made of material energy, and the soul, which is composed of spiritual energy. But in the case of Krsna, there is no difference between His body and soul. Being absolute, His body and He are the same. In our case there is a difference between us and the body, because our real identity is the soul. If someone’s father passes away, he or she will cry, “Oh, my father has left. My father is gone.” Although the body of the father is there, why do we say, “My father has gone”? Intuitively we know, especially at a time like death, that the body that’s lying there in the room is not the person. The body is just a bag of chemicals. The real person is the soul who has left the body, and so the children and other relatives and friends cry, “Oh, he’s gone,” because he is the soul, not the body.

But in the case of Krsna, He and His body are not different because He is absolute. There is no difference between His inside and His outside. He is completely spiritual. The Brahma-samhita says, isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah: “Krsna is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful spiritual body.” Anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam: “He is the origin of all, but He Himself has no origin. He is the prime cause of all causes.” That is Krsna.

Continue reading "Sri Krishna Janmastami, September 2, 2007 Ojai, California
Giriraj Swami"

Sri Krishna Janmastami morning program at Los Angeles (Album with photos)
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Sri Mayapur Janmastami Day Darshan (Album with photos)
Simply beautiful!
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The post Daily Darshan – September 5th, 2015 – Janmastami Day appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Hare Krishna! The Gifts of His Divine Grace
Jayadvaita Swami: In just a dozen years, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada gave the world a legacy that will last forever. Generally speaking, gross material accomplishments win immediate popular applause, but they are also quickly forgotten. Although an intellectual contribution may take longer to be widely acclaimed, its benefits are more profound and long-lasting. A spiritual contribution, however, though perhaps least appreciated immediately, is ultimately the most profoundly significant and enduring. Therefore, let us try to understand and appreciate the myriad spiritual contributions of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19598

Hare Krishna! Sweetest Description of Janmastami-lila
Srila Kavi Karnapura: Cymbals, damru drums, bherries, and big drums vibrated auspicious sounds hi specific melodies. A celestial concert of precise poetical meters, proper rhythms, and metrical compositions suddenly manifested there. The musical ensemble inspired the society girls to sing and dance in mirth and merriment. Though not good singers, by the will of the Lord they sang with great virtuoso. Then” wonderful songs filled Nanda Maharaja’s heart with joy. The combined vibrations of brahmanas’ chanting Vedic hymns, the recitation of Purank lore, and the panegyrists’ prayers transformed the ethers into sabda brahman, The joy of Krishna’s birth celebration taxed the drains of Nanda’s capital city as they swelled to the brim with milk, yogurt, and other auspicious liquids. Soon rivers of this nectar flooded the streets of the town and permeated the entire atmosphere with a sweet fragrance.
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Krishna’s invitation needs an immediate attention!
How many of us remember our days in our mother’s womb? Although we spent 9 months there but we remember nothing. How many of us can recollect each and every moment of our life which we have spent till now? Of course we can remember in bits and pieces but not in entirety. In fact if we retrospect our life’s spent moments then it will pass in a flash. What does it convey? That the moment which is very precious to us now will lose its relevance in future and we will forget it. Not that we forget many incidents of this life but the Vedic books tells us that we have forgotten many lives which we have lived here in different forms and in different species.
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Seberang Jaya, Malaysia Temple Opening (Album 136 Photographs)
Photography Courtesy: Arjun Bhattacharyya
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na mayy anāśite bhuṅkte nāsnāte snāti mat-parā
mayi ruṣṭe susantrastā  bhartsite yata-vāg bhayāt

King Purañjana then began to think of his past dealings with his wife. He recalled that his wife would not take her dinner until he had finished his, that she would not take her bath until he had finished his, and that she was always very much attached to him, so much so that if he would sometimes become angry and chastise her, she would simply remain silent and tolerate his misbehavior. Purport:

A wife is always supposed to be submissive to her husband. Submission, mild behavior and subservience are qualities in a wife which make a husband very thoughtful of her. For family life it is very good for a husband to be attached to his wife, but it is not very good for spiritual advancement. Thus Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be established in every home. If a husband and wife are very much attached to one another in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they will both benefit because Kṛṣṇa is the center of their existence. Otherwise, if the husband is too much attached to his wife, he becomes a woman in his next life. The woman, being overly attached to her husband, becomes a man in her next life. Of course, it is an advantage for a woman to become a man, but it is not at all advantageous for the man to become a woman.

http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/4/28/19

Hare Krishna! Srila Prabhupada and some of his disciples talk about Janmastami, Montreal, August 16, 1968
So today is that auspicious day, Janmastami, when Lord Krishna appeared five thousand years ago in India, Mathura. Those who are Indian ladies and gentlemen present, they know very well where is Mathura. It is about ninety miles south of New Delhi. Mathura is still existing and it is eternally existing. Krishna appeared in Mathura in His maternal uncle’s house in a very precarious condition. That birthplace, Lord Krishna’s birthplace, is now maintained very nicely. One who goes to India, they see. So anyway, Lord Krishna appeared on this planet five thousand years ago. Krishna does not take his birth like us. So we shall invite today to speak about Krishna from our students, as well as all the members who are present here.
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Hare Krishna! Why Krsna Comes To This World
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
Lord Krishna: “One who knows the transcendental nature of My advent and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode.” Therefore Krsna says, “Just try to learn about the transcendental nature of My advent and activities.” The advent of Krsna it is a very important thing. We should try to understand Krsna, why He makes His advent, why He comes down to this material world, what His business is, what His activities are. If we simply try to understand Krsna, then what will be the result? The result will be tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so’rjuna: we will get immortality. The aim of life is amrtatvaya kalpate, to achieve immortality. So today, on the advent of Krsna, we shall try to understand the philosophy of Krsna.
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Hare Krishna! The Appearance of Lord Krishna
Giriraj Swami: Personally, He has nothing to gain. But He comes out of His mercy, to deliver us. The material world is compared to a prison house, and we, conditioned souls, are the prisoners. We are restricted, like prisoners. We can’t just go anywhere and everywhere, wherever we want. Liberated souls can travel anywhere in the universe. They don’t need spaceships or any other such contraptions. They can move about freely. But we, conditioned souls, are bound. We are not allowed to leave this planet very easily, and even if we do, we don’t really have any other place to stay. So we are bound, and at the same time we have to suffer.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=8819