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Ramanujacharya was a foremost teacher of the bhakti tradition. His example and teachings have shaped the bhakti movement in South India for over a thousand years.

He was born on April 13, 1017 at Sriperembudur, twenty-five miles west of modern Chennai. He was named Ilaya Perumal by his religious parents.

Ramanujacharya, coming after Sankaracharya, broadened the scope of Vedic teachings. He taught that bhakti is eternal. It’s not simply a means to God; it’s also an end in itself because it entails an active relationship with God. Service to God and His devotees is an integral part of bhakti.

Ramanuja presented God as a person, a sentient being with whom anyone can establish a loving relationship. He also broke the rigid caste barriers of his time and embraced people from all walks of life into the bhakti fold. He thereby made relationship with God not only a tangible reality, but also accessible to all.

In the bhakti tradition there are four prominent schools, and Sri Vaishnavism, led by Ramanuja, is one of them. This school maintains that the Lord Himself imparted the bhakti knowledge to His consort Lakshmi (Sri), and in the disciplic line the legacy was passed to Ramanujacharya.

 Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 12
By Krishna Kripa Das
(Week 12: March 19–25, 2025)

Tallahassee
(Sent from Tallahassee, Florida, on March 29, 2025)

Where I Went and What I Did

For the twelfth week of 2025, I remained living at ISKCON Tallahassee. I chanted Hare Krishna every day at Landis Green, behind the main Florida State University library. In Tallahassee, I distributed a Bhagavad-gita, three “On Chanting Hare Krishna” pamphlets, and seventy-one little cups of halava to promote our Krishna Lunch at the campus. 

I tell about the exciting visit of three book distributors from Krishna Life for two and a half days.

I share a quote each from a book and a lecture of Srila Prabhupada. I share quotes from Miracle on Second Avenue by Mukunda Goswami, and from The Delaware Diaries and Beginning at Second Avenue by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share an amazing sankirtana story from Ambarish Maharaja Prabhu from the book distribution mailing list.

Thanks to Satyaraja Govinda Prabhu for his donation of bhoga and laksmi in memory of his mother who passed away recently. Please give her your blessings to return to Krishna soon.

Itinerary

January 6–April 11: Tallahassee harinamas and FSU college outreach
– March 29: Tallahassee Ratha-yatra
April 12: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
April 13: Gainesville harinama
April 14–15: USF harinamas in Tampa
April 16–20: Washington, D.C., harinamas with Sankarsana Prabhu
April 21–22: NYC Harinam
April 23: Flight to Brussels
April 24: Layover in Oslo
April 25: Kadamba Kanana Swami Vyasa-puja at Radhadesh
April 26: King’s Day in Amsterdam
April 27: Liege harinama
April 28–May 1: Paris harinamas
May 2: Sarcelles market harinama
May 3–4: Amsterdam Kirtan Mela and Sacinandana Swami seminar
May 5 and 6: harinama in Amsterdam, Antwerp, or Brussels
May 7: Flight from Brussels to New York City
May 8–June 15: NYC Harinam
mid June–mid August: Paris
– June 22: Paris Ratha-yatra
– July 11: Amsterdam harinama
– July 12: Amsterdam Ratha-yatra
– July 13: Netherlands harinama

Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee

The most striking feature of this week in Tallahassee for me was the visit of three book distributors from Krishna Life in Atlanta. Last year, Mahosaha Prabhu from there distributed an entire Srimad-Bhagavatam set to a FSU student on the campus here. Mahosaha is legendary, so that is not so surprising, but this year two of the visiting devotees from Krishna Life each distributed at Bhagavatam set to a student.

Wednesday Janardana Prabhu distributed this Bhagavatam set to this young woman.

And the next day, Jagat Trata Prabhu distributed a Bhagavatam set to this young man. One interesting thing about that is the Krishna Life devotees found a video online in which book distributor, Parama Karuna Prabhu, really heavily criticized the same student for eating meat and thus cruelly and unnecessarily causing pain to God’s creatures although considering himself a follower of Jesus Christ. Apparently he had a change of heart. The student told Jagat Trata that later he met Adikarta Prabhu and got a book from him.

The Krishna Life devotees were happy to participate in our morning and evening programs here in Tallahassee, and it was wonderful to have additional devotees. I got to dance in kirtan for a change. Here Janardana Prabhu of Krishna Life chants Hare Krishna at our Tallahassee daily evening kirtan (https://youtu.be/iplQ5kw21uE):

The following Monday as I was chanting Hare Krishna at FSU I saw that student who bought the Bhagavatam set from Jagat Trata Prabhu on Thursday. I learned his name is Josh, and he got the First Canto, Part 1, from Parama Karuna Prabhu initially, then later he received Bhagavad-gita from Adikarta Prabhu. When Adikarta heard he got the Bhagavatam set he congratulated him, saying that he had made the best possible investment. Josh felt very good about getting the set and considered he got a great deal. I shared verse 1.2.6 with him, saying that universal spiritual wisdom is the standard of the Bhagavatam. I told him that I read the Bhagavatam every day for an hour after breakfast until I finished it. I mentioned that I encountered the tradition 45 years ago, and I am still finding additional knowledge within it.

The “Tally Preacher” writes chalk messages on the sidewalk near where I chant Hare Krishna. Although he has specifically blasphemed Krishna in his writings once in the past, this time he stuck to glorifying Jesus as the only savior. I thought of editing out the word “only” as Krishna also saves. So does the holy name of the Lord, which is mentioned in three places in the Bible as a savior. Of course, I didn’t actually alter the sign because I am fully engaged in chanting Hare Krishna and advertising our Krishna Lunch. Two female students independently poured water from their water bottles over the sign and smeared it, even as the Tally Preacher protested. That is why it looks smudged. I thought of taking a photo of the students doing that, but I didn’t think that would enhance my reputation with the Tally Preacher, so I just kept chanting.

Someone donated a sports drink to the preacher, which he did not want, and so he gave it to me when he left, thus improving our relationship. As it had no objectionable ingredients, I later offered it to Gaura-Nitai. It tasted pretty good.

On Fridays, Ananga Mohan Prabhu joins me for harinama for an hour or two. This week I brought out a mat so we could sit down.

Rather than print lots of little flyers to promote the Krishna Lunch, I started asking people to take photos of our poster. To those who already love Krishna Lunch, I give additional posters they can put up on kiosks near where they live or study or at a departmental office where they work.

Govinda Kaviraja Prabhu, our temple president, chants Hare Krishna at the ISKCON Tallahassee Saturday evening program (https://youtu.be/7xW6z4owLw8):

On Tuesday a student asked me if I was Daru, who was temple president and Krishna Lunch cook here for many years. I said no but that I am a friend of Daru. He said his parents, Eric and Claire, remember Daru from when they studied at FSU about twenty years ago. I asked if he thought Daru would remember them. He said that they were thinking of having Daru perform their marriage ceremony, but it did not work out at the last minute, and thus Daru would probably remember them. I wrote an email to Daru, but I have not heard back.

Photos

Our Krishna Lunch menu for Wednesday includes kofta balls, and our menu for Thursday includes chili. If you break the koftas into pieces and add them to the chili, the result tastes amazingly delicious.

I never really encountered puris and ice cream before, but the brother of a devotee attending our Saturday feast in Tallahassee expanded my awareness.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From The Nectar of Instruction, text 4, purport:

“Not only is the chanter of the maha-mantra purified, but the heart of anyone who happens to hear the transcendental vibration of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is also cleansed. Even the souls embodied in lower animals, insects, trees and other species of life also become purified and prepared to become fully Krishna conscious simply by hearing the transcendental vibration. This was explained by Thakura Haridasa when Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired from him how living entities lower than human beings can be delivered from material bondage. Haridasa Thakura said that the chanting of the holy names is so powerful that even if one chants in the remotest parts of the jungle, the trees and animals will advance in Krishna consciousness simply by hearing the vibration. This was actually proved by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself when He passed through the forest of Jharikhanda. At that time the tigers, snakes, deer and all other animals abandoned their natural animosity and began chanting and dancing in sankirtana. Of course, we cannot imitate the activities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but we should follow in His footsteps. We are not powerful enough to enchant the lower animals such as tigers, snakes, cats and dogs or entice them to dance, but by chanting the holy names of the Lord we can actually convert many people throughout the world to Krishna consciousness. Contributing or distributing the holy name of the Lord is a sublime example of contributing or giving charity (the dadati principle).”

From a lecture on Bhagavad-gita 2.49–51, Bowery loft, New York, April 5, 1966:

“And I am here, always working, something reading or writing, something reading or writing, twenty-four hours. Simply when I feel hungry, I take some food. And simply when I feel sleepy, I got to bed. Otherwise, always, I don’t feel fatigued. You can ask Mr. Paul whether I am doing this. So, I take, I take pleasure in doing that. I don’t feel fatigued. Similarly, when one will have that spiritual sense, he won’t feel … rather, he will … he will feel disgusted to go to sleep, to go to sleep: ‘So, sleep has come just to disturb me.’”

Mukunda Goswami:

From Miracle on Second Avenue:

“The Conway Hall lectures proved an important body of knowledge and an inspiration for the devotees around the world who eagerly awaited recordings of each one. One of the lectures, ‘Wisdom of the Vedas,’ became the introduction to Prabhupada’s book Sri Isopanishad. And a profile photo of Prabhupada taken at Conway Hall became part of the banner logo on the cover of Back to Godhead magazine.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

From Beginning at Second Avenue:

“Swamiji used to sit with us in the morning and say, ‘Chant one round.’ Then he would give us a japa lesson.

“We didn’t have bead bags in those days, and when we chanted together, Swamiji took his beads out of his bag and held them in his hands. We hung our beads around our necks as we chanted. We wore them out on the street, too. Those red beads became the mark of the Hare Krishna chanters.

“In his lectures, he implored the audience to chant. He promised peace and prosperity, and he assured us it didn’t cost anything. He begged us to chant the holy name anywhere—in the factory, in the subway, in hell. How could we have chanted without Swamiji’s japa lessons? He was happy to give them to us. More than anything, he wanted us to chant. This is how he hoped to satisfy his guru and all the acaryas. It had to start with us practicing sadhana.

“This is what it was like to be with him. This is an off-moment, in a sense. That’s why I wanted to paint it. He wasn’t lecturing. He was simply sitting with us, leaning over his table and allowing us to approach him to learn the art of chanting.”

From The Delaware Diaries, Volume 2 (Tachycardia):

“Connect everything to the Lord. Everything is already connected to him, but it is the writer’s job to make it clear.”

“Each person has to do it on their own. Prabhupada may help them, Bhaktivinoda Thakura may help them, but we each have to go alone. It’s between me and Krishna, you and Krishna.

“Affectionate chanting draws Krishna’s attention, and He gives you personal service in Krishna-loka. Nonaffectionate chanting doesn’t produce the result. We’ve heard that the outer form of chanting, the mere pronouncing of the syllables, is not the holy names. You have to enter the inner experience by calling to Krishna through the maha-mantra. My counting mantras, mounting numbers, is not enough. You reach your bare minimum and put aside your beads until the next day. After sixteen rounds, your work is done; you are free to do whatever you please. And the sixteen were done in a fruitive way, just to fulfill the precious obligation. If this is all you do, you have not entered the life of prayer.”

“Real chanting is crying out, “Dear Radha, dear Krishna, please engage me in Your service.” Or it is like the cry of the child for the mother. Mother Hara will come to you and fulfill your desire to serve the Lord, if that is your intention. Chanting Hare Krishna is powerful and supportive when we actually do it seriously. We need faith in Krishna and in the fact that Krishna is in His names.”

“Even if your chanting is offensive, it must be continued and worked through. From imperfection, purity will come about. I am doing the right thing when I am attempting. Remember, the names are absolute, so even a poor chanter is within the magic circle. He’s not wasting his time. He just has to endure and pray to improve. Don’t give up and go do other things besides chanting, thinking that you are hopeless. No, you are auspicious. If you just keep on chanting, you will gain success.”

[An item on a list:] “Sastra’s admirable remark that devotees who served Prabhupada and who have now strayed from him made eternal acts of service never to be denied them, and we should not speak against them now.”

“Krishna is the Lord. He is adhoksaja, beyond my senses to know. But I love him from hearing about him from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam through the purports of Srila Prabhupada.”

“Meditate on Radha and Krishna through their holy names in the maha-mantra. He chanted with us in the storefront and started us off. That’s a lifelong kirtana memory. Whatever kirtana I do now is a shadow of that early kirtana, the best, with him leading. But fingering the beads is the same, as he started us off. He chanted on my red beads, which I now keep on my altar. No, my head is not calm; it is still twinging behind the right eye. But I have said my quota for the day.”

“I have a right to talk of my headache syndrome. How I deal with it is part of my spirituality. It has severely hampered my active service. But for over thirty years, it is the definition of who I am as a conditioned soul, and so it is integrally involved with my relationship with Krishna. The fact that I live under its yoke is part of my submission to Krishna’s will. I do not complain to Him or blame Him. I accept it as a mystery, either my karma (token reaction) or Krishna’s personally handling me for His best interest in my advancement. If I despaired and whined about it, it would be better left unsaid. But since I am so committed to personal writing, I can’t omit it anymore than I can omit reports of my daily japa.”

“I’ve always used what pain-free hours I have to perform my basic sadhana and preaching and writing, painting, and occasional lecturing and meeting with disciples.”

Krsna-bhajana Prabhu:

Quoted in Renewal by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami:

“Personally, this is my favorite recording of Srila Prabhupada [the one on the Happening album]. When I first met my wife, Satya-sara, she had this album and we listened to it every day, many times a day. I find Prabhupada to be very present in this particular recording, more so than any other that I have heard, whether songs, lectures, or conversations. It is as if Prabhupada is speaking to everyone in the world, from the spiritual realm, through the portal of this recording, urging us all to come back to our original Krishna consciousness, and return home.”

Ambarish Maharaja Prabhu:

From a post on the book distribution mailing list:

“I went to one factory in Russia to distribute books. On meeting the secretary I asked to see the director. She went to tell the director that someone wanted to meet him. When he came out and saw me, he asked if I was a Hare Krsna. I said, ‘Yes, I am.’ He then said to the secretary, ‘Don’t let him go, I’m going to call the police. These people should be crushed like cockroaches.’ I quietly slipped out the door and went on to other places.

“What happened afterwards was amazing. When the director went home, he found his daughter crying because his wife had had a severe heart attack. The next day, for no apparent reason, his son was imprisoned. The next day the director’s superiors, also for no reason, put him on leave and said from that day forward he should consider himself fired. To top it off, when he went home the next day, he found his house on fire. Luckily, the fire wasn’t big so the firemen were able to put it out.

“Feeling hopeless from all his misfortune, the man sat down with his religious daughter to discuss how all this could have happened. She asked her father if he had committed any grievous sins recently. Reflecting on the days before the calamities came, he remembered the Hare Krsna person he had condemned. She immediately said, ‘That’s it, you offended a saint. We have to find out where he lives and beg for forgiveness. They have temples. We have to find out where the nearest temple is.’

“Looking on the internet, they found the temple address, went to the temple, and entered the temple room. Looking around, the man said to his daughter, ‘That’s him sitting over there.’

“They both came over to me. With tears in his eyes and begging for forgiveness, he spoke about all the misfortunes that had happened since he had insulted me. I was kind to them and said he should be careful about judging people. ‘Now you’ve learned a lesson.’

“Some time passed and he again came to the temple and gave a donation to the deities. He invited me to the factory and said I should bring a lot of books and he would help me distribute them. He told the employees if anyone didn’t buy a book, they would lose their jobs.

“He told me that after he had asked for forgiveness, his wife was discharged from the hospital; she hadn’t had a heart attack after all. Then his son was let out of jail owing to wrongful prosecution, and finally he had been reinstated at work. The only thing that remained from the offense was the fire damage, to remind him.”

-----

I once memorized this verse, having read it in the Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, where it occurs in Madhya 19.150 and 25.83, as well as in the purport to Madhya 8.249. It describes the rarity of perfection in devotional service to the Supreme Lord and some of its characteristics.

muktanam api siddhanam

narayana-parayanah
su-durlabhah prasantatma
kotisv api maha-mune

“O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge of liberation, one may be a devotee of Lord Narayana, or Krishna. Such devotees, who are fully peaceful, are extremely rare.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.14.5)

By Dandavats Staff Writer

The latest from the ISKCON world on Dandavats! Dive into "Stimulation for Ecstatic Love" with a deep exploration of Sri Radha's Lotus Feet. Explore the TOVP Matching Fundraiser honoring HH Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja's dedication to Srila Prabhupada's vision. Engage in profound spiritual insights with "Now see if you can strike Me!" and "Hare Krishna — Radhika Das — LIVE Kirtan at Sydney." Delve into teachings on "Overcoming Hypocrisy & Staying Steadfast in Dharma" and learn why Prahlad Maharaj is celebrated as the greatest devotee. Plus, get an inside look at the state-of-the-art surgery theater in Mayapur and explore "Exploring Puranic Visions of the Universe." Stay connected with uplifting Bhagavatam Class videos from New Vrindaban. Join us on this journey of spiritual growth and community celebration! Continue reading "Building Bhakti: Temples, Devotees, and Transformative Krishna Consciousness Journeys! March 28
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By Dandavats Staff Writer

In a world filled with distractions and information overload, seekers of wisdom often search for meaningful content that nurtures the soul. "Wisdom of the Sages" has emerged as a guiding light of spiritual insight, offering deep conversations on personal growth, mindfulness, and ancient teachings. Hosted by seasoned practitioners and thought leaders, this podcast has not only gained a loyal audience but has also cultivated a thriving global community. Continue reading "Wisdom of the Sages: A Transformational Podcast and Thriving Community
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By Dandavats Staff Writer

HG Siddhanta Prabhu ACBSP is a true asset to the Hare Krishna movement. Through his dedication to capturing and sharing the memories of Srila Prabhupada's disciples, he has created a treasure trove of knowledge, inspiration, and historical documentation. His work ensures that Srila Prabhupada's legacy will continue to shine brightly for generations to come, inspiring countless individuals on their spiritual paths. His efforts exemplify the power of oral history and the importance of preserving the personal stories that bring history to life. Continue reading "HG Siddhanta Prabhu: A Beacon of Light Preserving Srila Prabhupada’s Legacy
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By Dandavats Staff Writer

When Lord Siva visited Lord Krishna - Delve into the mystical encounter between Lord Siva and Lord Krishna during the Golden Jubilee Vraj Mandal Parikrama. Iskcon Mayapur Welcomes His Excellency Jishnu Dev Verma - Witness the divine reception of His Excellency Jishnu Dev Verma, Governor of Telangana, at Iskcon Mayapur, reflecting his esteemed journey and contributions. The Lord is satisfied with a devotee who does not wish for anything beyond Him - HH Sivarama Swami - HH Sivarama Swami shares profound insights on devotion, emphasizing the purity of vision towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead. More from Dandavats - Explore articles and reports covering a range of topics, including insights from revered speakers and updates from various Iskcon communities worldwide. Engaging Videos and Reports - Dive into a collection of enlightening videos and detailed reports, capturing vibrant aspects of spiritual life and community events. Stay tuned to Dandavats for these enlightening stories and more! Continue reading "Divine Encounters, Grand Welcomes, and Wisdom from Iskcon’s Spiritual Leaders! March 27
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I went to one factory in Russia to distribute books. On meeting the secretary I asked to see the director. She went to tell the director that someone wanted to meet him. When he came out and saw me, he asked if I was a Hare Krsna. I said, “Yes, I am.” He then said
Read More...

By Dandavats Staff Writer

ISKCON's official websites and social media channels have transformed the organization's global outreach, creating unprecedented opportunities for spiritual connection in the digital age. With tens of millions of views across platforms, ISKCON has successfully leveraged digital technologies to spread Krishna consciousness, foster community engagement, and provide spiritual resources to devotees worldwide. This digital ecosystem has become particularly vital in connecting geographically dispersed communities, engaging younger generations, and adapting ancient Vedic teachings to contemporary communication channels. Continue reading "The Digital Revolution of ISKCON: Enhancing Global Outreach via Official Websites and Social Media
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Question, when we care deeply for someone and have prayed for that person and have seen magic happen in their life, if they suddenly turn upon us and say, what have you ever done for me? How do we respond, especially when prayers are invisible and when we are a sensitive person? Answer, it’s distressing, understandably, when those whom we care for feel as if we have done nothing for them. I would approach this at three levels. First is considering our own emotions and our own mental peace.

Second is considering their own emotional state and what they are going through. And third is focusing on what or whether the tangibility of prayers can somehow be demonstrated. So firstly, we all need to do two things which can sometimes seem to be opposite.

We need to develop a tender heart. At the same time, we need to cover it with a thick skin, tender heart, so that we can connect with others and experience deep and meaningful relationships and reciprocations in those relationships. And a thick skin because people will sooner or later disappoint us and may even devastate us by their actions.

And to be fair, we also may do that to them. Sometimes knowingly, sometimes unknowingly. So Krishna says that those who are serious in the spiritual path, mould their life and their personality in such a way, or even their character in such a way that In 12.15 in the Bhagavad Gita, he says that, let us not disturb others and let us not be disturbed by others.

So this essentially means that we learn to see that while we can have relationships with others and we can have reciprocations with them, we have to avoid becoming attached to our expectations from them. Expectations are natural in any relationship, but attachment to expectations can be very disruptive. Just like attachment to anything can be disruptive.

And the way to do this is to focus primarily on the fact that while we may be doing something for someone, ultimately, we are doing it as a service to Krishna, and they are giving us an opportunity for serving them. So if our interaction, if our vision of our interaction is only limited to them, that I did this for this person, and now this person is speaking like this, then we will always be vulnerable and insecure. And we will be hurt sooner or later.

But if we see that, yes, I did this for this person, but ultimately I am meant to serve Krishna, and through this person I was serving Krishna. And whether that person reciprocates or not, this person was giving me the opportunity to serve Krishna. And rather than expecting or demanding that that person be grateful to us, then it is we who can be grateful to that person for having given us the opportunity.

Of course, if they are grateful for what we do for them, that’s wonderful. But even if they are not, we can know that our service has not gone waste, Krishna has noticed it, and Krishna will appreciate and reward it in due course. So having that vision in every interaction that I’m not just doing this for this person, but for Krishna through this person is essential if we are to not get disturbed by sometimes their disappointing lack of reciprocation or appreciation.

That’s with respect to our side. Now, generally when somebody does something unreasonable or hurtful, if you consider their actions, it’s quite likely that it is hurt people who hurt people. So maybe it is that something has happened in their life because of which they are hurting and they’re questioning what we did for them is simply a result of they going through that pain, maybe someone else let them down.

Maybe they expected something more from us at a critical time and we were not able to do that for some reason. And that’s why they are feeling let down. And it is more an expression of their hurt, rather than our lack of having done anything for them.

If you see it this way, then rather than focusing on their words, we can focus more on, okay, what is it the best thing that I can do in this situation to heal that person, to heal the relationship or to at least not aggravate things for them and for me. When Lord Rama was suddenly betrayed by Kaikeyi in order to be exiled, he saw it as just her own insecurity playing out. And that’s why he didn’t take it too seriously.

He focused on doing what was feasible. The best thing to do at that time was to just leave and go to the forest. Now, was that a palatable, enjoyable thing to do? Of course not.

But he did that because that was the best way to prevent things from becoming worse. Sometimes that’s all that we can do in a relationship. That other person is going through their own life and their own situations.

Then we may just, the only thing we can do is just keep a distance till they process what has happened and they come out of their own emotional drama and trauma. Unless, of course, they are ready to take help from us and we ourselves are not too hurt and are in a position to give help to them. Now, the last thing is the tangibility of prayers.

That is certainly not something which others can, we can show to others that I prayed for you and because of my prayers, this particular thing happened in your life. So, generally, if we recognize that in different relationships or different people value different things. So, different people have different languages of love.

For some people, words of appreciation mean a lot. So, for them, just the words when we offer a heartfelt prayer to them may themselves mean a lot. For others, for whom acts of service are more important, then they may just downplay our sincere words and say words are cheap.

They may or may not say it. So, at two levels, if a relationship is important for us, then we need to understand what it is that person values as an expression of love. And we need to do that so that that person will actually feel that we care for them and love them.

And if we have ourselves naturally a particular language of love, then we also need to connect with and bond more closely with people who share that language of love. That’s how we will have a close relationship with people who are like-minded. Sometimes we may spend a good amount of time with people and we may think that we are doing a lot for them by spending that time.

But if their language of love is, again, words of appreciation, we may be listening to them, but how much did we appreciate and encourage them during that listening? That’s what they will count. Or what did we actually do for them? So, it may be important for us to learn from such experiences and review our relationships and decide which are the relationships where we can be naturally close because that person has a similar language of love and which are the relationships where we have to be intentionally proactive in doing something so that the proximity of that relationship can be maintained. Thank you.

The post If a person for whom we have prayed a lot with magical results suddenly claims that we have done nothing for them, how can we respond? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

We often condemn material pleasures, saying that these are unsatisfactory. But then we hear in scripture that even spiritual happiness never really satisfies the heart in the sense that the devotee is always wanting more and more, just as materialists want more and more. So how is the spiritual dissatisfaction different from material dissatisfaction? The answer is in three fundamental ways.

The first is the limitedness or unlimitedness of the source. The second is the accessibility of that source for us and third is the effect of that happiness, that experience and even the pursuit on us. So we could summarize this in the acronym SAC, Source, Accessibility and Consequence.

When it comes to material happiness, the sources of material happiness themselves are finite in terms of their capacity to provide us happiness. If we wanted to enjoy looking at beautiful objects or eating delicious foods, they’re themselves limited in number. We may argue that totally there are unlimited number of attractive objects in the world if we consider what is present all over the world.

But still, those attractive objects are interspersed with many that are not that attractive. All the food that we eat is not equally delicious and in contrast with it, Krishna by definition is unlimited and he is an ocean of happiness. No material object can be considered to be an ocean and even if it were an ocean, it’s all temporary whereas Krishna is eternal.

So both in terms of the quantity and the longevity, Krishna is eternal, unlimited and everlasting in terms of him being the source of happiness which is not true with respect to sense objects which even if numerous are still finite and are all vulnerable to the deterioration and destruction by the passage of time. Thus, somebody who by great struggle gets a particular sense object, they’ll soon find that that object will no longer with the passage of time remain that beautiful or attractive and they will need to crave for some other object. In the case of Krishna, it is not that the devotee has to crave for something other than Krishna.

The devotee’s longing is to experience more and more of Krishna itself. The difference is like if somebody is in a desert and they find what seems to be initially an oasis but it soon turns out to be a very small puddle of water and immediately after that they have to search for another puddle which initially seems like to be an oasis but turns out to be just another tiny puddle whereas Krishna is like an ocean of delicious nectarian water and we can drink in one area and after that we can drink in another area and we can keep drinking and relishing in different ways at different places within the vast ocean of devotion that we enter into through developing love for Krishna. So, the second is in terms of accessibility that attractive sense objects are not easily accessible to everyone and even if they were accessible, our own senses capacity to access them is limited.

Somebody may own a shop of sweets but they can only eat so many sweets. Somebody may be in a relationship with the most good looking person in the whole world but their own body’s capacity to enjoy the company of such a person physically is limited and it becomes increasingly limited with time. So, the access to the sense objects itself is limited because there is fierce competition for getting the sense objects and even if the best sense objects are available, the capacity of our senses to access them is again limited and that’s what leads eventually to frustration when people stop physical indulgence.

It is not so much because they are satisfied but it is because their body is exhausted even though their desires are still inflamed, they stop because their body cannot go on anymore. Not because they are completely satisfied with the indulgence whereas with respect to Krishna, yes, there is difficulty in accessing Krishna initially because of our lack of purification yet Krishna makes himself accessible to us through the temple deity images, through the sacred texts and through the holy names, through his holy names and if we become purified and our mind becomes focused on Krishna and thereafter attracted to Krishna, then that access can be there for us 24 hours a day and this access is a matter of our heart, our consciousness and it does not depend on our senses and their limited capacity and thus it is that a devotee can relish the remembrance of Krishna and the joy thereof unendingly, something which is just not possible within material gratification through physical sense objects. And last is the, in the acronym S.A.C., the consequence that when we seek material pleasures, we get increasingly infatuated with them and attached to them, even addicted to them.

That keeps our consciousness increasingly restless and increasingly contaminated by the craving for that pleasure. It’s as if a shackle is formed that even while we are enjoying one object, we are being dragged toward another object. Even before we have finished drinking the water from one puddle, it’s as if there’s an invisible rope which is pulling us towards another puddle and we lose all capacity to relish the pleasure, whatever is present and that’s why once a person is addicted, what indulgence offers is not so much the positive experience of pleasure as the experience of a temporary relief from the negative experience of an increasingly intense craving.

That’s why over a period of time addicts indulge not because the indulgence feels so good but because not indulging feels so terrible and unbearable. While in some ways great devotees may also experience express dissatisfaction and a divine kind of madness in their pursuit of Krishna, there is a categorical difference because Krishna is omnipotent and omnipresent. So, even when a devotee is experiencing separation from Krishna, still the devotee’s consciousness is absorbed in Krishna and in that absorption the devotee is still experiencing the presence of Krishna and there is joy in that.

So, just the remembrance of Krishna is like nectar and this nectar comes in different flavors. When that remembrance of Krishna is accompanied with union with Krishna, that means one can perceive Krishna and be with Krishna, then that is like sweet nectar and when that remembrance is accompanied with separation from Krishna, then that is like bitter nectar. But still it is nectar in the sense that it reaches the deepest core of our being, our soul and touches and enlivens it.

So, more importantly, this longing frees us from cravings for other things which often contaminate and entangle and degrade us. So, there is a categorical difference between the dissatisfaction experienced by a devotee in that the source is unlimited, it is always accessible and the consequence is that the devotee is always spiritually enlivened even if at a surface level it doesn’t seem to be constantly joyful.

The post When spiritualists also experience the craving for more when pursuing spiritual happiness, how is their experience different from material dissatisfaction? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

Discover the vibrant spirit of devotion echoing across ISKCON communities worldwide! From the blissful Rishikesh Kirtan Fest 2025, nestled in the Himalayan foothills, to the divine drama of Krishna's Butter Tax Scam during Vraj Mandal Parikrama, each moment resonates with spiritual joy and camaraderie. Embracing sacred rituals, like the interfaith Iftar dinner in Chile and heartfelt reflections from devotees in Ujjain and beyond, these stories celebrate love, unity, and the timeless teachings of Lord Krishna. Join us on Dandavats.com to experience these uplifting tales and more Continue reading "Krishna’s Love Everywhere: Festivals, Parikramas, and Devotee Connections! March 26
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By Dandavats Staff Writer

Through its multifaceted efforts to share the treasure of Krishna consciousness, this extraordinary spiritual center fulfills Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's prediction that the holy name would be chanted in every town and village across the globe—a prophecy now manifesting before our eyes through ISKCON Mayapur's tireless dedication to spreading transcendental knowledge and divine love throughout human society. Continue reading "The Radiant Jewel of Devotion: ISKCON Mayapur Temple’s Global Impact and Digital Renaissance
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By Dandavats Staff Writer

Enlightening discourses on Srimad Bhagavatam by HG Kshudi Prabhu and inspiring lessons on reverence and familiarity by HG Brahmatirtha Prabhu, to captivating narratives like 'Cobra in the Bathroom' recounted by H.G. Srutakirti Prabhu, each piece resonates with devotion and wisdom. Delve into the divine pastimes of Srila Prabhupada in Vrindavan with HG Daivishakti Mataji, and explore profound teachings from HH SB Kesava Swami and HG Shivram Prabhu. Celebrate milestones like Sriman Gauranga Prabhu's Instagram success and Bhakt Bhagwat's TEDx achievement, alongside the global outreach of HARE KRISHNA Continue reading "Spiritual Insights, Community Triumphs, and ISKCON’s Ever-Growing Global Influence Await! March 25
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Question, in the Bhagavad Gita conclusion, Krishna talks about those who share his message, those who study his message and those who hear his message, how all of them are benefited. Do all of them get the same benefit and how can we ensure that we don’t choose the easier option instead of the tougher option? Answer, broadly speaking, Krishna is not explicitly stating the benefits for all three of them. For those who share his message, he says they become very dear to him and in fact there is no one sodier and then they get Parabhakti.

So that clearly indicates that they attain the highest abode. Now that’s 1868-1869, 1870, Krishna talks about those who study his message, they worship him with his intelligence. So he is saying that they worship him with their intelligence.

He doesn’t specify any destination. And then in the next verse, he talks about those who hear his message, they attain the auspicious planets. Now Chakravarti Pa there mentions in his commentary that this is also referring to the heavenly planets but to the planet of Dhruva, which is in the material world but is also in the spiritual world.

So in that sense, the prapniyat-punya-karmanam is not just the result of piety but is the result of bhakti. So Dhruva’s planet is in the material world but still it is considered a spiritual planet. And from there one attains the spiritual world.

So if we consider Chakravarti Pa’s explanation that even those at the lowest level of simply hearing Krishna’s message will also eventually attain the spiritual world, then we can say that applies to the intermediate level also where they are studying the Gita. So now when Krishna is accommodating all the levels, how can we avoid choosing the easiest path? I think it depends on we understanding the principle of love or we could say the difference between love and business or commerce. In commerce, often we want to give the least amount of service or resources or money and get the maximum amount in return.

In love, we naturally want to offer the best to the beloved. And if you are trying to get away by offering the least, then that is not a loving relationship, that is a transactional or commercial relationship. And we need to go beyond that kind of mentality.

So broadly when we see such multi-level presentation from Krishna, whether it is in the 18th chapter, whether it is in the 12th chapter, from verses 8 to 12, we need to see that this is the expression of Krishna’s loving heart. And when Krishna expresses loving heart, then we should also reciprocate with our loving heart. Krishna says as we approach him, so he rewards.

So if he is revealing his loving heart and extending his multiple levels, if we start having a calculative head, that let me do this much only and because of doing this much also I will get elevated, then Krishna will also respond with his calculative head. So when our Ajamil, after just once chanting the holy name, gets delivered from the clutches of Yamaraj, Parikshit Maharaj doesn’t think that, he doesn’t say to Shukadeva Swami, you know, Shukadeva Swami, shut up, there is no need for you to speak for 7 days now for me to hear. When the Dakshak comes, at that time I will chant one Narayan.

So just giving the options that are easier doesn’t necessarily mean that we take the easier options or that everyone uses it as a license to stay at the lowest possible level. That’s why rather than talking about this level leading to this destination and that level leading to that destination in the specifics, something which Krishna himself does not emphasize by leaving out the specific destination for 1870, what we understand is the principle that Krishna is revealing his love and it is out of his love that he is accommodating us at multiple levels. And we also reciprocate with love by trying to connect with him at the level that we can while also trying our best to connect more intimately, rising to a higher level.

Thank you.

The post When Krishna offers multiple levels to connect with him how to avoid the tendency to connect at the easiest level? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

Dandavats today showcases a vibrant array of spiritual insights and community activities. Recent highlights include an enlightening discussion by H.G. Daivishakti Mataji on Srila Prabhupada's Lilamrita, offering profound reflections on spiritual teachings. Sri Haridev Ji's Yatra through Behta, Bithoor, Kalpi, and Kanpur enriches with cultural exploration and devotion. Articles on Vedic origins and the disappearance of Govinda Ghosh deepen understanding. Continue reading "Enlightening Talks, Sacred Pilgrimages, and Heartfelt Devotion for Spiritual Seekers! March 24
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Question, what is the Bhagavad Gita perspective on the concept of informational obesity where people have a lot of information but that simply loads their brain just as too much food can load the body? Answer, to some extent this is a distinctively modern problem because it is now that we have access to so much technology that gives access to so much information. So the Bhagavad Gita does not have a direct statement about this but broadly three points could be made. The Gita in 18.22 talks about knowledge in the mode of ignorance where it says we know one thing and we think we know everything and thus our knowledge actually blinds us to our ignorance.

So, now when we get a lot of information, there are three considerations. Is this information relevant for me? There are so many things to know in the world and of course we may say it’s good to be stay in touch with the times to be well-informed and that is true but even good things need boundaries. So Neil Postman, a prominent social critic who wrote a well-known book called Amusing Us As To Death talked about the idea of the information action ratio that from the information that I have learned what am I doing about it or is there something I can do about it or does it affect my choices on a daily basis.

Now of course in a world where things are so interconnected the only action that we may have to take is voice an opinion about certain issues and there are places where having a well-informed and balanced opinion may be important. So in that sense we may need more information than what immediately is required for our daily choices but if we are seeking information solely out of the fear of appearing to be uninformed and ignorant then we will be getting caught in the informational maze. So that’s the first part.

Then the second more important question may well be that is it holistic in the sense that when I am forming an opinion something, am I balanced, am I hearing, I am sufficiently well-read to hear both sides of the story. Sometimes the social media algorithms that feed us data they often end up reinforcing our biases by feeding us only the kind of articles that we have previously read as often called the echo chamber of social media. So thus we think we have read a lot but whatever we have read has only increased our ignorance of the alternative perspective.

That’s why is it relevant, is it balanced. The third and even more important thing in my understanding or the most important thing would be that now is it something which is assimilated. So is it something which I have translated into, is it balanced, it is as it assimilated that means can I put in my own words what I have read, what I have heard, what I have put together or is it that I just taken nuggets of information from here and there that some seem to fuel my bloat my ego or trigger my emotions, my biases but don’t really deepen my understanding.

So simply after consuming something just like our body needs time to digest before we gulp something more, we can evaluate, maybe spend a few minutes to, if you are reading a ten minute article, maybe spend two minutes trying to articulate key points in our own words. So these three points could be a bar, are we getting a balanced view, are we assimilating what we are reading and is what we are reading relevant. This could help us to ensure that what we have is informational fitness and not informational obesity.

The post How can we counter informational obesity? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

Bhaktivedanta Manor has established itself as a powerhouse of spiritual influence in the United Kingdom, leveraging an impressive digital presence across multiple social media platforms to spread Krishna Consciousness to hundreds of thousands of followers. With over 309,000 Facebook followers and more than 7.3 million combined YouTube views, the Manor has successfully transformed from a physical sanctuary into a digital spiritual hub that reaches far beyond its 78-acre grounds in Watford. The temple's digital outreach complements its extensive physical programs, which annually welcome thousands of visitors, including nearly 9,000 school pupils and over 1,400 college students. Continue reading "Bhaktivedanta Manor: A Digital Beacon of Spiritual Influence in the UK
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Govinda Ghosh was one of the three brothers Govinda, Vasudev and Madhav, who were all dear associates of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu. According to Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (188), Sri Govinda Ghosh is a sakhi named Kalavati in Goloka Vrindavan, who beautifully sings songs composed by Srimati Vishakha Sakhi. 

Govinda Ghosh, in Mahaprabhu’s lila as well, was a celebrated singer with melodious voice. He, along with his brothers, was present in the kirtans at Srivas Angan, in the kirtan party which went to the Kazi’s house, in the kirtan’s at Raghav Pandit’s house and in the 4th sankirtan party during Rathayatra, the main dancer of which was Vakreshwar pandit.

He was also present in the party which accompanied Mahaprabhu on his journey to Vrindavan. Once, during the travel, Mahaprabhu wanted some Haritaki, a mouthfreshner, after his lunch. Govinda immediately gave one Haritaki to Mahaprabhu.

Knowing that he sometimes saved some Haritaki for later, Mahaprabhu got upset and said that he should remain at that place and establish a deity and worship Him. This was done by the Lord just to instruct the sadhakas that one should not hoard anything, having faith that Krishna will provide for all our necessities. 

Although greatly distressed, Govinda followed the instructions of the Lord and stayed at Agradwip. There he established the deity of Gopinath in accordance with Mahaprabhu’s directions. He then got married and also had a son. He, along with his family always engaged in affectionately serving Gopinath.

Why are some people more inclined to spirituality than others? Answer, there can be broadly three reasons. The first is centered on their past life experiences. Experiences, while some people may or may not believe in the idea of a previous life and that whatever we experienced in a previous life has an effect on this life, we can nonetheless say that very few people can actually deny the fact that even small children have characteristics from their very start, which are very different from child to child.

What exactly is the cause of these distinctive characteristics is still something which eludes purely reductionistic explanations. So just as some children have an extraordinary interest in a talent for music or language or drawing or maths or chess, so similarly some people can have an extraordinary interest in spirituality right from their childhood itself, which is basically coming from the practice that they have cultivated in their previous life. The Bhagavad Gita talks about this in its sixth chapter in texts 43 and 44.

Apart from the past life inclinations, there could also be an upbringing from this life, which makes people more receptive to spirituality. If they have grown up in a family where life’s higher values and higher purposes have been talked about or grown up in a family where spiritual practices played a significant role in day-to-day life, then those impressions stay with them and prompt them to explore something similar in their own lives individually. The third factor broadly could be the realizations that the person has got through their own life experiences and that is where a person may start thinking more about what can bring greater meaning and value into my life.

That may be coming from either they having lost something very valuable in their life and the resulting disappointment and disillusionment may be inspiring them to redirect their entire life’s priority and focus or the other possibility is that they might be, they might have achieved something that they had dreamt of and they had found it unfulfilling and that dissatisfaction may prompt them to look for something higher in life. So it could be either the devastation of losing something of value or the dissatisfaction that comes from giving something of value and realizing that it is not as great as it was touted to be and thereby starting to explore something higher. So these three factors could be summarized by the acronym PER, P is for past life impressions, U is for upbringing and R is for realizations and all these three individually or collectively can contribute to a greater spiritual inclination in some people as compared to others.

The post Why are some people more inclined to spirituality than others? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

Welcome to our latest collection of inspiring videos, articles, and reports from ISKCON communities worldwide! This edition brings together profound spiritual teachings, uplifting stories, and important updates from devotees dedicated to spreading Krishna consciousness.. Continue reading "Spiritual Insights, Community Updates, and Devotional Wisdom from ISKCON! March 23
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“The GBC expresses appreciation and support to the Gift Prabhupada project team for reaching out to hundreds of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples worldwide with a personalized offering of gratitude for their lifelong commitment to Srila Prabhupada and his mission. “The gift — a miniature lifelike brass murti of Srila Prabhupada in a box with a fragment
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By Dandavats Staff Writer

Tulsi, the Goddess of Devotion, is central to the practice of bhakti and an essential part of ISKCON’s spiritual traditions. Srila Rupa Goswami included Tulsi worship in the Panchanga bhakti process, and Srila Prabhupada established daily Tulsi puja in all ISKCON temples. She is very dear to Sri Krishna, and devotees honor her with deep reverence. Other spiritual discussions include the GBC Meeting Highlights Report (March 19, 2025), which covered key topics from the online gathering, featuring readings from the Srimad Bhagavatam. Additionally, H.G. Lakshminath Prabhu shared insights on Lord Śiva's connection to Vāsudeva. ISKCON's initiatives extend to community services, such as free medical camps at Santipur. Various enlightening talks, including Bhakti Devi Expands From Sri Radha, continue to inspire devotees worldwide, reinforcing the importance of devotion, service, and spiritual wisdom. Continue reading "Lord Śiva, Bhakti Devi, and ISKCON’s Commitment to Spiritual Growth and Service! March 22
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By Vraj Vihari Das

ISKCON Resolve offers a comprehensive suite of confidential and neutral resources designed to empower individuals and cultivate a more harmonious community. Their services include: Ombuds Representatives: Trained listeners provide a safe and confidential space for devotees to discuss their situations, offering guidance and support. Mediation Services: Facilitating respectful dialogue, ISKCON Resolve helps parties in conflict work towards mutually agreeable resolutions. Continue reading "*ISKCONResolve Foundations Course: A Guide for Addressing Kali Yuga Conflicts!*
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How to respond to agnostics who say that God can’t be known?

Question, how do we respond to an agnostic who says that God is unknowable? Answer, three steps. First is, based on that very philosophy, that if one is agnostic truly, then maybe one can be agnostic about one’s agnosticism also. That means, if we are considering the unknowability of God and we are considering that unknowability is so important, then maybe we should consider the unknowability of the unknowability.

Is God really unknowable? Can we know that for sure? So, agnosticism implies a certainty that itself is problematic based on the very essence of agnosticism, that we can’t know about God. But can we be sure, can we know for sure that we can’t know about God? So, applying agnosticism to agnosticism can open our minds a bit to explore further. Second is that, in general the quest for knowledge, the human quest for understanding has been premised on the broad, almost axiomatic assumption within science that reality is knowable for us in the domain of physical sciences.

If the pioneering scientists had been agnostic about nature, that, oh, we can’t know how nature works, then we would have had none of the advancement of scientific knowledge or the technological facilities and utilities, many of which have become necessities in our life today. And throughout history there have been, there will be naysayers who say that these things are too complicated for us to know. And there is some truth to what they say.

As we have dived deeper and deeper into the complexities of nature, for example, quantum physics has brought human knowledge to an often baffling stop, where not only is, according to some prominent quantum physicists, not only is it weirder than what we imagine, it is weirder than what we can imagine. Even though that is the present understanding right now, the journey to this understanding has had benefits, and quantum physics and in general the knowledge of the quantum world has significantly transformed the way we live. So the point is, even if there is an inability to come to a conclusive understanding, the quest for understanding itself can increase our understanding and can contribute to well-being in various ways.

So, the quest for knowing God need not be subjected to a standard different from what we have subjected other seemingly incomprehensible fields of knowledge. The human spirit of knowing need not be deterred or blocked by the philosophical premise of agnosticism that the ultimate reality is unknowable in principle. The ultimate reality may be unknowable in practice to a complete degree, but the attempt to know that may well help us survive forbidden human curiosity from exploring in that particular direction.

Of course, if some particular people do not wish to explore that particular domain, that is fair enough. Each individual has the opportunity to decide where they want to direct their curiosity and they have the autonomy for that. But just as they have the autonomy to decide not to explore, shouldn’t others have the autonomy to explore? So the first point is a logical challenge to agnosticism in terms of it.

Can we know for sure it is unknowable? Second is that even if there is ultimate unknowability, if there is incremental knowledge, might that not be beneficial and might human curiosity in that direction lead to something constructive? So this is more of a historical experiential approach that has been used elsewhere. And the third is more of a psychological approach. Agnosticism is often a reaction and a valid reaction to the certainty that certain religious traditions and especially competing religious traditions have about the conclusiveness about their revelation of divinity and the resulting conflicts from there.

One tradition may claim for sure that this is what the nature of the ultimate reality is based on their sacred books. Another tradition may have a completely different conception of the divine and when such traditions argue and go beyond argument to religious intolerance and violence, then they end up making the world worse in many ways. And agnosticism can seem to be a much safer bet for the well-being of humanity.

However, that reasoning is based on the questionable assumption that the quest for knowing God has to result in a certainty that will lead to intolerance and violence. In the broad Vedic tradition and in the tradition of the Bhagavad Gita, spiritual growth is seen in two different pathways. One is the growth in faith, which brings about certainty, but the other trajectory is the growth in humility based on understanding that God or the ultimate reality, however one names and conceives or realises that reality, is far bigger than me and far bigger than my capacity to conceive or realise.

Therefore, that profound humility brings about an acceptance of uncertainty and even comfort with uncertainty. In my particular tradition, this is conveyed by the idea that the ultimate reality is achintya, inconceivable. That in the Bhagavad Gita 10.15, Arjuna, after hearing from Krishna about the message of the nature of reality culminating in the glory of divinity, Arjuna makes two seemingly contrasting statements.

On one side, he declares with conviction that it is Krishna who is the ultimate reality and he accepts Krishna’s words in full and in that same breath, even without a pause apparently he says that, you, O Lord, are unknowable, that no one, neither beings more powerful than me or greater than virtue and wisdom in me can know you. That the ultimate reality is knowable only by the ultimate reality. So God will always remain greater than whatever conceptions we may have of God.

God will always remain greater than whatever revelations we may have of God. God will always remain greater than whatever traditions may have evolved in the search of God and the service to God. God will always remain greater than the religions that may have sprung in His name and God will always remain greater than any leaders or seers who claim to know God.

And this is the categorical conclusion of the Gita where it is said that we need to go beyond even the religions that may be devoted to Him to become devoted to Him. Sarva Dharmaan Parityajya Maam Ekam Sharanam Vraja. So, therefore, the true understanding of God as explained in the broad Bhakti Yoga tradition and in the Bhagavad Gita is not an understanding of an intolerant certainty.

While there is certainty about the way one has realised God, there is an implicit acknowledgement that God is greater than one’s realisation. And in the Vedic tradition, this is enshrined in the statement, Ekam Sat Viprabhoudhavadanti. There is one truth, but that truth is known and addressed by different sages in different ways.

So how exactly the revelations of one particular tradition or one particular teacher may reconcile with the revelations of another teacher may well be inconceivable for us. This does not create a theological free-for-all where any and every revelation may be considered to be a right revelation and we end up with unlimited and often mutually irreconcilable conceptions of the Divine. The principle of spirituality is that knowing is not just a matter of information, it’s a matter of transformation.

And so, how one conceives of God is important, but what is more important is what is the consequence on oneself of that conception of God. If one truly knows God, the result would be that knowledge and experience of God would be so enriching that one would not crave for any other experiences. And that is why this is one of the aspects of perennial philosophy also, which is very much in harmony with the teachings of the Gita that if we become authentically God conscious in the sense of coming to know something about God, the result would be that we would become attached to God and we would become detached from the material world.

And being detached from the material world also means being detached from wanting to force others to accept God as we have conceived Him. We may want to persuade, but we will be open to understanding that God may reveal Himself in different ways to different people. So, the metaphor often used here is that we are trying to climb up a mountain and there is a peak, but we come closer and closer to the peak, but we never actually reach the peak.

And the way the peak is seen by people climbing up in one path will always be different from the way the peak is seen by those climbing from the other side. Now, all these climbers may meet at the peak, but that peak is ultimately reached in another domain of reality and therefore arguing about whether one particular revelation about the nature of that peak is final and another is not, is ultimately not an optimal utilisation of time. Just as there are objective criteria that a person climbing up a mountain will be moving further away from the ground and coming closer to the peak and becoming increasingly captivated by its beauty.

Similarly, the objective criteria for spiritual growth is that one becomes more and more attached to God and becomes less and less interested in trying to… in material things, including the material notion of wanting to force one’s conception of God on others. So spiritual growth is centred not so much on proving, but on improving, not on trying to fight to categorically establish that one’s own revelation of the ultimate is the ultimate, but on letting that revelation bring about an existential transformation of our own heart and a redirection of our own life from the mundane to the divine. So to summarise three points.

The logical challenge with the claim that God is unknowable. How can we show that the unknowability of God is knowable? The second is a historical experiential that we haven’t given into the principle of unknowability in any other area of the search for human understanding. And third, Gnosticism’s concern that a certainty about God can lead to intolerance is valid, but knowledge of God doesn’t have to necessarily lead to an intolerant certainty.

It can lead to a profound humility that fosters commitment to one’s own revelation while also fostering openness to other revelations with a focus on improving oneself rather than proving to others.

The post How to respond to agnostics who say that God can’t be known? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

The achievement metrics—650 million YouTube views, 2.3 million subscribers, presence across dozens of digital platforms, and extensive broadcasting reach—represent more than just media success. They reflect a sincere dedication to sharing Krishna consciousness globally and making spiritual wisdom accessible to people of all backgrounds. Continue reading "Hare Krishna TV: Transforming Spiritual Media Landscape Through Devotional Service
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Srivasa Thakura, one of the members of the Pancha-tattva, lived in Navadvipa-dhama in Mayapur, near the residence of Jagannatha Mishra and Sacidevi, where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. Later, when Lord Chaitanya began His sankirtana movement in Navadvipa-dhama, He and His other most confidential associates would meet at Srivasa-angana, the home of Srivasa Thakura, and have kirtan throughout the night. The kirtans at Srivasa-angana were ecstatic, and only the most intimate devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were allowed to enter. In fact, the nocturnal kirtans at Srivasa-angana in gaura-lila are compared to the rasa dance in krsna-lila.

In his identity in krsna-lila, Srivasa Pandita is Narada Muni, the great preacher who travels throughout the universe chanting the holy names of Krishna and enlightening the fallen souls in Krishna consciousness. So it is most auspicious that His Holiness Sridhar Swami Maharaja left on Srivasa Thakura’s appearance day—that most auspicious day—in Sri Mayapur-dhama—that most auspicious place.

We now have a special opportunity and responsibility to honor and glorify His Holiness Sridhar Swami Maharaja.

My own association with Sridhar Swami goes back to Bombay, over thirty years ago. Srila Prabhupada had requested disciples from America to come to India to help him there, and in particular with his three main projects—Bombay, Mayapur, and Vrindavan. From 1972, Sridhar Swami served Srila Prabhupada in India, mainly in Bombay.

When we got permission from the municipality to build on Hare Krishna Land in Juhu, Srila Prabhupada wanted Sridhar Maharaja to take charge of the construction materials. Sridhar Maharaja had a hefty build, like a football player, so Srila Prabhupada thought he would be appropriate to keep track of the construction material and make sure none of it was stolen. But Sridhar Maharaja (he wasn’t a sannyasi then, so Sridhar das Brahmachari) said that he didn’t want to look after the construction material; he wanted to preach. I was the temple president in Bombay, so I was going back and forth between him and Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada again said that Sridhar Maharaja should look after the construction materials, so I went back to deliver the message to him, but Sridhar Maharaja insisted, “I want to preach!”

Maharaja had never really preached much in India before then, and we didn’t know how well he could preach to the aristocratic Indian gentlemen we were mainly approaching at that time. But he was so sincere in his desire that he became one of the best preachers in India, one of the best in the world. This story illustrates Maharaja’s sincere desire to preach, and his strong determination to serve Srila Prabhupada and the mission even in ways that he may not have found easy.

In India, Srila Prabhupada had introduced the life-membership program. And he based the society’s progress there on its level of success. He said that making someone a life member was almost as good as making him a devotee. He had introduced the program as a way to distribute his books, he explained, because if someone became a life member by paying a certain subscription, he would get a set of the books and a subscription to Back to Godhead magazine.

Eventually, Sridhar Swami led one of the life-membership teams in Bombay. I was the membership director, and the other team leaders were Maharaja, Lokanath Swami, Jagat-purusa Prabhu, and Haridasa Prabhu. In the early 1980s, Sridhar Maharaja became the Juhu temple president, and so he increasingly joined me in cultivating the most important people in Bombay. And between 1984 and 1990, when I was unable to return to India because of visa problems, Maharaja deepened his relationship with many of our most important members and they came to love him deeply.

In around 1991, Sridhar Maharaja proposed a fund-raising-by-mail program in Juhu. Many devotees criticized the idea, saying it would never work. To prepare the letters and post them would cost more than two lakhs—two hundred thousand—rupees, and there was no guarantee that we would ever get the money back. But in spite of all the negativity, Maharaja took the risk—Srila Prabhupada had said, “To preach means to take risks”—and the experiment proved to be successful. The first effort itself made money, and subsequent mailings proved even more profitable. Soon, Maharaja received invitations from centers in India and abroad to help them organize fund-raising-by-mail campaigns, and the campaigns proved to be successful everywhere. They became one of the most reliable sources of income many temples had. Even today, the BHISMA (Bhaktivedanta Information Services and Mailing) office started by Sridhar Maharaja raises funds for the Juhu temple by mail.

More recently, Sridhar Maharaja started the pioneering Vedic Applied Spiritual Technology (VAST) program, which used the latest multi-media methods to teach the corporate sector stress management and time management—all in relation to Krishna consciousness. Maharaja always tried to find innovative ways to present Krishna consciousness. He studied experts in various fields and applied what he learned to Krishna consciousness.

Many of my most vivid memories of Maharaja, and of his good influence on me and on others, are from the last few years. You may know that in 1977, some months before he left this world, Srila Prabhupada named eleven disciples to initiate devotees on his behalf while he was still here. After he left, the same disciples continued to initiate, and later, slowly, a few more, beginning with three others, were given that responsibility. Sridhar Maharaja was not one of the first to initiate, or even one of the early ones to be added; the attitude in the movement then was quite restrictive. At one stage, he joked that he wanted only three disciples—one to cook, one to do his laundry, and one to collect for him.

Eventually, Maharaja was given the responsibility to initiate disciples, and he took his duty very seriously; he was very sincere. In his first initiation ceremony, in Juhu, he gave hari-nama to a devotee from Croatia, whom Maharaja named Mayapur dasa and instructed to be a servant of Sri-dhama Mayapur. Even up to the end, Maharaja was very sincere in his duties to his disciples and in his care and affection for them. He really loved them very much. At the same time, he cared for devotees and people in general, and I think this is one of his most remarkable traits: his almost universal care for others. He was like an ocean of love.

In Kartik of 1999, Sridhar Maharaja and I met in Vrindavan. One morning we went to the Bhaktivedanta Ashram at Govardhana, where I was to meet His Holiness Indradyumna Swami and choose a Govardhana sila to worship. Indradyumna Maharaja placed two silas next to each other on his shelf and asked, “Who do these look like?” They looked like Radha and Krishna, and so I accepted them, and Indradyumna Swami also gave me his deity of Gopesvara Mahadeva. Earlier, he had told Sridhar Maharaja, “I will have something for you when you come to Govardhana.” Sridhar Swami was a great devotee of Lord Nrsimhadeva, and Maharaja gave him silas of Lord Nrsimhadeva and Varahadeva.

The next day, Indradyumna Swami took Sridhar Maharaja and me to Loi Bazar in downtown Vrindavan to get paraphernalia for our worship. We spent most of the day in various shops, looking for just the right items for the deities’ service and bargaining with the merchants. Finally, we became satisfied that we had done the best we could for our worshipable Lords—and besides, we all were hungry—and so we returned to the Krishna-Balarama Mandir.

During the same stay in Vrindavan, Sridhar Maharaja and I did Govardhana parikrama together with a group of devotees. We had wonderful krsna-katha all around Govardhana Hill. Although we both were ill, we did the full parikrama barefoot in the hot sun, and only afterward did we take prasada at the Bhaktivedanta Ashram.

Within a month, Maharaja and I were both in the hospital—he in a coma, with encephalopathy from hepatitis C, and me on the verge of a heart attack, about to have cardiac bypass surgery. Later, he praised the power of that parikrama—that it put us both in the hospital so quickly. He told me, “The only reason I went all the way around was to keep up with you.” And I replied, “But, Maharaja, the only reason I went all the way around was to keep up with you!” Such was our relationship, and such is the mercy of Giri-Govardhana.

Maharaja had been diagnosed with hepatitis C two years earlier—and with cirrhosis of the liver, a condition that over time is usually fatal. After Kartik, his condition deteriorated, and some fluid, called ascites, accumulated in his abdominal cavity—nearly twenty or twenty-five liters, which also caused massive swelling in his legs. So he returned to Bombay for tests and treatment.

In Bombay, Maharaja was admitted to Bhaktivedanta Hospital, which is run and staffed mainly by devotees. There, he had a further reversal and fell into a coma. His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami and some of Goswami Maharaja’s close friends—Giridhari Swami and Kesava Bharati Maharaja—came from Vrindavan to Bombay to visit Sridhar Swami in the hospital. Maharaja was very grateful to them for coming all the way from Vrindavan to be with him, and their visit had a deep effect. From then on, one of the main themes in his life was how much he appreciated his godbrothers, how much he wanted their association. He would say, “My godbrothers are my life,” and, as a humble Vaishnava, he felt dependent on them. Even at the end, in Canada, just before he left for Mayapur for the last time, he was asking different godbrothers, “Please help me. Help me to chant the holy name.” He was very, very humble.

Eventually Maharaja was discharged from the hospital, but his condition remained delicate. Many devotees suggested that he return to Vrindavan and spend his last days there, hearing and chanting about Krishna. Again, he was so sincere that he accepted the advice of his godbrothers and well-wishers. But soon he felt, “This is not me, just to sit and chant and hear in Vrindavan.” And again he came to the same point: “I want to preach.” So, Maharaja stayed in Haridas Prabhu’s vacant flat at Mira Road in Bombay, and there he would meet devotees and friends—and preach.

In April of 2000, in an early stage of a hepatic coma, Maharaja was readmitted to Bhaktivedanta Hospital, and soon thereafter he had difficulty breathing and felt that he might actually leave his body. But he recovered from the crisis, and soon he got the idea that he would like to travel again. And he was adamant.

From the medical point of view, to travel was a doubtful decision, but Maharaja was determined. His first stop was to be Carpinteria, where I have a small ashram. He wanted to visit, spend some time with me, and rest and recuperate. Thus, in May of 2000, he and Mayapur dasa somehow got on a plane and reached Los Angeles. From the Los Angeles airport they came straight by car to Carpinteria, but by the time Maharaja reached the ashram, he was in a terrible condition. We were shocked. Already he had been terribly sick, but then he had caught the flu in Bombay, though the symptoms hadn’t manifested until he had reached Hong Kong. Some devotees said that he shouldn’t have traveled at all—he was too sick—and that the disease was affecting his discrimination. But in retrospect, I see his traveling in spite of his illness as his love and his desire to serve and preach. And sometimes I take it that he risked his life just to come and visit me.

So, he came, and we spent some time together. He was on a very strict diet that he didn’t much like, and he would cheat a little now and then. One night I went out to a preaching program. Maharaja wasn’t well enough to come, but he encouraged me to go, so we left him in the care of Mayapur dasa and my disciple Kuntidevi dasi, who could cook in case he needed anything. After I left, he decided that he wanted to indulge himself a little and asked for veggie burgers and French fries, which were not at all on his diet. Kuntidevi dutifully prepared them, and Mayapur reluctantly served them. Maharaja ate them, and he was in very jolly spirits.

In Bombay we had two highly aristocratic yet very devoted life members—Mr. Brijratan Mohatta and Mr. M. P. Maheshwari. Every Sunday, they and their wives would come to Juhu. Out of their deep affection for Maharaja, these two gentlemen began to call him “the jolly swami” because, well, he was always so jolly. The name stuck, and a few years ago, Maharaja’s brother Stuart actually wrote an article about him called “The Jolly Swami,” which was published in a magazine in Canada. Recently, the nickname became even more popular—and deservedly so—because Maharaja remained so jolly even up to the time of death.

So, happily enjoying Kuntidevi’s tasty burgers and chips, “the jolly swami” was in a very jolly mood indeed. The next morning, however, he wasn’t quite so jolly—or at least he didn’t manifest his mood. In fact, he wouldn’t get up. We thought, “He must be exhausted.” Time passed, and still he wouldn’t get up. We waited, tried again, waited, and tried again. Finally, we realized that he was in a coma, so we rushed him to the hospital, to the emergency room, and he was eventually put in the intensive care unit.

Physiologically, there was a certain course to be run, and the doctors were confident that Maharaja would come out of the coma. It just had to be treated in the proper way and the condition would reverse itself. Again, Maharaja’s great affection and care became evident. Because of the liver’s malfunction, it wasn’t able to take out the toxins—that was the basic problem. And eventually the toxins go to the brain and cause encephalopathy. If the toxins in the brain reach a certain point, the patient goes into a coma. Then the process of coming out of the coma and toxic influence is gradual. In a way, you could say that at first Maharaja was sort of delirious. But the beauty of his delirium was that his goodness came out freely: He just wanted everyone to chant. He wanted everyone—the doctors, the nurses, the nurses’ assistants, the room cleaners—to become Krishna conscious. He really just wanted everyone to become Krishna conscious.

And then, too, he would think of his brothers, Malcolm and Stuart, in Canada. He really wanted them to become devotees. He would talk to us about them, not completely coherently, but with great love and care. And he would talk with them on the phone, as well as with his mother and sister. He saw some spark in them that he wanted to fan. He really wanted them to become devotees.

When the crisis began, we informed his family. His sister, Fiona, was just wonderful—so helpful and responsible. And eventually his brother Malcolm came down and stayed with Maharaja and us for a while. Hridayananda Maharaja also visited Maharaja in the hospital. And again, Sridhar Maharaja was so appreciative. The two of them joked a lot, and soon Sridhar Maharaja was discharged and came back to the ashram. Throughout, despite his trying medical condition, he really was “the jolly swami,” so friendly to the nurses and staff and everyone.

 After some days, the bill from the hospital came—for almost $30,000. Maharaja studied it carefully. Finally, he concluded: “I want my money. They can take back my consciousness!” And later, after he had left, he would phone and say, “I want to come to Carpinteria and have some more of Kunti’s ‘coma burgers’!”

From then on, despite his hepatitis, Maharaja would travel a lot, sort of like Srila Prabhupada—more or less six months in India, based in Bombay, and six months traveling. He would visit London and Croatia and Slovenia, and he would always attend the New York Ratha-yatra. He made a point always to go to the New York Ratha-yatra. And he would regularly visit Alachua, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Brazil. He had many disciples in Croatia and Slovenia; many young people there became initiated by him.

In September of 2001, accompanied by Nrsimhananda Prabhu of ITV, Maharaja came to Carpinteria for my Vyasa-puja. “For me, in my stage of life,” he said in his offering, “if I have learned even one little lesson, it is dasa-dasanudasah. Cultivate service to the Vaishnavas and you will get everything. We need a family in which we can love and trust each other and not fear. We have to preach to so many materialistic people. Their very aura is permeated with lust and greed and anger, and there is a possibility of getting infected. But if we can come back to a community of friends, of brothers and sisters, where we love each other and care—I am not talking of superficially saying something, but where we really care deep down inside that this person is suffering and care, even materially—we will be protected. Prabhupada cried when he saw people suffering materially in the material world. So, what to speak of exalted Vaishnava devotees—we should care for them and love them. This is our family.”

January 14, 2003, marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the grand opening of the Juhu temple, and Sridhar Maharaja took the lead in arranging the silver-jubilee celebrations. He wanted every devotee who had ever served in Juhu to come, especially those who had served in the time leading up to the grand opening, which was basically when Srila Prabhupada was personally present. The Juhu temple had a modest budget to help devotees with their airfares, but eventually another very nice devotee in Bombay, Krishna Chandra Prabhu (Hrishikesh Mafatlal), gave several lakhs of rupees to pay for devotees’ tickets. Maharaja tracked down every Prabhupada disciple who had served in Bombay. He phoned and personally requested them to come and offered free tickets as required.

So many came and the event was extraordinary. People couldn’t believe it—everyone there felt that Srila Prabhupada had manifested himself again. Even His Holiness Sacinandana Swami, who hadn’t served in Bombay earlier but who happened to be there for the celebrations, said that he tangibly felt Srila Prabhupada’s presence. Everyone gave credit to Sridhar Swami. And he deserved it, because he had gotten so many devotees to come and, with help from devotees in Chowpatty and Juhu, had made such wonderful arrangements.

During the ceremony, when it was time for the devotees to give their remembrances of the early days of serving Srila Prabhupada in Bombay, Maharaja wouldn’t allow the gurus and sannyasis to speak until other devotees had spoken. “We hear them all the time,” he said. “We want to hear others.” Of course, they also spoke, but mainly Maharaja wanted to give others the chance. He really was pandita sama-darsinah: he saw everyone equally. He truly saw the soul, and he appreciated everyone. He appreciated everyone’s good, and he wanted to encourage everyone.

Anyway, it was a wonderful event. Due to my own health problems, I couldn’t be there, but I phoned, just to be part of the celebrations. The guesthouse receptionist picked up the phone, and I asked for Maharaja, but he wasn’t nearby and it was going to take time to find him. In the meantime, I asked, “Who else is there?” Jagat-purusa Prabhu happened to be walking by, so I said, “Okay, I’ll speak to him.” Jagat-purusa was in high ecstasy. He wasn’t speaking; the ecstasy within him was moving him to speak. He said that he had not experienced such bliss in Krishna consciousness since the time he had been in Bombay with Srila Prabhupada. He went on and on, emphasizing that it was the most memorable occasion of his life, and I think everyone felt pretty much the same way, because they felt Srila Prabhupada’s presence. What more do any of us want? For us, the highest perfection is to be with Srila Prabhupada, and Sridhar Swami was instrumental in creating that situation in which Srila Prabhupada was pleased to manifest himself in such a vivid and personal way.

After a few days of recuperating from the effort of the celebration, Maharaja wanted to travel again, so he came to Los Angeles, but this time his schedule didn’t allow him to come to Carpinteria. Also, I think he was a little upset because I hadn’t come for the celebrations in Juhu, and he didn’t want to come to me. So I went to him, and, as always, he was wonderful. After Los Angeles, he went to Vancouver, and while he was there, I began to consider that I had offended him by not going to Juhu for the celebrations. I don’t think I could have gone, but at the same time I was concerned that I had offended him. So I phoned him to apologize and explain why I hadn’t gone, even though he and many others had so much wanted me to participate. I asked him to forgive me, and he was very gracious. He was sorry I hadn’t come, and he did want to understand why, but he said I hadn’t committed any offense.

Subsequently, Maharaja and I would frequently talk on the phone, and we would meet whenever he came to Los Angeles. Then, last November, he phoned from Bombay and told me he was planning to go to Vancouver in April for four to six months. I replied, “I will definitely come and spend time with you there.” Soon thereafter, however, I got an e-mail from him saying that he had been diagnosed in Bombay with liver cancer and was going to Vancouver immediately to see if he could get a liver transplant, which was his “only hope.”

So, Maharaja flew to Vancouver, and the first day he went for tests, the doctors found three places where cancer had affected his liver, which prima facie made him eligible for the transplant. When they did more tests, however, they found more cancer—and because the cancer had spread beyond the limit allowed for transplants, his “only hope” was dashed: he was ineligible for a transplant. So, it seemed like he was soon to leave his body.

Distressed, I phoned Maharaja, but he wasn’t answering his landline. When I finally got him on his cell phone, I asked, “Where are you?” and he said, “I’m shopping.” He seemed so jolly—like always. But then he confirmed my worst fears: “The doctor says that I could go at any time. Phone me back later. We have to talk.”

After that, we would speak every day, usually twice a day—long, wonderful talks. The question arose whether he should go to Mayapur. He decided he would, and eventually, in consultation with his godbrothers, he concluded that he should go as soon as possible.

He told me he had three desires: “I just want to survive until I reach Mayapur. Then, if possible, I want to live to see the Pancha-tattva installed. And then, if possible, I want to live until Gaura-purnima. And then—whatever.” He meant, of course—whatever Krishna wanted.

With these three desires in his heart, although no one knew how much travel his weakened body could bear, Maharaja flew to London, where he was joined by Indradyumna Swami. His sister, Fiona, had informed Indradyumna Swami of the doctor’s pronouncement, that if Sridhar undertook the journey, he probably wouldn’t make it. And she added, “If that happens, I want someone to be there with him.” So Indradyumna Swami flew to England to accompany Maharaja onward to Mayapur.

In London, devotees had rented a room for Maharaja in a hotel near the airport. He was so sick and weak that he could hardly walk. The devotees just had to get him from the airport to the nearest place possible—as soon as possible.

Because the news had spread that Maharaja was going to Mayapur to leave his body, many of his disciples from Europe—mainly from Croatia and Slovenia—came to London to meet him. They were crying because they knew they would never see him again. He told them, “You can cry when I go. You can cry for a few days, but then you have to get back into your service, and then you have to be happy.”

Maharaja wanted to reciprocate with the disciples who had come to be with him. He said, “The king is good for the people, and the people are good for the king. I never had my own family, but when I had disciples, I was able to benefit tremendously. I felt emotions I thought I never would. I just don’t think it will stop. When we love one another, we are together. Of course, when I leave, we can’t play football [soccer] together. But I can come along in the form of a picture.” It was so bittersweet; Maharaja was so sweet and so humorous. Yet his disciples were lamenting that they would never see him again. But he told them, “When I leave, we can be together in more significant ways.” He said that love in separation is actually stronger. And we do experience that when we are with people we love, we may take them for granted. But when they are gone, we realize how valuable their association was and how much we loved and still love them. And the feelings can become even more intense than when we were with them.

There were some disciples who didn’t have second initiation, so Maharaja decided to initiate them. Because of his disease, however, his brain didn’t always function properly. It had been infected by the toxins, and also he had to take an opioid painkiller, as prescribed by the doctor. So, he decided, “Okay, I’ll give second initiation—but all together, all five at once.” Still, when he began reciting the Gayatri mantra—“Om bhur . . .”—he couldn’t remember the next word. So he asked Indradyumna Swami, “What comes next?” and Indradyumna Swami pronounced the word and Maharaja repeated it to his disciples. When Maharaja couldn’t remember the next word either, he told Indradyumna Swami, “Look, why don’t you just say each word, and then I’ll repeat it, and the disciples will hear it from me.” And like that, they got through the first two lines. Then Indradyumna Swami, who himself was exhausted from his long flight from South Africa, couldn’t remember the next word. So Maharaja asked, “Are there any brahmans in the house who know the next word?” and one brahman told the word to Indradyumna Swami, and Indradyumna Swami repeated it to Sridhar Swami, and Sridhar Swami repeated it to the disciples.

Sridhar Maharaja remarked, “Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam. We don’t need this Gayatri mantra. Hari-nama is enough.” Then he started quoting:

 harer nama harer nama
  harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
  nasty eva gatir anyatha

[“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.” (Brhan-naradiya Purana 3.8.126, quoted as Cc Adi 17.21)]

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
  sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
  yajanti hi su-medhasah

[“In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the name of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions.” (SB 11.5.32)]

kaler dosa-nidhe rajan
  asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya
  mukta-sangah param vrajet

 [“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (SB 12.3.51)]

When Maharaja had quoted all these verses in glorification of the holy name, Indradyumna Swami exclaimed, “Maharaja, you are perfectly quoting all these verses about the holy name, but you can’t remember the Gayatri mantra?!” Sridhar Swami explained, “The Gayatri mantra is just meant to assist us in chanting the holy name. The real thing is chanting the holy name. The Gayatri mantra just supports it—helps us to become purified—so we can chant the holy name.”

You may have heard how Maharaja arrived in Calcutta. Jayapataka Swami had sent his van to pick him up, and Maharaja lay unmoving in Jayapataka Swami’s bed in the van all the way from the airport to Mayapur. In Mayapur, thousands of devotees came out to receive him with kirtan—sometimes roaring and sometimes sweet.

Because Maharaja’s diseased liver wasn’t processing different materials properly, his body again filled with liquid and became bloated. In Canada, as well as in India, doctors would remove five to seven liters of liquid from him at a time. That was part of his discomfort. And after the installation of the Pancha-tattva, he had a physical setback, maybe because of the exertion and excitement in the ceremony. The situation looked grave, and in the evening he asked for devotees to come and do kirtan in his room. He didn’t know what would happen, but it looked like he was going to leave his body. Mayapur dasa informed the devotees, so they came: senior devotees and disciples alike gathered in Maharaja’s room, ready for the worst. As he lay silently on his bed, they performed kirtan, most of them crying, seeing that the end was near. A doctor was called to Maharaja’s bedside and felt around Maharaja’s torso as Maharaja lay motionless, his eyes closed. Maharaja’s abdomen was bloated from the accumulated fluids. The doctor put his hands on Maharaja’s abdomen and gently squeezed it to assess the situation—at which Maharaja opened his eyes, looked in the doctor’s direction, and said, “It’s a boy!”

Everybody cracked up. Maharaja was so funny, even in the most dire of circumstances. The devotees were going mad; they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The situation was so critical, yet Maharaja was so funny. Maharaja told me that story on the phone, and I could tell he rather liked it.

So, a devotee can live or die. Both are the same. Certainly that was true of Sridhar Swami: he could live or die, because if he lived he would serve Krishna here, and if he died he would serve Krishna in the next life. For Maharaja, life and death were the same—jiva va maro. Thus, he was truly fearless and jolly. He really had no fear of death. Although he wanted to stay so he could preach, he wasn’t afraid of death. He knew he would continue to serve Srila Prabhupada in the next life.

A few days before Gaura-purnima, Indradyumna Swami came to see Maharaja to say farewell. At Maharaja’s room he met Mayapur dasa, who told him, “Maharaja is in the shower.” From inside, Sridhar Swami overheard the talk and shouted out, “Indie! Is that you, Indie?” He used to call Indradyumna Swami “Indie,” short for Indiana Jones, because Indradyumna Maharaja is such an adventurous preacher. When someone really loves you and is proud of you, he shows you off to his friends, and in this way, Sridhar Maharaja would show off Indradyumna Swami to people who came to his room, saying, “This is our Indiana Jones, but he is the real thing! This one is the real thing!”

“Indie! Is that you out there?” he called out. “Yes, Maharaja.” “Come on in!” “But Maharaja, you are in the shower.” “So what? Come on in.” So, Indradyumna Swami went in, and there was Maharaja without any cover. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “We are not these bodies!”

Indradyumna Swami was choked up, because he was feeling that he would never see Maharaja again. So he said, “Maharaja, I have come to say good-bye.” Maharaja said, “Don’t say good-bye.” Indradyumna Swami replied, “I may never see you again in this life.” “Don’t you know that old song?” Maharaja asked. And he sang: “Happy trails to you, until we meet again.” And that was it.

So, I think that is a good conclusion, especially for Indradyumna Swami: “Happy trails,” because his trails take him all over the world. Yet all of us, in our own ways, have our own trails and paths in devotional service, and Sridhar Swami wishes that they be happy—until we meet again.

I wanted to phone Maharaja every day, but the way it worked out with the time difference and all the difficulties in getting through to Mayapur, it averaged about every third day that I would speak with him. The last time, two days before he left, he was having a good day. The previous day had been a bad one, but the night before, they had given him some additional medication, so he was having a good day, and we had one of the best talks I have ever had with anyone in my entire life. We spoke mainly about the Mayapur project and Srila Prabhupada’s mission. I’ll cherish that talk—the experience of it and the lessons it contained—for the rest of my life.

That was Thursday, March 11. The next day, Friday, we installed beautiful brass Deities of Gaura-Nitai in our Carpinteria ashram. They had come from Vrindavan, originally commissioned by Mother Kirtida for Tamal Krishna Goswami. I felt that Their coming was also part of Sridhar Swami’s mercy, because he so fervently desired that the glories of the Pancha-tattva be spread and that we build the great temple for Them in Mayapur. So, two representatives of the Pancha-tattva had come, and I felt that Their arrival was his desire.

On Thursday I had told Maharaja, “I don’t know if I will be able to phone you again before then, but the Deities have come and we will install Them Friday evening, and by your mercy we’ll try to serve Them and Their dhama.” And now, whenever I look at Their beautiful forms and appealing faces, I feel that we have to do something for Them—we have to build Their wonderful temple, as Sridhar Swami always reminded me.

 This may be Maharaja’s main contribution in recent years, at least to me in my service: He impressed upon me—and upon our entire movement—the importance of the Mayapur project, of the “wonderful temple” (adbhuta mandira) that Nityananda Prabhu had desired for the service of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and that Bhaktivinoda Thakura had envisioned. Maharaja’s whole life was dedicated to Srila Prabhupada, and he felt that this was one of Srila Prabhupada’s main desires left to be fulfilled. He felt that we had to do it—and that we had to do it; it would benefit the whole society, and the whole world. He would quote Ambarisa Prabhu: “This will be the tide that will make all the boats rise.” So, although Sridhar Maharaja left so many wonderful legacies for us in terms of his personal qualities and activities, one legacy that may serve to unite the movement and fulfill one of Srila Prabhupada’s main desires is his inspiration to push on the construction of the great temple in Mayapur.

When I was a new devotee, in my first couple of years in the movement, I approached Srila Prabhupada one day while he was getting his massage on the veranda of the Calcutta temple. “Srila Prabhupada,” I said, “I have been thinking about what pleases you most.” Srila Prabhupada was so pure, he took every word into his heart. “Yes,” he replied. I said, “The two things that seem to please you the most are distributing your books and building the big temple in Mayapur.” Srila Prabhupada smiled with great appreciation and said, “Thank you very much.”

So, those were Srila Prabhupada’s two main strategies for spreading Krishna consciousness, and Sridhar Swami helped him with both. In his early days, Sridhar Swami was instrumental in developing book distribution in North America. And in his later years, he was involved with the Mayapur project, planning and raising funds for the great temple. And by Maharaja’s mercy, on Gaura-purnima, standing in front of the Pancha-tattva Deities in Laguna Beach, I got the inspiration: “Now it’s time for Mayapur. Sridhar Swami understood that long ago. Now it’s time for me to join the effort, too.” And that was important for me in other ways as well—to let go of the past, to forgive and forget. It was time for everyone to work together for Mayapur, for Sridhar Swami, for Srila Prabhupada, to build the wonderful temple.

When I asked Sridhar Swami how I could help, he requested me to speak about my experiences of Srila Prabhupada related to Mayapur. In 1973, when Srila Prabhupada came to Calcutta from England, he was so enthusiastic and excited about Mayapur. Tamal Krishna Goswami had gotten the first land, we had observed the first Gaura-purnima festival there, and now Srila Prabhupada had come with the plans for the first building. There was a detailed discussion, but at the end Srila Prabhupada said, “If you build this temple, then Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura will personally come and take you all back to Godhead.” Now I think that this may be my only hope, so I’d better get to work. We’d better build the Mayapur project, because I don’t know how else I will ever get back to Godhead.

His Holiness Sridhar Swami has given me a lifetime of work in service to Srila Prabhupada. Although jiva va maro, to live or die is the same for a devotee—and certainly that was true of Maharaja—my own feelings are mixed. I think, “He left so much service for me, gave me so many instructions.” I think the same about Tamal Krishna Goswami. “So I must stay and execute his mission.” Even though part of me misses them terribly and wants to be with them, mainly I think, “They left me so many instructions. I have so much service to do for them here.”

Of course, how long we have to do what they have asked, what they would want, all depends on Krishna. Therefore, whatever time we do have left we should use in the best possible way—in Krishna consciousness.

His Holiness Sridhar Swami Maharaja ki jaya! Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! Sri Pancha-tattva ki jaya! Nitai-gaura-premanande hari-haribol!

*          *          *

EPILOGUE

Three days after Sridhar Maharaja left, I was on my daily walk in Santa Barbara when I suddenly began to experience great bliss, and I felt Maharaja’s presence. Then I felt that he was giving me two instructions. The first was, “I am still here. Be happy.” And the second was, “Just be yourself. Each one of us has his own contribution to make, so just be yourself and make your contribution.”

After he left, I considered what had happened. Clearly, his two instructions were not meant only for me; they were meant for everyone. And they covered all points. He had said it all: “Just be yourself and make your contribution.”

Thank you, Maharaja. We love you.

Hare Krishna.

[Talks by Giriraj Swami in Laguna Beach and Los Angeles, March 14 and 15, 2004]

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 21, No. 11
By Krishna Kripa Das
(Week 11: March 12–18, 2025)
Gainesville, Alachua, Daytona Beach, Tallahassee
(Sent from Tallahassee, Florida, on March 22, 2025)

Where I Went and What I Did

For the eleventh week of 2025, I remained living at Krishna House in Gainesville and chanting Hare Krishna for about three hours each day during the Krishna Lunch at University of Florida through Friday. On Thursday I celebrated Gaura Purnima in Gainesville during the day and in Alachua in the evening. Friday I also chanted with the Alachua devotees near the entrance to the University of Florida. Saturday I attended the Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra with devotees from all over northern Florida. Sunday I attended the Alachua Sunday feast, and on Monday I returned to ISKCON Tallahassee. I chanted Hare Krishna on Monday and Tuesday at Landis Green, behind the main Florida State University library. In Tallahassee, I distributed fourteen little cups of halava to promote our Krishna Lunch at the campus.

I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. I share quotes from Miracle on Second Avenue by Mukunda Goswami, from The Delaware Diaries by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, and from Golden Avatar, a soon-to-be-published biography of Lord Caitanya, by Yogesvara Prabhu. I share notes on a Sunday feast lecture by Krishna Abhishek Prabhu and a Monday morning lecture by a local Govinda Prabhu, both in Alachua. I share notes on a class by Gopi Jivana Prabhu at Krishna House.

Thanks to Bhakta Henry, formerly of Washington, D.C., for his kind donation. Thanks to Gopal Krishna Prabhu for driving me to Alachua for Gaura Purnima and to Jackson for driving me back to Krishna House. Thanks to John for driving me to Daytona Beach for Ratha-yatra and back. Thanks to Jackson for driving me to Alachua for the Sunday feast. Thanks to Ananga Mohan Prabhu for driving me to Tallahassee. I get by with a little help from my friends!

Itinerary

January 6–April 11: Tallahassee harinamas and FSU college outreach
– March 9–16: Krishna House Gainesville harinamas and UF college outreach
– March 15: Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra
April 12: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
April 13: Gainesville harinama
April 14–15: USF harinamas in Tampa
April 16–20: Washington, D.C., harinamas with Sankarsana Prabhu
April 21–22: NYC Harinam
April 23: Flight to Brussels
April 24: Layover in Oslo
April 25: Kadamba Kanana Swami Vyasa-puja at Radhadesh
April 26: King’s Day in Amsterdam
April 27: Liege harinama
April 28–May 1: Paris harinamas
May 2: Sarcelles market harinama
May 3–4: Amsterdam Kirtan Mela and Sacinandana Swami seminar
May 5 and 6: harinama in Amsterdam, Antwerp, or Brussels
May 7: Flight from Brussels to New York City
May 8–June 15: NYC Harinam
mid June–mid August: Paris
– June 22: Paris Ratha-yatra
– July 11: Amsterdam harinama
– July 12: Amsterdam Ratha-yatra
– July 13: Netherlands harinama

Chanting Hare Krishna in Gainesville

Purusartha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch on Wednesday (https://youtu.be/QhZpYPPg0Rg):

Pundarik Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/RRsKhZcQ4fU):

Advaita Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/VD-W-0eiB7g):

Krishna House women chant Hare Krishna at mangala-arati on Gaura Purnima (https://youtube.com/shorts/2hQGTkB9Aqs?feature=share):

Shyamala Kishori and Sruti Sagara Prabhus chant Hare Krishna at Gaura Purnima abhiseka in Gainesville (https://youtu.be/R4oa_Y8HCqs):

Sruti Sagara Prabhu continued chanting Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/L3eUEJ0HuA0):

Kunti Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch on Gaura Purnima (https://youtu.be/iXifktJCVA8):

Gopal Krishna Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch on Gaura Purnima (https://youtu.be/JUoPKYkVad8):

Deva Krishna Prabhu plays harmonium, and devotees chant Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch on Gaura Purnima (https://youtu.be/6tNegw8ryjM):

As I was chanting Hare Krishna on Gaura Purnima on the University of Florida campus after the Krishna Lunch, it occurred to me that the Muslims observing Ramadan would fast the entire day and thus get credit for fasting on that most holy day. Now that’s real ajñata-sukrti!

Nartana Priya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at mangala-arati at Krishna House (https://youtube.com/shorts/MPxGIMWykfY?feature=share):

Purusartha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/usEiG5Hzys0):

Kunti Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/_RAaF4Sk1aY):

Nartana Priya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/qIy8zcDUZVo):

Cintamani Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch (https://youtu.be/u91LPpMCpqQ):

Purusartha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch, and a snake listens with rapt attention (https://youtu.be/eT9MoLD8-U4):

Kalki Prabhu says he has seen the snake several times over the last few years. This time the snake stayed listening in what seemed to me to be an awkward position, with its head raised and motionless, for a least ten minutes.

Advaita Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Krishna Lunch in Gainesville, and a passerby chants the mantra (https://youtu.be/tKQfUsDfzs4):

Man Mohini Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna across from the University of Florida entrance with Alachua devotees (https://youtu.be/4zvgzAWbJ4I):

Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna across from the University of Florida entrance with Alachua devotees (https://youtu.be/ZbLzAwuMIWA):

Kayadhu chants Hare Krishna with Alachua devotees across from the University of Florida (https://youtu.be/Bgy16A8kiuI):

Godruma Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Alachua devotees across from the University of Florida (https://youtu.be/fIQ4dViOOOM):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Alachua

Bali Rico chants Hare Krishna at Gaura Arati at ISKCON Alachua Gaura Purnima festival (https://youtu.be/YseazuGAd6s):

Nadiya Mani Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Final Arati at ISKCON Alachua Gaura Purnima (https://youtu.be/gawf0YZUclQ):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Daytona Beach

The day of the Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra was the anniversary of the passing away of Kadamba Kanana Swami two years ago according to the lunar calendar. I remember Kadamba Kanana Swami as one who increased my devotional service to Krishna. In the early spring of 2008 he invited me to his Queen’s Day (now King’s Day) harinama in Amsterdam. When I came that April, he told me to come every year. I wrote an article about it for BTG. He bought me a ticket to South Africa, and asked me to write about the preaching there for BTG as well. He encouraged me to preach in the UK outside of London because all the swamis go to London, and thus I visit the North of England almost every year. Because of that I got to meet Janananda Goswami, who I now serve in Paris. In November 2022, I wrote more elaborately about how Kadamba Kanana Swami inspired me, and I share the link to that . . . https://krishnamonk.blogspot.com/2022/11/kadamba-kanana-swami-special-benefactor.html

Orlando devotees chant Hare Krishna on stage before Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/PahzFs0k00w):

Bhadra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra, and passersby dance and pull cart (https://youtu.be/140HubCNTCc):

Bhadra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/bH1S2VFj2y4):

Nimai Govinda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra, and passersby dance in a snake (https://youtu.be/dqYMwuHzGNM):

Nimai Govinda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra, and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/iaBJw152Gio):

Toward the end of the procession, I would invite people to play the four shakers I had brought from India. Invariably the people would also dance in the kirtan. In this video you can see three groups of people who were happy to play the shakers and dance as the devotees chanted Hare Krishna at the Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/n5-uVi-GSAo):

Devotees chant Hare Krishna in the Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra, and engage passersby in repeating the mantra (https://youtu.be/KvVsB5goj08):

Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee

The day after spring break, toward the end of my harinama I sang my favorite Hare Krishna tune as I like to save it for near the end. A student passing by glanced in my direction with seeming interest. I said one of my usual lines, “This is a harmonium, and the song is a mantra, a song of spiritual upliftment.”
She replied, “I love it. I can feel it in my soul. Keep smiling.”
Often on my first day back to Tallahassee or the last day before I leave, Krishna sends some appreciative person to encourage me.

Photos

Are you having difficulty finding lighters when you make up arati trays? Maybe you just need a bigger box.

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 12.37–38, purport:

“Devotees should always be happy with all the dealings of their master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A devotee may be put into difficulty or opulence, but he

should accept both as gifts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and jubilantly engage in the service of the Lord in all circumstances. . . . One should not be unhappy when

reverses come upon him by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A devotee should always be happy to receive the fortune awarded him by the Supreme Lord, which seems pleasant or unpleasant according to one’s judgment.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 14.153:

“Although some of the gopis are talkative, some mild, some equipoised, all of them are transcendental and faultless. They please Krishna by their unique characteristics.”

Mukunda Goswami:

From Miracle on Second Avenue:

“After an hour or so of sound testing, we did a four-minute take of the Hare Krishna mantra. I thought we sounded pretty good, but George didn’t think so.

“‘The sound needs to be bigger, especially at the end,’ he said. ‘Shyamasundar and Yamuna, you guys sound good, but the response is a bit weak. We need more singers so that it sounds like a choir.’

“‘We can probably round up some more people,’ I said. ‘But we’d need some time to find them. I mean, we’d have to come back another day to finish the record.’

“‘No, we need to finish it today, because today’s the only time I was able to book for us in the studio,’ George said. ‘Hang on. I’ll find some people.’

“Ten minutes later he returned with thirty people in tow – secretaries, sound engineers, agents and janitors from the adjacent EMI offices.

“‘OK, let’s get all these guys miked up and we’ll do it again,’ George said.

“With nearly forty people singing the response, the second take sounded great. Many of the members of the improvised choir closed their eyes and swayed as the sound of the mantra swelled to fill the studio: ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.’ At the end of the take, Malati spontaneously picked up a mallet and, without looking back, struck the brass gong that sat behind her. As soon as the engineers gave the official indication that the take was over, everyone burst into surprised laughter.”

“We had become a regular sight around London, and it had gotten out that George Harrison was into chanting Hare Krishna. As we left the studio, we were greeted by a group of a dozen adolescent females singing the Hare Krishna mantra outside of Abbey Road studios, presumably hoping to catch sight of one Beatle or another.

“‘My god,’ I thought. ‘If it’s like this now, what will it be like when the record comes out?’”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

From The Delaware Diaries, Volume 2 (Tachycardia):

“A disciple of Bhakti Tirtha Swami showed up at Sri Advaita’s house and asked me to speak of my relationship with his spiritual master. Before the whole family, I spoke for about half an hour, telling my whole relationship with Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja, starting from when he came to Dallas as an uninitiated devotee and I was a sannyasi. I told of the library party days and the very last days of his life, when we reestablished our close friendship and how I talked with him weekly on the telephone. Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s disciple cried tears during my talk just to hear someone speak about his spiritual master in friendly terms.”

“The magnificent little ship of electronic nerve endings and brain waves tolls a dreary bell. He’s not a knock-about but a delicate arrangement of blood vessels expanding and contracting. His psyche is at the center of it, and the spirit soul is transcendental. One must learn to tolerate the changes from happiness to distress as one tolerates the changes from summer to winter season. In the winter, January and February, he must still take his bath. In the hottest months of the year, May and June in India, the housewife still cooks in the kitchen. And when medication is not effective, you try another one. But when do you stop and just suffer it?”

“Baladeva is very partial to Vrndavana and has realization that it’s a special place. ‘It ain’t New Jersey.’”

“Tomorrow is Prabhupada’s disappearance, and we’ll each speak something about His Divine Grace and read from the final days in Srila Prabhupada-lilamrita. I hope I can enter a sincere mood of appreciation for him. I owe him so much. If he had not come, I’d be dead by now or alive with atrocious karma and disappointed dreams. No matter how I complain about being a subpar devotee, I’m blessed with a life of Krishna consciousness. And no matter how many faults I find with ISKCON, I am very grateful for its shelter. I treasure my duties and the peaceful life I’ve been allowed in my later years.

I’m happy to have come in the very beginning, when Prabhupada was Swamiji, the dear guru-father of a small family. To be picked up out of my Lower East Side marijuana daze and embraced by such a kind doctor of the soul is my life’s greatest memory and fortune. He alone could do it. I had never fraternized with any swamis or groups and came in ignorance and innocence into his room. How quickly he transformed me! From the very first night, I gave up all my bad personal habits and followed the Vaishnava way. I am formed in his image, made in his way. 

“‘Swamiji, is there a stage in Krishna consciousness from which you don’t fall down?’
“‘Yes,’ he answered, and said no more.
“I believed him, although it has taken me many years to learn the lesson.”

From Increasing the Presence of Srila Prabhupada:

“If we had any last vestige of trying to enjoy ourselves, old age is ridding us of those illusions.”

Yogesvara Prabhu:

From Golden Avatar:

“As Chaitanya and Kalakrishna continued north, they arrived at the monastery known as Shringeri Math—math or school—former home of the renowned sixth century monist Shankara.

“‘Legend says that during his travels across India, the great Shankara came across a pregnant frog sitting on the road under a blazing sun,’ Chaitanya told Kalakrishna. ‘Then he watched as a snake unveil its hood like an umbrella to shield the pregnant frog. Shankara believed one way to recognize a holy place was that in such a place animals acted kindly toward one another. That is why he chose to build his first math here.’”

“He [Kedarnath (later Bhaktivinode)] even picked up a few habits from his British superiors such as keeping a pet dog, to the embarrassment of his Hindu acquaintances.”

“After reading Chaitanya Charitamrita a second time, Kedarnath began having dreams. ‘Chaitanya appeared to me last night,’ he told a friend. ‘He said there is a service I am to perform in Navadwip. What should I do?’”

“Despite the lack of response from abroad, Bhaktivinode pushed on writing and publishing in English. By 1903, declining health finally compelled him to ease his pace, but even then, he refused to yield entirely. A vision of the world united as Chaitanya had foretold, dancing and singing Krishna’s names, remained his greatest joy.”

“From a young age, Bimala Prasad, Bhaktivinode’s sixth child and his successor as head of the Chaitanya community, was drawn to monastic life. Starting in boyhood, he preferred wearing a traditional dhoti—a length of cotton cloth wrapped around the waist, ends passed between the legs and tucked in front and back—over the more modern wardrobe favored by his father.”

“Bimala Prasad also chose to remain a lifelong celibate, and by the time he opened his own school in 1918, students were calling him by his sannyas title: Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, “he who embodied the conclusion (siddhanta) of devotion (bhakti) and knowledge (as bestowed by Saraswati, Goddess of Learning).

“Despite his conservative leanings, by age thirty Bhaktisiddhanta was challenging orthodox behavior with innovative programs for spreading Chaitanya’s movement. He drove to appointments in automobiles, contrary to the protocol of renunciants circulating exclusively on foot. He arranged for disciples to travel to Europe, in defiance of the injunction that no Hindu monk should cross “the black ocean.” With the help of wealthy supporters he financed construction of schools in the middle of big cities, rather than in more traditional rural locations, and mounted tented festivals featuring secular as well as religious exhibits. More or less everything he did defied the cliché of the impoverished, conservative guru living in contemplative seclusion.”

“The anti-Krishna rancor ran so deep that the British imposed monetary fines on printers who dared to publish descriptions of him dancing with the gopis.”

“Since the work at hand attempts to analyze Kali Yuga as a largely human disaster, help tracing the science was critical. Betty Smocovitis, professor in the Department of History and Biology at the University of Florida, shared her vast knowledge of science history and pointed me in the direction of peer-reviewed publications. She once told me that the history of science has been ‘the systematic removal of the metaphysical from the physical.’ That phrase has stuck with me, and I am indebted to her for her guidance and insights.”

Krishna Abhishek Prabhu:

Bhakti Charu Swami says that the name of India, Bharata, does not just refer to the different kings named Bharata, but Bharata means that land which is meant for progressing spiritually. To the extent that India is meant for progressing spiritually then India is Bharata.

Both the Mahabharata and Bhagavatam deal with the balance between justice and mercy. Your mercy cannot allow cruel behavior to flourish, but your justice cannot be without mercy.

We chant Krishna’s names, but we do not enjoy it because we have not mastered tolerance and humility. We enjoy the music of the kirtan and we enjoy finishing our japa quota, but we do not necessarily enjoy chanting Krishna’s names.

The first offense against the holy name, sadhu ninda, can be put more simply as “don’t bad mouth good people.”

Mahabharata is endless, and it will capture you.

Every person in India has the responsibility of sharing spiritual knowledge with the world.

Krishna wanted all the sixteen kingdoms at the time he was present to have spiritually progressive rulers.

At that time, the kingdoms avoided fights through marriage alliances.

The first syllable of Bhagavad-gita is “dha,” and the last syllable in Bhagavad-gita is “ma.” Thus from beginning to end, Bhagavad-gita is all about dharma.

Krishna told Arjuna, “You are not fighting for a kingdom. You are fighting for dharma.”

Govinda Prabhu of Alachua:

From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.14.19 in Alachua:

Lord Shiva teaches by his example to search for the happiness within.

Musk deer only lives in the Himalayas, and the male musk deer produce a rare fragrance that is more expensive than gold.

The musk deer is captivated by his own fragrance, and runs around looking it, not realizing it comes from himself. Similarly we look for happiness outside ourselves, not knowing true happiness is within.

There is a story that sages are looking for the greatest. One said the sky is greatest because it is so vast. Another said the cloud that rests in the sky is greatest. Another said that the mountain is greatest. Another said that the Lord, the source of everything, is the greatest. The conclusion was that the devotee is greatest because he can capture the Lord by his love.

The best time for procreation is three hours after sunset or three hours before sunrise.

Srila Prabhupada explains that the verse describing the one can attain perfection by a moment’s association of a pure devotee denotes the case when the person is spiritually ready to receive and apply the knowledge knowledge the guru is revealing.

Comment by Pran Govinda Prabhu:

There is a Vishnu-tattva Shiva who is completely transcendental. There is also a Rudra-tattva Shiva who is a product of the material energy. See Cc. Madhya 20.311, purport.

There are three features needed for an act to be considered bhakti. It must give pleasure to Krishna and His devotees. It must be done with the intention of pleasing Krishna. It must engage our senses.

The Lord appreciates that attitude more than the magnitude of our offering.

Gopi Jivana Prabhu:

Not only does Srila Prabhupada show great spiritual knowledge, but especially in the First Canto, Srila Prabhupada shows great worldly knowledge, such as politics, as well.

Srila Prabhupada choose very exact words to convey specific ideas.

To set an example for others was a motivitating factor for action in the Vedic culture.

A friend of mine who is an astrologer said Trump approached him for a reading before his first term. So we see that some government leaders know of this Vedic knowledge, but they use it for material purposes.

The whole social structure of varnasrama is meant for ultimate renunciation.

It is not about giving up relationships but about giving up the false understanding of relationships.

-----

Sometimes the many, many statements in the revealed literature bewilder our minds, and we wish that someone could just share the essence of all the instructions with us so we could focus on it and apply it in our lives. Rupa Goswami has done that favor for us in his Upadesamrita, which Srila Prabhupada kindly translated as The Nectar of Instruction:

tan-nama-rupa-caritadi-sukirtananu-

smrtyoh kramena rasana-manasi niyojya

tisthan vraje tad-anuragi-jananugami

kalam nayed akhilam ity upadesa-saram

“The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time—twenty-four hours a day—in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vrndavana dhama] and serve Krishna under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.” (The Nectar of Instruction, text 8)

How do we practically do this? Srila Prabhupada has given some hints in his purport to Bhagavad-gita 12.2: “For one in such Krishna consciousness there are no material activities, because everything is done for Krishna. A pure devotee is constantly engaged. Sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads books about Krishna, or sometimes he cooks prasadam or goes to the marketplace to purchase something for Krishna, or sometimes he washes the temple or the dishes—whatever he does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting his activities to Krishna. Such action is in full samadhi.”

By Dandavats Staff Writer

The discussions and events covered today highlight key aspects of Krishna consciousness, devotion, and spiritual wisdom. HH Mukunda Goswami expounds on Srimad Bhagavatam 3.4.22, emphasizing Krishna’s supreme role, unity in diversity, forgiveness, and philosophical depth. ISKCON Vrindavan commences its 50th Golden Jubilee Vraj Mandal Parikrama at Madhuvan, celebrating Lord Chaitanya’s visit with devotional singing and scriptural narratives. Bhakti Vijnana Goswami shares Krishna’s words to the gopis, deepening their devotion. Srimati Radharani’s baking class teaches traditional recipes with spiritual insights. Srivasa Pandit’s transcendental role is honored, along with discussions on the importance of chanting and a spiritually conscious life. The New Bhakta Department and ISKCON’s spiritual training initiatives continue to nurture seekers. Additionally, the significance of cows in Vedic culture is highlighted, along with Gomata products. Other key events include the 9th Tribal Convention, spiritual ashrams, and ISKCON dramas, all fostering devotion and Krishna consciousness worldwide. Continue reading "Vrindavan’s Sacred Legacy: Pilgrimage, Philosophy, and the Power of Devotion! March 21
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Is it that when we criticize someone, their bad karma gets transferred to us, and if we exaggerate while criticizing, then our good karma gets transferred to them? Answer, karma is a very complicated concept, as Krishna explains, gahana karma nogati. At one level, the essential implication is very logical and essential, that we are responsible for our actions, and we will be held accountable for them. However, once we get into the specifics, things become quite complicated, and while there are some specifics mentioned in scripture, for example, somebody who eats meat will get XYZ punishment, or somebody who does a particular wrong activity will get a particular suffering.

It doesn’t mention over there, how many, about specifics again within that, is it that somebody who eats meat once will get the same destination as somebody who has been eating meat every meal of their life, throughout their life? The karma is logical, it’s not diabolical, such a, any system, ultimately the system of justice, any system of justice which punishes a one-time crime at the same degree as a one-time criminal as a habitual criminal would be considered a problematic justice system. So, in general, the specifics, they are a possibility, but they are not a necessity, that’s the broad understanding that can be inferred. Their patterns and sometimes the principles of accountability work in very visually graphic ways, sometimes they don’t work in that way.

So therefore, trying to attribute a specific, either a specific result to a specific past karma or warning that a specific action will lead to a specific result in the future, that’s a hazardous business, even if we can find an explicit quote in scripture for that. Because law is complicated and justice, if it is to be furthered, it has to be done in a way that the law has to be applied carefully and that’s why we have, we don’t just have the law of karma as an impersonal law, we also have a personal deity, Yamraj, who gets involved and there is a certain amount of individual discretion over there. Now, of course, we can go further and say that there are instances where even Yamraj makes a mistake.

So those are told to illustrate particular points within the broader context. I wouldn’t consider those as habitual errors. Now, having given this background, any specific correlation, if it is mentioned, I would say causation is out of question, but correlation, causation means A leads to B and correlation is A goes together with B, may be caused or they may be concurrent, they occur at the same time for different causes, we don’t know.

Whenever any kind of connection between some action and some results are talked about, I feel it’s best to stick to the principle and when a speaker is communicating, there also is an underlying principle. So, for example, don’t become habitually negative in our speech by looking at all the bad that is being done by people and fixating on the apparent iniquity of the world. So that principle is more important, but does that literally mean that when a particular bad action is, if we point out to the bad actions of others, then their bad karma comes to us.

For instance, the Kauravas do horrendous things and the Pandavas point that out. So are the Pandavas getting the Kauravas’ karma? If we take this logic, literally, how would any system of justice ever work? If a person who bears testimony in a court to a crime, where a murderer, that person has seen a murder happening, and the person bears testimony over there, and that person just by becoming a witness over there, gets the karma of the murderer, especially what kind of system of justice would that be? So sometimes certain statements, the spirit of those statements needs to be taken and the spirit is that, okay, as I said, there is much that is unfair in the world and to accept it, we need to come to peace with it and we need to stop fixating on it. So some people are habitually gossipy, habitually cynical, now that’s bad.

But the line between when is it gossipy, when is it gossip, and when is it not, is very difficult to precisely figure out. And that’s why somebody might be expressing a grievance or a complaint and somebody else might label it as a gossip. Now in the Bhagavatam, there is a statement which again could be used to support this idea that when Dharma is being beaten by Kali, Parikshit stops Kali and then he asked Dharma, the bull, what is the cause of your suffering? And then Dharma replies, it’s very difficult to know because different philosophers have proposed different things.

And then Dharma replies, Krishna replies, bravo, he says that you are surely, it’s a wise answer that you are Dharma. And those who point to a wrongdoer get the same destination as the wrongdoer. Now what does that mean? If that were to mean literally the same thing, then why does Parikshit Maharaj even intervene over there to stop Kali? So, it means more in a philosophical sense that if you don’t see the bigger picture, then we will stay in the same ignorance with as the ignorance with which the wrongdoer is doing the wrong.

Parikshit Maharaj punishes Kali also. So in a devotional setting, we may not want to highlight the wrongdoings of devotees in public forums. So, it could be applied at two levels, the particular statement in spirit, but that don’t be habitually negative and don’t voice grievances or don’t speak negative about devotees in public forums.

Having said this, reality is complex and I would be very careful to not make statements categorically about karma and to not make, especially not use those statements to insist on a particular specific action in a specific situation. Some devotees take up a lifelong cause of say correcting particular wrongs, maybe some financial misappropriation, maybe some child abuse and that becomes their mission. So, they will be regularly looking for faults.

So would this imply that, say, the Child Protection Office in our moment, it points out the faults of those who have committed such thing and then publicizes that. So, is it those who are in the CPO, are all of them giving their good karma to the predators who have actually violated children and as the CPO, such child abusers, karma coming to the CPO officers. So, to summarize, karma is a principle of accountability and responsibility.

That’s why we need to become careful and contemplative about what we do. Beyond that, specifics, even when they are given in scripture, the specifics are given without further nuancing of context and that’s why even though specifics may not apply universally and beyond that, certain logical aspects or certain ways of coordinating karma that might seem logical in some way, I think they need to be taken more in the principle of what can be learned for healthy human behavior. But beyond that, I would not mention them as absolute principles.

The post When we criticize someone for doing bad things, is their karma transferred to us? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

ISKCON Vrindavan's social media presence is a powerful tool for spreading the teachings of Lord Krishna and fostering a global community of devotees. Their impressive statistics—42 million YouTube views, 549,000 Facebook followers, and a growing Instagram presence—highlight their success in leveraging digital platforms to connect with a vast and diverse audience. By combining traditional spiritual values with modern technology, ISKCON Vrindavan continues to inspire and uplift millions, making a profound impact on the digital spiritual landscape. Their efforts serve as a model for other organizations seeking to use social media for positive change and spiritual outreach. Continue reading "Inspiring Global Reach: How ISKCON Vrindavan Connects Hearts with 42M+ Views
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By Dandavats Staff Writer

A diverse range of inspiring spiritual, philosophical, and cultural topics within the broader Hare Krishna and Vaishnava traditions. It includes insightful discourses from esteemed speakers, significant events, and thought-provoking discussions on spirituality, ethics, and modern challenges. H.G. Sikhi Mahiti Prabhu’s Srimad Bhagavatam class offers deep wisdom from sacred texts, emphasizing devotion and self-realization. Similarly, other Bhagavatam classes by HG Govinda Dāsa and HH Prahladananda Swami provide further spiritual nourishment. The recognition of Visakha Dasi, ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Manor President, at 10 Downing Street for International Women’s Day highlights the growing acknowledgment of spiritual leadership in mainstream society. Another thought-provoking discussion features Gauranga Das, Henrique Jorge, and Dr. Sajeev Nair exploring biohacking, AI clones, and longevity, balancing scientific advancements with spiritual values. The Indonesian President’s appreciation of the Bhagavad Gita underscores the global impact of Krishna consciousness. Meanwhile, ISKCON New Vrindavan’s recognition as a top spiritual community showcases the movement’s influence. Additionally, the Rishikesh Kirtan Fest and the renovation of ISKCON’s first temple preserve cultural and devotional heritage. The celebration of Sri Srivasa Pandita’s appearance reminds us of the rich legacy of Vaishnava saints. Altogether, these events and discussions reflect the dynamic and growing influence of Krishna consciousness in the modern world. Continue reading "Ancient Teachings, Scientific Debates, and Cultural Celebrations in Vaishnava Traditions Worldwide! March 20
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Question, how much should we accept the things that are not in our control, especially when it is we who have made some terrible mistake, maybe someone else pushed us or triggered us or even doing something wrong, but we cannot blame that person alone, we are also responsible. And additionally, we feel some regret. So should we just accept that this has happened and move on? Three distinct aspects to this question.

First is the idea of accepting what is unchangeable. The second is our own actions. And third is others influence on us in those actions.

So generally, acceptance is primarily focused on what has happened to us or what others have done to us. It cannot be simplistically used for what has been done by us, we are much more responsible for that. So for example, if we get some disease and fall sick, or because of some medical mistake, we become sick, then at that time acceptance is necessary.

Within that, acceptance is easier when something has happened because of natural forces rather than human agents. So it is much easier for the Pandavas to accept, say something like the death of their father, than the attempt by Kauravas to burn them alive. Having said that, now what about when sufferings come upon us because of our own actions? So consider the example of Yudhishthir, gambling and losing everything, where he could say that he was instigated by Shakuni and Karna and Duryodhana and others, could also say that he was well-intentioned and he was obligated because as a Kshatriya he had to accept a challenge.

So generally when things are beyond our control and especially when things have happened to us and things have been done to us, but we don’t want to get into the business of taking revenge against that person and that person is no longer an active influence in our life, then it is important for us to let go of things, accept it and just move on with life. Life sometimes is hard and resentment makes it a hundred times harder. Now when it comes to things that we have done ourselves, so should Yudhishthir accept what he did? Well yes, there also acceptance is required because ultimately we have to live with ourselves and if we have a very hostile relationship with ourselves, where either we are beating ourselves down constantly for what we did or we are trying to justify what we did all the time.

Both ways would be a problem. So the second part is that, so here also we need to come to acceptance but the way we do it is by carefully analyzing what went wrong over there and what we can learn from it so that we don’t do something similar. So the amount of wrong that happened through Yudhishthir was devastating for him.

What the Mahabharata depicts is that a person who is especially conscious of wanting to do good, when that very person ends up doing not just bad but a catastrophic bad thing, how difficult it will be to accept. He was repeatedly asking sages in the forest, trying to make sense of what happened. So he did three broad things to ensure that a similar thing would not happen.

First at a practical level, he learned gambling. When we say gambling has got him into trouble, why learn gambling now? So he was not a gambling addict and that was not a fear for him but he wanted to prepare for the contingency that in future if he is challenged to a gambling match, Shakuni should not be able to do the same thing that was done to him. Then at a philosophical level or you could say at a more philosophical ethical level, he understood that just one principle like obedience to one’s elders is not the sole factor for decision-making.

So his elders had called him for a match and he said I should obey my elders. But later on Yudhishthir was told by Dhritarashtra that you are already a vanaprastha, why do you want to become a grhastha, just stay in the forest. And he was refused to offer his kingdom, he didn’t uncritically obey Dhritarashtra.

So one is we improve our practical skills that are required for dealing with the situation. Second is that we improve our value system. I say not so much value system whereas our decision-making apparatus or decision-making process.

And the third is that Yudhishthir, even when he was gambling, he was thinking that Arjuna is so dear to Krishna, Draupadi is so dear to Krishna, surely they will not be lost in a gambling match. So the hard-nosed reality of the world is that good intentions are no substitute for good intelligence. That while God protects, just because we are good and we have good intentions, that does not necessarily mean good things will happen to us if we are not taking ground-level actions.

So, that’s why in the war, he was always quite strategic and even when he was reluctant to send Abhimanyu inside and when Abhimanyu was sent inside, it was only with a proper plan that the Pandavas would follow him from behind. Of course, Jayadrath thwarted that plan. So the next day when Arjuna went inside, Yudhishthir also felt anxious and then he sent Satyaki and then he sent Bhima inside.

Arjuna was trying to get to Jayadrath on the 14th day. So the point is that he learned at a hard level that we have to, along with a devotional intention or a devotional consciousness, we also have to have practical strategic intelligence. So, it is the three learnings at a level of practical skill, at a level of sound decision making and at a level of balancing spiritual consciousness with sound material assessments.

Now, as far as the role of Shakuni is concerned, when that raises the question, did Yudhishthir blame Shakuni? Well, in his case, Shakuni is an enemy and letting oneself be manipulated by the enemy into gambling more and more. That was his mistake. But then somebody who is a friend or a well-wisher, or at least we think of them as friend and well-wisher and that person manipulates us, as happened when Simanthara manipulated Kaikeyi, then it’s a different situation.

And sometimes it may well happen that the other person may even be well-intentioned, but despite being well-intentioned, the advice that the person gives turns out to be harmful for us. It turns out that that advice gets us into more trouble. So, either way, we don’t want to simply pass the blame to the other person.

But what we need to learn is that ultimately it’s our decisions and whom we let ourselves be influenced by is something we need to become more watchful about. Like, is it that I let myself be… whose words am I listening to, whose opinions am I taking seriously, whose criticism I’m taking seriously. So if you become more self-aware, then we will be less likely to be influenced by others.

Now depending on what the other person’s motivation was in doing a particular thing, based on that we may decide whether we want to continue to have a relationship with that person or we just want to have nothing to do with that person thereafter. Thank you.

The post When we are told to accept the unchangeable does that include accepting our own misdeeds done under the influence of others? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

HH Sivarama Swami, a highly respected ISKCON guru and spiritual leader, has made a significant impact through his social media presence, particularly on platforms like Facebook and YouTube. His ability to connect with a global audience, share profound spiritual wisdom, and inspire devotees has established him as a key figure in the digital outreach of
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The post How to Speak Effectively & Resolve Conflicts part 1 By HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The post Hindi – How Mahaprabhu frees from the illusions of the mind and the intelligence- Chaitanya Charan appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Srivasa Thakura is understood as tatastha-shakti, a marginal energy of Bhagavan, Krishna in person. Devotees who are headed by Srivasa Thakura are described as ‘parts’ of transcendental body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (his eyes, ears, hands, disc/cakra, etc.).

They all participated in His transcendental pastimes. They all helped to spread Krsna consciousness, sankirtana-yajna. On the other hand, Srivasa is also Narada – an eternal transcendental associate of Lord Krsna.

Srivasa was studying Srimad-Bhagavatam with Advaita Acarya, who was at that time in Navadvipa. The home of Srivasa, Srivasa-angam, was a place where Sri Caitanya perform sankirtana-yajna, congregational chanting of Krsna’s Holy Names, and it was a place where the Kazi, a noted Muslim leader, ruled. 

However, the Kazi had a dream where Sri Caitanya said that he should allow devotional service, so since that time he promised that he would never oppose sankirtana-yajna, and also that no one from his family would ever be against Krsna. 

Srivasa Thakura had previously lived in Sri Hatta, but because he wanted the association of devotees he went to live on the banks of the Ganges in Navadvipa. Srivasa Thakura had three brothers: Sripati, Srirama and Srinidhi. He also had one son, but at a young age his son died.

In the house of Srivasa, Chaitanya showed His transcendental form to all His eternal associates. So Srivasa-angam is also a place from which the Krishna Consciousness movement around five hundred years ago was started.

By Dandavats Staff Writer

Today a rich tapestry of teachings and events from various spiritual leaders and communities. From insightful lectures on expanding one's lifetime duration and Lord Chaitanya's transformative mercy, to celebrations marking milestones like ISKCON Botswana's 30th anniversary and reflections on the profound teachings of Queen Kunti and Narada Muni, each moment resonates with deep spiritual wisdom. These stories inspire with their messages of humility, devotion, and the boundless mercy of the divine. Embrace a journey filled with gratitude, devotion, and the joy of spiritual community! Continue reading "Spiritual Wisdom, Joyful Celebrations, and Divine Mercy Inspire Devotees Worldwide! March 19
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Gaur Gopal Das, a renowned spiritual leader and motivational speaker, has become a beacon of inspiration for millions worldwide. As a senior monk in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), he has dedicated his life to spreading wisdom, positivity, and the timeless teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. With an impressive 322,894,415 views on his
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Kaliya Krishna Das stands as a remarkable figure in the contemporary spiritual art scene, combining devotion to Krishna consciousness with digital artistry to reach hundreds of thousands of followers worldwide. Based in New York City, this Hare Krishna devotee has successfully created a significant online presence that spreads spiritual messages through visually compelling digital art
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