Planet ISKCON

gṛhāṇeṣa mām ajñam edhy akṣi-dṛśyaḥ

Receive me, Lord, though lost in night,
And grant my eyes your saving sight.
Though foolish, still to you I run,
Let me see you, O radiant one.

(Damodarashtakam — Verse 6, Line 4)

My dear Lord, you are ever present everywhere, but I can’t see you anywhere because my eyes are blind. Yet even when I am blind to you and your glory, you are never blind to me—nor to my misery.
You tirelessly extend your mercy toward me, offering me opportunities to remember you.
And when I cherish and cultivate your rememberance, I begin to sense your presence.

O enchanting Lord, your all-attractiveness is so extraordinary
that even the faintest perception of you evokes two opposite effects—
it both enriches and impoverishes me.
It enriches me because even a slight contact with you—through remembrance alone—
fills my heart with a joy so deep that all the world’s pleasure feels unnecessary, even unappealing.
Yet it also impoverishes me,
for each experience of you kindles within my heart a deeper longing—
a flame to know you more, to experience you more intimately.
That is why I long to behold you with my eyes,
though I know, O Lord, that I am far from qualified for such a vision.

O supremely wise Lord,
may these twin longings—to hold your remembrance internally
and to behold your presence externally—
purify my heart completely, directing it toward you fully and irrevocably.
And whenever you so desire, please, O Lord, grant me your darshan:
the vision that fulfills all visions.

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An Article from The Sydney Morning Gerald, posted on October 23, 2025

“Men doubt what they cannot see,” an archival story from The New York Times quotes the Kolkata-born founder of the Hare Krishna movement, Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, telling a group of his rapt followers in that masthead’s home city in the early 1970s.

He had come to New York from India in the hippie, trippy decade prior, founding the religion that would go on to spread worldwide, including to Australia, in 1966.

Sixty-odd years later, I am in Kalna, less than 80 kilometres north-east of the swami’s birthplace, and while I can’t see what’s alarmed our guide, there’s no doubting what’s heading our way.

It’s unmistakable: the melodic ting-ting-ting of brass manjira, the thrum of drums, the euphoric clapping and signature chanting of, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare; Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.”

The rapture of Prabhupada’s followers is clearly still going strong …

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boro-kṛpā kaile kṛṣṇa
adhamer prati

Such immense mercy have you shown,
O Krishna, upon this soul, fallen and forlorn.

My dear Lord, how stunning is the consciousness of the saints devoted to you—as seen in Srila Prabhupada, who declared that he had received immense mercy from you. Yet, to any ordinary eye, no mercy is visible. He stands alone—no followers accompanying him, none awaiting him. He has no institutional support. His material means are almost nothing—just forty rupees. The only resource he possesses—his own body—has endured two heart attacks on successive nights during his voyage.

In such dire circumstances, what does he see as your mercy, O inconceivable Lord? Simply the fact that he has reached America after that perilous journey. He now has a chance to fulfill his spiritual master’s instruction—to share bhakti with the Western world. Though he has no facility to carry out that mission, he is profoundly grateful that he has, at least, the opportunity.

O Lord Almighty, a heart devoted to you sees beyond the circumstantial to the transcendental—from scarcity to sanctity, from trial to trust. Help me focus on what you have done, not on what you have not yet done—or what may seem to have been undone by you. Inspired by your pure devotee’s vision, bless me, during my moments of test, to manifest even a fraction of such devotional appreciation—focusing on what I have, not on what I lack.

The post 1.1 Let me treasure the opportunity, even when bereft of facility appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Today is Gopastami, the day on which Krishna and Balarama and other boys Their age, who previously had tended the calves, were given charge of the cows. This event is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.15.1):

tatas ca pauganda-vayah-sritau vraje
  babhuvatus tau pasu-pala-sammatau
gas carayantau sakhibhih samam padair
  vrndavanam punyam ativa cakratuh

“When Lord Rama and Lord Krsna attained the age of pauganda [six to ten] while living in Vrndavana, the cowherd men allowed Them to take up the task of tending the cows. Engaging thus in the company of Their friends, the two boys rendered the land of Vrndavana most auspicious by imprinting upon it the marks of Their lotus feet.”

As stated in the purport, “Since Lord Krsna’s spiritual body had apparently grown slightly in age and strength, the senior men of Vrndavana, headed by Nanda Maharaja, decided to promote Krsna from the task of herding calves to the status of a regular cowherd boy. He would now take care of the full-grown cows, bulls, and oxen. Out of great affection, Nanda Maharaja had previously considered Krsna too small and immature to take care of full-grown cows and bulls. It is stated in the Karttika-mahatmya section of the Padma Purana:

suklastami karttike tu
  smrta gopastami budhaih
tad-dinad vasudevo ’bhud
  gopah purvam tu vatsapah

The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Karttika is known by authorities as Gopastami. From that day, Lord Vasudeva served as a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves.’

“The word padaih indicates that Lord Krsna blessed the earth by walking on her surface with His lotus feet. The Lord wore no shoes or other footgear but walked barefoot in the forest, giving great anxiety to the girls of Vrndavana, who feared that His soft lotus feet would be injured.”

The celebration was meant for only the cowherd men and boys, but Srimati Radharani also wanted to enjoy the fun, and so, because of Her resemblance to Subala-sakha, she donned his dhoti and other garments and joined Krishna. Thus, on this occasion, in temples in Vrindavan and elsewhere, Srimati Radharani is dressed as a cowherd boy.

The Lord is very kindly disposed toward the cows and the brahmans (go-brahmana-hitaya), and whoever serves them becomes dear to Him, too. Knowing this, devotees observe a special festival on the Gopastami day, dedicated to the worship of cows. In Vrindavan especially, but also the world over, devotees begin the festival by brushing the cows, painting their horns and bodies with artistic designs, and hanging flower garlands around their necks. Then a cow and her calf are selected, and an arati is offered to them. During the arati, devotees sing the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and then they feed the cow, her calf, and indeed the entire herd, bananas, balls of gur (jaggery), and fresh grasses. Some devotees also recite the following mantra (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 16.252):

agratah santu me gavo
  gavo me santu prsthatah
gavo me parsvatah santu
  gavam madhye vasamyaham

“May cows stay in front of me. May cows stay behind me. May cows stay on both sides of me. May I always reside in the midst of cows.”

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

Sri Gadadhara Goswami is a united form of Chandrakanti gopi (an expansion of Radharani’s effulgence) and Purnanada (an expansion of Lord Balarama’s dear girlfriend). Thus, Gadadhara Dasa was an associate of both Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu.

Krishna Dasa Kaviraja describe Lord Chaitanya as radha-bahva-dyuti suvalita, “characterized by the emotions and bodily luster of Shrimati Radharani.” Gadadhara Dasa is this dyuti, luster. Gadadhara Dasa is sometimes called “the personification of Sri Radhika’s divine effulgence.” 

While traveling with Lord Nityananda, Gadadhara would sometimes become absorbed in madhurya prema and begin acting  and speaking like a Vraja gopi. Putting a clay pot of Ganges water on his head, as if he were a gopi, he would call out, “Who wants to buy milk? Who wants to buy yogurt?”

As one of Lord Nityananda’s chief preachers in Bengal Gadadhara Dasa delivered countless sinners and yavanas. Once, while tasting Krishna prema he began dancing madly and chanting Krishna’s Holy Names outside the Kazi’s mansion.

The irate Muslim magistrate stormed out of his house to chastize him for “disturbing the peace.” But beholding the dazzlingly attractive form of Gadadhara Dasa, the Kazi became stunned and dropped his anger. 

Gadadhara affectionately embraced the Kazi and said, “Gaura-Nityananda have appeared to deliver everyone with divine love by distributing the sweet nectar of the Holy Name of Hari. Why don’t you chant this sweet name of Hari?”

   “Tomorrow I shall chant the name of Hari,” replied the Kazi. Hearing the Kazi inadvertanly chant the Holy Name filled Gadadhara with happiness. He said, “Why tomorrow? You have already chanted today. And this powerful name of Hari will destroy your sins and purify your existence.” From that day on the Kazi took shelter of Sri Gadadhara Dasa Goswami. His samadhi is in the 64 Samadhis Area. 

kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyāti-dīnaṁ batānu

Your heart is so kind, so deep,
You alone can wake me from illusion’s sleep.
Cast upon me your merciful glands
So this soul can awaken and dance.

(Damodarashtakam — Verse 6, Line 3)

My dear Lord, by your omniscience and by your omnibenevolence, your glance is already on everyone. For those who already have love for you, your glance is love-filled and heart-captivating. For those who do not yet have love but sincerely seek it, your glance is merciful and heart-cleansing—and thereafter, heart-captivating too.

O supreme enchanter, your large, beautiful, lotus-like eyes, shaded by exquisite eyebrows, shine with irresistible charm; as you tilt your head and cast a side glance, streams of nectarian love flow from your eyes—uplifting, enriching, intoxicating—making nothing else in existence matter anymore.

O my beloved Lord, I beg for one such glance. Please bestow it upon me—not because I am qualified, nor because I imagine my lack of qualification itself to be a qualification. I seek it not from ego, nor from self-pity, but simply because of your generosity and my scarcity. Out of your fullness, you desire to give mercy; out of my emptiness, I need it. And in one sense, you have already given me your mercy—or at least its first installment—by which I have come to recognize that need. Please, accept my feeble and faltering prayer as an expression of that need.

May your beautiful, bewitching glance, O merciful Lord, free me from the witches of illusion that now rule and ruin my heart—and restore me to your loving service.

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prasīda prabho duḥkha-jālābdhi-magnam

Be merciful, Lord, I’m drowned in pain,
In sorrow’s sea I cry in vain.
O master, lift me from despair,
And keep me safe within your care.

(Damodarashtakam — Verse 6, Line 2)

My dear Lord, help me realize that pain is inevitable in any life directed toward anything but you. The cause of that pain lies not merely in the mortal nature of this world—which makes life an inescapable sentence—but also in the uncertainty and anxiety that precede it.

Please, O supreme guru, let the false promises of worldly pleasure no longer fill me with hope, for they lead only to deeper entrapment and endless suffering. Let me see such pleasures for what they are—treacherous baits that keep me adrift in the ocean of misery, battered and broken by the waves of worldly existence.

I need your mercy, O unfailing Lord, to turn my heart wholly toward you. The more I become attached to and absorbed in you, the more I realize that the greatest ocean of suffering is not material existence itself, but the forgetfulness of you that defines it. I seek protection not from the pains of this world, but from the far greater danger of forgetting you—whether in pleasure or in pain.

Grant me, O merciful Lord, the constant remembrance of you—an unshakeable boat that will not only protect me from this ocean’s waves but also carry me steadily toward you, into the eternal, ever-expanding ocean of your supreme love and joy.

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It is stated in the Kārttika-māhātmya section of the Padma Purāṇa:

śuklāṣṭamī kārttike tu

smṛtā gopāṣṭamī budhaiḥ

tad-dinād vāsudevo ‘bhūd

gopaḥ pūrvaṁ tu vatsapaḥ

“The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārttika is known by authorities as Gopāṣṭamī. From that day, Lord Vāsudeva served as a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves.”

The word padaiḥ indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa blessed the earth by walking on her surface with His lotus feet. The Lord wore no shoes or other footgear but walked barefoot in the forest, giving great anxiety to the girls of Vṛndāvana, who feared that His soft lotus feet would be injured.

Krsna said at that time that the cows are worshiped even by the demigods, and He practically demonstrated how to protect the cows. At least people who are in Krsna consciousness should follow in His footsteps and give all protection to the cows.

Cows are worshiped not only by the demigods. Krsna Himself worshiped the cows on several occasions, especially on the days of Gopastami and Govardhana-puja.

namo deva dāmodarānanta viṣṇo

O boundless Vishnu, O supremely bright,
O Dāmodar, of matchless light.
To you I bow; my soul’s desire,
To be lit forever by love’s pure fire.

(Damodarashtakam — Verse 6, Line 1)

My dear Lord, the concept of God is astonishing when contemplated in its abstract glory—the idea of a single supreme reality that unifies and underlies all existence as its origin, sustainer, and destination. Such a notion can leave any thoughtful, open-hearted person awestruck. Yet moving from abstraction to the personhood of divinity is even more astounding. That one being can be both all-pervading and personal—both infinite and intimate—fills the mind with wonder.

Yet, O enchanting Lord, what is even more inconceivable is that this supreme person—the ultimate reality—is not a distant monarch enthroned in majestic aloofness, but a small, tender child—running in fear, trembling, and shedding tears. Such a vision surpasses the grasp of intellect; it can be approached only through love. It is only the heart, softened by affection, that can appreciate the mystery of your duality—how the infinite manifests as an innocent child.

You, O all-attractive Lord, long for intimate exchanges of love and therefore create settings where such uninhibited reciprocation can unfold. You let your mother love you fully, fulfilling her need to be needed. Thus, you—O supremely invulnerable Lord—become endearingly vulnerable.

O supreme connoisseur of love, may my heart be churned and charmed by memories of your love for love.

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manasy avirāstām alam lakṣa-lābhaiḥ

May he within my heart remain,
Beyond all wealth, beyond all gain.
No fortune vast, nor heavens high,
Can match the love that will not die.

(Damodarashtakam — Verse 5, Line 4)

My dear Lord, love for you absorbs your pure devotees so deeply that you become their supreme value—without doubt or deviation.

I, however, have chased many alternatives—pleasures and pursuits that seemed promising but have left me unfulfilled at best and frustrated, degraded, or even devastated at worst. O merciful Lord, I am so far from the unshakable realization that you alone are the best of all that can be desired. Yet let me not be discouraged but instead encouraged to take concrete steps toward that conviction. Let me value not only the final vision of conviction but also the slow, seemingly small steps I take toward it—each conscious choice, each moment of remembrance.

Even if I cannot sustain that remembrance always, O all-inclusive Lord, let me at least cherish every opportunity in the present moment to turn away from the world and turn toward you. Let my journey be one of constant returning—so that every time my mind turns away due to fickleness, it swiftly turns back to you through the firmness of my intelligence, strengthened by the mercifulness of your infinitely loving heart. Through such repeated realignment, may my mind become purified—seeing only you and seeking nothing but you.

The post Let my mind keep returning to you till it rests in you appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

vṛtaṁ kuntalaiḥ snigdha-raktaiś ca gopyā

By gentle curls of reddish glow,
Your face was framed in tender flow.
The gopī watched with love’s embrace,
Her heart absorbed in your sweet face.

(Damodarashtakam — Verse 5, Line 2)

My dear Lord, every aspect of your being is all-attractive, including your hair. In this world, we all try to have beautiful hair, but it takes constant attention and care for it to remain attractive. Without that effort, it becomes messy and unkempt. Yet you, my Lord, need no effort to enhance or maintain even a single aspect of your beauty—including your hair. Even when Mother Yashoda decorates you, it is not to beautify you further but simply to express her overflowing affection. You, ever kind and accommodating, accept her service out of love.

Your soft curls, gentle and silken, dance upon your face as you run—excited to share in the unending adventure of your divine play with your loving devotees. O enchanting Lord, when you tilt your head and cast your mischievous side glance—a skill you began practicing in childhood and perfected in youth—your hair falls gracefully to one side, creating a sight that no heart can ever forget. When you plead with your mother with that innocent expression, those soft curls perfectly frame your face, amplifying your charm.

O heart-throb of all hearts, may your beautiful face—encircled by your charming hair—draw my heart away from the fleeting beauties of this world and free it from Maya’s lair, leading it toward your eternal, ever-enchanting beauty.

The post May the beauty of your hair free my heart from Maya’s lair appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

muhuś cumbitaṁ bimba-raktādharaṁ te

Your cheeks, like red fruit, soft and fair,
Were kissed with love beyond compare.
Again and again her heart would race,
To drink the joy upon your face.

(Damodarashtakam — Verse 5, Line 4)

My dear Lord, you are so kind and inclusive that every expression of love found in this world finds its pure and original form in your loving pastimes with your devotees. Your exquisite beauty and extraordinary accessibility form a heartwarming—and indeed heart-winning—combination that can soften any heart, even one only slightly open to your divine love that is beyond compare.

O all-attractive Lord, while the specific intimate expressions of love typical of particular exalted rasas, such as those of Mother Yashoda, are not accessible to me, love for you itself remains ever accessible. Through remembering your loving pastimes—and cherishing that remembrance as the greatest treasure of my life—please help me cultivate the mood of service that underlies even the most intimate expressions of love, such as Mother Yashoda’s tender kisses upon you.

O all-merciful Lord, whenever you please, reveal to me the specific mellow in which you wish to attract me. May the intimate exchanges of love I witness between you and your innermost devotees inspire within me similar feelings of love, expressed in ways suitable for my level of devotion. And one day—by your grace—may I too enter your innermost circle of love.

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