Gauri Das Pandit Disappearance
→ Ramai Swami

subalo yah priya-sresthah sa gauridasa-panditah |

In Vraja, Gauri Das Pandit was Subala, one of the twelve Gopals. He is one of Nityananda Prabhu’s dearest associates. (Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika 128)

Gauri Das’s first residence was in the village known as Shaligram, not far from Muragacha. Later he moved to Ambika Kalna in Burdwan district, where his Sripat is extremely well known. His father’s name was Kamsari Mishra and his mother was Kamala Devi.

Gauri Das was possessed of great spiritual power. He was able to give or take Krishna prema to anyone. He surrendered everything he had to Nityananda and made Chaitanya and Nityananda the masters of his life and soul. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.11.26-7)

A wonderful story is told about Mahaprabhu and Gauri Das Pandit in Ambika Kalna. It is said that on the day that Mahaprabhu paddled across the Ganges to come to visit Gauri Das, he sat under the tamarind tree. Gauri Das asked for Mahaprabhu to stay permanently there in Ambika.

In order to fulfill his devotee’s desire, Mahaprabhu revealed that his form and that of Nityananda Prabhu were in a nearby neem tree. It is also said that when these deities were being carved, Nityananda was physically present. Conquered by Gauri Das’s love for Them, the deities would physically eat everything that he offered Them.

One time, Chaitanya Dasa, Gauridasa’s foremost disciple, organized a huge sankirtana festival on the bank of the Ganges. Enraptured by the kirtana, Gauridasa’s Deities jumped off the altar and joined the Devotees in chanting and dancing. Discovering the Deities missing from the Temple, Gauridasa grabbed a stick and ran to catch Gaura-Nitai.

Seeing his angry mood, Gaura-Nitai vanished. At that moment, Gauridasa watched in amazement to see Gaura-Nitai enter the heart (hrdaya) of Chaitanya Dasa. Gauridasa embraced his beloved disciple, bathed him with tears, and said, “You are most fortunate. From today your name will be Hrdaya Chaitanya, one who holds Shri Chaitanya within his heart.”

Gauri Das Pandit Goswami disappeared in the month of Shravan on the sukla dvadasi, the twelfth day of the waxing moon.

NA Vaishnavi Ministry: Let’s Come Together to Celebrate our Collective Creativity & Strength
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Vaishnavi Ministry North America is announcing a special call to all Vaishnavis, “We are thrilled to resume the collection for the special ‘Book of Talent’ dedicated to celebrating and connecting the wonderful Vaishnavis of our society,” said Govind Priya Devi Dasi, Vaishnavi Minister for North America. She continued, “This initiative is designed to help us […]

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Chant Now Successfully Expanding Outreach to Latin American Seekers
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Chant Now, an initiative of ISKCON Online, is expanding its reach with innovative digital strategies designed to spread Krishna consciousness worldwide. Recently, we interviewed Vrajendra Kumar Das, who is in charge of the Spanish edition of Chant Now. He shared insights about some significant activities of the Chant Now program. “We have begun by promoting […]

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Karuna Care Opens Registration for “Guardians of Innocence” Child Protection Course
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The ISKCON Karuna Care Association will be holding a comprehensive five-week child protection educational program entitled “Guardians of Innocence: Protecting Krishna’s Children” this month. This comprehensive online course, which begins on August 24th, will hold its first live class on August 31st at 8 AM BST.  “This Course has been designed to bring awareness about […]

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Ready for Krishna!
→ Dandavats

A lady came near my table. She seemed shy at first, but when I was done speaking with someone else, she walked up and took three Russian books. Her name was Camilla, she was from Russia, and although she spoke perfect English, she naturally preferred her native Russian. When she asked about the best way
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Gopala-tapani Release
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By Dr. Baladeva Dasa I am glad to announce the release of Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s commentary on the Gopala-tapani Upanisad. Having been published only once, in 1943, this important commentary has been out of print for many decades ever since. The “Tapani” is a sub-category of mystical Upanisads that shed light on their respective deities,
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Statement from the GBC Executive Committee Regarding Bangladesh
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Statement from the Executive Committee of the ISKCON Governing Body Commission August 11, 2024 Dear ISKCON Devotees, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. We write regarding the current situation in Bangladesh. Most of you are aware of the current political and social unrest in Bangladesh. The Prime Minister has resigned and […]

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Hare Krishna Kirtan at Harvard Divinity School Commencement Service
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Earlier this summer, Harvard Divinity School held its annual Multireligious Commencement Service for its 2024 graduates. In addition to faculty speakers, members of the graduating class selected readings, prayers, music, and poetry to represent the students’ various religious and spiritual traditions. Among the offerings was a kirtan led by three graduates of HDS. This year’s […]

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“Books are the Basis” Global Celebration to be Held in September
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The ISKCON Ministry of Education is delighted to announce this year’s “Books Are The Basis” week. This global celebration will be held from September 18th to 24th to commemorate the significance of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America. In the spring of 2020, the GBC Body passed a resolution encouraging all ISKCON centres to emphasize the […]

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Srila Prabhupada International Heritage Museum Set to Open in 2025
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The Srila Prabhupada International Heritage Museum, under the guidance of TOVP Chairman Ambarisa Das and Svaha Dasi, will be constructed in three phases. The first phase will cover 1,000 square feet and will open on February 18, 2025, during the International Leadership Sanga (ILS). The second phase will expand to 6,000 square feet, and the […]

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Sri Sri Radha Madhava Gianyar Bali
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Many years ago, our function in the Gianyar region of Bali was held in Pradhyumna Prabhu’s house. A downstairs room served as the temple and we were graced with small Gaura Nitai deities. It was a remote location in the middle of crop fields and in the rainy season all of us had to hike up our dhotis to get through the mud.

By the mercy of Their Lordships, the current temple, which is nearby the original, is a sizable acreage. It has a grand temple building, asrama, guest house, plus small goshala. The devotees own houses around the temple complex. Their Lordships, Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Lalita, Visakha, and Gaura Nitai have a beautiful altar and are served enthusiastically.

Revitalizing ISKCON: A Call to Reconnect with Srila Prabhupada’s Vision
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The Prabhupada Network Team, under the leadership of Janmastami Dasa, successfully organized three Srila Prabhupada Connect Day events from July 27-28, 2024 in Sri Mayapur Dham. The events were designed to commemorate the 58th anniversary of ISKCON’s incorporation, highlight ISKCON’s transcendentally conceived seven purposes, and strengthen the community’s connection with Srila Prabhupada as our Founder-Acarya. […]

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ISKCON Trivandrum Sharing Prasadam and Supplies to Thousands of Kerala Victims
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Destructive and deadly landslides and widespread flooding from torrential rains have killed hundreds and left thousands homeless in southern India’s Kerala state. ISKCON Trivandrum immediately began taking action to supply both essentials items and packed prasadam to those affected by the devastations. Jagat Sakshi Dasa from ISKCON Trivandrum released the following statement on August 7, […]

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