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Every year my wife spends countless nights in preparation of the big day, Govardhana Puja. Here are some photos & videos to enjoy!
and a few years earlier
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, September 2013, Cape Town, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 8.20.12)
It is said that as long as Krsna was gracing the planet; everything was auspicious, opulent and widely available. But when Krsna left the planet then everything changed and not only did natural opulence disappear but dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.43).
Dharma-jñānā also went with him. When Krsna left then the world was deprived of religious principles, the world was deprived of knowledge, and people sunk down into ignorance.
The Bhagavad-gita is particularly that book which cuts through ignorance because Arjuna is in ignorance. He has the bow, the gandiva, and it is gliding from his hand,
aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ
prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase
gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca
nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ, (Bhagavad-gita 2.11)
You are mourning for what is not worthy of grief, it is stated. Arjuna is in ignorance and therefore he is reminded of the position of the soul as being eternal. He gets an explanation of the three modes of material nature. He is explained on how lust is dealing,
āvṛtaṁ jñānam etena
jñānino nitya-vairiṇā
kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya
duṣpūreṇānalena ca, (Bhagavad-gita 3.39)
That lust covers the consciousness and covers knowledge and that is,
indriyāṇi mano buddhir
asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate, (Bhagavad-gita 3.40)
That it is situated within the senses, within the mind and in the intelligence. So little-by-little, the Bhagavad-gita is pointing out how we are in the grip of the material energy. One learns the austerities of the body and how one has to bow down before elders and respect them. One learns the austerity of the mind and when the conditions are right, one has to be satisfied. The mind is never satisfied and always finds something that is not satisfying. With the austerity of the mind, we have to immediately cut a thought that is not ānukūlya
Anukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ
prātikūlyasya varjanam, (Hari-bhakti-vilasa, quoted in CC. Madhya 22.100)
Where it is ānukūlya, unfavourable, let go, just let that thought go, do not dwell on the thought! When it is favourable for the service of Krsna, then accept it. That is the way to deal with the mind – the austerity of the mind.
(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player needed; works best with Firefox or Explorer; if you are using Google Chrome it will automatically play, so to not listen, mute your speakers)
I am returning here after some time, and I am sure I miss my writing more than you do, but that is OK, and just the way this blog space, and life, works. I share a free verse blog poem I began over a month ago. This poem is about being caught up in life, so much so that I couldn't write much during the last two months. From a writer's perspective, this is funny, because there was so much "grist for the mill" or interesting events for possible writing material. While I did begin a few other pieces, I wasn't able to finish them. I am not speaking of "writer's block," but of feeling caught up with circumstances and pushed in many directions. While these pushes were not bad in themselves, somehow they weren't conducive for my writing practice. As a result of what seemed to be impediments for creating blogs, I was reminded of how much time and energy it takes to regularly write and to publish it here.
According to the Bhagavad Gita we aren't the real doer, and our will is only one of five factors of action [Bg 18.14]. Thus we are never independent, even in the simple (not so simple) maintenance of our body, and what to speak of accomplishing anything of value. From a spiritual perspective, we have to be "empowered" just to live and breathe. And this is more obvious to me in any creative pursuit like art, drama, writing, or what have you. Personally, without making writing a priority I can't consistently write, or write well enough to connect with my audience.
While I admit to being a mediocre writer when compared to the masters, I love to do it, and generally feel what I say, which I pray will be communicated to you. If I am successful, then my words have power and utility. I have found that my free verse poems generally are read less than my regular blogs. I have developed a free verse style over the last 6 years on Krishna.com that works for me, and those I have heard from. Admittedly you may be required to read a line or series of lines a few times to have a sense of the flow--whether a line is a complete thought or goes on for several lines. However, I am not trying to confuse you or make you work too hard (which I think some poets do), but to be as clear and concise as possible. Call it shorthand, codes, word pictures, sutras (to be generous), etc., my endeavor is to share what moves me in various ways.
The ISKCON Radha Krishna Deaf People Association (RKDA) is a community of both deaf and fully hearing devotees who wish to help each other in their spiritual lives through practical study of Bhagavad-gita. We offer training to anyone who wishes to communicate in sign language. Read more › 
Indradyumna Swami: Parikrama around Govardhan Hill reveals the natural beauty of Vrindavan and helps the pilgrim to awaken love for the Divine Couple, Sri Sri Radha Krsna. Our parikrama photographer, Ananta Vrindavan das, truly captures the spirit of Vraja in this album Read more › 
Gopal Bhajan Band - a phenomenon unique and extraordinary. Having been born yet when the Soviet system, the group soon became a pioneer of the aristocratic etnoroka prayer, for many years ahead of his own confession, and along with social consciousness Read more › The post Krsnananda asks how it is that Srimati Radharani is known through the kama-gayatri mantra appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
Visitors are aware of the acute shortage of space at Bhaktivedanta Manor during all but the smallest of functions. The Haveli project aims to provide a purpose built hall to meet the worship, cultural and educational needs of Bhaktivedanta Manor's congregation Read more › The post October 29th, 2013 – Darshan appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Did you know that the Krasnodar recently named the most livable city in Russia? We offer you a diverse, full of enthusiasm and joy of life Krasnodar devotees Read more › 
ISKCON New Vrindaban Vision Statement: Founded in 1968, Srila Prabhupada boldly envisions New Vrindaban as a sacred place known worldwide for Cow Protection, Self-Sufficiency, Holy Pilgrimage, Spiritual Education, and, above all, Loving Krishna.
Jhulan Yatra 2013 Hare Krishna Melbourne
The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the Purāṇa most completely dedicated to Krishna. It doesn't give a modern-style definition of the astrological conditions under which Śrī Krishna was born. It gives a more ancient description:
The timing was auspicious. Beauty, peace and goodness was experienced everywhere. The constellation belonging to the one born without birth came into view. The Sun, Moon and stars were very peaceful.
"The chanting and hearing is essence. Even when dealing with a practical problem, Srila Prabhupada was seeing it and soon speaking of it in absolute terms. Chanting especially promotes this: leave everything aside and chant the holy name. Then we can take up even our most demanding preaching duties in this world with vigor and endurance."(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 7 November 2010, Vrndavana, India, Govardhan Puja Lecture)
Namo brahmanya devaya go brahmana hitaya ca. Srila Prabhupada explained ‘go brahmana’, first the cows and then the brahmanas. So much importance is given to the cows by Krsna that even before worshipping the brahmanas, we worship the cows.
In the Brahma Samhita, it is mentioned that in the spiritual world, the cows are wish-fulfilling – they are known as Surabhi cows. They are producing oceans of milk, ksirabdhi. Krsna is residing in his transcendental abode where there are unlimited cows. It is described that when Krsna was here in Vrndavana, Krsna would have unlimited cowherd boy associates and each of these associates would have a huge number of cows and calves. If we think about the numbers of cows in these pastimes, we sometimes wonder how they all fitted on the narrow pathways of Vrndavana – there must have been enormous traffic jams! But somehow or other, by Krsna’s arrangement everything is going on very smoothly.
The world where cows are protected is indeed Krsna’s arrangement; it is the natural way to exist. We are now living so far from that. We are here for a day to worship the cows so naturally we are having very warm feelings for the cows but our everyday way of life, is a life with machines – the result is that our lives are painful. It is difficult and in our lives, it is a struggle to do just about anything.
Here in Vrndavana, we can see how India is playing with modern technology and they don’t always understand it. Today, we saw some flames coming out of an electric box and it didn’t look good but everyone was like, “It is ok! It is ok!” Well, it didn’t look ok!
I remember how in India, you learn to pray in traffic. Two vehicles were approaching each other in the darkness of night and one of the drivers was nodding, was he asleep – it looked serious. The vehicles were coming closer and closer and a head on collision seemed unavoidable… if it would have been machines but because they were bullock carts, nothing happened!
Even when the driver falls asleep, the bullocks stay awake! In this way, the bullocks move around and I saw many times here in Vrndavana, in the night, the bullocks walking to the market and the owner sleeps in the back and when they get to the market, the bullocks sleep and the owner works! So, they work in shifts!
In another words, it is a very practical culture. A culture that is not inimical to being natural.
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.36.11 – 16.
“After purifying Himself by bathing, Lord Hari became quite arrogant and said, ‘I have produced a pond containing all the various holy places, whereas you gopis must never have executed any religious duties on this earth for the pleasure of Lord Brahma.’ Then Srimati Radharani addressed Her girlfriends as follows.”
” ‘I must create an even more beautiful pond. So go to work!’ Having heard these words, the gopis saw that Arishtasura’s hooves had dug a shallow ditch just west of Sri Krishna’s pond.”
“At that nearby spot, all the gopis began digging up lumps of soft mud with their hands, and in this way a divine pond manifested in the short span of an hour. Krishna was astonished to see the lake they produced.”
“He said, ‘Go ahead, lotus-eyed one. You and Your companions should fill this pond with water from Mine.’
“But Radha replied, ‘No, no, no, no! This is impossible, since the water of Your pond is contaminated by Your terrible sin of killing a cow.’ ”
” ‘I will have My countless gopi companions bring the pure water of the Manasa-ganga here in billions of pots. In this way I will fill this lake with My own water and thus make its renown unequaled in the entire world.’ ”
“Lord Krishna then gestured to a heavenly personality who was an intimate associate of all the holy places. Suddenly that person rose up out of Krishna’s pond and bowed down to the daughter of Sri Vrishabhanu [Radharani]. Then, with palms joined and tears pouring from his eyes, he began praying to Her in devotion.”
” ‘O goddess, even Lord Brahma himself, the knower of all scriptures, cannot understand Your glories, nor can Lord Siva or Lakshmi. Only Krishna, the supreme goal of all human endeavor, can understand them, and thus He feels obliged to personally make sure that You can wash away Your perspiration when You are fatigued.’ ”
” ‘He is always anointing Your lotus feet with nectarean caru and yavaka and decorating them with ankle bells, and He rejoices and feels most fortunate simply by satisfying the tips of the toes of Your lotus feet. On His order we have immediately come here to live in this most excellent pond, which He created by one stroke of His heel. But only if You now feel satisfied with us and bestow upon us Your merciful glance will the tree of our desire bear fruit.’ ”
“Hearing this prayer spoken by the representative of the full assembly of holy places, Sri Radha was pleased and said, ‘So, kindly tell Me your desire.’
“They then told Her plainly, ‘Our lives would be successful if we could come to Your pond. That is the benediction we desire.’ ”
“Glancing at Her beloved from the corners of Her eyes, the daughter of Vrishabhanu replied with a smile, ‘Please come.’ Her gopi companions all agreed with Her decision and became immersed in the ocean of happiness. Indeed, the beauty of all creatures, both mobile and stationary, was enhanced.”
“Thus gaining the grace of Srimati Radharani, the holy rivers and lakes in Sri Krishna-kunda forcibly broke through its boundary walls and swiftly filled Radha-kunda with their waters.” – From the Puranas, quoted in SB 10.36.16
The ISKCON Temple in Coimbatore is a well known pilgrimage centre located in the heart of the city. The ISKCON temple aims at spreading the science of Krishna consciousness with the help of Bhagavad Gita. Spread across an area of 20,000 sq ft, the temple has an array of beautiful deities belonging to Sri Radha Krishna, Sri Jagannath, Sri Baladev, Subhadra Devi and Sri Prabhupada Read more › 
Each page of the book glimpse a different faces of Lord Krishna.It also reveals the true bonding between Lord Krishna and his devotees. This spiritual Knowledge creates a special place of Lord in every one's heart Read more › 
Here's a clear photo of the tree that fell on the front lawn at Bhaktivedanta Manor as the result of the storm Read more › 
The post Sunday night at the Coimbatore temple appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
The post On honesty and truthfulness appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
Sunday lecture at Coimbatore temple.
The post The appearance of Radha-kunda appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.
Disappearance Celebration of His Grace Bhaktisuhrid Das Brahmacari in Sridham Mayapur on 13 oct 2013 The appearance of a Vaishnava is auspicious and even his disappearance is also auspicious. The Vaisnavas are happy on the disappearance of a Vaishnava knowing that the departed Vaishnava soul is going back to Godhead and is happily engaged in […]
The post HG Bhaktisuhrid Das Brahmacari appeared first on Mayapur.com.
ISKCON Scarborough devotees go to different homes to narrate the Damodar Lila, Recite the Damodarastakam and perform arti for Lord Damodar during the Holy month of Kartik.
Every year during the 30 days of Kartik, over 40 homes in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada are visited by ISKCON Scarborough devotees. Read more › 2013 10 06 Srimad Bhagavatam 10 25 02 Importance of Humility and Renunciation Krishna Chandra Prabhu
