Vrindavan Food For Life Awarded Top 20 NGO
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The Indian Corporate Social Responsibility Awards ceremony was organized on 27th August 2022 in Gurugram, India to acknowledge all those organizations who have brought prestige and honor to the nation through their contribution to humanity and nation-building. We are thrilled to share that Food For Life Vrindavan Society was nominated as one of the ‘Top […]

The post Vrindavan Food For Life Awarded Top 20 NGO appeared first on ISKCON News.

Durga Puja
→ Ramai Swami

Worship of the goddess Durgā is mentioned this way in Brahma-saṁhitā. We should worship the demigods in that spirit. Because the goddess Durgā satisfies Kṛṣṇa, we should therefore offer respects to goddess Durgā.

SB 5.7.6, Purport: 

Demigod worship is mentioned in Brahma-saṁhitā, but actually the ślokas advocate worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. For instance, worship of the goddess Durgā is mentioned this way in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.44):sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekāchāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgāicchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sāgovindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

Following the orders of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the goddess Durgā creates, maintains and annihilates. Śrī Kṛṣṇa also confirms this statement in Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: “This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings.” (BG 9.10)

We should worship the demigods in that spirit. Because the goddess Durgā satisfies Kṛṣṇa, we should therefore offer respects to goddess Durgā. Because Lord Śiva is nothing but Kṛṣṇa’s functional body, we should therefore offer respects to Lord Śiva.

Similarly, we should offer respects to Brahmā, Agni and Sūrya. There are many offerings to different demigods, and one should always remember that these offerings are usually meant to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Shukratal Yatra and the Glories of Srimad-Bhagavatam
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By Chandan Yatra Das

Shukratal is a tiny holy town about 2-3 hours (72 km) from Haridwar on the banks of Ganges River in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Srila Sukadeva Goswami spoke sacred Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) to Maharaja Pariksit (the grandson of Arjuna and son of Abhimanyu), under a banyan tree 5000 years ago. Here at a place called Sri Sukadeva Temple, there is a gigantic 5100 year old Banyan tree, also known as Akshaya Vat Vriksha, underneath where Sukadeva Goswami, Maharaja Pariksit and 80,000 sages sat for 7 days continuously hearing Bhagavatam narration. The branches of this Akshaya Vat tree spread far and wide, sprouting through the nearby surroundings. The Sukadeva ashrama is built around the tree. Continue reading "Shukratal Yatra and the Glories of Srimad-Bhagavatam
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Pasankusa Ekadasi and the TOVP 2022
- TOVP.org

Pasankusa or Papankusa Ekadasi is one of the most significant Vedic fasting days, and is observed in the Ashwin month on the eleventh day (Ekadasi) of Shukla Paksha. Therefore, the festival is also popular as ‘Ashwina-Shukla Ekadasi’. According to the Gregorian calendar, this festival is celebrated either in the month of October or September. Pasankusa Ekadasi is celebrated to worship Lord Padmanabha, the Lord with a navel like a lotus.

It’s recommended to chant extra rounds and stay up all night chanting and hearing the Lord’s glories. It is also auspicious to donate to Vaishnavas and Lord Krishna’s service on Ekadasi and we invite our readers to consider this Indira Ekadasi to donate towards the Give To Nrsimha 2023 Fundraiser. We are focusing on the completion and opening of the entire Nrsimhadeva hall and altar by the Fall of 2023 as a forerunner to the Grand Opening of the TOVP in 2024 when all the Deities will be relocated into Their new home. Please go to the Give To Give To Nrsimha 2023 Fundraiser page TODAY and help complete this offering to the Lord.

  NOTE: Pasankusa Ekadasi is observed on Oct. 5th in the US and Oct. 6th in India. Please refer to your local calendar through www.gopal.home.sk/gcal.

  View, download and share the TOVP 2022 Calendar​.

 

The Glories of Pasankusa Ekadasi

From Brahma-vaivarta Purana

The glories of Pasankusa Ekadasi, also known as Papankusa Ekadasi and which occurs during the waxing moon in the month of September/October, is described in Brahma-vaivarta Purana in the conversation between Lord Krishna and Maharaj Yudhisthira:

Yudhishthira Maharaj said, “Oh Madhusudana, what is the name of the Ekadasi that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Ashvina (September – October)? Please be merciful and disclose this truth to me.”

Lord Krishna relied, “Oh king, please listen carefully as I explain the glories of Pasankusa Ekadasi – which removes all sins. On this day one should worship the Deity of Padmanabha, the lotus naveled Lord Vishnu, according to the rules of archana viddhi (regulations). By so doing, one achieves whatever heavenly pleasures one may want in this world, and at last attains liberation from this world thereafter. Simply by offering one’s humble obeisances unto Lord Vishnu, one can achieve the same merit as is gained by performing great penances for a long time restraining and controlling the senses. Although a person might have committed unlimited and abominable sins, he can still escape hellish punishment just by paying his obeisances to Lord Sri Hari, the taker away of all sins.

“The merits gained by going on pilgrimage to the Holy Tirthas of this earthly planet can also be achieved simply by chanting the Holy names of Lord Vishnu. Whosoever chants these sacred names – such as Rama, Vishnu, Janardana or Krishna – especially on Ekadashi never sees Yamaraj, the king of death’s punishing abode. Nor does such a devotee who fasts on Pasankusa (Papankusa) Ekadasi, which is very dear to Me, see that hellish place.”

“Both the Vaishnava who criticizes Lord Shiva and the Shaivite who criticizes Me certainly go to hell. The merit obtained by performing one hundred horse sacrifices and one hundred Rajasurya sacrifices is not even equal to one-sixteenth of the merit a devotee is able to attain by fasting on Ekadasi. There is no higher merit one can achieve than that attained by fasting on Ekadasi. Indeed, nothing in all the three worlds is as pleasing or as able to purify one of accumulated sins as Ekadasi, the day of the lotus-naveled Lord, Padmanabha.

“O king, until a person observes a fast on the day of Lord Padmanabha named Papankusa Ekadasi, he remains sinful, and the reactions of his past sinful activities never leave him like a chaste wife. There is no merit in all the three worlds that can match the merit that one gains by observing a fast on this Ekadasi. Whosoever observes it faithfully never has to see death personified, Lord Yamaraj. One who desires liberation, elevation to the heavens, good health, wealth, and food grains should simply fast on this Pashankusa Ekadashi. O king, neither the Ganges, Gaya, Kashi, nor Pushkara, nor even the holy site of Kurukshetra, can grant as much auspicious merit as this Papankusa Ekadasi.

“O Maharaj Yudhishthira, protector of the earth, after observing Ekadasi during the daytime, the devotee should remain awake through the night, absorbed in hearing, chanting and serving the Lord – for by so doing he easily attains to the Supreme abode of Lord Vishnu. Not only that, but ten generations of ancestors on his mother’s side, ten generations on his father’s side, and ten generations on his wife’s side are all liberated by a single observance of a fast on this Ekadasi. All these ancestors attain their original, four-armed transcendental Vaikuntha forms. Wearing yellow garments and beautiful garlands, they ride to the spiritual realm on the back of Garuda, the renowned great enemy of the snakes. This is the benediction My devotee earns simply by observing one Papankusa Ekadasi properly.

“O best of kings, whether one is a child, a youth, or in old age, fasting on Papankusa Ekadashi frees him from all sins and makes him immune to suffering a hellish rebirth. Whosoever observes a fast on the Papankusa Ekadasi becomes free of all his sins and returns to the spiritual abode of Lord Sri Hari. Whosoever donates gold, sesame seeds, fertile land, cows, grain, drinking water, an umbrella, or a pair of shoes on this most auspicious of Holy days will never have to visit the abode of Yamaraj, who always punishes the sinners. But if a resident of earth fails to perform spiritual deeds, especially the observance of a fast on days such as Ekadasi, his breathing is said to be no better, or of as much use as the breathing/puffing of a blacksmith’s bellows.

“O best of the kings, especially on this Papankusa Ekadasi, even the poor should first bathe and then give some charity according to their means, and perform other auspicious activities in accordance with their ability.

“Whosoever performs sacrifices and benefits the people or builds public ponds, resting places, gardens or houses do not suffer the punishments of Yamaraj. Indeed, one should understand that a person must have performed such pious activities as these in the past life if he is long-lived, wealthy, of high birth or free from all diseases. But a person who observes Papankusa Ekadasi goes to the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu.”

Thus ends the narration of the glories of the Pashankusha or Papankusha Ekadashi, or Ashwina-Shukla Ekadashi, from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana.

 

 

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“Do You Know Why I Read My books?”
Giriraj Swami

Bhagavat das: Prabhupada said, “Can you quote this verse?” The two of us looked at each other, and I thought, “Tamal Krishna Goswami will quote the verse,” but Tamal Krishna Goswami thought I was going to do it. Neither of us knew the verse. Prabhupada said, “Just see. You are not reading my books. Every day you have to read, study, and learn my books just like a lawyer learns the law books. You must know everything, chapter and verse. If you do not know, how will you preach? Unless you know my books, how will you teach these men? Do you know that every day even I read my own books? Do you know why I read my books?” We didn’t want to venture any answer. Prabhupada said, “I read my books every day because even I learn something new when I read my books. These are not my books. I do not write these books.” It seemed as if something mystical came over him at this point. He said, “Every morning, when I sit here to write my books, Krishna comes personally and dictates to me what to write. I simply take dictation from Krishna to write these books. Therefore, when I read them, even I learn something.” The way he said it was so dramatic that we felt the weight of his words. I was thinking, “I’m speaking with a person who’s speaking with God, who’s right next to God. I’m only one person removed from God. He’s so close.” Yet I knew how far away I actually was, because of the state of my own consciousness. But by some grace, I was being placed right next to God by being with Prabhupada. It was amazing.

Don’t Criticize Devotees
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Devotee means he is able to tolerate all kinds of discomfort and whims of the material nature, and because he is too much absorbed in serving Krsna he takes no time to become angry or take offense with others or find out some fault. No. Devotee means very liberal and kind to everyone, always gentleman under all kinds of conditions of life. SP letter to Hamsaduta (December 10, 1972)


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NASN August 2022 – North American Sankirtan Newsletter
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By Mayapur Sasi dasa

For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of August 2022. 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 Continue reading "NASN August 2022 – North American Sankirtan Newsletter
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