Planet ISKCON

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 7 January 2022, Zagreb, Croatia, Zoom Disciple Meeting)

Don’t live in a house, live in a bhajan kutir!

We are cultivating our Krsna consciousness by building up a whole Krsna conscious world around us. That nourishes us and that is important because it is easier to remember Krsna. When we have pictures of Krsna in our house, that will remind us of Krsna. So, we have to build a bhajan kutir. Don’t live in a house, live in a bhajan kutir! Make that house a holy place. A place where we are worshipping Krsna. Let me tell you a story of Mr Gupta. He had a business in truck parts. If you went to his place where he is selling these parts, there were pictures of Krsna everywhere. From the bottom of the wall to the top of the wall, even on the ceiling, there were pictures of Krsna. Even on the doorknob, there was a picture of Krsna. Mr Gupta’s watch had a picture of Krsna. His pen had a picture of Krsna. His tea cup had a picture of Krsna. Look anywhere, there is a picture of Krsna. One day, I asked him, “Guptaji, why do you have so many pictures of Krsna?” He said, “Well, I might just forget”. This is nice. Mr Gupta is a smart man. Life goes so fast. From 20-40 years, it goes very fast. From 40-60 years, it goes even faster. From 60-70 years, you do not even know how it happened. Life goes fast, so we really have to use our time.

Watch the full lecture below or on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEDBhybqN1Q&t=10s

The article " Live in a bhajan kutir " was published on KKSBlog.

By Sankirtana Das

Sanctimony is not necessarily reserved for the righteous. It’s a condition that could affect anyone: the right wing, left wing, atheists, and even “the sinful.” It means “making a show of being morally superior to others.” We all fall into it at one time or other, sooner or later. Continue reading "Sanctimony in a Time of War
→ Dandavats"

Today is Shiva-ratri. Vaishnavas generally do not celebrate Shiva-ratri, and to begin, I will explain why, with reference to the Bhagavad-gita. We read from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Chapter 7: “Knowledge of the Absolute”:

TEXT 23

antavat tu phalam tesam
  tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam
devan deva-yajo yanti
 mad-bhakta yanti mam api

TRANSLATION

Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Some commentators on the Bhagavad-gita say that one who worships a demigod can reach the Supreme Lord, but here it is clearly stated that the worshipers of demigods go to the different planetary systems where various demigods are situated, just as a worshiper of the sun achieves the sun or a worshiper of the demigod of the moon achieves the moon. Similarly, if anyone wants to worship a demigod like Indra, he can attain that particular god’s planet. It is not that everyone, regardless of whatever demigod is worshiped, will reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is denied here, for it is clearly stated that the worshipers of demigods go to different planets in the material world but the devotee of the Supreme Lord goes directly to the supreme planet of the Personality of Godhead.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

This is logical. As Srila Prabhupada remarked, if you buy a ticket to Calcutta, you cannot expect to reach Bombay. If you worship a demigod, you go to the planet of the demigod. If you worship Krishna, you reach the supreme abode of Krishna.

PURPORT (continued)

Here the point may be raised that if the demigods are different parts of the body of the Supreme Lord, then the same end should be achieved by worshiping them. However, worshipers of the demigods are less intelligent because they don’t know to what part of the body food must be supplied. Some of them are so foolish that they claim that there are many parts and many ways to supply food. This isn’t very sanguine. Can anyone supply food to the body through the ears or eyes? They do not know that these demigods are different parts of the universal body of the Supreme Lord, and in their ignorance they believe that each and every demigod is a separate God and a competitor of the Supreme Lord.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

There is a verse in the Fourth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam that says that just as by pouring water on the root of a tree all the limbs and branches and leaves are watered and that just as by supplying food to the stomach all the different limbs of the body are nourished, similarly, by offering worship or rendering service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, all of the demigods and all living entities are served and satisfied.

yatha taror mula-nisecanena
  trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah
pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam
  tathaiva sarvarhanam acyutejya

“By giving water to the root of a tree one satisfies its branches, twigs, and leaves, and by supplying food to the stomach one satisfies all the senses of the body. Similarly, by engaging in the transcendental service of the Supreme Lord one automatically satisfies all the demigods and all other living entities.” (SB 4.31.14)

PURPORT (concluded)

The results achieved by the demigods’ benedictions are perishable because within this material world the planets, the demigods, and their worshipers are all perishable. Therefore it is clearly stated in this verse that all results achieved by worshiping demigods are perishable, and therefore such worship is performed by the less intelligent living entity. Because the pure devotee engaged in Krsna consciousness in devotional service of the Supreme Lord achieves eternal blissful existence that is full of knowledge, his achievements and those of the common worshiper of the demigods are different. The Supreme Lord is unlimited; His favor is unlimited; His mercy is unlimited. Therefore the mercy of the Supreme Lord upon His pure devotees is unlimited.

COMMENT

Everything material is temporary. The demigods themselves—the bodies of the demigods—are temporary. The bodies of their worshippers are temporary. The planets of the demigods are temporary, and the fruits that one obtains from worshipping them are temporary. The demigods have authority only within the material world. They can give only material benefits to their worshippers. It is only Vishnu, or Krishna, who can award liberation from material bondage. No demigod can grant liberation. And beyond liberation, the devotees of Krishna also achieve krsna-bhakti, or krsna-prema—the ultimate goal of life.

Srila Prabhupada said that the impersonalists want to become one with God but that the devotees actually become greater than God, because God comes under their control. We see in the Bhagavad-gita that Krishna is acting as the chariot driver of Arjuna. Arjuna is commanding Krishna, senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me ’cyuta: “Please draw my chariot between the two armies so I can see who has assembled on the battlefield to fight.” The Lord likes to be controlled by His devotees, and He comes under the control of their pure love. Of course, the Lord is supreme—no one is equal to Him or greater than Him (na tat-samas cabhyadikas ca drsyate)—but out of love He becomes subordinate to His devotee. The idea of becoming one with the Lord is repugnant to a devotee, because in that impersonal oneness there is no service, no exchange of love.

The demigod worshippers, as described in this verse, are alpa-medhasah, “less intelligent.” The opposite of alpa-medhasah is su-medhasah, or “very intelligent.” Those who worship Krishna, especially through the sankirtana movement in the present age, are described as su-medhasah.

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
  sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
  yajanti hi su-medhasah

 “In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krsna.” (SB 11.5.32, Cc Adi 3.52)

Further, the demigods are not able to give even material benedictions without the sanction of the Supreme Lord. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati— the Lord is in the heart of everyone, including the demigods, so unless He gives His sanction, the demigods themselves cannot give even limited temporary benefits. So, from every point of view, one should worship Krishna. And devotees of Krishna need not worship any demigod. Krishna, the Supreme Lord, is like the king, and the various demigods are like ministers in the cabinet of the king or department heads in the government. As Srila Prabhupada said, if you pay taxes to the central treasury you need not bribe the ministers or officers in charge of different departments. When you pay your taxes into the central treasury, you have met your obligation and are entitled to all the benefits of a citizen.

In fact, worship of demigods is discouraged in the Bhagavad-gita. The Supreme Lord Krishna says,

ye ’py anya-devata-bhakta
  yajante sraddhayanvitah
te ’pi mam eva kaunteya
  yajanty avidhi-purvakam

“Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kunti, but they do so in a wrong way.” (Gita 9.23)

Therefore, Vaishnavas do not celebrate Shiva-ratri.

Yet there is another, confidential aspect to Lord Shiva that ordinary people with insufficient knowledge of shastra, of Srimad-Bhagavatam, do not know: Lord Shiva himself is the greatest Vaishnava (vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh), and the worship of Vaishnavas, the service of Vaishnavas, and the glorification of Vaishnavas is included in Krishna consciousness. In fact, it is most highly recommended. So, in an assembly of learned devotees we can appreciate Shiva as a Vaishnava. But otherwise we don’t worship Lord Shiva, because if we did, people could misunderstand and conclude, “ISKCON devotees worship Shiva, so we will too.” And they will worship Lord Shiva for material benefit. Or they may think that Lord Shiva is on the same level as Krishna—or supreme.

In India there is a history of debate between Vaishnavas and Shaivites over who is supreme. And as Srila Prabhupada said, in such debates the Vaishnavas always win. Still, that sense of competition is there. Shaivites say, “Shiva is supreme,” and Vaishnavas respond, “No, Vishnu is supreme.”

The Illustrated Weekly of India once carried an article by Agehananda Bharati, an Austrian-born Indologist and Advaitan sannyasi, under the title “Hare Krishna vs Shiva Shiva.” In the article, Bharati gave his version of a series of exchanges and debates he had had with “Swami Hridayananda” of ISKCON. I shared my impression with Srila Prabhupada that the Weekly’s editor, Khushwant Singh, had run the piece, along with that title, to make us all—believers in general—look silly, bickering over deities and evidence. Prabhupada agreed with my assessment. “Yes,” Prabhupada said. “Bharati is a fool, but Singh is a demon.”

Srila Prabhupada wanted us to respond to articles. Once, later, a devotee informed him of a newspaper report that the Balaji temple at Tirupati, which has immense wealth from donations to the Deity, was going to loan money to encourage local industries. Srila Prabhupada became concerned and said that we should write a letter to the editor stating that the money belonged to Balaji and should have been used for Balaji’s purpose. And what is Balaji’s purpose? Srila Prabhupada quoted, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam/ dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge. Balaji comes to establish the principles of religion. Balaji’s money should be used for Balaji’s purpose—to establish the principles of religion. And what is the principle of religion for the present age? The yuga-dharma in Kali-yuga is hari-nama-sankirtana. The money should be used to promote hari-nama-sankirtana.

When I visited Madras in 1971, I met many intellectuals whose attitude was similar to the editor’s. They thought, “Oh, how silly. You are arguing that Krishna is supreme, and someone else is arguing that Shiva is supreme.” These impersonalists considered themselves to be more intelligent than the naive sentimentalists who worship particular deities, and they counted us as naive sentimentalists because we love Krishna, worship Krishna, chant Krishna’s name, and preach Krishna’s supremacy. (There are many Shaivites in Madras, and they argue that Shiva is supreme.)

As the first ISKCON devotee to visit Madras, I became quite a sensation—an American Vaishnava. Most people there had never seen a Western sadhu, and they wanted to help. Several suggested that I meet a Mr. Ramakrishna, who they said was pious and religious and would be happy to hear of our activities. So, I met him, and he turned out to be one of those people who thought that Shiva was supreme. Very quickly we came to blows—verbal blows. He had a volatile nature, and he became angry. He became red in the face, and he raised his voice, and the meeting ended abruptly. But I kept preaching and meeting people who suggested, “You have to meet Mr. Ramakrishna. He is a very pious man. He is a very religious man.” And I imagine that he was meeting people, saying, “Oh, you should meet the Hare Krishna devotees. They are very good people. They are doing excellent work.”

After a few weeks, I thought, “Maybe I should give it another try. This time I will be more careful.” So I phoned him, and he immediately agreed to meet me. That made me think that people were also speaking favorably about us to him and that it was embarrassing for him that we had disagreed so vehemently. We met, and I tried to restrain myself, and he tried to restrain himself, but eventually we came to the same point: Who is supreme—Krishna (Vishnu) or Shiva? The argument escalated, but neither of us wanted it to end the same way as the last one had. Then I got an inspiration and suggested, “In two weeks my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, is coming to Madras. So instead of us discussing, why don’t I invite you to meet him when he comes, and you can discuss with him directly.” He liked the idea. It was a way out for both of us. And ultimately, what could be better than to meet a pure devotee of Krishna?

After Srila Prabhupada arrived, Mr. Ramakrishna came to meet him. “I met your disciple Giriraj,” Mr. Ramakrishna said, “and I argued that Shiva is supreme, and he argued that Krishna is supreme. So, who is supreme?” Srila Prabhupada took a completely different approach. He didn’t enter into the argument about who was supreme. Rather, he said, “There are two words in Sanskrit—puja and bhakti. In puja one worships the deity to get some material benefit, and in bhakti one worships only to give pleasure to the deity, without expectation of personal return.” Then Srila Prabhupada said, “Generally the worshippers of Shiva engage in puja—they worship to get some material benefit—whereas in bhakti we worship Krishna for the sake of Krishna’s pleasure, just to please Him.”

“Is it not possible,” Mr. Ramakrishna asked, “to worship Shiva in the mood of bhakti?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “It is possible, but it would be exceptional. For example, generally people go to a liquor shop to buy liquor. Now, one could go for another purpose, but that would be an exception. Generally people go to buy liquor.” Mr. Ramakrishna was satisfied with the answer. Srila Prabhupada did not enter into the controversy over which deity was supreme; rather, he explained different moods in the worship of different deities.

Later, toward the end of Srila Prabhupada’s stay in Madras, a wealthy householder invited Prabhupada to his home for the consecration of his temple. The host had invited many dignitaries, and although the temple was a good size for a home, it wasn’t large enough to accommodate Srila Prabhupada’s disciples along with all the dignitaries. So Srila Prabhupada and the others went inside the temple, and we disciples looked in from outside. As part of the ceremony, the host distributed flower petals to the guests to offer to the deity of Lord Shiva, a siva-linga. And we all were interested to see how Srila Prabhupada would deal with the situation. At the appropriate moment, all the participants threw their flower petals on the deity of Lord Shiva—except for Srila Prabhupada. He threw his in the corner. We thought, “He is the acharya. We have to learn from him.” So, after the ceremony, when the other invitees came out, we went into the temple and looked in the corner. And there we saw a small Deity of Krishna. Prabhupada had offered his flowers to Krishna.

As Srila Prabhupada’s representatives, ISKCON and its members are meant to follow Srila Prabhupada’s instructions and precedents. And we must be careful not to encourage people’s misconceptions—even if what we do is otherwise all right. If we were to observe Shiva-ratri with participants who are not well versed in sastric conclusions, in Vaishnava siddhanta—if we were to celebrate Shiva-ratri to cater to Hindus who want to worship Lord Shiva on Shiva-ratri but who do not know his actual position as a Vaishnava—they might mistakenly conclude that we accept Lord Shiva on the same level as Krishna. Then, even if they chant the holy name of Krishna, as long as they maintain the idea that Shiva and Krishna are the same, they will not make much advancement, because they will be committing an offense against the holy name (namaparadha). The second of the ten offenses against the holy name is to consider the names of demigods such as Lord Shiva to be equal to or independent of the name of Lord Vishnu.

That is why we don’t observe Shiva-ratri. And as Vaishnavas, we have no need to worship Shiva, because we are worshipping Krishna directly. Still, we may worship Lord Shiva as a Vaishnava, a devotee of Krishna, because the worship of Krishna’s devotees pleases Lord Krishna.

The basic definition of bhakti is given by Srila Rupa Gosvami in Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.11):

anyabhilasita-sunyam
  jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
  silanam bhaktir uttama

“One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Krsna favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.” In pure devotional service, one should have no desire other than to serve and please Krishna (anyabhilasita-sunyam). And jnana-karmady-anavrtam—one’s service should not be covered by jnana, speculative knowledge that leads to a conclusion of impersonal monism, or by karma, fruitive work, as in ordinary puja, which one performs for personal gain. In ordinary affairs, for example, one may invite someone to a restaurant and give him food and drink in the hope of getting some benefit from him. In a similar way, one may offer bael leaves and ganga-jala to Lord Shiva in order to get some personal return. That fruitive mentality has no place in pure devotion, and certainly the speculative idea of merging and becoming one with God has no place. Anything that covers the true nature of bhakti has no place (jnana-karmady-anavrtam). Pure devotional service must be rendered favorably to Krishna (anukulyena krsnanusilanam).

Acharyas who have commented on this verse from the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, such as Srila Jiva Gosvami, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, and Srila Prabhupada, have explained that “Krishna” does not mean Krishna alone. Srila Prabhupada’s Introduction to The Nectar of Devotion discusses this verse in detail and includes much of the commentaries of Jiva and Visvanatha. And all agree that in this verse “Krishna” does not mean Krishna alone but includes His personal expansions, such as Lord Ramachandra, Lord Nrsimha, Lord Varaha, and other visnu-tattvas, as well as His name, form, qualities, pastimes, paraphernalia, and pure devotees. “Krsna includes all such expansions, as well as His pure devotees,” Srila Prabhupada writes. Serving and worshipping pure devotees is included within uttama-bhakti, pure devotional service to Krishna, and thus devotees of Krishna sometimes worship Lord Shiva as a pure devotee.

Many of Lord Shiva’s pastimes are described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad- Bhagavatam is the perfectly pure, spotless Purana (srimad-bhagavatam puranam amalam) and is called the Paramahamsa-samhita because it is meant for the highest class of transcendentalists, who are completely free from envy. It is the topmost scripture and discusses no subject other than Krishna and pure devotional service. These pastimes with Lord Shiva show his true nature, or internal mood, as a Vaishnava, a pure devotee of Krishna. In one pastime the hundred sons of King Barhisat, known as the Pracetas, were engaged in austerities to realize Vishnu, or Krishna. Lord Shiva met them and, appreciating their austerities, acted as their guru to guide them. He gave them a series of prayers to sing to please Lord Vishnu and become pure devotees. Upon first meeting the Pracetas, he made the following statement, which I shall read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Four, Chapter Twenty-four: “Chanting the Song Sung by Lord Siva”:

TEXT 30

atha bhagavata yuyam
  priyah stha bhagavan yatha
na mad bhagavatanam ca
  preyan anyo’sti karhicit

TRANSLATION

You are all devotees of the Lord, and as such I appreciate that you are as respectable as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. I know in this way that the devotees also respect me and that I am dear to them. Thus no one can be as dear to the devotees as I am.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

It is said, vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh: Lord Siva is the best of all devotees. Therefore all devotees of Lord Krsna are also devotees of Lord Siva. In Vrndavana there is Lord Siva’s temple called Gopisvara. The gopis used to worship not only Lord Siva but Katyayani, or Durga, as well, but their aim was to attain the favor of Lord Krsna. A devotee of Lord Krsna does not disrespect Lord Siva but worships Lord Siva as the most exalted devotee of Lord Krsna. Consequently, whenever a devotee worships Lord Siva, he prays to Lord Siva to achieve the favor of Krsna, and he does not request material profit. In Bhagavad-gita (7.20) it is said that generally people worship demigods for some material profit. Kamais tais tair hrta jnanah. Driven by material lust, they worship demigods, but a devotee never does so, for he is never driven by material lust. That is the difference between a devotee’s respect for Lord Siva and an asura’s respect for him. The asura worships Lord Siva, takes some benediction from him, misuses the benediction, and ultimately is killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who awards him liberation.

Because Lord Siva is a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he loves all the devotees of the Supreme Lord.

COMMENT

This is a symptom of a devotee. One who is actually a devotee of the Supreme Lord will love all other devotees of the Supreme Lord. Lord Shiva truly loved the Pracetas. He went out of his way to help them, and further, he respected them as representatives of the Supreme Lord.

PURPORT (continued)

Lord Siva told the Pracetas that because they were devotees of the Lord, he loved them very much. Lord Siva was not kind and merciful only to the Pracetas; anyone who is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very dear to Lord Siva. Not only are the devotees dear to Lord Siva, but he respects them as much as he respects the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, devotees of the Supreme Lord also worship Lord Siva as the most dear devotee of Lord Krsna. They do not worship him as a separate Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the list of namaparadhas that it is an offense to think that the chanting of the name of Hari and the chanting of Hara, or Siva, are the same. The devotees must always know that Lord Visnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that Lord Siva is His devotee. A devotee should be offered respect on the level of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and sometimes even more respect. Indeed, Lord Rama, the Personality of Godhead Himself, sometimes worshiped Lord Siva. If a devotee is worshiped by the Lord, why should a devotee not be worshiped by other devotees on the same level with the Lord?

COMMENT

In other words, if a devotee is worshipable by the Lord Himself, why should other devotees not worship a devotee on the same level as the Lord? Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair: the spiritual master is worshipped on the same level as the Supreme Lord. But kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya—although one honors the spiritual master as much as the Lord, one knows that he is not identical with the Lord but is a most confidential servitor of the Lord.

PURPORT (continued)

If a devotee is worshiped by the Lord, why should a devotee not be worshiped by other devotees on the same level with the Lord? This is the conclusion. From this verse it appears that Lord Siva blesses the asuras simply for the sake of formality.

COMMENT

In relation to the demons (asuras), Lord Shiva thinks, “Okay, they are worshipping me. They want something. Okay, I will give them something.” Thus, one of Shiva’s names is Asutosa, because he gives benedictions very easily. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Many demons go to bother Lord Shiva: ‘Give me this. Give me that.’ And his name is Asutosa. He gives immediately: ‘All right, take it. Go away. Don’t bother me.’ ” He blesses then simply for the sake of formality, to get rid of them.

PURPORT (concluded)

From this verse it appears that Lord Siva blesses the asuras simply for the sake of formality. Actually he loves one who is devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
COMMENT

In addition to the pastimes of Lord Shiva described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, there are many pastimes with Lord Shiva in Vrindavan that show his great love for Lord Krishna and his eagerness to serve Him. And Lord Krishna’s great-grandson, Vajranabha, who established many of the main temples in Vrindavan, installed several deities of Lord Shiva in Vraja to honor his pastimes there.

One prominent deity of Lord Shiva in Vraja is Nandesvara Mahadeva, at Nanda-grama. He is worshipped in a small temple situated within the courtyard of the main temple there, and every day, the pujaris offer him the remnants of food that has been offered to Lord Krishna in the main temple. This tradition goes back to the time when Krishna and Balarama lived in Nanda-grama with Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yasoda. As the local history goes, when Lord Shiva came to Nanda Bhavan to see his beloved Lord Krishna, he arrived in his usual attire—with matted hair, ashes all over his body, and a snake wrapped around his neck—playing his damaru drum. When Mother Yasoda came to the door, she could not bring herself to let this wild-looking ascetic in to see her darling little child. And so she gave him alms and sent him on his way. As he was leaving, however, baby Krishna began to cry. Mother Yasoda tried in many ways to pacify Him, but she couldn’t; He was inconsolable. She began to think that she might have committed an offense against the ascetic and that he had put a spell on her baby, so she sent for him. In the end, Lord Shiva was found in the forest now known as Asesvara-vana, the forest of hope, where he was praying, hoping against hope (asa means “hope”), that he would somehow get the darshan of Nandalal, Krishna. Lord Shiva was very happy when he was asked to return to Nanda Bhavan, and as soon as he arrived, baby Krishna stopped crying. But when Mother Yasoda indicated that it was time for him to leave, Krishna again began to cry. He didn’t want Lord Shiva to leave. It was then settled that Lord Shiva would remain permanently in Nanda Bhavan and get the caranamrta and food remnants of Nandalal every day. And to this day it has been so.

Another important deity is Kamesvara Mahadeva, who resides at Kamyavana. He fulfills all desires, and so devotees pray to him to give them pure devotional service to Krishna.

Caklesvara Mahadeva resides at Cakra-tirtha, by Manasi-ganga at Govardhana Hill. It is said that Sanatana Gosvami was good friends with Lord Shiva and always resided near him in Vraja. At Manasi-ganga, Sanatana Gosvami’s bhajana-kutira is near Caklesvara Mahadeva, and at the Madana-mohana temple, near the Yamuna River in Vrindavan, his bhajana-kutira is near Gopisvara Mahadeva.

To illustrate the intimate relationship between Sanatana Gosvami and Lord Shiva, I shall relate one story. Once, at Cakra-tirtha, Sanatana Gosvami was being disturbed by mosquitoes and couldn’t do his bhajana or write his books. So he decided to leave. When Lord Shiva saw that his dear friend was about to leave, he came in the guise of a brahman and inquired, “Why are you leaving?” Sanatana Gosvami replied, “I am too disturbed by the mosquitoes and cannot do my seva.” Lord Shiva was relieved, because he knew that this was a problem he could solve. He requested Sanatana Gosvami, “Please stay one more night, and if the mosquitoes still bother you, you may go.” Then Lord Shiva summoned the demigod in charge of insect life and told him, “I don’t want any mosquitoes disturbing this great devotee here. So tell your boys to lay off.” The mosquitoes stopped coming there, and Sanatana Gosvami stayed.

The most famous and important deity of Lord Shiva for us is Gopisvara Mahadeva, established by Vajranabha near the site of the rasa dance, near Vamsivata, where Gopinatha played upon His flute to call the gopis. Gopisvara Mahadeva wanted to participate in the rasa dance, the highest and best of all of Lord Krishna’s pastimes. According to one version, Lord Shiva approached Paurnamasi, an elderly brahmani and siksa-guru of the Vrajavasis, who was the mother of Sandipani Muni, Lord Krishna’s guru. She advised Mahadeva to perform some austerities and then take bath in the Yamuna; thus he would get the form of a gopi. According to other sources, Paurnamasi directed him to Vrndadevi and Vrndadevi advised him to take bath in Mana-sarovara, a little further south across the Yamuna River from Kesi-ghata. Be it as it may, he took bath and came out in the form of a gopi.

When Krishna was about to enjoy His rasa-lila with the gopis, this new gopi appeared. The other gopis took note—“Oh, a new gopi has come”—and gathered around her. They asked, “What village are you from?” She didn’t know what to say. “What is your husband’s name?” “How many cows does he have?” “Who are your children?” She had no answers. Then the other gopis thought, “This is not a gopi. She is not one of us. This is an imposter.” They were ready to beat this imitation gopi when Mother Paurnamasi appeared and said, “This is Mahadeva Shiva. He is a great demigod. Do not take any action against him.” Then she told Lord Shiva, “No one can participate in the rasa dance without being a gopi. You can observe it from a distance, but you cannot actually enter it.” Then she gave him a service: he could guard the arena of the rasa dance. One of Lord Shiva’s regular services is to be ksetra-pala, protector of the dhama, and he serves as such in Vrindavan, Navadvipa, Jagannatha Puri, and other holy places. Paurnamasi gave Mahadeva the authority to restrain the unqualified and to admit the qualified. But beyond that, he would have the power to give someone the qualification to enter. So, devotees, Vaishnavas, in Vrindavan pray to Gopisvara Mahadeva to enable them to enter the pastimes of Krishna with the gopis.

The deity of Gopisvara Mahadeva is worshipped as a regular Shiva-linga during the day, but every evening at about four the pujaris dress the Shiva-linga like a gopi. They cover the linga with a sari and ornaments and decorate it to resemble a gopi, with a crown on it or a shawl draped over its top. And devotees come and worship Gopisvara Mahadeva to attain the favor of Radha and Krishna.

In his Sankalpa-kalpadruma (103) Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura prays:

vrndavanavani-pate jaya soma soma-
  maule sanandana-sanatana-naradedya
gopisvara vraja-vilasi-yuganghri-padme
  prema prayaccha nirupadhi namo namaste

“O gatekeeper of Vrndavana! O Soma, all glories to you! O you whose forehead is decorated with the moon (soma), and who is worshiped by the sages headed by Sanandana, Sanatana, and Narada! O Gopisvara! Desiring that you bestow upon me limitless love for the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, who perform joyous pastimes in Vraja-dhama, I offer my obeisances unto you again and again.”

Sri Gopisvara Mahadeva ki jaya!

Once, as described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Nanda Maharaja and the cowherd men wanted to go to Ambikavana to observe Shiva-ratri, which they did. The Bhagavatam uses the word ekada, “once.” Srila Prabhupada explains, “Between the Dola-yatra ceremony [Holi] and the rasa-lila ceremony there is an important ceremony called Siva-ratri, which is especially observed by the Saivites, or devotees of Lord Siva. Sometimes the Vaisnavas also observe this ceremony because they accept Lord Siva as the foremost Vaisnava. But the function of Siva-ratri is not observed very regularly by the bhaktas, or devotees of Krsna. Under the circumstances, Srimad-Bhagavatam states that Nanda Maharaja and the other cowherd men ‘once upon a time desired.’ This means that they were not regularly observing the Siva-ratri function but that once upon a time they wanted to go to Ambikavana.” (Krsna, Chapter 34) And what was the result? “They had come to worship Lord Siva and Ambika, but the result was that they became more and more attached to Krsna.”

Are there any questions or comments?

Rasaraja dasa: I have a question about Lord Shiva and impersonalists. Although many of his statements and songs are in the mood of bhakti, Lord Shiva is normally worshipped by impersonalists. How is the impersonal philosophy associated with him?

Giriraj Swami: The first answer is that Lord Shiva has a planet that is situated on the border of the material sky and the spiritual sky. In fact, it is said that the impersonalists who want to merge end up there. It is the borderline between matter and spirit.

Another answer is that Lord Shiva, for a very specific purpose, appeared as Shankaracharya, the great proponent of Mayavada philosophy. Earlier, because the so-called followers of the Vedas had been misusing the Vedas to support animal slaughter, Lord Krishna incarnated as Buddha, out of compassion for the innocent animals and to save these so-called Vedic followers from the sin of killing them. Buddha preached the philosophy of ahimsa, non-violence. He said, “Don’t follow the Vedas. If the Vedas say that you can kill animals, then don’t follow the Vedas. Just follow ahimsa.” Thus the Lord’s purpose was served: people stopped killing animals in the name of Vedic sacrifice. But then the Lord wanted to reestablish the authority of the Vedas, and because the Buddhist philosophy was nontheistic, followers would not immediately accept the correct, theistic understanding of the Vedas. So He wanted someone to reestablish the authority of the Vedas with a nontheistic interpretation—Advaitavada—which admits no difference between the individual soul and the supreme soul. In other words, it advocates impersonal monism. But when Lord Narayana approached His assembly of servants, no one was willing. They said, “Advaitavada? No, no—not Advaitavada. Ask anything but that. We don’t want to touch Advaitavada.” Then Lord Shiva, the greatest of the Vaishnavas, agreed. It was like when the demigods and demons were churning the ocean and it turned into poison, Lord Shiva was the one who came forward and said, “All right, I will drink the ocean of poison.” In this case, as Shankaracharya, he spit out an ocean of poison in the form of Advaitavada, or Mayavada. Shankara is a name for Lord Shiva, and so he became Shankaracharya. Because of the connection between Shankaracharya and Shankara, or Shiva, Mayavadis often are inclined toward Lord Shiva. But whether Mayavadis worship Shiva or Krishna, their goal is to merge and become one with Brahman.

Even Shankaracharya on occasion revealed his inner mood as a devotee. The most famous expression of his devotion was his parting words before he left this world: bhaja govindam bhaja govindam bhaja govindam mudha-mate. He advised his followers,

bhaja govindam bhaja govindam bhaja govindam mudha-mate
samprapte sannihite kale na hi na hi raksati dukrn-karane

“You fools and rascals, all your grammatical word jugglery of suffixes, prefixes, and philosophical speculation will not save you at the time of death. Just worship Govinda! Worship Govinda! Worship Govinda!”

There are other expressions as well. When Shankaracharya saw the Deity of Krishna, Vitthala Thakura, in Pandarapura, he recited many wonderful prayers to the Lord, which are inscribed in marble in the temple, the most famous and popular in Maharashtra. Similarly, Shankaracharya visited the temple of Guruvayurappan in Guruvayur, the most famous temple in Kerala. It is said that with his mystic powers he was flying over the temple and saw the devotees worshipping, and he thought, “What is this? What are these people doing? What is going on here?” As soon as that thought entered his mind, his power to fly was withdrawn and he came crashing down to the ground right in front of the Deity. Then he saw, “Oh, it is Lord Narayana, Lord Vishnu.” He recited many beautiful prayers, which are inscribed in the temple there. And in his Gita-bhasya commentary on Srimad Bhagavad-gita, he admitted, narayana paro ’vyaktat: “Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond the material creation.”

Lord Shiva, even as Shankaracharya, is a devotee, but he has different services. As Lord Shiva, he is the demigod in charge of destruction. He is in charge of the mode of ignorance, and he gives shelter to people in ignorance—to ghosts and hobgoblins. He is merciful even to them. But his true feature, his inner mood, is as a devotee of Krishna.

On this occasion we pray to Lord Shiva that out of his immense compassion and love he may be merciful to us and help us to attentively chant the holy names, respect and honor all devotees, and serve his Lord and master, the Lord of the gopis, Sri Krishna.

Hare Krishna.

Sri Gopisvara Mahadeva ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Nitai-gaura-premanande hari-haribol!

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Shiva-ratri, March 7, 2008, Dallas]

Every lunar month on the 13th or 14th day of the dark half of the moon phase there is a Shivaratri but in the Vedic month of Phalgun (February-March) there is a Maha Shivaratri. The ceremony takes place mainly at night, which is observed in the honour of Lord Shiva, who was married to Parvati (Mother Durga) on this day.

Srila Prabhupada says –

Demon Sankhacuda Killed – taken from Krsna Book (Chapter 34.)

“Once upon a time, the cowherd men of Vrindavana, headed by Nanda Maharaja, desired to go to Ambikavana to observe the Siva-ratri ceremony. The rasa-lila was performed during the autumn, and after that the next big ceremony is Holi, or the Dolayatra ceremony.

Between the Dolayatra ceremony and the rasa-lila ceremony there is one important ceremony called Siva-ratri, which is especially observed by the Saivites, or devotees of Lord Siva. Sometimes the Vaishnavas also observe this ceremony because they accept Lord Siva as the foremost Vaishnava. But the function of Siva-ratri is not observed very regularly by the bhaktas, or devotees of Krishna.

Under the circumstances, it is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam that Nanda Maharaja and the other cowherd men “once upon a time desired.” This means that they were not regularly observing the Siva-ratri function but that once upon a time they wanted to go to Ambikavana out of curiosity.”

“…observing Siva-ratri, Nanda Maharaja and all the cowherds men, they increased their attachment for Krishna. That is wanted.”

Braja Vilasa invites us all to participate in the grand and historic, 4-day Radha Madhava Golden Jubilee Festival from March 2-5. If you can’t be personally present you can watch live on MayapurTV.com.

 

 

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Podcast:

Yorkville, Toronto

Follow Sadhana

I’m getting invitations to various locations. North Carolina, Montreal, Minneapolis, the Canadian Prairies, and overseas. One friend of mine asked me to come to Florida. “Just walk all the way down from Toronto,” he urged facetiously.

“I don’t have a problem going southbound for the long haul. The issue is the border. It can get tense between Fort Erie and Buffalo.” In one sense I’m ready to go and, when and if I get to some destinations, I’m confident of the good time I’ll have because everywhere I go there will always be engagement in devotional service.

I am not a super fan of Gandhi, but I do believe he did and said some noble things, such as “the meaning of life is service.” Bang on! He was right. Wherever I go I will be routine oriented. I will follow my sadhana, my regulations, because that’s always good for the brain. The spiritual practice, in and of itself, such as chanting, is good for my soul. Besides that, it is a pleasure to execute. “It’s fun,” so says Krishna, in the Bhagavad-gita, Chapter nine.

Part of my daily regimen is to walk wherever I am; whether I’m in Buenos Aires, Hawaii, or India, I have to do my walk, even though it’s embarrassing by meagre distances these days. To wind up the day, I ventured along in the neighbourhood at, negative ten degrees Celsius. After yesterday’s melt and thaw, everything froze again. Everything glistens with sun in daylight and city lampposts at night. The ice is bumpy, dangerous, but shines like anything.

It’s always good to look at the bright-side of everything.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

 

Roxborough St., Toronto

Gabriel

Gabriel is from a small town in Ontario – St. Mary’s – and he now resides in Toronto while making the effort to be with us on a daily basis, in the morning. He comes in through the door after leaving his shoes in the designated shoe room before entering the large temple room. He then offers his prostrations before the deity of Prabhupada, our guru.

After fetching a sitting mat, he plants himself firmly on it; sitting squarely in a close-to-lotus position. With beads in a bag, he fingers through the tulasi-wood beads, chanting japa.

“Japa” is a word found in the ancient text, Bhagavad-gita, and it becomes intrinsic in the regulation of a devotee’s life. It can, in fact, be his life-line.

Gabriel was asked about his consciousness with Krishna and he answered saying, “There are many aspects to the life-style that are particularly appealing. Especially japachanting.” With those beads of 108 in number, he focuses on chanting the mantrafor deliverance.

Gabriel is a great tambourine player and, at the time of kirtan, chanting, he let’s loose with the instrument adding a great dimension to the overall devotional sound. After the kirtanchanting, he relishes listening to the daily class on the book, Bhagavatam. He always asks a question or comments on the talk, which indicates his keen interest in the philosophy. I also know that eating a great breakfast at the end of the morning program is a grand finale for him. It tops it off.

May the Source be with you!

1 km

 

Yorkville, Toronto

Great Sadhu

One very inspiring monk of the 20^thcentury is our param-guru, our grand guru, the teacher of Prabhupada. His name is Bhaktisiddhanta and he did much in terms of teaching and sharing the Bhagavat philosophy through the subcontinent of India. Today is his birthday.

The areas that he concentrated on, through his sixty-four branches of the Gaudiya Math institution, were extolling the glories of Krishna, challenging caste-ism and impersonal conceptions of the Absolute. Bhaktisiddhanta was quite austere and made a life-long vow to celibacy while also making a commitment to chanting a billion names of Krishna over a period. He made successful inroads with British dignitaries, some of whom took interest in the ways of the sages. He was very innovative in his approaches; never compromising on his moral principles but definitely so on how to engage newcomers to the fold.

On a day like today, our crew of residential devotees take the opportunity to reflect on the achievements of such great a personality. One time a very important gentleman expressed that Bhaktisiddhanta should open temple ashrams in cities all over the world, and he replied, “My real business is to establish temples in everyone’s heart.”

Bhaktisiddhanta had thousands of students. He also organized walks to sacred places.

My day ended with a walk and thoughts of this great sadhu, holy person.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

 

Yorkville, Toronto

Great Sadhu

One very inspiring monk of the 20^thcentury is our param-guru, our grand guru, the teacher of Prabhupada. His name is Bhaktisiddhanta and he did much in terms of teaching and sharing the Bhagavat philosophy through the subcontinent of India. Today is his birthday.

The areas that he concentrated on, through his sixty-four branches of the Gaudiya Math institution, were extolling the glories of Krishna, challenging caste-ism and impersonal conceptions of the Absolute. Bhaktisiddhanta was quite austere and made a life-long vow to celibacy while also making a commitment to chanting a billion names of Krishna over a period. He made successful inroads with British dignitaries, some of whom took interest in the ways of the sages. He was very innovative in his approaches; never compromising on his moral principles but definitely so on how to engage newcomers to the fold.

On a day like today, our crew of residential devotees take the opportunity to reflect on the achievements of such great a personality. One time a very important gentleman expressed that Bhaktisiddhanta should open temple ashrams in cities all over the world, and he replied, “My real business is to establish temples in everyone’s heart.”

Bhaktisiddhanta had thousands of students. He also organized walks to sacred places.

My day ended with a walk and thoughts of this great sadhu, holy person.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

 

Hamilton, Ontario

Good Things Come in Three

There were three chanting sessions, with water/bio breaks in between, and it worked so well. First, Mahadev and Annapurna led us with guitar, harmonium, and, of course, the human voice. They selected a melody I’d never heard before. So serene. It was a warm up. From there it stayed warm, or perhaps got hot.

Monica’s dreamy yoga studio, in Hess Village of Hamilton’s downtown, is just the ideal escape place. So, for the second session, we used mantra once again, and also incorporated clapping and body movement from the waist up. Finally, our third session involved placing the musicians in the middle, while the rest of us, in continuing kirtan, now added dance from the feet up. It ended up being a natural build-up of devotional intensity.

The sun was streaming its rays through the skylight. Heat was rising. It was the beginnings of a good sweat.

Some of the attendees came for the first time, not knowing what to expect. At intervals (bio breaks) I explained that our technique of kirtan enjoys a history of thousands of years and, thanks to initiator of ecstatic chanting, Chaitanya, we now have this regular uplifting approach to reaching Godhead.

After the third session we mingled and got to know each other much better. To chat or not to chat – that is not the question. We are there to enthuse. To chant or not to chant – that is alsonot the question.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

 

243 Ave. Rd., Toronto

Guru Conference

This morning, or, what is evening in India, I participated in a Guru Conference with the theme “How to deal with Disciple Challenges.” Gurus (or teachers) spoke about and heard about their experiences in coaching their disciples (students). Presenters and listeners had the chance to dive deeper into the grave responsibility.

My thoughts on the position of guru are that he/she is a listener, adviser, coach, guide, cheer leader, blesser and truth speaker, while also being the truth applicant.

A sisya (student) on the other hand is also a listener, a follower, a server, an endeavourer, and is a blessed recipient.

The relationship between the two is most rewarding. Both benefit from each other’s respective role.

One common dynamic that came out of our break out sessions was that there is much time required to steer and cheer the disciple. This is not what we would anticipate before we (the gurus) took up the service. Serving or assisting people in general is a big-time job. People are complicated. Sterling guidance and old-time submission are rare to come by.

Despite the challenges, the call of duty, either by the teacher or student, is on. One must continue to exercise compassion and patience; especially on the part of guru.

One guru suggested that all the guru does is deliver divya-jnan, knowledge of the divine. Another guru countered that by saying that the guru takes personal interest in the student. “How are you physically? Any problems with health? How is your spouse? The children?” If we are to be considered “wholistic” then the guru is concerned for both body and soul.

May the Source be with you!

 

Yorkville, Toronto

Fun With Two Groups

“Resist resisting” was one of the remarks that burst out of our Gita Chat with the Hamilton crew. The message implied here was to accept some inconvenience in order to build character.

Another remark was, “Get comfortable about getting out of your comfort zone.” That also implies to getting a bit tough on yourself. Discipline – in other words.

Another theme that came up, as we are nearing the end of the Gita, was “Surrender to the sweet Supreme!” It’s time we realize that we are not the controller. There is something greater than me. Let me take greater control of my senses. Let THE CONTROLLER take control. This is called a happy submission.

These moments of popping-out bursts of bhakti were very gratifying.

Once I clicked off from the Hamilton Zoom, I then connected with a Mississauga group of four couples. With this crew, which came as a group only recently, we are combing through Chapter One. What triggered our discussion over the male and female psychology was a statement by Chanakya Pandit, advisor to King Chandra Gupta. It was fun to discuss the differences. Men often overthink. Women often overtalk. Together they form a good balance in terms of complementing each other.

On of the ladies remarked that partners don’t express appreciation of each other enough. How true! So that became an assignment. “Say or do something nice to each other until our next session.”

May the Source be with you!

3 km

 

243 Ave. Rd., Toronto

How to Know?

Someone asked, “How do you know when you are making spiritual progress?”

This is a classic question and it came up in our Zoom Gita Chat with Florida. The simple answer is, or one answer is, “When you begin to lose the taste for sense enjoyment, then you feel you are spiritually advancing.”

The person asking wanted to go with greater depth. “Is there a time when you know, or a line you cross, when you go beyond just obedience, following regimen, and where everything is spiritually spontaneous?”

Answer: “There is no point in time where you can actually say, ‘I’m now in samadhi.’ A genuine spiritual practitioner will always bear the mood that he/she is unworthy. However, in terms of gauging or monitoring your progress, you consult with guruor guide. That is a blessing. In our spiritual culture you can’t really move forward without the help of others. Self-help doesn’t exist on one’s own endeavour as paradoxical as it may sound.”

Our group’s discussion on progression was sweet. Still, I’m never quite satisfied enough with my contribution. I have a way to go.

In terms of sweetness for the day, I was thrilled to receive the poster of our film “The Embassy.” Our intent is to submit this short film to film festivals in different locations, I like the look of it. I’m proud of the promotional poster.

May the Source be with you!

 

Rosedale, Toronto

Get It Right

One of our temple/ashram staff was going at the last parking spot outside our building; picking at the snow and ice. With a mild nine degrees Celsius, elements that lie hard and cold were now transforming, and now that a thaw had arisen there was a chance to regain a spot so that enthusiasts with cars have a chance to poke inside and see the gorgeous deities of Krishna, if not pay a visit to Govinda’s for a palate-and-tummy gratification.

We are meant to transform personally. That is our human right. I thought about that word, “right.” It has many connotations. If we talk of people with a right-view on issues it can refer to ultra-conservativism. If we refer to “lefties” or “left-wingers,” we imply extreme liberalism. (Neither are appealing to me). In general, personal transformation and evolution arises more from the middle-ground.

Extreme positions taken on issues are often blinding. From a central point it’s easier to see both positions. In other words, left is not right and right is not right. Right? In many traditions, “rites” of passage indicate change, growth and transformation. A rite of passage can refer to stepping from boyhood to manhood. I hate to say it – a lot of boys these days stay as boys. There appears to be a missing link in what is supposed to be an evolving dynamic.

My simple introspection on the matter is that we should make our mark in life by striking it right. Do not evade the obvious. Humans must strive to transform and go inward.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

 

By the GBC EC

The devotees wake up to a changed reality -- tanks rolling through the streets in some places, explosions in their neighborhoods in others, and the sound of gunshots in the distance. While the tendency for a living entity in such a situation is naturally to be overcome with fear, our devotees are finding that Srila Prabhupada has offered them an extraordinary alternative -- they are taking shelter of the Holy Names, of the association of the Vaisnavas, and of the most merciful Sri Sri Radha-Madhava who have appeared in Kyiv in their beautiful deity forms. Continue reading "GBC EC statement on Ukraine 26 Feb 2022
→ Dandavats"

Today is the disappearance day of Sri Isvara Puri. He was such a perfect disciple of Sri Madhavendra Puri that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Krishna Himself, was pleased to accept him as His spiritual master. Later, Lord Chaitanya visited Isvara Puri’s birthplace at Kumara-hatta and collected some earth from the birth site, which He kept very carefully and ate a small portion of daily. Thus He showed us how a faithful disciple worships a spiritual master who has faithfully served his spiritual master perfectly.

On this auspicious occasion, we pray that Sri Isvara Puri and his disciple Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu will bless us with devotion to the spiritual master.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

Podcast:

Now available on the TOVP website is a collection of archival photos of Srila Prabhupada in Sridham Mayapur from 1972 – 1978, along with a number of undated photos. This is part of our effort to maintain the history of the development of ISKCON Mayapur for present and future generations of devotees to recollect.

The launch of this website collection coincides with the Radha Madhava Golden Jubilee Festival commemorating four historic events that took place 50 years ago this year at ISKCON Mayapur, as well as the 100th Anniversary of Srila Prabhupada receiving the order to preach in the West from Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati in 1922. Read more about that below.

View the full photo collection of Srila Prabhupada in Mayapur.

 

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The first Gaura Purnima Festival at ISKCON Mayapur was celebrated on Srila Prabhupada’s order in 1972. Though not widely attended by International devotees, it set the standard for an annual festival that has since become the backbone of annual Vaishnava sanga and celebrations in Mayapur and Vrindaban attracting hundreds of thousands of devotees. This year is the 50th Anniversary of this important festival.

1972 also is an important year because three other important events took place in Mayapur:

• 50th Anniversary of Chota Radha Madhava’s arrival
• 50th Anniversary of Prabhupada placing Ananta Sesha in the TOVP foundation pit
• 50th Anniversary of Jananivas as Head Pujari in Mayapur

Additionally, it is the 100th Anniversary of Srila Prabhupada receiving the order to preach in the West from Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati in 1922. We have created a special year-long campaign around this event called the Paschatya Desha Tarine Centennial.

All the above five events will be celebrated at one grand festival in Mayapur from March 2-5 and devotees are invited to come and participate or watch live on MayapurTV. Find out more about the Radha Madhava Golden Jubilee Festival and also sponsor an Abhisheka, Radha Madhava Brick or Prabhupada Medallion to offer your seva and also support TOVP construction.

Below are some relevant quotes from Srila Prabhupada about the importance of the Gaura Purnima Festival in Sridham Mayapur, and a small collection of photos from the first 1972 festival:

I especially wanted to stay in India for this Mayapur celebration. Such festivals should be held very grandly. So I think you should plan that we shall definitely be coming to Mayapur and hold a grand festival there for Lord Caitanya’s Appearance Day celebration.

Letter to Jayapataka Maharaja – January 21, 1972

The best time and place is Mayapur on Lord Caitanya’s Appearance Day. That is not only the best for me but for everyone. Mayapur is meant for that. If possible all devotees from all our centers should go for 8 days at that time.

Letter to Tamala Krishna Goswami – July 20, 1973

I am very anxious to know whether we are going to have our Mayapur function (Gaur Purnima)? I want very much to hold this function this year with all of my students and I ask you to kindly serve me by making this possible. It is a very important day and it will be a great service to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. So please arrange for this program.

Letter to Jayapataka Maharaja – January 5, 1972

The members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness should go to India during the birthday ceremony of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Mayapur and perform sankirtana congregationally. This will attract the attention of all the important personalities in India, just as the beauty, bodily luster and sankirtana performance by the associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu attracted the attention of Maharaja Prataparudra.

Caitanya Caritamrta – Madhya 11.96

 

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By Dhira Gaura Das

Shri Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) one of the most renowned and influential personalities of India, stayed in ISKCON Ujjain campus for 3 days from 19th February to 21st February. RSS organized their 2 days meetings in the temple's auditorium. A total of 170 RSS men including their leaders, volunteers and security guards stayed in the temple's Guest House and Apartments. Continue reading "RSS Head Shri Mohan Bhagwat’s program in ISKCON Ujjain
→ Dandavats"