Bhagavatam class in Mayapura.

The post Don’t accept a dependent unless you can deliver him or her from death appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Devotees observed fasting until noon on Nityananda Trayodashi. The utsava deities of Sri Sri Gaur Nitai were decorated gorgeously with flowers and tulasi garlands. The beautiful darshan of the brilliantly decorated Gaur Nitai bought joy into the hearts of the assembled devotees, causing a jubilant and enthusiastic kirtan to ensue, thus inspiring everyone to dance in bliss. A grand ceremonial bath was performed for Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai. The Deities were given a sandal oil massage. After the massage the Deities were bathed with panchagavya which is a combination of milk, curd, sweetened water, ghee and honey. The Deities were then bathed with herbal extracts, scented water, exotic fruit juices, flowers, etc. Read more ›

1971 February 16: "This door-to-door Sankirtana is the mission of Lord Caitanya. Even there is language barrier, this door-to-door Sankirtana will fulfill your mission and you can introduce our literatures to the higher circles as you have done by presenting Krsna Book to the Prime Minister."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1972 February 16: "Every day I am receiving not less than ten to fifteen important letters. If the local GBC representative cannot answer from their experience, then I have given answer in my books - and still if they cannot answer, they may ask me."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1972 February 16: "Always stick tight to the point of our philosophy. We should not compromise in any way just to accommodate the public idea, but we can so tastefully present the real thing that we will change the public to accommodate us."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1973 February 16: "Within these standards lies the spiritual strength of our movement. If there is any deviation from the high standard of purity which has been established then it is the responsibility of my senior disciples and the local GBC representativse to rectify immediately."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973

Religion might have been misused, but that does not mean that religion should be avoided. Real religion should be taken. Simply because religion has not been properly executed by the so-called priests, that does not mean religion should be rejected. If my eye is giving me some kind of trouble on account of a cataract, that doesn't mean my eye should be plucked out. The cataract should be removed. So that is the idea of the Krsna consciousness movement—to remove the cataract from people's religious vision.

- Srila Prabhupada, Civilization and Transcendence - Replies to a Questionnaire From Bhavan's Journal June 28, 1976

by Dhayalan Raj HG Patri Das prabhu visited our temple and has activities with ISKCON temple leaders frm Ipoh,Seberang Perai BCC (Penang)

by Dhayalan Raj HG Patri Das prabhu visited our temple and has activities with ISKCON temple leaders frm Ipoh,Seberang Perai BCC (Penang)

by Dhayalan Raj HG Patri Das prabhu visited our temple and has activities with ISKCON temple leaders frm Ipoh,Seberang Perai BCC (Penang)

by Dhayalan Raj HG Patri Das prabhu visited our temple and has activities with ISKCON temple leaders frm Ipoh,Seberang Perai BCC (Penang)

by Dhayalan Raj HG Patri Das prabhu visited our temple and has activities with ISKCON temple leaders frm Ipoh,Seberang Perai BCC (Penang)

by Dhayalan Raj HG Patri Das prabhu visited our temple and has activities with ISKCON temple leaders frm Ipoh,Seberang Perai BCC (Penang)

by Dhayalan Raj HG Patri Das prabhu visited our temple and has activities with ISKCON temple leaders frm Ipoh,Seberang Perai BCC (Penang)

by Dhayalan Raj HG Patri Das prabhu visited our temple and has activities with ISKCON temple leaders frm Ipoh,Seberang Perai BCC (Penang)

by Dhayalan Raj HG Patri Das prabhu visited our temple and has activities with ISKCON temple leaders frm Ipoh,Seberang Perai BCC (Penang)

by Dhayalan Raj HG Patri Das prabhu visited our temple and has activities with ISKCON temple leaders frm Ipoh,Seberang Perai BCC (Penang)

Please view the following galleries: Darshan Sri Nityananda Abhishek Evening Lecture by HH Jayapataka Swami Last week we celebrated the auspicious day of Nityananda’s Appearance here in Sri Mayapur Dham. Hundreds of devotees gathered in the temple hall to hear various speakers glorify Sri Nityananda. Once the Glorification were finished everyone gathered around the Pancha-tattva Altar to witness the […]

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Please view the following galleries: Varaha Dvadasi Abhishek The Mayapur residents recently celebrated Varaha Dvadasi in a humble and sweet way. Everyone gathered for an abhishek, followed by pushpanjali and arati. Below is a lecture given by Srila Prabhupada on Varaha Dvadasi Prabhupāda: Today, Varāha-dvādaśī, appearance of Kṛṣṇa’s taking the incarnation of Varāha, boar… Keśava dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa […]

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Bob Wilkinson, an independant WV film maker, put together this 5 minute video about Srila Prabhupada’s Palace. It includes commentary about the history of the Palace and New Vrindaban by Soma dasa, Param Dhama dasi and Sankirtan dasa.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Nityananda Trayodasi Abhishek 2014 (Iskcon Vrindavan)

 

Was Karna superior to Arjuna because he alone conquered the world for Duryodhana, whereas the four Pandavas together conquered the world for Yudhisthira?

Let’s first look at the incidents in question. When the Pandavas were in exile, Karna conquered all the kings of the world and with the tributes from them helped Duryodhana perform a great sacrifice called the Vaishnava sacrifice, somewhat similar to the Rajasuya sacrifice that Yudhisthira had performed earlier. For that sacrifice, Yudhisthira had sent four brothers to conquer the four directions.

Do these two incidents demonstrate Karna’s superiority? No, because Bhima during his eastward conquest had come to Anga and defeated its ruler. Guess who? Karna, no less. So if Bhima whose archery skills were not as good as Arjuna’s defeated Karna, how can Karna be considered better than Arjuna?

Was Arjuna alone capable of the world conquest that Karna had done? Actually, Arjuna was capable of much more than that, as can be inferred from two incidents.

1. What to speak of the word’s kings, Arjuna had defeated the gods combined at Khandava – something which Karna had come nowhere close to doing, having been defeated by just one relatively minor set of gods, the Gandharvas.
2. Arjuna had also singlehandedly defeated a whole army of deadly demons, the Nivatkavachas, whom the gods had not been able to defeat for a long time.  This feat was also something that Karna had come nowhere close to equaling, for he had been hard-pressed by just one demon, Ghatotkacha.

If Arjuna was capable of single-handedly conquering the world on Yudhisthira’s behalf, then why didn’t he do so? Because all four younger brothers wanted to assist their eldest brother and Arjuna didn’t want to deprive them of that opportunity.

 

Was Karna the second best archer after Arjuna?

No, because at least two other archers defeated him.

1. Abhimanyu: On the thirteenth day of the Kurukshetra war, when Abhimanyu penetrated into the Chakra-vyuha and wrecked havoc among the Kaurava forces, he overcame Karna twice, causing him to swoon and retreat. Karna realized that he couldn’t even match Abhimanyu, leave alone overcome him. So he prompted Duryodhana to ask Drona how the prince could be defeated.

2. Bhima: The second Pandava more than matched Karna.

As mentioned earlier, Bhima defeated Karna during his eastward conquest before the Rajasuya yajna.

During the Kurukshetra war, Bhima and Karna fought several times. On the fourteenth day, when Arjuna had taken a vow to kill Jayadratha before sunset, Karna tried to check Arjuna. To help Arjuna progress undistracted, Bhima challenged Karna and kept him engaged while Arjuna closed in on Jayadratha, Bhima matched Karna.

On the sixteenth day, Bhima held back Karna, who had been appointed the Kauravas’ commander, and then attacked Dushasana. In front of Karna’s eyes, Bhima killed Dushasana. Seeing Bhima’s power and anger, the horrified Karna dropped his bow. Similarly, in front of Karna’s eyes, Bhima also killed several other Kaurava brothers as well as Karna’s son and brother, and Karna could do nothing to stop him.

Karna did overcome Bhima once in a battle with bows and arrows, and mocked him by touching him with his bow and calling him a fat glutton. At that time, Bhima challenged Karna to a wrestling match, but Karna refused. Bhima had the power to pound Karna to death with his bare fists, but remembering Arjuna’s vow to kill Karna, Bhima desisted and left the arena. So the same event that is often seen as Karna honoring his promise to Kunti to not kill any of her sons other than Arjuna could be seen as Bhima honoring Arjuna’s vow. Overall, the results of the Bhima-Karna confrontation remain in Bhima’s favor.

So, Karna was no doubt a great archer, but he was one among many, not one above many, as was Arjuna.

Was Karna not unfairly weakened by Indra, Arjuna’s father, who schemed to take away his kavacha and kundala by coming in the guise of a brahmana asking for charity?

1. Even with that impenetrable armor, Karna had been wounded and defeated several times (as discussed earlier) by Drupada, by the Gandharvas and by Arjuna at Virata. So the kavacha was not a winning advantage.
2. When Indra came disguised as a brahmana to ask for it, eventually, at Karna’s insistent request, the god gave him the formidable Shakti in return. So, what was supposed to be a charity became a swap.

And how did this swap affect Karna’s fortune? His kavacha had not saved him from defeat earlier. And it may well not have saved him on the fourteenth night when Ghatotkacha was on a rampage, threatening to kill him and destroy the Kaurava forces. The Shakti weapon killed Ghatotkacha and saved Karna’s life. So in the swap Karna lost something that hadn’t saved him from defeat and got something that actually saved him from death.

Was the swap such a big loss for Karna? You decide.

 

Was Karna not a great hero, powerful, virtuous and charitable?

Yes, he had his good qualities. He was not a black character, but he doesn’t have to be made whiter than what he was.

After all, it was Karna who suggested that Draupadi be dragged into the assembly, who came up with the obnoxious idea of disrobing her publically, who called her a prostitute. It was Karna who suggested to Duryodhana the ill-advised plan of flaunting their wealth in front of the exiled Pandavas – the plan that came to grief due to the Gandharvas. It was Karna whose repeated bragging of his prowess that made Duryodhana foolhardy enough to challenge the Pandavas to an open war. It was Karna who killed Abhimanyu ruthlessly along with five other warriors, having been the first to instigate Duryodhana that some such extreme measure was necessary to bring down the young prince. It was Karna who, in response to Shalya’s sledging, foul-mouthed the women of Madras (Shalya’s kingdom), calling them unspeakable names.

So, though he had his virtues, he doesn’t need to be unnecessarily romanticized.

 

Srila Prabhupada said, “utsava priya manavaha, people like festivals. We are inherently attracted to festivals because every day in the Spiritual World is a festival, every step is a dance and every word is a song.”

"Distraction in chanting breeds illusion which becomes the cause of further serious offenses against the Holy name. This illusion, difficult to overcome, engenders attraction to wealth, women, position, success and the cheating propensity. When these attractions cover the heart, the neophyte becomes neglectful of the chanting of the Holy name."

From Harinama Cintamani
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur

Modern agricultural science considers soil in terms of chemicals. A better way to see the soil is in terms of energy. Energy flows between the earth’s two poles.

The various mineral compounds in the soil allow this energy to flow in different amounts. If you get too much mineralization you can have [...]

Krishna Fest tour across Gujarat Read more ›

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We should preach about Krishna for Krishna, not for any person within this material world. We should hear and preach about the Supreme Person, the transcendental Personality of Godhead. That is the duty of a liberated soul.

- Srila Prabhupada, Beyond Illusion and Doubt : 4 - Origen

Sunday Love Feast When? Sunday, February 16th Program starts at 11 am Where? 6 George Street South Brampton, Ontario L6Y 1P3, Canada Phone:416-648-3312 New! Listen Click here to listen to previous class recordings on our blog Make a Donation  Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.8 prakṛtiḿ svām avaṣṭabhya visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ bhūta-grāmam imaḿ kṛtsnam avaśaḿ prakṛter vaśāt             TRANSLATION The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end.              PURPORT Program Schedule: 11.00- 11.15               Tulsi Puja                                            11.15 - 11.30               Guru Puja                                             11:30 –11:55               Aarti & Kirtan                                       11.55 - 12.00              Sri Nrsingadeva Prayers                   12.00 – 1:00               Vedic Discourse [While you're hearing,your kids can participate in the Sunday School,one of the best in the North America]    1:00 –  1:30                Closing Kirtan    Best Vegetarian Govinda's Natural Foods Snack Bar                                                                               Govinda's has always been a giver of love and friendliness, food with a home cooked feel, Check this out Sunday your own Govinda’s Snack Bar at ISKCON Brampton for dine in or take out. This snackbar definitely has the best selection of cruelty-free eats with a bang for your buck.                    Why go else where,when Govinda’s is there!!                                                                                                    Please note that ISKCON Brampton is a nut free environment in order to support those with allergies. Your cooperation is appreciated. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Chant and Be happy!

What is this wonderful thing? I don’t know. The crowns of the Vedas lovingly glorify it. Krsna eternally serves it. It is the source of the sweetest nectar of love. Is it a creation of the most wonderful nectar of intense bliss, or is it the purifying land of Vrndavana.

[Source : Nectarean Glories of Sri Vrindavana-dhama by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura, 1-62 Translation.]

Please click here for more photos

1967 February 15: "I allowed you to deal with the Bank for two reasons: 1) That I may be free from monetary dealings, 2) That you may learn how to deal with it. But recent indiscriminate issues of checks have perturbed my mind. By indiscriminate issues of checks, $1000 of society's money have been put into risk."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1967 February 15: "You are all innocent boys so please be careful in Krishna Consciousness of the cunning world. We should not ask Krishna but let Krishna give us when He likes. When Krishna will desire it will come to us automatically. So we should only wait for Krishna's mercy. I hope you will not misunderstand me."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1967

1968 February 15: "There isn't any difference between chanting the Holy Name at the same time washing the dishes of the Temple. There is variegatedness in transcendental activities. Sometimes we like to chant, sometimes we like to wash dishes. There is no difference on the Absolute plane."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1968 February 15: "12.14 Bembo on 70 lb. paper is approved by me. The sample of hardbound and the covering cloth, etc., are very nice. The paper is also nice, and the printing is also nice; now if they come down to the nice price, it all will be nice."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1968

1972 February 15: "I thank you very much for understanding our philosophy correctly. Yes, if one is always engaged in following the orders of the bona fide Spiritual Master, even in hell, that is Vaikuntha. Now do everything nicely and I shall completely trust this important business to you."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1971 February 15: "Inform all Temple Presidents that prospective initiations may wait until I return to the States. However you may offer the second initiation to this brahmacari and encourage him to open a nice center in Quebec. That will be great service and I know he is very enthusiastic devotee."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1971

1972 February 15: "I have just received a cable that Mr. Saraf has given us the land. We shall gladly accept the offer. So Krishna has been very kind upon us, now let us all work cooperatively. We shall settle up our Vrindaban program when we meet in Mayapur."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1972

1973 February 15: "Right from the beginning of my mission, I have always stressed and encouraged my disciples to work with the college students. So you GBC men formulate some program to preach this Krishna Consciousness in the colleges and this will please me very much."
Prabhupada Letters :: 1973