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Bhāgavata 4, Chapter 17, tells the tale of King Pṛthu ending a severe famine. During this tale, the earth manifests as a Cow-woman and says several very important things, especially about how women should be treated…

The philosophers had coronated Pṛthu and declared him the protector of the people, so the citizens – emaciated from the famine spread across the faceof the earth – came to beseech him. “O King, hunger torments us, like fire burning a tree from the inside. You can protect us, and now we beg your protection, for you are the one who will bring about our prosperity. Please find some way to give us food, oh god of the gods of men. If we cannot get nourishment, the tormenting fire of hunger will devour us. We trust in your protection, for you protect the prosperity of everyone.”

Hearing the pitiful citizens, Pṛthu cried. Thinking carefully and patiently, trying to discover the cause of the famine. When his intellect became firm and decided about the cause, he picked up his bow, nocked an arrow, aimed at the earth, and drew back the bowstring – as angry as Śiva, the destroyer of three cities.

Seeing his immanent attack the earth began to quake. He would not lower his bow, so she manifest as a cow-woman and ran from Pṛthu in fear, like an animal pursued by a hunter.

Vidura had just previously asked why the Earth had become a cow, of all things. The answer is that she was in fear of her life, and so took the form of a creature against which any form of violence was forbidden. This creature was gauḥ satī – a “cow-woman.” (The Surabhi / Kāmadhenu is a divine creature that manifests the physical form of both a cow and a woman – along with the tail of a peacock and wings of a beautiful bird.) 

But Vena’s Son, his eyes red with rage, would not let her go – the arrow on his drawn bow followed her wherever she fled. The goddess fled in every direction, on the earth and into caves – but wherever she ran, she always saw the king right behind her, with his arrow drawn. Like a person unable to escape death, there was no place in the world she could escape fro Vena’s son.

Maitreya repeatedly addresses Pṛthu here as “Vena’s son” to imply how fearsome and relentless he could be when necessary.

Then, trembling with a terrified heart, she turned to face him. “O most opulent and blessed knower of morality and father of those who seek your shelter,” she said, “your majesty protects all creatures, including me. So please spare me from your wrath!

“Why do you want to kill a poor creature who has committed no crime? Everyone knows the saying, ‘How could a knower of morality ever harm a woman?’ Women must certainly never be physically punished, even if they have committed a crime. All people know this, so certainly a learned person like you must also know it, for you are a merciful king, like a father to the poor.

This is the verdict of śāstra, directly stated by the goddess earth, who is the eternal śakti of bhagavān, an expansion of the adi-śakti Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. No one who strikes a woman can ever be considered a moral person – for a woman must never be physically punished, even if she has committed crimes! 

No one who values Śrī Rādhā or cherishes the ideal of transmorphing in liberation into a functional assistant of Śrī Rādhā can ever condone or ignore the instructions of Goddess Bhūmi.

If Canakya Pandit (or whoever may have interpolated his nīti sūtra) says something to the contrary, followers of the Bhāgavatam know it to be trash, and reject it. If any so called sādhu or guru says anything to the contrary, directly or indirectly implying that “physical discipline” is applicable to women, followers of Bhāgavatam denounce that person – loudly if necessary. Or, as far more likely, if any inept, inexperienced, and uneducated followers of a genuine sādhu or guru insist on representing their guru as condoning violence and threats towards women – we instantly and without second thought reject those useless person as far away as possible.

If anyone want to become an object of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s mercy, a genuine sādhu, but if that person has committed the heinous act of violence towards women, the first order of duty is to repair the evil they have done.  To a subtle extent, all men behave violently towards women by the instinct to enlist them in their personal gratifications. And all creatures have been men at some point. Therefore no one is exempt from the need to repair the evils and exploitations of women.

“Anyway, think carefully!” the goddess concluded, “I am the ageless boat upon which the whole world stands. If you destroy me, how will you keep yourself or your citizens from drowning in the universal waters?”

– Translation of Bhāgavata 4.17.8 ~ 21
a rough-draft for Part 4 of Beautiful Tales of the All-Attractive

by Vraja Kishor
VrajaKishor.com

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 May 2015, Brisbane, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.42)

Question: How do you preach from realization?

There is scripture and then there are the acaryas who have given their realizations on scripture. We can study their realizations and that will help us to understand the scriptures better. Just like Srila Prabhupada said. “My purports are more important than the verses of the Srimad Bhagavatam.” So isn’t that like…is that humble? Yes it is humble because on our own, how can we understand these verses therefore Prabhupada gives an explanation. So in this way, we first look at the realizations of the acaryas and that will help us to deepen our understanding. Then our own realizations come from our own experiences. We start to practise spiritual life and follow the injunctions of the scriptures and we get some experience; that is realization. We can speak from our own experience but not beyond it.

When we start to speculate about things which we have not experienced then it gets difficult. There is only a portion of the process that is within the realm of our realization and after that, all we can do is quote scriptures and quote the acaryas. But, for example, we can speak about the struggle that exists in the beginning of vaidhi bhakti; we all know that struggle and also how to overcome that struggle. It is not easy fix oneself and to everyday chant sixteen rounds but it becomes easier when we do it in a regulated way and when we everyday do it at the same time. We have some realization about sadhana because we are practising sadhana, and you can feel when sadhana goes better and when sadhana does not go better.

Like that we get some realizations, we realise that eating has something to do with our sadhana and we realise that we have to control the tongue. We have to eat in a regulated way; this becomes a realization. At this stage, it is no longer just what the scriptures says, “One must control the tongue.” No, one has personally experienced it! Like that, because we personally experienced it we become stronger in applying it. Yes it says in the scriptures and I know it from my own experience therefore we are definitely going to live like this. When it is realised and there is more strength to it.

BY DERRICK VINESH

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: THESTAR

SEBERANG JAYA - When His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada visited Malaysia in 1971, he had a vision for a Krishna temple to be built in Penang.

The founder of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) had then drawn a rough sketch of the temple and left instructions for the devotees here to follow.

It was quite a tall order but the devotees will soon see the fruits of their labour when the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple of Devotion and Understanding in Bandar Seberang Jaya officially opens on Aug 29.

The grand three-storey octagonal-shaped temple will be the first Hindu temple in the country to have 16 chatris (ornate dome-shaped pavilions), two octagon skylight domes and three main shikara domes.

ISKCON national general secretary Simheswara Dasa said although the devotees here were 44 years late, they were happy to finally fulfil the wishes of the late Swami Prabhupada who died in 1977.

“The main temple building is now 95% complete, leaving only work on the installation of sound systems, air-conditioning units, lightings, fittings, paintwork, landscaping and roadwork yet to be done,” he added.

He said the RM7mil temple, which saw its groundbreaking in 2009, was designed after India’s Jagannath temple in Puri and Krishna Balaram temple in Vrindavan.

“The 100ft-tall temple’s sculpture and ornamental decorations by 14 artisans from India is one of its kind in the world with 12 lions sitting on top of the shikara domes rising up to 80ft,” he said in an interview.

Simheswara, who is also the building committee chairman, said the vedic-friendly temple’s main prayer hall on the first floor would have deities Lord Krishna and Radha placed on a grand Balinese teakwood altar and placed under the main domes.

He said the prayer hall could accommodate up to 1,000 devotees at any one time, adding that 10 statues depicting the incarnations of Lord Krishna would also be placed within the temple.

He said there would be a separate kitchen to cook food offerings for the deities as well as a room to keep a wardrobe of attires for the deities.

The statues of deities Jegannath, Baladeva and Subadhra would be put up in the prayer hall later on.

“The temple’s mezzanine floor would feature a Srila Prabhupada Gallery while the ground floor would have an auditorium to run audio visual presentations and an exhibition of Lord Krishna’s incarnations,” Simheswara said.

He said the committee had so far raised RM5mil for the temple construction and hoped to raise the remaining RM2mil through various fundraising events and sponsorship.

Building project vice-chairman Kalesha Dasa said a RM3mil multipurpose hall was being jointly developed with the main temple building while a RM1.5mil education and cultural centre was completed in 2004.

He said the four-storey multipurpose hall would have an open dining hall to run the movement’s food-for-life free vegetarian food programme, 10 guest rooms, a viewing gallery and a performance stage.

The three-storey cultural centre will house a restaurant, gift and bookshop, childcare centre, meeting rooms and education centre.

“We are expecting over 10,000 people during the temple’s opening-cum-installation of deities ceremony at 10am on Aug 29.

“They include devotees from India, China, US, Australia, England, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Africa.

“The temple’s opening will also coincide with the 50th anniversary of ISKCON’s founding in the US,” Kalesha said, adding that 20 priests from the International School of Vedic in Mayapur, India, would lead the ceremonies.

For details, call Simheswara (012-3798743), the temple office (04-3808897) or visit the movement’s website at www.iskconmalaysia.com or e-mail srktdu@gmailcom.

Famous American actor Walter Matthau is chanting Hare Krishna with… passion (for the wrong reason), but still… :-) (1 min video)
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/unDNQV

Harinama at Burleigh Heads - 26 July 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is described as maha-vadanya, the most munificent of charitable persons, because He gives Krishna so easily that one can attain Krishna simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.3.38 Purport)
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Some fortunate souls get the mercy of the lotus feet of Lord Chaitanya on their head during a Harinama in Moscow! (Album with photos)
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Iskcon: The Complete Social Service.
Suppose you are the friend of a millionaire. One day you see your friend’s estranged son wandering on the streets, drunk, disheveled, diseased, distressed, and starving. When someone offers him food, he gulps it down and continues his aimless wandering. Then someone else comes and gives him a new set of clothes. He happily wears the clothes, but still remains lost and forsaken. Someone else gives him free medicine, which provides him some relief but no permanent solace. Then you seat him in your car, take him home, bathe and feed him, and treat his ailments. When he has sobered, you talk with him lovingly, explaining his father’s great affection for him. You clarify and remove the misunderstanding that strained their relationship. And when he is ready, you take him back to his father’s mansion, where he is fed the best food, given an entire wardrobe of clothes, and attended to by a team of expert doctors. His reunion with his father has solved so many problems. Material welfare workers are like the people who offered food, clothing, and medicine to the lost son, whereas the devotee is like the father’s friend, who took the son back to his father.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18655

And what to do when they don’t change.

The post Rupamati asks: How to “change” others by your preaching for the better? appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Hare Krishna! Looking for the Supreme God
I was born and brought up in a Hindu family in Delhi, and we used to go to various temples and offer prayers before the gods. Two questions, however, always tickled my mind: Why do we worship so many gods, and who is the real God? As I never got answers to my questions, I considered all the gods equal, and in my teenage years all religions and faiths became one for me. Be it Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, or Christianity, all pointed towards one God. But I could not find out who this God is. During my school days, when I badly needed the help of God I would cry out to Him, but no name would come on my lips. Sometimes I wondered whether God has any name, and slowly and steadily I felt that God has no form or name but is a supernatural power—a powerful light we cannot see but can only feel.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18652

Hare Krishna! Please do not leave!
Yamuna Devi: So my sister bluntly expressed to Srila Prabhupada that she wanted to leave. She told him that “When you are here, everything is fine; but when you leave, everything becomes harder to deal with, especially the men, and I don’t want to do it.” I looked at Srila Prabhupada, whose eyes glistened with tears of love. I was also crying—we all were. With a combination of deep love and gravity, he said: Please do not leave. We have the best philosophy. You will not find a better philosophy in this world. There is nothing like the knowledge that we have in Krishna Consciousness. We have the best scriptures, like Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, The Nectar of Devotion and Caitanya-caritamrta.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18649

Vaishnava Summer Festival 2015 in Lietuva,Palanga (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: By chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, we gradually develop our eternal relationship with the Supreme Person and thus attain the perfection called svarupa-siddhi. We should take advantage of this benediction and go back home, back to Godhead. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.3.37 Purport )
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Maha Saturday Harinama at Union Square Park, New York City (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If someone calls Lord Ramacandra by the vibration Hare Rama, understanding it to mean “O Lord Ramacandra!” he is quite right. Similarly, if one says that Hare Rama means “O Sri Balarama!” he is also right. Those who are aware of the Vishnu-tattva do not fight over all these details. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 5.123 Purport)
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Confusion is a Blessing If We Respond Accordingly.
Radhanath Swami: Confusion is a blessing. Because when we are confused, it shakes us from our complacency, and we start asking the questions that you are asking today.
This is the basis of the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna was in total illusion. Then he became extremely confused. He thought his illusion was truth. The Bhagvad Gita begins were Arjuna is telling Krishna why he will not fight and he cannot fight. He had such good logic, such good scientific philosophical and social reasons. But ultimately all of his reasoning couldn’t really save him from distress because the nature of the world is that things happen that we just don’t want to happen, but they happen anyway. It’s the nature of this place.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/oIyf3s

Mangal Arati Of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath; 13th July 2015

The teaching of Bhisma are one of the major teaching in Mahabharata. He is one of the Mahajana.

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Hare Krishna! US Congressman and Mayor Among 10,000 Attendees for Detroit ISKCON Rathyatra
Perhaps one of the greatest surprises of the day was when US Congressman David Trott joined the Opening Ceremonies as Honory Chief Guest. He joined already impressive group of Honorary Chief Guests for the Opening Ceremonies, including the Mayor, entire City Council, City Manager and several key city officials. Just before Mayor Gatt and Congressman Trott addressed the large crowds, they both were presented with a copy of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As it Is. Mayor Gatt was so touched by the gift that he announced in front of all: “wow, I’m honored. I will begin reading it today!” Congressman Trott pledged his support for the festival and requested us all to reach out to him whenever needed.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18646

kuñjād goṣṭhaṁ niśānte / praviśati kurute / dohanānnāśanādyāṁ

From the groves to the villiage at dawn
making his return.
Then sleeping, having breakfast, and milking the cows.

prātaḥ sāyaṁ ca līlāṁ / viharati sakhibhiḥ / saṅgave cārayan gāḥ

Enjoying play day and night 
enjoying with his girlfriends
enjoying and moving among them

madyāhne cātha naktaṁ / vilasati vipine / rādhayāddhāparāhne

Then, during mid-day and mid-night,
manifesting delightful dalliance with Rādhā
(And in the afternoon and predawn, unmanifestedly)

goṣṭhaṁ yāti pradoṣe / ramayati suhṛdo / yaḥ sa kṛṣṇo ‘vatān naḥ

Going to the villiage in the evenings
To delight his dear ones.
Thus Krishna reveals himself to us

There are 8 divisions of the day, 4 of the daytime, 4 of the nighttime.

The 1st division of daytime is the daybreak. At this time he returns to the village from the groves and catches a few winks of wonderfully deep sleep. In the 2nd division he wakes up, has breakfast, and milks his cows. In the 3rd division, mid-day, he plays with the gopīs headed by Rādhā. In the 4th division, afternoon, he plays with them in an unmanifest way – he stays in their hearts and minds, but goes externally to play with the boys.

In the 1st division of night, evening, he returns to the villiage, and delights his family. [He has dinner and so on] In the 2nd division of night, he moves to meet the gopīs, and plays with them. In the 3rd division, midnight, his play with the gopis is at its manifest height (as it was at mid-day). In the 4th division the play is unmanifest – they all sleep.

The meter for chanting the sanskrit is: – – – – * – – / * * * * * * – / – * – – * – – (“–” is a long syllable, held twice as long as “*”, the short syllable). The pattern is the same for every line.

Vraja Kishor

VrajaKishor.com

Tagged: govinda-lilamrita, govinda-lilamrta, Krishna, krishna lila, nitya-lila

Krsna Lunch preaching, Gainesville, Florida, US (Album with photos)
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ISKCON-INDONESIA - Beautiful Hymn of ISKCON-INDONESIA by teen devotees (4 min video)
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Ratha-Yatra New Govardhan Farm (Album with 97 photos)
ISKCON New Govardhana - Sri Sri Radha Govardhanadhari
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and what they eat, Baladeva asks which side to worship the shila and Rasa-Panrayana about good preachers with bad conduct.

The post Anonymous asks why sannyasis don’t eat with devotees appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Ratha Yatra in Munich, Germany (Album with photos)
Everyone should be given a chance to take prasada and thus be induced to chant the holy names of Hare Krishna and also dance in ecstasy. By these three processes, although performed without knowledge or education, even even a dog went back to Godhead. Chaitanya Caritamrta Antya Lila 1.32
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Hare Krishna! Serving Prabhupada Together
Giriraj Swami and Shyamasundar Prabhu: One of the programs that I remember best was a midday program at the home of Ramchand Chabria. He invited a lot of big people, including Sadajivatlal. Now, Sadajivatlal was, in a nice way, a Hindu chauvinist. And while everyone was mingling, he somehow sat down next to me and began telling me about the glories of India’s heritage. He just went on about the superiority of Indian culture, focusing on Indian sweets. He said, “What do you have in America? Only chocolates and cake–that’s it. And we, just from milk and sugar, have burfi, pera, sandesa, rasagulla, rasamalai, rabri, gulabjamun–more than one hundred varieties.” He just went on and on. “And then with grains there is halava, malpura, jalebi, laddu, khir …” Just on that point he was completely smashing Western culture and establishing the superiority of India’s.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=1899

Hare Krishna! Devotees carry out founder’s wish for temple made 44 years ago
WHEN His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada visited Malaysia in 1971, he had a vision for a Krishna temple to be built in Penang. The founder of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) had then drawn a rough sketch of the temple and left instructions for the devotees here to follow. It was quite a tall order but the devotees will soon see the fruits of their labour when the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple of Devotion and Understanding in Bandar Seberang Jaya officially opens on Aug 29.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18641

Hare Krishna! Whatever Happened to the Revolution?
Padmapani das: For many of us who came of age in the Sixties and Seventies, the counterculture and its promise of an alternative society based on love and peace was an important part of our lives. Art, music, poetry, philosophy, ecology and human rights were just a few of the buzzwords floating around the collective psyche of the Sixties generation. Revolution was in the air. “The establishment” was doomed and soon to be replaced with a kinder, gentler society. Peace would reign supreme and all peoples of the world would unite and be free from the chains of oppression. Or so we thought. At the time, it appeared that massive cultural changes were about to sweep away the capitalist system (or the “military-industrial-complex” as we used to call it). Every day there was a new victory for change.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18638

HG Jagadish Prabhu at ISKCON Mayapur on 2015-07-13, Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 06.11.26-27