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By Chandan Yatra Das Endowed with spectacular natural beauty, Rishikesh is situated at the foothills of the Himalayas. Here the crystal clear Ganges River flows down from the Himalayas! Spiritually surcharging the holy town of Rishikesh has attracted many transcendentalists since time immemorial. Continue reading "Rishikesh Yatra Sacred City of Ganges in Himalayas
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The 11th day of Krishna Paksha (Moon’s waning Phase) in the month Ashada (June – July) is observed as Yogini Ekadasi. This year the Ekadasi is observed on June 24 worldwide. It is considered a very auspicious and rewarding day to fulfill one’s wishes and destroy all the sins of a lifetime. This day is also known as Ashadi Ekadasi, and observing vrata (vow) on this day is equivalent to feeding 88,000 pious brahmins/priests.
As Gaudiya Vaishnavas, our main aim during ekadasi is to decrease bodily demands so we can spend more time in seva, especially hearing and chanting about the Lord. 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 ekadasi as an opportunity to donate towards the scheduled completion of Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Wing in the Fall of 2023. Go to the Give To Nrsimha Campaign page and sponsor a Nrsimha Brick inscribed with your name and placed under Nrsimha’s altar, a Prabhupada Medallion, Award or Trophy or give a General Donation of any amount.
NOTE: Yogini Ekadasi is observed on June 24 worldwide. Please refer to your local calendar through www.gopal.home.sk/gcal.
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Yudhisthira Maharaj said, “Oh Supreme Lord, I have heard the glories of the Nirjala Ekadasi, which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (May – June). Now I wish to hear from You about the suddha Ekadasi that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Ashadha (June – July). Kindly describe to me all about it in detail, Oh killer of the Madhu demon (Madhusudana).”
The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, then replied, “Oh king, I shall indeed tell you about the best of all fasting days, the Ekadasi that comes during the dark part of the month of Ashadha. Famous as Yogini Ekadasi, it removes all kinds of sinful reactions and awards supreme liberation.
“Oh best of kings, this Ekadasi delivers people who are drowning in the vast ocean of material existence and transports them to the shore of the spiritual world.
In all the three worlds, it is the chief of all sacred fasting days. I shall now reveal this truth to you by narrating a history recounted in the Puranas.“The king of Alakapuri – Kuvera, the treasurer of the devas – was a steadfast devotee of lord Shiva. He employed a servant named Hemamali as his personal gardener. Hemamali, a Yaksha like Kuvera, was very lustfully attracted to his gorgeous wife, Swarupavatii, who had large, enchanting eyes.
“Hemamali’s daily duty was to visit Manasarovara Lake and bring back flowers for his master, Kuvera, with which he would use them in the puja offerings to lord Shiva. One day, after picking the flowers, Hemamali went to his wife instead of returning directly to his master and fulfilling his duty by bringing the flowers for the puja. Absorbed in loving affairs of a bodily nature with his wife, he forgot to return to the abode of Kuvera.
“Oh king, while Hemamali was enjoying with his wife, Kuvera had begun the worship of lord Shiva as normal in his palace and soon discovered that there were no flowers ready to be offered in the midday puja. The lack of such an important item (upachara) angered the great Koshad-yaksha (treasurer of the devas) even more, and he asked a Yaksha messenger, ‘Why has dirty-hearted Hemamali not come with the daily offering of flowers? Go find out the exact reason and report back to me in person with your findings.’ The Yaksha returned and told Kuvera, ‘Oh dear lord, Hemamali has become lost in freely enjoying coitus with his wife.’
“Kuvera became extremely angry when he heard this and at once summoned lowly Hemamali before him. Knowing that he had been remiss and dawdling in his duty and exposed as meditating on his wife’s body, Hemamali approached his master in great fear. The gardener first paid his obeisances and then stood before his lord, whose eyes had become red with anger and whose lips trembled in rage.
So enraged, Kuvera cried out to Hemamali, ‘Oh you sinful rascal! Oh destroyer of religious principles! You are a walking offense to the devas! I therefore curse you to suffer from white leprosy and to become separated from your beloved wife! Only great suffering is deservedly yours! Oh lowborn fool, leave this place immediately and betake yourself to the lower planets to suffer!’“And so Hemamali fell at once from grace in Alakapuri and became ill with the terrible affliction of white leprosy. He awoke in a dense and fearful forest, where there was nothing to eat or drink. Thus he passed his days in misery, unable to sleep at night due to pain. He suffered in both winter and summer season, but because he continued to worship lord Shiva himself with faith, his consciousness remained purely fixed and steady. Although implicated by great sin and its attendant reactions, he remembered his past life because of his piety.
“After wandering for some time here and there, over mountains and across plains, Hemamali eventually came upon the vast expanse of the Himalayan mountain ranges. There he had the wonderful good fortune to come in contact with the great saintly soul Markandeya Rishi, the best of ascetics, whose duration of life it is said, extends to seven of the days of Brahma.
“Markandeya Rishi was seated peacefully at his ashrama, looking as effulgent as a second Brahma. Hemamali, feeling very sinful, stood at a distance from the magnificent sage and offered his humble obeisances and choice prayers. Always interested in the welfare of others, Markandeya Rishi saw the leper and called him near, “Oh you, what sort of sinful deeds have you done to earn this dreadful affliction?’
“Hearing this, Hemamali painfully and ashamedly replied, ‘Dear sir, I am a Yaksha servant of lord Kuvera, and my name is Hemamali. It was my daily service to pick the flowers from the Manasarovara lake for my master’s worship of lord Shiva, but one day I was negligent and was late in returning with the offering because I had become overwhelmed with lusty passion for enjoying bodily pleasures with my wife. When my master discovered why I was late, he cursed me in great anger to be as I am before you. Thus, I am now bereft of my home, my wife, and my service. But fortunately, I have come upon you, and now I hope to receive from you an auspicious benediction, for I know that devotees such as you are as merciful as the Supreme Lord (Bhakta Vatsala) and always carry the interest of others uppermost in their hearts. That is their – your nature. Oh best of sages, please help me!’
“Softhearted Markandeya Rishi replied, ‘Because you have told me the truth, I shall tell you about a fast day that will benefit you greatly. If you fast on the Ekadasi that comes during the dark fortnight of the month of Ashadha, you will surely be freed of this terrible curse.’ Hemamali fell to the ground in complete gratitude and offered him his humble obeisances again and again. But Markandeya Rishi stood there and lifted poor Hemamali to his feet, filling him with inexpressible happiness.
“Thus, as the sage had instructed him, Hemamali dutifully observed the Ekadasi fast, and by its influence he again became a handsome Yaksha. Then he returned home, where he lived very happily with his wife.”
Lord Sri Krishna concluded, “So, you can readily see, Oh Yudhishthira, that fasting on Yogini Ekadasi is very powerful and auspicious. Whatever merit one obtains by feeding eighty-eight thousand brahmins is also obtained simply by observing a strict fast on Yogini Ekadasi. For one who fasts on this sacred Ekadasi, she (Ekadasi Devi), destroys heaps of past sinful reactions and makes him most pious. Oh King, thus I have explained to you the purity of Yogini Ekadasi.”
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Ashadha-krishna Ekadasii, or Yogini Ekadasi, from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana.
This article has been used courtesy of ISKCON Desire Tree).
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This article is being presented in honor of the divine disappearance day of the original pioneer of the Krishna consciousness movement, His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktivinoda Thakur, June 28 (US) / June 29 (India).
namo bhaktivinodaya sac-cid-ananda-namine
gaura-shakti-svarupaya rupanuga-varaya te
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda, who is transcendental energy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvamis, headed by Srila Rupa.
Bhaktivinoda Thakur wrote:
“Alas! When will that day come when all greatly fortunate souls in countries such as England, France, Russia, Prussia and America will take up banners, kettle drums, mrdangas and karatalas and thus cause the ecstatic waves of Hari Nama Kirtan and the singing of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s holy name to rise in the streets of their towns and cities? O when will that day come, when pure and transcendental Krishna prema (love of God) will be the only religion of all souls and all tiny sectarian religions will meet in the unlimited and universal religion of devotional service to Krishna, as rivers merge into the great ocean? O when will that day come?”
Sajjana-tosani
This was the heart’s desire of the Thakur, the spreading of the chant of the Holy Names and pure Krishna prema all over the world in fulfillment of Lord Caitanya’s prophecy:
pṛthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama“In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard.”
As an empowered Vaishnava acharya, his life was full of deep sadhana and bhajana, preaching activities through various programs, writing of devotional books, songs and poetry, and teaching actively to the public, all while maintaining a household and working as a Government Magistrate. His life is a perfect example of a householder fully infused with devotional service.
Amongst his innumerable accomplishments was the discovery of the janmasthan (birthplace) of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Nabadvipa and the building of a magnificent temple at this Yogapitha. His vision of preaching worldwide inspired him to write, Caitanya Mahaprabhu – His Life and Precepts, copies of which he personally sent to several Institutions throughout the world.
Because of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s being the pioneer of the Krishna consciousness movement and the force behind its progression into the modern world, Srila Prabhupada took it as his great service to him to build the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in Sridhama Mayapur as the fulfillment of the Thakura’s vision. So important was this to Srila Prabhupada that he said to Giriraja Swami, “If you all build this temple, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura will personally come and take you all back to Godhead.”
Interested readers can contribute to the Nrsimhadeva Wing construction scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2023. Go to the Give To Nrsimha Campaign page and sponsor a Nrsimha Brick inscribed with your name and placed under Nrsimha’s altar, a Prabhupada Medallion, Award or Trophy or give a General Donation of any amount.
To read more about the life and accomplishments of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur click the link below to an article by His Grace Sri Nandanandana Das (ACBSP).
https://www.stephen-knapp.com/srila_bhaktivinoda_thakura.htm
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Srila Shyamananda Prabhu was a great devotee of Lord Chaitanya. He was a contemporary of the great Acharyas Srinivasa Acharya and Narottama Dasa Thakura. The three were eternal associates of Lord Chaitanya incarnated to spread His teachings after the Lord’s disappearance. They studied under Srila Jiva Goswami in Vrindavan. They created a resurgence of Lord Chaitanya’s Bhakti movement in Bengal and Orissa, where it was flagging in the period after the Lord had left the planet.
Sri Shyamananda was born on the Purnima (full moon day) of the month of Chaitra in a place called Dharenda Bhadura Puram, Utkala (Orissa). Noticing the auspicious moment of his birth it was predicted that he would be a great personality. His parents Sri Krishna Mandala and Srimati Sri Durika had lost many sons and daughters before his birth, so they named him Dukhi considering such a name would prevent any impending danger.
He was a brilliant child and quickly became proficient in the Vedic scriptures. After he heard the pastimes of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, he decided to dedicate his life to Their service. With the permission of his parents, He went to a great devotee of Lord Chaitanya called Srila Hridya Chaitanya in the place called Ambika Kalna in Bengal to get initiated as a disciple and study the teachings of Lord Chaitanya.
Srila Hridaya Chaitanya accepted him as his disciple and named him Dukhi Krishna Dasa. Seeing his keen intelligence and service attitude, Srila Hridaya Chaitanya thought it best for him to study the scriptures under Srila Jiva Goswami in Vrindavan.
Srila Jiva Goswami was happy to accept the disciple of Srila Hridya Chaitanya under his tutelage. Sri Dukhi Krishna dasa carefully served Jiva Goswami and studied the scriptures of the Goswamis very seriously.
The puspa samadhi of Syamananda Prabhu and the place where he found Srimati Radharani’s anklet are located just across the street from the Sri Radha-Syamsundara temple in Vrndavana. Sri Sri Radha-Syamsundara are his worshipable Deities.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Together Event
Vivaan, who’s 8, the son of my hosts in Lorette, shared with me a quote he loves about the forest – “You won’t get WIFI here but you will get connected.” I like that. I think we’ve all had incredible connections with the solitude of trees all around us.
For this morning I did not have the honour to be in the midst of green giants but did have the privilege to trek on a dirt road, to see the open prairie sky with Vivaan’s grand-uncle who is seventy-years-old but his 8. This is freedom.
At 2 pm an event of a spiritual nature began at a banquet hall off of Notre Dame Ave. in Winnipeg. It was an inaugural ceremony for beautiful deities of Gaura Nitai (short for monk, Chaitanya and married saint, Nityananda). Th program involved song, dance, drama, awarding youth and feasting. I was truly surprised to see Philip, whom I hadn’t seen for thirty-nine years since his days in Toronto. He’s been residing in Winnipeg for years with his sweet wife and grown-up son who’s studying to be a lawyer. They all came for the event. Philip always had a love for Krishna Conscious philosophy and life-style. I’m so pleased to see that he still embraces it all.
Also, I was thrilled to see Daruka along with his pet parrot, Billie. They were my support team for one and a half walks across Canada. Post-pandemic brings us altogether. It is a great time of reunion and restart. Thanks, Vrnda and Visvambhar, for the happy event.
May the Source be with you!
4km
Lorett, Manitoba
To A Great Flatness
Lat week my travels led me to Quebec and before that the Maritimes, where all those places are mountainous, at least hilly, but today, after a good flight to the Prairies, I landed on ultra-flat terrain. A nice change. In fact, levelness reminds me of where I was born and raised, in southwestern Ontario.
With the fine arrangements of Vrnda and Visvambhar my greeting party at Winnipeg’s Airport brought me to the countryside in the town of Lorett, population 5000. Members of our Winnipeg community converged at the two-acre property of Amit. What a great bunch of people.
This occasion was Amit’s house warming. This is a new place for the family and, to celebrate, he wanted a devotional group with guest, The Walking Monk. It was sit-down and relax time. He asked for a class, a kirtan and then a mini Chariot Fest at the front lane.
Kirtan chanting went on, then I asked for a book. He put in my hands the Bhagavatamand I started to flip through the pages randomly when my fingers stopped at a verse. My eyes landed on verse 1.19.33. I read it for my own perusal and it was as if Krishna guided my finger. It reads as such:
“Simply by our remembering you, our houses become instantly sanctified. And what to speak of seeing you, touching you, washing your holy feet and offering you a seat in our home?” The purport by our guru, Prabhupada, is particularly powerful.
I spoke and then we conducted our mini version of Ratha Yatra. All went well. By the time of retiring for the night I looked at my phone. A Gita student of mine from Hamilton called. We spoke and he was concerned why Toronto’s parade is cancelled. “If the pride parade happens, why can’t ours?” “Good point!”
May the source be with you!
1 Km
Christie Pits, Toronto
Spotty Green Spaces
Life in the ashram gives regular birth to a fresh challenge for a monk. This day is called Nirjal Ekadasi. “Nir” refers to “no.” “Jal” refers to “water.” On this ekadasi,reserved for a grain fast, residents have the option to abstain from eating altogether and that includes no liquid. It’s an annual happy trial.
I admit to eating and having some juice to provide some fuel. I counted giving seven classes today. I just needed the energy. Krishna will understand. I also gained some power from a one-kilometre loop through Ramsden Park.
How lusciously green it is in this park.
Later in the evening, after the seventh class, I took to Bloor Street. I walked by plenty of cafes, including one called “The Poop Café” and on that strip, which is frankly quite lively and not terribly decadent, I passed by another green space – one of the many cannabis stores. One of them (maybe all of them) has a sign which says, “Open.”
For me it’s a “no.” I abstain from that as well.
One homeless chap, who called me by name, just at a time when a motorist shouted out “Hare Rama,” wanted to talk. Of course, I’ve known this fellow for years. He told me he just lost his mom, from New Brunswick.
“What is her name?”
“Zelda,” he said.
“I will dedicate some chanting (holding out my beads) to Zelda.” He was grateful.
Then I met Brian, whom I hadn’t seen for years. “Well, I’ll be…” he said while slowing down on his bicycle. Brian was a support person for me on my first walk across Canada in 1996. We talked some, maybe two kilometres, catching up on life. Our conclusion was, “Let’s enjoy the green space left. Condos will be coming up.”
May the Source be with you!
7 km
243 Ave. Rd., Toronto
Stop and Smell
You have all heard the saying, “Stop and smell the roses.” It’s a phrase that was used often in the ’60s (not sure if it had anything to do with hippie flower power). The message is hurry and worry less. Simon and Garfunkel, the exceptional duo singers, put it this way in their piece Feelin’ Groovy. “Slow down, you move too fast. Yah gotta make the mornin’ last.”
In any event, whenever I trek with the boys through the residential neighbourhoods, where great pride is displayed in individual landscaping, we check out not only the roses but any flowering bush, for that matter. I guess you could call it flower-hopping. It’s quite remarkable how diverse are these precious creations. Not only are they fragrant (almost enough to get you high), but their varied shapes, textures, and colours are enough to convince you that you’re in Svargaloka, heaven.
When city councils decide to adorn the downtown with les fleur fragrant, they enhance the beauty of the place and also have a positive effect of bringing down the crime level. Wow! What power they have!
My dad was a flower man. Being Dutch, he had the touch. And what about all those gorgeous images of Krishna in Goloka, the spiritual realm, with all the living colour of soft petals of exotic flowers? It’s stunning, really.
May the Source be with you!
Week 15 June 15th, 2022 ISKCON Relief – Figures Devotees from Europe, as well as other parts of the world, have tirelessly continued their sincere endeavour to help devotees from Ukraine to find shelter, care, and support. The following figures are for week 15 of this devotee care/relief effort. ISKCON Relief – Food […]
The post ISKCON Relief Ukraine Update- Week 15 appeared first on ISKCON News.
Govinda Madhava Prabhu left this world on June 9th at his London residence where he had been living since 2005 with his wife Uma Dutt. The news saddens us all the more as he has always been a very devoted Vaishnava to the mission of Srila Prabhupada. Born in Brazil 44 years ago, Anderson Malta […]
The post The Passing of Govinda Madhava Das appeared first on ISKCON News.