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50th year anniversary/golden jubilee of the Jaladuta Diary.
In 1965, Srila Prabhupada, after publishing three volumes of Srimad−Bhagavatam, he approached the owner of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company, Sumati Morarji, for a complimentary passage to the United States. After considering his request for some time, she finally agreed and issued him the ticket.In the port of Calcutta on August 13, 1965, carrying only a small suitcase, an umbrella, and a bag of dry cereal, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, as he was known at the time, climbed up the steep gangway onto a cargo ship named the Jaladuta. The ensuing journey presented considerable hardship. Srila Prabhupada wrote of some sea−sickness, and on the thirteenth day of the voyage, during the passage through the Arabian Sea, he suffereda massive heart attack. He was concerned that he might pass away, but in his uneasy sleep that night he had a dream, a vision. Lord Krsna appeared!
Read the entire entry here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16783

The post April 23rd, 2015 – Chandan yatra Darshan- Day 3 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

19.04.2015 H.G. Bhurijana Prabhu_SB-5.19.13 PART 1

Bhagavatam-daily Podcast:

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The Nandā River flowed all around. It’s water was sacred because Satī used to bathe there.

The gods were awestruck to see the beautiful Mountain of the Lord of Monsters. A delightful city named Alakā was tucked away in a forest where the most fragrant lotus flowers grew. The Nandā and Alakanandā bordered that city, sacred rivers of extreme sanctity which carry the pollen-like dust of the lotus-like feet of the most Sacred Being. Heaven’s goddesses descend into these two lakes when they are tired of lovemaking, and playfully splash their men with the water. Their fresh kuṇkum powder washes away and makes the water golden-red, attracting elephant couples to drink the fragrant and beautiful water, even when they are not thirsty.

That city seems like the sky, replete with glittering clouds and dazzling lightning. The glittering clouds are the goddesses’ hosts of vehicles, decorated with pearls, gold, and great jewels. The dazzling lightning is the brilliant beauty of the sacred goddesses themselves.

The gods passed this city, abode of the Yakṣa Lord, Kuvera, and wandered through the incredibly fragrant forest, admiring the enchanting flowers, fruits and leaves of the wish-fulfilling trees, while red-throated cuckoos made beautiful songs and bees hummed around the lotus flowers while love-struck swans swam in couples atop the water and through the stems of those lotuses.

When forest-elephants brush against the trees, the breezes carry sandalwood fragrance that enlivens the sacred goddesses bathing in the rivers and lakes, renewing their appetite for lovemaking. The lakes have rows of lotus flowers tended by singing kimpuruṣa couples and bordered by steps of dazzling cats-eye jewels.

Far past all this, the gods saw an enormous and immovable banyan tree. It was hundreds of miles tall, and its nest-less branches spread three-fourths as wide, casting unbroken cooling shade everywhere. It was the perfect shelter for great yogis seeking liberation.

Beneath it sat Śiva. The gods were as fearful of him as they were of death itself, but it was clear that he had given up all his anger. Indeed he was the very embodiment of peace and calm, being attended attentively by the four sages headed by Sanandana, and by the Lord of Rakṣa, his friend Kuvera. Although he is the Supreme Master, he was engaged in the yoga of study and self-discipline because he desired to make the world more auspicious, being an affectionate friend of everyone.

He was the ideal renunciate: with matted hair, carrying a staff, and wearing only a deer skin. His own skin was sunset-red, covered in cloudy ash; and his crown was a crescent moon. He sat on a mat of sacred darbha grass and explained the eternal Vedic wisdom to Nārada, who was asking questions while the other sages listened attentively. On his right thigh he had placed his left lotus-like foot; and his left hand rested on his left knee. His right arm, decorated with akṣa beads was raised on a small cane, and his hand displayed mudra of logic. He was deeply immersed in perfect concentration on spiritual bliss.

The gods folded their hands to offer praṇām to the original sage of all sages. He is the lord whose feet are venerated by both gods and demons, but when he saw Self-Born Brahmā arrive, he stood up and bowed his head in great respect; after all he was Brahmā’s son, and should show Brahmā respect, just as Viṣṇu (as Vāmana) shows respect to his father Kaśyapa.

All the other perfected souls and great sages surrounding Śiva also paid their respectful namaskara to Brahmā.

Brahmā, with a happy face, offered his respectful praṇām to Moon-Crowned Śiva, and then began to speak.

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A comment: This shows that Śiva Jī is not averse to showing external respect. He happily showed respect to Brahmā Jī by respectfully standing and bowing his head when Brahmā arrived. This is exactly the respect he did not show his father-in-law Dakṣa when he arrived (in Chapter One). The reason is that Brahmā deserves respect because he is wise and humble, but Dakṣa did not, because he was proud.

— Bhāgavatam 4.6.22 ~ 41

Vraja Kishor dās

VrajaKishor.com

Tagged: Bhagavata Purana, Brahma, kailasa, Shiva, Siva, Srimad Bhagavatam

Another enlightening Japa class from Mahatma dasa explaining in detail about how we can avoid offenses to the Holy names.
Email subscribers please click the big blue link above to see the video.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 22 December 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, Disciple Meeting)

Relationships are very much based on indebtedness – that we see the sacrifice that others are making. Relationships between Krsna and his devotees are like that; relationships between guru and disciple are also like that, it is based on indebtedness. A disciple has to capture the guru by doing something by which the guru feels, ‘Well, this person, this disciple, really went out of his way to do something really nice!’ That is when the mercy starts flowing.

In the same way, the spiritual master is naturally making a sacrifice, because he is different, he is not like everybody else. He is reliable, he is trustworthy, because he is doing what nobody does – going against the current. In a river, it is never easy to go against the current but somehow or other, the guru goes against the current. Therefore, we feel indebted because we see that the guru speaks the truth and he lives the truth. Thus we are indebted for this. So those things make an integral part of spiritual relationships that are based on service.

On Sunday May 3, 2015 we will celebrate our Sweet Rice Festival for the second time! This festival will be filled with many festivities including a dramatic presentation by our very own HH Bhaktimarga Swami.






This year, you also have the chance of offering a pot of sweet rice personally to our Deities! Come see us at our Sunday Feast this weekend and purchase a clay pot that you can decorate and bring back on Sunday, May 3 during the Sweet Rice Festival to be offered to the Deities on your behalf.

If you have any questions, please email us at info@torontokrishna.com .

Our beautiful and beloved Deities, Sri Sri Radha Ksira-Chora Gopinatha, have been the heart and soul of our Hare Krishna Centre for over 40 years. Actually, Srila Prabhupada named our Deities in Toronto after a famous Deity of the same name in the beautiful and ancient city of Remuna, India.

Ksira means "sweet rice" and chora means "thief".  So, the name "Ksira-Chora" translates into, "one who steals sweet rice".  This famous Deity of Lord Krishna in Remuna was given this name after an incredible incident which occurred hundreds of years ago wherein the Deity actually stole a small pot of sweet rice for his devotee, Madhavendra Puri.

Madhavendra Puri, a great 14 century saint in our lineage, had visited the ancient temple in Remuna and saw the priests (pujaris) offering small pots of sweet rice to the Deity. In his heart, he desired to taste the sweet rice so that he could create a similar preparation for his personal worship of his own Deity.  Seeing the genuine sincerity in his heart, the Deity of the temple secretly hid one of the earthen pots of sweet rice offered every night and then appeared in the dream of the priest (pujari) and instructed him to locate the hidden pot and give it to Madhavendra Puri.  In this way, the legend grew of the Gopinatha Deity which stole sweet rice for his devotee and thus Deity became known as "Ksira-Chora Gopinatha"!

Many may not know this, but since our Deities were given their name in the early 1970s, sweet rice has been offered on our altar every day!  On Sunday May 3, 2015, we are celebrating an annual festival called the "Sweet Rice Festival" that began last year. We will be honouring Madhavendra Puri's appearance day on this day along with relishing the wonderful story of Ksira-Chora Gopinatha! We will also have a dramatic presentation by HH Bhaktimarga Swami, which you do not want to miss!

We hope to see you all there! Learn about our fun initiative that everyone can participate in by offering a personal pot of sweet rice to our Deities - click here for more information!

Join filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. http://www.cowspiracy.com

Hare Krishna! Fault-finding and Forgiveness
We have two choices as to which court we want to work in. The first court is that of the empowered demigod and mahājana devotee Sri Yamaraja. The second court is the court of Lord Nityananda. Working in Yamaraja’s court means assisting his chief lieutenant Citragupta, whose job it is to note down all of the mistakes and sinful acts of conditioned souls.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16931

Hare Krishna! Fault-finding and Forgiveness
We have two choices as to which court we want to work in. The first court is that of the empowered demigod and mahājana devotee Sri Yamaraja. The second court is the court of Lord Nityananda. Working in Yamaraja’s court means assisting his chief lieutenant Citragupta, whose job it is to note down all of the mistakes and sinful acts of conditioned souls.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16931

Chanting All Thirty-Two Syllables “As Srila Prabhupada’s secretary and more than once in any case, I sat before Srila Prabhupada chanting my japa. Sometimes we hear people, and myself, saying, ‘Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram Ram, Hare Hare. Srila Prabhupada would stop me, and more than once, say to me. ‘Chant the entire mantra,’ and [...]

Celebration of Colors - Hudson Valley
I would like to invite you to The Celebration of Colors - (Holi) festival which we (Nimai’s Bliss Kitchen) is hosting. The Celebration (The first of its kind in the Hudson Valley) is on Saturday June 20th from Noon to 9PM. It will take place in Historic Newburgh overlooking the the Hudson.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16938

Lots of time to chant as I recuperate. The real medicine. “Just always chant Hare Krsna. Never mind whether you are in a factory or in a hell, in a shack or in a skyscraper – it doesn’t matter. Just go on chanting: Hare Krsna, HareKrsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama [...]

Being in and out of hospitals the last few weeks I have seen alot of people suffering. I am eager to get back on samkirtan and chant the holy names for the benefit of the fallen souls. “If the surface of the globe is overflooded with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, the people [...]

Hare Krishna! 10th Annual St. Augustine Ratha Yatra, 2015
Bhadra Prabhu presented her with the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, telling her: “When you are in stress, please read this book. Mahatma Gandhi used to read this book whenever he was in a difficult situation.” Her reply was: “I am always in stressful situations.” Then Mukhya devi said to her: “You can read any page and you will find solutions.” The mayor replied that she will read it everyday. She hopes to go to India someday soon and immerse herself in the culture. She learned a bit of the history of the Ratha Yatra and took the part of King Prataparudra as she swept the street clean in honor of the procession.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16928

Hare Krishna! 10th Annual St. Augustine Ratha Yatra, 2015
Bhadra Prabhu presented her with the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, telling her: “When you are in stress, please read this book. Mahatma Gandhi used to read this book whenever he was in a difficult situation.” Her reply was: “I am always in stressful situations.” Then Mukhya devi said to her: “You can read any page and you will find solutions.” The mayor replied that she will read it everyday. She hopes to go to India someday soon and immerse herself in the culture. She learned a bit of the history of the Ratha Yatra and took the part of King Prataparudra as she swept the street clean in honor of the procession.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16928

Dear devotees, Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I would like to thank all of you for your concern, your care and especially your prayers during these last few days. As my dear friend Govinda Swami reported, I was recently diagnosed with Melanoma skin cancer, but the small malignant mole [...]

CC-daily Podcast
[audio mp3="http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2015%20classes/04-15%20classes/CC%20daily%2082%20-%20M%206.2-8%20-%20Lord%20Chaitanya's%20darshana%20of%20Jagannatha%20was%20dramatically%20devastating.mp3http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2015%20classes/04-15%20classes/CC%20daily%2082%20-%20M%206.2-8%20-%20Lord%20Chaitanya's%20darshana%20of%20Jagannatha%20was%20dramatically%20devastating.mp3">Download by "right-click and save content"

Hare Krishna! Krishna Consciousness – The Highly Productive Lifestyle
If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon our heart. The spirit should never grow old. …John Kenneth Galbraith We can distinguish art as different from work and can present five step process that can be adopted for turning work into art. These steps involve adopting a reliable methodology; learning from an expert guide or trainer; practicing with full faith and determination to develop the skills; intelligently identifying the goals and milestones; planning and executing to achieve the goals.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16924

Hare Krishna! Krishna Consciousness – The Highly Productive Lifestyle
If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon our heart. The spirit should never grow old. …John Kenneth Galbraith We can distinguish art as different from work and can present five step process that can be adopted for turning work into art. These steps involve adopting a reliable methodology; learning from an expert guide or trainer; practicing with full faith and determination to develop the skills; intelligently identifying the goals and milestones; planning and executing to achieve the goals.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16924

Hare Krishna! Sri Surabhi Campaign – Bangalore report
Many of the devotees inquired about the upcoming seminars/conferences about Mother Surabhi. Maharaja mentioned that a few devotees are getting trained for the same under IDVM-India and that soon more details will be made available. Also, Maharaja made a point saying that the practical connection and involvement of the devotees to the campaign will become more clear once the second campaign pamphlet ‘Sustainable Eco Alliance’ is released.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16916

Hare Krishna! Sri Surabhi Campaign – Bangalore report
Many of the devotees inquired about the upcoming seminars/conferences about Mother Surabhi. Maharaja mentioned that a few devotees are getting trained for the same under IDVM-India and that soon more details will be made available. Also, Maharaja made a point saying that the practical connection and involvement of the devotees to the campaign will become more clear once the second campaign pamphlet ‘Sustainable Eco Alliance’ is released.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16916

Hare Krishna! NASN March 2015 – North American Sankirtan Newsletter
For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of March. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16913

Hare Krishna! NASN March 2015 – North American Sankirtan Newsletter
For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of March. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16913

Tribal Harinam in Cape Town,South Africa (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The demigods are pleased when sacrifices are performed, just as prison officers are satisfied when the prisoners are turned into obedient subjects. Lord Caitanya, however, has recommended only one yajna, or sacrifice, called the sankirtana-yajna, the chanting of Hare Krishna, in which everyone can take part. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.6.20 Purport)
See them here: http://goo.gl/bSjmgj

Hare Krishna! The Sannyasa Ministry would like your feedback
To expand ISKCON’s preaching mission Srila Prabhupada created sannyasis. Thus the Ministry for Sannyasa Service has established a website to provide information about potential sannyasis to the ISKCON community and to get feedback in order to help in the candidate’s training
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=10808

Hare Krishna! The Sannyasa Ministry would like your feedback
To expand ISKCON’s preaching mission Srila Prabhupada created sannyasis. Thus the Ministry for Sannyasa Service has established a website to provide information about potential sannyasis to the ISKCON community and to get feedback in order to help in the candidate’s training
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=10808

Hare Krishna! New Hare Krishna Centre Finaly in Edinburgh!
40 years ago the ISKCON Edinburgh centre closed and everyone involved, including Srila Prabhupada, was extremely disappointed. Since then we have not had a preaching centre in Edinburgh and even in forming a Vaishnava community we faced many difficulties, but recently Krishna consciousness has started to flourish here. Eight months ago we apealed to the wider vaisnava community, here on Dandavats.com, asking for help in rasing funds to open a center in Edinburgh for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. There were many challenges but thanks to your support and well wishes, we were able to finally open the ‘Gouranga Mantra Centre’ on the 12th April 2015.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16908

Hare Krishna! New Hare Krishna Centre Finaly in Edinburgh!
40 years ago the ISKCON Edinburgh centre closed and everyone involved, including Srila Prabhupada, was extremely disappointed. Since then we have not had a preaching centre in Edinburgh and even in forming a Vaishnava community we faced many difficulties, but recently Krishna consciousness has started to flourish here. Eight months ago we apealed to the wider vaisnava community, here on Dandavats.com, asking for help in rasing funds to open a center in Edinburgh for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. There were many challenges but thanks to your support and well wishes, we were able to finally open the ‘Gouranga Mantra Centre’ on the 12th April 2015.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=16908

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The post Sunday’s pictures appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

From Rambhadara Priya Prabhu:
Answer Podcast:

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From Rambhadara Priya Prabhu:
Answer Podcast:

Download by "right-click and save content"

Answer Podcast:

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