Planet ISKCON

Once Bhimasena, asked the Srila Vyasadeva, the grandfather of the Pandavas, whether it was possible to return to the spiritual world without having observed fasting for Ekadashis.

Bhimasena said to Vyasadeva, “O learned grandfather, my brothers Yudhisthira, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, my dear mother Kunti as well as my beloved wife Draupadi, all fast on each Ekadashi, strictly following all the regulative injunctions of that sacred day. They tell me to fast as well. But, learned grandfather, it is impossible for me to live without eating, because being the son of Vayudeva, I am unable to bear hunger. I can give charity and worship Lord Keshava with all kinds of upacharas (items) but I cannot fast on Ekadashi. Please tell me how I may obtain the merits of observing Ekadashis without fasting.”

Vyasadeva said, “If you want to ascend to the spiritual world, you must observe Ekadashi on both the dark and the light fortnights.” Bhima protested, “Learned grand-sire, I cannot live if I eat just once a day, then how can I fast? Within my stomach burns the Agni (fire) called Vrika – the fire of digestion. Only when I eat heartily at every meal, is this Vrika Agni satisfied. O great sage! I would be able to fast only once in a year so I beg you to please tell me about that Ekadashi fasting on which my obligation for fasting on all other Ekadashis is fulfilled. I shall faithfully observe that Ekadashi and become eligible for liberation.”

Vyasadeva replied, “You should fast without drinking even water on the Ekadashi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (May-June) at the time of Mithuna Sankranti when the sun travels from the sign of Vrishabha (Taurus ) to Mithuna (Gemini). One must certainly not eat anything, for if he does so he breaks his fast. This rigid fast is in effect from sunrise on the Ekadashi day to sunrise on the Dwadasi day. If a person endeavours to observe this great fast very strictly, he easily achieves the result of observing all twenty-four other Ekadashi fasts throughout the entire year.”

When the other Pandavas heard about the benefits of following Jyeshtha-Shukla Ekadashi, they resolved to observe it as well. On this Ekadashi, they would refrain from eating or drinking anything, and thus it came to be known as ‘Pandava Nirjala Ekadashi.’

Srila Vyasadeva instructed Bhima to engage in japa (chanting of the Lord’s holy names) on this Ekadashi day and on the next give charity to brahmanas and serve them prasadam. Bhima could then break his fast, taking prasadam with a brahmana. Vyasadeva extolled this performance of Ekadashi saying by observing it as recommended hundred previous generation would be liberated even if they may have been very sinful.

The devotees in Bali came together for hearing and chanting on this day at Sri Sri Radha Rasesvara temple.

Ekadasi is one of the regular celebrations in the Vaishnava calendar. It is observed eleven days after the full moon and eleven days after the new moon of every month. Even in the thirteenth, or leap, month, called adhika-masa, or purusottama-masa, which comes every three years and during which no other festivals are celebrated, Ekadasi is observed. Ekadasi is known as the day of Lord Hari and is said to be the mother of devotion. Keeping the fast on Ekadasi is one of the sixty-four items of devotional service listed in Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. In fact, it is one of the first ten.

The Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada’s summary study of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, states, “In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana it is said that one who observes fasting on Ekadasi day is freed from all kinds of reactions to sinful activities and advances in pious life. The basic principle is not just to fast, but to increase one’s faith and love for Govinda, or Krsna. The real reason for observing fasting on Ekadasi is to minimize the demands of the body and to engage our time in the service of the Lord by chanting or performing similar service. The best thing to do on fasting days is to remember the pastimes of Govinda and to hear His holy name constantly.”

Later in The Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada cites the observance of Ekadasi as a stimulus (uddipana) for ecstatic love: “Some things which give impetus or stimulation to ecstatic love of Krsna are His transcendental qualities, His uncommon activities, His smiling features, His apparel and garlands, His flute, His buffalo horn, His leg bells, His conchshell, His footprints, His places of pastimes (such as Vrndavana), His favorite plant (tulasi), His devotee and the periodical occasions for remembering Him. One such occasion for remembrance is Ekadasi, which comes twice a month on the eleventh day of the moon, both waning and waxing. On that day all the devotees remain fasting throughout the night and continuously chant the glories of the Lord.”

The importance of the Ekadasi fast is also seen in the history of King Ambarisa and the sage Durvasa. Maharaja Ambarisa had observed the fast without even drinking water up until the appointed time to break the fast, called the Ekadasi-parana. Durvasa Muni was to have returned before the time of the parana, and because he was playing the part of a brahman and Ambarisa Maharaja the part of a kshatriya, proper etiquette dictated that Durvasa break the fast first. However, because Durvasa did not come in time, Ambarisa was in a dilemma. If he did not break the fast punctually, the whole observance would be spoiled. At the same time, if he did not wait for Durvasa, he would be guilty of an offense, because the etiquette demanded that he wait for the sage to break the fast first. King Ambarisa consulted his advisors, but none could resolve his problem. Finally, the king himself determined the solution: he would take water. Taking water would break the fast and at the same time not break it.

So, Ekadasi is an important observance. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu personally observed Ekadasi, and He ordered all of His followers to do the same. And of all the Ekadasis, Pandava-nirjala Ekadasi, Bhima Ekadasi, is the most special.

The story behind this special Ekadasi is recounted in the Brahma Vivarta Purana. Five thousand years ago, during the time of the Mahabharata, Arjuna’s elder brother Bhima admitted that he had great difficulty fasting. (In those days everyone would fast completely from all food and water.) So the Vedic authority Vyasadeva gave Bhima permission to observe the full fast (nirjala, “without water”) only once a year, in the early summer, and to derive the same benefit as if he had observed all the other twenty-three Ekadasis. Thus, devotees who are unable to properly observe Ekadasi during the year, or who by chance happen to miss an Ekadasi, can get the benefit of fully observing all the Ekadasis if they properly observe the Pandava-nirjala Ekadasi. Strictly observed, the fast begins before sunset the evening before Ekadasi and continues until the parana, about the time of sunrise, the morning after Ekadasi. Many devotees try to chant at least sixty-four rounds on Ekadasi, especially the Bhima Ekadasi.

Once, when we were with Srila Prabhupada in Amritsar, Yamuna-devi read to him from the newly published Nectar of Devotion: “One such occasion for remembrance is Ekadasi, which comes twice a month on the eleventh day of the moon, both waning and waxing. On that day all the devotees remain fasting throughout the night and continuously chant the glories of the Lord.” Then she asked, “Should we also observe Ekadasi like that?”

“No,” Prabhupada replied. “We have too much service to do for Krishna.”

Still, Srila Prabhupada said, “Ekadasi is most auspicious. And chanting is more effective.” And to a disciple who asked, “Should we chant twenty-five rounds on Ekadasi?” Srila Prabhupada replied, “Why only twenty-five rounds? You should chant as many as possible.”

So, the basic observance of Ekadasi as prescribed by Srila Prabhupada is to refrain from eating grains and beans and to chant as many rounds as possible. Although most devotees in ISKCON do not perform nirjala on every Ekadasi, many do on Pandava-nirjala Ekadasi. They also try to chant at least sixty-four rounds. And by the mercy of Ekadasi, they make great spiritual advancement: they are blessed by spiritual strength and realization and thus continue their service to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission with renewed vigor—enthusiasm and inspiration.

Hare Krishna.

Parasuram das: Invitation to Stonehenge Rathayatra Thursday 20th June at Midnight…. chanting will continue till 7am Friday morning 21st June where we will have breakfast amongst the pilgrims. The festival is free, they charge about £20 for parking, unless you drive in with the main Hare Krishna Team . Not to be missed, a Life
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Srila Prabhupada expressed his appreciation for his father in his dedication to his book Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “To My Father, Gour Mohan De (1849-1930)—A pure devotee of Krsna, who raised me as a Krsna conscious child from the beginning of my life. In my boyhood ages he instructed me how to play the mrdanga. He gave me Radha-Krsna vigraha to worship, and he gave me Jagannatha ratha to duly observe the festival as my childhood play. He was kind to me, and I imbibed from him the ideas later on solidified by my spiritual master, the eternal father.”

As devotees, we try to encourage and facilitate our children’s Krishna consciousness, as Prabhupada’s father did with him—an effort that is solidified when our children find their eternal spiritual masters.

Later, Srila Prabhupada wrote one of his disciples, “You have accepted me as father, so I have also accepted you as my dear and real son. Relationship of father and son on spiritual platform is real and eternal; on the material platform such relationship is ephemeral and temporary. Although I cannot give you anything as father, still I can pray to Krishna for your more and more advancement in Krishna consciousness. Your sincerity and service mood will always help you in advancing your genuine cause.”

We are indebted to all our fathers, biological and preceptorial. To those still with us, we wish you Happy Father’s Day. To those who have left us, we love you and miss you, and we shall try to act in such a way as will please you—and Krishna, the Supreme Father.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

From Sudharma Devi Dasi’s godsister Pranada Comtois: “Our dear friend and valiant servant of Srila Prabhupada, Sudharma dasi, has left us just after 11:00 pm EDT on June 14, 2024, in Alachua, FL, from cardiac arrest. Sudharma devi dasi took initiation from Srila Prabhupada in 1976. In her nearly 50 years of devotional life, she […]

The post Remembering Sudharma Devi Dasi appeared first on ISKCON News.

Just outside the city of Kazan in Tatarstan, a Muslim state in the Russian Federation, I was distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books near a market with a friend. We had planned to distribute for about three hours and then leave for lunch, but by the end of the third hour, I still hadn’t distributed a single book, so I started to pray.

Near us a few old ladies were selling knitted items and apples from their gardens. One of them—a small, elderly lady wrapped in a shawl—came over to me and started talking to me in Tatar. I know Tatar, so I answered her and we began to converse, half in Tatar and half in Russian.

She asked if I had a book titled “The Song of God.” Surprised, I answered, “Yes, I have this book, ‘The Song of God.’  ”

“Let me see!” she said. I handed her the Bhagavad-gita and asked how she knew about “The Song of God.”

She replied, “You know, I believe in Allah. All my life, I have prayed to Allah. And a few days ago Allah came to me in a dream. I didn’t see Him, but I saw a strong glow emanating from Him. I immediately realized it was Allah, and He told me, ‘Soon you will see a person handing out books.’ He then described you to me. But He warned me, ‘Do not approach him right away. Wait and make sure it is him. And when you are sure that it is him, as I described, ask him for a book called, “The Song of God.” ’ ”

How amazed I was to hear that! “Yes, dear mother, the name of the book, Bhagavad-gita, means exactly that, ‘The Song of God,’ because God Himself sang it five thousand years ago.”

The lady looked at me with tears in her eyes. “How much does it cost?” Her piety was priceless.

“We don’t sell the books. Just give 200 rubles—or whatever you can.” She looked very poor.

She then took out a small plastic bag, and from that bag another bag. And from that bag a handkerchief, and from the handkerchief another handkerchief, where she kept the money she earned from selling apples every day.

She gave me some rubles, probably more than she could afford, took the Bhagavad-gita and with both hands pressed it firmly against her chest, her eyes filled with tears of joy. She gazed skyward and spoke to Allah: “I did exactly what You wanted me to do!” And then, suddenly, she turned and ran away, holding the Bhagavad-gita like the most precious treasure.

Overwhelmed, I wanted to tell my friend what had just happened. I had about fifteen books left as I moved toward him, but the people must have seen my own tears of joy, because they kept asking me, “What kind of books do you have?” They spontaneously took them, and all the books disappeared.

I thank Allah for helping us distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books!

[Editor’s note: Quite a story, but it’s curious that the writer didn’t give his name. The pious old woman reminds me of the Christian seeker in The Way of a Pilgrim, the anonymous 19th-century classic set in Russia and first published in, of all places, Kazan, the city where the distributor met the old woman. How clever and kind the Lord is to reach us in many ways—awake or dreaming—as Christ, Krishna, Allah, and now through the anonymous writer of this sankirtan story. Hare Krishna.]

The temples in Bali like Radha Madhava and Radha Kunjabihari were constructed reflecting local Balinese architecture style and beauty. The weather is generally warm so the areas are left open and covered just enough to protect from the hot sun or rain.

In other areas of Indonesia, like Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Lombok and Kalimantan, they are made in a similar way, perhaps slightly different according to the area. I regularly travel to as many centers as possible to lead kirtan and give lectures.

The TOVP Fundraising Team is pleased to announce the launch of the Guru Parampara Murti Campaign giving the opportunity to sponsor one of 15 acharya murtis to be installed on the TOVP altar in 2026.

These murtis will be carefully crafted in Jaipur out of white marble by the finest murti craftsmen according to very specific guidelines and directions to manifest the unique personalities of each acharya. The murtis include the 6 Goswamis, Narottama Das Thakur, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur up to Srila Prabhupada.

For more information and to sponsor a murti go to the Guru Parampara Murti Campaign page on the TOVP website.

 

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Date: June 9, 2024, Location: Hainault, London By Yogesvara Gopinath das The Krishna Capital Gate Centre was inaugurated with great enthusiasm and joy. This newly established centre marks a significant milestone in the efforts to support humanitarian aid and community service. The event was graced by the presence of the Mayor of Redbridge, Sheila Bain,
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Most grhastha devotees in Bali have deities at home and according to their means worship them regularly. They are also very fond of arranging different types of yajnas, from vastu, Nrsimha and other types of ceremonies. I get numerous invitations to attend, lead kirtan and speak at these functions, which I see is a great privilege.

(Automatic translation) Good morning to everyone, I am Massimo Introvigne, sociologist, co-founder and director of the Cesnur study center on new religions in Turin and I am here to replace Professor Pierluigi Zoccatelli whose name appeared in the original program of this conference and who unfortunately left us last week in following a sudden cardiac
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Come and be a part of the magnificent Rathayatra festival at Sri Sri Radha Giridhari Temple on Sunday, July 7, 2024, starting at 1:00 PM.

Witness the chariot procession of Sri Sri Jagannatha, Balarama, and Subhadra, accompanied by joyous kirtan, dance, and festivities.

Jai Jagannath !

=Chant Hare Krishna and be happy. Special Srimad Bhagavatam || HH Guru Prasad Swami Maharaj || 11th June 2024 || @ISKCONCAMPPUNE Second part:
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— Lead chanter: Gaura Dasi — BHAKTI Center — Kirtan Mela | 06 June 2024 | Video 01
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Join us for the auspicious Snana Yatra festival at ISKCON Auckland on Sunday, June 23, 2024, starting from 10:00 AM. This annual festival celebrates the divine appearance day of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama, and Lady Subhadra.

Highlights

• Abhishek (bathing) ceremony of Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra
• Kirtan
• Arati
• Cultural performances
• Prasadam
• Hati-Vesha Darshan

Come and be a part of this sacred festival, where you can witness the grand bathing ceremony of the deities and participate in the joyous celebrations.

We look forward to seeing you there!

There’s one thing about minefields. They are dangerous. The “I, Me, Mine” mentality is arguably more deadly to our spiritual progress, even if compared to the dangers of traversing an explosive minefield during a war. There’s a famous story of Srila Prabhupada on a cold and damp morning walk with his walking cane. There were […]

The post COMING OF AGE #16 – I, Me, Mine – Field! appeared first on ISKCON News.

Join us for the joyous Panihati Cida Dahi Festival at ISKCON Auckland on Sunday, June 16, 2024, starting from 11:00 AM. This annual festival commemorates the historic meeting between Lord Nityananda and Raghunatha Dasa Goswami at Panihati, West Bengal.

Highlights

• Kirtan
• Parikrama
• Offering of Cida Dahi
• Arati
• Drama
• Discourse
• Prasadam

Come and immerse yourself in the divine atmosphere, filled with devotion, music, and delicious vegetarian cuisine. Entry is free and open to all.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Bali has six main Iskcon temples and of course a few smaller centres. It’s always a privilege visiting for darshan, kirtan, lectures and associating with devotees.

Last week 63 Malaysian youth devotees stayed at our Radha Gopinatha temple in the Baha area and very much enjoyed their visit.

I was able to lead kirtan and speak recently at the temple, along with Kavicandra Maharaja. We also went for some home programs and yajnas. As usual, it was blissful and prasadam was fantastic.

 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vrindavan Eshvari (@vrindavan.eshvari) View this post on Instagram A post shared by @uliana_roy View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tarana (@taranacaitanya) View this post on Instagram A post shared by @uliana_roy View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vrindavan Eshvari (@vrindavan.eshvari)
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I am excited to share with you the wonderful achievements and activities of ISKCON Russian speaking Yatra for the month of May. Maha Harinam with Indradyumna Maharaja: We started the month with a vibrant Maha Harinam featuring Indradyumna Maharaja. Our matajis dressed in colorful sarees, adding to the festive atmosphere and spreading joy through their
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