Why are only services done in the temple, and not activities done in the home temple, considered as seva?
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How is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s example of practicing bhakti applicable today?
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Flight wings give wings to the flight of realization
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While returning by flight from Bangalore to Mumbai, I was allotted the window seat. I usually ask for the aisle seat so that I can get up and use the restroom when necessary without inconveniencing others. But on this day, the aisle seat was unavailable. My window seat happened to be in the last row at the rear end of the plane. From that seat’s window, I could see the wing of the plane spread out.

When the plane started off, I was praying and chanting with closed eyes. After some time, when the plane was high in the sky, I opened my eyes and looked out of the window. I was intrigued to see that the plane appeared to be moving at a leisurely pace, akin to a stroll.

When I looked down and caught sight of a city rushing behind far below, I got some sense of how fast the plane was moving. On enquiry, I came to know that its speed was over seven hundred miles per hour.

Because the sky is so vast, when we see the plane’s wing with the sky as the frame of reference, the plane’s high-speed motion appears to be leisurely. When the frame of reference changes to something far smaller, the speed is seen as super-fast.

As I contemplated how the frame of reference shapes our perception of things, my thoughts went to my favorite book – the Bhagavad-gita – and its description of how spiritual knowledge changes our frame of reference. The Gita (02.13) informs us of our spiritual identity and then (02.15) indicates the resulting change of vision: Seers of truth focus on the unchanging spiritual, beyond the changing material.

I was under some stress because of having multiple deadlines to meet. I had to prepare for a seminar series starting the next day at Bhaktivedanta hospital; I had to write one article and one reflection for BTG; I had to do sixty advance Gita-daily video recordings for the next two months when I would be traveling and wouldn’t have the facility to do video recordings; I had to edit and finalize my book on reincarnation which is my first book to be published by a mainstream publisher. And I had to do all this before my US trip began on 31st. And, of course, I had to take care of all the travel logistics too.

By seeing how my perception changed based on my frame of reference, it struck me that I was feeling stressed not so much because I had so many things to do but because I was seeing things with my frame of reference being the world, not Krishna. My chanting was not just another thing that I had to get done; it was an empowering practice for changing my frame of reference from the world to Krishna.

That thought inspired me to absorb myself in chanting intensely. And as the holy name entered deeper into me and I entered deeper into the holy name, I started feeling my stress fading out. Krishna had enabled me to meet many writing deadlines in the past and he would enable me to do so now too. Even when I had failed to meet some deadlines, the world had not come crashing down – Krishna had taken care of things even then. During my past international tours when I had been far less experienced, Krishna had guided me; he would surely guide me now too. My purpose in life was not just to meet deadlines – my purpose was to use those deadlines as spurs to focus on Krishna. If I let deadlines distract me from him, I was letting the means come in the way of the ends instead of letting them be the way to the ends.

As my frame of reference changed from the world to Krishna, I found myself becoming more reassured, more focused, more satisfied. The flight wings had given wings to the flight of realization. And as my consciousness rose towards the spiritual, I sensed the proximity of Krishna and relished the security of absorption in him.

 

 

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“Back in Town”
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Hare KrishnaBy Indradyumna Swami

For years we have taken pride in doing our summer festival in Kolobrzeg, one of the biggest and most popular tourist destinations along the Baltic Sea coast in Poland. There was a time when we had to fight for permission to hold our programs there, but as the years rolled by, word spread that our event is highly professional, cultural and fun. The city has warmed to us and has even suggested specific dates on which to hold our festival. Unfortunately, last year we were unable to perform in Kolobrzeg because the city was upgrading the waterfront where our event has taken place over the last twenty seven years. This summer we anticipated a big comeback, only to be disappointed when we learned that the renovated area could no longer support the semi-trailer that unfolds into the large stage on which our show takes place. Continue reading "“Back in Town”
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50th Celebrations at the Sydney Opera House Attract Devotees from Around the World
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Hare KrishnaBy Arya Devi Dasi

The weekend’s events started on Friday night with Bhakti Film Fest and a patron’s dinner. The highlight of the weekend was a theatrical, musical, and multimedia performance at the iconic Sydney Opera House with 800 people attending two performances. In attendance were Rachael Kohn from ABC Radio’s Spirit of Things program, the New South Wales Indian Consul General, as well as representatives from Multicultural New South Wales, the Hindu Council of Australia, and the Catholic Church. Numerous dignitaries sent their best wishes, including: the Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore; New South Wales Premier, Mike Baird; Australia’s Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten; and India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Continue reading "50th Celebrations at the Sydney Opera House Attract Devotees from Around the World
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Gita 11.18 – The universal form is the eternal personal protector of dharma
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Jehovah Witnesses quote Srila Prabhupada
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Hare KrishnaBy Kesava Krsna Dasa

There is one publication issued by the Watch Tower called, “Mankind’s Search For God.” In this book, they probe all the major world religions and thought systems with a view to guide the readers to the “True God”. Any laypersons reading this book could easily think this is an impartial and balanced analysis, but make no mistake, it is pleasantly biased in favour of the ‘Biblical’ observation that the world is 6,000 years old, and all religions, including Hinduism, spread out from the cesspool of Babylonian times. As we would suspect, the references to Srila Prabhupada are found in the chapter entitled, “Hinduism – a search for liberation”. While it is pleasing to acknowledge he is cited as a major authority on ‘Hinduism”, sadly his, and Lord Chaitanya’s message get enmeshed in the tangled web of whatever Hinduism is supposed to be. They are mashed together with the tantrics, impersonalists, and demigod worshippers, sharing equal status with them. Continue reading "Jehovah Witnesses quote Srila Prabhupada
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Celebrating Janmastami
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 photo DSCN5094_zpsgj8dzz2y.jpgCelebrating the holy day of Krishna’s appearance in this world five thousand years, or Shri Krishna Janmastami, is one of the many “high holidays” (to borrow from Judaism) which devotees of Krishna observe. What is known today as Hinduism includes what is called Gaudiya Vaishnavism, or the bhakti (devotional) movement inaugurated by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, which Krishna.com represents. My spiritual master, Shrila Prabhupada, wasn’t fond of the word Hinduism since it is an imposed term created by those not familiar with the tradition and is a word not found in any Vedic literature.

Be that as it may, for the sake of convenience, we sometimes say we are part of the very diverse and inclusive Hindu tradition of India. Irrespective of the various Hindu theologies, all sects of Hinduism celebrate Janmastami as an important day, and glorify Krishna in various ways. Whether they think he is one of the many Hindu gods, or that the Ultimate Truth is “The One,” or the formless, impersonal Brahman source energy, they still glorify him as the wise speaker of the Bhagavad Gita, and are charmed by his depiction in the Shrimad Bhagavatam as a carefree cowherd who lived an idyllic life amidst the simplicity and beauty of Nature, surrounded by those who loved him.

This evening we read from the Krishna Book, and discussed some of Krishna’s pastimes surrounding his so-called “birth” in the world. I was reminded of watching how excited Prabhupada was when he was presented with advanced copies of the Krishna Book during the 1970 Rathayatra, and how he personally sold and signed copies. I also remembered our routine of reading “Nectar of Devotion” and “Krishna Book” while we sipped hot milk and ate popcorn. I never doubted—what to some people are fantastic stories—but felt more and more connected to Krishna by hearing his pastimes. When I think of it, my attitude was truly amazing and shows my open and innocent heart as a very young, tender 19 year old. I had only been a devotee a short time, and yet hearing about Krishna was so faith building. I was still basking on the energy from my spiritual existential search and felt no need to question the teaching.

Krishna's lila or pastimes are inconceivable and can't be understood with material logic alone.

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The Meaning of Vyasa Puja – “He came; he gave; he conquered”
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Hare KrishnaBy Chaitanya Charan Das

Srila Prabhupada manifested both the literary vigor of Vyasadeva and the itinerant vigor of Vyasadeva’s spiritual master, Narada Muni. Srila Prabhupada wrote prolifically and profoundly, thus doing in English what Vyasadeva did in Sanskrit. And Srila Prabhupada, following in Narada Muni’s footsteps, circumnavigated the globe fourteen times, making Krishna’s message accessible to millions who had never heard it before. The Vyasa-puja celebration of 2016 is special because this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of ISKCON. Devotees in various parts of the world have prepared inspiring presentations that demonstrate movingly the global spread and devotional depth of Srila Prabhupada’s legacy. Continue reading "The Meaning of Vyasa Puja – “He came; he gave; he conquered”
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Krishna is universal yet personal – Janmasthami meditation 3
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Krishna teaches prepare for the worst strive for the best – Janmasthami meditation 2
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Krishna teaches contribution without position – Janmasthami meditation 1
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Krishna descends to elevate us to happiness – Janmashtami class (Hindi)
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Krishna Janmashtami Special: ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple,…
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Krishna Janmashtami Special: ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple, Chennai.
My favourite part in the temple is the walls which are adorned with the mesmerising paintings of Lord Shree Krishna and all His adorable pastimes. Since we are celebrating His birthday, Krishna Janmashtami today, I thought of presenting those paintings with a few Quotes from The Bhagavad Geeta.
Life can seem tough or confusing sometimes and you don’t really understand the way, but through the vast treasure chest of knowledge and guidance He left us in the form of the sacred Bhagavad Geeta, one realises that making a way through anything is well within our grasp and very much possible. Collecting these quotes today inspired me, I hope they will do the same for you too.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/Nu3i2N

ISKCON Temples all over the world celebrated Janmashtami, the…
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ISKCON Temples all over the world celebrated Janmashtami, the 5243rd “birth” of Lord Krishna, on 25th August 2016. Radha Krishna Deties in ISKCON Radha Gopinath Temple - Girgaum Chowpatty were wearing the opulent gold hand embroidered dress of zardosi on pure silken velvets in royal Colours inspired by the six opulence’s of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna during the day time .The night dress was completely hand woven by the weavers in Varanasi / Banaras in pure silks and gold Zari ,with intricate ornamental designs. Jaya Sri Krishna!

As Vasudeva-suta, Krsna performs pastimes that, for the most…
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As Vasudeva-suta, Krsna performs pastimes that, for the most part, prominently review His power and opulence, while as Nanda-suta He performs only humanlike pastimes that prominently reveal His sweetness. Vasudeva-suta’s lila is clothed in opulence while decorated with sweetness, like an opulent mirror decorated with an attractive picture. By contrast, Nanda-suta’s lila is clothed in sweetness while decorated in opulence, like a beautifully painted stage curtain decorated at the bottom with a row of opulent mirrors. Both these forms of Krsna are oceans of nectar, but the form of Krsna in Vraja is the most absolutely perfect.
(from Gopiparanandhana’s comments to Sri Laghu-bhagavatamrta)

WSN July 2016 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
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Hare KrishnaBy Vijaya Dasa

Usually the Bali temple is barely noticed in the world of book distribution, but in July something happened, I don't know what, and the temple had its best month in history, with 15,064 book points: an 849% increase. The devotees there are a quite devoted group, so perhaps they were showing their gratitude to Srila Prabhupada on this fiftieth anniversary of ISKCON. We received shocking news months ago that Russia had passed a new law restricting religious activities to places of worship. We thought that this might be the end of book distribution and harinama sankirtana. Sure enough, under the new law, not long ago a book distributor was stopped and had to go to court, with the possibile penalty of paying a huge fine. ISKCON had a good lawyer, though, and the judge acquitted the devotee. This victory for Lord Caitanya's sankirtana movement during the auspicious fiftieth anniversary of ISKCON was topped off by the Moscow devotees' all-out book distribution marathon. Moscow was the No. 2 temple in the world in July, with 17,932 book points, a 53% increase. Continue reading "WSN July 2016 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
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Srila Prabhupada’s and Lord Krishna’s Mercy, August 18, New Dvaraka, Los Angeles, 2014
Giriraj Swami


PrabhupadaPreachingInIndia
———-
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagvatam 10.2.31 for the morning class on Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja day.

“In Srila Prabhupada’s initiation letter to me he wrote, ‘I marked it in your person when I was in Boston, and I prayed to Krishna that this good soul may be aware of the importance of Krishna consciousness.’

“The pure devotee prays to Krishna to give mercy to the fortunate conditioned soul. And because Krishna is bhakta-vatsala—affectionate and favorably inclined to His devotees—He fulfills their desires. Within the heart He encourages the candidate—the object of the devotee’s mercy—to appreciate the value of Krishna consciousness and accept the process of devotional service.”

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Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.2.31

The Meaning of Vyasa Puja – “He came, he gave, he conquered”
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Expression reflects and reinforces emotion. The celebration of Vyasa-puja is an expression of the gratitude that the disciple feels for the spiritual master. And that feeling becomes reinforced when a disciple expresses one’s own gratitude and hears other disciples’ express their gratitude.

The spiritual master’s guidance and grace are indispensable for elevating and liberating souls caught in this dangerous and treacherous material existence. The spiritual master is non-different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as the sacred scriptures proclaim. In Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the Uddhava Gita (11.17.27: acaryam mam vijaniyam), Krishna himself declares that the acarya is nondifferent from him. This non-difference is not because of a merging of beings but because of a joining of hearts. The spiritual master is purely and selflessly surrendered to Krishna, as was Arjuna at the end of the Bhagavad-gita (18.73). The spiritual master is not just the conveyor of Krishna’s will – he is also the gateway to Krishna; on Krishna’s behalf, he receives the disciple’s service and bestows mercy.

yasya prasadad bhagavata prasado     yasya ‘prasadan na gatih kuto ‘pi

By the mercy of the spiritual master is the mercy of Krishna accessed. So potent and transformational is the spiritual master’s mercy that the sincere disciple feels and remains indebted, lifetime after lifetime. The disciple strives to express that gratitude by dedicating one’s life to the spiritual master’s service.

During the course of our life, Vyasapuja offers us a precious annual opportunity to meditate on and better appreciate our spiritual master’s gifts. In composing our offering to the spiritual master, we go deep into our heart. Going beyond the routines and superficialities that frequently crowd our consciousness, we focus on that which matters most – the supreme treasure of Krishna-bhakti with which the spiritual master has enriched our heart. And by hearing the offerings of other devotees, we see those devotees with greater appreciation – not just for their functional roles in this world, but also as devoted and exalted souls committed to the spiritual master’s service.

Vyasadeva is the quintessential spiritual master. He is the literary incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By rendering the Vedic message in written form, he preserves and propagates that timeless treasure of wisdom. Therein, he provides a comprehensive gamut of guidelines for elevating people at all levels. And he also gives in Srimad-Bhagavatam, the ripened fruit of the Vedic literature (Bhagavatam 1.1.3), the conclusive guidelines of pure devotion for those seeking life’s highest destination – eternal spiritual love for Krishna.

All spiritual masters follow in the footsteps of Vyasadeva and carry on his mission. Thus, the spiritual master represents Krishna, specifically Krishna in his manifestation as Vyasadeva. Through the numerous representatives of Vyasadeva over millennia culminating for us in our spiritual master, we receive the treasure of krishna-bhakti.

Among the many spiritual masters who have carried forward Vyasadeva’s legacy, the position of His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada is distinctive. Srila Prabhupada was the commander who fulfilled the prophecy of Lord Chaitanya that the holy names will be chanted in every town and village of the world.

Srila Prabhupada manifested both the literary vigor of Vyasadeva and the itinerant vigor of Vyasadeva’s spiritual master, Narada Muni. Srila Prabhupada wrote prolifically and profoundly, thus doing in English what Vyasadeva did in Sanskrit. And Srila Prabhupada, following in Narada Muni’s footsteps, circumnavigated the globe fourteen times, making Krishna’s message accessible to millions who had never heard it before.

The Vyasa-puja celebration of 2016 is special because this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of ISKCON. Devotees in various parts of the world have prepared inspiring presentations that demonstrate movingly the global spread and devotional depth of Srila Prabhupada’s legacy.

One way of contemplating Srila Prabhupada’s unparalleled contribution is by adapting a quote attributed to Julius Caesar: “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Srila Prabhupada’s mission was not one of political conquest, but of spiritual compassion; so, the variant applicable to him is, “He came, he gave, he conquered.”

He came: Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.5.3) states, “O my lord, great philanthropic souls travel on the earth on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to show compassion to the fallen souls who are averse to the sense of subordination to the Lord.”

Srila Prabhupada descended from the spiritual world to the material world on the sacred day of Nandotsava, the day after Krishna’s appearance. That Srila Prabhupada’s appearance day follows Krishna’s appearance day signifies his mission: to carry forward Krishna’s message.

He came to the Western world with the message of Krishna’s love – a message that had never before been highlighted despite the many gurus who had come before him to the West from India. And he came back to India with a living demonstration of the universal appeal of krishna-bhakti: hundreds of Western men and women who had given up everything else for devoting themselves to Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada encouraged us to meditate on his coming as a mission for our personal redemption. During one of his visits to Australia, a girl asked him why this message hadn’t been brought earlier. He replied sweetly that it was because she had not been born earlier; the message had been brought now so that she could be delivered.

He gave: In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.31.9), the topmost devotees, the gopis, laud those who shower the world with Krishna’s love by sharing his glories: “Those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent.”

This world is like a quicksand of ignorance, wherein we are not only kept in ignorance of life’s spiritual side, but are sucked deeper into that ignorance by the lure of material pleasures. And in the present times, the accumulation of material knowledge creates an illusion of progress that doesn’t just lure us into ignorance, but also makes us complacent and arrogant, thus keeping us in ignorance of our ignorance. Srila Prabhupada rescued us from this ignorance by sharing generously the timeless spiritual knowledge of the Vedas. And his charity went far beyond offering spiritual knowledge alone; he offered spiritual love – love for Krishna that was revealed to the world by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And this charity of love enabled him to conquer hearts.

He conquered: Srila Prabhupada won the hearts of thousands of people all over the world by the power of spiritual love. He radiated pure, pristine love; his selfless, surrendered consciousness transmitted Krishna’s love to all those who came in contact with him. By that love, he inspired people from incredibly diverse backgrounds to enthrone Krishna as the Lord of their heart, conquering the many illusions that misdirected their love towards worldly things.

Chaitanya Bhagavata states that Lord Chaitanya descended to this world to bless it with the garland of Krishna-prema. Srila Prabhupada made that garland manifest by establishing all over the world temples that made loving Krishna intelligible and relishable.

The glory of his feat has been recognized not just by his followers but also by secular authorities, in both the West and the East. The religious scholar A L Basham stated, “The Hare Krishna movement arose out of next to nothing in less than twenty years and has become known all over the West. This is an important fact in the history of the Western world.” The phenomenal propagation that Srila Prabhupada pioneered has continued after his disappearance through the vision and vigor he has imparted to his followers.

The Times of India in an editorial in 2006 stated, “Guess again if you think Bollywood or Indians writing in English is the country’s biggest cultural export. You may not come across any of these if you visit Cochabamba in Bolivia or Gaborone in Botswana; what you will find instead is a centre of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).”

“He came, he gave, he conquered” is not just a historical and historic event – it is also an ongoing event. He conquers the hearts of new people who come in contact with him through the many manifestations of his mercy such as his mission, his temples, his books and his followers. And he conquers even more the hearts of us, his followers, as our appreciation of his gifts deepens.

Leading a life of devotion in a world of temptation is undoubtedly difficult, but meditating on the sacrifices of the givers of devotion lessens the difficulty. A child may be reluctant to take a bitter medicine, but if he remembers that his mother has sold her jewelry to pay for that medicine, then contemplating her sacrifice will replace reluctance with gratitude.

Similarly, difficulties while practicing and sharing krishna-bhakti may make us reluctant in our service. But by meditating on Srila Prabhupada’s innumerable and insurmountable sacrifices just for giving us the opportunity to practice bhakti, we can shed our reluctance and face whole-heartedly whatever challenges confront us.

If we keep the memories of his sacrifices alive in our hearts, he will come deeper into our hearts; the glory of his gifts will be increasingly revealed to us; and he will conquer our hearts more and more.

Srila Prabhupada conquered by surrendering. On the Jaladuta, in his celebrated song, Markine Bhagavata Dharma, he prayed to Krishna, “Make me dance; make me like a puppet; make me dance according to your will.” On the sacred occasion of Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasapuja celebration, during ISKCON’s fiftieth year, we pray that we too may surrender so that we can dance like puppets in Srila Prabhupada’s hands to do our small parts to push on his glorious mission.

 

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How to Respect Sadhus, and How Sadhus Avoid Respect.
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Chapter 22 of Bhāgavatam continues… The four child-sages have appeared at King Pṛthu’s ceremonial arena, and he has welcomed them. Now he begins talking with them and will ask his first question.

When they were seated on their golden seats, the boys seemed like sacred fire in an altar. With deeply appreciative deference for these older brothers of Śiva, the king said, “Aho! What auspicious deeds must I have done to warrant the company of you auspicious beings? Simply seeing you grants benedictions that even yogis cannot find! What could remain impossible to attain, in this world or beyond, for a person who has achieved the grace of great scholars like yourselves?”

The boys appeared uncomfortable with the praise. So the king said, “You are, like your brother Śiva, devotees of Viṣṇu, so my praise is not an exaggeration.”

The boys accepted this but still tried to dodge the king’s praises. “We always travel everywhere, so what is the big deal about our coming here?”

“You always travel everywhere,” the king replied, “but do so beyond the sight of common people, just as we don’t see the all-seeing consciousness that is the cause and essence of everything we see.”

The boys remained silent so the king continued, “Your appearance among us is the greatest wealth! Even a poverty-stricken home should be treated like the wealthiest home in the world if it welcomes sādhus like you.”

“You have welcomed us with expensive golden thrones and many other fancy things,” the boys said. “A poor home has no such things, so how would they properly welcome a sādhu?

“Wealth is not important to a sādhu,” the king said. “Every home at least has water, with which they can welcome you.”

“What if their well has run dry?” the boys asked.

“They can spread some grass on the ground for you to sit on.”

“What if their land is barren, and they have no grass?”

“If they don’t even have grass they can sweep a portion of the ground for you to sit there.”

“What if they are striken with illness and cannot even get up?”

“They can simply offer you their heartfelt feelings.”

“Is this inferior to the fancy reception you have given us?” the boy-sages asked.

“Not at all,” the king replied. “Wealth is not important, the feelings of affection and respect for the sādhu is. A home may overflow with opulence and wealth, but if it is devoid of the water that washes the feet of sādhus, it is like a tree full of snakes. One should not recline in its shade.”

The boys’ faces glowed with delight and appreciation for the King’s deep and sincere realization.

Svāgataṁ!” The king declared, “We welcome you! You are the greatest scholars! You have taken up strict vows in your quest for enlightenment, and, although you are the most serious, devoted, and deep persons, you move about in the form of children! My question for you is this: Most people know nothing except what their senses show them. Plagued by this disease, they value nothing except external objects, and get completely dragged down by their own endeavors to enjoy these objects. O masters, is there any hope for them? Can anything cure them and bring them true happiness?”

Feeling bad for having jumped quickly into his question without asking anything about his guests themselves the king explained, “I don’t ask you how you are doing because there is no doubt that you must be doing well. You are delighted by virtue of your own consciousness, and therefore have no concern with good and bad, or any other illusions. People say you are ascetics, but in fact they are the ones who suffer difficulties, not you. You are friends and guides of us all, so I am asking you – what is the most effective way for people suffering in this world to get relief?”

– Excerpt from an early draft of Part 4 of

Beautiful Tales of the All-Attractive

A translation of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam’s fourth canto

By Vraja Kishor

Parts 1, 2, and 3 of Beautiful Tales of the All Attractive

are available at VrajaKishor.com


Tagged: four kumara, fourth canto, prithu, Srimad Bhagavatam, welcoming a sadhu

Gita 11.17 – The blinding brightness conveys the universal form’s glory
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Jaladuta, all auspicious
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One thing you notice is that if like me you use social media there is a lot of articles that come along and once you closely scrutinise them it becomes clear that the information contained is not what it seems to be.

So it was of interest that I found a reference to an article that caught my curiosity and so a further look and small research was undertaken and it appeared to be valid; but interestingly made me feel inspired as Sri Krishna had made the whole journey of Srila Prabhupada even more auspicious than I personally had realized.

The article claimed that the picture of the Jaladuta that Srila Prabhupada travelled on was not the actual one he would have, and indeed if you look closely at the ships records held by the Scindia S.N. Company the one we see pictured regularly was indeed scrapped in 1958.

Scindia S.N. Co

Their is however an exciting twist to this the Jaladuat that was in service at the time coming into service in 1959 had one unique feature not carried by any previous ship; nor carried in general by the Scindia S.N. Comapny.

Yes look carefully and you will see a unique feature on the bow of the ship, it is the sacred swastika, and that for me is amazing that even the vessal that carried Srila Prabhupada was all auspicious.

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My realization is that Sri Krishna always takes care of even the finest detail when it comes to his devotees who are serving him and following their guru maharaja direction.

Hare krishna

​When a person is possessed by a ghost, where are the two souls situated?
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Is meat-eating sinful or is it just to be avoided for spiritual progress?
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​Does the seekers’ consciousness make the deities divine or are they actually divine?
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​What to do if I don’t feel emotions for Krishna naturally, but only after contemplation?
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​When intellectual level is higher than sensual, why are intellectual devotees still attracted to sensual pleasure?
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​How can an intellectual practice bhakti without becoming intellectually deviated?
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Self-destruction Strategies 5 – See your work as Maya
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Seminar at ISKCON. Seshadripuram, Bangalore

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‘What do we love about Krishna?’
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In the chapter of the Krishna book titled “Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krishna in the Womb” Srila Prabhupada cautions against the tendency to be a bit impersonal towards God. We understand that Krishna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has both personal and impersonal aspects – He is simultaneously one with everything and different from everything. It’s easy to see and appreciate the power and energy of Krishna in the world in front of us, but sometimes not so easy to see or understand Krishna as a person – who is He? What does He do?


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