Damodar Month Home Programs
→ The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple!

Kartika-masa, also known as Damodar-masa, in accordance with Vaishnava calendars, is described in the scriptures as the best among months, for performing austerities for spiritual advancement. This year this auspicious month falls between October 8th and November 6th.

Lord Sri Krishna says, “Of all plants, the sacred Tulasi is most dear to Me, of all months, Kartika is most dear, of all places of pilgrimage, My beloved Dwarka is most dear, and of all days, Ekadasi is most dear.
(Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda 112.3)

During this auspicious month, people perform special activities to increase their spiritual practice. Some of these include - Chanting the Holy names of the Lord (Japa), Daily worship of Tulasi devi, Giving charity, Performing Austerities, Eating only Krishna Prasadam (sanctified food), practicing Brahmacharya (celibacy) and more. Worshipping Lord Damodara by offering ghee lamp as well as chanting of the Damodarastakam is also highly encouraged.

In the month of Kartika, one should worship Lord Damodara and recite the prayer known as Damodarashtakam, which has been spoken by the sage Satyavrata and which attracts Damodara. (Sri Hari Bhakti Vilasa 2.16.198)

Importance of Deep Dana:
Please hear the glories of offering a lamp/deepa during the month of Kartika, an offering that is very pleasing to Lord Krishna. O’ King of brahmanas, a person who offers a lamp in this way will not take birth again in this world.
(Text 100, Kartika-mahatmya, Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa)

Please join us in taking these glories out to all the souls drifting in the GTA region. Please help us in booking small Damodar programs in the homes of your friends & relatives. The format is very simple and it can be as short as one hour at each location. A group of devotees will visit homes (could be more than one/evening) perform Damodarashtakam, offer lamps and talk about the glories of this wonderful pass-time of the Lord. The host has to do nothing but just invite friends and family members and if desirous can just offer some fruit /juice to the invitees. If you are interested please fill out this form to book the programs, so please share this wonderful knowledge to all around you!!!

Kartik Offering
- TOVP.org

We happily welcome this most miraculous month of Kartik! As was announced by HG Radha Jivana Prabhu, the TOVP fundraising team prepared lamps for offering to the Lord on behalf of the Golden Brick donors.

We made list with around 700 donor’s names and are expecting this to increase. Our two cheerful sisters, Mitra Vrinda Devi Dasi and Nirguna Devi Dasi, who restlessly accept and fix all donations according to required legal procedure, both said simultaneously in a lively mood, “Along with ‘Damodarashtaka’ we will chant ‘Donors Sahasra Nama’”.

Devotees explain that by offering lamps to the Lord, this means that we offer our eager desire for devotional service, which is the only thing that can conquer Krishna. So we offered lamps on behalf of our Golden donors first to Sri Sri Radha-Damodar, then to Sri Sri Radha-Mahhava and Ashta-sakhis, Lord Nrisimhadev, Sri Pancha-tattva, Tulasi Devi and finally to Srila Prabhupada. We have a sincere hope that all of Them will give us a rope of love, by which we tie Krishna in our hearts.

The post Kartik Offering appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

In serach of the perfect metal
→ Mayapur.com

When it is perfection that is being pursued, there is nothing that can deter your success. There isn’t a dearth of corroborative examples and the following account is surely one such. As a representative of the team, Vilasini devi dasi, the Head Architect for ToVP arrived at Shanghai on 18th September. The purpose of this […]

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Kartik for the ToVP
→ Mayapur.com

Dear Devotees, Greetings from Sri Dhama Mayapur. The auspicious Kartika month is soon approaching, a favorite month of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas when we are always trying to do extra seva to make advancement and receive the mercy of the Lord. During this month devotional service is enhanced a thousand-fold and brings the devotee immense spiritual […]

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The Tree of Life Retreat, Australia 2014 (Album 41 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

At the retreat we found that if we understand and cultivate the tree of our life we have the best possible chance of growing to reach our spiritual goals. Thus, we learned that the ancient Vedas describe how the modes of ignorance, passion and goodness control the material world. We came to understand that the greatest spiritual benefit and God realisation is available to those who develop the mode of goodness in all the various aspects of their lives. Using the tree as a metaphor, Sacinandana Swami showed how we could nourish our spiritual roots, maintain our emotional and physical life, benefit significantly from the association of spiritually minded people, and how we should live our lives compassionately. Read more ›

Blue God (3 min video)
→ Dandavats.com

Blue God is a documentary film made by Alberta Aureli and Filippo Grespan. Based in a Hare Krishna community in Tuscany. A silent line made out of men and women walks in the yard of a medician Villa in Val di Pesa, it's 4:30 in the morning and it's still dark when men and women cross the door of the temple. The red curtain slowly opens, synced with an ancient and smooth music reveals Krishna's altar, the lonley mantra turns into a collective song... Read more ›

Kirtan Emotions (Album 120 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Others, who are not devotees, may think, "How can people devote so much time simply to talks of God?" The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is simply the repetition of three words, Hare, Krishna, Rama, but still devotees can go on chanting this Hare Krishna mantra twenty-four hours a day without feeling fatigued. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.13.1Purport) Read more ›

Update on Jayapataka Maharaja’s Health
→ Mayapur.com

New Delhi, 10th October:Jayapataka Maharaja was admitted at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in Delhi on 06-10-14. Maharaja was admitted due to fluid retention in his body because of a weak liver. ILBS is one of the best institutes in the world to deal with liver related complications. The Director of the […]

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Should Be Thoroughly Convinced
→ Japa Group

"Everyone of you should be thoroughly convinced of the power of the Hare Krsna mantra to protect you in all circumstances and chant accordingly at all times without offense. Then advancement will be swift and you will gradually come to see everything clearly so that you may act for the pleasure of the Lord without uncertainty."

From a letter to Damodara
January 10, 1971

Capturing Krsna in the month of Kartik
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 October 2009, Durban, South Africa, Lecture)

krishna and cowherd boys We cannot be on automatic pilot; we must capture Krsna by making a special sacrifice! Then, when we have captured Krsna, we see that one cannot keep Krsna also. Mother Yasoda captured Krsna and Krsna was not only bound by Mother Yasoda’s ropes but Krsna was bound by Mother Yasoda’s love.

When Krsna was eleven years old, then Akrura came and Akrura took Krsna away from Vrndavana. From that day on, the residents lived in separation. From that day on, all the residents of Vrndavana, no matter what they did, they could not capture Krsna because it is not automatic.

Krsna was driving them mad… Mad in separation! Mad in their attachment to him! So, one has to earn Krsna’s favour again and again. This is an important point! Therefore, again and again, we are trying. But still, Krsna is such that whatever service is rendered to him, he will never forget. So, if we render this service in the month of Kartik, Krsna will not forget…