Srila Rupa Goswami Disappearance 2018 (Album of photos)
For Srila Rupa Goswami’s Disappearance, every year the VIHE does an amazing program at Ter Kadamba, his bhajan sthali. Decorations, feast, and kirtans were from the Spiritual world! Come see for yourself!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/uKjDWR

[Talk at ISKCON, Detroit, USA]

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[Talk at ISKCON, Farmington Hills, USA]

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Krsna Janmastami is the most important day in the vaisnava calendar. Every year devotees from all over the world come together at temples and centres to celebrate the anniversary of Lord Krsna’s appearance.

This year I was fortunate to attend two Janmastami festivals, one at the Southport Cultural Centre and the other at New Govardhana.

The devotees at the Southport Centre had theirs first on Sunday and the hall was packed with enthusiastic guests who enjoyed the kirtan, drama, lecture, abhiseka and arati.

Srila Prabhupada’s appearance and accomplishments are a turning point not only in Gaudiya Vaisnavism, but in the very history of human civilization, so it is not surprising that they were predicted many centuries ago. In several ancient religious traditions, the sacred scriptures usually include passages or whole sections dealing with predictions. Some of these passages are marked by a veiled language and are often interpreted in different ways. Interpretations are subjective and may be relatively taken as correct according to time, place and circumstance, but they are conclusive when properly substantiated by sufficient evidences. The meaning of some of the following verses and statements might have been previously obscure or misunderstood, but since Srila Prabhupada’s deeds were self-evident, unprecedented and matchless, there is hardly any scope to doubt that he is the personality who is being directly or indirectly pointed out here. From diverse sources there is a general prediction that Vaisnavism would be spread throughout the world, so it is also implied that there would be a pioneer preacher. I am sure that there must be many more verses like these and it is just a matter of time until we have a much longer list. This is a short compilation with the original texts and exact references of what we have found so far. Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada’s Appearance Predicted in the Scriptures
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Lampung Krakatau Festival is the core event of Lampung regional tourism which is held every year, in 2018 stepping on the 28th implementation. Aside from being an activity to commemorate the eruption of Mount Krakatau on August 26 and 27, 1883, this tourism activity is a means of appreciation and preservation of regional art and culture as well as introducing Lampung Tourism Objects and Attraction. This event presents a variety of main activities and several supporting events that are very interesting as a dish, a means of appreciation of cultural arts and enjoying the hospitality of the people of Lampung in the diversity of culture, ethnicity and customs through the Regional Cultural Carnival Parade and enjoying the beauty of natural charm. Devotees who reside in Lampung also got invitation as part of the diversity and they presented Jagannatha Ratha yatra to the thousands of Lampung people. Continue reading "Jagannath Ratha Yantra Nusantara
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Many residents of Mathura believe that Lord Krishna appeared in Mathura, but the residents of Vrindavan know that He was born in Vraja, in Gokula. Yet Srimad-Bhagavatam states that Lord Krishna appeared in the prison house of Kamsa in Mathura as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki and thereafter was carried by Vasudeva to Gokula to be taken as their son by Nanda and Yasoda, in exchange for Yasoda’s newborn daughter, Yogamaya. So, how to solve this mystery? Continue reading "The Mystery of Lord Krishna’s Birth
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We are together to celebrate the appearance of Lord Krishna in the material world. On special occasions such as this—we’ll soon be celebrating the pastime of Mother Yasoda binding Krishna with ropes, and then Krishna lifting Govardhana Hill—unless we know who Krishna is, we won’t know what to make of these seemingly fantastic stories.

The scriptures give different explanations of why Krishna, the all-loving, ever-blissful, Supreme Person, appears. The Bhagavad-gita (4.8) states, paritranaya sadhunam, vinasaya ca duskrtam/ dharma-samsthapanarthaya, that He appears to deliver the devotees and to annihilate the miscreants and to reestablish the principles of religion. Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.36) explains further, anugrahaya bhaktanam, manusam deham asthitah/ bhajate tadrsih kridah, yah srutva tat-parobhavet: “When the Lord assumes a humanlike body to show mercy to His devotees, He engages in such pastimes as will attract those who hear about them to become dedicated to Him.”

So, who is this Krishna? Is Krishna just a concept or, as some people think, is it that the impersonal One assumes the form of Krishna, or Rama or Shiva or Ganesh or Durga, and you can worship any form and in the end merge into the oneness? To avoid such misunderstandings, we have to know who Krishna is, and that begins with the Bhagavad-gita and then the first cantos of the Bhagavatam. Ultimately, Srimad-Bhagavatam gives us a picture of the spiritual world, what life with God in the spiritual world is like. We read about Krishna, how He comes home from tending the cows, and we read that we can live with Him forever in a loving relationship in the most splendorous land of Vrindavan. And we become attracted and think, “Oh, I want to go there; I want to experience that life.”

That is why Krishna comes, specifically in His humanlike form—to show mercy to His devotees so that by hearing about life with Krishna, we become attracted to Him and inspired to dedicate our lives to Him.

But we should not think that Krishna is only in the spiritual world; Krishna is everywhere, and if we surrender to Him, we can get the same benefit here in the material world that the pure devotees get in the spiritual world.

If you read the Krsna book or otherwise hear about the pastimes of Krishna, you’ll find that almost every day some demon was coming to Vrindavan to cause trouble. But did the residents of Vrindavan come rushing out with their ploughs and sticks to attack the demons? No. They took shelter of Krishna. And what did Krishna do? He protected them. So when we hear these stories, we should think, “Wow—Krishna is so kind to His devotees. Even in the midst of the worst calamity, if we just take shelter of Him, He will protect us. All I need to do is surrender to Krishna.”

So Krishna appears for that reason, and we can make the purpose of His appearance successful by hearing about His pastimes and dedicating ourselves to Him.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

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NEW VRINDABAN DAYS

As New Vrindaban enters its 50th anniversary (1968 to 2018), I wrote this series of articles for the Brijabasi Spirit in an attempt to give the reader not only an “understanding,” but more importantly a “taste,” of what life in early New Vrindaban was like – through the stories of one devotee’s personal journey.

The title of the series, “New Vrindaban Days,” is in tribute to the wonderful book “Vrindaban Days: Memories of an Indian Holy Town” written by Howard Wheeler, Hayagriva Das. He was one of Srila Prabhupada’s first disciples, a co-founder of New Vrindaban, and, a great writer. As with Hayagriva’s book, this series focuses on a period of time in the 1970’s.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank Chaitanya Mangala Dasa, for spending untold hours assisting me in refining my writing for your reading pleasure.

I have been asked to describe certain aspects of early New Vrindaban Community life such as the nature of the austerities, what it was like for a new person coming here, cooking, anecdotes about particular devotees, etc.

I attempt to tell these stories in some semblance of a chronological order, beginning with my first meeting with devotees in 1968, leading to my arrival in New Vrindaban in late 1973 and carrying through to the official opening of Srila Prabhupada’s Palace in 1979.

This article describes my day to day service activities after only a couple of weeks of living in New Vrindaban.

Advaitacharya Dasa

CHAPTER SIX: IN THE WOODS

Devotees and oxen work together to haul wood at Bahulaban, summer 1975.

In the first few weeks I am in New Vrindaban I not only work in the wood shed but I am also going out into the woods every few days to help to bring the wood in.

Community woodsman Romaharsana Das stands about 5’5”. He wears a big western hat, muddy jeans, heavy boots, a green sweatshirt, and has a large bowie knife dangling from his belt. He is in his thirties, has been a devotee for years, and has even had direct association with Srila Prabhupada. He is not a city boy. Instead he talks with a country boy twang and revels in the fact that he is a mountaineer kind of guy.

Bhavishyat & crew prepare firewood for the many stoves in New Vrindaban, circa late 1970s.

On this day we are a half a mile back in the woods. In Romaharsana’s hands he holds the reins which control two big white horses named Prince and Molly.

“Boy, you see that tree lying over there? Go on over and see if it’s green.”

I walk to the felled tree but like all the other trees both standing and lying on the ground it looks “brown” to me.

“Well boy, is it green?”

I shake my head, no, too embarrassed to tell him that the tree is obviously brown.

“Boy, how can you tell if the trees green or not if you haven’t even touched it?”

Now, I am completely bewildered. I’m supposed to tell the color of a tree by touching it? I bend down and begin stroking the tree with my hand. It still looks brown to me.

“What the hell are you doing? Come over here and hold on to these horses.”

I walk over and take the reins, allowing Romaharsana to inspect the downed tree.

“Oh yeah, this baby ain’t green. This baby is nice and dry for Krishna.”

Now, I’m even more confused. He’s repeatedly asked me the color of the wood but now he’s commenting on the wetness of the wood. The downed tree has snow all over it so the fact that he is referring to it as dry is beyond me.

“Go on down that hill and tell me what those trees laying on the ground down are.”

I climb down the steep bank to the felled trees below. Checking them out, I yell back to him.

“They’re trees.”

“Boy, what kind of trees?”

“Big trees.”

“Are they locust?”

Are they locusts? What the hell is he talking about? “No, they’re not locusts. They’re trees.”

“Boy, get up here and hold onto these horses.”

Again, I take the reins and Romaharsana makes a closer inspection. After climbing back up the hill he takes out his wrath on me.

“Don’t you know nothin’ about the woods? You don’t even know “green” wood. You don’t know locust. How you supposed to live in New Vrindaban when you don’t know nothin’ about nothin’?”

Romaharsana begins educating me. “You see that tree right there? Do you know what kind of tree that is?”

“Prabhu, I’m from Brooklyn. I just know that trees are trees. I know “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” but I don’t have any idea what kind of tree it is. And, as far as I know all trees are brown.”

“Well, you ain’t in Brooklyn no more. You wanna be self-sufficient you have to learn these things. Look here. You see that tree right there? That is a locust tree. Locust is good hard wood.”

“All wood seems hard to me.” I say.

“Don’t be stupid. You want hard wood cuz hard wood burns hot.”

Now, I’m even more confused. All wood isn’t hard and all fire isn’t hot. I foolishly think it must be some kind of ancient Vedic knowledge that I am just now being introduced to. Perhaps, even some kind of mystic riddle I am supposed to meditate on in order to achieve enlightenment.

Over the next days in the woods Romaharsana continues to teach me. “You can tell the different types of trees by looking at the bark.”

I am twenty years old and being from NYC I guess I kind of know that there are different kinds of trees, but I have no idea of how to tell them apart. Basically to me a tree is a tree, is a tree, is a tree.

“Locust trees have bark with the bigger grain and bigger veins. The bark of an Ash tree is much tighter and smaller. Green wood is wood that has not dried out yet and still has a lot of sap in it. Dry wood is the opposite. It’s not only hard to start a fire with green wood it’s also dangerous. If you burn green wood eventually the sap will stick to the inside of the chimney and it could catch fire inside the wall.”

Romaharsana seems to know everything about the woods. He points out places where herbs and edible plants will be coming up in the spring. He shows me places he swears will soon be full of berry bushes. He climbs trees. He cuts down trees. He wraps large chains around the felled trees and uses the horses to drag them out of the woods. Although I am far from being any kind of woodsmen, I am starting to see city life in my rear view mirror and a life of self-sufficiency based on simple living and high thinking in front of me.

One of the many forests of New Vrindaban

Besides his knowledge, obvious appreciation for New Vrindaban, and his life as a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, Romaharsana loves to talk about Krishna. Between his tidbits about the beauty and abundance of the forest, and his critiquing of my inadequate skills, he is always talking about Krishna.

“In New Vrindaban Krishna is hiding behind every tree! That’s why I love it out here in the woods. Krishna is everywhere in New Vrindaban, but he’s especially out here in the forest. He goes out into the forest every day with the other cowherd boys. And, you know what he does at night, boy? He goes out into the forest with the cowherd girls.” Saying this he gets a giant grin on his face. “Yeah, I love being out in the forests of New Vrindaban.”

Romaharsana is much older than me and is still a single man. Although he loves being in the woods, loves Prabhupada, and loves Krishna, there still seems to be some other kind of “love” that Romaharsana is requiring as a remedy to counteract the symptoms of one of the most prevalent maladies found in New Vrindaban.

I’m not sure the malady is described in medical journals but in New Vrindaban it is generally diagnosed in the following way:

“What’s wrong with Romaharsana?”

“He’s agitated.”

Although the symptoms are varied – sleeping in, not coming to work, spending days in your room, not getting up in the morning for the services, not chanting your rounds, etc. Once the malady is diagnosed there is ultimately only one remedy.

While Romaharsana’s “illness” is having multiple negative effects around the community, I am appreciating his daily absence. If there is no Romaharsana, then there is no wood coming in. If there is no wood coming in, there is no wood for me to cut in the woodshed. If there is no wood for me to cut in the woodshed, Bhakta Emil is on a fast track for taking it as easy as he can trying to make himself look active doing busy work or disappearing to my room to “read Prabhupada’s books,” also known as sleeping.

Talk in Kirtanananda Swami’s cabin is that they are thinking about getting Romaharsana married to cure his “agitation.” In the Hare Krishna movement there is no acceptable mingling of the sexes and marriages are not accomplished by two people who get to know each other and their common interests connecting over a dinner date or seeing a movie together. Instead someone getting married starts with the Swami picking up a copy of the community census and going down the list to see which single woman might be a good match for Romaharsana.

The whole idea behind the process of Krishna Consciousness is rooted in surrender. For many of the devotees, both male and female, the greatest act of surrender they will be faced with is being asked to marry someone that they don’t even know.

While this is going on one day I get word that the Swami wants to see me in his cabin.

“Hare Krishna, Maharaja. They say you want to see me?”

Horses at the original Vrindaban farmhouse, early 1970s.

“What’s going on with the wood, Bhakta Emil?”

“Well, you know, I’m just waiting for Romaharsana or somebody to drag in some wood so that I can cut it up.” In my mind I have presented an unarguable argument.

“Well, why don’t you just hitch up the horses and go out and get the wood yourself?”

“Me take the horses out? I really don’t know anything about driving work horses, Maharaja.”

“I’ll send Kasyapa to show you a few things. It’s not very difficult. It will only be until Romaharsana gets it together.”

The next day I am at the horse barn early in the morning where I am met by the brahmacari, Kasyapa Das, who drives another team of horses. After showing me how to clean the horses, shovel out the stalls, take the horses for their morning drink of water in the creek, harness the team up, and explain some of the equipment to me, he takes me along with him and his team Tom and John.

While going through the motions with Kasyapa and his team the words of the Swami reverberate between each of Kasyapa’s warnings.

Kasyapa:                           “You have to be really careful when you do this because if it goes wrong you could get killed.”

Swami in my Head:        “It’s not very difficult.”

Kasyapa:                           “If you don’t do this right the horses can get killed.”

Swami in my head:         “It’s not very difficult.”

Kasyapa:                           “If that piece of equipment swings the wrong way it can break the horse’s legs.”

Swami in my head:         “It’s not very difficult.”

Swami in my head:         “It will only be until Romaharsana gets it together…”

Advaitacarya with a team of horses at Bahulaban, mid 1970s.

Fortunately, for Romaharsana, his “malady” is soon relieved when he is married to the brahmacharini, Vajresvari Dasi. Vajresvari seems to me very “city” to Romaharsana’s very “country,” and I hope the match will now mean that I can return to life in the woodshed while Romaharsana returns to driving the horses.

Unfortunately, for me the saying frequently said all over the community, “Man proposes and God disposes,” lands squarely on my head when the Swami decides to increase the size of the “plough” department and keep me in the horse barn.

Parmananda & Murari Gupta lead a team of horses to spread manure at Bahulaban – early 1970s.

Although a couple of devotees living in various places across the entire terrain of New Vrindaban may have vehicles of their own, there are only two “community” vehicles in Bahulaban. Whatever “junk” car the Swami might be getting around and an old red Farmall tractor. This means that everything that might need to be moved from here to there – trash, manure, hay, supplies, and other commodities too gross to mention in print have to be moved by the horses.

Just preparing the horses for their workday takes over an hour between feeding, watering, cleaning, and harnessing. This now means my workload from life in the woodshed has been increased tenfold. This verbose New York City kid would like to be complaining twenty four hours a day but unfortunately my fellow horse driver and teacher Kasyapa seems to enjoy socializing even less than the horses – unless of course it is actually socializing with the horses whom he remarkably seems to be able to communicate with.

My fate is sealed: Bhakta Emil – horse driver in training – and plough department member.

A cart delivering supplies approaches the Vrindaban farm.

Did you miss any of the previous chapters? Click the links below to catch up:

Chapter 1: Every Journey Begins With a Single Step

Chapter 2: Srila Prabhupada – Jaya Radha Madhava

Chapter 3: Captured by the Beauty of Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra

Chapter 4: Fired Up – We Depend On Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra

Chapter 5: The New Vrindaban Landscape – January 1974

Stay tuned for Chapter 7: Prasadam

By Stephen Knapp

(Sri Nandanandana dasa)

(Written for the 2nd World Hindu Congress in Chicago, September 7-9, 2018)

            As we look at Hindus today, we have so many organizations that work for the sake of the Dharma traditions. We have such institutions as the RSS, HSS, VHP, HSC, HMEC, Kalyana Ashrama, or Swadhyaya, Iskcon, Gaudiya Math, the World Vaishnava Association, RamaKrishna Mission, Chinmayananda Mission, Vedanta Society, Self-Realization Fellowship, and many others. And I am happy to say that I have worked with many of them or still have friends in them. But some of these groups seem to be more exclusive than others. They may work hard for their own interests, yet these are often similar to the work and goals of other institutions. So, what if we were more united, more cooperative with each other? We know that there is strength in numbers. So how much stronger could we be if we could cooperate in a single force, at least when needed?

It seems that right now we cannot easily unite and become a strong federation, a powerful force that can determine the fate or future of India and the preservation of its Vedic culture. If anything, so many of these associations in India still fight with or are indifferent to one another and, thus, weaken each other to the point of becoming incapable of performing any worthwhile actions that will make a real difference for the unity and future of India and its traditions. More divisions mean more disunity. This means the less unity we will have for defending our culture.

This was the same sort of weakness of the past 1000 years when invaders came into India, sometimes few in numbers, but conquered and took over parts of the country without much resistance. It was this lack of unity amongst the princely states, and their inability to support each other or come to the aid of another, that allowed for such a poor defense system in which they could not repel their invaders. So, we have to ask ourselves, are we going to continue the same pattern? Are we going to sit back and criticize others and what they have or have not done while we have yet to do anything of real significance? If we do, then there is no doubt that we, Hindus in general, are already finished. It is only a matter of time when we and the Vedic system will become so diminished that it will fade from the world, like other cultures that have been reduced to mere museum pieces. We have to rise above that.

So, it seems we still do not have a unified identity in which we can all work together. I was the president of the Vedic Friends Association for 15 years in which we are still trying to create such a united force here in America. Nonetheless, in my view, one of the greatest attempts to do this in India was the Acharya Sabha as organized by Swami Dayananda Sarasvati, which joined together over 200 spiritual leaders of the major paramparas and spiritual lineages to discuss the common issues that affected all of them, and then make plans on how to deal with such concerns.

So, in this regard we need to reach a singleness of purpose in which we feel that if any part of the Vedic tradition or any group is under attack or being challenged by outside forces, then we are all under attack, and we all must be ready to stand up for the cause. We should be willing to be a united force to be reckoned with, the kind that makes people think twice before persecuting or attacking any Hindus or any part of the Vedic tradition. But this is a call to be active. And many Hindus are not.

Once while giving a talk at a Krishna temple in Mumbai, I began discussing the need to be protective of our culture and try to elect those politicians who are pro-Hindu, or show why they should be pro-Hindu. So, I asked the audience of over 1200 people how many had participated in the last election. Not one hand went up. This is why some people ask whether Hinduism is destined to become extinct. I hope not, but that depends on what we do. Which means we all have to be pro-active.

If we were a stronger and unified force, politicians would know that they need to get our approval. They would take the needs of Hindus more seriously if they want our vote. They would not simply be concerned with vote bank politics that often cater to non-Hindus. Such strength would also mean there would not be the persecution of Hindus that often seems to be sanctioned by politicians in states such as Kerala or West Bengal, or love jihad as found in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere. They would know that Hindus will react and defend themselves, or even go after the politicians who neglect them or even work against them.

Some say that Sanatana-dharma means that it is eternal, so there is no need to worry. But that means they do not even know that Lord Krishna said in Bhagavad-gita (4.1-3, 7-8) that one of His purposes was to re-establish the Vedic traditions that had become lost. This lack of familiarity is a sign of such fading away of knowledge of the Dharmic culture, and the importance of understanding the part we need to play. Arjuna also had to fight for Dharma, so why should we not think that we also need to do something to protect Vedic Dharma?

India must remain the homeland of a thriving and dynamic Vedic tradition. This is essentially based on the universal spiritual truths and knowledge that can be applied by any person at anytime, anywhere in the universe, so they can reach their highest potentials. That is Sanatana-Dharma. If Hindus, Dharmists or Sanatanis, whatever name you want to use, can stand united, there is no threat we cannot handle. History has shown that. But history has also shown that when we are fragmented, then bits and pieces of our culture and even our Mother India get chopped off and taken away from us. This cannot go on.

Therefore, the need of the hour is to find the means wherein we can stand together for the cause of Sanatana-Dharma, the basis of our Hindu culture.

If we can do this, the youth would also be more proud of being a part of something in which reasoning is sound, stable, and in which the participants, such as their parents, are not shy about sharing it or defending it. Nonetheless, the children have to be guided by proper training and association, and proper observance of Vedic traditions. This also is part of forming the proper samskaras in the minds of the children. And isn’t this what we are meant to do anyway? But for this to happen, the parents must also be educated in our Dharmic traditions.

We also need to realize that America is a prime location where we can work together for cultivating as well as protecting and preserving the Vedic tradition. Why? Because there is less emphasis amongst Indian Hindus on local ethnicity or caste. In other words, it is easier to simply be an Indian Hindu or American Hindu rather than a Rajasthani Hindu, Maharashtrian Hindu, or Tamil brahmin, and so on, which thereafter can bring out so many distinctions. If we are going to become united, our identity should first start with being a Hindu, Dharmist or Sanatani: a follower of Sanatana-Dharma. Anything else can be added after that, no matter whether we are Indian, Nepali, Malaysian, Fijian, or from Mauritius, Bali, or America. We are first Hindus or Dharmists. In order to create greater cooperation and a powerful association, we need to have and accept a more unified identity. Then in that light, we can work together and assist each other for the Vedic cause, and form a united federation that can more powerfully take on any threats to our future. There is no reason why we cannot do that if we actually live by the spiritual principles of Sanatana-Dharma, and, thus, Think Collectively, Act Valiantly.

by Stephen Knapp

Kuruksetra is a spiritually important and peaceful town which no pilgrim should miss. It is 118 kilometers north of Delhi, or about a four hour train ride or three hour auto ride away. It is most noted for being the place where Lord Krishna sang the Bhagavad-gita, which means the “song of God,” to his friend Arjuna. Therefore, this town is considered the cradle of Vedic culture, part of the battlefield of the Mahabharata war, and the birth place of the Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita is a classic text of India and Vedic thought. Every December there is the festival of Gita Jayanti, which is the celebration of Krishna relating the Bhagavad-gita when thousands of pilgrims visit Kurukshetra. The name of the town is believed to have come from King Kuru, the son of Samvarana and Tapati, and the ancestor of the Kauravas and the Pandavas.

Not only was the Bhagavad-gita sung by Lord Krishna in Kurukshetra, but other spiritually important events also took place here. Krishna met his friends and residents of Vrindavana here during an eclipse while He was living in Dwaraka. He also took bath in Brahma Sarovara and the Sannihit Sarovara water tanks. It is said that the Brahma Sarovara tank is one of the most important in all of India, and that all the holy waters of India are found in the Brahma Sarovara during an eclipse, which is why millions of pilgrims come here to bathe during such an event. It is also said that those who bathe here, live here, visit, or die in Kuruksetra go to heaven after death. In the Kurukshetra Mahatmya of the Mahabharata the sage Pulastya says that even the dust of Kurukshetra will cause one to reach the highest goal. This is the benefit for all who died in the battle of Kurukshetra 5,000 years ago, and one reason why the battle took place here. It is another reason why every pilgrim should visit this holy place. It is also explained that if a person walks eight miles along the Ganga River, he will acquire the merit of performing one ashwamedha ritual. In Kashi (Varansi) one gets the same result by walking only four miles, and only two miles when walking in Kurukshetra.

Furthermore, it is said that Manu wrote the Manu-samhita here. Some people also believe that Vyasadeva wrote some of the Vedic texts, such as the Mahabharata, at his ashrama along the banks of the Sarasvati River when the Sarasvati used to flow through Kurukshetra. This is not to contradict the premise that he also wrote Vedic texts in his ashrama near Badrinatha. The Rig and Sama Vedas may have been written here as well. Even Lord Buddha is said to have visited Kuruksetra.

While we are here, there are several places we want to visit. First of all, Jyotisar is the place where Krishna related the Bhagavad-gita to His devotee Arjuna. This is about 10 kilometers north of town. It is a pleasant motor-ricksha ride away, and it provides a time to meditate on the occasion when the huge armies gathered on these plains thousands of years ago. Jyotisar is now a small park with a central banyan tree over a small marble chariot that marks where Krishna sang the Bhagavad-gita and showed Arjuna His universal form. The banyan tree is said to be the same tree as when Krishna and Arjuna were present and, thus, the only living witness to the event. There is a large pond of water here that provides for a refreshing atmosphere. There are also a few other small shrines, like an old Shiva temple. It is most pleasant to sit and meditate on the significance of the area and read some of the Bhagavad-gita while visiting.

The history of the Battle of Kuruksetra and the speaking of the Bhagavad-gita can be told briefly. The five Pandava brothers, born of King Pandu, were the legitimate heirs to the kingdom of India. However, when the Pandavas were still young, Pandu died untimely and Dhritarashtra, the head of the Kuru family, assumed control until the Pandavas were grown. However, due to his love for his own sons, Dhritarashtra engaged in many plots and intrigues to eliminate the Pandavas so his sons, the Kauravas, could inherit the kingdom. After many years of tribulations, close escapes from death, and fourteen years of exile, the Pandavas returned to reclaim their rights to the throne. However, the Kurus were not inclined to honor the Pandavas in any way. Even after asking for only five villages, one for each of the Pandavas to rule, Duryodhana, the chief of the Kauravas, said he would not give them enough land with which to stick in a pin.

After all peaceful negotiations were exhausted, the Pandavas agreed that there was no other choice than to fight. Even Lord Krishna went and personally asked the Kauravas to settle the matter in a peaceful way, but this was not what was destined to be. Each side then amassed huge armies from all over India and beyond. In fact, the Kurus had a much larger army and far greater warriors than the Pandavas. However, the greatest ally of the Pandavas was their great moral and spiritual character, and their friend Sri Krishna, the most powerful personality.

When it was time for the huge armies to face each other on the plains of Kuruksetra, there were many millions of warriors, horses, chariots, and elephants ready to fight. Before the battle, Krishna, who was serving as Arjuna’s chariot driver and advisor, drove Arjuna’s chariot between the two great armies. Seeing the number of friends and relatives on each side ready to fight each other, Arjuna hesitated and felt much grief over the situation. He felt it was useless to fight. He preferred to retire to the forest and live as a recluse and meditate. It was then that Krishna took the opportunity to sing the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna to show him that action for devotional service and to protect Sanatana-dharma is a higher standard.

The Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all Vedic philosophy and is composed of 700 verses and explains such topics as the nature of the soul, God, the material universe, activities and karma, reincarnation, the process of yoga, the purpose of life, and more. After all this was explained to Arjuna, he took courage with proper understanding and fought. Thereafter, the war of Kurukshetra lasted for 18 days in which several million warriors died in the fierce fighting. Then the Pandavas were rightfully established in their kingdom, and Sri Krishna had provided His eternal instructions in the form of the Bhagavad-gita for all of humanity. This is all elaborated in the Mahabharata which is composed of 100,000 verses, making it the longest poem in literary history.

When we leave Jyotisar, our next stop is at Bishma Kund, also called Bana Ganga. This is where Grandfather Bhishma fell on the tenth day of the battle of Kurukshetra, but remained laying there until the sun entered the northern hemisphere. The battle was so fierce that Bhishma’s back was covered with arrows. Finally, he fell on his back and laid on what appeared as a bed of arrows. Then Krishna and the Pandavas, hearing the news, gathered around him as he prepared to leave this world. Bhishma was one of the greatest and most respected of the warriors on the battlefield. As he lay there, he became thirsty and Arjuna shot an arrow into the ground from which sprang Ganges water to quench Bhishma’s thirst. This later formed into what is now a small kund or water tank called Bana Ganga, or Bhishma Kund. Bathing in it is said to give the benefits of bathing at all the holy tirthas. This is also where Bishma gave the teachings of Rajadharma (statecraft) and Anushasana (discipline) to Yudhisthira. Bishma also sang the Vishnusahasranama (The Thousand Names of Vishnu) to Lord Krishna before he departed this world.

Next to the kund is a small temple that has images of Bhishma on the bed of arrows surrounded by Krishna and the Pandavas in the act of listening to Bhishma as he instructs Yudhisthira on the path of dharma, or spiritual merit. There is also a deity of Krishna in His universal form. At one end of the kund is also a huge 26-foot tall deity of Hanuman. There is also a little temple here of Sita-Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman, and Durga. When we are finished here, next we’ll go to the large Brahma Sarovara tank.

There is another place called Bana Ganga southwest of Kurukshetra in Dayalpur. This is a small kund where Arjuna had stopped to rest his horses on his way to fight with Jayadratha. In order to quench the thirst of his horses, he shot his arrow called Parjanyastra into the ground which generated the necessary water. There is also a temple of Goddess Bala Sundari on the premises, and a large Hanuman image.

Brahma Sarovara is one of the holiest tanks in India and is where millions of pilgrims gather to bathe during an eclipse. One who bathes here is said to receive the merit of performing an ashvamedha ritual, and one is freed from all sins by bathing here during an eclipse. This is where Lord Brahma performed a large sacrificial ceremony and also from where he manifested the earth planet in the process of creation. Legend has it that Brahma Sarovara was excavated first by King Kuru long before the epic battle of Kurukshetra. It is a huge tank (half a kilometer wide and one kilometer long) with an island in the middle connected by a road that cuts through it. On the island is a water well called the Chandra Kupa Well, one of the oldest sacred wells. Tradition has it that in ancient times the water in the well would change to milk during the solar eclipse. Next to the well is a small Radha-Krishna temple where Yudhisthira is said to have built a victory pillar after the successful culmination of the war. This lake is also where Krishna, His brother Balarama, and His sister Subhadra came from Dwaraka to bathe during an eclipse. Along the side of the tank is a smaller island with the Sarveshwar Mahadeva (Shiva) temple on it.

The streets nearby have a number of other temples that we can visit, such as the Birla Gita Mandir. This has a deity of Krishna in the act of explaining the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna. Outside is a chariot with images of Krishna and Arjuna on it. Down the road along Brahma Sarovara are other temples and ashramas, many of which are quite nice. You can simply ride down the street and stop to see the ones you want to visit.

Nearby is Sannihit Sarovara, another lake or water tank that is very significant. It is not as large as Brahma Sarovara, but it is fairly big (1500 by 450 feet). Sannihit means the assembly of the entire range of holy tirthas or sacred sites, which is said to happen every Amavas, or eclipse, especially the Somavati Amavas (lunar eclipse). It is also said that all of the sacred holy places gather here on the new Moon day, and that this is where the seven sacred Sarasvatis meet. Performing the shraddha ceremony for the benefit of the ancestors and bathing during the eclipse is said to purify you of all your sins and give you the merit of having performed 1,000 ashvamedha ceremonies. Lord Krishna also bathed here and met the gopis and residents of Vrindavana when He was present. It is also accepted that it was here where Lord Indra accepted the bones from the great sage Dadhichi, which were so powerful that they were used in making a Vajra or thunderbolt for killing the demon Vritasura.

On the eastern end of the tank are several small temples to Vishnu, Dhruva, Hanuman, Durga, Lakshmi-Narayana, Surya, etc. Across the road is a large, beautiful temple to Lakshmi-Narayana. There are also numerous sadhus found here, and those who merely look like sadhus. In fact, as I walked around the lake on one occasion, I came upon a group of sadhus who, instead of engaging in meditation or reading scriptures, etc., were sitting and playing a game of cards. When I asked them if I could take a photo, a few instantly said no. Playing like a naive tourist, I asked why not, and one answered, “What do you think?” They thought I was going to take a photo and then give it to the newspapers. Of course, I knew why they didn’t want their photo taken: They didn’t want to be seen that way because they would lose their credibility. This made me realize how few real sadhus actually exist.

Not far from here is a very impressive, government operated Krishna Museum. Every aspect of this museum is related to the pastimes of Krishna and the various ways to express devotion to Him. The museum has a wide assortment of brass, metal, and wood deities of Krishna, Jagannatha, along with paintings, drawings, sculptures, and artwork from all over India. There was also a life-size image of Mother Yasoda with Krishna and Balarama. It also has an assortment of costumes and dress from different eras of Indian history. This museum is very nicely done and well worth the visit, but don’t take any photos or, as I was told, they may take away your camera. There is also a Multimedia Mahabharata and Gita Gallery for all those who are interested. Altogether it is an especially nice exhibit. Also, do not miss the Kurukshetra Panorama & Science Centre, which brings to life the epic battle of the Mahabharata with special acoustic effects. Exhibits are also related to various branches of science like astronomy, medicine, chemistry, botany, and zoology.

Our next stop is Kamal Nabha or Nabhi, which is a water kund said to mark the place where Brahma was born out of the lotus flower that arose from the nabhi or navel of Lord Vishnu. This is located in the old town of Thanesar. The water tank here is not that large and is green with algae, but is very significant. There is only a small shrine with Lakshmi-Narayana deities and a picture on the wall of Vishnu with Brahma on the lotus coming from Vishnu’s navel. In the entranceway are a few other small deities.

Another short ride to a different part of town takes us to the Sthaneswara temple and tank. This is also quite interesting and is where the Pandavas prayed to Lord Shiva for blessings to be victorious in the war of Kurukshetra. The water from the tank is considered sacred and to have healing powers. A few drops of the water from the tank is said to have cured King Ban or Vena of leprosy. The temples around the tank have very beautiful deities of Krishna, Radha-Govinda, Sita-Rama and Lakshmana, Shiva, Durga, etc., and an ancient Shiva lingam. The present temple is said to be constructed by Sadashiva Rao Bhau, the commander-in-chief of the Maratha forces, to commemorate his victory over Ahmed Shah Abdali in the battle of Kunjpura, near Karnal. According to the Vamana Purana, the tirthas of Shukra, Soma, Daksha and Skanda are located in the north, east, south, and west parts respectively of this Sthanu tirtha, but one who visits the linga of Shiva here gets moksha or liberation. The Vamana Purana also says that whoever enters this Sthanu temple, with or without desires, gets emancipation from all karma and attains the supreme seat.

Down the road is the Bhadra Kali temple. This is another Shaktipeeth, or empowered place related to Devi, which marks the place where Sati’s ankle fell when Lord Vishnu cut her dead body into pieces as it was being held by Lord Shiva. This was after she left her body when she had been insulted by her father, Daksha, in Haridwar for having Shiva as her husband. A marble sculpture of a right ankle is placed over the well where Sati’s ankle fell. It is visited by a large number of devotees.

The Iskcon Krishna temple is in the bazaar in the older part of town. If you can get there in the morning you can have darshan of the beautiful Radha-Krishna deities, which stand about two feet tall, and the smaller Gaura-Nitai deities. You can also attend the arati and have a nice prasadam breakfast. The temple is quite nice and expanding. They also have guest quarters on the top floor where visitors can stay. The number of devotees is small, but they are very friendly and helpful. In fact, they helped arrange my motor ricksha transportation to see the holy places in town the first time I came to visit Kurukshetra. However, they are building a new and very large temple on the road on the way to Jyotisar, which will be in the shape of a chariot. So many people will be stopping to see this new temple.

Another place to see is the Dharohar Haryana Sangrahalaya, established in 2006, which houses a variety of objects like agricultural and domestic implements and art and craft items from the state of Haryana. It also has archaeological artifacts, manuscripts, wall paintings, folk music instruments, ornaments, weapons, etc., to highlight the culture and rich traditions of Haryana.

There is also the Kalpana Chawla Memorial Planetarium named after Dr. Kalpana Chawla, India’s famous astronaut and space scientist. This has been set up by Haryana State Council for Science & Technology for imparting non-formal education in astronomy so anyone can learn more about this form of science. However most shows are run in Hindi language, but when needed, they are shown in both Hindi and English.

There is an assortment of other noteworthy places around Kuruksetra, some of which you may want to visit if you have time. Altogether there are still about 134 important pilgrimage sites that are still known today, of which we will describe a few. For example, the mound called Amin, eight miles outside of town, is where Arjuna’s son, Abhimanyu, was caught in the Chakra Vyuha military formation and killed during the battle of Kuruksetra, as described in the Mahabharata. And the Karna Vadha trench is where Karna, the Pandavas half-brother who fought against them, was killed when his chariot got stuck there.

About 40 kilometers from Kurukshetra is the place of Pehowa where the ancient Sarasvati River is commemorated, and is famous for the performance of the shraddha ceremonies for the ancestors. The tirtha of Prithudaka is mentioned in the Puranas and Mahabharata, where Matinara, a king in the Puru lineage, performed many rituals here on the bank of the Sarasvati River, which is now mostly dried up and no longer flows through Kurukshetra as it did during the times of the Mahabharata.

Jind and Safidon are towns where you will find such tirthas as Ram Hridaya where Parashurama performed a spiritual ceremony. At Birhi Kalan near Jind is Varaha Tirtha where Lord Varaha appeared in order to save the earth. Sarp Damam, in Safidon, is where Janamejaya, the son of Maharaja Pariksit, performed a fire sacrifice in order to destroy all the snakes after his father was bitten by the snake bird Takshaka from a curse by Shringi, as described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is in connection with the holy town of Shukratal. If you have the time to do some research, the library at Kuruksetra has a good collection of Vedic literature in Sanskrit and English.

Many of the sites mentioned herein will likely change greatly in their appearance over the next few years because the government plans to spend a lot of money to make these sites more tourist and pilgrim friendly. They plan to make a “Krishna Tour” for the many pilgrims so they can easily see the sites connected with Krishna and India’s history. This will include Kurukshetra and many other places in Haryana, but also places like Vrindavana which will also be a part of this tour.

In this way, Kurukshetra has much to offer the sincere pilgrim and also elaborates the significance of the Bhagavad-gita. Some people stay for a day, but Kurukshetra deserves a few days to see and absorb all it has to offer.

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Today is the divine appearance day of Tungavidya Sakhi. In Sri Mayapur Dham Tungavidya Sakhi was adorned with nice garlands and ornaments to celebrate her divine appearance day. Lalita, Visakha, Citra, Campakalata, Tungavidya, Indulekha, Rangadevi and Sudevi are the parama-prestha-sakhis. These eight gopis are chief amongst all the gopis. The exalted qualities of Tungavidya are […]

The post Tungavidya- The Transcendental Vina Player appeared first on Mayapur.com.

The Brand New BBT Dictionary App!
An aid to BBT production: The BBT produces books in many languages. Neces­sity is the mother of invention, and necessity has left us venturing into machine learning, neurolinguistic programming, and a fusion of science, computational linguistics, and Srila Prabhupada’s books. Years ago, we had fairly stable editorial teams in most of our languages. Nowadays devotees are more mobile in their services, and we’ve had to figure out ways to help ever new editorial teams use our layout software for hyphenating and finalizing their files – work best done by native speakers.

50,000 to attend Janmashtami at Hare Krishna Temple near Watford.
Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna Temple in Patchetts Green on the outskirts of Aldenham and Bushey will once again welcome tens of thousands of visitors for Janmashtami, one of the most important festivals in the Hindu calendar.

The Kazakh Switch, From Cyrillic to Latin.
North European Bhaktivedanta Book Trust: The change in scripts has been in discussion since 2006. The deci­sion was announced in October 2017, with the goal for a complete transition to the new writ­ing system by 2025. Most of the country’s reasons are probably obvious – nationalism, a move to distance the Kazakh people from their past as a Russian colony, and shifting political and economic allegiances. But there’s also an idea that Cyrillic has never suited the Kazakh tongue because Kazakh has a number of sounds that don’t have natural Cyrillic equivalents.

Ambarish’s first donation to ISKCON.
Ramesvara das: We were getting letters from a person named Alfred Ford and nobody had the slightest idea that he was “the” Ford family! So we were getting some letters and Krsna Kanti found out about it. At that time Krsna Kanti was still working at Spiritual Sky and he wrote this Alfred Ford a letter at his ski resort in Hawaii and asked him to please give a donation. “I’m trying to start a tape ministry to record all the lectures of Srila Prabhupada. There is no system at all.” And Alfred Ford gave a donation and Golden Avatar was started in 1972. We bought the Uher tape recorders, we bought whatever equipment there was. This was a monumental thing. From that day on Prabhupada’s servant or secretary had to carry a tape recorder and every single thing Prabhupada said was recorded. That was a major event for the history of the world. It ended up by 1977 when Prabhupada said we could use his talks, his classes and his lectures to produce books. It’s a very major event. It started in 1972 with this donation, the very first donation Ambarish ever gave ISKCON went to pay for Prabhupada’s voice to be recorded and preserved for as long as there is a Krsna consciousness movement. That is an important event in the history of our movement and Prabhupada approved it. Obviously he allowed his disciples to carry that tape recorder and stick that microphone in front of him and if it was annoying to him he would have mentioned it.

So today is that auspicious day, Janmastami, when Lord Krishna appeared five thousand years ago in India, Mathura. Those who are Indian ladies and gentlemen present, they know very well where is Mathura. It is about ninety miles south of New Delhi. Mathura is still existing and it is eternally existing. Krishna appeared in Mathura in His maternal uncle’s house in a very precarious condition. That birthplace, Lord Krishna’s birthplace, is now maintained very nicely. One who goes to India, they see. So anyway, Lord Krishna appeared on this planet five thousand years ago. Krishna does not take his birth like us. So we shall invite today to speak about Krishna from our students, as well as all the members who are present here. Continue reading "Srila Prabhupada and some of his disciples talk about Janmastami, Montreal, August 16, 1968
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Cymbals, damru drums, bherries, and big drums vibrated auspicious sounds in specific melodies. A celestial concert of precise poetical meters, proper rhythms, and metrical compositions suddenly manifested there. The musical ensemble inspired the society girls to sing and dance in mirth and merriment. Though not good singers, by the will of the Lord they sang with great virtuoso. Then" wonderful songs filled Nanda Maharaja's heart with joy. The combined vibrations of brahmanas' chanting Vedic hymns, the recitation of Purank lore, and the panegyrists' prayers transformed the ethers into sabda brahman, The joy of Krishna's birth celebration taxed the drains of Nanda's capital city as they swelled to the brim with milk, yogurt, and other auspicious liquids. Soon rivers of this nectar flooded the streets of the town and permeated the entire atmosphere with a sweet fragrance. Continue reading "Sweetest Description of Janmastami-lila
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Submit your puja and other offerings now!   HAPPY JANMASTAMI. Devoted pilgrims have started arriving at ISKCON Mayapur to observe Sri Krishna Janmastami festival at the holiest of dhamas, Sri Mayapur. Janmastami is one of the most popular and grand festival celebrated in ISKCON Mayapur. Preparations for prasad seva for pilgrims, setting up of pandals […]

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It was the middle of the night in the monsoon season and raining heavily, and there were auspicious omens present everywhere. Lakes were full of blossoming lotus flowers and the forests with singing birds and dancing peacocks. The demigods were showering an abundance of flowers from the skies. Shackled in the prison cell of her brother Kamsa, Devaki and her husband Vasudeva had long been anticipating the prophesied birth of their eighth child, and this was the night when, as foreseen, Lord Krishna would descend to this material world.

It was the middle of the night in the monsoon season and raining heavily, and there were auspicious omens present everywhere. Lakes were full of blossoming lotus flowers and the forests with singing birds and dancing peacocks. The demigods were showering an abundance of flowers from the skies. Shackled in the prison cell of her […]

The post Sri Madhava – He who is the Sweetest in the Whole World appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Adi Kesava, Syamarupa and their daughters live in Cairns and have regularly programs at their house, as well as other devotee’s houses. 

They daily worship their deities, Sri Radha Syamasundara, Sita Rama Laksman, Hanuman and Gaura Nitai.

I visit every year and they organise nice programs where everyone comes together for arati, kirtan, lecture and prasadam. Cairns is a tourist town so we try to get new people along also.

The ISKCON Song (5 min musical video)
7 Purposes of ISKCON | The Hare Krishna Movement Mission.
This is a vibrant, beautiful song (in Hindi with English subtitles) - explains the 7 purposes of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Helps one understand what ISKCON stands for and what it does worldwide. Easy to memorize and remember too! Your feet will go tapping with the song…

George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord is Apple Records’ most played track this century!
George Harrison’s number one single My Sweet Lord has topped a chart of the most played songs this century that were released on The Beatles’ Apple Records label.
The single has received more public airplay since 2000 than Imagine by John Lennon and the Liverpool band’s Hey Jude, which was the first single released on the label in the UK 50 years ago.
My Sweet Lord went to number one upon its original release in 1970 and again in 2002 when it was re-issued following Harrison’s death.

Devotee Company Serves Out “Pure Bliss” to 500 Stores in the U.S.
Pure Bliss Organics distributes roughly a million servings a year of their unique brand of Krishna prasadam. They also donate a trail mix for the thrice weekly Harinama in Atlanta, and serve devotees by providing discounts on their products to traveling sankirtan parties and the Sadhu Sanga Kirtan Retreat.

All gluten-free and certified organic, their granolas include three no-sugar types sweetened with date paste, two grain-free with half the carbs, and one high-protein. Granola flavors include banana, cashew butter, peanut butter vanilla, maple cranberry, and carrot cake.

Pure Bliss also offers seven different energy bars such as acai coconut, lemon cranberry, white chocolate raspberry, and chocolate sun butter, as well as their extremely popular energy bites with the same flavors. Finally their gourmet nut mixes include conconut honey almonds, sesame honey cashews, and maple cinnamon mixed nuts.
To read the complete article please click here: https://goo.gl/XC3W11

Krishna Balarama - Queens, NY Rath Yatra (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: All glories to the all-blissful holy name of Sri ...

The Srimad-Bhagavatam contains many beautiful gitas or songs sung by various illustrious personalities. These songs inspire and enlighten us with spiritual knowledge of various levels. The following is a brief summary of the popular gitas found in the Bhagavatam, along with the contexts in which they appear. The titles of these gitas as presented below are found either in the Bhagavatam directly or in the commentary of the great acarya Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. Continue reading "The Gitas Of The Bhagavatam
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Have you heard kirtana leaders say “Chant from the heart!”? What do they mean by this? We have three hearts: the physical pump, the emotional heart and the spiritual heart. Whenever we want to align ourselves to the chanting of the Holy Name we refer to the third heart, the heart in which we experience spiritual feelings. For instance, when you read the Srimad-Bhagavatam or chant, have you noticed that you feel relieved? You feel as though you are above the clouds? This is a reaction in the spiritual heart. Continue reading "Heartfelt Chanting
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