Planet ISKCON

All the unmarried gopīs in Vṛndāvana used to daily worship goddess Kātyāyanī early in the morning after taking a bath in the river Yamunā. Kātyāyanī is another name for goddess Durgā. 
The goddess is worshiped by preparing a doll made of sand from the bank of the Yamunā. 

The gopīs used to prepare the deity of goddess Durgā and worship it with candana pulp, garlands, incense, lamps and all kinds of presentations—fruits, grain and twigs of plants.  

The unmarried girls used to pray with great devotion to goddess Kātyāyanī, addressing her as follows: “O supreme external energy of the Personality of Godhead, O supreme mystic power, O supreme controller of this material world, O goddess, please be kind to us and arrange for our marriage with the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa.”

From Krsna Book by His Divine grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

According to Vrinda-kunda Baba, Srimati Vrindadevi appeared on the full-moon night at the end of Kartik, or Damodara.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, in Sri Vrndadevi-astaka (6-8), glorifies her:

rasabhilaso vasatis ca vrnda-
vane tvad-isanghri-saroja-seva
labhya ca pumsam krpaya tavaiva
vrnde namas te caranaravindam

“By your mercy, people attain residence in Vrindavan, the desire to serve your masters’ lotus feet, and the desire to assist in the rasa dance. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet.

tvam kirtyase satvata-tantra-vidbhir
lilabhidhana kila krsna-saktih
tavaiva murtis tulasi nr-loke
vrnde namas te caranaravindam

“They who are learned in the Satvata-tantra glorify you. You are Krishna’s pastime-potency. The tulasi plant is your form in the world of men. O Vrinda, I bow to you lotus feet.

bhaktya vihina aparadha-laksaih
ksiptas ca kamadi-taranga-madhye
kpamayi tvam saranam prapanna
vrnde namas te caranaravindam

“O merciful one, I am devoid of devotion, and millions of offenses have thrown me into the turbulent waves of lust, anger, greed, and other faults. O Vrinda, I take shelter of your lotus feet.”

May Srimati Vrindadevi—and Sri Sri Radha-Damodara—bestow their mercy upon us all.

Hare Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada was on a marathon practically from the time he took to the vanaprastha order of life and even sometimes before. He was writing BTG articles, getting the magazine printed, and distributing copies. By the early 1960s, an acquaintance had said to him, “You should write books. People throw away magazines, but books they
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One of Srila Prabhupada’s most important steps in developing ISKCON was the creation of the Bhaktivedanta Institute, the scientific arm of his preaching strategy, which would present Vedic wisdom in the light of modern science, and defeat the prominence of mechanistic and atheistic concepts. At around the same time, the Intelligent Design movement, comprised of scientists and philosophers dissatisfied with unproven theories of a random creation and evolution, was also seeing its modern beginnings.

In ‘The Origin of Intelligent Design’, Discovery Institute writer Jonathan Witt says:

“In reality, the idea of intelligent design reaches back to Socrates and Plato, and the term ‘intelligent design’ as an alternative to ‘blind evolution’ was used as early as 1897. More recently, discoveries in physics, astronomy, information theory, biochemistry, genetics, and related disciplines during the past several decades provided the impetus for scientists and philosophers of science to develop modern design theory.”

While modern science has developed into its own dogmatic set of unquestionable principles and so-called axiomatic truths, religion and science are actually inseparable, Krishna being the supreme scientist and intelligent designer behind everything. And Srila Prabhupada always spoke of Krishna consciousness and Vedic wisdom as scientific in their own right.

Part of Srila Prabhupada’s vision of The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium was to fight against the force of ignorance and illusion in the guise of modern atheistic science, and its absolute hold on the consciousness of the majority of the world population. The Intelligent Design Movement is an ally in this effort, and we are happy to present a collection of videos produced by some of the best minds from that group of thinkers.

Visit the Intelligent Design Videos page on the TOVP website for some inspiring and eye-opening presentations on the subjects of evolution, Darwinism, creationism, cosmology and much more.

 

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“Godhead is Light. Nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no nescience.”

These words were immortally etched on Srila Prabhupada’s original Back to Godhead magazines in the mid-1940s, and remain there today. They are forever true, and the Hare Krishna movement was founded with this underlying principle in mind.

The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, as envisioned by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, is meant to be a world class educational center from which the light of Vedic knowledge and science will be disseminated. This will be achieved through the Cosmology Chandelier, Planetarium, Science Center, state-of-the-art exhibits, books and publications, regular conferences, summits and symposiums, and much more.

While we are still a long way off from that plan fully manifesting, we are beginning some online promotion to the general public in a small way, by presenting some of the basic concepts of Vedic wisdom and Krishna consciousness through videos, audios, books, and essays by learned devotees on different subjects. This is being done through promotion of a specially designed Landing Page on the TOVP website located on the Main Menu as VEDIC SCIENCE.

We encourage all devotees to take advantage of this outreach opportunity by sharing this page using the link below and expanding the preaching mission, thus dispelling the darkness of nescience with the light of Godhead.

https://tovp.org/vedic-science

 

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TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

Visit: www.tovp.org
Support: https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities
Email: tovpinfo@gmail.com
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By Dr. Baladeva Dasa I am glad to announce the release of the Vrajaisvarya-kadambini, “A Bank of Rain Clouds Pouring Vraja’s Opulence,” yet another publication of the Baladeva Vidyabhusana Project. In this remarkably sweet and simple work, composed at the request of Sri Krsnadeva Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Sri Vidyabhusana presents an epitome of the tenth canto
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By Karuna-Sakti dd “Srila Prabhupada built a house the whole world could live in — and this included men and women. [and children],” said Krishnarupa devi dasi (ACBSP).1 What is the purpose of Srila Prabhupada’s house? Srila Prabhupada himself often primary purpose of human life, that is, we have a duty to utilise this life
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Gitanushilanam 2023 is the world’s biggest online Bhagavad Gita competition dedicated to ISKCON founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It is the annual flagship event of Learn Gita Live Gita to celebrate the Gita Jayanti of year 2023. Learn Gita Live Gita is an initiative under the leadership of HG Lila Purushottam Prabhu
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Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us this method of worship in separation, vipralambha-sevā. Not that “Oh, I have seen yesterday. Last night, I have seen Kṛṣṇa. He was snatching my cloth.” These are sahajiyās. Actually, our worship should be in separation. The Gosvāmīs also taught us like that. He rādhe vraja-devike ca
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As I stand where earth, sea, and sky meet, and watch the sun rise before me, it’s easy to feel the emotion of gratitude. Who am I to be so blessed and where does all this life and beauty come from? Prabhupada says it well, “Every living entity, especially persons in the human race, must […]

The post Grateful for the Gifts appeared first on ISKCON News.

Millions celebrate the secular holiday of Thanksgiving* this week, which can serve as a helpful reminder to all of the importance of giving thanks and expressing gratitude regularly. Creative devotees also use this annual event to highlight living a non-violent lifestyle that doesn’t involve killing animals and even hosting Thanksgiving day events to share our […]

The post Thoughts on Thanksgiving and Gratitude appeared first on ISKCON News.

Today is the disappearance day of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a great devotee—a maha-bhagavata. He was a disciple of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and was very renounced. Earlier, he lived for many years in Vrindavan, roaming the twelve forests, chanting the holy names of Krishna, begging alms, and sleeping under trees. Later, after Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discovered Lord Chaitanya’s birthplace in Mayapur, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, the siksa-guru of Bhaktivinoda Thakura and parama-guru of Gaurakisora dasa Babaji, instructed Gaurakisora to move to Navadvipa-dhama.

There Gaurakisora resided on the banks of the Ganges and practiced devotional service with intense devotion and renunciation. Because materialistic men would come and disturb him with their desires for mundane blessings (asirvada), the babaji began to stay by a municipal lavatory, where the filth and noxious smells would discourage unwanted visitors. There he would chant in peace—in ecstasy. He would beg alms and cook in discarded clay pots, or eat parched rice with green chilies, or even ingest Ganges mud. Sometimes he would collect the discarded cloth from the crematorium, wash it in Ganges water, and use it to cover himself. His only desire was to be absorbed in the mellow of the holy name—in Krishna consciousness.

Gaurakisora was a siksa disciple and intimate friend of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. The Thakura arranged a bhajana-kutira for him on the same property as his own house in Godruma-dvipa. When the time came for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to take diksa, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura advised him to approach Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was the father of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and his first instructor in the spiritual science, but the etiquette was that one would not take diksa from one’s biological father. So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura sent him to Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was highly literate. By the age of seven, he had memorized the entire Bhagavad-gita and could even explain its verses. He had a photographic memory, and in school he read all the books in the library. Just by reading them once, he could remember every word, and so the library purchased new books just for him. By the age of twenty-five, he had written numerous articles and published one book, Surya-siddhanta, for which he was awarded the title Siddhanta Sarasvati. So, he was highly educated and literate, and Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja was hardly educated or literate at all.

The first time Siddhanta Sarasvati approached Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, the babaji refused to accept him. He didn’t directly say no, but he said, “I will ask Mahaprabhu.” When Siddhanta Sarasvati returned and told his father what had happened, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura encouraged him to persevere: “You must go back and beg him with all humility and earnestness to accept you.” So, he went back, but Gaurakisora dasa Babaji again refused, saying, “Oh, I forgot to ask Mahaprabhu. I am so sorry.” When Siddhanta Sarasvati returned home, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was most upset. He knew that Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a pure devotee, a maha-bhagavata, and he urged Siddhanta Sarasvati to persist. He again instructed his son to beg Gaurakisora for his mercy, and he added, “If you fail this time, don’t bother to come back home.”

So, Siddhanta Sarasvati left the house and went to the Ganges. He felt so hopeless, he thought he might as well just drown himself in the river. Just then, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja appeared; he knew what was in his future disciple’s heart. Siddhanta Sarasvati just threw himself at Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji’s lotus feet in abject humility and complete surrender. Finally, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji accepted him. Siddhanta Sarasvati had shown that he was free from any tinge of false pride for being so learned and literate when his guru was uneducated.

Srila Prabhupada remarked that Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was illiterate and could not even sign his name, yet he became the spiritual master of Sarasvati Thakura, the best scholar of his time. And thus he proved the statement of the Vedas:

yasya deve para bhaktir
  yatha-deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah
  prakasante mahatmanah

“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)

Although Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was hardly educated or literate, learned scholars and public servants would approach him with their questions on Srimad-Bhagavatam and other shastras, and with his realized knowledge he would answer their questions to their full satisfaction. Sometimes devotees would read various scriptures for him and he would comment on them from his deep spiritual realization.

Still, out of his great humility Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja refused to accept any disciples; Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura proved to be the only exception.

Gaurakisora dasa Babaji enjoined Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati never to go to Calcutta, which he considered “a bastion of Kali-yuga.” So Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati remained in Mayapur. In 1905 he took a vow to chant the Hare Krishna mantra a billion times. Residing in a grass hut near the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya, he chanted the Hare Krishna mantra day and night. He cooked rice once a day in an earthen pot (or just parched the rice in the sun) and ate nothing more. He slept on the ground, and when the rainwater leaked through his grass ceiling, he sat beneath an umbrella, chanting. Locked in a small room, he chanted japa day and night, day after day, month after month, year after year. Finally, when he had completed his quota, he felt that he was ready to come out and preach. And to preach he went to Calcutta.

In a talk at the Ardha-kumbha-mela in Allahabad, Srila Prabhupada raised the point that Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji had instructed Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati never to go to Calcutta but that everyone knows he went to Calcutta. So, Srila Prabhupada questioned whether Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had disobeyed the orders of his spiritual master. “No!” Srila Prabhupada declared. “He was never in Calcutta; he was always in Vaikuntha!”

We pray to Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji:

namo gaura-kisoraya
  saksad-vairagya-murtaye
vipralambha-rasambodhe
  padambhujaya te namah

He is saksad-vairagya-murtaye, the personification of renunciation (vairagya); and vipralambha-rasambodhe, always merged in the ocean of the mellow of separation from Krishna (vipralambha-rasa). Padambhujaya te namah: “I offer my respectful obeisances unto his lotus feet.”

That was the mood of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja: he was always merged in that nectarean ocean of devotion in separation, and he had no care for his body or for anything material—just hari-nama.

He wrote a beautiful song that is completely in the mood of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. It is said that of the Six Gosvamis, Raghunatha dasa was the most attached to the service of Srimati Radharani—that he had the most intense desire to serve Srimati Radharani—and Gaurakisora dasa Babaji wrote a beautiful song in that mood. He begins with a refrain: kotai go premamayi, radhe radhe, radhe radhe—“Where is Radha, so full of love? Radhe, Radhe, Radhe, Radhe!” Then he proceeds to express the mood of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami in separation from Radharani, desiring and aspiring for Her service.

When Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja left this world, there was some dispute over what would happen to his body. His samadhi would become an important place of pilgrimage, and some of the heads of the local Vaishnava centers saw this as an opportunity to raise money—for their mathas and even for their own sense gratification. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati ran to the site, but when he arrived, some of the local babajis objected: “You are not a sannyasi; how can you give samadhi to such an exalted and renounced personality?” But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati responded forcefully: “I am the only disciple of Babaji Maharaja, and although I have not accepted sannyasa, I am a celibate brahmachari, not secretly addicted to abominable habits or involved with illicit activities. Who among you can say that in the last year he had no sex or illicit contact with a woman? Please step forward.” Everyone was silent. Then he challenged, “Who has refrained for the last six months?” Everyone was silent. Next, “For the last three months?” Again, silence. “For the last one month?” Silence. “The last three days?” Still silence. They had been exposed and humbled. Not one of the babajis was fit to even touch the transcendental form of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, and one by one they walked away.

But even then, there remained some question about how to handle the body, which was still lying on the ground. Out of his great humility, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja had instructed that when he departed, his body should be dragged through the streets of Navadvipa so that it would be bathed in the dust from the feet of the Vaishnavas who had walked the holy ground of the dhama. So some of the townspeople proposed to take the body and drag it through the streets of Navadvipa. Such fools! Such rascals! But Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura stopped them. “Although we are fools and offenders,” he said, “still we can try to understand the true meaning of Babaji Maharaja’s humble request. After the departure of Thakura Haridasa, Lord Chaitanya Himself took the spiritually blissful body of the Thakura on His lap and danced. Following the divine example of Mahaprabhu, let us also bear Babaji Maharaja’s blissful body on our own heads.”

So, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati took charge of the body and placed it in samadhi on the western side of the Ganges, across from Mayapur. In time, the course of the Ganges changed and its waters threatened the area of the samadhi. So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta brought the samadhi to Mayapur, to his matha. There he had created a replica of Vrindavan, with tamala trees and kadamba trees, with Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda, and with a small Govardhana Hill made of govardhana-silas. Most appropriately, he placed the new samadhi by the side of Radha-kunda, and that is where the transcendental remains of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji still rest today. One can go there and pray to him and feel his presence and get his mercy.

Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja is an ocean of mercy (all pure Vaishnavas are). I pray that he will help me to chant the holy name, to chant with taste. When I prayed to him earlier—and this may just be my speculation—I imagined that he said, “You must give up your offenses.” Then I was thinking, “What offenses? What offenses?” And then I imagined that he answered, “You must chant with attention.”

Of course, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura does state that inattentive chanting is the root of all other offenses and that, conversely, attentive chanting will destroy all the other offenses. “But how do I do that?” I asked. And the answer came: “You must try. You just have to make the effort.” And I suppose that is always the process—that we make our honest effort and depend on the mercy of the acharyas and Krishna.

In my case, however, my chanting sometimes becomes such a routine that I do not even make the effort to hear every word or every mantra. I just do it. I just go through the motions. So, I guess that is my challenge, my special order—to chant with attention.

Devotees often raise the question of chanting with quality. When on a morning walk a disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “How can we chant with quality?” His Divine Grace replied, “The quality will come. For now, just chant as a matter of duty; chant your sixteen rounds. When the quality comes, there will be no force. You will have taste, and spontaneously you will desire, ‘Why sixteen rounds? Why not sixteen thousand rounds?’ Rupa Gosvami desired, ‘How shall I chant with one tongue and hear with two ears? Had I billions of tongues and trillions of ears, then I could enjoy it.’ ”

Srila Prabhupada said that quality means asakti, attachment, and that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu showed that quality: “Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me: ‘Oh, I do not see Govinda. The whole world is vacant.’ Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me. This is quality.” When one feels viraha-bhava, when one feels separation from Radha and Krishna, one is chanting with quality.

 Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji is an ocean of mercy, and we pray for his grace.

Hare Krishna.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Gaurakisora dasa Babaji’s disappearance day, November 22, 2004, Dallas]

Paramahamsa Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji Maharaj was born into a vaishya family on the banks of the Padma River in Bagayan village in Faridpur district in what is now Bangladesh. His given name was Vamsi Das. He was born sometime in the middle of the nineteenth century.

He is important to us because he was the diksha guru of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada. Vamsi Das’s parents had him married at an early age according to the custom of the time, but he always remained detached from householder life. His main interest was always worshiping the Lord.

In 1849, Shrila Gaura Kishora Dasa Babaji left grihasta life after the death of his wife. He moved to Vrindavana and took initiation from Shri Bhagavata Das Babaji, a disciple of Shri Jagannatha Dasa, Babaji.

For over thirty years Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji stayed in Vrindavana performing bhajana under the trees at Giri Govardhana, Nandagrama, Varshana, Radha-Kunda, Suryakunda, Raval, Gokula. He also travelled outside of the Vraja area, visiting northern India and Bengal.

Sitting in seclusion, he chanted 200,000 names of Krishna every day (128 rounds of japa). He felt painful separation from Radha-Govinda and cried profusely. As he wandered through the dvadasa vana (12 forests) of Vraja, he would loudly chant the Holy Names in a deep voice full of lamentation.

In 1893, when the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was inaugurated at the Sri Mayapur Yoga Pith, Sri Jagannatha Das Babaji Maharaj ordered Srila  Gaura Kishora das babaji to stay in Nabadwip. This is where Srila Gaura Kishora das babaji remained for the rest of his life. He saw all the residents of Nabadwip with transcendental eyes, considering them to be divine beings. 

Although Bhaktivinoda Thakur was a grhastha with ten children, Srila Gaura Kishora Das babaji would often go to Bhaktivinoda’s home in Godrumadvipa, Svananda-sukhada-kunja, where he would listen to him give readings of the Bhagavat and discuss Vaishnava theology with him, Gaura Kishora Das babaji was very fond of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur.  Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur was extremely impressed by Gaura Kishora’s extraordinary renunciation, his pure devotion and his attachment to the Lord.

Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji left this world in 1915 but before then, Srila Bhaktivinoda decided his son Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada who was then known as Bhimala Prasad, to take diksha from Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji. 

On the 30th of Karttik in 1322 (Bengali ’ 1915 AD), Paramahamsa Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji entered the eternal pastimes of the Lord. At the time, he was residing at Ranira Dharma-sala in Kuliya. When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur received the news of his disappearance, he was overcome with feelings of separation from his guru and immediately hurried to the site of his departure.

If we are at all aware of how dependent we are on God—for the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and our very ability to eat and drink and breathe, to think and feel and will, and to walk, talk, and sense—we will feel grateful and want to reciprocate God’s kindness. We will want to do something for He (or She or They) who has done, and continues to do, so much for us.

We often take things for granted until we lose them. I use my right hand to chant on meditation beads, and one morning I found that I had severe pain in my hand and could no longer use it for chanting. I had taken the use of my hand for granted, but when I lost its use, I resolved to never take it for granted again and to always use it in the best way in God’s service.

How can we attempt to return some of God’s favor, some of God’s care and love for us? My spiritual master, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, gave one answer:

“Whatever you have got by pious or impious activities, you cannot change. But you can change your position, by Krishna consciousness. That you can change. Other things you cannot change. If you are white, you cannot become black, or if you are black, you cannot become white. That is not possible. But you can become a first-class Krishna conscious person. Whether you are black or white, it doesn’t matter. This is Krishna consciousness. Therefore our endeavor should be how to become Krishna conscious. Other things we cannot change. This is not possible.

tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido
 na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah
tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham
kalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa
   [Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.18]

Kalena, by time, you will get whatever you are destined. Don’t bother about so-called economic development. So far as food is concerned, Krishna is supplying. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. He is supplying even cats and dogs and ants. Why not you? There is no need of bothering Krishna, ‘God, give us our daily bread.’ He will give you. Don’t bother. Try to become very faithful servant of God. ‘Oh, God has given me so many things. So let me give my energy to serve Krishna.’ This is required. This is Krishna consciousness. ‘I have taken so much, life after life, from Krishna. Now let me dedicate this life to Krishna.’ This is Krishna consciousness. ‘I will not let this life go uselessly like cats and dogs. Let me utilize it for Krishna consciousness.’ ”

I pray that I will dedicate this life and everything I have—everything God has given me—fully in God’s service, following His pure devotees.

manasa, deho, geho, yo kichu mora
arpilun tuya pade, nanda-kisora

“Mind, body, and home, whatever may be mine, I surrender at Your lotus feet, O youthful son of Nanda!” (Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Saranagati)

Hare Krishna.

ISKCON’s Congregational Development Ministry has shared some very helpful resources for devotees to participate more fully in the fasting austerities during the last five days of Kartika (Damodara) Month known as “Bhisma Pancaka Vrata.”  See the graphics below for all the details. Grandfather Bhisma fasted for these five days, preparing to give up his life. […]

The post CDM Offers Fasting Resources for End of Kartika – Bhisma Pancaka Vrata appeared first on ISKCON News.

ISKCON’s Congregational Development Ministry has shared some very helpful resources for devotees to participate more fully in the fasting austerities during the last five days of Kartika (Damodara) Month known as “Bhisma Pancaka Vrata.”  See the graphics below for all the details. Grandfather Bhisma fasted for these five days, preparing to give up his life. […]

The post CDM Offers Fasting Resources for End of Kartika – Bhisma Pancaka Vrata appeared first on ISKCON News.

ISKCON’s Congregational Development Ministry has shared some very helpful resources for devotees to participate more fully in the fasting austerities during the last five days of Kartika (Damodara) Month known as “Bhisma Pancaka Vrata.”  See the graphics below for all the details. Grandfather Bhisma fasted for these five days, preparing to give up his life. […]

The post CDM Offers Fasting Resources for End of Kartika – Bhisma Pancaka Vrata appeared first on ISKCON News.

ISKCON’s Congregational Development Ministry has shared some very helpful resources for devotees to participate more fully in the fasting austerities during the last five days of Kartika (Damodara) Month known as “Bhisma Pancaka Vrata.”  See the graphics below for all the details. Grandfather Bhisma fasted for these five days, preparing to give up his life. […]

The post CDM Offers Fasting Resources for End of Kartika – Bhisma Pancaka Vrata appeared first on ISKCON News.

Photo Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/199248363@N03/albums/72177720312691051 Hare Krishna! As we immerse ourselves in the divine vibrations of Kartik Maas, also known as Damodar Maas, the Mood at ISKCON South Bangalore is filled with joy and spiritual fervor. This holy month of Karthik holds a special place in the hearts of devotees around the world, and our temple is
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Gopastami is the festival when Lord Krishna together with His cowherd boyfriends officially took up the task of tending cows as cowherds.

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.”

Nanda Maharaj together with other Vrajavasis gave this charge to their children. Mother Yashoda and the other gopis were worried about Krishna’s soft lotus feet which would wander over the thorny forest of Vrindavan without any shoes but barefoot.

“Sukadeva Gosvami said: ‘Thus the Vrndavana forest was filled with transparent autumnal waters and cooled by breezes perfumed with the fragrance of lotus flowers growing in the clear lakes. The infallible Lord, accompanied by His cows and cowherd boyfriends, entered that Vrindavana forest.’”

Lord Krishna showed how to love and take care of the cows. Following in His footsteps, cows and bulls are worshipped by the devotees in various ISKCON centers and all over Vrindavan.

A historic disciple of Srila Prabhupada, in a small way, has passed away. On November 17, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia USA, His Grace Carudesna das acbsp passed away from complications of Parkinson’s. He was visited by many devotees throughout the week and received many phone calls and messages from senior devotees worldwide. His Grace Balabadra
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As we come together to celebrate this day with our hearts filled with devotion, woven with threads of remembrance and reverence, let us pray to always be in the mood of pure love for Sri Radha and Krishna. Today is not just the celebration of Lord Krishna’s enchanting pastime as a cowherd boy; it is […]

The last 5 days of the month of Kartika are traditionally known as the Bhisma Panchaka or the Vishnu Panchaka. Grandfather Bhisma fasted for these five days, as arranged by Lord Sri Krishna, preparing to give up his life. In the Hari Bhakti Vilasa it is said that if one is capable, one should observe fasting from certain foodstuffs on the Bhisma-panchaka for the pleasure of the Lord. “The fast should begin by remembering Bhismadeva on the Ekadasi day and should end on Purnima [the full moon]. The Padma Purana say that one pleases the Lord and makes spiritual advancement by such austerities”.

Most important of all is to meditate on the teachings of Pitamaha Bhismadeva in the Mahabharata, and also presented in the Srimad Bhagavatam below. And finally, the example of the great warrior himself is to fix the mind on Sri Krishna at the time of death, which may come to us at any moment.

We also encourage our readers to utilize this auspicious time to fix their mind on the order of Srila Prabhupada to build the largest Vedic temple in the world, the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP), which will bring the teachings of Bhisma to the entire world. Following such an order will undoubtedly please our Founder-Acharya and bring the blessings of the Lord, further helping one understand the teachings of Grandfather Bhismadeva.

The Nrsimhadeva Wing of the TOVP is scheduled for completion during a three-day celebration from February 29 – March 2, 2024. You can help with this important seva by going to the Give To Nrsimha Fundraiser and selecting one of many options available.

Bhisma Panchaka Dates
Nov. 23 – 26 (U.S.) – note that the fast is 4 days in the U.S. due to the Purnima on 26th.
Nov. 23 – 27 (India)

Teachings of Grandfather Bhisma from Srimad Bhagavatam

https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/1/9

 

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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