Planet ISKCON

Many of us feel compassion for others’ suffering and would like to help but don’t know-how. Karuna Care Education is now offering three Introductory Courses to answer this need:

Source: Temple of the Vedic Planetarium TOVP

On October 14 and 15, ISKCON worldwide celebrated the Grand Welcome Ceremony of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP). Through Mayapur TV, the two-day event was broadcast live on YouTube and multiple ISKCON-related Facebook Pages, and viewed by hundreds of thousands of devotees, and attended by thousands of local Mayapur devotees.

This is a historic event for ISKCON, the earth, and the entire universe, to witness the jagat guru Founder-Acharya of ISKCON and Senapati Bhakta of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu welcomed to his greatest preaching project to date, and the new home of his beloved Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Pancha Tattva and Sri Nrsimhadeva. It is also another milestone in the progress towards completing the TOVP, now scheduled for its Grand Opening in 2024.

Srila Prabhupada now resides in his quarters at the TOVP. The significance of this cannot be overlooked or overstated, as expressed by various speakers at the event. He will now personally oversee the remainder of the construction, as he did for the Bombay, Vrindavan, Hyderabad, and Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir temples, and hold us all accountable for the completion of this unique and magnificent temple/planetarium which will be his personal offering to our acharyas and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

The first-of-its-kind Vaishnava Sampradaya Samelan organized by HG Gauranga das on ZOOM on October 14 was also a great success. It was appreciated by all the participants and hundreds of devotees who watched on ZOOM or on the live broadcast.

Additionally, we are happy to announce that we reached our $1 million Guru Dakshina goal to offer Srila Prabhupada. We thank all the abhisheka and general sponsors who made this possible.

Faced with challenges such as a seriously deteriorating building and a pandemic, the Krishna House in Tallahassee, Florida recently came close to closing its doors for good. But the efforts of dedicated devotees brought it back from the brink, and the project is now steadily reaching out to students at Florida State University (FSU) with […]

The post Tallahassee Krishna House Resurrected After Nearly Closing Its Doors appeared first on ISKCON News.

Faced with challenges such as a seriously deteriorating building and a pandemic, the Krishna House in Tallahassee, Florida recently came close to closing its doors for good. But the efforts of dedicated devotees brought it back from the brink, and the project is now steadily reaching out to students at Florida State University (FSU) with Krishna Lunch and other regular programs.

The final volume in ISKCON pioneer Shyamasundar Das’s epic Srila Prabhupada trilogy “Chasing Rhinos with the Swami” is available now for pre-order. Nearly three years in the making, the book runs to 460 pages, with 290 photos, many never seen before. It’s a thrilling firsthand account of the ISKCON Founder-Acharya’s unbending energy, uncanny intelligence, sidesplitting […]

The post “Chasing Rhinos” Volume 3 Captures Srila Prabhupada’s Adventurous Spirit appeared first on ISKCON News.

Shyamasundar Das's new book is a thrilling firsthand account of the ISKCON Founder-Acharya’s unbending energy, uncanny intelligence, sidesplitting humor and adventurous spirit as he travels around the world.

Devotees in Santo Domingo, the capital of Caribbean island nation the Dominican Republic, have launched a fundraising campaign to build a new temple for Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. ISKCON was established in the Dominican Republic nearly 50 years ago, and Gaura Nitai have been the presiding Deities in Santo Domingo ever since. But the current […]

The post ISKCON Dominican Republic Starts Campaign for New Gaura Nitai Temple appeared first on ISKCON News.

Devotees in Santo Domingo, the capital of Caribbean island nation the Dominican Republic, have launched a fundraising campaign to build a new temple for Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. ISKCON was established in the Dominican Republic nearly 50 years ago.

Life and Origin of the Universe (Vedanta and Science)

By T.D. Singh, PhD (HH Bhaktisvarupa Damodar Swami)

Since the dawn of civilization, all philosophical, scientific, religious and even artistic works, in principle, have centered around the study of life, its meaning and the origin of the universe.

What is life? What is the origin of the universe? Is there any meaning and purpose behind the manifestation of life and the universe? What is the unseen cause behind the manifestation of the perceivable universe? These questions have puzzled all the great thinkers around the world over the ages. Vedanta, the topmost scientific and philosophical treatise of Indian spiritual and cultural heritage has a lot to contribute in this area and could provide a vital leap in expanding our knowledge of life and the origin of the universe. In this unique book, His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami (Dr. T. D. Singh) investigates life and the secrets of the origin of the universe and depicts the relevance of Vedantic wisdom in the context of modern scientific and technological developments. His Holiness, who is both a scientist with a Ph. D. in Physical Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine, USA and a spiritualist in the Bhakti-Vedanta tradition of India, has been one of the pioneers in advancing the science and religion dialogue for over thirty years. His writings, investigating a profound relationship between science and spirituality in the search for a deeper understanding of life and the universe will provide useful insights in the search for the Ultimate Reality.

 
Author: T.D. Singh, PhD (HH Bhaktisvarupa Damodar Swami)
Published: October 18, 2020
Book/File size: 4,008 KB
Formats: Kindle

 
BUY ON AMAZON  

  Residents of India will have to search for this book on www.amazon.in

  View other books by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and other authors at the TOVP Book Marketplace.

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Specifically in the month of Damodara, one should daily worship Lord Damodara and take bath early in the morning, give charity and follow a fasting vow. This is the duty of Vaisnavas. Oh brahmanas, any person who tries to observe a Karttika month without following rules and regulations properly, Lord Sri Krsna remains against them because this month (Karttika) is very pleasing to Him. Continue reading "Sri Dik Darshini Tika and Hari Bhakti Vilas on the Month of Karttika
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The Vedas do not recommend horse sacrifices nowadays, anyway. They don't work. Better to chant Hare Krishna. And, considering that Yamaraja is the universal superintendent in charge of meting out punishment to those who transgress karmic law, it's easy to appreciate the significance of the following benediction: "For a devotee who worships Lord Vishnu with offerings of malati flowers in the month of Karttika, Yamaraja orders the removal of all his sinful reactions from the account book." (Hari-bhakti-vilasa, 7.90-92) Not bad. And the list goes on. Whatever you offer--tulasi, malati, ghee lamps, time, energy, attention--takes on greater significance this month. Karttika could be thought of as the ultimate "buy one, get a-whole-lot-more free" sale, (or the equivalent of a "super, multi-triple word score" for those familiar with the game of Scrabble. For a limited time only, whoever is lucky (or greedy, or intelligent) enough to do some service for Krishna during this special month gets a uniquely huge return on their investment. The ultimate return: one becomes more Krishna conscious. Continue reading "Karttika-The “Sale of the Year”
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Violence is not Golden   By: Bhaktimarga Swami  Violence is not golden But action with intelligence stolen The insecurities that a person may feel Arise from that which is not real A mistaken notion that the body is me When I am its engine, a soul identity If someone has a belief of a different […]

The post Violence is Not Golden appeared first on ISKCON News.

H.G. Jasomatinandan Prabhu left this world on October 24, 2020, at the age of 72 due to the effects of the covid-19 virus that he contracted. He was born on Guru Purnima day, July 20, 1948, near Surat, and dedicated his life to ISKCON and Prabhupada’s mission after getting initiated by Prabhupada on Krishna Janmashtami 1972 at New Vrindavan, USA Continue reading "In Loving Memory of Jasomatinandana dasa
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Sarad Purnima special Darshan of Sri Krishna Balaram, Sri Radha Shyamsundar Lalita Vishakha, Sri Gaura Nitai in Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir, ISKCON Vrindavan.

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In an effort to bring international awareness and pressure on the Bangladesh government to take serious steps to protect religious minorities, ISKCON is teaming up with other Hindu groups across the globe to do kirtan protests. 

Toronto, Ontario

Points to Consider on Bangladesh Attacks

With the recent tragedy in Bangladesh, members of ISKCON are action-planning for events of peaceful protest. Here are some points:

1) Devotees and temple communities should offer special prayers to their Deities in the morning to please protect our devotees in Bangladesh.

2) Special events and kirtans are arranged and dedicated to the Bangladesh devotees’ well-being.

3) Some communities have already held, or are planning to hold protests and public harinama chanting sessions to draw attention to the plight of Bangladesh minorities. Signs and public comments must be carefully monitored.

4) Attacks are not representation of a general conflict between faithful Muslims and Hindus. Many Muslim leaders in Bangladesh have spoken out strongly in support of the Hindu minority. The root of these attacks are extremists.

5) Government officials and influencers are being contacted.

Additional note: this matter of attacks on Bangladesh’s indigenous people and its culture is highly offensive and will incur negative consequences overall. There should be no place for such aggression.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

Milton, Ontario

Pleasant Swami

We have a pleasant swami visiting us in the Toronto and surrounding area. His name is Bhakti Prabhava Swami and he’s from Europe, speaks Flemish, French, English, etc. He actually came physically and not virtually; our first significant guest since the inception of covid 19. Lined up for the sannyasi (monk) were a number of sanghas(gatherings) for speaking engagements, in homes and the temple. I had the pleasure to hear from him for two Bhagavatam classes, and it was enriching.

From the class on Sunday and its subsequent discussion, I extracted a few fun phrases that he expressed, one of them being, “the SUPERsoul SUPERvises.” And, one conclusion we came up with, “We are doers, but Krishna is THE doer.” Interesting!

While Bhakti Prabhava Swami was busy over the weekend, with delivering the message of Bhagavat philosophy, I also had my share of commitments. For instance, in the morning I led a japaworskshop, virtually, for some of our leaders of Bhakti yoga clubs at various universities across the country. When asked to do this, I felt a little reluctant, feeling somewhat unqualified to speak about a subject I’m not expert in. Apparently, whatever I did say was appreciated.

I also conducted another one of those classes on the topic, “Just Do It!” for our Milton group. It was their first coming-together in 19 months. It was precious.

May the Source be with you!

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Connecting

In dedication to those great souls who’ve suffered under the duress of violent attacks in Bangladesh, we held a kirtanat High Park at our usual location. A young man by the name of Partha was killed in the process of senseless aggressions.

Our chanting was not as well attended as in past spring and summer months. Rain and overcast conditions cause some unwelcomeness but the stalwarts turned up. And we made friends. Under the shelter of an old rustic 40’s or 50’s lodge we chanted with heart and volume. It drew some strolling pedestrians. Paul, a downtowner, came all smiles and joined in. “I come regularly to the park. A lot goes on but I’ve never seen guys drumming and singing.”

Another person, a Russian woman, chanced upon us and she indulged in listening. There were other eavesdropping folks that came to listen to the song and message.

Quickly, from High Park, Roman, Ajamila, and I rushed to the city of the famous falls, Niagara. A sudden call came from Sukavak, the son of our dear Vaishnava who started our Brampton branch and now more recently Niagara Falls. His cardio condition flared up so we did as duty and heart commands – stop in to visit him at the St. Catherine’s Hospital. He was weak in body, but not spirit.

Finally, we made it to the Shiv Mandir at Niagara and met a sweet congregation, eager to hear our take on what actually is meant by the term “Sanatana Dharma.” It was a pleasure to meet Bob Gala, candidate for Canada’s Member of Provincial Parliament. He stayed for the whole program. We hit it on well.

May the Source be with you! 

243 Ave. Rd., Toronto

Good and Bad News

Madhavacharya was born in 1293, near Udupi, in South India. Today is his birthday. He was an influential teacher of his time and accepted as his teacher, the great Vyasadev. He became a monk in his teens and by practice as well as words, his teaching of Vasistadwaita took hold. Of all deities of God, “Vishnu reigned Supreme,” was his position, based on the Vedas. Furthermore, he taught that God Presence and Soul Presence are two different levels of reality.

I was happy to announce Madhavacharya’s appearance to our small group of attendees in the temple this morning. To the admirers of Madhavacharya, one of the outstanding teachers in our Brahma disciplic succession, we are so indebted to his strength of character and word. I was personally flying high in thought of his spiritual heroism.

By noon my joy was interrupted, however, when the news came out that a zealot Muslim group in Bangladesh attacked one of our temples, set to fire, injured some residents and left one dead. Hindu temples across the country were also harassed. It appears that anti-Hindu (and any other faith) is not tolerated in certain countries.

Where the Goddess Durga is honoured in Hindu communities it is considered idol worship and since it is Durga Puja time, the intolerant sentiment has grown. Some Hindus question what is it that goes on in Mecca when the Kaaba is honoured? Christian can also be unaccepting of idol worship yet statues or images of the Crucifix and Jesus are adored in their churches. Faith groups should analyze their values of peace and tolerance which are boasted about.

May the Source be with you!

2 km

Yorkville, Toronto

The Opulence of Remembering

After my evening walk I made my way to the ashram and Prabhupada’s quarters and there was Krishna Chandra “at your service.” Often he will give that needed massage from foot to knee. At such times I usually read to him. I opened Chapter 10 of the Gita which reveals the opulence of the Absolute, hence its title. Verses twenty through forty outline these special reflections of the Absolute.

For the sake of both of us remembering as many of the names or items as possible, I read once, then twice, and on the third read, I asked Krishna Chandra questions, more or less with a fill-in-the-blank approach. He answered them quite well.

A sample: “I am the __________ in the hearts of all living entities.”

Another example: “Of the senses I am the __________.”

See if you could answer this one: “Of bodies of water I am the __________.”

Again, try: “Of immovable things I am the __________.”

More: “Of weapons I am the __________.” “Of secrets I am __________.” “To those who seek victory I am __________.”

Anyways, I believe it is a good way of learning. We were both engaged in doing something – he, the massage, and me, receiving it while repeating the words of Sri Krishna. From this chapter we can perceive God more and feel or see His presence in the things around us.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

Yorkville, Toronto

Whistling is Okay?

When I made my way back to the temple/ashram last night on Hazleton, a young fellow in front of me was whistling away like crazy. It was a happy tone, like the ones you here guys do on an outside job in a joyful spirit. This whistler was truly in his own bubble and went at it for the duration of a block and a half while walking.

I was reminded of an incident in the Toronto temple back in the early 80’s, when a group of us were practicing some manner of whistling as part of a theatrical exercise. In the middle of our ordeal a Hindu couple burst into our room with the most alarmed look. They tried to stop us. “No! No! No! You can’t do this. This will attract the bhutas(ghosts).”

Okay, so we stopped making our noise and over the years I got to know that many cultures have this thing about whistling, especially in the night, as it attracts evil spirits. I suppose Hindus believe it. I learned some Slavic countries believe that whistling invites poverty. In the older British ways, perhaps derivatives from Celtic ways, ghosts would be aroused. Also in Turkey, there is a similar superstition.

On my walking through the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, I heard one man whistling to “When the saints go marching in…” while he was loading a vehicle. He seemed so upbeat and chipper. It didn’t look like he was fearful of evil coming. It was in the day time.

For myself, I never was a good whistler. I don’t have the wind perhaps. I can’t even blow the ceremonial conch properly. Woe is me! Anyways, I guess I won’t be guilty but I am lousy at whistling. I hope one day I’ll hear Krishna’s flute at some state, the ultimate source.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

Looking for greener pastures, many Indians left their homes and migrated to other countries. Even young men and women from traditional conservative families ventured out of their insulated nests with an aim to acquire more knowledge and skills yet with a firm belief that their roots will hold them tight and not give any scope for aberrations. They went with the idea of having the best of both worlds. The best of the material world with its promise of more wealth, fame and fortune; and the ‘other’ world that was already deeply embedded in themselves in the form of traditions, practices and faith in the divine. Apparently the balance was not so easy. Getting the best of both worlds mostly meant compromising on many aspects of this ‘other’ world since it was invisible to others. What practices we followed at home, what religious rituals we identified ourselves with, what food we ate at home and what prayers we chanted, everything was a private affair. What we did or what we did not, did not really matter outside. Continue reading "Best of Both Worlds
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Know what you can do in Kartik by Bhakti Marg Swami

On October 14 and 15, ISKCON worldwide celebrated the Grand Welcome Ceremony of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP). Through Mayapur TV, the two-day event was broadcast live on YouTube and multiple ISKCON related Facebook Pages, and viewed by hundreds of thousands of devotees, and attended by thousands of local Mayapur devotees.

This is a historic event for ISKCON, the earth and the entire universe, to witness the jagat guru Founder-Acharya of ISKCON and Senapati Bhakta of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu welcomed to his greatest preaching project to date, and the new home of his beloved Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Pancha Tattva and Sri Nrsimhadeva. It is also another milestone in the progress towards completing the TOVP, now scheduled for its Grand Opening in 2024.

Srila Prabhupada now resides in his quarters at the TOVP. The significance of this cannot be overlooked or overstated, as expressed by various speakers at the event. He will now personally oversee the remainder of the construction, as he did for the Bombay, Vrindavan, Hyderabad and Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir temples, and hold us all accountable for the completion of this unique and magnificent temple/planetarium which will be his personal offering to our acharyas and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

The first-of-its-kind Vaishnava Sampradaya Samelan organized by HG Gauranga das on ZOOM on October 14 was also a great success. It was appreciated by all the participants and hundreds of devotees who watched on ZOOM or on the live broadcast.

Additionally, we are happy to announce that we reached our $1 million Guru Dakshina goal to offer Srila Prabhupada. We thank all the abhisheka and general sponsors who made this possible.

If you missed the live event, below are links to watch on the Mayapur TV YouTube Channel.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 2 cont.

Here are some wonderful photos from this Grand Event. If you would like to see all photos please go to this Photo Gallery page.

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The Kartik month starts on the 20th of October (in the west) and 21st of October (in the east) ) 2021 and continues for four weeks till the 18th/19th of November 2021, please check your local calendars for exact dates. In Chapter 12 of Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada mentions, “It is said that just as Lord Dāmodara is very dear to His devotees, so the month known as Dāmodara or Kārttika is also very dear to them.”

murāri-gupto hanumān 
aṅgadaḥ śrī-purandaraḥ / 
yaḥ śrī-sugrīva-nāmāsīd 
govindānanda eva saḥ

Murari Gupta was Hanuman in Ramachandra’s lila; Purandara was Angada and Govindananda Sugriva. — Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 91

The word gupta means “hidden”, so the name Murari Gupta indicates that Murari (Sri Chaitanya Deva) had secretly taken up permanent residence in his heart. — Chaitanya Bhagavat 2.10.31

Murari Gupta took birth in a family of Ayurvedic physicians in the district of Sylhet.

Murari Gupta is a physician for the material disease. He was amongst the many associates of Mahaprabhu who appeared in Sylhet. — Chaitanya Bhagavat 1.2.35

The names of his parents are unknown. He was somewhat older than Mahaprabhu. When his family moved from Sylhet to take up residence in Nabadwip, they lived in the same neighborhood as Sri Chaitanya, so Murari was Nimai’s companion in many of his childhood pastimes. It is also written in the Chaitanya Charitamrita that Murari observed Mahaprabhu’s childhood pastimes. His name is included in the Chaitanya Bhagavat’s list of associates who appeared prior to Mahaprabhu’s incarnation.

Murari Gupta analyzed the multiple incarnations of the Lord and came to the conclusion that in each one of the Lord’s appearances, before himself leaving, he arranged for his associates to leave also. Thus, Ramachandra destroyed Ravaṇa to save Sita, but then he abandoned her. Krishna arranged for the destruction of the Yadus. Thus, Mahaprabhu too would inevitably be disappearing at a certain moment.

He thought that it would be better for him to depart before that day arrived, for it would be too painful for him. For this reason, Murari purchased a sharp knife and kept it hidden in his home. The Lord knew of his intention and immediately came to his house and asked Murari to hand over the knife. Both the abovementioned lilas are found described in the Bhakti-ratnākara’s twelfth wave.

Murari Gupta disappeared on the same full-moon day as the autumn rāsa-līlā festival

ISKCON Appeals for Protection of Minorities in Bangladesh

Attacks on Hindu Temples and Communities Must Be Stopped

🪔🪔 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗽𝘂𝗿 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗸 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗮 🪔🪔 💫🌹𝟮𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝗰𝘁 -𝟭𝟵𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗼𝘃 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭🌹💫 All glories to the most divine of all the twelve months, all glories to that beautiful little cowherd boy who has specially given us fallen souls the opportunity to render such insignificant service to His Divine form as Damodar! “It is said Just as there […]

The post Kartika the Month Full of All Auspiciousness! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Sri Murari Gupta was a very intimate associate whose pastimes with Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu were steeped in the loving bond of their eternal relationship. As an incarnation of Hanuman, Murari Gupta is as dear to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Hanuman is to Lord Ramacandra. Continue reading "SRI MURARI GUPTA – A Very Intimate Associate of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
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By chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, we gradually develop our eternal relationship with the Supreme Person and thus attain the perfection called svarupa-siddhi. We should take advantage of this benediction and go back home, back to Godhead. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.3.37 Purport )

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We offer heartfelt prayers that Lord Nrsimhadeva, the protector of the devotees, may offer his divine protection to the Vaisnava community in Bangladesh, and particularly offer his mercy to the two devotees who were brutally murdered in these attacks, Pranta Chandra das and Jatan Chandra Saha. We also pray for the Lord's loving grace upon Nimai Chandra Das, who remains hospitalized in critical condition Continue reading "Message of the GBC Executive Committee about Bangladesh
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We welcome you to this most auspicious place, the temple of Sri Sri Radha-Radhanath, on the most auspicious occasion of the beginning of Kartik, in the most auspicious association of Lord Krishna’s devotees. Kartik is also known as the month of Damodara (dama means “ropes,” and udara means “abdomen”), or Krishna who allowed Himself to be bound about the waist by the ropes of His devotee’s love.

Srila Rupa Gosvami compiled the law book of Krishna consciousness, the science of devotion, as the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, translated by Srila Prabhupada in a summary study as The Nectar of Devotion. There the observance of Kartik is mentioned as one of the sixty-four items of devotional service. Rupa Gosvami quotes from the Padma Purana that just as Lord Damodara is favorably inclined toward His devotees, so the month of Kartik, which is also dear to Him, bestows great favor upon His devotees, even for a little service or a little practice. It is even said that the benefit gained for service performed in the last five days of Kartik is equal to that gained from service performed for the entire month. In other words, for a very small performance of devotional service in the month of Damodara, one gets a very big result—especially in Vrindavan. Also, Srila Prabhupada has explained that wherever the Deities of Radha and Krishna are installed, that is also Vrindavan. So even here our devotional service will be magnified “one thousand times.”

Srila Prabhupada gave the example of a store holding a sale, when a customer can get a valuable item by paying a small amount. So, the month of Kartik is like a sale, a transcendental sale. By a little investment in terms of spiritual practice and service, you can get a great benefit. Of course, the management of the store hopes that you will come to appreciate its goods and patronize the store even after the sale is over. And we too hope that you will continue with your spiritual practices, or increased practices, even after the month of Kartik.

There is a special potency to the month itself. Just as certain times of the day, such as the brahma-muhurta, which begins one hour and thirty-two minutes before sunrise and continues until the sun rises, are more auspicious for spiritual progress and enhance the value of one’s practices, so too, within the year, the month of Kartik is most auspicious. Devotees try to take advantage of the facility offered by Kartik by on the one side increasing their spiritual practices and doing extra service—they chant more rounds, read more scripture, recite more prayers, distribute more books, and make special offerings—and on the other side decreasing their material involvement, their sense gratification. As it is, we are in the four-month period of Chaturmasya, so every month we forgo a certain type of food, but in Kartik devotees may do extra austerities. They may eat only once a day, or give up sweet or fried foods, or rise earlier than usual, or whatever—work on some area of their spiritual life that they want to improve—and they get special mercy in the month of Kartik to fulfill their vows and improve their spiritual practices.

Today also is sarat-purnima, the full-moon night of the sarat season, the night on which Krishna played upon His transcendental flute at Vamsivata by the Yamuna River in Vrindavan and called the gopis to dance with Him. Now, we may take it that He played on His flute and in a figurative way called the gopis to dance with Him, but actually Krishna’s flute is one of His messengers, and so the gopis not only heard the beautiful, melodious sound of the flute, but they actually received the message that Krishna wanted to meet them. And because their only desire was to please Krishna, to fulfill His desires and make Him happy, they all went to Him—not with the aim of fulfilling any selfish desire of their own, but with the sole aim of fulfilling Krishna’s transcendental desire to dance with them.

Because the rasa dance superficially resembles the dancing of men and women in the material world, it can easily be misunderstood, and there are critics of Lord Krishna and Srimad-Bhagavatam and Krishna consciousness itself that find fault with the rasa-lila. I know religious groups outside of the Vedic tradition that criticize and challenge: “Oh, Krishna is a womanizer. How can you worship a god that enjoys with women?” They do not understand the pure love exchanged by Krishna and the gopis. In Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami explains the difference between love, or prema, and lust, or kama. In lust, the person wants to gratify his or her own senses, whereas in pure love, the devotee wishes to satisfy Krishna’s transcendental senses. The two may resemble each other, but actually they are completely different.

kama, prema,—donhakara vibhinna laksana
lauha ara hema yaiche svarupe vilaksana

atmendriya-priti-vancha—tare bali ‘kama’
krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare ‘prema’ nama

“Lust and love have different characteristics, just as iron and gold have different natures. The desire to gratify one’s own senses is kama, but the desire to please the senses of Lord Krsna is prema.” (Cc Adi 4. 164–165) Iron and gold are both metals, but there is a great difference between them, between their values. The pure love of the devotees for Krishna is like gold, and the lust of people in the material world who want to gratify their senses is like iron.

Another point of contention related to the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam is that the name of Radha is not mentioned. Some people challenge, “You are worshipping Radha and Krishna, Radha-Radhanath, but on what authority? We don’t find the name of Radha in the Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam.” But in the five chapters that describe the rasa-lila, we find that after Krishna called the gopis and began to reciprocate with them, He disappeared. The gopis then plunged into feelings of separation from Krishna, and they began to search all over the Vrindavan forest for Him. In time they found two pairs of footprints: Krishna’s and a gopi’s. Then the other gopis, in their separation, exclaimed:

anayaradhito nunam
  bhagavan harir isvarah
yan no vihaya govindah
  prito yam anayad rahah

“Certainly this particular gopi has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful Personality of Godhead. Therefore Govinda was so pleased with Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.” (SB 10.30.28) “Because She worshiped Lord Hari better than all of us, She has gotten to be with Krishna now.” The word aradhito, which means “worshipped” or “perfectly worshipped,” refers to Radha, as confirmed by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and other acharyas. They explain that Her name does appear in the Vedas, Upanishads, and other Puranas, and that in this verse, although Her name is not mentioned explicitly, the superexcellent glories of Sri Radha are nonetheless proclaimed.

Ultimately Krishna also left Srimati Radharani, and when the other gopis came upon Her, they found Her in such a state of intense lamentation in separation that they felt, “Actually, She loves Krishna more.” There is a technical discussion of what actually took place in the rasa-lila, why Krishna left with Radharani and why eventually He left Her too. But His ultimate purpose was to reunite all the gopis, and when the other gopis saw Srimati Radharani in such a state of ecstasy in separation, they felt sympathetic toward Her. They did not feel any envy at all.

Thereafter, they all searched for Krishna together. But they could not find Him anywhere. Finally they decided, “We cannot find Krishna unless He wishes to be found. We cannot force Him to come before us.” So, they considered, “How can we attract Krishna’s attention? How can we move Krishna to come back to us?” And they concluded that the best method was sankirtana, chanting the glories of Krishna together, along with crying.

They returned to the banks of the Yamuna where they had originally met Krishna, and they began to sing His glories—very beautiful songs in separation, known as the Gopi-gita. And when Krishna heard the loving prayers of the gopis, sankirtana, His heart was moved and He could no longer stay away from them. He came to them, reappeared before them in His most attractive feature:

tasam avirabhuc chaurih
  smayamana-mukhambujah
pitambara-dharah sragvi
  saksan manmatha-manmathah

“Then Lord Krsna, a smile on His lotus face, appeared before the gopis. Wearing a garland and a yellow garment, He directly appeared as one who can bewilder the mind of Cupid, who himself bewilders the minds of ordinary people.” (SB 10.32.2)

Then followed an interesting dialogue between Krishna and the gopis. The gopis felt some transcendental anger, because Krishna had abandoned them. After all, He had called them to Him, they had risked everything to go to Him in the dead of night, and then He had left them. So they wanted Him to explain why.

In a most tactful and intelligent way, they began, “There are three kinds of lovers.” They presented three categories of lovers, three different ways that lovers deal with others, and asked Krishna to explain them. Indirectly, they were asking Krishna, “In which category do you fit?”

In one category are people who reciprocate exactly with the other party. In other words, “If you are kind to me, I will be kind to you; if you ignore me, I will ignore you.” Krishna said, “They are like merchants. They give only with the expectation of return, and they give only as much as they expect in return. Actually, they are selfish.”

In the next category are those who love the other even though the other does not love them. For example, at least in principle, parents love their children no matter what the children do. The children may not even appreciate the parents’ service, but the parents go on loving and serving them. And even better than parents are devotees, because although parents serve their own children, devotees love and serve everyone. Whether others appreciate them or not, they try to help everyone. Krishna said, “Those who love others even if others don’t love them in return are following the true path of dharma and are the true friends of humanity.”

In the third category are those who don’t reciprocate even when others love them. The first category is “I reciprocate only if you love me.” The second category is “Even if you don’t love me, I love you.” And the third category is “Even if you love me, I don’t reciprocate.” So, the gopis wanted Krishna to admit that He was in the third category. They did not want to say it themselves, but they wanted to hear it from Krishna’s own mouth. They wanted to trap Him with their subtle network of wise and clever words.

Now, within the third category there are four divisions. There is the atmarama: he is completely self-satisfied. Even if you love him, he won’t reciprocate, because he is self-satisfied; he is situated in transcendental bliss. Then there is the apta-kama: he has desires, but they are already satisfied, so he doesn’t need you. Even if you love him, he won’t reciprocate. Then there is the third division, akrta-jna: he is ungrateful. And then there is the last division, guru-druhah. In the first three, “You love me, but I don’t reciprocate; I remain indifferent,” but in this last category, guru-druhah, “You love me, and I am not just indifferent to you; I am inimical.” Actually, the gopis wanted Krishna to admit that He had been ungrateful.

Ultimately Krishna had to respond to the gopis’ question, and His answer was, “I did not neglect you, nor was I indifferent to you. I was always thinking of you. But in order to increase your love for Me, I hid Myself from you.” Krishna gave the example of a poor man who gains wealth and then loses it. He will be so anxious that he can think of nothing except his lost treasure: “What happened to my money? How can I get it back?” Krishna said, “So I was reciprocating with you, because your desire was to increase your love for Me, and by hiding Myself from you I created a situation by which your attachment for Me would increase. So I was reciprocating with you.” Although Krishna’s argument sounded good, it did, however, contain one defect: the gopis’ love was already unlimited, and even so, by its very nature it was always increasing. So that could not have been the real reason.

Again, there is an intricate and elaborate discussion by the acharyas about the dialogue between Krishna and the gopis, but at the very end Krishna admits defeat. He says,

na paraye ’ham niravadya-samyujam
  sva-sadhu-krtyam vibudhayusapi vah
ya mabhajan durjara-geha-srnkhalah
  samvrscya tad vah pratiyatu sadhuna

“Actually, I am unable to repay My debt for your service to Me even with the prolonged life of Brahma, because you have given up everything for Me. You have given up family ties, which are so difficult to break. You have given up the dictates of the world, of the Vedas, and of your relatives. You have forsaken everything for My sake—which I could not do for you. You have given up all other relationships for Me, but I could not do that for you. I still have My father and mother and friends. You came running out of your houses in the middle of the night, but I sneak out and return in the morning so that no one catches Me. But you, with complete abandon, have come to meet Me without any consideration of the consequences. And I have so many devotees with whom I reciprocate: devotees in madhurya-rasa, in vatsalya-rasa, in sakhya-rasa, in dasya-rasa, and in santa-rasa. I also reciprocate with the sadhakas in the material world who are struggling and trying to become devotees. I reciprocate with everyone who approaches Me. But you love only Me. So I cannot equal your love. I admit it: I can never repay My debt to you.” He concluded, “I am defeated by your love.”

The gopis were so touched by Krishna’s words that they thought, “Now He has defeated us! We could not admit to Him that He defeated us, but He has admitted to us that we defeated Him. So He has defeated us.” Of course, this is all on the platform of transcendental love. And it is said that later, when Krishna left Vrindavan to go to Mathura and Dvaraka and the gopis were left in separation from Him, they would think of His words to them—na paraye ’ham—and that would give them solace to bear the separation. Here we come to another subtle and intricate discussion, because even in separation from Krishna they experienced His presence.

After hearing Krishna’s reply, the gopis were appeased, and so He began the pastime of the rasa dance. All of the gopis were dancing in a circle, and Krishna expanded Himself to be next to each one. Each gopi felt, “Krishna is with me alone,” and each was completely satisfied by Him.

One of our devotees has envisioned the image of the rasa dance as a symbol for interfaith harmony. It is a symbol that is most appropriate, especially for a diverse country such as South Africa.

The idea is that there were so many gopis, and each was individual, but that Krishna was by the side of each one, reciprocating with each perfectly. He accepted all of them, and all of them accepted each other, and there was complete harmony—not only between Krishna and the gopis, but also among the gopis themselves—in this dance of divine love. Different worshippers serve God in different ways. They have different practices and rituals, and different scriptures and languages. But God reciprocates with all of them. And if they can come into harmony, not only with God but also with each other, in the dance of divine love, there can be complete harmony in the world.

So, today is a most sacred occasion: the beginning of kartik-vrata, and sarat-purnima, the night Krishna enjoyed His rasa-lila with the gopis—after removing Himself from their presence in order to demonstrate to the world, in their separation from Him, their supreme love.

Thank you very much.

Hare Krishna.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on sarat-purnima, October 17, 2005, Sri Sri Radha-Radhanath Temple, Durban, South Africa]

Hare Krishna!

Please accept our humble obeisances!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

The Auspicious month of Kartika begins on 21st Oct (Thus) and ends on Nov 18th (Thus) 2021.

ISKCON Scarborough will be open during the 4 Sunday's in the month of Kartika - On Sunday - 24th Oct, 31st Oct, 7th Nov and 14th Nov from 3 pm to 5 pm

​To ensure the safety of all devotees during these COVID times, we request you to bring your proof of vaccination (2 doses) or proof of negative COVID test taken within 48 hurs of you visiting the temple. Either the hard copy or soft copy records are accpetable and it will be checked before one enters the temple.

Each devotee will be able to have darshan of the Deities and be able to offer a ghee lamp to Lord Damodar during the maximum of 10 minute stay within the temple.

There is no need to pre-register to visit the temple. Devotees will be able to enter and exit the temple through the front door.

We warmly welcome you to visit the temple during the glorious month of Kartika and get immesurable spiritual blessing by offering the ghee lamp to Lord Damodar.

Prasadam in take out containers will be handed out to the devotees.

Hari Bhakti Vilasa 16.99

atha tatra dipa-dana-mahatmyam

skande tatraiva

kalpa-koti-sahasrani

patakani bahuny api

nimesardhena dipasya

vilayam yanti karttike

The Glories of Offering a Lamp During Kärttika

In the Skanda Purana it is said:

"When one offers a lamp during the month of Karttika, his sins in many thousands and millions of births perish in half an eyeblink."

ISKCON Scarborough

3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,

Scarborough, Ontario,

Canada, M1V4C7

Website: www.iskconscarborough.org

Email:

iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

scarboroughiskcon@gmail.com