Adi Gadadhar Das was introduced to Krishna consciousness by Gaur Gopal Prabhu and Gaurānga Prabhu in August 1998 at the age of 18 years while studying at Grant Medical college and JJ Hospital, Mumbai. He completed the Bhakti shastri course taught by Caitanya Charan Prabhu. He received first and second initiation from HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj. He currently serves as the congregation director for ISKCON Atlanta. He is a physician and completed his medical training at Emory university. He serves as a Geriatric Hospitalist and lives in Atlanta with his wife Radhabhava Devi and two children Gopal and Maithili.
Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 17, No. 14 By Krishna Kripa Das (July 2021, part two)
Paris (Sent from Paris on August 14, 2021)
Where I Went and What I Did
I continued to live at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles, and I did three hours of harinama every day, mostly in Paris. Marat (playing karatalas above), who is originally from Russia but has lived in France many years and is now retired, joined me almost every day, usually for two hours or so, and Chandra (playing harmonium above) joined me several days a week for an hour. Thursdays and Saturdays, the regular harinama days in Paris, we had the most people. For the whole month of July, we averaged between four and five people on harinama. The last time I came to Paris, two years ago, I had Tulasi Prabhu, who would sing with me every day for three hours to assist me, so this time was more austere. The best thing was that many people ended up attending the programs in downtown Paris at Yoga Lyrique as a result of getting cards from us on harinama, so that was rewarding. Also devotees decided to Ratha-yatra in downtown Paris as usual, not just in the local city of Sarcelles, except without the stage show and the prasadam because of COVID-19. They were given Saturday, a more crowded day than the usual Sunday.
I was happy to get to play a role in advertising that Ratha-yatra too.
I have quite a bit fewer videos and pictures this time as I lost the phone I filmed them with the day before I was going to copy them to my computer. C’est la vie!
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s lectures, conversations, and books, especially The Nectar of Devotion and Srimad-Bhagavatam. I share excerpts from the writing of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on lectures by Rajadharma Prabhu, Manisirani Devi Dasi, Mekhala Devi Dasi, and Aksayananda Prabhu in Paris. I share a nice quote by Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins, a religion professor who appreciated Srila Prabhupada’s unique contribution more than most, which Satyaraja Prabhu shared in Back to Godhead magazine.
Itinerary
July 1–August 19: Paris harinamas August 20: Flight from Paris to Tallahassee August 21–September ?: Tallahassee harinamas and college outreach September ?–December 31: NYC Harinam
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Here Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna during a protest at La République in Paris (https://youtu.be/uBl3-l4MeQ4):
Then Chandrashekhara Acharya Prabhu continued chanting Hare Krishna during the protest (https://youtu.be/PQXqLvtf-f8):
While Chandrashekhara Acharya Prabhu was chanting Hare Krishna, he became suspicious as he suddenly found our party surrounded by policemen! (https://youtu.be/-YdoVa2rIsA):
As it turned out we planned to chant only one hour at La République and the remaining two hours at Saint-Michel, so it was not a big deal that the police stopped us eight minutes early. We just chanted an extra eight minutes at Saint-Michel. Chandra and Aravinda and his friends chanted in a march after we were stopped at La République instead of coming to Saint-Michel, and they had a good experience there.
Here is my harinama report for July 2021. I did not go out on July 4 because I was on a marathon to finish proofreading Srila Prabhupada Tributes. Then I missed three days of chanting on the Paris streets from July 9 to 11 while chanting in the New Mayapur Mellows kirtan mela instead. July 14 we did Ratha-yatra in Sarcelles, which I could count as a big harinama. With all the chanting before, during, and after the procession it amounted to least three hours. Therest of July, I went out on harinama everyday, mostly in Paris, except Tuesdays, when I chanted in the local city of Sarcelles for at least some of the time. In the chart below the donations are in euros.
While I was chanting ‘prema-bhakti jaha hoite, avidya vinasha jate’ during Guru Puja on July 23 in Paris, I recalled an incident related by Sitala Dasi which I put in my journal, ‘When Sitala was head pujari in Paris, she peeked through the curtains to watch Srila Prabhupada take darsana of the Deities.
She was amazed to see two tears come straight out of Srila Prabhupada’s eyes as he viewed the Deities. She felt a little embarrassed to be in the middle of their intimate exchange.’
My father passed away 49 years ago on July 30. In theory there could be a 48-year-old man somewhere in human society who was my father in his last life, and most likely I would not recognize him and he would not recognize me. I wonder if he would glance at our chanting party or just walk by. Would he take a flyer for the latest Ratha-yatra I am advertising?
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam in Paris on June 12, 1974:
“Impersonalists, they do not know what is love. Because he’s one. Their philosophy is oneness. So how there can be love, one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience, love means one? No. Love means two. There must be two, the lover and the beloved. So lover... Krishna is already lover. He’s so lover of you that He’s trying to get you back. That is Krishna’s attempt.”
“So [in] this movement, we should understand very clearly, that there is no question [of] artificial negation. The question is purification. As soon as you become purified and you become fully Krishna conscious, then your life is successful. That is wanted.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.8, purport:
“Unless one is meek and humble, to make progress in spiritual life is very difficult.”
From “Bhagavan’s Perfect Teachings” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 55, No. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2021):
[Edited transcript of a class on Bhagavad-gita 2.11 in Mauritius on October 1, 1975.]
“This family relationship or national relationship or community relationship is due to this body. I accept somebody as my brother because he has got the body from the same father from whom I have got this body. But the body is a by-product of the father’s body, so this bodily relationship is material. It is outward, external. It is not a real relationship. The father is a soul, I am a soul, my brother is a soul, so we are related on the spiritual platform in relationship with God because the soul is not matter. But we see the material body only. The son does not see the soul of the father, nor does the father see the soul of the son. Everyone, under illusion, is simply seeing the body and accepting people as kinsmen.”
“You will find many people talking as if they are very learned. But if you ask someone, ‘What are you?’ the reply will be, ‘I am Indian,’ ‘I am American,’ ‘I am Mr. Such-and- such,’ ‘I am the father of such and such.’ This is the bodily conception. However great he may be, he is identified with the body. And according to sastra, so long as we shall identify with this body, we are no better than the cats and dogs, because they also identify with the body.”
“Bhagavad-gita is a great science. People do not know this science. You may think that you are living very happily, but you have to change this body, and your new body may not be very happy. That they do not know. This is ignorance.”
From “Rascal Politicians” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 55, No. 6 (Nov./Dec. 2021):
[From a conversation with disciples in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 2, 1974.]
“For instance, the India-Pakistan war happened due to these politicians. The Hindus, the Muslims – they are innocent. They don’t fight. These politicians engage them to fight artificially for their political ambition. The wars declared nowadays are on account of these rascal politicians. The people do not want it.”
“And for having sufficient rain, you must execute yajña, or sacrifice. Yajñad bhavati parjanyah. So these leaders are now becoming rascals. They are not performing yajñas. They are opening slaughterhouses. How will there be rain? Instead of performing yajñas, they are opening big, big slaughterhouses.”
“We propose that ‘Everything belongs to Krishna, and we are all sons of Krishna. Just cooperate in Krishna consciousness. Then the whole world will be happy.’ This is our proposal. Why do you think, ‘It is American,’ ‘It is Swiss,’ ‘It is Indian’? Everything belongs to Krishna. Let us become obedient to Krishna, and because we are sons of Krishna, let us enjoy the property of Krishna. Immediately there will be happiness.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.22.36, purport:
“We should not be attracted by anything material, higher or lower, but should consider them all on the same level. Our real engagement should be in inquiring about the real purpose of life and rendering devotional service to the Lord. Thus we will be eternally blessed in our spiritual activities, full of knowledge and bliss.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 19:
“Ecstatic love of Godhead can be potently invoked simply by following the rules and regulations of devotional service as they are prescribed in scriptures, under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master.”
“An example of such extraordinary mercy is given in the Eleventh Canto, Twelfth Chapter, verse 7, of Srimad-Bhagavatam, wherein Lord Krishna tells Uddhava, ‘The gopis in Vṛndavana did not study the Vedas to achieve Me. Nor had they ever been in holy places of pilgrimage. Nor did they devoutly execute any regulative principle. Nor did they undergo any kind of austerity. It is simply by My association that they have attained the highest perfection of devotional service.’”
“From the example of Candrakanti as found in the Padma Purana and from the example of the gopis as found in Srimad-Bhagavatam, it appears that a devotee who always thinks of Krishna and who always chants His glories in ecstatic love, regardless of his condition, will attain the highest perfection of unalloyed devotional love due to Lord Krishna’s extraordinary mercy.
“If a devotee is continuously in love with Lord Krishna and his mind is always fixed upon Him, that devotional attitude will prove to be the only means of attracting the attention of the Lord. In other words, a Vaishnava who is incessantly thinking of the form of Lord Krishna is to be known as a pure Vaishnava.”
“In the Narada Pañcaratra Lord Shiva therefore tells Parvati, ‘My dear supreme goddess, you may know from me that any person who has developed the ecstasy of love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and who is always merged in transcendental bliss on account of this love, cannot even perceive the material distress or happiness coming from the body or mind.’”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 20:
“Without relishing some sort of mellow, or loving mood, in one’s activities, no one can continue to perform such activities. Similarly, in the transcendental life of Krishna consciousness and devotional service there must be some mellow, or specific taste, from the service. Generally this mellow is experienced by chanting, hearing, worshiping in the temple and being engaged in the service of the Lord. So when a person feels transcendental bliss; that is called ‘relishing the mellow.’ To be more clear, we may understand that the various feelings of happiness derived from discharging devotional service may be termed the ‘mellows’ of devotional service.
“This relishing of transcendental mellow in discharging devotional service cannot be experienced by all classes of men, because this sweet loving mood is developed only from one’s previous life’s activities or by the association of unalloyed devotees. As explained above, association with pure devotees is the beginning of faith in devotional service. Only by developing such faith in the association of a pure devotee, or by having in one’s previous life executed devotional activities, can one actually relish the mellow of devotional service. In other words, this transcendental bliss is not to be enjoyed by any common man unless he is so extraordinarily fortunate as to be in association with devotees or to be continuing his previous birth’s devotional activities.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.22, purport:
“A living entity is so made by the will of the Almighty that he is most happy when placing himself in a condition of absolute dependence.
“The opposite tendency is the cause of falldown. The living entity has this tendency of falling down by dint of misidentifying himself as fully independent to lord it over the material world. The root cause of all troubles is there in false egotism. One must draw towards the Lord in all circumstances.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.23:
“The Personality of Godhead, who appears in the mind of the devotee by attentive devotion and meditation and by chanting of the holy name, releases the devotee from the bondage of fruitive activities at the time of his quitting the material body.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Free Write Journal #153:
“Japa Reform Notebook was written 40 years ago, and it’s still a favorite; it was recently reprinted in India. This shows that my books were written ahead of their time and are read now as new. Over that amount of time there is a whole new generation of readers.”
From Morning Songs:
“If Krishna Will Be Kind”
“If Krishna will be kind to lift us out of the muck although we don’t deserve it. He measures things exactly, and you have to pay for it.
“But if you become a rightly resolved devotee according to guru and sastra then He won’t consider you diminished if you commit abominable acts.
“If you are a fixed devotee He forgives you and by continuing to serve Him He moves the justice of the courtroom and accepts you utterly.
“This is the conclusion for those who promise not to commit sins again. They see the consequences of falldown and must be considered sadhus.
“But if they indulge in falldown again they won’t be considered a high devotee. Krishna is kind and gives the benefit of the doubt to those who worship Him and serve Him with all their might.
“To repent and regret and showing up at the military camp say, ‘Yo!’ when their name’s called and push their shoulder to the wheel.”
“One of the devotees then took a copy of Teachings of Lord Caitanya from the bookshelf. Showing Prabhupada the cover painting of the Panca-tattva, the devotee said, ‘Srila Prabhupada, what about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu? Generally we paint Him with long hair.’ Srila Prabhupada began to joke. ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘Caitanya Mahaprabhu—He was a hippy. Therefore He has come to save you.’ The devotees began to laugh at Prabhupada’s humor, but because Srila Prabhupada’s Bengali inflection added a slight ‘sh’ to save, no one was positive whether Prabhupada was saying save or shave. Srila Prabhupada immediately noticed this. He was chuckling and repeated, ‘Yes, He has come to save you and shave you. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to save you and shave you.’”
From Shack Notes:
“The truth is, I am unqualified to write Krishna-katha. I should in no way venture on my own in this sublime topic. But I cannot be still. What does Prabhupada say? He says, ‘Write your realizations.’ He says do something to spread Krishna consciousness. He says it is a sannyasi’s first duty to write. He says write to save the crippled humanity. Krishna will be pleased, even as a father is pleased by the broken speech of his little child. Speak of Him.”
From Japa Walks, Japa Talks:
“The Srimad-Bhagavatam chapter ‘Yamaraja Instructs His Messengers,’ has many wonderful statements about the potency of the holy name. Prabhupada states, ‘There is no need to conduct research into the significance of the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. The history of Ajamila is sufficient proof.’”
From My Relationship with Lord Krishna:
“My dear Lord Krishna, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All glories to You! The Vedic literature praises Your glories, but it can never come to the limit of Your greatness. Other world religions also praise You. Only fools—those who think themselves God—and atheists do not praise You. The atheists think that the cosmic manifestation was created by chance, but nothing happens by chance. Everything is under Your control.
“Dear Lord, I am dependent on the scriptures and on my spiritual master to tell me about You, yet each of us can know You by perception. We perceive our own consciousness, which is an expansion of the supreme consciousness. Our individual consciousness is ruled by a higher source, and that is You.
“I am speaking these philosophical words just to fend off the atheist within me. But I wish to approach You, not just argue in favor of Your existence. The best kind of prayer is to ask for pure devotional service. O Lord Krishna, O energy of the Lord, Hara, please engage me in Your service. I am already serving You, but now I ask to serve You in love. Please enlighten me. Make me more fit to serve You and not my own senses.
“We are small. Therefore, we become stuck in our pitiful condition. We have heard of Your blissful nature and Your abode, but we are still somehow bound by the material body and the material concepts of fear, repulsion, attachment, and the desire to lord it over and enjoy this world. Will You release us from this entanglement? We cannot release ourselves.”
From Remembering Srila Prabhupada: A Free-verse Rendition of the Life and Teachings of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness:
“TO AFRICA” (September 10, 1971) “To Mombasa’s beach, where he recovered from ill health, then flying to Nairobi— a city for preaching. Staying at Hindu homes, Prabhupada became their guru and friend. But one night, calling Brahmananda Swami to his room, he said, ‘Preach to the Africans. They are the proprietors of this land. You say they are poor, they speak Swahili, and they are culturally alien compared to the Indians. But we have come to Africa for the Africans. So do it.’ Prabhupada started it himself. Showing no distinction between African and Hindu, in a Radha-Krishna temple downtown, they opened the doors to all, and a rushing sea of young urchins poured in the door, along with the poor and the pickpockets. When Prabhupada arrived the black sea of humanity parted, welcoming his entrance. Onstage, he spoke in English to a Swahili-speaking crowd, but they were patient, and loved the kirtana and prasad. “He sent Brahmananda Swami into the street to hold harinama—a great success. And he went to the University of Nairobi, where he told the students, ‘Don’t follow the Westerners with their empires. When there is nuclear war, all their skyscrapers will be finished. Build your nation on a spiritual foundation, without discrimination, with Krishna Consciousness.’ Wherever he went in Nairobi, Indians and Africans loved him, just as all people loved the Six Gosvamis of Vrndavana. In the midst of these activities Prabhupada told his men, ‘Work now, samadhi later.’ The trance of absorption in Krishna-thought could be obtained by working, with the body and mind engaged in spreading Lord Caitanya’s mission. So they should all do like he, who at 75 was working day and night. ‘Keep me talking—that is my life. Don’t let me stop talking. . . .’”
From Dublin Pieces:
“You’d better cool down and take rest. It doesn’t mean anything. No loss. No loss or gain in this material world. Go on singing the glories of Narayana. In the beginning there was only Narayana – no Shiva or Brahma or motor vehicle bureau – only Narayana and so it will be at the end of life. Be in the protection of the Supreme Lord by chanting His holy names. It’s alright. You have the best spiritual master and the best process. Please, Srila Prabhupada, let me do what is best. Let me respect and honor your devotees.”
From A Poor Man Reads the Bhagavatam, Volume 1:
“Prabhupada is sitting at Chippiwada on a thin, straw mat placed on the hard floor, naked bulb overhead the only light, stones placed on manuscripts as paperweights, typing for hours. To reciprocate, I read for hours, for years, and now want to write on his points.”
“. . . I remember reading it [the Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.3, purport] for the first time and mulling over this wondrous new information about a relationship with God in ghastliness, wonder, and conjugal love. No other religion teaches this. For me, the most wonderful thing in the purport comes at the end where Prabhupada tells us about Sukadeva Gosvami. ‘The Vedic fruit which is mature and ripe in knowledge is spoken through the lips of Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, who is compare to the parrot not for his ability to recite the Bhagavatam exactly as he heard it from his learned father, but for his ability to present the work in a manner that would appeal to all classes of men.’ Something in me responds to the idea that we should be more than parrots who mindlessly repeat the philosophy. We can instead faithfully repeat the philosophy, yet sweeten it with our own understanding.”
From Truthfulness, the Last Leg of Religion:
“Vaisnavera kriya mudra vijneha na bujhaya, ‘One can never understand the mind of the acarya.’ We should not try to judge the liberated acarya according to ethics and morality. He is ethical and truthful, and it is only our misunderstanding if we don’t appreciate what he is doing according to time, place and persons.”
From Meditations and Poems:
“We can’t promise you your way. Just chant Hare Krishna and remember Lord Caitanya and be absorbed in preaching and then whatever happens you’ll get through in the right consciousness.”
From Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name:
“In discussing this offense [preaching the intimate glories of the Lord to the faithless], Bhaktivinoda Thakura expresses the importance of sraddha. People who have sraddha should be given the holy name. What about my own sraddha? If faith is such an important ingredient, then it is also an offense not to possess faith. Faithless persons are excluded from the mercy of the holy name. This point is covered even more in the tenth offense, which specifically states, ‘Not to have complete faith in the chanting of Hare Krishna’ is an offense.”
From Japa Walks, Japa Talks:
“We can follow Ajamila to the extent of chanting helplessly. One of the symptoms of surrender is to consider oneself very fallen and in need of Krishna’s help. You must call out like that—‘Hare Krishna!’ Lord Caitanya was so kindly aware of the position of the struggling devotee trying to come to the platform of pure devotion. He compassionately revealed this in His own prayer, ‘O my Lord, You have so kindly appeared in Your holy name, and in these names You have invested all Your energies, but yet I am so unfortunate that I have no taste for chanting this Hare Krishna.’ Narottama dasa Thakura also expressed this lamentation of the devotee who wants to engage in Krishna consciousness but who cannot taste the nectar of devotional service due to his material attachments. Narottama says, ‘What good is my life? I know with my mind and intellect and even within my heart that this chanting is everything, but I don’t like to chant. I don’t like to associate with the devotees, and I don’t like to take part in this sankirtana movement. I must be cursed. What is the sense of being alive?’ He does not want material life, but he cannot taste the holy name. This is not our permanent despair, but it produces that helpless condition. We don’t chant for any material or even spiritual benefit in terms of liberation, but we know that this chanting is everything—except we just can’t taste it. By surrendering in this way to the holy name—that is helplessness.”
From Dublin Pieces:
“But after spending gallons of blood, you do get a man and his wife like the Dubliners in whose flat we are staying. A few souls join and that’s worth it, plus the knowledge that you are pleasing Krishna and saving yourself and that even a little exposure to Krishna consciousness is very good for everyone.”
Rajadharma Prabhu:
When I was thinking of becoming a devotee, it was an attractive idea that all these people would become decorated with the quality of humility.
If we look within ourselves, seeing the desires within our hearts, we may realize we actually do not want to go back to Godhead. By associating with people who do want to go back to Godhead, we can attain that qualification.
Because Lord Caitanya came to uplift the fallen, in Kali-yuga our disqualification is our qualification.
The pure devotees are never attracted by opportunities for sense gratification whereas the demigods often are.
We should not be too much fatalistic because our future can be changed by the Lord.
The senior devotees say the more you advance the more you see how far distant you are from Krishna and how insignificant you are.
There is a Christian saying that you are never too bad for God only too good.
Krishna accompanies us through all the tribulations of old age up to death.
I remember when 9-11 happened. While hearing the journalist reports I came to the realization that journalists are not here to pacify us but to agitate us.
Srila Prabhupada told a journalist that Krishna consciousness begins when one inquires, “Why am I suffering?”
The material pyramid is me on top and everyone underneath, while the spiritual pyramid is everyone on top and me on the bottom.
Manisirani Devi Dasi:
A customer was reading the Bible while waiting for his haircut. The barber chided him for wasting his time because God did not exist. The barber argued that there is so much suffering in the world, how can God exist? Just after his hair cut, as the customer left the shop he saw a long-hair man on the sidewalk. He asked him for a favor, to come with him into the shop. The customer said to the barber, “Barbers do not really exist.”
The barber said, “What do you mean by that?”
The customer said, “If barbers actually exist, how could there be this man with long hair?”
The story is to expose the fault in the barber’s reasoning. Long haired people exist although there are barbers because they do not go to them for hair cuts. Similarly suffering people continue to exist although there is God, because they do not follow His instructions which are capable of freeing one from all suffering.
As much as we surrender to the Lord, that much we will understand what is going on.
Dainya is the first principle of surrender. We need humility to apply the other five items of surrender.
Srila Prabhupada shows his dependence in his prayer to Krishna, “Make me dance as You like.”
To give people the enthusiasm to read Srila Prabhupada’s books, you also have to have it.
If there were no misery in this world we would not remember that we are supposed to be going somewhere else.
Comments by me:
You were saying we have many opportunities to surrender to Krishna each day. I was thinking that we have 1728 mantras we have to surrender to hearing, and then within each mantra there are 16 names we have to surrender to hearing!
I have a small experience of depending on the Lord. I was engaged in dressing the deities one day a week because we had too few pujaris in San Diego. I would finish by 8:00 a.m., and then I would go to the roof of the temple for two hours and chant my sixteen rounds straight through without being disturbed. Then I would look for something for breakfast. I never saved breakfast or had someone save it for me, I just depended on the Lord that there would be something, and there always was.
I like the point you made that if we follow what Srila Prabhupada gave us, additional knowledge we need will be revealed. It reminds me of this section of the Preface of Nectar of Instruction, “In all spiritual affairs, one’s first duty is to control his mind and senses. Unless one controls his mind and senses, one cannot make any advancement in spiritual life. Everyone within this material world is engrossed in the modes of passion and ignorance. One must promote himself to the platform of goodness, sattva-guna, by following the instructions of Rupa Gosvami, and then everything concerning how to make further progress will be revealed.”
Regarding your point about taking shelter of Krishna in all situations. I recall someone who did a study of why devotees left concluded it was because the devotees were not able to apply this verse in times of distress: “My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.8)
Mekhala Devi Dasi:
One bhakta, who had difficulty appreciating the classes in Paris, said when he came to New Mayapur and was engaged in weeding the garden, he felt he was weeding his heart.
Aksayananda Prabhu:
From a class at Yoga Lyrique on Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.64–65:
The great sages do not visit kings for economic gain but to help the kings spiritually.
Narada indicates to the king that because he gave up his spiritual endeavors that he is dissatisfied.
Most people imagine that if they can minimize suffering and maximize sense enjoyment they will attain satisfacation, but this is an illusion.
Narada makes the point that one on the path of liberation becomes free of suffering.
We should not understand that liberation means that I can do what I like. Rather one on the path of liberation practices austerities.
Everything in this world is regulated. We cannot eat 3 kilos at each meal. As a male, I cannot decide to become pregnant.
If we follow the path of liberation, we have less and less suffering.
The king honestly presented the reason for his dissatisfaction because he had faith that the sage Narada could actually help him.
The living entity cannot live without being attached. The tendency to become attached is so great that we even become attached to things that are not good for us.
The king was afraid of displeasing his wife because he was afraid of losing his sense gratification.
Spiritual life is to live to please the spiritual master without any other desire.
Without a spiritual master it is difficult and practically impossible to give up material attachments even if we recognize they are not good for us.
We have to make a conscious choice to accept the association of the devotees.
To conquer lust we have to work on the gross level and the subtle level. On the gross level we eliminate such things as association with the opposite sex and eating food in the mode of passion.
Two varnas are affected by rajo-guna, the ksatriyas and the vaisya.
If we accept a guru simply as a formality, without following the instructions of the spiritual master, it is as if we do not have a guru.
If a devotee can inspire you by his words to serve the devotees, himself, and the Supreme Lord, then he is your guru. If you enjoy the devotee’s lectures, but they do not motivate you to serve the devotees and the Supreme Lord, he is not your guru.
Q: Have there been any female gurus? A: The wife of Nityananda, Jahnava, was guru. So was the wife of Advaita Acarya, the second wife of Srinivasa, and his daughter as well.
Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins:
[Satyaraja Prabhu wrote a wonderful article “Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins: A Scholar with Heart” in Back to Godhead, Vol. 55, No. 6, in memory of Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins, a very favorable scholar of religion, who passed away recently, and he included this quote by him in the article.]
From Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna: Five Distinguished Scholars on the Krishna Movement in the West, Steven J. Gelberg, ed.:
“It’s an astonishing story. If someone told you a story like this, you wouldn’t believe it. Here’s this person, he’s seventy years old, he’s going to a country where he’s never been before, he doesn’t know anybody there, he has no money, he has no contacts. He has none of the things, you would say, that make for success. He’s going to recruit people not on any systematic basis but just by picking up whomever he comes across, and he’s going to give them responsibility for organizing a worldwide movement. You’d say, ‘What kind of program is that?’
“There are precedents, perhaps. Jesus of Nazareth went around saying, ‘Come follow me. Drop your nets, or leave your tax collecting, and come with me and be my dis- ciple.’ But in his case, he wasn’t an old man in a strange society dealing with people whose backgrounds were totally different from his own. He was dealing with his own community. Bhaktivedanta Swami’s achievement, then, must be seen as unique.”
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Brahma-samhita 5.59 is part of a summary of the devotional path given by Lord Krishna to Lord Brahma. Sometimes the path is presented in such detail we forget the essence, and it is good to be reminded of these key points, especially by Krishna Himself.
“The highest devotion is attained by slow degrees by the method of constant endeavor for self-realization with the help of scriptural evidence, theistic conduct and perseverance in practice.”
The rest of the summary is: “When the pure spiritual experience is excited by means of cognition and service [bhakti], superexcellent unalloyed devotion characterized by love for Godhead is awakened towards Krishna, the beloved of all souls. . . . These preliminary practices of devotion [sadhana-bhakti] are conducive to the realization of loving devotion. [Loving devotion]—than whom there is no superior well-being, who goes hand in hand with the attainment of the exclusive state of supreme bliss and who can lead to Myself. Abandoning all meritorious performances serve Me with faith. The realization will correspond to the nature of one’s faith. The people of the world act ceaselessly in pursuance of some ideal. By meditating on Me by means of those deeds one will obtain devotion characterized by love in the shape of the supreme service.” (Brahma-samhita 5.58, 5.60–61).
I was requested to attend a program I could not oblige myself to; still too much aggravation on the left knee. I cannot imagine myself being in a home with people or family all about, with a long trip there and back and committed to an extended time. The card deck was not stacked in my favour. I did compromise for a shorter stay and travel time to High Point for kirtan. Attendance was relatively small but just perfect for my condition.
A second kirtan took place in our backyard, or rather our front yard. As usual we set up our tiny kirtan band on an exterior staircase where pedestrians can hear and see us right at the corner of Avenue Road and Roxborough. Motorist with their windows rolled down also got a kick out of the site and sound.
One of our boys from the Toronto community came to visit. He popped in to introduce me to his girlfriend. “Finally,” I thought. You know I ask our young men this standard question, “So what’s happening?” Implying that they should honor their biological clock, get settled down and do the responsible thing, contributing kids to the world. I generally have three questions for young capable men of marriageable age:
1) “What’s happening?” Meaning did you find someone?
2) “When?” When is the day for tying the knot?
3) “How many?” Once the knot is tied, how many babies will you give to the cosmos?
Good folks came to visit me today. Lobsang and family delivered some special prasadam — wholesome, tasty wraps.
Then Abhay arrived with his wife and two energetic kids. As he walked into the room, in what we call Prabhupada’s quarters, it brought him back to his childhood.
“I remember this room. I was really young and there was a cup of cayenne and I blew into it sending the powder especially into my eyes. One devotee, Dharmaprana, grabbed me, took me to the tub in the next room to try to clear the powder from my eyes with faucet water. That was painful.”
“I’ll bet,” said someone in the room, recounting the incident. There were laughs. His mom, Praharana, recalls the incident.
Now there’s a new generation and they’re in the room with us; touching everything, smelling items and, fortunately, not blowing out hot spicy things.
We all gawked at pictures of Prabhupada — the finest — from a collection of vintage pics of him, compiled by Nrtya Trpta, a godsister of incredible talent.
Oh, their two boys, of three and four-and-a-half years old (I believe), know Prabhupada. To them I’m “Uncle Swami.” Going back to their dad, Abhay, well he took some photos of us. I have this to say, that Abhay is one of the nicest people I know and, when he was five, I engaged him in a play, “Prahlad.” It was common for me to work with the parents of our community and get their kids immersed in Krishna’s past times. The kids never forget those good spiritual moments.
The TOVP Fundraising Department is rolling out yet another incredible Seva Opportunity during Srila Prabhupada’s 125th Appearance Anniversary Year, alongside the Grand Welcome Ceremony of the new Prabhupada murti in the TOVP on October 14 and 15.
Now you can receive a rare 125th Anniversary silver coin minted by the Indian government in honor of Srila Prabhupada. These coins are not available to the general public, but we have obtained 108 of them for those who wish to receive this unique and historic coin while also helping complete the TOVP.
Take advantage of another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve Srila Prabhupada, support the TOVP construction and obtain a rare coin that will be an heirloom in your family for generations to come.
This limited-time Prabhupada Seva 125 opportunity is available on the Prabhupada Welcome Ceremony abhisheka page of the TOVP website for $1,250/ ₹125,000/ £1,250.
Pavitra Ekadashi, also known as Pavitropana Ekadashi, occurs during the waxing phase of the moon (Shukla Paksha) in the month of Shravan or Sawan in the traditional Hindu calendar. Pavitra Ekadashi is considered to be of extreme auspiciousness, the reason being a childless couple would be blessed with children on observing this vrat. Apart from this, a devotee would be released from all his previous sins and evil deeds.
As Gaudiya Vaishnavas, our main aim during ekadasi is to decrease bodily demands so we can spend more time in seva, especially hearing and chanting about the Lord.
It’s recommended to chant extra rounds and stay up all night chanting and hearing the Lord’s glories. It is also auspicious to donate to Vaishnavas and Lord Krishna’s service on ekadasi and we invite our readers to consider this Kamika ekadasi to donate towards either the new Pankajanghri Das Seva Campaign to complete Lord Nrsimha’s Wing in the TOVP, or sponsor an abhisheka for the Welcome Ceremony of Srila Prabhupada’s new murti to the TOVP in October. You can also make a pledge payment towards your TOVP donation pledge.
NOTE: Pavitropana ekadasi is observed on August 18 in all parts of the world.
Below are links to both campaign pages and to make a pledge payment on the TOVP website:
Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, “Oh Madhusudana, Oh killer of the Madhu demon, please be merciful to me and describe to me the Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana (July-August).”
The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, replied, “Yes, Oh king, I shall happily narrate its glories to you, for just by hearing about this sacred Ekadasi one attains the merit of performing a horse sacrifice. At the dawn of Dvarpara-yuga there lived a king by the name of Mahijita, who ruled the kingdom of Mahismati-puri. Because he had no son, his entire kingdom seemed utterly cheerless to him. A married man who has no son gains no happiness in this life or the next.”
The Sanskrit word for ‘son’ is putra. Pu is the name of a particular hell, and tra means ‘to deliver.’ Thus the word putra means ‘a person who delivers one from the hell named Pu.’ Therefore every married man should produce at least one son and train him properly; then the father will be delivered from a hellish condition of life. But this injunction does not apply to the serious devotees of Lord Vishnu or Krishna, for the Lord becomes their son, father, and mother.
Furthermore, Chanakya Pandita says,
satyam mata pita jnanam
dharmo bhrata daya sakha
santih patni ksama putrah
sadete mama vandhavah
“Truth is my mother, knowledge is my father, my occupational duty is my brother, kindness is my friend, tranquility is my wife, and forgiveness is my son. These six are my family members.”
Among the twenty-six leading qualities of a devotee of the Lord, forgiveness is the topmost. Therefore, devotees should make an extra endeavor to develop this quality. Here Chanakya says “forgiveness is my son,” and thus a devotee of the Lord, even though he may be on the path of renunciation, may observe this Ekadasi and pray to attain this kind of ‘son’.
“For a long time this king tried very hard to obtain an heir, but to no avail.
Seeing his years advancing ever onwards, King Mahijita became increasingly anxious. One day he told an assembly of his advisers, ‘I have committed no sin in this life, and there is no ill-gotten wealth in my treasury. I have never usurped the offerings to the demigods or brahmanas. When I waged war and conquered kingdoms, I followed the rules and regulations of the military art, and I have protected my subjects as if they were my own children. I punished even my own relatives if they broke the law, and if my enemy was gentle and religious I welcomed him. Oh twice-born souls, although I am a religious and faithful follower of the Vedic standards, still my home is without a son. Kindly tell me the reason for this.’
“Hearing this, the king’s brahmana advisers discussed the subject among themselves, and with the aim of benefiting the king they visited the various ashrams of the great sages. At last they came upon a sage who was austere, pure, and self-satisfied, and who was strictly observing a vow of fasting. His senses were completely under control, he had conquered his anger, and he was expert at performing his occupational duty. Indeed, this great sage was expert in all the conclusions of the Vedas, and he had extended his life span to that of Lord Brahma himself.
“His name was Lomasa Rishi, and he knew past, present, and future. After each kalpa passed, one hair would fall out of his body (one kalpa, or twelve hours of Lord Brahma, equals 4,320,000,000 years). All the king’s brahmana advisers very happily approached him one by one to offer their humble respects.
“Captivated by this great soul, King Mahijita’s advisers offered obeisances to him and said very respectfully, ‘Only because of our great good fortune, Oh sage, have we been allowed to see you.’ Lomasa Rishi saw them bowing down to him and replied, ‘Kindly let me know why you have come here. Why are you praising me?
I must do all I can to solve your problems, for sages like me have only one interest, to help others. Do not doubt this.’
“Lomasa Rishi had all good qualities because he was a devotee of the Lord.
As stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (5:18:12):
“In one who has unflinching devotional service to Krishna, all the good qualities of Krishna and the demigods are consistently manifest. However, he who has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no good qualifications because he is engaged by mental concoction in material existence, which is the external feature of the Lord.”
“The king’s representatives said, ‘We have come to you, Oh exalted sage, to ask for your help in solving a very serious problem. Oh sage, you are like Lord Brahma.
Indeed, there is no better sage in the entire world. Our king, Mahijita, is without a son, though he has sustained and protected us as if we were his sons. Seeing him so unhappy on account of being sonless, we have become very sad, Oh sage, and therefore we have entered the forest to perform severe austerities. By our good fortune we happened upon you. Everyone’s desires and activities become successful just by your darshan. Thus, we humbly ask that you tell us how our kind king can obtain a son.’
“Hearing their sincere plea, Lomasa Rishi absorbed himself in deep meditation for a moment and at once understood the king’s previous life. Then he said, ‘Your ruler was a merchant in his past life, and feeling his wealth insufficient, he committed sinful deeds. He traveled to many villages to trade his goods. Once, at noon on the day after the Ekadasi that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (Trivikrama: May-June), he became thirsty while traveling from place to place. He came upon a beautiful pond on the outskirts of a village, but just as he was about to drink at the pond a cow arrived there with her new-born calf. These two creatures were also very thirsty because of the heat, but when the cow and calf started to drink, the merchant rudely shoved them aside and selfishly slaked his own thirst. This offense against a cow and her calf has resulted in your king’s being without a son now. But the good deeds he performed in his previous life have given him rulership over an undisturbed kingdom.’
“Hearing this, the king’s advisers replied, ‘Oh renowned rishi, we have heard that the Vedas say one can nullify the effects of one’s past sins by acquiring merit.
Be so kind as to give us some instruction by which our king’s sins can be destroyed; please give him your mercy so that a prince will take birth in his family.’
“Lomasa Rishi said, ‘There is an Ekadasi called Putrada, which comes during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana. On this day all of you, including your king, should fast and stay awake all night, strictly following the rules and regulations.
Then you should give the king whatever merit you gain by this fast. If you follow these instructions of mine, he will surely be blessed with a fine son.’
“All the king’s advisers became very pleased to hear these words from Lomasa Rishi, and they all offered him their grateful obeisances. Then, their eyes bright with happiness, they returned home.
“When the month of Shravana arrived, the king’s advisers remembered the advice of Lomasa Rishi, and under their direction all the citizens of Mahismati-puri, as well as the king, fasted on Ekadasi. And on the next day, Dvadasi, the citizens dutifully offered their accrued merit to him. By the strength of all this merit, the queen became pregnant and eventually gave birth to a most beautiful son.
“Oh Yudhisthira,” Lord Krishna concluded, “the Ekadasi that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana has thus rightfully become famous as Putrada (bestower of a son). Whoever desires happiness in this world and the next should certainly fast from all grains and legumes on this holy day. Indeed, whoever simply hears the glories of Putrada Ekadasi becomes completely free of all sins, is blessed with a good son, and surely ascends to heaven after death.”
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Shravana-sukla Ekadasi, or Putrada Ekadasi, from the Bhavishya Purana.
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In 1973, while delivering a Srimad Bhagavatam lecture, he gave this instruction to all his disciples living in Mayapur, and beyond.
“I have given you the Kingdom of God. Now take it, develop it and enjoy it”
In these few words lay Srila Prabhupada’s Mayapur mission in a nutshell. He has literally given us the Kingdom of God, and not only that, but the most intimate realm within Vaikuntha, Goloka Vrindaban. Now we are to take it, develop it to its full potential for our and the world’s benefit, and enjoy the spiritual fruit in the form of constant Harinam and Krishna prema in the footsteps of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Now Prabhupada is himself again coming to Sridham Mayapur in the form of a new, one-of-a-kind worship-pose murti. We need to all take this very seriously, as our Founder-Acharya and spiritual savior is making his appearance in the new home of his beloved Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Pancha Tattva and Lord Nrsimha. Prabhupada Is Coming to finish the TOVP and inspire us to build the Kingdom of God in Sridhama Mayapur.
To celebrate and welcome Srila Prabhupada this October 14 and 15 on this auspicious 125th Appearance Anniversary Year, you can show your love and devotion by sponsoring one of 5 kinds of Abhishekas or 2 Seva Opportunities. Not only will you participate in the welcome ceremony, but this will also help raise our $1 million combined guru dakshina offering to help complete the TOVP.
India is full of village things. We are not sure where it all comes from. Some things may have a Vedic tradition to them and some things may not. For instance, if you drive the car, you cannot first drive backwards. You have to drive forwards even if there is a wall in front of the car, then you can drive backwards. Very inauspicious if you are driving backwards to begin with. When you are driving and a black cat crosses the road in front of the car, this is also very bad. You have to stop the car, turn off the engine and start again. Then start your journey again. India is full of stuff like this. So Prabhupada’s mother also did this. And mother Yasoda did this to protect Krsna. Prabhupada said, ”In the same way as mother Yasoda made so many arrangements to protect Krsna. In the same way, I am always praying to protect ISKCON. But the prayers of mother Yasoda were unnecessary, because who can harm Krsna? In the same way, I know that my prayers are also unnecessary, because who can harm ISKCON?” This is transcendental!
Vamsi Das Babaji was born in Majitpura in the subdivision of Kisoraganja in the district of Mayamanasimha. His father’s name was Sanatana Malovrahma. His former name was Bhairavacandra. According to usual custom, he married at an early age but he had no attraction for married life.
He was initiated into the family of Narottama Thakura and accepted the garb of an ascetic. At that time the influence of the Kalacanda doctrine was very prominent throughout the country. He first began worshipping following that particular doctrine, but later entered into the realm of pure Gaudiya Vaisnavism.
While in Navadvipa, Vamsidasa Baba lived in a hermitage and begged alms. Later when the charge of serving Sri Gaura fell on him, he became totally dependent on begging. He built a simply hut near the house of the elder Gosvami in Caumuhani and lived there with his Gaurahari. When he went out begging, he would sometimes carry Gaurahari with him.
Vamsidasa never shut the door of his hut, though occasionally his belongings would be stolen by thieves. When his devotees requested him to lock the door he replied, “If He neglects His own house, what Vamsidasa will do?”
Once a devotee gave a golden chain for Gaurahari and a thief stole it. When Vamsidasa came back from begging he said to his Deity, “To whom have you given Your chain?” In the evening he got some clue and went to the house of the thief. When he requested the thief to give back the chain the thief pushed him from the verandah to the ground.
He did not speak a word, but since then he lost one of his legs. Eventually that thief lost everyone in his family. Being harassed by the municipality, Vamsidasa left his hut and began to live near the social center house of Jhautala.
Once in the rainy season, he covered his Gaurahari with a ragged blanket and from time to time wiped His face which was wet with drops of rain. Srimati Lalita Sakhi dasi could not drag him to live in the Nathmandir or to build a roof over his head.
Vamsidasa’s Deity used to speak to him. Babaji never went anywhere except once to Kenduvilva and once to Kheturi. At the end of his life he stayed for a long time in a room north of the Badala ghat. There he served Sri Nitai-Gaura and Gadadhara, Sri Radha-Govinda and Sri Gopala. He engaged in their service constantly without wasting a minute.
On March 17th 1944 Vamsidasa returned to his home town of Majitpur. He did not actually enter the town as it is traditional for renunciants not to return to their former family. He lived there for some time and finally on Caturthi, July 23, 1944, Srila Vamsidasa Babaji Maharaja concluded his earthly pastimes and resumed his service to Lord Krsna in Goloka.
Sri Gour Mohan De and Srimati Rajani devi became the proud parents of Sri Abhaya Caranaravrinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on the 1st of September, 1896. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada or Abhaya Carana, as he was previously called, was born on the occasion of Nandotsava, at the home of his maternal grandparents, in the suburbs of Tollygunge. The fortunate jackfruit tree under which he was born stands tall this day. Continue reading "A visit to Srila Prabhupada’s Birthplace (23 min. video) → Dandavats"
We have shifted 17 families and demolished their 17 houses and Srila Prabhupada Janmasthan is finally FREE. Since we do not want to offer Srila Prabhupada a construction site on his 125th birth anniversary on 31st August 2021, we have initiated the 1st phase of Srila Prabhupada Janmasthan in which we have started construction of 260 feet boundary wall around the property to secure it. We will also complete the frontage and area around Jackfruit Tree. Srila Prabhupada Lotus feet are being made in white maharana marble in Jaipur and four cornerstones which will be installed on 31st August 2021. We will complete the flooring of about half the property (around 1800 square feet) in the 1st phase which will complete by the morning of 31st August 2021. The work is going on 24 hours X 7 basis. Continue reading "Breaking News: Srila Prabhupada Janmasthan is finally FREE! → Dandavats"
This book from our TOVP online Flipbook Collection on the website is available for reading by one and all. It is downloadable, can be bookmarked on your computer, and shared with others.
From the Introductory Note:
This publication, written by Jahnudvipa das and Braja Sevaki devi dasi, was written in 2006 prior to any construction work on the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. However, it contains a wealth of instruction from Srila Prabhupada on the TOVP which are the foundational building blocks of the project. The Foreword was written by Sriman Ambarisa prabhu, TOVP Chairman, who carried in his heart the seed of the project at the time.
Drive-by Rath Yatra on 14th Aug 2021(Saturday) - 8 am to 8 pm
As we are unable to conduct our traditional Rath yatra festival at the Milliken Park this year, the merciful Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi will be visiting some of our devotee homes coming Saturday- 14th Aug 2021 from 8 am to 8 pm.
The Lordship will be driven to the various devotee homes in the West end, Markham and Scarborough areas coming Saturday. The specific homes to which the Deities will be driven have been established per the deep desire of some devotees and the location of their homes.
In-person darshan at the ISKCON Scarborough temple on 15th Aug 2021(Sunday) - 1 pm to 4 pm
We invite the devotees to visit the temple on Sunday along with their family and friends between 1 pm and 4 pm.
Devotees are welcome to bring offerings to the Lord on Sunday eg: Fruits, flowers etc.
Due to COVID restrictions and potential risks, the time slot for each group of devotees will be ~15 minutes from the entrance to exit.
We will strictly follow the province's guidelines - ie: All devotees shall wear a face mask, disinfect the hands at the entrance, stay in marked spots that are separated by 6 feet inside the temple.
At any given time, only a maximum of 12 devotees will be allowed inside the temple due to province's recommendation.
If you or your family members have had any COVID symptoms within the last 14 days, please refrain from visiting the temple for the benefit of all devotees.
We would like to remind all our current and potential donors about the rare charity opportunity that donating to the TOVP represents. In reality, we cannot really fathom this once-in-many-lifetimes chance to serve Lord Caitanya’s mission as maha vadanyaya, the most munificent incarnation of Godhead.
We are all in a most unique time in history only 500 years since the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who appears, like Lord Krishna, once in a day of Lord Brahma. Calculating both the day and night timespan (24 hours) that’s every 8.64 billion years. Those souls who catch the message of Krishna consciousness from Srila Prabhupada and his representatives during this small window of opportunity, and somehow also assist in expanding it to other fallen jivas are truly the most fortunate in the universe.
Srila Prabhupada explains in the verse purport below that such an opportunity as this is hardly ever attained. What to speak of specifically giving in charity to the sankirtana movement by helping Prabhupada construct the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in the most holy place of Sridham Mayapur, the birthplace of Lord Caitanya.
sulabhā yudhi viprarṣe
hy anivṛttās tanu-tyajaḥ
na tathā tīrtha āyāte
śraddhayā ye dhana-tyajaḥ
“O best of the brahmanas, many men have laid down their lives on the battlefield, being unafraid of fighting, but rarely has one gotten the chance to give his accumulated wealth faithfully to a saintly person who creates holy places.”
Many kshatriyas have laid down their lives on the battlefield for their nations, but hardly a person can be found who has given up all his property and his accumulated wealth in charity to a person worthy of the gift. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (17.20):
dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ
dīyate ‘nupakāriṇe
deśe kāle ca pātre ca
tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam
“That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness.” Thus charity given in the proper place is called sattvika. And above this charity in goodness is transcendental charity, in which everything is sacrificed for the sake of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vamanadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had come to Bali Maharaja for alms. How could one get such an opportunity to give charity? Therefore, Bali Maharaja decided without hesitation to give the Lord whatever He wanted. One may get various opportunities to lay down his life on the battlefield, but such an opportunity as this is hardly ever obtained.
Shri Mukunda Dasa, Shri Madhava Dasa and Shri Narahari Sarakara Thakura were three brothers who lived in Shri Khanda. Shri Mukunda Dasa Thakura’s son was Shri Raghunandan Thakura. Mukunda Dasa Thakura was the doctor in the court of the muslim king. He was always absorbed in Krishna, whatever work he did.
Every year Mukunda Dasa, Madhava Dasa and Narahari Sarakara would go to Jagannatha Puri to take darshan of the holy feet of Shri Chaitanya and to dance and chant in Rathayatra kirtan. One day, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu affectionately asked Mukunda Dasa, “Mukunda! between you and Raghunandan, who is the father and who is the son?”
Mukunda said, “Raghunandana is my father. Through him I have found Krishna consciousness, so he is really my father.” The Lord said, “Your judgement is correct. Whoever gives us Krishna-bhakti is our guru and our father.” The Lord ordered Raghunandana to serve the deity, without thinking of anything else.
When he was a boy, Raghunandan used to make the deity eat laddu.
According to certain authorities, Shri Raghunandana Thakura was Kandarpa Manjari. According to others, he was one of Krishna’s sons in Dvaraka whose name was Kandarpa. This is on the basis of Kavi Karnapura’s Gaura-Ganodesha-dipika.
Raghunandana Thakura had a son named Kanai Thakura. The descendants of Raghunandan Thakura’s line live today in Shri Khanda. One of the most famous of them is a person by the name of Panchanana Kaviraja, who was born in the line of Shri Raghunandana. Raghunandana Thakura was born in the Saka year 1432.
Raghunandan Thakur bequeathed the service of his Gaura-Gopal deity to his son Kanai Thakur and then left this world on the fourth day of the waxing moon in the month of Shravan. Kanai Thakur gave a feast as a part of his father’s last rites:
Raghunandan slowly became hidden to mortal eyes while repeating again and again the names of Sri Krishna Chaitanya.
At noon I had some special guests, a couple who are married, yogis, devotional and mature. We met and spent an hour or more in Govinda’s for a meal. Their journey began at the Sivananda institution, becoming trained in yoga. They adore Prabhupada, his books and teachings and take time every day to view him on screen in addition to watching Ratha Yatra programs going on around the world.
It was like being with friends in their presence. They enjoyed the prasadam (blessed, sanctified food). I first met them three weeks ago when our devotees from Toronto collaborated with the Hindu Sabha temple on a modified version of the Chariot Festival. Like me they are not of East Indian descent but they have picked up on the spirit of the culture most organically. So, it was refreshing meeting such bhakti enthusiasts.
Speaking of bhakti, devotion, I was feeling a lot of this today from individuals such as my physio supporters — Paramahamsa, our Croatian maintenance guy as well as Krishna Chandra, the yoga instructor. I am making rapid progress because of their efforts. On top of that is the help from Dr. Juta from South Africa and Dr. Vikas Pandith a.k.a. Jagannath Misra.
A big amount of credit to my healing must also go to the Maha-mantraitself. Wrapping up the day at 7 PM with our regular team of characters; resident devotees Dharma, Karuna Sindhu and Dwarkanatha, We sit on the exterior stairs and chant away.
Kevin is on holiday so another physiotherapist tended to a session with me. Her response to the exercises and stretches are rendered was like Kevin’s reaction; most positive. Some new moves were given to me to put into practice until next week’s appointment.
I was lucky to get a ride in the first place by Karuna Sindhu. The return trip back to the temple was left to providence, or, to put it in a slightly different way, was a bold act to make it back on crutches. It would be only under 4 km. Anyway, that’s how I began.
Pedestrians and motorist were good, and looked out for me. After all I’m now a creature with four legs.
As I headed north, through shaded tree-lined residential streets, I took breaks at benches or municipal flower pot edges. As I came down Robert Street a thought came to mind, “Doesn’t my friend Jiva M. have a house nearby? one that he’s doing renovations on for selling the place?”
Within seconds I hear the rapping at the window of a house. I look to the left of me at the third-floor window of a Victorian house and there he was — Jiva with a surprised look. I beckoned him to come to the street level and from there he took me home. This is called “Service of a devotional kind.” Thanks Jiva.
I came back to my home to see the carpet was cleaned in the room I stay in. That was done by compliments of Vyasacharya. It’s his birthday today. What a great culture! The way to celebrate one’s birthday is to do some service for others.
It was a delight delivering a class, over Zoom to Vancouver, this morning about the pastime of Krishna being charged by all his young friends for eating mridam (dirt). His buddies, including his older brother, Balarama, were building up a case against Him, which would lead to a chastisement from His mother. This conflict does from time to time arise in the spiritual realm. Then, what to speak of the hostilities of this mundane world?
The notion that no aggravation exists in the holy dham(place) is somewhat incorrect. Yet all apparent bad feelings are eradicated because Krishna becomes the centre of all in all spiritual circumstances.
One unique item came my way from David who lives in the countryside. I will now share with you what he forwarded to me.
A dialogue between child and grandmother from a Mongolian film:
Child: Will I be reborn as a person in my next life?
Grandmother: (laughs slightly) Come here. I’ll show you something. Pour rice onto a pin. When a grain of rice balances on the tip of the needle, tell me.
Child: (After pouring several handfuls). That’s not possible!
Grandmother: See, my child. That’s how hard it is to be reborn as a person. That’s why human life is so valuable.
Thank you, David, let’s hope we can act on this valuable life as a human.
It was time to get out of the city for a change and so Chris and Nick orchestrated a kirtan gathering (first for this year) at a park in Hamilton. Hamilton is a one-hour drive from Toronto, has a population of half a million and in the early 70s had quite a following of Krishna devotees; many of which have held onto their passion for Krishna.
Chris, who is a Hamiltonian, directed us to the stage or bandstand where, in the summer, a popular “festival of friends” takes place. But today, despite being Sunday, the park was quiet, which is owed to the fact that rain kept threatening the entire day and the long weekend factor also contributed to this reality.
Nevertheless, the group of us, thirteen in number, put out our best in the form of sound by voice, drum, harmonium and shakers. At least the squirrels could hear us as well as one falcon who sped by in the air, perhaps after something. He was set for food and he eventually did catch a substantially sized rodent. We couldn’t make out what it was. It was fairly torn apart.
Our meal was taken under the bandstand awning. Wraps in whatever we assembled; the kind I eat on the road during marathon walks. Composed of olives, avocados, peppers and tortillas. Hummus was accidentally forgotten. They were good. They were offered to Krishna.
Our time was well spent in joy and we vowed to come to Hamilton in the future.
It was liberating to get back to giving a Bhagavatam class and also to leading a kirtan at noon in the temple room. Varun came from Ottawa to participate, so did Krishna Chandra, our local yoga instructor. Paramahamsa was also on board. Then, to follow, was the trickle of people for Darshan, or viewing of the Krishna deities.
Covid restrictions have been gradually lifted and so now Saturday and Sunday are open for visitors and congregants to come in and benefit. However, those of us, like myself, who reside in the premises and are moreso spending days bedridden, are super enthusiastic to get out. So, four of us headed out to the boardwalk that our guru, Prabhupada, took to in 1975. For those of us in Krishna Consciousness, this walkway is a place of pilgrimage.
Still, there’s another reason for us to get out to this Lakeside. We were scouting out the ideal location for a planned one-day outing of sangha for young men. It would entail walking, swimming, kirtan, picnic, yoga and just shooting the bhakti breeze. We believe we found the perfect location at the end of Kew Gardens from Queen Street.
With it being Canada, these days of summer events become limited, therefore, planning to insert outdoor devotional events is necessary. The walking, now on crutches, is also necessary. I’m no different from everyone else in terms of needing to heal by getting out, and a big part of it is seeing people like those who take to the boardwalk. I did catch a glimpse, like a flashback, of 1975, when he, Prabhupada, walked the same walkway as we now did.
The Universe of the Vedas By Dr. Richard L. Thompson (Sadaputa Dasa)
The Srimad-Bhagavatam presents an earth-centered conception of the cosmos. At first glance the cosmology seems foreign, but a closer look reveals that not only does the cosmology of the Bhagavatam describe the world of our experience, but it also presents a much larger and more complete cosmological picture.
Source: This is the Mayapur Youth Sanga, a group of international young devotees in Mayapur who come together for a Krishna Conscious experience. If you wish to sponsor a sanga please donate to the following bank account or to this UPI: mayuripillai@icici Bank Name- ICICI Bank Acc Name- Mayuri Pillai Acc Number- 402401000761 Acc Type- […]
This is the Mayapur Youth Sanga, a group of international young devotees in Mayapur who come together for a Krishna Conscious experience.
If you wish to sponsor a sanga please donate to the following bank account or to this UPI: mayuripillai@icici Bank Name- ICICI Bank Acc Name- Mayuri Pillai Acc Number- 402401000761 Acc Type- Savings Account IFSC Code- ICIC0004024 Swift Code- ICICINBBCTS Branch Code- 004024 Branch Address- Iskcon Compound, Pilgrim And Visitors Trust, Vamsi Bhavan, Sri Dham Mayapur, Nadia, WB- 741313
Please email your name and contact info to mayapur.youth.sanga108@gmail.com, as we would like to dedicate a sanga for the sponsor!
The first Annual Parsippany, New Jersey, Rathayatra festival was held this summer on July 11th, 2021. The bright-faced, colorfully dressed devotees, numbering over 1500, sang, danced, and joyfully pulled the beautifully decorated chariot of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra Devi starting at the Vrajdham temple and ending at the construction site of the brand new […]
Vidura is famously known as the counselor and brother to Dhritarashtra, the uncle of the Pandavas, and a great devotee. There are so many things to learn from him. His tolerance, his mission to serve, and his service attitude are just some of his vast array of good qualities. Tolerance is defined as the ability […]
A short film, Monks on Mission made by seven monks at ISKCON Gurugram under the guidance of temple president Rambhadra Das, has won the Outstanding Achievement Award at the 24th monthly season of Tagore International Film Festival (TIFF) in early July. Monks on Mission is a reality-based film on why and how monks delivered food in deadly […]
A short film, Monks on Mission made by seven monks at ISKCON Gurugram under the guidance of temple president Rambhadra Das, has won the Outstanding Achievement Award at the 24th monthly season of Tagore International Film Festival (TIFF) in early July.
This morning when my sister and I asked my mom to make vegetable rolls to be cooked for the breakfast, despite disagreeing initially, our mom finally cooked them. I was so happy and felt grateful that she did exactly what we wanted. It is so easy to love someone for something they do which pleases […]
Last weekend devotees celebrated the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s 1971 vist to Gainesville, Florida, as well as his 125th birth anniversary with a three-day festival. The event, which ran from July 29th to 31st, included speeches from pioneer devotees as well as appreciative words from the Mayor of Gainesville and the President of the […]
Last weekend devotees celebrated the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s 1971 vist to Gainesville, Florida, as well as his 125th birth anniversary with a three-day festival. The event, which ran from July 29th to 31st, included speeches from pioneer devotees as well as appreciative words from the Mayor of Gainesville and the President of the University of Florida.
In honor of Srila Prabhupada’s 125th birth anniversary, a special Zoom series for teens and youth will run this August, in which Prabhupada disciples will share memories of serving the ISKCON Founder-Acharya during their own youth. Sitalila Dasi of ISKCON Sydney, Australia, a mentor and certified counselor who helps run Sunday Schools and youth camps, […]
By Peter Panstingl
By Radharamn Das
