Planet ISKCON

Inquiring from the Learned Spiritual Master

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 October 2011, Melbourne, Australia, Home Program)

During this month of Damodar, there is the chance of making special advancement. Those who go to Vrindavan during the month of Kartik are very fortunate. It is said that in Vrindavan during Kartik, one can make many times more advancement than under normal conditions – a thousand times more. Therefore, being in Vrindavan for Kartik is very, very special. But not all of us have the opportunity and the time to leave everything and just go to Vrindavan but at least one can go there in consciousness!

Sometimes the acaryas, like Jiva Gosvami in the Sandarbhas, are pointing out that Vrindavan, or rather Mathura, is not a place; it is a state of consciousness. So, the consciousness of Mathura or Vrindavan is what really transports us there. Therefore, we can also invoke that atmosphere wherever we are and in that way one can reside in Vrindavan, by remembering Vrindavan. Because remembrance on the spiritual platform is as good as being there – we simply remember the spiritual world. So, it is a month to meditate on Krsna.

By Sanatana Gosvami

Karttika is the best and most glorious month, purest of pure. It is particularly dear to Lord Krishna, because it is the month of Srimati Radharani. This month is full of love of the Lord towards His devotees. Any vow followed in this month, even a small one, brings tremendous results. The essence of Karttika-vrata is to satisfy Sri Sri Radha-Damodara with our more and better devotional service to Them. Kirttika is the name of the third daughter of Prajapati Daksa. It was a custom in Vraja to name girls after Daksa’s daughters. So the name of Radharani’s mother was Kirttika (or Kirtida) and Radharani became known as Karttiki, which means “born of Kirttika”. Sri Sanatana Goswami gave us the key to understanding the significance of the Holy month of Karttika. Krishna says: masanam marga-sirso ‘ham – “Of months I am Margasirsa (November-December)”. Karttika precedes Margasirsa. Therefore, Karttika represents Srimati Radharani. Continue reading "Best activity and best vrata for Kartik
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The well known Shetty family gets blessings (Album with photos)
On the evening of Saturday, October 15th, HH Jayapataka Swami w...

Performing vrata in the month of Kartika (Damodara) is glorified profusely in the Puranas. Since this month is very dear to Lord Krishna, by performing austerities or restraining one’s sense gratification and performing activities to please the senses of the Lord, one becomes very dear to the Lord. As Satya yuga is the best of yugas, as the Vedas are the best of scriptures, as Ganga is the best of rivers, so Kartika is the best of months, the most dear to Lord Krishna. The vrata may begin on the ekadasi of the waxing moon of Asvina, on the Purnima, or (samkranti) when the sun enters the house of Libra.

Five activities are glorified: staying awake, early morning bath, worship of Tulasi, offering lamps and performing austerities. One should practice brahmacarya, give charity, and perform homa and japa.

One should increase one’s devotional service by performing more deity worship, hearing and speaking about the Lord, by extra japa of the Lord’s name, worshiping Tulasi, staying awake at night chanting, visiting holy tirthas and offering lamps to the Lord.

One should worship Radha Damodara and recite the Damodarastaka daily.

Above are some of the recommended activities to enhance one’s devotional service during the auspicious month of Kartika. Most ISKCON devotees are familiar with these activities and are already serving in these ways. However, it is an opportunity to increase these services and the spiritual benefits are multiplied a thousand-fold (read the section below from Sanatana Goswami’s Hari Bhakti Vilas). We at the TOVP wish you all a very inspiring and spiritually enhancing month ahead.

As you may know, the construction progress at the TOVP is moving forward steadily and rapidly. Our goal of completing and capping the domes by the end of the year is well within reach and the kalashes are in production at our contractor in Russia. The interior finishing work is scheduled to start in 2017. We could not have reached this stage without the financial help of thousands of devotees and well-wishers throughout the world, and for that we are forever grateful.

However, we would like to make a special Kartika appeal to everyone whether you have already donated, are in the process of making payments towards a pledge, or have not given yet. We ask that during this most auspicious month you kindly give again, or make a larger payment towards your pledged amount, or make a donation/pledge for the first time.

The monthly construction budget is quite substantial, and in order to maintain our current pace we need a steady flow of income at all times. Please consider making an offering during this auspicious Kartika time. We have no doubt the Lord will bless you immensely for the seva.

To make a donation or pledge go to: https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/

Please watch this very inspiring Youtube video of Agnideva chanting the Damodarastakam to a fabulous slide show.

The TOVP Team

The Glories of Kartika Vrata from Hari Bhakti Vilasa

The following are selected scriptural quotes from the Kartika Mahatmya by Srila Sanatana Goswami

“Especially in the month of Kartika a Vaisnava should regularly bathe in the morning, worship Lord Damodara, give charity, follow vows, and perform other spiritual activities.”

“The pious result obtained by bathing in all holy places and giving all charities is not equal to one ten-millionth part of the result obtained by following the vow of Kartika.”

“Other vows bring the results of a lifetime of pious deeds. The vow of Kartika brings the result of a hundred lifetimes of pious deeds.”

“A person who never performs yajnas or offers sraddha to the ancestors, but who does follow the vow of Kartika, will go to the abode of Lord Visnu.”

“He attains a great result who even very slightly follows the very sacred Kartika vow, which is served by the demigods, sages, and pitas.”

“Charity, yajna, japa, and austerity performed in the month of Kartika bring a result, O best of brahmanas, that will never be destroyed.”

“O tiger of sages, a person who during the month of Kartika eagerly hears the topics of Lord Krsna delivers a hundred generations of his family.”

“Please hear the glories of offering a lamp during the month of Kartika, an offering that is very pleasing to Lord Kesava. O king of brahmanas, a person who offers a lamp in this way will not take birth again in this world.”

“By offering a lamp during the month of Kartika one attains a pious result ten million times greater than the result obtained by bathing at Kuruksetra during a solar eclipse or by bathing in the river Narmada during a lunar eclipse.”

“Even if there are no mantras, no pious deeds, and no purity, everything becomes perfect when a person offers a lamp during the month of Kartika.”

“By offering a lamp during the month of Kartika one burns away a collection of sins as big as Mount Meru or Mount Mandara. Of this there is no doubt.”

“O Narada, no sin exists anywhere in the three worlds that will not be purified by offering a lamp to Lord Kesava during Kartika.”

“A person who offers a lamp to Lord Krsna during Kartika attains the eternal spiritual world where there is no suffering.”

“All holy places, yajnas, daksinas, residence in Puskar, Kuruksetra, and the Himalayas, and all giving in charity a pile of gold like Mount Meru, reside in Kartika, Lord Krsna’s favorite month.”

“The service one does to Lord Visnu in the month of Kartika is all eternal. O Narada, I tell you the truth.”

“Kartika is the best of months, the most pious of pious deeds, the most purifying of all that purify.”

“No month is like Kartika. No yuga is like Satya-yuga. No scripture is like the Vedas. No holy river is like the Ganga.”

“Kartika is the best of months. Kartika is always dear to the Vaisnavas. O great sage, a Vaisnava who with devotion serves Kartika delivers his ancestors from hell.”

“Of the twelve months, Kartika is the most dear to Lord Krsna. To anyone who even slightly worships Lord Visnu during this time, the month of Kartika gives residence in Lord Visnu’s transcendental abode.”

“Even though it lasts for only a brief moment, the human form of life is very rare and valuable. In the same way the brief month of Kartika is also very rare and valuable.”

“Lord Krsna is pleased by the offering of a single lamp during the month of Kartika. Lord Krsna glorifies anyone who lights a lamp for someone else to offer.”

The post TOVP Kartika Announcement and Appeal appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The Midterm Meetings of the ISKCON GBC Society are taking place at ISKCON Juhu, Mumbai, India.
They will last from October 15-...

The post Daily Darshan: October 15,2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

By Tulasi-Priya dasi

At the risk of losing more Kartik Kredits, I’ll tell you that my main vrata this year is to keep my hand in the beadbag whenever it’s not required elsewhere. In spite of having a lot to do, I managed to fulfill my quota today. But if I happen to remember at 11pm that there’s a load in the washer that is on the verge of mildewing (not that that happened tonight, for example), I’m not going to resent the boring necessity of hanging them up for taking me away from my chanting. It’s Kartika, damn it! This is my opportunity to surrender to what ever life-fate-Krishna dishes out, and get the big bhakti bucks back for doing so. Continue reading "It’s Kartika, Damn It!
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By Mahadevi dasi

It was formerly a custom that if one wanted to remember something constantly, he would transform it into poetry or have this done by a professional poet. It appears that Mother Yasoda did not want to forget Krsna's activities at any time. Therefore, she poeticized all of Krsna's childhood activities, such as the killing of Putana, Aghasura, Sakatasura and Trnavarta. While churning the butter, she sang about these activities in poetical form. This should be the practice of persons eager to remain Krsna conscious twenty-four hours a day. This incident shows how Krsna conscious Mother Yasoda was. To stay in Krsna consciousness, we should follow such persons. Continue reading "1st day of Kartik in Vrndavana, May I be of any service?
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Rupeshgauranga Dasa: Just like computer gets attacked with viruses, our human mind also get succumbed to the viruses in the form of depression, stress, anxiety, anger, frustration, lust, greed, lethargy etc.

The post Prana-vallabha asks about asking questions appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj left from Ujjain on 14th October for attending the mid-term GBC meetings to be held at ISKCON Juhu, Mumbai. Maharaj will stay in Mumbai till 24th October 2016 for the meetings. Then after he will go to United Kingdom for his further preaching programs.

The post Bhakti Charu Swami In GBC Mid-Term Meetings At ISKCON Juhu appeared first on Bhakti Charu Swami.

Today’s initiations ceremony in Villa Vrindavana, Italy (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: By following the principles of devotional service strictly, chanting twenty-four hours a day the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one makes positive progress in spiritual life and ultimately becomes completely fit to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.21.42 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/WCAIWE

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Kartika time! (Album with photos)
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D.C.’s Historic Chant 4 Change!
Political pundits last weekend were calling the second presidential debate “the darkest and nastiest in modern history,” full of scandals, personal attacks and insults. And the ongoing drama may be what’s taking over the news lately.
But not everyone, even in Washington, is being dragged down by it. On Saturday October 8th, thousands of people from different faiths and backgrounds gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a “Chant 4 Change,” trying to bring some light into the darkness.
Throughout the ten-and-a-half-hour event, they chanted God’s names together in each other’s traditions. They sang songs of peace, unity and love. They sang to change the consciousness that has caused so much violence, racism, corrupt leadership, environmental destruction and economic collapse recently.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/ZzZruL

Kartika month is observed this year from 16 Oct – 14 Nov , the most important month in our calendar, as it is very dear to Sri Sri Radha-Madhava. Just as there is no yuga equal to Satya-yuga, no scripture equal to the Vedas, and no place of pilgrimage equal to the Ganges, so there […]

The post Glories of Kartika Month! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

You Know What I Was

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 October 2009, Durban, South Africa, Lecture)

So, Kartik is the time to tighten up the loose screws, of all the loose ends, and to bring it back to the real standard. Kartik, is our chance! It is only one month but of course, after that month, it becomes a habit! Habits are like that. If you do something for one month then it is easy to keep on doing it. So in this way, we can take so much advantage.

I thought my main objective in this month would be meditation, to increase my remembrance of Krsna and to increase my service, both in quantity and quality. I thought I will focus on quality especially because quantity is not so easy. Already there is so much to do in a day, already such a hectic life, how much more can I physically manage? And I do not want Kartik to become a total stress situation where I am just doing these very intense vows, the kind of vows that drive me to the edge and that at the end of the month, if I make it till the end, I just hate Kartik and may be even Krsna!

Not like that! No, I will not make it a month full of stress. Therefore, I thought, this year I will not do something huge, I will not take one really big vow. I have a different strategy; I will take many little vows! Also, Krsna gave me some ideas about chanting. I thought, I am going to chant extra rounds but I am not going to fix it that every day I must chant so many extra rounds but I will just fix a number for the whole month and then I can adjust it. I will have my busy days when I may chant less and on days that I have the opportunity, I will chant more; and in this way, it averages out. In this way, I will survive and I will still be chanting extra rounds. I thought it was a good idea, really!

Then I thought…Yes, I’ll read something! I thought, every night I will read for five minutes something about Krsna. I will read Krsna Book for five minutes a night. That is nice. It is not a big Kartik vow but it is something that you know is nice but that you just get slack in! It is one thing that you do not always do! But I said, in this month of Kartik, I will do it.

So, many such things… I will not tell you everything that I am going to do but I told you this much just to kind of inspire everyone of how we can do something. It is still early enough! After this lecture, you can quickly jot down a few things that you are going to do this month. Just a few things. And if we do that, if we really do it… then you will be surprised! You will surprise yourself! Really! You will find that your Krsna consciousness would have so much increased just from one month of practising, in the month of Kartik. 

Back with new album K 2.0 and touring the U.S. for the first time in seventeen years, British rock band Kula Shaker are concluding a euphoric set of hits at New York City’s Rough Trade venue the same way they always do: with “Govinda.”  “Govinda Jaya Jaya, Gopala Jaya Jaya, Radharamana Hari…” The crowd roars along as lead singer Crispian Mills beckons them to chant with esoteric hand guestures, then punches the air as his electric guitar surges back into the mix. 

Syria's civil war is the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. Half the country's pre-war population — more than 11 million people — have been killed or forced to flee their homes. Families are struggling to survive inside Syria, or make a new home in neighboring countries. We need more of music and prayers and less of war and violence. Dr. Sahadeva dasa is singing and playing a concert Ukulele and Govinda is on the flute. 

Political pundits last weekend were calling the second presidential debate “the darkest and nastiest in modern history,” full of scandals, personal attacks and insults. And the ongoing drama may be what’s taking over the news lately. But not everyone, even in Washington, is being dragged down by it. On Saturday October 8th, thousands of people from different faiths and backgrounds gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a “Chant 4 Change,” trying to bring some light into the darkness.

Megacities are, by definition, urban areas with a population of 10 million or more. The video is used as part of an “Advanced Special Operations Combating Terrorism” course offered at Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) for a lesson on “The Emerging Terrorism Threat.”

The video is nothing if not an instant dystopian classic: melancholy music, an ominous voiceover, and cascading images of sprawling slums and urban conflict. “Megacities are complex systems where people and structures are compressed together in ways that defy both our understanding of city planning and military doctrine,” says a disembodied voice. “These are the future breeding grounds, incubators, and launching pads for adversaries and hybrid threats.”It is a collage of pictures of current events predicting a foreseeable dystopian future.

The video eerily shows whats in store for the future of Kali yuga. As dark as the video may sound, it misses one thing - God or Krishna. As long as Krishna is still on this planet, there is some hope. More than anytime in the past, it is important we connect with Krishna and stay connected. Deeper understanding of "consciousness" living is the solution to the ever growing complicated urban lifestyle.

But lets make one thing clear -the problem is real and we have to be ready to face it.


 
“Megacities: Urban Future, the Emerging Complexity,” a video created by the Army and used at the Pentagon’s Joint Special Operations University. A Pentagon Video.

Hare Krishna

https://flic.kr/s/aHskLtYpWS

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There’s still hope in society!
Vijaya das: While distributing books at Cal State Northridge University, I met a couple of students at my table who were asking about the books on display. They were both enthusiastic to take a Gita. After explaining the tenets of the Gita, I asked for a donation.
One of them enthusiastically gave a donation, but the other said, “I don’t have anything to give.”
The person who did give a donation said, “No problem. I’ll get it for you.”
He then gave another donation. I asked the one that had no donation whether she knew this person.
She said, “No, I’ve never seen him before.”
I said, “Well, that goes to show you that there’s still hope in society. Here’s a person you don’t know, and he’s going out of his way to help you.”
She was as surprised as I was and profusely thanked the young man.
The very next day at UCLA the same thing happened. I was talking to a young man about the Gita and showing him the pictures when another young man showed up and listened in. When I asked for a donation, the one that came while I was talking to the first person enthusiastically gave a donation, and the first person said he had nothing to give.
The second person, who turned out to be named Ryan, said, “It’s OK. I’ll get it for you. I like to do spontaneous acts of kindness.”
The young man receiving the kindness couldn’t believe it and thanked Ryan for his kindness.
What I find with these two incidents is that book distribution brings out good qualities in the book distributors and in the people we distribute books to. One thing I suggest that devotees do: When someone doesn’t have money for a book, give them a piece of paper with vedabase.com on it. All of Srila Prabhupada’s books are on this website. Had these two persons not received a book I would have given them this paper so that they could still read the books. Most students don’t have money, but they always get this paper from me and many of them go to the site and later thank me for directing them to it.
Your servant,
Vijaya Dasa

Three Life Lessons from Our Founder.
50 years ago, at this time of the year, a 69 year old sadhu (saintly person) was on a cargo ship traveling from Kolkata to New York. He was alone on this journey and his journals at that time are a moving read. Within a year he would officially establish the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in a store front in the Lower East side of New York. Today ISKCON is flourishing throughout the world all because of the journey of this one man – our Founder-Acharya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

We can list hundreds of things that we have learned from Srila Prabhupada but here I will share just three:

1. It’s Never too Late to Start

At 69, Prabhupada set out on this long and arduous journey. It was the request of his spiritual teacher to bring the teachings of Krishna to the West. This request had been given when he was a much younger man; the time wasn’t ripe then.

Sometimes we may feel we have missed our chance, or it’s too late to begin, or we are afraid to fail. Prabhupada didn’t let his age, or similar misgivings or circumstances stop him. Neither should we – especially when it comes to important and meaningful spiritual actions and activities.

2. Early Morning Treasure

Every day, no matter where he was in the world, Prabhupada would rise very early in the morning (from 1.30am onwards) to write his translations and commentaries of sacred Sanskrit literature belonging to the Bhakti tradition. He planned his day so those hours were protected and available for him. It was there he produced his masterpieces – his books that can bring the greatest spiritual insights to anyone who reads them. The early morning hours are available to all of us. It’s the open secret of spiritual advancement.

3. Individuality

The essence of the Bhakti practice is developing our personal relationship with Krishna. Prabhupada again and again stressed the individual and personal nature of God and our unique and personal relationship with Him. This is perhaps his greatest gift to us and our greatest lesson – we belong to Krishna, are eternally related with Him, and thus we are never alone. Despite whatever desperate circumstances we may find ourselves in, we are never, ever, alone.

Ananda Vrindavanesvari Devi Dasi

0 km (en route to India)

The Kartik Project.
Sacinandana Swami: Throughout the year Krishna’s devotees pursue various projects: their devotional practices (sadhana), their various services (seva), work projects, various family projects, building projects, private projects, etc. Once a year comes a time when another project arises: the Karttik project, which offers a rare chance to come close to the Lord. Srila Prabhupada told his disciples that even ‘unserious persons’ who execute devotional service during this month of Karttik are easily awarded the Lord’s personal service (1)
What is the Karttik project?
It is a 30-day vow taken during the month of Karttik. (This year according to our sun calendar Karttik begins on 16 October and ends on 14 November.) During this time the Lord’s internal potency, who is the presiding deity of this month and who is therefore known as Karttika Devi, is pleased by serving the Lord of Her heart – Damodara Krishna. It is stated in the scriptures that during Karttik all the holy places of pilgrimage with their rivers and lakes also come to Vraja. It is certainly a very special time of the year…
In this world we know of special times of the year that bring certain gifts: the summer gives us warmth, the beginning of autumn many fruits, late winter gives us snow and early spring brings flowers, etc. According to the 16th chapter of Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Karttik gives us inexhaustible benefits. There are many descriptions how even little amounts of devotional service are regarded by the Lord as very special – because they are done during this month of His beloved Radharani.
For this special month the devotees take to various devotional practices, which bring them more in contact with Srimati Radharani and Krishna. Traditionally these vows are executed on the sacred land of Vrindavana, but are certainly not limited to Vraja. If you cannot be in Vrindavana physically during this time make sure your heart is there – by remembering the pastime places or looking at the many beautiful pictures of Vraja taken by the devotees on their many pilgrimages.
What can you do to observe the Karttik vrata?
The first point is that a personal vow should be something we do regularly and unfailingly each day of the month. Srila Prabhupada encouraged the devotees in all temples around the world to execute the Damodara vrata by offering a light to the Lord each morning or evening (or both).
Let me give you some suggestions based on what I do personally:
1) Rise early and offer a little aratik. You can choose how many items you wish to offer but certainly there should be at least a ghee lamp offered to Lord Damodara (by placing a picture or deity of the Lord on your altar)
2) Chant extra rounds – or you can at least make sure that you increase the quality of rounds
3) Increase your reading of Vaisnava scriptures – especially Srimad Bhagavatam
4) Recite various prayers, like the Saranagati Prayers
5) Worship Tulasi devi
6) An absolute must – recite the Sri Damodarastakam
These are minimal requirements, but of course you can add any devotional practice that brings you closer to the Lord. The main point is that it is done daily as a loving offering.
Additionally, it is recommended to observe some austerities with regards to eating. There is an absolute restriction on the consumption of urad dal. I always like to desist from all kinds of sweets, but this is optional.
Please know the main point is to increase positive devotional practices.
You can expect that your resolve will be tested – rest assured that you will pass all tests if you remember your priority: to please Srimati Radharani by engaging in devotional service to the Lord.
Let me end with a wonderful verse written by Raghunatha Dasa Goswami about the mercy of Srimati Radharani:
“From birth Srimati Radharani has been naturally affectionate to all… She is the protectress of the poor and unfortunate.” (2)
Special Karttik inspiration
Many devotees have requested me to give a regular audio message as a day-by-day Karttik inspiration. As a servant of the Vaisnavas, I have happily accepted this service. It is my desire to try to nourish devotees during this month with short inspirational messages. Thus, please be so kind to share these with anyone you know who would be interested to hear. These Karttik inspirations can be downloaded and heard from www.sacinandanaswamipilgrimage.com starting on Sunday 16 October.
Let us associate through sound at this most exciting time: Srimati Radharani’s month which carries the name of Her beloved Damodara.
Wishing you all the best and lots of spiritual strength
Your humble servant,
Sacinandana Swami

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​Congregation program at Grand Rapids, Detroit, USA

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​Talk at Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Detroit USA

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