Planet ISKCON

Bhakti Charu Swami presents his plans for the Deland, Florida project. These include organic farming, cow protection, an Ayurvedic clinic, eco-friendly homes, and a Vedic temple, as well as regular retreats.
Over the past few years, the ISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture (IMCPA) has been bringing ISKCON farms together for biannual continental conferences. Now, the Ministry is beginning strategic planning meetings every other year, to foster team building. The first will see delegates from farm communities all over North America come together to connect face to face, determine a collective direction to head in, and strategize how to get there. The meeting will take place on June 25th and 26th in Deland, Florida, a new 116-acre project run by Bhakti Charu Swami’s Veda Foundation, two hours’ drive from Alachua.
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By TOVP staff

Lord Nityananda poured His blessings on all the devotees incessantly. After greeting the Padukas and Sitari with kirtan and abhisheka, and speeches by His Holiness Chandramauli Swami, Jananivas and Braja Vilas prabhus, once again the ecstasy began to flow. Devotees from Croatia were also present and a total of eighty devotees started making their pledges. Eleven pledges were made for Silver Srivas Coins (9,000 Euros/11,000 USD) along with many other large and small pledges. The astounding fact is that before coming to the program many devotees did not expect to give anything significant, and some nothing at all. Yet, due to Lord Nityananda Prabhu’s influence their hearts were changed. The sacrifice of these devotees, like at all the other European temples, is very exemplary and significant, and a sign that our Lord Nitai is anxious to complete the temple. Continue reading "TOVP Euro Tour Day 10: New Yoga Pitha Dhama, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Question: When souls should be losing human bodies because of bad karma, why is the population increasing?

Answer: First of all, if we look at the vastness of the time scales, we may talk about population increasing, but for how long do we really have a serious population count? Serious census started just a few hundred years ago. Before that we can have estimates, how much was the population, but even if we look from that perspective, even if we stick to only the empirical measurable data, we can’t say for sure how much was the population, say, several hundred years ago. There was no hard data at that time. But even if we go with the assumption right now that okay, the population has been increasing, what it essentially means is that souls are eternal and the souls are present in many different bodies. We understand that the soul is not present only in human body. There is transmigration which happens forward and backward also. Forward means from the lower species to human species and from human species down also to the lower species. It goes both ways.

We may say that the human population is increasing, but the souls which are there in many, many different bodies, they can go from one body to another body. We have done a census of human beings, but has anyone done a census of say the number of trees in the world, the number of grass in the world, the number of mosquitoes in the world? There are so many different species. So, if we look at the history of the world in recent times, there is so much loss of biodiversity, so much trees have been cut down, so many animals have become extinct.

If we consider total number of souls, souls may go from one species to another species. So, all that we are seeing is the souls in human species are increasing or rather human population is increasing, but conversely, there can be many other species whose count has gone down.

Also, another point is that in the Vedic understanding from the soul’s perspective, life is not limited to this planet. There are many levels and the soul can go from one body to another body also. If we look from the perspective of cosmic time, the few hundred years that we have counted population, it’s like a very small time.

If, say, an alien came from an outer planet to Columbus, Ohio, and came to this room and took a sample of this room’s population from say 9 o’clock in the morning till 1 o’clock. You would say, 9 o’clock the population was very low, 10 o’clock it has increased more, 11 o’clock more, 12 o’clock there is an explosion of the population, but, 2 o’clock, 3 o’clock, hey, what happened? The population has gone down. (Laughter)

So, basically that alien is taking a very limited sample, both limited in space and limited in time. And in that limited sample, there may be variation, but that variation doesn’t mean extinction or creation. It simply means relocation. People are coming here, people are going. So, at a particular time there may be more, another time there may be less.

So, similarly, with respect to just a small few hundred years and human species, yes, the human population may be increasing, but the other souls may be going down. So, we see, as I said, souls in other species may be going down. Other species have also become extinct.

Another way to understand this is that when the soul wants to enjoy material nature, to some extent, the soul is given the facility for that. In the last few hundred years, we have put all our intelligence, which is meant for spiritual growth, we have used it all to try to improve things at the material level. Try to combat disease, combat infant mortality. With this exercise of the intelligence, we can improve things and we have improved things to some extent. There is the free will of the soul by which the soul can act and improve things, but there is also the principle of karma. There is also the principle of whatever actions we do, we will get the reactions. This is Kali Yuga. This is the age of spiritual darkness.

So, what happens is that the people have created more and more comforts, trying to make this world a better place, but the karma and the karmic reactions are going to come. Whatever we do, the reactions are going to come. One way the karmic reactions which we have avoided by avoiding diseases, by creating more comforts through technology, one way those karmic reactions can come is through the increased population. Earlier, we didn’t have resources, people didn’t have food to enjoy. They had to struggle and scavenge to get food, even if we go simply by the narrative of history as we get from modern science.

But now, because there is so much population, there is competition again for that. So, the increased population, even the relative framework of few years, could be a way in which reactions are coming. The increased population is not necessarily a good thing for places where there is a population explosion. It may be a good thing where the lifespan is increasing and where the facilities are available for people, but it’s not true everywhere. So, within the limited framework which we look at, we understand simply the variation from one species to another species. Souls in a particular species have gone up and souls in another species have gone down. What could be the reason for that? As I said, one reason could be that we are just… the increased population is a way through which karmic reactions are coming to us. The increased competition that happens because of that.

Another could also be that the souls are not evolving upwards. Krishna says, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ, jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ: Those who live in Rajoguna, in the mode of passion, they stay here. So, by the natural process of evolution, souls from the animal species are coming here to the human form, but most of the world today is in the mode of passion. There are few people in goodness, there are good number in ignorance also, but largely, we are in the mode of passion. Those who live in the mode of passion, they stay, Krishna says, at the same level of reality. Souls from the lower species are evolving to human species.

Majority of the human souls are not evolving upwards because they are not spiritually inclined nor are they in the mode of goodness. They are in the mode of passion, so they are staying over here. That could also be a reason why the population is increasing. But the population increase is simply a variation within space and time that we observe right now. That doesn’t necessarily in any way contradict any aspect of the spiritual philosophy. It’s fully explainable within the broad parameters of the spiritual philosophy that is given in the Bhagavad Gita.

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Today is the disappearance day of one of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s most confidential associates, Sri Ramananda Raya. Lord Chaitanya is Krishna Himself in the mood of Srimati Radharani, with Her bodily luster. Thus Lord Chaitanya is the combined form of Radha and Krishna (sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe anya). And in krsna-lila Ramananda Raya is the gopi Visakha, one of the most confidential associates of both Srimati Radharani and Krishna. Spiritually, Visakha enjoyed a very intimate relationship with both Sri Krishna and Sri Radha.

In His later years, after He toured South India, Sri Chaitanya retired to Jagannatha Puri, and there He experienced intense separation from Krishna, like Srimati Radharani did after Krishna left Vrindavan. In that ecstatic mood of separation, He would confide in two close associates—Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, who in krsna-lila is the gopi Lalita, and Sri Ramananda Raya.

Today we shall read about the first meeting between Lord Chaitanya and Ramananda Raya. Lord Chaitanya was just beginning His tour of South India. When He arrived in Jagannatha Puri from Navadvipa after taking sannyasa, He went straight to the Jagannatha temple, and as soon as He saw Lord Jagannatha He fainted in ecstasy. He had been in the mood of searching for Krishna, and when He saw Jagannatha He felt that He had found His Lord and fell into a deep ecstatic trance. Eventually, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, the chief appointed pandit in the court of the king, Maharaja Prataparudra, removed Sri Chaitanya to his home, and there they had some discussions. When Mahaprabhu was about to depart on His tour of South India, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya suggested that He meet and speak with Ramananda Raya, a most learned scholar and expert in the transcendental mellows of devotional service (bhakti-rasa).

Eventually Lord Chaitanya and Ramananda Raya met on the banks of the Godavari. Their meeting is vividly described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. After their initial meeting, they decided to meet again in the evening to discuss confidential topics of Krishna. Their discussions, called ramananda-samvada, contain all the truths of Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy (siddhanta) and, with Lord Chaitanya’s instructions to Rupa Gosvami (rupa-siksa) and His instructions to Sanatana Gosvami (sanatana-siksa), are most important for understanding Vaishnava siddhanta, both rasa and tattva.

We read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Eight: “Talks Between the Lord and Ramananda Raya.”

 TEXT 1

sancarya ramabhidha-bhakta-meghe
  sva-bhakti-siddhanta-cayamrtani
gaurabdhir etair amuna vitirnais
  taj-jnatva-ratnalayatam prayati

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is known as Gauranga, is the reservoir of all conclusive knowledge in devotional service. He empowered Sri Ramananda Raya, who may be likened to a cloud of devotional service. This cloud was filled with all the conclusive purports of devotional service and was empowered by the ocean to spread this water over the sea. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself was the ocean of knowledge of pure devotional service.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

In this discussion between Ramananda Raya and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Chaitanya took the position of the student, or questioner, and Ramananda Raya was obliged to take the position of the teacher, or respondent. Ramananda Raya was hesitant, because apart from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in terms of the Vedic social system He was a brahman and a sannyasi, whereas Ramananda Raya, although a most learned scholar and exalted devotee, was a grihastha and considered a sudra. So it was awkward for him to instruct Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, but Mahaprabhu told him, kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya: it doesn’t matter whether one is a brahman, a sudra, a sannyasi, or whatever; yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei ‘guru’ haya: anyone who knows the science of Krishna is a guru.

We shall read from the beginning of their discussion.

TEXT 56

namaskara kaila raya, prabhu kaila alingane
dui jane krsna-katha kaya rahah-sthane

TRANSLATION

Ramananda Raya approached Lord Sri Caitanya and offered his respectful obeisances, and the Lord embraced him. Then they began to discuss Krsna in a secluded place.

TEXT 57

prabhu kahe,—“pada sloka sadhyera nirnaya”
raya kahe,—“sva-dharmacarane visnu-bhakti haya”

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Ramananda Raya to recite a verse from the revealed scriptures concerning the ultimate goal of life.

Ramananda replied, “If one executes the prescribed duties of his social position, he awakens his original Krsna consciousness.

COMMENT

The original word in the text is sadhya—“the goal of life,” “that which is to be achieved.” Sadhana is the means by which we achieve the goal. Lord Chaitanya asked Ramananda Raya to say something about sadhya, the ultimate goal of life, and Ramananda Raya replied by citing different verses.

First, Ramananda Raya quoted a verse from the Visnu Purana:

TEXT 58

varnasramacara-vata
  purusena parah puman
visnur aradhyate pantha
  nanyat tat-tosa-karanam

TRANSLATION

“‘The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varna and asrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varnas and asramas.’”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This is a quotation from the Visnu Purana (3.8.9). As stated by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya, “The purport is that one can realize life’s perfection simply by satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” This is also confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.13):

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
  varnasrama-vibhagasah
sv-anusthitasya dharmasya
  samsiddhir hari-tosanam

“O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one’s own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.”

COMMENT

The goal of all of our activities should be to please Krishna, and in the verse quoted by Ramananda Raya, executing one’s duties according to one’s varna and ashrama is recommended. Prabhupada often said that varnashrama-dharma is the beginning of human life. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah: without dharma, men are on the level of animals. Why? Because dharma, religious principles, or varnashrama-dharma, occupational duties, regulate the activities of the living being. Without being regulated a person is just like an animal. An animal eats whatever he wants, sleeps whenever he wants for as long as he can, has sex with whomever he wants whenever he can, and defends himself, arranges some shelter for himself, however he can. And if a man engages his superior, human intelligence in these same activities, he is no better than an animal.

The human being may eat on a nice plate on a nice table and the animal may eat on the floor of the jungle, but the animal enjoys his eating as much as the human being. The human may sleep on a nice mattress in a nice house and the animal may sleep on the ground, but when asleep the animal doesn’t know he is sleeping on the ground or the human that he is sleeping on a mattress. Sleeping is the same, and in fact the human’s sleep might be more disturbed than the animal’s, because he has so many worries and anxieties and causes of depression. And the animal might defend himself with his teeth and claws, the human with sophisticated weapons of mass destruction, but it is the same principle—defending.

Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending are common to both human beings and animals. What distinguishes a human from an animal is dharma, following religious principles to become God conscious. Otherwise, there is no difference.

ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca
  samanyam etat pasubhir naranam
dharmo hi tesam adhiko viseso
  dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah

“Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to engage in spiritual life. Therefore, without spiritual life, humans are on the level of animals.” (Hitopadesa)

Now, one might question, “You mean to say that all the big leaders of the world—the presidents and prime ministers and scientists and Nobel Prize laureates—if they are not Krishna conscious, God conscious, they are no better than animals?” Srimad-Bhagavatam says that they are just bigger animals. In the jungle the small animals all fear the big animals—respect the big animals—and the Bhagavatam says that those who never engage in krsna-katha, who never hear the glories of the Lord, are just small animals who praise the bigger ones. That’s all.

sva-vid-varahostra-kharaih
  samstutah purusah pasuh
na yat-karna-pathopeto
  jatu nama gadagrajah

“Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels, and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Krsna, the deliverer from evils.” (SB 2.3.19)

So, dharma is the beginning of human life, and one should execute one’s duties in varnashrama-dharma for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu. By that process one advances to the goal of life.

Here, Ramananda Raya and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are discussing krsna-katha. And after hearing this verse, what does Mahaprabhu say?

TEXT 59

prabhu kahe,—“eho bahya, age kaha ara”
raya kahe, “krsne karmarpana—sarva-sadhya-sara”

TRANSLATION

The Lord replied, “This is external. You had better tell Me of some other means.”

Ramananda replied, “To offer the results of one’s activities to Krsna is the essence of all perfection.”

COMMENT

Varnashrama-dharma is required, but following the regulations of varnashrama-dharma does not necessarily mean that one will be Krishna conscious. One can follow the rules and regulations, but if one is not in the mood of offering the results of one’s work to Krishna, he will not be Krishna conscious—directly Krishna conscious.

Ramananda Raya next quoted a verse from the Bhagavad-gita (9.27):

TEXT 60

yat karosi yad asnasi
  yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
  tat kurusva mad-arpanam

TRANSLATION

“‘O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering to Me.’”

COMMENT

Here we are going a step further. One still works according to one’s position in the varnashrama system, but one offers the results of one’s work to Krishna, as Krishna advises in the Bhagavad-gita. That is definitely a further development. And what does Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu say?

TEXT 61

prabhu kahe,—“eho bahya, age kaha ara”
raya kahe,—“svadharma-tyaga, ei sadhya-sara”

TRANSLATION

“This is also external,” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. “Please proceed and speak further on this matter.”

Ramananda Raya replied, “To give up one’s occupational duties in the varnasrama system is the essence of perfection.”

TEXT 62

ajnayaivam gunan dosan
  mayadistan api svakan
dharman santyajya yah sarvan
  mam bhajet sa ca sattamah

TRANSLATION

Ramananda Raya continued, “ ‘Occupational duties are described in the religious scriptures. If one analyzes them, he can fully understand their qualities and faults and then give them up completely to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a person is considered a first-class man.’

TEXT 63

sarva-dharman parityajya
  mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
  moksayisyami ma sucah

TRANSLATION

“As stated in scripture [Gita 18.66], ‘After giving up all kinds of religious and occupational duties, if you come to Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and take shelter, I will give you protection from all of life’s sinful reactions. Do not worry.’ ”

COMMENT

Ramananda Raya cited two verses in support of this proposal, and Sri Chaitanya responded:

TEXT 64

prabhu kahe,—“eho bahya, age kaha ara”
raya kahe, “jnana-misra bhakti—sadhya-sara”

TRANSLATION

After hearing Ramananda Raya speak in this way, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Go ahead and say something more.”

Ramananda Raya then replied, “Devotional service mixed with empiric knowledge is the essence of perfection.”

TEXT 65

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
  na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
  mad-bhaktim labhate param

TRANSLATION

Ramananda Raya continued, “According to the Bhagavad-gita, ‘One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.’ ”

COMMENT

To offer the fruits of one’s work to Krishna is good, but even then one might be attached to one’s work. To give up one’s position in varnashrama-dharma is better because it shows more detachment. But even if one has detachment, one may not have knowledge. So Ramananda Raya went further, including knowledge as part of the means, with reference to the Bhagavad-gita (18.54).

And what did Lord Chaitanya say? “Eho bahya, age kaha ara.” He wanted Ramananda Raya to go further. And Ramananda Raya responded.

TEXT 66

prabhu kahe, “eho bahya, age kaha ara”
raya kahe,—“jnana-sunya bhakti—sadhya-sara”

TRANSLATION

After hearing this, the Lord, as usual, rejected it, . . .

COMMENT

He rejected devotional service mixed with empiric knowledge (jnana-misra bhakti).

TRANSLATION (continued)

. . . considering it to be external devotional service mixed with knowledge. He again asked Ramananda Raya to speak further, and Ramananda Raya replied, “Pure devotional service without any touch of speculative knowledge is the essence of perfection.”

COMMENT

Ramananda Raya then quoted an important verse from the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.3):

TEXT 67

jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
  jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
  ye prayaso ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyam

TRANSLATION

Ramananda Raya continued, “[Lord Brahma said:] ‘My dear Lord, those devotees who have thrown away the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth and have therefore abandoned discussing empiric philosophical truths should hear from self-realized devotees about Your holy name, form, pastimes, and qualities. They should follow the principles of devotional service and remain free from illicit sex, gambling, intoxication, and animal slaughter. Surrendering themselves fully with body, words, and mind, they can live in any asrama or social status. Indeed, You are conquered by such persons, although You are always unconquerable.’”

COMMENT

Then Lord Caitanya said, eho haya, “This is it!”—not eho bahya, “This is external.” But even then He added, age kaha ara: “Please speak further.”

TEXT 68

prabhu kahe, “eho haya, age kaha ara”
raya kahe, “prema-bhakti—sarva-sadhya-sara”

TRANSLATION

At this point, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “This is all right, but still you can speak more on the subject.”

Ramananda Raya then replied, “Ecstatic love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the essence of all perfection.”

COMMENT

In the purport Srila Prabhupada says, “In his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura summarizes the conversation up to this point, where Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu says to Ramananda Raya, eho haya, age kaha ara: ‘This is the process accepted in devotional service, but there is something more than this. Therefore please explain what is beyond.’”

The point is that although the verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam describes the process of pure devotional service, in the neophyte stage devotional activities may sometimes appear impure; there may appear to be some material taint in one’s devotional activities. Therefore, although Lord Chaitanya said, “You have come to this point of pure devotional service, which I accept as the goal of life and simultaneously the means to achieve the goal,” He also said, “Go further,” because He wanted to make sure that we reach the goal, which is prema-bhakti.

Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.31) says, bhaktya sanjataya bhaktya: bhakti comes from bhakti. We have come to the point of bhakti, pure bhakti, but bhaktya sanjataya bhaktya—prema-bhakti, or sadhya-bhakti, comes from sadhana-bhakti. Sadhana-bhakti will lead to the goal, but one must stick to the process. If one does stick to the process, he will reach the goal, prema-bhakti.

Now we shall discuss the process of pure devotional service described in the verse cited by Sri Ramananda Raya, because that is a process that each and every one of us can and should follow. It is feasible for every one of us. We shall discuss each word, because each word is important.

Jnane here means “for speculative knowledge.” Speculative knowledge almost always leads to an imperfect, impersonal conclusion. Prayasam means “unnecessary endeavor”—it is unnecessary. And udapasya means “giving up completely.” The endeavor for speculative knowledge has absolutely no value for a devotee and should be given up completely. Namantah. In his synonyms, Srila Prabhupada writes, “completely surrendering.” More literally, namanta is translated as “offering obeisances.” Obeisances are an indication of submission and surrender. Once, Prabhupada paraphrased these words: “You should give up the bad habit of speculation and just become submissive.”

San-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam. Bhavadiya-vartam means “discussions related to You [Krishna],” and san-mukharitam means “from the mouths of pure devotees [sat].” We should hear the messages of Godhead from the mouths of truthful devotees, not from professional reciters.

In India there are many professional reciters, and some tour. But although they may be very popular, hearing from them will not help. People go to them to be entertained, or they may feel that they are performing some pious activity. But what result do they want from such piety? Often they just want to be happy in the material world.

Srila Prabhupada spoke of one Bhagavata reciter who would tell his audience, “Srimad-Bhagavatam teaches that you should be happy in family life.” Now, the Bhagavatam is filled with stories of devotees who left their families to realize God, beginning with the speaker of the Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Gosvami. He did not remain at home long enough even to have his sacred-thread or other ceremonies. He just walked out of the house, and his father, Srila Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of Godhead, went running after him into the forest, calling for him, but all he heard was the echoing of his voice in the trees.

yam pravrajantam anupetam apeta-krtyam
  dvaipayano viraha-katara ajuhava
putreti tan-mayataya taravo ’bhinedus
  tam sarva-bhuta-hrdayam munim anato ’smi

“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage [Sukadeva Gosvami] who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannyasa], leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vyasadeva, fearing separation from him, cried out, ‘O my son!’ Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed in the same feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrieved father.” (SB 1.2.2)

Sukadeva Gosvami was gone. So, from the very beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam we hear the histories of great devotees who left hearth and home to realize God. All five Pandavas left for the Himalayas. And Maharaja Pariksit gave up his family and kingdom to sit on the bank of the Ganges and hear Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Why did the professional reciter claim that the Bhagavatam teaches that you should remain happy in family life? Prabhupada said that the man wanted to get donations from the householders, so he wanted to say something that would please them. Sadhu means “to cut.” We have to hear from the mouths of sadhus (san-mukharitam). Then it will be effective. Srila Prabhupada said—and I saw it myself when I visited a large Bhagavata-saptaha—that immediately after the recitation, everything is as it was. People do not change. After the recitation, people light up their cigarettes and talk about what a nice katha they heard. This kind of katha—Bhagavata-saptaha or whatever—will not help. Sanatana Gosvami says, avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam sravanam naiva kartavyam: one should not hear talks about Krishna from a non-Vaishnava. San-mukharitam—one should hear from pure devotees, self-realized souls.

Sthane sthitah means “remaining in their position.” It doesn’t matter if one is a grihastha. One can remain a grihastha—he need not become a sannyasi. That is not the point. One can remain in his position in the varnashrama system (although in natural course one may change his position), because pure devotional service is transcendental. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam. It is not limited by any material condition; it cannot be covered by karma or jnana or anything else. It is transcendental. So you can stay in your position, but you must follow the process described here.

In his translation Srila Prabhupada writes, “You should completely follow the principles of devotional service and remain free from illicit sex, gambling, intoxication, and animal slaughter.” Now, we don’t find these words in the Sanskrit. There are different types of translation, which have different names in Sanskrit. In one kind of translation one puts a bit of the purport into the translation, and that is what Prabhupada did here. And I really appreciate it, because one can take this phrase sthane sthitah, “you remain in your position,” to mean, “Oh, I am fine as I am. I was getting worried for a while, but I can stay in my position and do everything the same.” Perhaps anticipating such a response from some readers, Prabhupada qualified the phrase right in the translation. He did not take a chance that a reader would harbor any misconceptions going into the purport, but in the translation itself he says, “Yes, you can remain in your position, but you must follow the process of devotional service and refrain from illicit sex; gambling (and speculating); intoxicants, including tea, coffee, and cigarettes; and eating meat, fish, or eggs.”

If you do that, you can stay in your position and become Krishna conscious. That is the beauty of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement, the beauty of the bhakti cult, that one can remain in one’s position and execute devotional service in Krishna consciousness. A grihastha can become a pure devotee, and a sannyasi can become a pure devotee. Anyone can become a pure devotee if he or she follows the process. And anyone can follow. So it is very easy. One can remain in his or her position and simply follow. Jivanti means that a devotee who always hears about Krishna will go back home, back to Godhead. He or she must simply follow the regulative principles and remain alive in Krishna consciousness by hearing and chanting about Krishna.

Tanu-van-manobhih. Tanu means “body,” vak means “words,” and mana means “mind.” Our acharyas have explained how these words can relate to other words in the text. The basic meaning is that one should surrender fully, with body, words, and mind, to the topics of Krishna spoken by self-realized souls. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti says that one should offer all respects and obeisances (namantah) with one’s body, words, and mind. With one’s body one can offer obeisances to the Bhagavatam, to the speaker of the Bhagavatam, and to the holy place in which the Bhagavatam is recited. With one’s words one can glorify the Bhagavatam and the speakers of the Bhagavatam, and one can repeat the message and narrations of Krishna. And with one’s mind one can feel reverence for and take pleasure in the topics of Krishna, and one can remember the instructions and pastimes of Krishna. Thus one can be fully engaged with one’s body, words, and mind—not that with our body we sit in the krsna-katha but with our mind we are somewhere else, calculating how much money we have in the bank and if we have enough to make the next payments. It is possible that one’s body could be in the krsna-katha but one’s words or mind could be somewhere else. But if we always engage everything (tanu-van-manobhih), our whole being, in krsna-katha, in Krishna consciousness, that is pure devotional service.

And what is the result? Ye prayaso ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyam. One of Krishna’s names is Ajita, “unconquerable.” Even though Krishna cannot be conquered by any means, He can be conquered by pure devotees who follow this process. That is the conclusion. In other words, they will come to the stage of prema-bhakti, because Krishna is conquered only by prema, the pure love of His devotees.

Srila Sanatana Gosvami explains tanu-van-manobhih (“by body, words, and mind”) in relation to conquering Krishna, who is unconquerable, in three ways. He says that nondevotees can never conquer Krishna. They cannot conquer Him by their physical strength (like Hiranyakasipu), by their verbal expertise, or by their mental power. Despite all their endeavors, the Absolute Truth remains beyond their grasp. But devotees, by engaging fully in devotional service, become perfect in Krishna consciousness, and thus they can conquer Him. Then they can touch His lotus feet with their hands, they can call Him to come with their words, and simply by thinking of Him they can gain His direct audience within their minds.

His Holiness Rtadhvaja Swami told me about a dream he had last night. We have been participating in a japa workshop, and tomorrow will be the last day. In his dream he was chanting Hare Krishna, and Krishna appeared. This is what we say, what our philosophy tells us: nama cintamanih krsnas caitanya-rasa-vigrahah

purnah suddho nitya-mukto ’bhinnatvan nama-naminoh—the name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are the same. So, in his dream he was chanting Hare Krishna and Krishna appeared. And in his dream he thought, “Oh, it’s true!” This is an example of how Krishna can be conquered by one’s words. If we chant Hare Krishna purely, Krishna becomes manifest. He appears. And the pure devotee, the self-realized soul, if he just thinks of Krishna, Krishna appears in his mind—or in person. He remains by the side of His devotee.

Sanatana Gosvami further explains these words in relation to Krishna, that Krishna’s body is conquered because He always remains by the side of His pure devotee, His words are conquered because He always sings the praises of His devotees, and His mind is conquered because He always thinks of His pure devotees. One can completely conquer Krishna by pure devotional service.

In the discussion between Lord Chaitanya and Ramananda Raya, this verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam marks the beginning of pure devotional service. But the discussion goes further. Lord Chaitanya keeps saying, age kaha ara: “Speak more; go further.” Then we come to vaidhi-bhakti and raganuga-bhakti, and then to santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa, and madhurya-rasa. In madhurya-rasa there are many gopis, of whom Srimati Radharani is the foremost. And Srimati Radharani Herself has various developments of ecstatic feelings, culminating in prema-vilasa-vivarta, the height of ecstatic love in separation. When Ramananda Raya came to that point, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu covered his mouth with His hand. He said, “This is the limit of the goal of life. Only by your mercy have I come to understand it.”

At the end of their discussions, Ramananda Raya said to Lord Chaitanya, “At first I saw You as a sannyasi, but now I see You as Syamasundara, the cowherd boy, and now I see You with a golden luster. Please explain the reason.” Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was playing the part of a devotee, and for a devotee to be addressed as Krishna or even considered on the same level as Krishna is anathema. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “You are an advanced devotee, and an advanced devotee—a maha-bhagavata—sees Krishna everywhere.”

sthavara-jangama dekhe, na dekhe tara murti
sarvatra haya nija ista-deva-sphurti

“The maha-bhagavata, the advanced devotee, certainly sees everything mobile and immobile, but he does not exactly see their forms. Rather, everywhere he immediately sees manifest the form of the Supreme Lord.” (Cc Madhya 8.274)

Then Mahaprabhu quoted a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam that describes the maha-bhagavata, that he doesn’t exactly see the forms of the material world but sees Krishna manifest everywhere.

sarva-bhutesu yah pasyed
  bhagavad-bhavam atmanah
bhutani bhagavaty atmany
  esa bhagavatottamah

“A person advanced in devotional service sees within everything the soul of souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Consequently he always sees the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the cause of all causes and understands that all things are situated in Him.” (SB 11.2.45, quoted as Cc Madhya 8.275)

Ramananda Raya replied, “Please give up these serious talks. Do not try to conceal Your real form. I know who You are.” Then Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, out of His causeless mercy, revealed His combined form of Radha and Krishna (rasaraja and mahabhava). We have a relief on the wall of the temple here that shows Ramananda Raya witnessing Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu manifesting His form as Radha and Krishna. And Ramananda Raya became overwhelmed with transcendental bliss. There are some esoteric explanations of this pastime, in which Chaitanya Mahaprabhu revealed the confidential truth of His identity—sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahe anya. On occasion He would manifest Himself, but He would always say, “Do not disclose this fact to anyone,” because He was playing the part of a devotee and wanted to maintain His role as a devotee, to fulfill His purpose to show by example how to be a devotee and practice pure devotional service.

Especially in Kali-yuga, people are so fallen and prone to becoming imitation gods or accepting imitation gods that the Lord as Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu hid His identity. As mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam, He was a channa-avatara, a “concealed incarnation.”

Srila Prabhupada told the story of a man in Calcutta who could imitate the barking of different types of dogs. He would hold programs in halls and sell tickets, and people would come to hear his demonstrations. Prabhupada remarked that people would pay money to hear the imitation dog but that real dogs were barking in the street yet no one paid them heed. Similarly, the real God—Krishna—is there, but nobody cares. Yet if some imitation God comes, they flock. Get on a plane and go. Jump in a car and go. That is Kali-yuga.

That is why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s identity as Radha and Krishna was revealed only to certain select devotees such as Ramananda Raya, and it is by their mercy and by the mercy of Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, who wrote Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, and by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, who translated and presented it to us in a most appropriate way, through parampara, that we are able to enter into these transcendental mysteries and have the opportunity to realize the most confidential service of Radha and Krishna—by their mercy, following in their footsteps.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Sri Ramananda Raya’s disappearance day, May 25, 2008, in Houston]

[God-family meeting at Toronto, Canada]

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Five hundred years ago in the district of Puri, in the village of Bentapur, there lived a great devotee named Bhavananda Raya. Bhavananda had five sons, the eldest of which was Ramananda.

It is said that Lord Caitanya visited the birth-place of Ramananda in Alalanath every year.

Ramananda became the Governor of East and West Godavari and a minister of King Prataparudra. A great statesman of that period, Ramananda was also a poet and a scholar.

When Bhavananda met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord embraced him and said, “Formerly you appeared as Pandu, and your five sons appeared as the five Pandavas.”

The five sons of Bhavananda Raya were Ramananda Raya, Pattanayaka Gopinatha, Kalanidhi, Sudhanidhi and Nayaka Vaninatha.

The Gauraganoddesa-dipika (120-124) states that Ramananda Raya was Arjuna in his past incarnation. He is also considered to have been an incarnation of the gopi Lalita, although in the opinion of others he was an incarnation of Visakha devi.

He was a most confidential devotee of Lord Caitanya.

Sri Ramananda Raya left this world after the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Jagannatha Puri.

SB 01.05.32 Only The Ocean Of Bliss Can Save Us 013-05-05

Lecture – Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.32 Only The Ocean Of Bliss Can Save Us 2013-05-05 Krakow

Minister of Science & Earth Technology of India launches a Krishna conscious book.
Vrajendranandan Das: Today morning, May 4th, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science and Technology, Government of India, launched the book, “Values of life” (volume 4) at his residence. This children book is written and compiled by Ajita Govinda Das from ISKCON Delhi. This series of books (Values of life) is already introduced as a Moral science subject in some of the public schools across India. These books wonderfully explain the teachings of Srila Prabhupada in a secular way with the help of beautiful illustrations.

Memories of Srila Prabhupada (13 min video)
Kishor das, Jayasri devi dasi, Brajendranandana das, Sri Kama devi dasi and Mahady...

New Govardhana Goshala under construction (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The example is set by the Supreme Personality of Godhead that human civilization will advance only on the basis of brahminical culture and cow protection. As soon as there is fall down from brahminical culture, and as soon as there is discrepancy in the protection of cows, there will be no more peace in the world. Therefore He specifically said, go-brahmana-hitaya ca. This Krsna consciousness movement is for the protection of brahminical culture and cows. Then automatically the peace of the world will come, if two things are done.Srila Prabhupada, lecture – December 4, 1968, Los Angeles
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In my previous post I spoke about the broad principal of preaching that somehow or other one should try to connect a soul to Krishna, all other considerations or rules are secondary. Sometimes, we may speak bluntly or sometimes we flatter.  Taken from an excerpt from HH Satsvarupa Goswami's book 'With Srila Prabhupada 1966-69; Srila Prabhupada writes that We can induce someone to take to Krsna consciousness, and that may sometimes include flattering that person's false ego.

Once OBL Kapoor (godbrother of Prabhupada) was interviewed and he recalled his memory of Prabhupada when Prabhupada was still a householder. Prabhupada said 'I know the method to spread the movement in English speaking countries' and he continued by reciting - trnad api sunicena taror iva sahisnuna, amanina manadena kirtaniya sada hari.

So while Rupa Goswami's instruction of somehow or other one must induce one to Krishna, the method according to Prabhupada is to take a humble position just as Lord Nityananda did in His earthly lila. Below is an excerpt from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Takur that capture this idea;

A chanter of Hari-kirtana is necessarily the uncompromising enemy of worldliness and hypocrisy. It is his constant function to dispel all misconceptions by preaching the truth in its most unambiguous form, without any consideration of person, place, or time. The form to be adopted is that which is least likely to be misunderstood. It is his bounden duty to clearly and frankly oppose any person who tries to deceive and harm himself and others by misrepresenting the truth, whether due to malice or genuine misunderstanding. 

This will be possible if the chanter of kirtana is always prepared to submit to being trodden upon by thoughtless people, if such discomfort will enable him to benefit his persecutors by chanting of the truth in the most unambiguous manner. 

If he is unwilling or afraid of considerations of self-respect or personal discomfort to chant kirtana under all circumstances, he is unfit to be a preacher of the absolute truth. 

Humility implies perfect submission to the truth and no sympathy for untruth. Those who entertain any partiality for untruth are unfit to chant Hari-kirtana. Any clinging to untruth is opposed to the principle of humility born of absolute submission to the truth.

-Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur “Harmonist 26.249-50 (Apr 1929)”

Hare Krishna

Sucitra & Rasaraja’s Vedic Wedding (Album of photos)
On the beautiful afternoon of April 14th, two very sweet devotees gathered together with friends and family to observe a very auspicious Vedic Wedding together. All blessings upon this couple in their life of service together.
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ISKCON devotee Yashodamayi d.d. (Ieva Zasimauskaitė) will be representing Lithuania in a popular international song competition Eurovision. She is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada’s disciple and initiating spiritual master HG Sankarshan das Adhikari. We encourage everyone to vote for her on the 8th of May (information on how to vote is given below).

A visit to Iskcon Sochi, Russia (9 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: The city of Sochi in southern Russia was a milestone in our t...



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By Prahladananda Swami

This is Issue Number Eight of the Sannyasa Newsletter. Revealing one’s mind in confidence is one of the six loving exchanges between devotees that nurture the creeper of bhakti. I hope that this sannyasa katha inspires in you a deeper sense of commitment to the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu under the guidance and example of Srila Prabhupada and his sincere followers. Continue reading "Newsletter from Iskcon’s Sannyasa Ministry
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By Mauricio Garrido, Ph.D.

One of the strongest points of tension that often comes up in cosmology between science and religion is the age of the universe. Some interpretations of the Bible calculate it to be about 6,000 years old, while the most recent calculation according to the Lambda-CDM concordance model is 13.8 billion years. The Vedic literatures see the manifestation and eventual destruction of the universe, like most events in nature, as a periodic occurrence and give it in trillions of years. In fact, they talk about an expansion of the universe after its inception and an eventual contraction at the end of its lifespan, in line with modern cosmology’s concepts of inflation and/or dark energy. Ideas regarding a cyclic behavior of the universe have also been proposed by prominent physicists like Sir Roger Penrose and Paul Steinhardt. Vedic cosmology also states that within the lifespan of the universe, there are periodic partial devastations of the universe. The time elapsed since the last one is on the order of billions of years, which roughly corresponds to the age of the universe calculated by cosmologists. In between the partial devastations, there are time periods called ages. The current age we live in, the Age of Kali, began about 5,000 years ago, which is roughly in line with (or equivalent to) the Bible’s estimates of the age of the universe. We can thus begin to see the potentiality of Vedic cosmology in creating a bridge between science and religion: The apparent contradiction regarding the age of the universe can be regarded as simply calculations of different important periods in the history of the universe. Continue reading "Vedic Cosmology: Integrating God and Physics
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By Drutakarma Dasa

Cosmology is defined as the study of the origin, purpose, structure and functioning of the universe. Vedic cosmology gives a vast amount of information about not only the structure of the phenomenal universe as we see it, but also a clear idea of the source of the manifested universe, its purpose, and the subtle laws that govern its operation. Continue reading "Vedic cosmology
→ Dandavats"

Room Conversation with Lord Brockway – July 23, 1973, London:
Lord Brockway: And my childhood was spent at Berhampur (Brahmapur).
Prabhupāda: Berhampur?
Lord Brockway: Yes.
Prabhupāda: I see.
Lord Brockway: My parents were missionaries there.
Prabhupāda: Hm. I was also a student of missionary college, Scottish Churches’ College.
Lord Brockway: Oh yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We had very good professors. W. S. Urquhart, Dr. W.S. Urquhart, he was a Scotsman.
Lord Brockway: Yes, yes. Was that in Calcutta?
Prabhupāda: Yes, in Calcutta. And Lord Rolandson, Zetland, Marquis of Zetland. He was governor of Bengal. So he’s also a Scotsman.
Lord Brockway: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So he came to our college in our, when we were young men, second-year student. All our professors, mostly they were Scotsmen, and there was one English professor, Mister Warren. All other professors, they were Scotsmen, Mr. Keye, Mr. Cameron, Mr. Scrimgeour in this way.
Lord Brockway: Those are Scottish names.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Scottish names. So you remained only four years after your birth.
Lord Brockway: That is true. But I have quite clear memories, especially of Berhampur, of our house, of playing with Indian children under a tree…
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Interviews with Macmillan and various English Reporters – September 12, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: Sanskrit compulsory and additional there was Sanskrit. So I took both, compulsory and additional.
Prof. Gombrich: I see.
Prabhupāda: Up to my I.A., I regularly studied Sanskrit, and in my B. A., I gave up Sanskrit. I read history. (laughs) No. Not in B.A. B.A., my combination was economics and philosophy. In I.A. I was intermediate, I.A. I had history and Sanskrit.
Prof. Gombrich: That was at Calcutta University?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Calcutta University, Scottish Churches’ College.

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SB 07.09.50 The Right Thing, Done the Right Way 2013-05-17

Lecture – Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.50 The Right Thing, Done the Right Way 2013-05-17 Los Angeles #bookdistribution

Sunday 4/29/2018 Lecture by Devamrita Swami (video)
Srila Prabhupada: …here we are having Bhagavata class. This is not ordinary Bhagavata class, not jumping over Krsna’s rasa-lila. It is not like that. It is step by step studying what is Krsna, what is this material world, what is the sambandha, or relationship with Krsna – so many things – how this body has developed, how we have forgotten Krsna, how to revive our Krsna consciousness. These things must be studied first of all. Then we can understand what is Krsna’s pastimes with the gopis. But these professional Bhagavata preachers, they go, jump over at once. Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.31 – January 8, 1975, Bombay

I am not very advanced in terms of preaching but I have seen many others preach successfully. Of course, my main inspiration as always is His Divine Grace. If I have to take one fundamental value of preaching from Srila Prabhupada, it is this;

yena tena prakarena manah krsna nivesayet
sarve vidhi-nisedha syur etayor eva kinkarah

An acarya should devise a means by which people may somehow or other come to Krsna consciousness. All rules and regulations are subordinate to this principle.- BRS.1.2.4

To me, this is the founding principal upon which Prabhupada built his preaching ideas. To me this is the broadest definition (somehow or other inspire others to Krishna). Because it is so broad, no one idea or method can be delineated as gold standard. According to time and circumstances, this principal can be applied differently (albeit within the legal laws of the land).

I recall one conversation Srila Prabhupada had with his disciples in a car on his way to New Vrindavan farm where he said that he did not impose any rules in the beginning when people used to visit his storefront temple. Prabhupada then quoted the verse above and said that somehow or other he wanted the people who visited to take to Krishna. He said rules he introduced later once they had some attachment to him. I cannot recall the source but I think this is in one of Hari Sauri prabhu’s dairies.

In fact, in a lecture in December 1966 in New York (pretty much the beginning of ISKCON), Srila Prabhupada himself confirms the statement above. You can read the lecture transcript here.

This is my 2 cents on the technique to preach and I try this whenever I get chance!

Hare Krishna.

This talk was given by His Grace Chaitanya Charan Das at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

Chaitanya Charan Das – From spirituality to Yoga, from culture to technology, from number system to the World’s first University, India has already offered many valuable things to the world. Watch what now India can offer to the world. Chaitanya Charan is a monk, mentor and spiritual author. He has done his Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering from the Government College of Engineering, Pune. Seeing the prevalent problems of stress, depression, addiction and overall misdirection – all caused by a lack of spirituality – he felt inspired to dedicate his life to the cause of sharing the spiritual wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita under the aegis of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness). He is the author of the world’s only Gita-daily feature, wherein he writes daily a 300-word inspirational reflection on a verse from the Bhagavad- Gita. Till now he has written over seventeen hundred Gita meditations that are posted on www.gitadaily.com and are read through daily feeds by thousands from all over the world. He also answers questions by seekers on his site www.thespiritualscientist.com , where his over three thousand five hundred audio answers and several hundred articles are available.

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Nrsimha Caturdasi Harinama in Radhadesh and King’s birthday in Amsterdam (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Preya means immediately palatable, and sreya means ultimately beneficial. That is called sreya. Just like for a child, playing is priya, preya. He likes to play. But he is by force, by the parents, he is studied books. That is called preya. But because without education his future life will be dark, so parents know it. Therefore, although the child likes to play – that is preya – the parents engages them into sreya, into education. So that is the Vaisnava’s duty. These rascals and fools, they are busy in material sense gratification, and it has become the duty of the devotee. Because the devotees mean the servant of the supreme father, Krsna. So they have been engaged. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. So devotees are so confidential servant of the Supreme Lord; therefore they are engaged in preaching Krsna consciousness. They have no business for themself – they are completely perfect as soon as they have accepted Krsna – but they are working on behalf of Krsna to turn these two-legged animals to become Krsna conscious. This is the meaning of Krsna consciousness movement. Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.29 – January 6, 1975, Bombay
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New Mayapur, Iskcon France: The reconstruction of the small tower at the castle is finished! Hariiiboool!

ISKCON of Las Vegas - Temple Opening (Album of photos)
This past weekend, one of the most glorious ISKCON temples in our move...

A Day Of Celebration! (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: On May 1st, when the people of Krasnodar, Russia, came out in mass to celebrate Worker’s Day, we stayed home and celebrated the Lord in our local temple with kirtan, classes and Sri Krsna prasadam. The city was bursting with celebrations!
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Arjuna said: My dear Krishna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.

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Narasimha Jayanthi at Durga temple, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (Album with photos)
1st May 18 Hare Krishna! Many people know Lord Narasimha because of the movies, but if you want to actually know why the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in such form, of half man and half lion and killed the demon Hiranyakashipu, then you would surely need to attend ISKCON festivals. We tell you the truth nothing but the truth! Yesterday at Dewi Sri Thurkai Amman temple, Taman Medan, about 75 people attended the Narasimha Caturdasi festival, we had the most attractive Lord Narasimha drama in Tamil which really really attracted the crowd, narration and pastimes of Lord Narasimhadeva spoken by HG Muralidharasyam prabhu, they offered ghee lamps to the Lordships and relished the sumptuous prasadam meals which was prepared by Taman Medan Namahatta. We would want to express our deepest appreciation to HG Sukamurti prabhu, who tirelessly organizes this festival for Lord Narasimha every year at different temples and different locations. He is very determined to organize this program despite any obstacles as how it is described in Part 1, Text 3 of the Nectar of Instruction, there is six qualities which favorable to pure devotional service, and two of the qualities is on utsāhāt — by enthusiasm; niścayāt — by confidence. So to progress in spiritual life, we should always have lots of confidence, enthusiasm to attain love of God, Krishna. By the mercy of Sri Guru and Gauranga, this Narasimha Caturdasi program was very successful because it had attracted the general public and it certainly created awareness on what Krishna conscious is all about! Jai Srila Prabhupada, we are indebted to him life and soul!
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