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In Australia and New Zealand, Srila Prabhupada initiated 220 disciples and the work this small group of devotees did in spreading Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Sankirtan Movement, was miraculous.
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!
Narasimha Caturdasi is the celebration of the appearance day of Lord Narasimhadev, a direct incarnation of the Lord in His half-man, half-lion form. Lord Narasimhadev appeared to protect his dear most devotee, Prahlada Maharaja, whose demonic father, Hiranyakasipu was a powerful atheist and enemy of the Lord.
Lord Narasimhadev is Lord Krishna Himself, appearing especially in this form to reciprocate with our desire to remove all the obstacles in our devotional service.
Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.8:
The Prayers Offered to the Lord by the Residents of Jambudvipa “I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Narasimhadev, the source of all power. O my Lord who possesses nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demon like desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world”.
Special Narasimha Yagna:
On the actual appearance day, we will be performing a grand Narasimha Yagna at ISKCON Scarborough starting at 6 pm.
However, due to the current COVID restrictions, we will not be able to open the doors for devotees to physically participate in this Yagna.
We currently have over 70 devotees registered to participate virtually in this special Yagna.
If you would like to participate in this Yagna virtually, please contact Mother Dwaraka - 416-899-1733 between 6 pm to 9 pm until 24th May 2021.
The devotees who sponsor the Yagna will be sent a special link to watch the Yagna live on Tuesday from 6 pm onwards as well as special remnants from the Yagya (Holy ash, Mauli(red/yellow thread), Ganga water from the Khalash etc) will be delivered to the sponsors.
With best wishes from,
ISKCON Scarborough
3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,
Scarborough, Ontario,
Canada, M1V4C7
Email Address:
iskconscarborough@hotmail.com
Website:
www.iskconscarborough.org
Sita devi was not born of a woman but of the Earth Goddess, Bhumi devi herself. In Maharishi Valmiki’s own words, Ramayana is known as the noble story of Sita — “Sita-ayah Charitam Mahat”.
Janaka Maharaj, the king of Mithila, was ploughing a piece of land to prepare it for conducting a yajna. While ploughing, he unearthed a golden casket in which he found a beautiful girl, which caused him to be greatly overjoyed. Because land ploughed by the yoke is called ‘sita’, he named the baby Sita.
With her arrival, the king’s good fortune improved greatly, and his queen gave birth to a daughter named Urmila. The royal couple brought up their children with great affection, giving them good education and all facility. The two beautiful girls, displaying all noble qualities and intelligence, endeared themselves to all and grew to become ideal princesses.
Sita devi was to be given in marriage to anyone who could bend the powerful bow given to Janaka by Lord Shiva. Lord Rama succeeded in bending the great bow, and he married Sita. Their later, inconceivable pastimes are presented throughout Sri Ramayana.
Today is Sita-navami, the appearance day of Srimati Sitadevi, the eternal consort of Lord Ramachandra. She appeared as the daughter of King Janaka, one of the twelve mahajanas, great authorities in Krishna consciousness, and thus one of her names is Janaki. To begin, we shall read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Nine: “Lord Caitanya’s Travels to the Holy Places.”
TEXT 2
jaya jaya sri-caitanya jaya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda
TRANSLATION
All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityananda Prabhu! All glories to Sri Advaita Prabhu! And all glories to all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!
TEXT 178
daksina-mathura aila kamakosthi haite
tahan dekha haila eka brahmana-sahite
TRANSLATION
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived at southern Mathura from Kamakosthi, He met a brahmana.
TEXTS 179–193
The brahmana who met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu invited the Lord to his home. This brahmana was a great devotee and an authority on Lord Sri Ramacandra. He was always detached from material activities.
After bathing in the river Krtamala, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to the brahmana’s house to take lunch, but He saw that the food was unprepared because the brahmana had not cooked it.
Seeing this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “My dear sir, please tell Me why you have not cooked. It is already noon.”
The brahmana replied, “My dear Lord, we are living in the forest. For the time being we cannot get all the ingredients for cooking.
“When Laksmana brings all the vegetables, fruits, and roots from the forest, Sita will do the necessary cooking.”
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very satisfied to hear about the brahmana’s method of worship. Finally the brahmana hastily made arrangements for cooking.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took His lunch at about three o’clock, but the brahmana, being very sorrowful, fasted.
While the brahmana was fasting, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked him, “Why are you fasting? Why are you so unhappy? Why are you so worried?”
The brahmana replied, “I have no reason to live. I shall give up my life by entering either fire or water.
“My dear sir, Mother Sita is the mother of the universe and the supreme goddess of fortune. She has been touched by the demon Ravana, and I am troubled upon hearing this news.
“Sir, due to my unhappiness I cannot continue living. Although my body is burning, my life is not leaving.”
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “Please do not think this way any longer. You are a learned pandita. Why don’t you consider the case?”
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, “Sitadevi, the dearmost wife of the Supreme Lord Ramacandra, certainly has a spiritual form full of bliss. No one can see her with material eyes, for no materialist has such power.
“To say nothing of touching Mother Sita, a person with material senses cannot even see her. When Ravana kidnapped her, he kidnapped only her material, illusory form.
“As soon as Ravana arrived before Sita, she disappeared. Then just to cheat Ravana she sent an illusory, material form.”
TEXT 194
aprakrta vastu nahe prakrta-gocara
veda-puranete ei kahe nirantara
TRANSLATION
“Spiritual substance is never within the jurisdiction of the material conception. This is always the verdict of the Vedas and Puranas.”
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
As stated in the Katha Upanisad (2.3.9, 12):
na sandrse tisthati rupam asya
na caksusa pasyati kascanainam
hrda manisa manasabhiklpto
ya etad vidur amrtas te bhavanti
naiva vaca na manasa
praptum sakyo na caksusa
“Spirit is not within the jurisdiction of material eyes, words, or mind.”
Similarly, Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.84.13) states:
yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah
“A human being who identifies his body made of three elements with his self, who considers the by-products of his body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of his birth worshipable, and who goes to a place of pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than to meet men of transcendental knowledge there is to be considered like an ass or a cow.”
These are some Vedic statements about spiritual substance. Spiritual substance cannot be seen by the unintelligent, because they do not have the eyes or the mentality to see the spirit soul. Consequently they think that there is no such thing as spirit. But the followers of the Vedic injunctions take their information from Vedic statements, such as the verses from the Katha Upanisad and Srimad-Bhagavatam quoted above.
COMMENT by Giriraj Swami
We know from Srila Prabhupada, from the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu:
nama cintamanih krsnas
caitanya-rasa-vigrahah
purnah suddho nitya-mukto
’bhinnatvan nama-naminoh
Namah cintamanih krsnah: the holy name of Krishna is Krishna Himself. Caitanya-rasa-vigrahah: it is the form of rasa, the reservoir of pleasure. It is purna, complete; suddha, pure; and nitya-mukta, always free from material contamination. Why? Because there is no difference between the holy name of Krishna and the possessor of the name, Krishna Himself (abhinnatvan nama-naminoh).
Now, the question arises, “Since the Lord is spiritual and beyond the jurisdiction of material senses, how can one with materially covered senses touch, or chant and hear, the holy name of Krishna?” In the next verse of the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami explains:
atah sri-krsna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau
svayam eva sphuraty adah
Atah means “therefore,” as in athatho brahma-jijnasa. Atah: therefore (that is, because the holy name of Krishna is completely spiritual like Krishna) one cannot chant or hear the holy name—touch the holy name—with materially contaminated senses. However, if we engage our senses in the service of the Lord and the Lord becomes pleased with our service, then the Lord will reveal Himself to us.
In other words, although we cannot perceive the Lord with materially contaminated senses, the Lord can reveal Himself to us when He is pleased by our service: He can purify our senses and make Himself visible to us.
When even a sadhaka, a devotee who is practicing devotional service, cannot touch even the holy name of the Lord, how could a demon like Ravana see or touch Mother Sita, who is directly the spiritual energy of the Lord? It is not possible. What Ravana saw and touched was not the original Sita but maya Sita, an illusory representation of the original Sita. Thus Lord Chaitanya was consoling the brahman: “Don’t lament that Mother Sita has been touched by the demon Ravana. The demon Ravana could not even see her, what to speak of touch her. There is no need to lament.”
TEXT 195
visvasa karaha tumi amara vacane
punarapi ku-bhavana na kariha mane
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then assured the brahmana, “Have faith in My words and do not burden your mind any longer with this misconception.”
PURPORT
This is the process of spiritual understanding. Acintya khalu ye bhava na tams tarkena yojayet: “We should not try to understand things beyond our material conception by argument and counterargument.” Maha-jano yena gatah sa panthah: “We have to follow in the footsteps of great authorities coming down in the parampara system.” If we approach a bona fide acarya and keep faith in his words, spiritual realization will be easy.
COMMENT
In the material world everyone is acting independently. Actually, people are not independent, but they imagine themselves to be independent. They want to think for themselves, see for themselves, make their own decisions, make their own plans. Even when they come to the subject of God, they keep the same attitude: “I don’t need anyone to tell me about God. I can think for myself; I can decide for myself.” Or they may accept some authority according to their liking. Many people go to various authorities and pick and choose what they like from each, and in the end they find confirmation for whatever they thought or wanted to begin with. That is not the way to understand God. Rather, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master and surrender. Surrender means no wavering to this side or that side. One must remain fixed in submission and obedience to the spiritual master and accept the spiritual master’s instructions without argument.
Of course, the whole process is based on faith, and therefore Lord Chaitanya’s first words are visvasa karaha tumi amara vacane: “Have faith in My words.” If you do, He says, you will be relieved. But if you don’t have faith in His words, you’ll go on suffering and nobody will be able to help you.
visvasa karaha tumi amara vacane
punarapi ku-bhavana na kariha mane
“Have faith in My words and do not burden your mind any longer with this misconception.”
TEXT 196
prabhura vacane viprera ha-ila visvasa
bhojana karila, haila jivanera asa
TRANSLATION
Although the brahmana was fasting, he had faith in the words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and accepted food. In this way his life was saved.
COMMENT
The brahman was fasting because he thought that Ravana had touched Sita and kidnapped her. He was ready to give up his life, but because he had faith in the words of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he gave up his misconception, took prasada, and saved his life.
TEXT 197
tanre asvasiya prabhu karila gamana
krtamalaya snana kari aila durvasana
TRANSLATION
After thus assuring the brahmana, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu proceeded further into southern India and finally arrived at Durvasana, where He bathed in the river Krtamala.
TEXT 199
setubandhe asi’ kaila dhanus-tirthe snana
ramesvara dekhi’ tahan karila visrama
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then went to Setubandha [Ramesvara], where He took His bath at the place called Dhanus-tirtha. From there He visited the Ramesvara temple and then took rest.
PURPORT
The path from Mandapam through the ocean to the island known as Pambam consists partly of sand and partly of water. The island of Pambam is about seventeen miles long and six miles wide. On this island, four miles north of Pambam Harbor, is Setubandha, where the temple of Ramesvara is located. This is a temple of Lord Siva, and the name Ramesvara indicates that he is a great personality whose worshipable Deity is Lord Rama. Thus the Lord Siva found in the temple of Ramesvara is a great devotee of Lord Ramacandra. It is said, devi-pattanam arabhya gaccheyuh setu-bandhanam: “After visiting the temple of the goddess Durga, one should go to the temple of Ramesvara.”
In this area there are twenty-four different holy places, one of which is Dhanus-tirtha, located about twelve miles southeast of Ramesvara. It is near the last station of the South Indian Railway, a station called Ramnad. It is said that here, on the request of Ravana’s younger brother Vibhisana, Lord Ramacandra destroyed the bridge to Lanka with His bow while returning to His capital. It is also said that one who visits Dhanus-tirtha is liberated from the cycle of birth and death, and that one who bathes there gets all the fruitive results of performing the yajna known as Agnistoma.
COMMENT
It is said that when Lord Rama was on the way to Lanka, He worshipped a deity of Lord Shiva. Some ignorant people say, “Because Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva, Lord Shiva is the Supreme and Lord Rama is subordinate to him.” But actually the opposite is true: Lord Shiva himself is a great devotee of Lord Rama. Sometimes, however, the Lord likes to serve His devotees, as in the case of Krishna and Yasoda. Krishna used to obey the dictations of Yasoda, but that doesn’t mean that Yasoda is God. Krishna used to carry the shoes of Nanda Maharaja, but that doesn’t mean that Nanda Maharaja is God. Krishna drove the chariot of Arjuna, but that doesn’t mean that Arjuna is greater than Krishna. Krishna washed the feet of Sudama Vipra, but that doesn’t mean that Sudama is superior to Krishna. The Lord takes pleasure in worshipping His devotees. Lord Ramachandra wanted to glorify His devotee Shiva, and therefore He may have worshipped him.
Other ignorant people say that because Ravana was a devotee of Lord Shiva, Rama approached Lord Shiva to ask his permission before killing Ravana. Once, at Juhu Beach, a disciple mentioned this idea to Srila Prabhupada, and Prabhupada replied that people who say that Lord Rama had Lord Shiva’s permission to kill Ravana want to say that Lord Shiva is a rascal, that he would give permission for someone to kill his devotee: “Oh, yes. He is my devotee, but it’s all right—you can kill him.” Prabhupada said they want to prove that Lord Shiva is a rascal. Rather, he said (and he quoted the shastra), when Rama was in the process of killing Ravana, Mother Parvati asked Lord Shiva, “Ravana is your great devotee, and now he is in trouble. Why don’t you do something to help him?” And Lord Shiva replied, “Lord Rama is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; when He wants to kill Ravana, what can I do?”
TEXT 200
vipra-sabhaya sune tanha kurma-purana
tara madhye aila pativrata-upakhyana
TRANSLATION
There, among the brahmanas, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu listened to the Kurma Purana, wherein is mentioned the chaste woman’s narration.
PURPORT
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks that only two khandas of the Kurma Purana are now available, namely the Purva-khanda and Uttara-khanda. Sometimes it is said that the Kurma Purana contains six thousand verses, but according to Srimad-Bhagavatam the original Kurma Purana contains seventeen thousand verses. It is considered the fifteenth of the eighteen Maha-puranas.
TEXT 201
pativrata-siromani janaka-nandini
jagatera mata sita—ramera grhini
TRANSLATION
Srimati Sitadevi is the mother of the three worlds and the wife of Lord Ramacandra. Among chaste women she is supreme, and she is the daughter of King Janaka.
TEXT 202
ravana dekhiya sita laila agnira sarana
ravana haite agni kaila sitake avarana
TRANSLATION
When Ravana came to kidnap Mother Sita and she saw him, she took shelter of the fire-god, Agni. The fire-god covered the body of Mother Sita, and in this way she was protected from the hands of Ravana.
TEXT 203
‘maya-sita’ ravana nila, sunila akhyane
suni’ mahaprabhu haila anandita mane
TRANSLATION
Upon hearing from the Kurma Purana how Ravana had kidnapped a false form of Mother Sita, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very satisfied.
TEXT 204
sita lana rakhilena parvatira sthane
‘maya-sita’ diya agni vancila ravane
TRANSLATION
The fire-god, Agni, took away the real Sita and brought her to the place of Parvati, goddess Durga. An illusory form of Mother Sita was then delivered to Ravana, and in this way Ravana was cheated.
TEXT 205
raghunatha asi’ yabe ravane marila
agni-pariksa dite yabe sitare anila
After Ravana was killed by Lord Ramacandra, Sitadevi was brought before the fire and tested.
TEXT 206
tabe maya-sita agni kari antardhana
satya-sita ani’ dila rama-vidyamana
TRANSLATION
When the illusory Sita was brought before the fire by Lord Ramacandra, the fire-god made the illusory form disappear and delivered the real Sita to Lord Ramacandra.
TEXT 207
sunina prabhura anandita haila mana
ramadasa-viprera katha ha-ila smarana
TRANSLATION
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard this story, He was very pleased, and He remembered the words of Ramadasa Vipra.
TEXT 208
e-saba siddhanta suni’ prabhura ananda haila
brahmanera sthane magi’ sei patra nila
TRANSLATION
Indeed, when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard these conclusive statements from the Kurma Purana, He felt great happiness. After asking the brahmanas’ permission, He took possession of the manuscript leaves of the Kurma Purana.
TEXT 209
nutana patra lekhana pustake deoyaila
pratiti lagi’ puratana patra magi’ nila
TRANSLATION
Since the Kurma Purana was very old, the manuscript was also very old. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took possession of the original leaves in order to have direct evidence. The text was copied onto new leaves in order that the Purana be replaced.
TEXT 210
patra lana punah daksina-mathura aila
ramadasa vipre sei patra ani dila
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to southern Mathura [Madurai] and delivered the original manuscript of the Kurma Purana to Ramadasa Vipra.
TEXTS 211–212
sitayaradhito vahnis
chaya-sitam ajijanat
tam jahara dasa-grivah
sita vahni-puram gata
pariksa-samaye vahnim
chaya-sita vivesa sa
vahnih sitam samaniya
tat-purastad aninayat
TRANSLATION
“When he was petitioned by Mother Sita, the fire-god, Agni, brought forth an illusory form of Sita, and Ravana, who had ten heads, kidnapped the false Sita. The original Sita then went to the abode of the fire-god. When Lord Ramacandra tested the body of Sita, it was the false, illusory Sita that entered the fire. At that time the fire-god brought the original Sita from his abode and delivered her to Lord Ramacandra.”
PURPORT
These two verses are taken from the Kurma Purana.
TEXT 213
patra pana viprera haila anandita mana
prabhura carane dhari’ karaye krandana
TRANSLATION
Ramadasa Vipra was very pleased to receive the original leaf manuscript of the Kurma Purana, and he immediately fell down before the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and began to cry.
TEXTS 214–218
After receiving the manuscript, the brahmana, being very pleased, said, “Sir, You are Lord Ramacandra Himself and have come in the dress of a sannyasi to give me audience.
“My dear Sir, You have delivered me from a very unhappy condition. I request that You take Your lunch at my place. Please accept this invitation.
“Due to my mental distress I could not give You a very nice lunch the other day. Now, by good fortune, You have come again to my home.”
Saying this, the brahmana very happily cooked food, and a first-class dinner was offered to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu passed that night in the house of the brahmana. Then, after showing him mercy, the Lord started toward the Tamraparni River in Pandya-desa.
COMMENT
The chastity of Mother Sita is glorified in similar terms in the summary of the pastimes of Lord Ramachandra in the Ninth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Because Ravana had been cursed by the anger of Mother Sita, his armies were vanquished and ultimately he was killed.
te ’nikapa raghupater abhipatya sarve
dvandvam varutham ibha-patti-rathasva-yodhaih
jaghnur drumair giri-gadesubhir angadadyah
sitabhimarsa-hata-mangala-ravanesan
“Angada and the other commanders of the soldiers of Ramacandra faced the elephants, infantry, horses, and chariots of the enemy and hurled against them big trees, mountain peaks, clubs, and arrows. Thus the soldiers of Lord Ramacandra killed Ravana’s soldiers, who had lost all good fortune because Ravana had been condemned by the anger of Mother Sita.” (SB 9.10.20)
After Ravana had been killed, his wife, Mandodari, praised the power of Mother Sita’s chastity, addressing her husband:
na vai veda maha-bhaga
bhavan kama-vasam gatah
tejo ’nubhavam sitaya
yena nito dasam imam
“O greatly fortunate one, you came under the influence of lusty desires, and therefore you could not understand the influence of Mother Sita. Now, because of her curse, you have been reduced to this state, having been killed by Lord Ramacandra.” (SB 9.10.27) In his purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada explains that any woman who follows the example of Mother Sita’s chastity and service can attain similar power—and that, in fact, women should follow her ideal example: “Not only was Mother Sita powerful, but any woman who follows in the footsteps of Mother Sita can also become similarly powerful. There are many instances of this in the history of Vedic literature. Whenever we find a description of ideal chaste women, Mother Sita is among them. Mandodari, the wife of Ravana, was also very chaste. Similarly, Draupadi was one of five exalted chaste women. As a man must follow great personalities like Brahma and Narada, a woman must follow the path of such ideal women as Sita, Mandodari, and Draupadi. By staying chaste and faithful to her husband, a woman enriches herself with supernatural power.”
Although Mother Sita was completely pure and chaste, some ignorant citizens criticized Lord Rama for accepting her back after she had been abducted by Ravana, and to preserve His authority as king—for the benefit of the citizens—He was obliged to consign her to the care of the great sage Valmiki Muni.
By her transcendental qualities and devotional service, Sitadevi attracted her husband, Lord Ramachandra, the Personality of Godhead. And after she completed her pastimes on earth, He remained absorbed in thought of her—while perfectly executing His royal duties—until He followed her, to continue their eternal lila in the spiritual world.
munau niksipya tanayau
sita bhartra vivasita
dhyayanti rama-caranau
vivaram pravivesa ha
“Being forsaken by her husband, Sitadevi entrusted her two sons to the care of Valmiki Muni. Then, meditating upon the lotus feet of Lord Ramacandra, she entered into the earth.” (SB 9.11.15)
tac chrutva bhagavan ramo
rundhann api dhiya sucah
smarams tasya gunams tams tan
nasaknod roddhum isvarah
“After hearing the news of Mother Sita’s entering the earth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was certainly aggrieved. Although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, upon remembering the exalted qualities of Mother Sita, He could not check His grief in transcendental love.” (SB 9.11.16) Of course, the Lord’s grief upon hearing the news of Sitadevi’s entering the earth was not material. In the spiritual world there are also feelings of separation, but such feelings are a manifestation of the Lord’s internal pleasure potency (hladini-sakti) and give rise to transcendental bliss—although they resemble the miserable feelings experienced by ordinary men and women who are materially attached to each other.
tata urdhvam brahmacaryam
dharyann ajuhot prabhuh
trayodasabda-sahasram
agnihotram akhanditam
“After Mother Sita entered the earth, Lord Ramacandra observed complete celibacy and performed an uninterrupted Agnihotra-yajna for thirteen thousand years.” (SB 9.11.18)
smaratam hrdi vinyasya
viddham dandaka-kantakaih
sva-pada-pallavam rama
atma-jyotir agat tatah
“After completing the sacrifice, Lord Ramacandra, whose lotus feet were sometimes pierced by thorns when He lived in Dandakaranya, placed those lotus feet in the hearts of those who always think of Him. Then He entered His own abode, the Vaikuntha planet beyond the brahmajyoti.” (SB 9.11.19)
Sri Sri Sita-Rama ki jaya!
There is an important lesson for all of us here, whether we are in the bodies of men or women: Sitadevi is the energy of Lord Rama, the property of Lord Rama, and to take the property of the Lord for one’s sense gratification is demonic. Ravana was a scholar, a devotee of Lord Shiva, and he had many, many good qualifications. However, he had one fault that put him in the category of demons: he wanted to take the Lord’s property and enjoy it for himself. As we have been discussing—and maybe realizing—people in Kali-yuga have two sides: the devotee side and the demon side. The demon side wants to take the property of the Lord and enjoy it, like Ravana. So we must be careful that the demonic side does not become predominant. Otherwise, just as Ravana and his whole dynasty were destroyed, our spiritual life will be destroyed.
What is the difference between material and spiritual? When people challenge us, “You are living in a marble palace, you are using telephones, computers, tape recorders, and automobiles, so you are involved in materialism,” how do we reply? We reply, “We are using everything in the service of the Lord. What is used in the service of the Lord is no longer material but becomes spiritual.” And it is true. The temple is spiritual because it is dedicated to the service of the Lord, and all the paraphernalia used in the Lord’s service is spiritual. So there is no contamination. However, if we use the paraphernalia meant for the service of the Lord for our own sense gratification, then it is no longer spiritual. It becomes maya. Ravana wanted to take Rama’s Sita, but he couldn’t touch the original Sita. He could get only the maya Sita. Similarly, the Lord’s paraphernalia is spiritual when engaged in the Lord’s service, but if we try to use the same things for our sense gratification, they become maya.
We should not be complacent and assume, “I am a devotee and everything I do is spiritual. Even if I handle money, it is spiritual because it’s for Krishna.” If it is for Krishna, it is spiritual, laksmi, but if it is used for our sense gratification, it becomes material, maya. So, we must be careful in every situation—in every activity, every transaction—to consider: Am I doing this for Krishna or for sense gratification? If an activity is done for Krishna, it becomes spiritual, but if that same activity is done for sense gratification, it becomes material. All the things we have, all the paraphernalia, which are meant for Krishna’s service, become maya if we use them for sense gratification. So we should be very careful, especially if we take donations from the public, directly or indirectly. Even if we don’t directly take donations, we are using donations for our service, so we should take care that the donations we take from the public are used exclusively in transcendental devotional service and not one cent is used for sense gratification. If we use any of it for sense gratification, we are implicated in a cheating process, because the public think they are giving the money for Krishna’s service but in fact we are using it for sense gratification.
Srila Prabhupada said that if we take money in the name of Krishna’s service and then use it for sense gratification, we become debtors to the people who gave us the money. In other words, we are supposed to be only peons, carrying the money from the donor to the Lord—like Hanuman. He went to liberate Sita from Ravana not to keep her for himself but to deliver her to Lord Rama. We should be like Hanuman: we should liberate Sita from the hands of whomever and deliver her to Rama. We are not meant to touch her. If we do, we’ll have to come back in another life and pay our debt to the people from whom we took the money. These are subtle laws, and Srila Prabhupada was concerned that we should not become victims of our desires for sense gratification. Therefore he explained everything very clearly, so that we can be conscientious and use the Lord’s property only for the Lord’s service. Then we will be like Hanuman, the great devotee who got the mercy of Lord Rama. But if we try to use the Lord’s property for our sense gratification, we become like Ravana and will be destroyed.
On this occasion we pray to Mother Sita to bless us to become pure-hearted servants like Hanuman, Laksmana, and Mother Sita herself—and to save us. Whatever Ravana-like demonic tendencies we have, let them be vanquished by her mercy, by her will, so we may continue in our devotional service without any impediment and ultimately attain pure love (prema), our ultimate goal.
Sri Sri Sita-Rama-Laksmana-Hanuman ki jaya!
Sri Sita-navami ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Nitai-gaura-premanande hari-haribol!
[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Sita-navami, May 9, 1995, Bombay]
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 7 May 2021, Simhachalam, Germany, Zoom Lecture)
The gift of the Holy Name is the greatest treasure because it is Krsna Himself. Everything is contained within the Holy Name. The Holy Name is more merciful than Krsna Himself. When you offend Krsna yourself, you can purify that by chanting the Holy Name. But if you offend the Holy Name, then what? Even that we can purify by chanting the Holy Name. The only remedy is chanting the Holy Name!
The article " Chanting is the only remedy! " was published on KKSBlog.
PRABHUPADA IS COMING! Let’s Do It! His Grace Sriman Pankajanghri prabhu, our beloved Nrsimhadeva pujari who recently passed away, speaks in this video about his ardent desire to bring Srila Prabhupada to the TOVP and complete the new home of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Pancha Tattva and Sri Nrsimhadeva.
To inspire a grand welcome for His Divine Grace that all devotees, man woman or child, can participate in, the TOVP has created a once-in-a-lifetime abhisheka sponsorship campaign, and from May 14 (Akshaya Tritiya) until May 25 (Nrsimha Caturdasi) the #GivingToPrabhupada 11 Day Matching Fundraiser will make this seva opportunity available. Ambarisa prabhu will match the first $150,000, and our goal is $1 million.
Mark your calendar now and sponsor one of five kinds of abhishekas starting with the Sacred Water abhisheka (water from 125 sacred rivers) for $25.
Visit the Fundraiser Page for more information.
NOTE: The TOVP CARE COVID RELIEF program is donating $25,000 for ISKCON Mayapur and Bangladesh temples under the direction of Ambarisa prabhu.
Visit: www.tovp.org
Support: https://tovp.org/donate/
Email: tovpinfo@gmail.com
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Watch: www.youtube.com/c/TOVPinfoTube
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Store: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
I recorded this to show my gratitude for you kindness and love. Thank you All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!!!
After passing some days in great happiness in Sri Brindaban Dham, Sri Jahnava Mata set out on the path back to Gaurdesh. First she came to Kheturi, and then to Bhudari gram where she arranged the marriage of Bor Ganga das with Sri Hemalata, the daughter of Sri Shyamdas Cakravarti (brother of Bansi das). After the marriage, Sri Iswari entrusted the worship of Shyamsunderji to Borgangadas. Then she came to Ekcakra, the birthplace of her worshippable Lord. From there she passed through Kantak Nagar, Jajigram, Navadwip, Ambika kalna, Saptagram, before finally arriving back at Khardaha.
Sri Madhu Pandit became the servant of Sri Gopinath, whose bodily luster steals away the minds of everyone. Hundreds and thousands of people came running to see Him, famed as He is as sweetness personified. When the soothing sweetness and coolness of his charming form entered their hearts through their eyes, they found that the burning fire of material existence which had previously been burning there, was now extinguished.
The Vedic system appears to have specific roles for men and women, and many times that’s hard to accept or follow in today’s world. At the same time, we also hear of how accommodating the spiritual path of surrender (bhakti) as proposed by HDG Srila Prabhupada actually is. He gave his female disciples many opportunities for varieties of services and made the Vedic culture relevant to today’s world
By Navakishori Devi Dasi,Often times, women practicing Bhakti who are without the protection of a male family member owing to various reasons beyond their control, do find themselves wondering about how they can adapt to this recommendation from the Vedas. Just like there are numerous examples in our scriptures about women being nicely protected by male family members there are also examples of women who had to live without that. Now what did those women do? How did they live their lives? Where did they find their shelter? Reading about their example can be very pacifying for a heart seeking proper direction. Continue reading "Protection for a Single Woman: Following Sita
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Hare Krishna. I have been asked several times what my position is regarding Covid prevention practices and vaccinations. Here is my answer.
In Calcutta in 1972 Śrīla Prabhupāda was on a morning walk with many brahmacārīs. Some of the brahmacārīs complained that the women also lived in the Calcutta temple on Albert Road. One brahmachārī said, "Śrīla Prabhupāda, sometimes women do not cover their heads with sari." and "Why can't women find a place other than brahmacārīs? Their presence does not contribute to our brahmacārya lives."
Gauranga Dasa is a B.Tech graduate from IIT Bombay and is serving in various capacities at national and global level in ISKCON organization.
WELCOME TO BHAKTI VISION! In this vlog we cook a simple pure vegetarian lunch!
On this day Jahnu Muni swallowed and released the Ganga, who was on her way to deliver the ancestors of King Bhagiratha – this is one reason why the Ganges is also called the Bhagirathi. On this day, the Ganga is worshipped, and many people make offerings to the forefathers, and bathe in the Ganga. […]
The post Jahnu Saptami 19th May 2021 appeared first on Mayapur.com.
By Jaya Gaursundar Dasa One time five of the six spies heard the citizens glorifying Lord Rama with great love and affection. However, the sixth spy going to the quarters of the artisans overheard the following conversation of a washer man: A washer man, with his eyes red due to anger and full of anger kicked his wife who had stayed at another’s house. Continue reading "Mysteries of the Ramayana
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The festival of worshipping the Ganga known as Jahnu Saptami
Is it not the most divine form of communication
A way of expression, a marvelous supplication
An urge from the heart due to a hurt or a wound
Ramsden Park, Toronto
Prayer
One of my God sisters is going in for surgery and there is a natural compulsion to pray. All success Paurnamasi.
A poem about prayer.
What Is It With Prayer?
Is it not the most divine form of communication
A way of expression, a marvelous supplication
An urge from the heart due to hurt or a wound
A cry so desperate from feeling so ruined
A call for help as if lost in dense jungle
Seeking signs for a way out of the tangle
Prayer can be a request for strength, hope, courage
It certainly transcends any mundane verbiage
But special requests do not alone constitute prayer
Prayer should not only refer to events of despair
Not just reserved for when life appears abhorrent
For prayer is rare when we’re sunk in comfort
The better prayer is praise in which we thank
For compared to the Divine we’re in a different rank
It’s unwholesome to lodge blame on the Creator
And not owning up puts one in a hole; a crater
Prayer is acknowledgment of His great worth
Though the ego declares, “Mine was the greatest birth”
Prayer is a good medium for reconciliation
Becoming then an exercise in self-realization
Prayer should not be a shopping list on what’s missing
Rather a counting of blessings as the universe is kissing
Prayer is power, a super-healing process
An opportunity to invoke human progress
Our heart can soften like that of a lotus flower
When we pray in gratitude each and every hour
By Bhaktimarga Swami, The Walking Monk©
May the Source be with you!
2 km
Cherry Beach, Toronto
Midges and Masses
Nimai and I walked (with distance) along the edge of the bay at Lake Ontario’s Cherry Beach. We were careful to circumvent the party of younger folks dancing and gyrating to the drums. It was an anti-mask group from all I could see. Some were chanting the “freedom” mantra. They appeared happy. Police were parked nearby but out of their patrol cars, just ready in case anything would happen.
Further east we found more solitude, just the two of us, as well as ducks and a swan playing on the water’s surface. You do have some squatters tenting in the area. Too bad some of them are not particularly hygienic and are habituated to not keeping their grounds nice.
Nimai was getting irritated with the non-biting midges, sometimes referred to as lake flies. He took them as a nuisance and was frantically waving his arms in the air as if it would deter them from their dance in the air. Truly, they’re harmless in their swarms.
“They’re not mosquitoes,” I was telling him. “They don’t bite.” Fortunately, he had his mask on. These admittedly pesky guys can easily drive into one’s mouth and inevitably parish. I guess it’s a non-veg experience. Perhaps these fellows were not social distancing and that’s what was agitating him in following the rules, that type of thing. I wonder if midges can get Covid? The way he was responding to their assault on him he just as well may have considered them Covid. In our Scriptures such onslaught is called adi-bautic, distress from other living entities.
May the Source be with you!
3 km
Ramsden Park, Toronto
Virtual Day
A Montreal group of Russian speaking origin occupied the late morning on a zoom call. My assignment was on the topic of “Memories of Prabhupada,” referring to my own recollections of our reverent guru. Despite my lack of preparedness for the presentation, the listeners were so attentive and appreciative. The translations done for Ukrainian and Russian folks did not hamper the presentation. One woman confessed, “You made us feel close to him.”
A second group tuned in from the Central Asia area, at 9:30 p.m., on the topic of “The Three Lives of Bharat.” Bharat was a virtuous king and he’s documented as having three births and being liberated the third time around. Interestingly enough, in one of those births he was a deer, but a very spiritual one.
In English I held a class for the Oakville group. We are approaching the final teaching of The Gita on the topic of austerities in goodness, passion and ignorance, as well as sacrifice in those modes.
A five-hour seminar on succession took up quality time today leaving two hours for that much-needed walk. Sarthak was my companion. It’s his first day at the temple. Yes, he is our new resident person. He’s a good fit. I’m happy about his stay with us – a nice person.
May the Source be with you!
2 km
Ramsden Park, Toronto
Pink Snow
It was nice to see Chris again. It’s been about a year since I last saw him cycling around. Wherever he spots me he pulls over and we chat. Chris is a Vedic person and has a guru, so we can exchange words like puja, which he does daily, and yoga, which he also spends an hour on each morning. He also said to me, when we shared a picnic table, “I now get up at brahma-muhurta.” He then quoted Sadguru, explaining what time in the morning that is. He’s dying to see when our temple opens again.
Jennifer, from our retreat, saw me and asked about walking adventures to which I responded that I’ll probably need knee replacements.
Thus, a fellow, a Middle Easterner, came over to where I was sitting near those crab apple blossom trees to ask a question. “What can you say about this lockdown and all the restrictions?”
“Since earth was formed, we humans have had to adjust. It has always been that way. Roll with the punches,” is what I suggested. I also added that pre-Covid was a troubled time — abuse of the planet and to each other. “Don’t you feel we’re up for some retribution?” He agreed.
The man who jogs an hour every day came over with a fresh new joke. Again, too long for my write-up here, but it was a good laugh.
The pink blossoms were shedding from the trees the whole time I sat and did chant. It was magical. Pink snow coming down.
May the Source be with you!
2 km
I am supporting the distribution of 50kg bags of rice in Navadvip and Mayapura, to families who are having it tough during Covid.
Ramsden Park, Toronto
Yesterday, All My Troubles Seem So Far Away
We had a lively Zoom group, our usual Thursday gathering. Discussions were on chapter 9, verse 32 of The Gita. In Ranchor Prime’s translation of the verse it goes like this, “All those who seek my shelter, whatever their birth, gender, cast or status, attain the supreme destination.” It was a lively discussion.
Before that, I was soaking in the sun and, fortunate for me, people in the park were stopping to talk. One fellow goes back-and-forth on a jog for an hour each day. Today he stopped to offer a joke. The storyline is just too long to retell it now. The point is that he was friendly.
A second person, a woman of Russian descent, also stopped. She was curious about me as a monk; about life. She struck me as being lonely. She knows about Krishna and is interested in our group holding Russian-speaking gatherings. In such cases I give pertinent contacts to such inquisitive people.
It is so rewarding, sitting at a park bench and people just coming forward. It is, at times, almost as good as meeting people on the road; walking and exposing yourself to the elements, the world and the people. At one point I felt I had taken in too much sun. I looked at myself in the mirror before bed and confirmed – I came out with a darker hue on the face.
Incidentally I discovered that pineapple is great for a good sleep. Also, cashews, oatmeal, chamomile tea and tart cherries are apparently helpful in this regard.
May the Source be with you!
0 km
Ramsden Park, Toronto
Shaping Prayer
Shaping a prayer was a portion of today’s preoccupation. Why is prayer important? It is a practice amongst followers of bhakti yoga. A person by the name of Akura, during Krishna’s time, championed this. In my spare time I’m piecing together a poem to address the nature and healing power of prayer.
It’s fun and it’s provocative.
Today was also splendid in the sense that two god-siblings called at different times to reach out. It is always great to reminisce, which is what we usually do when we meet, virtually or physically.
Sweet times they were.
Which reminds me, yesterday evening Isabell came by to drop off a script her deceased husband, Baladeva, another god-brother, had written. It is a script detailing the time that he, I and one more god-sibling spent time in jail in Greensboro North Carolina in ‘75. Yes, indeed, we were monks traveling in the south distributing Bhaktivedanta books without a permit. So, that was our only fault. What a time we had in the cell! It was quite the experience.
People may not be aware but we were doing everything on behalf of the guru. We were convinced that we were being blessed, giving our full surrender, even in risky situations.
Those were the days.
May the Source be with you!
0 km
243 Avenue Rd., Toronto
Subtle Work Out
We are keeping it up. Every day Dharma Prana and I attend the noon services, called Bhoga Arati where I play the mrdunga drum and sing in a type of serenade to entertain the deities of Krishna on the balcony or altar.
My beating that drum becomes a kind of needed work-out. Also, for the Tuesday night garbage pick up, the trash must be ready for bringing out to the street. To prepare for that I saw the opportunity to crush the accumulation of cardboard boxes. Our produce arrives in those boxes which supply our veggies, fruit and flowers and so a breakdown of these containers is necessary. Some of these boxes are tough to disassemble but I take it as exercise.
After the noon arati I had my lunch, which was as delicious as usual, and, as I was completing this great exercise of the jaws, Sri Kant, who serves customers in our Govinda’s Restaurant, came in a panic. “Suddenly a slew of people came and I’m running out of chapatis and subji (veg prep).” So I volunteered to make more chapatis, which I love to make, with ingredients of whole wheat flour (as opposed to the finer but less tasty atta flour). This was an opportunity for more work out. The assembly of the dough kneading into an elastic ball is what that is about. It’s fun turning out those circular patties. They were puffing up over the flame readily well. A small amount of olive oil to each to patty keeps it fresh and moist. People liked my chapatis. I felt fulfilled.
May the Source be with you!
0 km
On the occasion of World Hypertension Day 2021 Chaitanya Charan has written an article for The Financial Express on how to overcome hypertension, anxiety and depression during the pandemic
On the occasion of World Hypertension Day 2021 Chaitanya Charan has written an article for The Financial Express on how to overcome hypertension, anxiety and depression during the pandemic
Podcast:
Summary podcast:
Video:
Podcast:
Summary podcast:
Video:
The international conference: “Sustainability, Spirituality, and Simplicity (3S): Environmental sustainability redefined through simple life practices and integrated spirituality” will be on 22nd-23rd May 2021 held virtually with morning and evening sessions. World-renowned experts in eco-theology, environmental sustainability, and scriptural knowledge from the United States, Australia, and India will participate as keynote speakers. The conference will have a […]
The post International Conference on Environmental Sustainability and Spirituality | May 22-23 2021 appeared first on ISKCON News.
An international environmental conference: "Sustainability-Simplicity-Spirituality (3S)" will take place on May 22nd-23rd May, 2021. With speakers both from ISKCON and outside and an expected attendance of around 1000 participants. More info: https://iss.iskcondelhi.org/3s
Srila Madhu Pandita Gosvami was a disciple of Srila Gadadhara Pandita, one of Lord Caitanya’s principal associates.
Madhu Pandita worshiped the Krsna Deity in Vrndavana known as Gopinatha, who had originally been installed by Vajranabha, Lord Krsna’s great-grandson.
Madhu Pandita was present when Narottama, Syamananda, and Srinivasa left Vrndavana to carry the writings of the Goswamis to Bengal. He blessed Srinivasa by garlanding him with a flower garland that had been worn by Lord Gopinatha.
Posted by Giriraj Swami on Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Deva Madhava Das is the community director of The Harmony Collective, Ypsilanti in Michigan USA where they have a farm, restaurant and community center. He is also the founder of the Bodhaka project. Professionally, he shares practices of Bhakti in secular environments with his business Ananta Wellness, and he is a member of the GBC SPT. He began practicing Krishna consciousness in 2010 when he met devotees at ISKCON Detroit.
The Lotus Trust, the welfare arm of Bhaktivedanta Manor in the UK is working with the ISKCON Temple in Delhi. This help has come at the most vital time for India.
Here is the link to some melodious and ecstatic 360 VR (Virtual Reality) Hare Krishna Kirtan videos in 5.7k resolution. This should give viewers a fully immersed experience. Please make sure to set the quality to the highest.
