Planet ISKCON

Podcast:

Summary podcast:

Video:

• 

• 

HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada was born in the holy pilgrimage place of Jagannatha Puri to HDG Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, a great Vaisnava acarya in the line of succession coming from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Although employed as a government magistrate, HDG Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur worked tirelessly to establish the teachings of Lord Chaitanya in India. He envisioned a worldwide spiritual movement and prayed for a son to help him achieve his dream.

On February 6, 1874, in the sacred pilgrimage town of Jagannath Puri, where HDG Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur served as superintendent of the famous Jagannatha temple, HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada appeared in this world. He was given the name Bimala Prasada.

At the age of seven, Bimala Prasada had memorized the more than seven hundred Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad-gita and could speak illuminating commentaries upon them. HDG Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, the author of many important books and other writings on Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy, trained his son in printing and proofreading.

By the time he was twenty-five years old, Bimala Prasada had acquired an impressive reputation as a scholar of Sanskrit, mathematics, and astronomy. His astronomical treatise, Surya-siddhanta, won him the title Siddhanta Sarasvati in recognition of his immense learning.

In 1905, following the advice of his father, Siddhanta Sarasvati accepted spiritual initiation from HDG Srila Gaurakishora dasa Babaji. Although HDG Srila Gaurakishora dasa Babaji was illiterate, he was renowned throughout the continent as a great saint and Vaisnava acarya. HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada, although a great scholar, exhibited humility and dedication in the presence of HDG Srila Gaurakishora.

Satisfied with such humility and dedication of his highly educated disciple, HDG Srila Gaurakishora gave HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada his full blessings and requested him to, “preach the Absolute Truth and keep aside all other work.”

Upon the disappearance of HDG Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in 1914, HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada became editor of his father’s journal, Sajjana-tosani, and founded the Bhagawat Press for the publication of Gaudiya Vaisnava literature.

In 1918 HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada accepted the renounced order of spiritual life, assuming the title Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaj. For purposes of propagating Gaudiya Vaisnavism throughout India, he organized the Gaudiya Math, with sixty-four branches throughout the country. The headquarters of his mission, the Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, is located in Sridhama Mayapura, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada adjusted ancient traditions to conform with the technological and social conditions of the twentieth century. He considered the printing press a most effective means of spreading this message throughout the world and was himself the author of many important translations, commentaries, and philosophical essays.

He was the first spiritual teacher in this line to allow his renounced preachers (sannyasis) to wear Western clothes and travel in modern conveyances rather than on foot. Throughout the 1930s, HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada expanded and increased his missionary work and succeeded in re-establishing Gaudiya Vaisnavism as the leading force in Indian spiritual life.

On January 1, 1937, HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada passed from this world.

• 

• 

Yamuna Devi Dasi was a pioneer and a true inspiration in ISKCON. Dedicating 45 years of her life in the service of Guru, Krishna,  and Vaishnavas, she was known for a number of services such as leading kirtans in India in front of thousands and publishing vegetarian Indian cookbooks, which won many awards.

By Mayapur Sasi dasa

For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of November 2021. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5 Continue reading "NASN November 2021 – North American Sankirtan Newsletter
→ Dandavats"

Celebrating 5 Anniversaries in 1 Festival

Braja Vilasa prabhu announces the celebration of the Radha Madhava Golden Jubilee Festival, a 4-day festival from March 2-5, 2022 observing the anniversaries of five important events in ISKCON Mayapur and ISKCON history:

• 50th Anniversary of Chota Radha Madhava’s Installation
• 50th Anniversary of the ISKCON Mayapur Gaur Purnima Festival
• 50th Anniversary of Prabhupada Laying the TOVP Cornerstone
• 50th Anniversary of Jananivas Prabhu as Mayapur Head Pujari
• 100th Anniversary of Prabhupada Receiving Bhaktisiddhanta’s Order

These four days will be packed with ecstatic activities for all present (and viewable live on Mayapur TV), including kirtans, talks by senior devotees and leaders, dramas, dances, and a truly amazing abhisheka ceremony that will include ten types of abhishekas for Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madhava.

Additionally, you can now take advantage of this unique and historic opportunity by sponsoring these abhishekas, as well as our newest Seva Opportunity to commemorate Srila Prabhupada’s receiving the order to preach from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati 100 years ago. Through the Paschatya Desha Tarine Campaign, offering a choice from three beautifully designed 3.5” large medallions with an accompanying ribbon, you can honor and show your gratitude to Srila Prabhupada for his gifts of Harinama, the Bhagavatam and Radha Krishna worship to the world.

Visit the Radha Madhava Golden Jubilee page on the TOVP website and sponsor an abhisheka or Medallion TODAY!

 

 

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit: www.tovp.org
Support: https://tovp.org/donate/
Email: tovpinfo@gmail.com
Follow: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch: www.youtube.com/c/TOVPinfoTube
View at 360°: www.tovp360.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOVP2022
Telegram: https://t.me/TOVP_GRAM
WhatsApp: https://m.tovp.org/whatsapp2
Instagram: https://m.tovp.org/tovpinstagram
App: https://m.tovp.org/app
News & Texts: https://m.tovp.org/newstexts
RSS News Feed: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Store: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/

Yamuna Devi Dasi was a pioneer and a true inspiration in ISKCON. Dedicating 45 years of her life in the service of Guru, Krishna,  and Vaishnavas. She was known for a number of services such as leading kirtanas in India in front of thousands and publishing vegetarian Indian cookbooks, which won many awards. Born Joan […]

The post Remembering Yamuna Devi Dasi appeared first on ISKCON News.

Yamuna Devi Dasi was a pioneer and a true inspiration in ISKCON. Dedicating 45 years of her life in the service of Guru, Krishna,  and Vaishnavas. She was known for a number of services such as leading kirtanas in India in front of thousands and publishing vegetarian Indian cookbooks, which won many awards. Born Joan […]

The post Remembering Yamuna Devi Dasi appeared first on ISKCON News.

Yamuna Devi Dasi was a pioneer and a true inspiration in ISKCON. Dedicating 45 years of her life in the service of Guru, Krishna,  and Vaishnavas. She was known for a number of services such as leading kirtanas in India in front of thousands and publishing vegetarian Indian cookbooks, which won many awards.

Born Joan Campanella, Yamuna Devi came to ISKCON in September 1966 through her sister, and it was then that she met her spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada.

In August 1968 Yamuna Devi, her husband Guru Dasa, and four other disciples of Srila Prabhupada fulfilled the long-cherished desire of their parama guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, by opening an ISKCON temple in London, England. There was a lack of resources for the six of them, but their faith and perseverance eventually connected them with The Beatles and namely introducing George Harrison to Krishna Consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada and Yamuna Devi Dasi

Her Devotion to Her Spiritual Master

Giriraj Swami recalls the first time Srila Prabhupada’s poem “Markine Bhagavata-dharma” was published in an issue of Back to Godhead magazine and Yamuna Devi read it. “Gurudas, Yamuna, and I got together to look at the magazine, and Yamuna read the poem out loud. It was written in a mood of deep humility and dependence on Krishna, And when she got to the end—“Signed—the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami”—she burst into tears.”

She had once asked Srila Prabhupada about the amount of time he actually spent with his spiritual master to which Srila Prabhupada replied that there were only a few, but they were very close. Then he said, “Those who think that association with the spiritual master is physical, they are no better than a mosquito sitting on the lap of a king. And what is the business of a mosquito? Simply to suck blood. So many of my godbrothers, they were big, big sannyasis, and they thought like that, and they simply sucked blood.”

Yamuna Devi took these words of her spiritual master to her heart. She said, “So that was a turning point for me, to realize that Prabhupada was going to leave this planet: ‘He is an old man, and he is going to leave, and I have to prepare.’”

She recalls, “Prabhupada said, ‘I am speaking because you want to hear so much. I am speaking as much because you want to hear so much.’ So he knew that hunger. I never expressed that to him, but he knew.” As Yamuna often said, Srila Prabhupada was completely aware of every disciple in every way—both their internal consciousness and the external manifestations of their service.

She was very strong in reading and studying. Every morning she would read the Bhagavatam and the teachings of the acharyas—Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura—taking special note when they spoke about the holy name. This was a major focus for her, and she would relish reading, especially instructions related to nama-bhajana and to guru-seva.

Srila Prabhupada Called Yamuna Devi Dasi a Sannyasini

Srila Prabhupada, “His wife is also great devotee, you know Yamuna. So now Yamuna has taken a very nice path. She has also become sannyāsīnī. Although there is no sannyāsīnī for women, but she has voluntarily taken. She is doing very nice; therefore I advised her husband that “You also take sannyāsa.” Because wife’s affection is very, very tight knot.”

Gurudasa Sannyasa Initiation — San Francisco, July 21, 1975.

About Srila Prabhupada’s Kirtana

She said, “Srila Prabhupada’s kirtana had no tinge of being a performance. It was purely for the pleasure of Krishna. It allowed the chanters access to the fact that the Lord’s holy name and the Lord Himself are non-different. He said that the key to engaging in kirtana without anartha was hearing and studying our literature and that gradually one would rise to the platform of pure devotional service.

In correspondence to Bhakta Carl, Yamuna Devi wrote, “Leading and chanting in kirtana has little to do with how we sound to each other. It has much more to do with how we call out to Krishna and immerse ourselves in hearing the vibrations of the holy names. What a vehicle for experiencing the love of Godhead.”

Yamuna Devi said that to the degree one follows Srila Prabhupada, to that degree things are revealed, and she gave the example of Bhakti Tirtha Swami. She felt that because of his deep connection with the holy name—his dedication to japa, his private time with japa—he was able to perceive Srila Prabhupada’s presence in separation. She said, “Prabhupada freely gave everything to all of us. But it is the individual’s hankering, which leads him to make certain decisions in his life to catch that mercy, that facilitates his or her perception of Srila Prabhupada, especially in separation.”

 Yamuna Devi Dasi leading kirtana

The Govindam Prayers

Yamuna Devi led the vocals for the Govindam Prayers, and the recording, composition, and production was done by George Harrison himself. It was released to the public and topped the European music charts.

George Harrison was so impressed by her singing that he told her that he could make her one of the most famous and celebrated vocalists in the world. But she wasn’t interested. Her singing was —pure devotional service to please Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha-Govinda.

In this context, Mukunda Goswami recalls, “But the devotees in Los Angeles didn’t want Prabhupada to hear this because they thought it was very strange that a woman’s voice would be leading the Hare Krishna mantra. And so they didn’t let Prabhupada hear it. One morning, just before the greeting of the Deities, Prabhupada was sitting on his Vyasasana. When the Deity doors open in Los Angeles, there is a big billow of incense smoke from the charcoals. The devotees use a lot of incense, and when they open the doors, it kind of pours out like a big cloud coming out. So right before this, Prabhupada said, “What about that record that the devotees sent from London?” He had heard about it. But they told him, “It is just Yamuna singing; we don’t want you to hear it.” Then they said, “There is no place to play it.” And he said, “Just play it on the system – the speakers.”

In [the] Los Angeles temple there are very large speakers where they play lectures. They said, “Okay,” and very reluctantly went and fetched the recording and played it. It was just at the right time, and it is about six minutes long. As the Deity doors opened, Prabhupada didn’t say a word. He just listened with his eyes closed. Devotees got to see streams of tears coming down his cheeks. That day Prabhupada ordered that the song be played in temples all over the world at the time of greeting the Deities.

Her Kirtana

Yamuna-devi had a dream and Giriraj Swami recollects it here, “In this dream, or vision—whatever it was, she took it as very real—she was a sage in the forest and Srila Prabhupada was also in the same forest, and somehow he engaged her in doing kirtana. She felt that from her past life there was a connection with Srila Prabhupada in relation to kirtana.”

Yamuna Devi Dasi cooking in her kitchen

 

Her Cooking

She served as the personal cook for Srila Prabhupada for eight years. This turned out to be an inspiration for her own cookbook entitled, “Lord Krishna’s Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking” which won multiple awards, including the International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook of the Year.

She later wrote, “For two years, I was part of a group that accompanied Srila Prabhupada on extensive tours of the subcontinent that gave me the opportunity to learn from scores of famous temple brahamana cooks. In some cases, I was privileged to be the first westerner allowed in previously restricted temple kitchens.”

She paid attention to every detail. For instance, once when Srila Prabhupada was coming to Vrindavan, she went to the Vraja-vasis and asked, “What is the best way to make Vraja-vasi rotis?” They told her, “You have to get this red Punjabi wheat berry. You have to grind it in the morning, and then you have to cook it with nima wood.” She followed all these steps involved.

 Yamuna devi then went into Srila Prabhupada’s room and placed a hot roti before him. He took one bite and remarked, “This is from red Punjabi wheat berries. You crushed them this morning and used neem wood to cook the rotis.”, she had not told Prabhupada this, he just knew everything. Even then, he had an improvement proposal. He said, “Just one thing. They’ll be wonderful if you fry them for another one or two seconds.”

Her Deity Worship

In 1969, at John Lennon’s Tittenhurst Manor in England, Srila Prabhupada began teaching Yamuna the fundamentals of Deity worship, or seva-puja. Prabhupada taught her how to bathe, clothe, and decorate his six-inch Radha Krishna deities, as well as how to perform arati, using his own six-inch Radha Krishna deities. He continued to train her while she was in India with him, and she began worshiping her first tiny deities in 1971.

When Yamuna was assigned the task of preparing for deity seva at ISKCON’s impending Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan in 1972, Srila Prabhupada requested her to research the Goswami temples in Vrindavan for deity worship standards, attire, and procedures. And now, a just recently published Yamnua Dei’s Deity Seva teachings are now available to the masses. Read more about The Study of Seva Puja here.

 

Saranagati Ashram

Yamuna and Dinatarini moved extensively, then settled in Saranagati Village in Canada to live a simpler life and share kirtan, classes, deity seva, and devotional inspiration. It especially recounts Yamuna Devi’s deep empathy and care for ISKCON’s youth, how she spent so much time engaging and encouraging them in Krishna consciousness, and the powerful impact she had on their lives.

Her Deep Sadhana

Giriraj Swami remembers, “In the afternoons when there was some free time, Yamuna-devi would chant in the courtyard. It was very cold in Amritsar in November, but it would be a little warmer when the sun came out in the afternoon, and she would sit cross-legged with her back erect and chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra japa continuously with her eyes closed—nonstop. She told me then that when she chanted, her ears and mind and heart opened up to the holy names and that the names would enter and she would just hear the sound. She would be fully absorbed in the sound, not even thinking that she was chanting the holy names or that these were names she was hearing—she was just absorbed in the sound.”

The Samadhi of Srimati Yamuna Devi Dasi, Vrindavan

Her Last Days

At about 6:30 in the morning on December 20, Yamuna Devi’s constant companion and spiritual confidante, Dinatarini dasi, found that Yamuna had left. Her hand was in her bead bag, and a slight smile was on her face. She looked completely at peace—even blissful. She had been unafraid of death. She had been confident that she would again be with Prabhupada, or somehow engaged in serving his mission.

Her Samadhi

Yamuna Devi Dasi’s samadhi stands alongside Samadhis built for three other late disciples of Srila Prabhupada: Narmada Goswami, who worked with the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust in Mumbai; Purnachandra Goswami, who preached for many years in Russia; and Vibhu Chaitanya Das, the head cook for the Deities, who lived there since Srila Prabhupada’s passing. Yamuna Devi’s beautiful Samadhi has arched dome and is covered with intricate carvings of peacocks, pillars and arches. Vishaka Dasi mentioned, “Although smaller, it is very much in the same style as the Samadhi of Vaishnava Saint Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakura, “Yamuna was very fond of it. Of all the Samadhis in Vrindavana, it was her favorite.”

The front of Yamuna’s Samadhi a plaque reads: “Unalloyed Servant of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Yamuna Devi Dasi. May 19, 1942 – December 20, 2011. She knew the art of devotional service, lived a dedicated life of devotion, and graciously and joyfully gave the gift of Bhakti to others.”

For more information you can read “Yamuna Devi: A Life of Unalloyed Devotion” which is a loving offering of devotion from some of the many devotees who were deeply impacted by her.

Malati Devi Dasi, Dinatarini Devi Dasi, and Yamuna Devi Dasi 

Her Main Concern

Yamuna Devi was very much concerned about the position of women in ISKCON.

One day Prabhupada had come into his room and Malati Devi Dasi and Yamuna Devi had just made his bed and done whatever else had to be done in the room. Srila Prabhupada responded and said that this is very unusual for a sannyasi to have this service done by women but it was appropriate. He continued, “Sometimes I am like your father and you are like my daughters, and sometimes you are like my mothers and I am like your son.”

In her last days Yamuna Devi said, “But if Krishna does give me some more time, I would like to do something for the women, to support the women, to give a strong voice to the women.”

Podcast:

Summary podcast:

Video:

Podcast:

With TOVP’s state-of-the-art Flipbook service, we are able to increasingly offer various publications, calendars and promotional materials as viewable, downloadable, shareable and printable Flipbooks on the TOVP website.

Now available are the North America and India 2022 calendars, set to the theme of the Prabhupada Welcome Ceremony from October 14 and 15 this year celebrating the arrival of Srila Prabhupada to his new home in the TOVP. All Vaisnava and important secular days are included.

Visit the TOVP Flipbook Page to view the calendars and other flipbooks we have created for your transcendental pleasure, and share them with others.

Hare Krishna!

Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!


Date: 2nd Jan 2022
Day: Sunday
Time: 11 am to 12 noon

Madhava Smullen is synonymous with ISKCON News. For the last 14 years, he has been the main storyteller for the global ISKCON Community for the news site. 

Here is a great and easy idea for the Christmas Marathon. One of the brahmacaryas here in San Diego, Govardhana prabhu, came up with it. He puts together three soft-bound books (Gita, Science of Self-realization, and Chant and Be Happy), and puts a Christmas bow around them.

Source: Sanskrit Sense

Enroll now - only 108 coupons available: https://sanskritsense.thinkific.com/courses/complete-sanskrit-pronunciation?coupon=30percentoff

The 5.5 - hour complete video course on Sanskrit pronunciation.

The course includes:

- engaging, clear, and thorough videos

- mouth closeup demos, assessments, other materials

- tips and tricks from 20 years experience

- PERSONAL FEEDBACK

- lifetime availability on demand

- 30-day money-back guarantee - and much more...

Source: Veena Mauri

Mahotsaha Das has proven that the words of our founder Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are still living strong in the hearts of many.  Our beloved Srila Prabhupada’s heartfelt call to all his students of Bhakti Yoga to push vigorously for book distribution is amazingly still being carried down with great enthusiasm and fervor by his grand disciples.  

A brand new Crossways Hare Krishna Restaurant has opened in the heart of the busiest part of Melbourne, Australia, serving inexpensive all-you-can-eat vegetarian and vegan meals to the Melbourne community. 

With this holiday season upon us, devotees from Alachua as well as from Gainesville’s Krishna House, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine participated in the St. Augustine Christmas Parade in Florida on December 4^th.

By Aditya Varna Devi Dasi

Once in India Srila Prabhupada said to you “Yamuna you will become as famous as the river Yamuna.” In the mood of a pilgrim at the banks of a sacred river offering drops back to the river in the hope of receiving its blessings, so I offer to you words from your own life of devotion in the hope that this fallen soul may receive your mercy . The above prophetic words were spoken by Srila Prabhupada after a gentleman in India had just shown him a glowing newspaper article about the success of Sri Sri Radha Londonisvari with pictures of the Deities. It was largely down to your high standards as a pujari, and your expertise in organisation which he praised you for. He turned to you and uttered these words , and then he laughed and laughed and laughed. You made him laugh. Continue reading "In appreciation of Mother Yamuna’s biography
→ Dandavats"

                                                 Manager Ramesh Das in the new Crossways restaurant on opening day A brand new Crossways Hare Krishna Restaurant has opened in the heart of the busiest part of Melbourne, Australia, serving […]

The post New Crossways Hare Krishna Restaurant Opens in the Heart of Melbourne appeared first on ISKCON News.

                                                 Manager Ramesh Das in the new Crossways restaurant on opening day A brand new Crossways Hare Krishna Restaurant has opened in the heart of the busiest part of Melbourne, Australia, serving […]

The post New Crossways Hare Krishna Restaurant Opens in the Heart of Melbourne appeared first on ISKCON News.

Mahotsaha Das distributing books “I want that you all my students shall very vigorously try for this book distribution.” Srila Prabhupada, Letter to Kirtiraja — Vrindaban 27 November 1971 Mahotsaha Das has proven that the words of our founder Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are still living strong in the hearts of […]

The post Mahotsaha Das Breaks Book Distributing Record appeared first on ISKCON News.

  In his purport to Caitanya Caritamrta (Madhya 24.256), he writes, “This is the process of initiation. The disciple must vow that he will no longer commit sinful activity — namely illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication. He promises to execute the order of the spiritual master. Then the spiritual master takes care of him […]

The post What Technically Happens During Initiation? appeared first on ISKCON News.