According to Vrinda-kunda Baba, Srimati Vrindadevi appeared on the full-moon night at the end of Kartik, or Damodara.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, in Sri Vrndadevi-astaka (6-8), glorifies her:
rasabhilaso vasatis ca vrnda-
vane tvad-isanghri-saroja-seva
labhya ca pumsam krpaya tavaiva
vrnde namas te caranaravindam
“By your mercy, people attain residence in Vrindavan, the desire to serve your masters’ lotus feet, and the desire to assist in the rasa dance. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet.
tvam kirtyase satvata-tantra-vidbhir
lilabhidhana kila krsna-saktih
tavaiva murtis tulasi nr-loke
vrnde namas te caranaravindam
“They who are learned in the Satvata-tantra glorify you. You are Krishna’s pastime-potency. The tulasi plant is your form in the world of men. O Vrinda, I bow to you lotus feet.
bhaktya vihina aparadha-laksaih
ksiptas ca kamadi-taranga-madhye
kpamayi tvam saranam prapanna
vrnde namas te caranaravindam
“O merciful one, I am devoid of devotion, and millions of offenses have thrown me into the turbulent waves of lust, anger, greed, and other faults. O Vrinda, I take shelter of your lotus feet.”
May Srimati Vrindadevi—and Sri Sri Radha-Damodara—bestow their mercy upon us all.
In 2018, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Vimala-kunda in Kamyavana, which was formed by the loving tears of the daughters of King Vimala. Krsna and His cowherd boys came here to play and water Their cows. Close to Vimala-kunda, is Dharma-kunda, where four out of the five Pandavas had died after drinking its water. It was not until Yudhisthira took part in a deep conversation with Yamaraja (Dharmaraja), that Yamaraja agreed to revive the remaining Pandavas. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtan and lecture below, along with a few photos, at Vimala-kunda during Parikrama 2018.
Kamyavana is the biggest forest of all the forests in Vrndavana. One can easily spend a month in Kamyavana and visit different places every day. To cover it all today is a challenge. If we travel with the speed of our feet, we will not go very far. If we go with the speed of a bus, then I do not think we will get much further. If we would have helicopters for each one of us, then there would be a lot of noise. That would also not be a good idea. We have to resort to the speed of the mind and travel in our minds to these different places, absorbing the transcendental atmosphere.
We see that the Pandavas were here in Kamyavana. Chaurasi Kumbha is a palace which was constructed by Visvakarma, the architect of the demigods. There is also Panca Tirtha and many places where the Pandavas performed their pastimes. We can all recall the famous story of Durvasa Muni who came to the Pandavas with sixty thousand disciples, looking for some hospitality. Draupadi had a plate that could provide unlimited quantities of prasadam for the day, but only before she herself ate. Yudhisthira received the guests of Durvasa Muni and said, “No problem.” Draupadi did not dare to say that she had already eaten. She did not know what to do. She was in great despair. She just went to her quarters and cried and prayed to Krsna. Krsna finally came and she explained her problems. Krsna just said, “I am hungry.” It was the last straw for Draupadi but there was a little prasadam left on the spoon. When Krsna ate that little bit of prasadam, He was fully satisfied. And as soon as Krsna was fully satisfied, Durvasa Muni and all his associates felt completely full. They took their bath in Vimala-kunda and left. This famous pastime occurred here in Kamyavana.
The Mahabharata describes another famous pastime in Kamyavana. One of the Pandavas, travelling alone, stopped at this pond to drink water. A huge crane told him that he could not drink from the pond. Not caring about the crane, he drank anyway and died. Each time, Yudhisthira sent another Pandava in search of the first but they all drank the water and died. Finally, Yudhisthira went himself. He was thirsty and also wanted to drink the water but the crane said, “No, you cannot drink from here before you have answered these questions.” When the crane had given Bhima the same instruction, Bhīma responded, “Who are you to tell me not to drink?” Yudhisthira however, thought that it was wise to try and answer. The crane asked many questions, the most important being, “What is the greatest wonder in this world?” Yudhisthira answered, “The most amazing thing is that although we see that everyone dies eventually, we think that it will not happen to us.” Even if we think that it will happen, it still seems like it is far away. Yudhisthira answered the questions and the crane turned out to be Yamaraja himself, also known as Dharmaraja. Yudhisthira satisfied Yamaraja who was actually his father because Kunti received sons from various devatas. The other Pandavas were revived.
For many of you this may be a first visit, but it surely is not meant to be the last. Again and again, little by little, we will get to know the dhama to its fullest extent and not only externally. As we visit all these places we develop new relationships and our attachment to the dhama increases. This dust of Vraja is holy dust. Very powerful influences come from Vimala-kunda. And if you take a bath here you become even more purified than before. Not only do we become more and more purified, but the dhama also lends us its bhava, and we experience chaya bhava – the shadow reflection of bhava. Immediately, we get a taste of love for Krsna.
Kadamba Kanana Swami Kirtan, Parikrama 2018, Vimala-kunda, Kamyavana, India
Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV), recognised by United Nations World Tourism Organisation, is a spiritual oasis in the heart of Maharashtra, based on the principles of “simple living and higher thinking”, that brings spirituality to life. It’s a community which hosts multiple yoga, self-improvement, health, academic and spiritual events throughout the year, within its tranquil and sustainable space.
2006 Summary and Notes to the CPO Case of Dhanurdhara Swami
Many devotees, including some of our leaders, are only vaguely familiar with the exact nature of the 1999 ISKCON Child Protection Office (CPO) decision against Dhanurdhara Swami. Some devotees have expressed that his offenses were minor, he was a scapegoat for other’s abuse, or the evidence was weak. I would like to correct some of these misconceptions.
The attached Child Protection Office Official Decision provides an excellent overview of the history, evidence, and conclusions of this case. However, it does not present all the testimony and evidence, but only a sampling. In this introduction, I wish to give a fuller understanding of the case and evidence that the judges evaluated.
The conclusions of the judges were unanimous, finding Dhanurdhara Swami personally responsible for child neglect, child physical abuse, and child psychological abuse. They also found him responsible for failure to adequately supervise the teaching staff and thus he failed to protect the children from even more severe abuse.
This managerial failure is summarized by Sri Rama Prabhu, at that time Minister of Education, whose comment is in the case file, but not quoted in this decision. He stated, “To the best of my knowledge, Dhanurdhara Swami did not sexually abuse the students. But he let a lot go on, with his knowledge. The evidence from former gurukula students is overwhelming – both of neglect and willful non-sexual personal abuse. He was warned numerous times about the school and staff shortcomings, but failed to acknowledge the abuse, or correct it.”
There is also a preponderance of evidence that Dharnurdhara Swami personally abused children in the school. The evidence consisted of testimony from over 30 former students, as well as other adults present during this time. The case decision gives many samples of the type of testimony the panel heard, but certainly not all of it. In this particular case, the judicial panel did not give a definitive verdict on each allegation. Rather, they chose to make a more global assessment, based upon the preponderance of evidence. While it is not possible to speculate on whether the judges considered every testimony accurate (and many versions were contested by Dhanurdhara Swami), several observations may be made.
There are numerous examples of testimony of abuse quoted verbatim in the CPO decision. The judges would certainly not include unfounded charges in the official decision unless they had some validity. To include claims that were not believed by the judges would be highly irresponsible and make no sense. The judges do not mention anywhere that they accusations were considered false or exaggerated.
A full reading of the case file, which is several hundred pages, shows a significant consistency of testimony, and much cross-validation of reports. In other words, abuse reported by one victim was often supported by the testimony of another witness.
Sesa Prabhu, a judge on the case and writer of the decision remarks on the consistency of the testimony across time (and important consideration in evaluating evidence). “Personally, I found it edifying that complaints made during the meeting videotaped in Los Angeles during November 1995 were presented virtually unchanged in the interviews conducted in 1999. This despite the politicization of the case which occurred during the intervening years.”
We realize now that even the large amount of testimony that was obtained by the CPO, and presented to the judges, did not include every instance of abuse. It is logical to conclude that not every child attending the school over a period of years came forward to testify. This would be merely speculation, if it were not for this important statement form Amarendra Prabhu, the devotee lawyer who has worked on the lawsuit for six years:
“As a result of the litigation in Texas, and the 600-plus claims filed in the bankruptcy court, we now have a vast body of information (evidence) that was not available in 1999. Although much was known with respect to allegations of physical and mental child abuse by Dhanurdhara Swami at the Vrindavan gurukula, we have now have even more information than we had at that time. Based upon this additional information, it is now unequivocally clear to ISKCON’s legal team that the damage inflicted by Dhanurdhara Swami was significantly greater than that which was known in 1999. In fact, Dhanurdhara Swami is named as an abuser in the bankruptcy claims far more than any other person.”
“We have seen and reviewed first hand the claims filed in the bankruptcy court documenting the severe abuse inflicted on the Vrindavana gurukula children by Dhanurdhara Swami, as well as the CPO information. From a legal standpoint, we have no doubt that these claims are legitimate.” (Memo to NA GBC, June 14, 2006)
Thus, it is clear that the weight of evidence shows that Dhanurdhara Swami was guilty of significant physical and psychological abuse and child neglect. There is no need for the GBC to re-try this case – the verdict is already in. But in their deliberations, it may be helpful for the GBC members to clearly understand the nature and extent of that abuse.
The following represents a summary of some of the testimony against Dhanurdhara Swami found in the CPO case file. This was compiled by Dhira Govinda Prabhu, CPO Director at the time. I have read the case files and confirmed that it an accurate synopsis of the type of reports given by the students. Many of these reports are quite extensive and detailed. Initials are used for devotee names to protect the victims. (The English usage is not always the best, as the exact words used are usually quoted).
A das gives extensive testimony of physical and emotional abuse as well as neglect. This was corroborated by other witnesses.
AV das was told to rewrite letters before he could send them and his mail was censored. DDS beat him up, calling him a monkey from the jungles of Africa. He was racially humiliated.
B das told of mail censoring, and DDS ignoring complaints of sexual abuse.
B2 das states that DDS hit him bad enough to leave big welts and bruises.
BR das describes severe physical abuses by others in the school that DDS clearly knew about and did nothing about, and in fact condoned.
BV das describes beatings by DDS, to himself and others, and mail censoring. Other students verify the beatings to BV das, including for not dancing at arati.
CM das reports failure to protect students from beatings, and failure to protect him when he reported sexual abuse from another teacher.
D das – Describes physical abuse by DDS. Describes failure to protect from abuse and mail censoring. Intimidated to not tell anyone of beatings. He was beaten with a branch by DDS.
DD das reports some of the most severe personal abuse directly from DDS. “…continuous punching, like a bunch of times and slaps and ear pulls, and all of that. That was one of his things. To bring kids into the room and pound them for a while… I guess I was like a punching bag for him. DDS continually punched me in the stomach several times. I felt like a was a research animal. The humiliation and mental torture were worse than the physical. Ear pulling an slapping was on a daily basis. Punching in the stomach was something new and different. DDS also took his money from home, called his mother a demon, Also relates story of DDS throwing L das out of a second story window in Dallas.
D2 das describes DDS out of control ear slapping and emotional abuse during line-ups. Describes mail censoring and psychological abuse.
D3 das “The worst thing that DDS did to me was in assembly. He would twist my ear and then he’d slap both my ears. My ears would ring for a week. Psychological abuse. DDS tried to get me to not tell my father.”
D4 das describes medical neglect, being hungry all the time, and DDS’s failure to protect from physical abuse.
D5 das Describes medical neglect on part of DDS, in that DDS would get upset if others tried to help him if he were sick. Also describes psychological abuse and mail censoring.
GV das “DDS was the head acarya of hitting. He was not in control of his anger. DDS used to have a wall of different sized canes, and he would let the kids choose the cane. He used to smack kids on the ears. There was dried blood on my ears from it being pulled so hard.”
G das saw J’s bruises after DDS beat up J for the fire bomb incident. Gives detailed descriptions of food deprivation, including skipping meals if they missed part of the morning program. Told DDS about sexual abuse, and DDS did nothing, but chastised G.
J das Talks about DDS beating him for 5 to 10 minutes after fire bomb incident. The beating left marks. Lots of corroboration for this incident from other witnesses. DDS admits to this.
K das Reports DDS slapping him hard enough to knock him to the floor. “This was a normal occurrence for me.” Also describes emotional abuse and mail censoring. Also failure to protect from physical and sexual abuse.
KJ das Witnessed DDS savagely beating AV. DDS also beat KJ, while falsely accusing him of stealing comics.
KA das reports racial slurs and beating by DDS. S das witnessed DDS beating KA.
KC das describes medial neglect.
K2 das “ My dad sent a check. DDS yelled at me. He hit me for the check until I gave it to him. Witnessed beating of others, including AV. Not enough clothing. Describes atmosphere of pervasive violence and intimidation. “ I saw B beaten.. .You became immune to the violence it was so common place You got hit if your arms weren’t up dancing in Mangal arati. Describes medical neglect, bad food, mail censoring, and inadequate education.
LM das Describes DDS beating J after fire bomb incident. Aslo claims DDS knew of N abusing boys and did nothing. Medical neglect toward KA, almost causing death.
LS das Describes medical and other neglect.
L das “ I was tossed out of the second floor sanctuary window by DDS in Dallas. I remember hitting the ground. DDS never showed any concern for injuries.” This is confirmed by S das and DD das. Described children punished if they didn’t dance. Also meal deprivation as punishment, bad food, and mail censoring. “I’ve been hit by every gurukula teacher at least 100 times, including DDS, Raghunatha, and Manihara, and Niragadeva (all have been found guilty by the CPO of child abuse).Describes being tied up and left in a room for 7 days. “On a daily basis you stood in assembly and with your hands behind your back you got several slaps to the face. Described that DDS and Manihara did the slapping. “My ears, the ears of my friends, they bled every day. We were pulled off the ground by our ears. Some kids were almost ripped off. All the teachers did it, including DDS. DDS said directly to me that if I didn’t keep quiet I would be dealt with accordingly. I did not disclose the abuse because I feared for my life…” He had bruises and welts, “every day of my life in Vrndavana.”
M das Describes morning line-up routine, including DDS ear twisting, ear slapping, and supporting and overseeing the physical and emotional abuse perpetrated by Raghunatha and Niragadeva. DDS knew of severe abuse on his brother. Describes medical neglect, bad food, and lack of cleanliness. Witnessed several brutal beatings done personally by DDS. DDS also watched as other teachers “brutally punched and beat children.”
R das Describes DDS laughing after seeing him badly bruised from a beating by Raghunatha. He “blew it off” when he told about DD being severely beaten. Reports that V told DDS about being sexual abused by Ananta Rupa, and DDS slapped him for saying such a thing. Describes psychological terrorizing, being locked in bathrooms for long periods of time.
S das Witnessed DDS beating several students, (lists several names). Describes beatings, says that children would have broken lips, black eyes, as a result of DDS’s beatings. “Marks sometimes lasted for weeks.”
S2 das Reports he was terrible medically neglected. “I had jaundice and typhoid and wasn’t taken to a hospital for a month. They, DDS, kept me in a room by myself where I was hallucinating and screaming. Describes tactics of intimidation by DDS, including that DDS threatened his life if he told about abuse. He also saw L being thrown out of second story window by DDS.
J2 das “DDS beat me senseless numerous times for the smallest things.
JG das DDS was strict, easily annoyed, and I remember him hitting boys.
M2 das witnessed beating by DDS, and DDS’s failure to protect from others beatings.
Hopefully, this provides a picture of the extent and degree of the allegations in the case of Dhanurdhara Swami. The Official Decision gives additional details and information.
Tamohara das Director, ISKCON Child Protection Office.
In 2017 and 2019, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Anjanoka, the birthplace of Indulekha, one of the asta-sakhis who intimately serves Radha and Krsna. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtans and lectures, along with a few photos, during Parikrama 2017 and Parikrama 2019.
This is the birthplace of Indulekha, who is a left-wing gopi. She is fiery and hot-tempered, and she is rebellious and chastises Krsna. She wears garments the colour of pomegranate. In her grove, everything is white in colour, and it is here that the Divine Couple wear white and cannot be seen. Here we are in the realm of Gopinatha, where parakiya-rasa is experienced in full ecstasy. In parakiya-rasa, we have to conquer Krsna again and again. Nothing in the relationship can be taken for granted. Devotional service is sri krsna-akarsini. It attracts Krsna, but can we keep Him? Maharaja made the point that spiritual wealth is not about what you put in your pocket, but what you put in your heart. We leave Anjanoka with a prayer that the dhama may manifest in our heart.
Kadamba Kanana Swami Kirtan, Parikrama 2017, Anjanoka, India
Kadamba Kanana Swami Lecture, Parikrama 2017, Anjanoka, India
Kadamba Kanana Swami Kirtan & Lecture, Parikrama 2019, Anjanoka, India
A disciple of Srila Prabhupada, Dravida dasa joined ISKCON in 1973 and has served as an editor and proof-reader for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust for over 45 years. From 1983 to 1989 he was part of the team that completed Srila Prabhupada’s magnum opus: a commentated English translation of India's jewel of Vedic wisdom, the 18,000-verse Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana). He also helped produce the revised editions of Srila Prabhupada’s Isopanisad, Krsna Book, Caitanya-Caritamrta, and Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and he is part of the team that produces Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja book every year. In addition to his editing work, he teaches Bhakti Yoga classes at ISKCON’s San Diego temple and other centres in North America.
Throughout all this immersion in transcendental literature, Dravida Dasa developed a love of the Sanskrit language, and especially the elaborate verses of the Bhagavatam and other works of bhakti literature.
His devotion and expertise in chanting form a marvellous combination. He has a been Brahmacari throughout his devotional career.
Kaliya Krishna Das: If we had more enthusiastic devotees like him so wholeheartedly dedicated to Harinam sankirtan this planet would be a much better place!
In a small town situated close to the banks of the River Yamuna there lived a man called Amrita. Nothing in life caused him more anxiety than his fear of death. One day he had an idea that if he befriended Lord Yamaraj, he would be able to keep death at a distance, and so Amrita practised austerities and meditated upon the Lord of Death, who was verily pleased and granted him a vision. Continue reading "Letters of Yamaraj, the God of Death → Dandavats"
Parividha Das: This video of mine is dedicated to those devotees who go out on the streets to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books, braving the adi-atmic, adi-bautic and adi-daivic miseries of material life.
Be Very Careful, If one does not chant Hare Krishna, Sarasvati ''Maharaj'' may give you a ''Slap'', and ''Sarasvati, is preaching, "Do you know Krsna?" Here, the daughter of Malati, Sarasvati, is giving us much pleasure in her Krishna Consciousness activities. She is so nice that as soon as there is chanting sound of kirtana immediately she begins to dance and clap. Even the audience becomes astonished and they follow her activities. It is very nice. Continue reading "Sarasvati ”Maharaj” → Dandavats"
After going part time with his communications service, ISKCON Communications Director for Australasia Bhakta Das is using his free time in “the latter part” of his life to realize an artistic dream years in the making. He’s creating a series of twenty contemporary, expressionistic paintings, which will give an overview of the Bhagavad-gita As It […]
The Bhagavad-gita As It Is exhibition will consist of twenty contemporary, expressionistic paintings, which will be a large 2 x 1.5 meters each and will give an overview of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is chapter by chapter.
With the UK recording over 1.5 million coronavirus cases and 55,000 COVID-related deaths, the government introduced a second lockdown in England in early November, which is set to lift on December 2nd, although a three-tiered system of regional measures will follow. Amid these tough times, devotee-run charity Food For All is doing its best to […]
In these tough times, devotee-run charity Food For All is distributing 5,000 packaged prasadam meals a day in London, and about 200 daily each from fourteen other small centers around the country.
In 2016 and 2019, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Yavat, where Srimati Radharani was residing in separation from Krsna, after her marriage to Abhimanyu. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtans and lectures, along with a few photos, during Parikrama 2016 and Parikrama 2019.
The purpose of Abhimanyu, Jatila and Kutila was to increase the eagerness of Radha and Krsna to meet each other. Abhimanyu was never in competition with Krsna, but rather he was simply a shadow of Krsna. Radharani was always watched by Her in-laws. She was never on Her own, so She and Krsna always had to make secret plans to meet. We have the story where Radharani swapped Her clothes with Subala (Krsna’s cowherd boy friend) in order for her to go out to meet Krsna. Jatila thought Radharani was Subala and allowed her to leave the house. Durvasa Muni had given Radharani a benediction that Her cooking would always taste like nectar and bring auspiciousness as well as long life, so Mother Yasoda requested that Radharani cook for Krsna. Paurnamasi persuaded Jatila to let this happen. Therefore, She was sent daily via a palanquin to cook for Krsna, much to Their delight!
The love of the gopis and Radharani was so pure that they had no self-interest; their only desire was to serve Krsna. The love experienced by Radha and Krsna is transcendental love. Yamunacarya said that the spiritual world is not limited by time, space and thought. The spiritual world is governed by rasa and not time. There is, however, a predominance of time here in this world. In this material world, ultimately the greatest power is time. It catches up with all of us and with everything. Time takes everything away. In the spiritual world, there is no existence of time but the presence of sequences remain, such as morning, noon and so on. The difference between time in the material world and the spiritual world is that in the spiritual world time is not the ruling factor since Krsna can be seen to have breakfast many times at different places. It is not time that determines what happens; time is simply there to serve the desires of Krsna. Even with space, Krsna may travel great distances and it may take less or more time, depending on the desire of Krsna.
The full kirtan and lecture at Yavat from Parikrama 2016 can be found using the following link: https://www.kksblog.com/2016/12/vrindavan-braj-parikrama-2016-recordings/
This is a short video documenting the current stage of the immense Jaya murti who, along with Vijaya (Jaya and Vijaya are gatekeepers of Vaikuntha), will stand at the main entrance of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, as they do at most Visnu temples. Ambhoda devi dasi is the artist painting his divine features.
This song sung by HG Agnidev Prabhu in the island of Simanta Dwip amongst the Nine islands of Navadwip, glorifies the sweetness of the Holy names. This bhajan is accompanied by myself on the Saraswati Veena.
Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja was the disciple of Bhagavat dasa Babaji Maharaja, who was a disciple of Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja.
In 1897 he came to Mayapur Navadvipa Dhama from Sri Vrndavana Dhama, where he was accredited the exalted title “Bhajananandi”. Srila Bhaktivinoda, seeing the transcendental behaviour of Babaji Maharaja, would use him as an example of nirapeksa (indifference), as his level of renunciation was beyond belief.
This Vaisnava saint’s life was an example of utter humility and poverty, the true attributes of a Vaisnava. Gaurakisora never accepted any material object from anyone. For his clothing he used the discarded loin cloths from corpses left on the bank of the Ganges. For food, he would collect rice by begging, soak it in river water, and garnish it with salt and chilly. He never asked favours from anyone and lived a fully detached life, devoid of all possessions.
During his stay at Navadvipa, Gaurakisora underwent various transformations of spiritual moods. Sometimes he danced on the bank of the Ganges chanting, “Gaura, Gaura”, while at other times he would lie on the ground in an unconscious state. He joyfully moved throughout the groves located on the bank of the Ganges, considering them sites of the divine sports of Sri Sri Radha Govinda.
He was the guru of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, the Founder Acharya of the Gaudiya Matha.
In 1908 Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja lost his external eye sight, so he then stopped travelling and just chanted and performed worship of Krsna. Being aloof from external consciousness, sometimes he would not dress his body – instead he would sit in his bhajan kutir internally absorbed in Krsna’s pastimes and in a very deep voice be heard calling the names of the gopis of Vrndavana.
Srila Gaurakisora never delivered discourses openly, yet his spotless character drew everyone to him. Upon meeting Gaurakisora, even a staunch materialist would become inclined take up Haribhajan.
On 22nd June, 1914 Bhaktivinoda Thakura passed from this world into his samadhi, deep meditation, on Lord Krsna in Bhakti Bhavan, and then on November 17th, 1915 Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, on the auspicious Utthana Ekadasi, also left this world.
If we are at all aware of how dependent we are on God—for the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and our very ability to eat and drink and breathe, to think and feel and will, and to walk, talk, and sense—we will feel grateful and want to reciprocate God’s kindness. We will want to do something for He (or She or They) who has done, and continues to do, so much for us.
We often take things for granted until we lose them. I use my right hand to chant on meditation beads, and one morning I found that I had severe pain in my hand and could no longer use it for chanting. I had taken the use of my hand for granted, but when I lost its use, I resolved to never take it for granted again and to always use it in the best way in God’s service.
How can we attempt to return some of God’s favor, some of God’s care and love for us? My spiritual master, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, gave one answer:
“Whatever you have got by pious or impious activities, you cannot change. But you can change your position, by Krishna consciousness. That you can change. Other things you cannot change. If you are white, you cannot become black, or if you are black, you cannot become white. That is not possible. But you can become a first-class Krishna conscious person. Whether you are black or white, it doesn’t matter. This is Krishna consciousness. Therefore our endeavor should be how to become Krishna conscious. Other things we cannot change. This is not possible.
tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham kalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa [Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.18]
Kalena, by time, you will get whatever you are destined. Don’t bother about so-called economic development. So far as food is concerned, Krishna is supplying. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. He is supplying even cats and dogs and ants. Why not you? There is no need of bothering Krishna, ‘God, give us our daily bread.’ He will give you. Don’t bother. Try to become very faithful servant of God. ‘Oh, God has given me so many things. So let me give my energy to serve Krishna.’ This is required. This is Krishna consciousness. ‘I have taken so much, life after life, from Krishna. Now let me dedicate this life to Krishna.’ This is Krishna consciousness. ‘I will not let this life go uselessly like cats and dogs. Let me utilize it for Krishna consciousness.’ ”
I pray that I will dedicate this life and everything I have—everything God has given me—fully in God’s service, following His pure devotees.
manasa, deho, geho, yo kichu mora arpilun tuya pade, nanda-kisora
“Mind, body, and home, whatever may be mine, I surrender at Your lotus feet, O youthful son of Nanda!” (Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Saranagati)
In 2018, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Adi-Badarinatha, where Krsna once brought the residents of Vrndavana instead of going to the Badarinatha in the Himalayas. Present here at this temple also are the sages Nara Narayana. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtan and lecture below, along with a few photos, at Adi-Badarinatha during Parikrama 2018.
One day, all the residents of Vrndavana wanted to go to Badarinatha. They were getting ready to go on the long journey to the Himalayas and it is not so easy to get there. However, Krsna said, “Actually we do not need to go to the Himalayas to see Badarinatha since Badarinatha is here in Vrndavana.” So, here we have the Deities of Badarinarayana and Radha-Krsna. Krsna told Uddhava that Badarinatha was very important to Him because many devotees resided there. Badarinarayana is a Deity of Visnu. Krsna arranged that all the holy places are here in Vrndavana. We should understand that this Badarinatha here in Vrndavana, is not the replica of the original one that is in the Himalayas. No, this is the original one. This is Adi-Badarinatha and the Badarinatha in the Himalayas is the reflection because Vrndavana is the origin of everything. This place is better than the Himalayas because here there is greater benefit. It is said that one gets a thousand times more benefit in this place than in Badarinatha in the Himalayas. So, this is the best Badarinatha.
Another interesting element is that the sages Nara Narayana are also present here in the temple. Nara Narayana represent Krsna and Arjuna. It is said that Nara is an expansion of Arjuna and Narayana of Krsna. Krsna and Arjuna brought the Bhagavad-gita to the world. The most important point is not that Arjuna was the most powerful warrior who won the battle of Kuruksetra, but that between the two armies the Bhagavad-gita was spoken. That was really the essence. We see that Nara Narayana performed great austerities. Badarikasrama is a place of austerity. It is a place where one realises that it is not so cheap to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We have travelled all over the dhama in the last so many days. We visited many places, but the question can be asked, “Did we really enter Vrndavana?” Srila Prabhupada would say that you cannot enter by plane, car, bus, or train. To really enter Vrndavana, to go deeper beyond that layer of yoga-maya that covers Vrndavana, one has to make a special effort. Today our meditation is on the special effort we must make to enter. We must have absolute determination that no matter what obstacle comes on the path we will persevere.
Somehow or the other, we made it here by mercy. That is our great fortune. When Indra saw the tapasya of Nara Narayana, he was concerned. He knows that the person performing the greatest austerity and making the greatest sacrifice, accrues a lot of punya and will get his position, therefore Indra is always worried. When Indra sees some yogi or other personalities performing great austerities, he arranges for heavenly dancing girls. They come over and their ankle bells tinkle and distract the minds of the sages but in the case of Nara Narayana, that had absolutely no effect. Instead, what happened was that illusory forms of beautiful females started to emanate from their bodies and Indra, actually, became bewildered. In this place, we are simply praying to become transcendental to the influence of maya. We will leave this transcendental abode where Krsna consciousness is natural here in Vrndavana. In the holy dhama, Krsna consciousness is everywhere. Wherever you go, there is someone worshipping Krsna. The residents greet us with ‘Radhe!’ There are little temples everywhere. There are so many holy places related to Krsna, where He is being worshipped and remembered. In this dhama, Krsna consciousness is very natural but when we go back to the West, Krsna consciousness is very localised – in a temple with an ocean of maya around us. It is appropriate, now at the end of our journey, to pray to Narayana to be protected from maya because it is very strong. It is difficult because not only is maya outside of us but inside also. We are weak. Inside our heart, maya is there already. When externally we are confronted by maya also, it becomes difficult and we may fall prey. Nara Narayana were both transcendental personalities, so maya had no influence on them whatsoever. We pray that we may be transcendental to the influence of maya; that is a suitable meditation here.
Kadamba Kanana Swami Kirtan, Parikrama 2018, Adi-Badarinatha, India
Kadamba Kanana Swami Lecture, Parikrama 2018, Adi-Badarinatha, India
The last five days of Kartika month are known as Bhisma Panchaka. Grandfather Bhishma fasted for these five days, preparing to give up his life. One serious in bhakti should observe Kartika-vrata, and he should intensify it for the last five days. The best way to observe Bhisma Panchaka is to abstain from eating grains […]
HG Vaisesika Prabhu recommends spending quality time in which one’s child, partner, or other loved person receives one’s undivided attention, in such a way as to strengthen the relationship. The same principle valid for our japa, hearing or studying the Sastra, during our worship in the temple and with our association with the devotees. Undivided attention is crucial!
Today, we invite you to consider how this website can be used in your own outreach activities. Our hope is that this can become a valuable tool for your cultivation of new people and we can become partners in supporting your efforts. We have a team of devotees producing a regular stream of relevant and relatable content suited to people new to chanting. And we have full-time devotees dedicated to personal communications with all of the people who sign up for our courses. Continue reading "Chantnow.com is your online outreach partner → Dandavats"
Today in Carpinteria we celebrated the disappearance day of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. I prayed to him for three items most essential in Krishna consciousness—nama-ruci (taste for the holy name), jiva-daya (compassion for the conditioned souls), and vaisnava-seva (service to the Vaishnavas)—and I have full faith in his mercy.
In 2016 and 2017, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Rama-ghata, where Lord Balarama performed various pastimes with his gopis, including his rasa dance near the banyan tree where we gathered. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtans and lectures, along with a few photos, during Parikrama 2016 and Parikrama 2017.
Lord Balarama is known as the first servant because He is always serving Krsna in so many ways. We read in the Krsna book how Balarama is always in support of Krsna. He becomes anything that is required for Krsna’s comfort, even His bed. All the paraphernalia used by the Lord and those in the glorification of the Lord is Balarama, which is why not even the kartals are placed directly on the ground. Before Krsna appears in the womb of Devaki, Balarama first goes there Himself to prepare everything for Krsna’s appearance. So He went to Devaki’s womb first and then got transferred to Rohini’s womb. So wherever Krsna goes, Balarama first makes the arrangements. And in this way, Balarama manifests Himself in various ways to serve the Lord.
We are here to meditate on Balarama. When Balarama returned to Vrndavana to pacify the residents, He came here and performed various pastimes with his gopis (which were different to Krsna’s gopis). We see Balarama with his plough, and we reflect that He ploughs the field, meaning that He prepares the field. Once the field is prepared, then we can sow the seeds and so on. So Balarama prepares us by engaging in devotional service and it is through that service, we can become ready to receive transcendental knowledge. So Balarama is showing us by example how to serve Krsna.
Balarama is helping Krsna in performing His mission in this material world as well. Krsna, when He comes here, has a deep mission. Whilst He performs pleasure pastimes here, He comes here out of concern and separation for the living entities that are in need. Whilst the majority of the living entities are in the spiritual world (about 90%), the rest of the stubborn conditioned souls (about 10%) are left here. We are trying to squeeze some material enjoyment here in separation from Krsna. Everyone likes to enjoy! Enjoy as much as you like! We are not a movement that is against enjoyment. We are all for it! But we are the movement which abstains from enjoyment through sinful activities. The culture of enjoyment is very much within this movement – how to eat nicely, how to drink nicely, how to dress nicely, how to have festivals nicely and so on. There is certainly a lot of enjoyment, but we are trying to experience positive (emphasis added) enjoyment, although there is some austerity here and there in this world. But we gladly take that austerity too as that increases the value of our positive enjoyment! Such austerity helps us with sense control. So Balarama gives us this spiritual strength, symbolically in the heart but also in practice.
The full kirtan and lecture at Rama-ghata from Parikrama 2016 can be found using the following link: https://www.kksblog.com/2016/12/vrindavan-braj-parikrama-2016-recordings/
Kadamba Kanana Swami Kirtan, Parikrama 2017, Rama-ghata, India
Kadamba Kanana Swami Lecture, Parikrama 2017, Rama-ghata, India
By HH Danavir Goswami (Rupanuga Vedic College). Many people are sick or have passed away. Most businesses are shut and I am supposed to stay inside. What can I learn from this? What does this virus have to teach us? Is there a positive and productive way to use this time?
According to Vrinda-kunda Baba, Srimati Vrindadevi appeared on the full-moon night at the end of Kartik, or Damodara.
By Dhirasanta dasa Goswami
By HDG A.C.B. Swami Prabhupada
By ISKCON MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
By Pancharatna das
