Today is a deeply auspicious day as we honor the divine appearance of Śrī Sītā Devī and Śrī Jāhnavā Devī, along with the disappearance of Śrī Madhu Paṇḍita. These sacred personalities are not like conditioned souls who are bound by material nature. They are eternally liberated, always situated in the Lord’s internal potency, and never subject to fall down. By approaching their mercy, one can very easily receive the mercy of the Lord, for when they bestow their grace, everything becomes possible.

As conditioned souls, we are constantly influenced by the external energy, repeatedly falling into illusion unless we remain under the shelter of the Lord’s internal potency. Therefore, we pray to take refuge in that divine energy, which manifests in various forms such as Śrī Sītā Devī and Śrī Jāhnavā Devī. Their compassion and protection guide the soul back toward spiritual steadiness and devotion.

There is a beautiful pastime connected to this day. When Lord Rāma was in exile, He came to Māyāpur, specifically to the island of Modadrumadvīpa. Seeing Him smiling, Sītā Devī lovingly inquired about the reason. Lord Rāma explained that in that age He had sent Her to the forest, but in the age of Kali He Himself would go to the forest and accept sannyāsa. He further revealed that when She would be in the forest, He would worship a golden deity of Her, and in Kali yuga, when She would be separated, She would worship Him in a golden form. Hearing this, Sītā Devī was not pleased, as both situations carried the pain of separation from the Lord. This exchange reveals the deep and intimate nature of divine love, where even separation becomes an expression of profound devotion.

On this same day, we also remember Śrī Madhu Paṇḍita, a dear disciple of Gadādhara Gosvāmī, who journeyed from Navadvīpa to Vṛndāvana in search of Kṛṣṇa. There he became the devoted servant of Śrī Gopīnātha. Every day he would recite Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, fully absorbed in devotional service. He is also known for blessing Śrīnivāsa Ācārya with the garland of Gopīnātha before Śrīnivāsa, Narottama, and Śyāmānanda departed from Vṛndāvana carrying the treasured scriptures of the Gosvāmīs. In Goloka Vṛndāvana, Śrī Madhu Paṇḍita Gosvāmī serves as Maṇḍalī sakhī in the group of Campakalatā sakhī, revealing his eternal spiritual identity in the Lord’s pastimes.

On this sacred day, we can offer heartfelt prayers to Śrī Jāhnavā Devī:

“O my dear Śrī Jāhnavā Devī, please have compassion upon your servant and kindly extend the rope of your mercy to relieve the intense suffering I am experiencing. I have taken shelter of the boat of your lotus feet, and I have firm faith that you can carry me across this ocean of material existence. You are the divine energy of Lord Nityānanda and the bestower of Kṛṣṇa bhakti. Please bless me at your lotus feet, which can fulfill all desires. You have already delivered so many fallen souls, and today one more fallen and destitute soul stands before you, begging for your mercy.”

May this day inspire us to sincerely seek shelter at their lotus feet, deepen our faith, and continue on the path of devotion with humility and hope.

Source: https://www.mayapur.com/en/blog/appearance-day-of-r-jhnav-dev-and-r-st-dev

Mother Arca Vigraha left this world on Jahnu Saptami, which this year is May 18.

TEXT

sa ca svarlokam aroksyan
  sunitim jananim dhruvah
anvasmarad agam hitva
  dinam yasye tri-vistapam

TRANSLATION

Dhruva was seated in the transcendental airplane, which was just about to start, when he remembered his poor mother, Suniti. He thought to himself, “How shall I go alone to the Vaikuntha planet and leave behind my poor mother?”

PURPORT

Dhruva had a feeling of obligation to his mother, Suniti. It was Suniti who had given him the clue which had now enabled him to be personally carried to the Vaikuntha planet by the associates of Lord Visnu. He now remembered her and wanted to take her with him. Actually, Dhruva Maharaja’s mother, Suniti, was his patha-pradarsaka-guru. Patha-pradarsaka-guru means “the guru, or the spiritual master, who shows the way.” Such a guru is sometimes called siksa-guru. Although Narada Muni was his diksa-guru (initiating spiritual master), Suniti, his mother, was the first who gave him instruction on how to achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the duty of the siksa-guru or diksa-guru to instruct the disciple in the right way, and it depends on the disciple to execute the process. According to sastric injunctions, there is no difference between siksa-guru and diksa-guru, and generally the siksa-guru later on becomes the diksa-guru. Suniti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Maharaja’s diksa-guru. Still, he was not less obliged to Suniti. There was no question of carrying Narada Muni to Vaikunthaloka, but Dhruva Maharaja thought of his mother.

Whatever plan the Supreme Personality of Godhead contemplates immediately fructifies. Similarly, a devotee who is completely dependent on the Supreme Lord can also fulfill his wishes by the grace of the Lord. The Lord fulfills His wishes independently, but a devotee fulfills his wishes simply by being dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore as soon as Dhruva Maharaja thought of his poor mother, he was assured by the associates of Visnu that Suniti was also going to Vaikunthaloka, in another plane. Dhruva Maharaja had thought that he was going alone to Vaikunthaloka, leaving behind his mother, which was not very auspicious because people would criticize him for going alone to Vaikunthaloka and not carrying with him Suniti, who had given him so much. But Dhruva also considered that he was not personally the Supreme. Therefore, if Krsna fulfilled his desires, only then would it be possible. Krsna could immediately understand his mind, and He told Dhruva that his mother was also going with him. This incident proves that a pure devotee like Dhruva Maharaja can fulfill all his desires; by the grace of the Lord, he becomes exactly like the Lord, and thus whenever he thinks of anything, his wish is immediately fulfilled. (SB 4.12.32)

Giriraj Swami:

In the next purport Srila Prabhupada expresses sentiments that express my own feelings on this occasion:

TRANSLATION

The great associates of Vaikunthaloka, Nanda and Sunanda, could understand the mind of Dhruva Maharaja, and thus they showed him that his mother, Suniti, was going forward in another plane.

PURPORT

This incident proves that the siksa- or diksa-guru who has a disciple who strongly executes devotional service like Dhruva Maharaja can be carried by the disciple even though the instructor is not as advanced. Although Suniti was an instructor to Dhruva Maharaja, she could not go to the forest because she was a woman, nor could she execute austerities and penances as Dhruva Maharaja did. Still, Dhruva Maharaja was able to take his mother with him. Similarly, Prahlada Maharaja also delivered his atheistic father, Hiranyakasipu. The conclusion is that a disciple or an offspring who is a very strong devotee can carry with him to Vaikunthaloka either his father, mother, or siksa- or diksa-guru. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura used to say, “If I could perfectly deliver even one soul back home, back to Godhead, I would think my mission—propagating Krsna consciousness—to be successful.” The Krsna consciousness movement is spreading now all over the world, and sometimes I think that even though I am crippled in many ways, if one of my disciples becomes as strong as Dhruva Maharaja, then he will be able to carry me with him to Vaikunthaloka. (SB 4.12.33)

Giriraj Swami:

We do not know how many souls Srila Prabhupada has delivered back home, back to Godhead, but certainly Mother Arca Vigraha is one of them. And I am sure that Srila Prabhupada is very pleased that one of his spiritual dependents has attained the perfection of life. I am also sure that others also have attained the same perfection by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy. And the devotees who were personally associated with Mother Arca Vigraha are also fortunate, because from her elevated position now she can bestow her special mercy upon them and help them in their spiritual lives.

Shortly after Mother Arca Vigraha left, I visited South Africa. I didn’t particularly expect anything different, but soon after I got there I could feel Mother Arca Vigraha’s desire to give mercy to various devotees whom she knew, especially those who had been with her and those who had served her in some way. It was an adventure as she revealed to which devotee she wanted to show special favor. And the same process is continuing today.

So, we have fond memories of her as we knew her, and we believe that she has gone to the realm of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Radha and Krishna and that she can bestow her blessings upon us. She is ready and eager to bestow her mercy upon her associates and friends, and upon the devotees whom she knew and appreciated when she was here. Her mercy is very strong and powerful, and I feel we are very fortunate and blessed to have known her and to have had the opportunity to associate with her and to be able to receive her blessings even now.

Mother Arca Vigraha ki jaya!

Sundarananda dasa:

With Mother Arca Vigraha, the joy of being a devotee and her heart-feelings for Krsna and the devotees were so alive. All her being, all her self, was full of life and her desire to serve Krishna and the devotees, just radiating this enormous desire to please Krishna, to serve Krishna, to serve the devotees and the spiritual master. It was like seeing everything we read put into practice. It was practically not seeing a human being but seeing a completely spiritual soul in action, in service to Krishna. I never saw her as a material body. Looking at her, I saw her service, her desire to please, her strong determined feelings for Krishna and guru and the devotees.

Hare Krishna.

Kandarpa Manjari dasi:

Mother Arca Vigraha has definitely been an inspiration in my spiritual life. The main inspiration was her service attitude toward you, Maharaja, and toward the other devotees. And her non-judgmental attitude toward the Vaishnavas—the way she was always willing to give the devotees the benefit of the doubt and encourage them and her example of always being enthusiastic to serve were both very inspiring.

When I first arrived in South Africa in 1990, some of the devotees—Nama Cintamani, Kuntidevi—greeted me, and they pointed out Mother Arca Vigraha, saying, “See Mother Arca Vigraha? She’s very advanced.” And of course, I, with my material vision, thought, “Really? Oh.” But as the years went by and I heard more about her, I realized why she was so advanced. I saw that in her different services in South Africa—in her service to the Deities, the devotees, her spiritual master, everyone—she was entirely selfless. I thought, “Oh, this is the real sign of advancement, that someone is willing to give up everything—one’s pride, everything—to serve.” Only then did I begin to realize what the devotees had meant.

I finally met Arca Vigraha when Maharaja was able to go to India after so many years. She and I were on the same flight back to South Africa. I had always wanted to speak with her, but I didn’t know how to approach her. But she just jumped out of her seat and came and sat right next to me and made me feel really important. She said, “Here, look at these pictures!” They were pictures of Maharaja and the life members in Bombay, and she took the time to explain each incident. Her enthusiasm overwhelmed me, and I thought, “This is such a kind-hearted devotee.” She just had an art of making you feel important, even though you weren’t. She was really amazing. It showed that even in her relationships she was selfless: she just wanted to encourage you all the time; she didn’t want anything for herself.

Then I went to Vrindavan. It was about five months before she left her body, and when I saw her I thought to myself that I didn’t know how to deal with her, because she was leaving her body, which is a very traumatic experience. But she must have read my mind or something, and she just walked up to me as if nothing was going on in her life except how much she was in love with Vrindavan. It was in the temple restaurant, and she hugged me and said, “You better come and see me before you leave”—really begging me to come. Unfortunately, I couldn’t fulfill her desire, because we were in a rush to leave and were with a whole group of other devotees. I thought I would see her when I returned to Vrindavan, because I was planning to go back the following year.

Then I heard that she had left her body, and I felt very upset. But then I had a dream about her, at the same time that Maharaja went to South Africa after her disappearance. And in the dream we made peace and she forgave me that I had not come to see her.

I feel that her example is my inspiration and example. When Maharaja was very sick and came to America in 1999, Mother Arca Vigraha was instrumental in helping me, because I used to pray to her to inspire me and help me to cook for Maharaja to make him feel better. She was a figure, an instrument, to instruct and help me, even though she was not physically present. And the same thing happened today. Although I have been very sick for the last few days and have not been able even to cook or do any housework, somehow I got up early and had energy to cook. This was definitely Mother Arca’s mercy, that on her auspicious disappearance day she again empowered me to serve the devotees. And I prayed to her that I could learn to become more selfless, like her.

Hare Krishna.

Kuntidevi dasi:

My mind is so filled with memories of Mother Arca Vigraha that it is difficult to isolate what inspired me about her, and what inspires me about her now. There is so much. But a few days ago I was thinking how Mother Arca Vigraha embodied the two most important devotional principles: chanting the holy names and serving the Vaishnavas. As Kandarpa and Sundarananda mentioned, she performed these two activities with great determination and enthusiasm.

She would get up early each morning, at about three o’clock, and she never failed to chant her sixteen rounds. She worked very hard. When she was painting the Deities in Vrindavan she would hardly sleep for days or sometimes weeks. Even when we were still in South Africa, before we moved to India, she would paint until late at night. I would come back at about 10 p.m. from the day’s book distribution and the evening preaching program at Yeoville, ready to collapse. But Mother Arca Vigraha would be awake, so we would talk and discuss until late at night, sometimes reading from the Bhagavatam. And the next morning she would be up at three o’clock, ready to start another day. But although she would rise very early, she would often encourage me to take a little extra rest.

She always said that Jayananda Prabhu was her model. Hearing about his example inspired her with the determination to always finish her rounds, no matter what. She had such a taste for service that she often said she wanted to become like the Six Gosvamis. She lamented that she had to sleep at night. Once, when we were taking a course in Vrindavan on The Nectar of Devotion, she said that the real nectar of devotion was to do service.

Her service to the devotees was amazing. She was everybody’s friend, and she made everybody feel important and special and loved. She would greet you in such a way that you would feel that you meant everything to her. One day, before I began to stay with her, I went to visit her at her house in Yeoville. I knocked on the door, and when she opened it she exclaimed, “Oh, Kuntidevi!” with such joy. And I thought, “Wow, she really likes me.” Then just about an hour later somebody else came and knocked, and when she opened the door she greeted each person with the same joy and enthusiasm. I was quite shocked at first to realize that it wasn’t just me, but then I realized what a special quality it was to be so warm and gracious—not just as a social mannerism, but from the love in her heart.

I miss her as a friend. She was, in Krishna consciousness, the person with whom I had the deepest friendship and the deepest relationship. I haven’t really had another friend like her. I miss her a lot. I often share thoughts and experiences with her in my mind. Or something happens and I immediately think of her—funny things especially, because we used to laugh at the same things. And also confidential things, things I wouldn’t easily share with anyone else. And I would think, “Oh, Mother Arca would have laughed at this” or “I have to tell her this.” But she is not here in the same way anymore. Still, in another way she is still here and very supportive as a friend and as a devotee.

Although we were friends, Mother Arca Vigraha was older and more experienced. I learned a lot from her training, her instructions, and her association. I was telling Vrajesvari the other day how Mother Arca had a juicer that she had received as a wedding gift, thirty years or so before I met her. She took such good care of this juicer that it was in first-class condition so many years later, even though she used it every single day.

This was one of the first practical lessons I learned from her—to take the machine apart immediately after every use: to wash every piece, dry every part, put it together again, and pack it away. I learned how to take care of things and to perform even simple tasks thoroughly. This may not seem like a very profound lesson, but actually Srila Prabhupada said that Krishna consciousness means to be conscious, and she taught me to become more conscious of details.

Another thing I was remembering the other day—I was wrapping something—was how we used to wrap her paintings in Vrindavan. Again, she did it with such care and precision and artistry, the way she did everything. To maintain herself, she would paint floral still lifes, like the ones on the calendar in our kitchen. She was very, very sick at that time, and the pain in her arm was almost unbearable, but somehow she would still paint. So I would go to different places in Vrindavan—sometimes in the fields—to collect flowers for her to paint. It wasn’t so easy to find flowers on stems in Vrindavan, because people there grow flowers mainly for garlands. So sometimes I would go to Delhi, and there was one really nice flower market at Khan Market, and I would pick out some beautiful flowers and bring them back for her. We would arrange them in one of her colorful Rajasthani ceramic vases, and then she would just paint for days. It was a momentous effort every time. But she was so determined. Then we would have to package the paintings so that Sara, her daughter and agent in South Africa, could sell them. Mother Arca Vigraha was very particular about packing her paintings. By watching her and helping her, I got a sense of her meticulousness, and eventually I was entrusted with packing them. When a person who is such a perfectionist and who has such fine taste entrusts you with something so dear to them, it really means a lot. Of course, in some ways she entrusted her life to me, but at the time packing her paintings meant a lot to me.

Although I fall far short in every respect, I have often thought that my service to Mother Arca Vigraha prepared me for my service to you, Guru Maharaja, because you are also a perfectionist with very sensitive and refined tastes, and you also have an artistic temperament in many ways. It was good training to serve her before trying to serve you.

Apart from being an amazing devotee, Mother Arca Vigraha was just a wonderful person. Nowadays we often speak about devotees being “balanced.” I feel she was balanced—as a human being and as a devotee—in the sense that she was very deep in spiritual life, very deeply absorbed in Krsna consciousness, but not fanatical at all, not dogmatic at all, not exclusive of anybody or anyone’s belief. She saw the essence in everybody and often said that we should see the divinity in everyone. And she had great respect for all living entities—even the dogs. When she saw the dogs suffering in Vrindavan, she would cry. Sometimes she would cry and say she was crying for the whole world. Of course, her emotions were heightened by her particular situation, but she was very sensitive.

She would befriend all kinds of devotees, even if they were unpopular or ostracized by some. For example, she made friends with Hamsaduta, who was considered very offensive, a renegade in ISKCON, but she made friends with him and welcomed him into her house. At first I was really concerned. I could not understand why she had become friends with him. So I would go to Govinda Maharaja and ask him what we should do about her association with Hamsaduta, and I would write letters to Guru Maharaja asking him what to do. Eventually I realized that she was just following her own heart, so full of purity and spiritual realization. And this was another valuable lesson, to be true to oneself, the way she was always true to herself. She always followed her heart.

Mother Arca Vigraha was not conventional. Sometimes this was quite amusing, especially in the beginning. She was very spontaneous in her devotional service and lived “outside” in her own house, while we all lived in the temple and were all trained to be very strict about everything. There were so many rules and regulations, and the slightest “deviation” had tremendous consequences, or so it seemed. But Mother Arca Vigraha was so spontaneous, and in the beginning she couldn’t get every detail right, like how many times to offer an incense stick or ghee lamp. Later I understood that the purpose of all the rules and regulations is to remember Krishna, and that Mother Arca Vigraha was already remembering Krishna, so what was the fault if she made some small mistakes?

And she always had a very personal relationship with Krishna. I remember that when I stayed with her in her house in Johannesburg she would often talk to Krishna just like she would talk to any other person. And if something disturbed her, she would call out loud, “Krishna!” We weren’t quite sure how to understand her spontaneity, but her relationship with Krishna was indisputably real. Arca was twelve years old when her mother died, and she told me that her father was so grief-stricken that he was unable to take care of her and her older brother. So he handed her over to the care of a Catholic lady, Mrs. Schneider, who lived next-door. Although Arca was Jewish by birth, Mrs. Schneider taught her how to pray, how to call out to God, bowing down with folded hands, in the Christian way. Arca was in great distress about her mother’s death, but Mrs. Schneider taught her to take shelter of God. Mother Arca Vigraha credited Mrs. Schneider for teaching her to develop a personal relationship with God through prayer. And that sense of having a unique and personal relationship with God always stayed with her.

As she grew older, Mother Arca Vigraha explored many different paths of self-realization and God-realization. She inquired into Christianity, the Kabbalah, Sai Baba, Bhagavan Rajneesh, the Rosicrucians—everything there was. She even traveled on the back of a camel through the Sinai desert with a group of Bedouin nomads. And whatever path she followed, she learned everything there was to know about it and then practiced it very seriously. Gradually she rejected all the other theories and came to Krishna consciousness. Then she realized that Krishna consciousness was the process for which she had always been searching and yearning. So when she joined and became a devotee, she already had a lot of spiritual training and realization.

But she was a fun person. Even when she was sick in India, dying, she still had a spirit of fun and adventure. At one stage we were going all over India, seeing different kinds of doctors and healers, going to different types of hospitals (I think I saw every cancer ward in Bombay and Delhi). But through all of it, which was a very heavy experience, she always had a sense of humor. Looking back on it now, I can see how incredible it was to maintain this spirit under such circumstances. But we saw it as an adventure, not only the physical adventure of traveling through India, but also a spiritual adventure, a journey. It was a very dynamic time. All these things would happen to us, and it was a great experience. We had some very unusual experiences.

One summer, when Mother Arca Vigraha’s frail health could no longer tolerate the intense heat in Vrindavan, we flew to northern India, to Kulu-Manali in Himachal Pradesh, in the outer ranges of the Himalayas, near the border of Tibet. Manali, situated higher up in the valley, is a famous tourist resort, both for wealthy Indians and Western hippies. We chose to stay in the lower village of Kulu, situated on the banks of the river Vyasa.

Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhu in Vrindavan had given us the names of some friends in Kulu. One boy invited us to visit his family in their village, high on the slopes of the mountain. The only way to reach his village was on foot, a steep, three-hour climb from Kulu. There was no way Mother Arca could do such a climb, but she insisted I go. One morning the boy and I set out. The climb was magnificent, with beautiful vistas of the surrounding mountain peaks, named after the seven great sages, and the river below. The scenery and landscape reminded me of something one would see in a National Geographic photo-article. I knew Mother Arca would love it and resolved to take her.

First our friend offered to carry her on his back. Then he said he could take her on a mountain horse, but she was too frail even for that. Eventually we shelved the idea. But at nine o’clock the next morning our friend burst into our room and said, “Come, let’s go.” He had four other men with him, and they had crafted a special palanquin, or palki, for her, complete with curtains and a roof to shield her from the sun. For Rs. 500, they would carry her up and down the mountain.

Mother Arca Vigraha loved the palki and was excited about the climb. Not wanting to miss the beautiful scenery, she had us take down the curtain and the roof, and she made herself as comfortable as possible, sitting cross-legged, sketching. Although paid for their services, the palanquin bearers carried her with the utmost care and respect. She had that effect on people: everyone she met wanted to serve her and please her. And these people recognized her as someone special, a “holy mother.” Wherever we went around Kulu, people would offer respect and address her as “Holy Mother.”

Eventually we reached the village. First we visited the village temple, where there were a Deity of Lord Ramachandra and a Shiva-lingam, and then the boy took us further up the mountain to his family home. His family lived in a simple log cabin—the sheep downstairs, the people upstairs—overlooking groves of almond and apple trees. Huge hemp bushes grew wild everywhere.

Mother Arca Vigraha was fascinated by the villagers’ simple, self-sufficient way of life. They grew their own wheat, dal, and vegetables; herded sheep for wool; and kept short-legged Himalayan cows for milk. They ground their own atta, spun and dyed their own wool, and wove their famous Kulu shawls and tunics. They even built their own houses. With the hemp they made shoes.

With usual Indian hospitality, the mother offered us lunch. She gathered bundles of wheat, ground them in a stone grinder, and with this freshly-ground atta formed thick rotis with her hands. Then she made a sabji of fresh, tiny eggplants with a chili-masala stuffing, and some dal. It was simple, almost primitive, but delicious.

After lunch, we drank fresh water from a stream trickling down the mountain. According to legend, the Pandavas, as well as many sages and rishis, had spent time in the area. It wasn’t difficult to imagine these great devotees living there, drinking fresh water from the streams, eating fruits and berries from the trees, and meditating on God.

Mother Arca Vigraha gained a lot of inspiration from that trip up the mountain. She saw it as a symbolic journey, looking out over the world she was leaving behind and embracing the world beyond.

Then one morning she woke up with intense pain. We knew the cancer had spread, and we returned to Delhi by bus—a fifteen-hour journey, winding down the narrow mountain roads. In Delhi we went straight to Batra Hospital to meet her oncologist, Dr. Gosh. He was very straightforward and told her that the cancer had reached a critical point. Mother Arca Vigraha was shaken. We both realized that she did not have long to live. The only thing she could do was try to control the pain through radiation therapy. So we went back to Vrindavan for a few days and then returned to Delhi.

She wanted her art equipment—pencils and brushes and paints and papers—in case she felt inspired to work. We also took a portable kitchen—stoves, pots, and dry goods. And her special pillow, sheets, and personal effects.

The taxi left us at Batra Hospital. There were throngs of people. Struggling with our luggage, we took our places in a long line leading to the front desk and eventually reached the admission clerk. Our idea was that I would stay under Arca’s bed and cook for her and take care of her. But the hospital refused, and with that, Arca turned around and walked out. “We’re going to Kaya Maya.”

Years before, on a flight from Mauritius to Bombay, Mother Arca Vigraha had met a famous Ayurvedic kaviraja. When she moved to Vrindavan, she started taking treatment from Kaviraja Partap Chauhan, who, it turned out, was a student of the famous kaviraja she had met on the plane. And Kaviraj Chauhan’s “Guruji,” as he was called, ran an Ayurvedic clinic called Kaya Maya in Tughlakabad, outside Delhi.

We piled into an auto rickshaw, with Mother Arca Vigraha in the back on top of the luggage, and I squeezed in next to the driver. When we arrived at Kaya Maya we found that it was just a day clinic. Still, the manager agreed to give us a room—a dark little room full of cobwebs with a simple tap and toilet as an attached bathroom, and another room, a crude cement structure with a tap and a basin, to use as a kitchen.

Every day people would come to consult Guruji. They would wait for hours in the courtyard outside his consulting room, and they would notice us. Partly out of boredom and partly out of curiosity, people would come right up to our door and window and stare at us. And Mother Arca Vigraha, equally intrigued, would stare back. Her artist’s vision always noticed something unique and beautiful about each person, no matter how ordinary he or she seemed.

Mother Arca Vigraha had excellent taste in everything, and she loved fragrant oils. She had one particularly nice oil that she would wear on her sikha. So, the first night at Kaya Maya, at about ten or eleven at night, there was a loud knock on our door. Standing in the door, swaying and hiccupping, was a large man who introduced himself as Guruji’s son. He told us that he had just come from a party and had smelled the exquisite fragrance coming from our room. Mother Arca Vigraha was delighted and said, “Oh, you like it? Come smell.” So she lifted up her sikha and allowed him to smell. Then he started telling us his life story, all the while hiccupping. As we got to know the place better, we understood that he was the black sheep in his family. But he felt so encouraged by Mother Arca Vigraha’s kindness; she always saw the good in everyone and gave them a sense of dignity and self-respect.

This was about six months before she left her body. She was very sick and in great pain. We had no transport to get to the hospital, so every day I would walk down to the main road to hitchhike. When a car stopped I would tell the driver, “Just wait, I have to call my mother,” and run back up to call Arca. It is amazing how many austerities she accepted. She was accustomed to having the best of everything, but here she was, begging rides to go to the hospital.

At the hospital we met people from all over India and Nepal. Some had huge tumors, like footballs, protruding from their bodies. It was almost too much for the human mind to bear. I think the other patients recognized how brave Arca must have been. She was so obviously refined and accustomed to more, but here she was in a mediocre hospital, far away from her family and country and facilities. I think she gave the other patients courage to face their own situations.

After that, we returned to Vrindavan, and she never left again, not even for a day. She became more and more absorbed in Krishna consciousness, and her focus shifted from her life and service in this world to her life and service in Goloka Vrindavan. The next few months extracted from her the ultimate in surrender and purification, and by the time she passed away, her consciousness was highly exalted.

She had taken your instruction, Guru Maharaja—“Just go to Vrindavan and let Radharani take over”—completely to heart. Her faith in guru and Krishna and her love for Vrindavan assured her of complete victory. There is no doubt that she entered the eternal pastimes of Radha and Krishna and Their associates.

Source: https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=17968

The Vedas recommend that women must always be protected. In her youth, a young woman is protected by responsible parents; in her adult life by the husband and in her old age by elderly children. The protection offered is not in the current sense of exploitation and control , but rather in the provision of an encouraging and suitable environment for the proper material and spiritual well being of the woman . Thus, without being worried about the difficulties that could come from the external environment and being valued for her role in the family a woman would easily give herself to the performance of her dharma(duties) and make spiritual progress.

Often times, women practicing Bhakti who are without the protection of a male family member owing to various reasons beyond their control, do find themselves wondering about how they can adapt to this recommendation from the Vedas. Just like there are numerous examples in our scriptures about women being nicely protected by male family members there are also examples of women who had to live without that. Now what did those women do? How did they live their lives? Where did they find their shelter? Reading about their example can be very pacifying for a heart seeking proper direction.

The Rules And Regulations Of Bhakti and the Holy Names

In the Ramayana, Sita had to be without the protection of a husband , or a father or a son atleast twice in Her pastimes. When She was kidnapped by Ravana and taken to Lanka, Ravana took Her around his opulent palace, tried to attract Her to his riches and also told Her that all his queens would become Her slaves. However Sita was not attracted to any of those things for She was completely chaste to her husband, Lord Rama. As the Ramayana progresses we also find that no matter what Ravana did, Sita remained unshaken in her love and chastity for Lord Rama and thus she was always protected even while being in a very hostile environment in Lanka.

From Sita’s example we can see how she remained true to her values and that protected her from the various allurements offered by Ravana. Her constant meditation on Lord Rama and His qualities gave Her tremendous strength through Her ordeal. This can be a starting point for many single “unprotected” women, i.e. to find their protection in sticking to values based on the rules and regulations of Bhakti and constantly meditating upon the Lord through His Holy Names. In the face of temptation, this is the one thing that can help everyone in remaining protected from succumbing to their own lower nature. Also, if one follows the rules and regulations of Bhakti sincerely, Krishna offers complete protection to them. While some primarily depend upon pepper sprays, self defense techniques and protection dogs many primarily depend upon the Lord and consider the others as secondary sources of protection.

The Guru and The Association of Vaishnavas

Later in the Ramayana , we find Sita was abandoned near the hermitage of the great sage Valmiki. She had to not only deal with the emotions of being cast off by her husband but also deal with the embarrasment of facing questions about her situation from the sages and their wives residing at the hermitage. Along with this, She was also in an extremely vulnerable state being pregnant. Valmiki Rsi arranged for Sita to live with the ascetic women near his ashrama. They took care of her just like they would care for their own daughter. Not only did Sita live there Herself as a single woman, but she also gave birth and raised her two sons Luv and Kush in that hermitage. By following dharma properly, living in the association of Guru and Vaishnavas and Her own purity , Sita did not harbor any bitterness in her heart and neither did she let her children develop a negative mindset towards their father Lord Rama. On the other hand Luv and Kush were raised as spiritually minded boys by Her with the support of the lady ascetics and Valmiki Rsi.

While the starting point is to take shelter in the rules and regulations of Bhakti, one can follow further in the footsteps of Sita by also taking shelter of a Guru and living in the association of Vaishnavas or like minded spiritualists. A woman maybe alone and not have a father, a husband or a son, but by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy she and everyone else have access to the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or dharmā. She has the possibility of having the shelter of a bona fide guru who is the representative of Kṛṣṇa. And she has Kṛṣṇa Himself just like Sita had Rama. As said by Narottama Das Thakur in his Nama Sankirtana bhajan,

sri-caitanya-nityananda sri-advaita-sita

hari guru vaishnava bhagavata gita

“All glories to Sri Caitanya and Nityananda! All glories to Sri Advaita Acarya and His consort, Sri Sita Thakurani. All glories to Lord Hari, to the spiritual master, the Vaishnavas, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Srimad Bhagavad-Gita. “

Those four things will keep everyone’s sanity, and safety intact so that one can continue in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. At www.BhaktiWomen.org we wish the very best strength and protection to all women in their Bhakti.

– With excerpts from a lecture by HG Harivilas Prabhu[ACBSP] on ” Powerful Feminine Qualities”

This article first appeared at the link: http://bhaktiwomen.org/?q=content/protection-single-woman

For more resources for women go to www.bhaktiwomen.org

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=19094

Shrimati Sita Devi is the daughter of the Earth goddess, Bhumi Devi, and central figure of the Ramayana. InMaharishi Valmiki’s own words, Ramayana is known as the noble story of Sita “Sita-ayah Charitam Mahat”.

Her glories are sun by the poet-saint Thyagaraja in his “Shri Janakatayane”

Oh daughter of Janaka, the blessed refuge of souls! Oh Consort of Shri Raghu Rama, bedecked with shining gem-ornaments! Pray, protect me always! You are the wind that destroys the clouds of demons like the hundres-headed Ravana; You are the indweller in the hearts of the devotees; Your Feet shine with the lustre of gems set in the crown of Indra.

King Janaka was the wise and benevolent King of Janakpuri and although a great saintly king he was childless. ‘Rajarshi – a king who lives like a sage: that was how king Janaka of Videha dynasty was renowned. He ruled over the kingdom of Mithila. He looked upon his people with love and affection.

The Finding of Sita Devi in a casket in the Earth:

Janaka maharaj was ploughing a piece of land and then to prepare it for conducting a Yajna (spiritual sacrifice). He unearthed a golden casket in which he found a beautiful girl and was overjoyed. A land ploughed by the yoke is called ‘Sita’, and so he named the baby as Sita. With the arrival of the baby, the king’s good luck appeared to soar up. His queen also gave birth to a daughter who was named Urmila. The royal couple brought up the children with great affection. They gave them a good education. The twobeautiful girls, by their noble qualities, good behavior and intelligence, endeared themselves to one and all and grew to become ideal princesses.

Sita grew up and played in the palace of Janakaraj. She became well known for her beauty as well as her devotion. She could often be seen absorbed in the Deity of the Lord of the Surya-vamsa. She would when on her own, sometimes lovingly enact the pastimes of the various forms of the Lord and relish His pastimes. In this way she revealed to those close to her that she was no ordinary young girl.

Her fame like her beauty became well known, and soon it was time for her to be betrothed and then married. As with kshatriya kings of those days Janakaraj organised that all the worthy kings and princes would come, there would be a challenge for her hand, and the victor would become her husband.

The story goes that one day, revered sage Parashurama came to visit king Janaka. He carried a bow with him. He left it at the doorstep of the royal hall and went inside. Sita saw the bow, ran to it and began playing with it as if it was a play-horse. Only those with great physical strength and daring could lift and handle the ‘Vaishnava’ bow. When Parashurama came out, the bow was missing. Ordinary persons could not lift it with ease and he, curiously looking around, spotted Sita playing with it as if it was a play-horse. The sage and the king were astonished.

The great Sage Parashurama, who is a partial incarnation (shaktyavesha avatara) of Vishnu then blessed Sita and said to king Janaka: “My dear king, only a great, and strong person can wed this girl of such capacity. Arrange a ‘Swayamvara’ (where the brides choose their spouses for their prowess) for her and let the most suitable person in the three worlds the marry her.”

In course of time, Sita and Urmila attained maturity.

King Janaka possessed a bow said to have been blessed by Lord Shiva. It was a great bow and the king decided to marry off his daughter to one who could lift it and charge its arrow. He prepared for a Swayamvara.

The challenge is sent out, “The Man Who Conquers the ‘Shiva, Bow’ Weds Sita”, and so all manner of qualified princes and “wannabe’s” came from all over the world. But how to find such a heroic young man to wed such a girl?

Many noble princes from several kingdoms came aspiring for the hand of the beautiful damsel Sita. But they were awed by the mighty bow and, saluting it turned away.

Sage Vishwamitra, accompanied by his disciples Rama and Lakshmana, arrived at Mithila. The princes, sons of renowned king Dasharatha, had conquered many demons (‘rakshasas’). King Janaka felt glad at their arrival.

Vishwamitra told Rama:“Dear Ramachandra, pray to Lord Shiva and take to the bow.” Shri Rama bowed to Vishwamitra and offered his respects. He then prayed for the grace of Lord Shiva, went and raised the bow with ease and thrust an arrow. As he bent the bow, it broke. Sitadevi came and garlanded him and accepted him as her husband. The news reached king Dasharatha who rushed to Mithila with his entourage. The marriage of Rama and Sita Devi was solemnized in a grand manner.

After this event, Dasharatha spent many happy years ruling the kingdom. Old age gradually crept on, and he decided to retire. He naturally thought of handing over the reigns of the kingdom to his eldest son Rama. He wanted to spend the rest of his life in meditation, away from the worries of physical life. He consulted his elderly priests and decided on the day of Shri Rama’s installation on the royal throne.

The king was very joyful on the auspicious day. His senior consort Kausalya Devi was engaged in worship and serving the elders and priests. People in the kingdom were rejoicing and eagerly looked forward to the coming coronation.

King Dasharatha’s third consort was Kaikeyi. She too was very affectionate towards Rama. But carried away by the advice of her maid Manthara, she claimed that her son Bharata should Succeed as the next king, and that Rama should go to forest for fourteen years. Dasharatha was shocked to hear this. All his pleadings with Kaikeyi to change her mind proved in vain.

A long time ago, the King had promised her that he would fulfil two wishes of hers. Now, as a fulfillment, she demanded that the king install Bharata as the Crown Prince and that Rama should go to forest for fourteen years.

Rama came to know about this, consoled his father and said he would go to the forest to fulfil his pledge. Rama immediately discarded his royal robes and ornaments and wearing sack-clothes, prepared to leave for the woods. Kausalya was grief-stricken. Rama pacified her and obtained her permission to leave.

After meeting his mother, Rama went to his wife Sita. She was then bubbling with joy at the impending coronation of her husband and was performing worship for his good; she was giving away doles and offerings.

Looking at Sita’s joy and celebration, Rama felt it painful to inform her that he would not be crowned and that he would be leaving for the jungle. He knows she would be shocked. Looking at his worried face, Sita asked: “You appear to be worried at such a joyous moment. What is the matter? Did anything untoward happen?” She gently wiped the sweat on his face with the edge of her saree.

Rama said: “Dear Janaki, do not feel grieved at what I am going to tell you. I have to leave the capital for a distant place. You should see me off without tears.” He told her about the king’s dilemma and said: I will go to the forest for fourteen years and return. You should remain without anger or sorrow. Be calm. The parents are old. Look after them. Be good and courteous towards Bharata also. Permit me to leave.“

Sita was saddened. She was not sorry either at the canceling of her husband’s coronation or at the demanded crowning of Bharata. But she felt angry that Rama should leave her behind and go to the forest alone. She declared: “My Lord, I can’t stay for a moment in a place without you. In your absence, this Ayodhya will be a jungle to me. The forest wherein you stay will be my kingdom. My life runs under your shadow. It is not becoming of you to leave me behind.”

Rama explained to her the rigours of life in the woods. “Sita, you do not know about jungle-life. It is not a cosy, royal garden; cruel wild animals and evil demons (rakshasas) infest it. You hear ferocious voices. You have to live on roots and wild fruits. A tender lady like you cannot withstand these hazards.You have to pass every day in fear of some impending danger. After all, fourteen years is not a long period.”

Sita would not listen to his pleadings. She insisted: “Whether it is jungle or town, it is my. duty to be with you. I do not care for comforts here. I am not afraid of the difficulties we may encounter in the forest. You are such a lion of a man. Can’t you protect me there?” Tears rolled down her eyes.

Rama eventually had to agree with her: “Sita if you are with me, any jungle is heaven. Let it be, as you desire. Prepare to leave.” Sita happily made preparations for the sojourn.

Rama’s younger brother Lakshmana also insisted that he would accompany them. Rama had to acquiesce.

Deciding to stay at Chitrakoota Mountain, the three-some left and reached their destination.

It was a picturesque area. Many sages had built their ashrams (hermitages) there. They warmly welcomed Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. Rama and Lakshmana built a hermitage for themselves.

After a time, Bharata, with his entourage, came to visit them. He wanted to plead with Rama to return to Ayodhya and assume kingship. He mournfully informed them about king Dasharatha’s passing away. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were overcome with grief.

All the pleadings of Bharata to Rama were in vain. Rama did not change his mind. At last, Bharata requested Rama to give him his sandals so that he could place them on the throne and rule in the name of Rama. He also decided to reside in the village Nandi as a hermit.

From Chitrakoota, the three went Dandakaranya forest.

The sages of Dandakaranya received them with regard and affection. They told Rama that evil rakshasas and wild animals had been harassing them and sought his help to relieve them of these troubles and protect them. Rama, by nature, was compassionate; he promised them he would free them from the menace of rakshasas.

Sitadevi was worried. At an appropriate time she told Rama: “Aryaputra, let me submit to you a few of my thoughts. Please do not think I am more learned than you. The sages narrated their problems and you promised them you would annihilate the rakshasas and wild animals. You have now forsaken all the royal paraphernalia and have come to the forest. Now you have to live like an ascetic and should not carry weapons. You have a bow and arrows for self-protection. By your promise to the sages, the rakshasas will become your enemies. I am worded about this. We cannot say what danger might hit us at any time. And also, is it just to kill wild animals and rakshasas who have not harmed us in any way? Hatred without reason may result in danger. Please think it over.”

Rama patiently listened to Sita’s words and said: “Devi, listen. We are Kshatriyas by birth and no time is objectionable for us to punish the evil doers. Can the rakshasas attack innocent sages and devour them? Punishing them and protecting theinnocent is our dharma (sacred duty). Your thoughts deserve consideration. You have thought about this matter seriously. I will go about this very carefully.” Sita was relieved at his explanation.

As Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were approaching a spot called Panchavati, they came across a huge banyan tree. Atop it sat a large-sized eagle. They thought it might also be a rakshasas in disguise. But it said: “Raghurama, I am a friend of your father Dasharatha. My name is Jatayu. When you and Lakshmana go out, I will be here with Sita and keep guard. I will try to be of some help to you. “They felt happy that they met a friendly soul in the jungle.

They built a hermitage and lived comfortably for sometime. Close by was the Godavari river. The area was dotted with hills. The jungle trees and plants provided fruits and flowers in abundance. With majestic trees, various plants, chirping birds and attractive animals like the deer, the spot was a feast to the eye.

A demoness, Shurpanakha,was wandering about in that area in search of food. She scented some human beings staying there and came to Rama’s hermitage and peeped in.

She was instantly struck by the graceful personalities of Rama and Lakshmana and wished to marry one of them. She assumed the appearance of a beautiful damsel and asked Rama to marry her.

Rama said: “I am married and my wife is with me here. I cannot bring in” another wife. My younger brother Lakshmana is alone and he is also good-looking. Go to him.“

Shurpanakha then approached Lakshmana and asked him to marry her. He said: “I am Rama’s devout attendant. If you marry me, you will also become a servant and have to be subserviant to Sita. Go back and ask Rama.”

It was a sport between the brothers. She was made to go from one to the other several times and became fed up with this game. She angrily said: “it is because Rama’s wife is here that things are happening this way. I am going to finish her off.” So saying, she came to pounce upon Sita.

Rama told Lakshmana: “No point in being too light-hearted with evil people. Punish her and drive her away.” Thereupon, Lakshmana went and cut off her ears, nose and breasts and thus drove her away.

Shurpanakha, apart from the physical pain, felt humiliated and ran away growling loudly. She was the sister of Ravana, the king of Lanka, a man endowed with immense prowess. Another demon, Khara, who ruled over Janasthana, where Rama’s hermitage was located, was Ravana’s younger brother. Shurpanakha went to Khara and told him of her humiliation. He became wild with anger and, accompanied by a large army, came to attack Rama and Lakshmana. But Rama’s powerful arrows annihilated the enemy force. The sages of the forest extolled Rama. Sita also felt happy, but a nagging worry continued to haunt her.

Shurpanakha then went to Lanka and wailed before Ravana. She narrated her humiliation and the defeat of Khara and his army. She also told him about Sita’s beauty.

Ravana felt sad; anger welled up in him. Should a sister of such a hero as himself suffer such humiliation? Hearing her description of Sita’s beauty, an evil thought entered his mind – that he should abduct Sita!

Ravana thought of many ways and finally decided to seek the assistance of Mareecha, who was his relative. Mareecha shivered at the mention of Rama. He explained to Ravana about the fury of Rama’s arrows. He advised Ravana: “To abduct Sita is a bad idea. Forget it.”

But Ravana was insistent. “If you do not listen to me, your life is finished,” he threatened Mareecha, who then realized that any amount of advice to Ravana would be futile.

Ravana’s plan was to see that Rama and Lakshmana would be lured away from the hermitage; he could then go there and kidnap Sita. He conceived a plan and Mareecha was asked to execute it.

Mareecha assumed the guise of a lovely golden deer and moved about in the presence of Sita. Sighting it, Sita told Rama: “Look at this beautiful deer. If we can catch it, will it not be an ornament to Ayodhya?”

Lakshmana said: “It is not a real deer. It looks artificial. Let us not be fooled by some tricks of the rakshasas.”

But Rama wished to fulfil Sita’s desire and proceeded to follow the golden deer.

However, Rama could not easily catch the deer. In pursuit, it took him far away from their residence. Finally, tired and angry Rama struck it with an arrow. As he lay dying, Mareecha cried out: “Ha, Lakshmana! Ha Sita!” was imitating Rama’s voice.

Sita was worried at Rama’s not returning early when heard this cry. She entreated Lakshmana to go and find out whether Rama was in danger and needed protection.

Lakshmana tried to console her and said: “My brother is the protector of the world. What danger can affect him*? There is no need for anyone to go to his aid. These are all the rakshasas’ tricks.”

But Sita did not think so. She became angry and denounced Lakshmana thus: “You have come with us with some object of personal benefit. When your elder brother is facing danger you are wasting time here. I do not approve of your designs.”

Lakshmana could not tolerate this insinuation. He was worried about the welfare of Sita if he went away leaving her alone. He invoked the demigods (devas) of the forest, and protracted the ashram by placign the Rekha line around it. Then offering respects before Sita he reluctantly left the place.

Meanwhile, taking advantage of Lakshaman and Rama’s absence a ‘Sannyasi’ (monk) arrived at Rama’s hut. He wore saffron robes, had tied his hair into a top-knot and chanted Vedic hymns like any other ascetic.
Sita looked at him and he asked her: “Why are you, such a beautiful damsel staying in this jungle suffering misery?”

Thinking that a respectable sage had come, Sita treated him with reverence and told him about her life-story. She did not comprehend that Ravana ‘had come in disguise.

The Sannyasi said: “I am Ravaneshwara. All the three worlds shudder at the mention of my name.

I have never seen a more beautiful woman like you. Come and be my queen and lead a happy life.”

Sitadevi, hearing these words, was see thing with anger and said: “You wretched man! I am the wife of lionhearted Rama. If you touch me, you will be touching fire!”

In spite of her entreaties, Ravana would not relent. He carried her to his chariot even as she was denouncing him and praying for her protection.

Jatayu, who was sleeping atop a tree, was awakened by Sita’s cries. He immediately jumped forward and attacked Ravana’s chariot, killed the driver and damaged it considerably.

Enraged, Ravana lashed at Jatayu and cut off his wings. Sita was saddened to see Jatayu fall to the ground mortally wounded. Carrying Sita, Ravana flew away in the skies towards Lanka.

As soon as Rama heard Mareecha’s cries, he felt that something was wrong. He hurriedly retreated and met Lakshmana on the way back. Rama’s suspicions grew and sensing something bad, asked Lakshmana: “Brother, What is this? Why did you come?

What about Sita’s welfare? What could happen to her by the time we get back to our place? May we see her again alive?”

They rushed to the hermitage and Rama cried out: “Devi, Janaki, where are you?” There was no answer. The ashram was empty. Rama searched around to no avail. He wandered uttering Sita’s name all over the place. “0 trees, birds, animals, can’t you tell me about Sita’s whereabouts?” At one spot Rama found a bunch of flowers Sita had worn. Nearby lay Jatayu, injured and in agony. It seemed as if the bird was struggling to keep alive only to inform Shri Rama about the abduction of Sita. It said: “Raghurama, Ravana, the king of Lanka, has abducted Sitadevi. I fought him to protect her but he beat me.” With these words, the bird died.

Rama and Lakshmana, full of grief, conducted the last rites of Jatayu in accordance with the tradition.

Ravana brought Sita to Lanka. He showed her his palace and riches. He showed her his rakshasas army. He told her: “Look here, Rama cannot come here. Forget him. There is no one more heroic and rich than I am. Become my queen and lead a happy life.”

Sita did not want even to talk to him. She held a blade of grass before her and looking at it said: “Ravana, you have carried me to this place stealthily when Rama was not present. If he was there at that time, you would have been destroyed. It looks as if your life is now ended.”

Ravana was enraged. He kept her in the Ashokavana garden and engaged demonizes to guard her.
Rama and Lakshmana proceeded in search of Sita. Wandering all around, they arrived at Rishyamooka hill. Sighting them from atop the hill, Sugriva, a king of the monkeys, sent his minister Anjaneya (Hanuman) to meet them and bring them to him.

His elder brother Vali, who also kept Sugriva’s wife for himself, had deported Sugriva from his land. Sugriva narrated his woes to Rama and sought his help. In turn, Rama told him about his own sorrow. Both pledged to help each other. They declare their friendship in front of the Fire God Agni (sacred fire).

Rama killed Vali and installed Sugriva on the throne.

Sugriva sent his soldiers to all corners of the country to search for Sita. Rama called Anjaneya (Hanuman) and told him: “Dear son of Vayu wind, I feel that you will succeed in your mission. You are the only one able to reach Lanka. Go forth and meet Sita. Tell her about our welfare. As a sign of recognition, give her this ring.” He blessed and sent him away.

The armies of ‘vanaras’ (monkeys and bears) reached the seashore. They thought to themselves, How to cross the vast sea? One has only to fly. Who is capable of it. They all agreed that only Hanuman possessed the prowess to undertake the task. Thus, Anjaneya embarked on his voyage of a distance of 100 yojanas with the speed of wind and reached Lanka he went to Ravana’s palace, searched around and found Sita at Ashokavana.

Sita sat under a Shimshupa tree. Pale and weary-looking, and wearing a worn-out saree, she was sitting there on the floor crying. She was pining: “0 Ramachandra! Can’t you see my plight? Can I be so lucky as to see you again?” Ugly looking demonesses around pressed on: “Forget Rama. Marry the heroic, wealthy Ravana. If you please him, you can lead a life of luxury. If you refuse, you will be finished.” But Sita sternly told them: I will never think of another man even in my dreams. “Rich or Poor, My Life is Only with Rama”

I would not touch another being even with my left foot.“

Sitting on the branches of a nearby tree, Anjaneya saw all and heard these words.

In the morning, Ravana accompanied by his harem came there. Ravana said: “Sita, why you are suffering like this without good food and clothing? I am the king of the three worlds. My palace, riches, opulence – everything will be yours. Come to the palace. One does not know whether Rama, living in the jungle like a hermit, is alive or dead. Forget him.”

Addressing the blade of grass before her, Sita said: “I am Rama’s wife. Whether he is rich or poor, my place is with Rama and nowhere else. I do not even want to look at you. By bringing me here, you are ruining yourself and your family.”

Though Ravana continued to persuade Sita, he was insulted by her as a coward and evil man. He was angered and dashed forward with fury saying he would kill her. He was held back by one of his wives Dhanyamalini. He told Sita: “I will give you two months time. If you do not change your mind, I will kill you!” So saying, he went away.

After he left, the demonesses began to harass Sita who was now thinking of almost ending her life, before these devils devoured her. An old demoness Trijata checked her associates and told them about a bad dream she had: “Do not harass Sita. She is the purest wife. Lanka is now faced with great danger. Ask her pardon.” Then, they left off harassing her.

Hanuman came down from the treetop and stood before Sita singing the praise of Rama.

Sita, surprised, feared that this too might be a ruse of Ravana. But Hanuman assured her and revealed his real self. He gave her the ring given by Rama as a sign of recognition and told her about the welfare of the brothers. Sita felt relieved. She reverently touched her eyes with the ring. She explained her experiences to him and said: “If Rama does not come within two months, my life will be finished. Tell Rama to come soon and save me.”

Hanuman said: “0 Mother, why should we wait that long? I can carry you on my shoulders and fly to Rama now itself.” But Sita did not agree and said: “Anjaneya, it is Rama’s duty. That duty should not be interfered with. I will suffer all the hardships here till he comes. Give this to him as a sign of recognition.” So saying, she gave Hanuman a Chudamani (crest-jewel) she was wearing and blessed him. Anjaneya returned.

Then, Rama, accompanied by the army the monkeys, immediately proceeded towards Lanka. A bridge was built across the sea.

The armies of Rama and Ravana fought a fierce battle. Ravana was also a man of extraordinary prowess. His sons Indrajit, younger brother Kumbhakarna, commander Prahasta, were all great warriors and fought determinedly. However, Ravana’s army was at last defeated, after the fall of Indrajit, Kumbhakarna and many others who died in the battle. Still, Ravana would not relent. Finally, he faced Rama directly. It was a long fight, ending in the death of Ravana. Rama installed Vibhishana, a younger brother of Ravana, as the king of Lanka. After that, at Rama’s asking, Vibhishana brought Sita to Rama.

Mother Sita had spent all her days in worshipping Rama in her mind. She had patiently withstood Ravana’s insults and threats, the how lings of the demonesses and other humiliations. She waited long for Rama to come, conquer Ravana and free her.

Rama won the battle and Ravana died but happiness eluded Sita.

Vibhishana brought Sita in a palanquin.Armies of Sugriva and Vibhishana stood in attendance. Sitadevi stepped down and going to Rama, exclaimed: “Aryaputra!” She was so overcome with emotion that words failed her.

Rama told Sita: “Good woman, you are now freed. As a matter of my duty I came to rescue you. It is not because of my passion towards you. You have been with the rakshasas for a year. I cannot accept you as my wife as before. You are now free. Go anywhere you like and live.”

Rama’s forest sojourn ended by then. He and others reached Ayodhya flying in ‘Pushpaka-vimana’. Bharata and the citizens accorded a grand welcome to Rama. Everybody was filled with happiness. All were talking about Sita. Already, preparations for Rama’s coronation were complete. He was ceremonially crowned the king.

The Fire Ordeal.

Can such a kind-hearted soul as Rama speak so cruelly? Sita could not believe her ears. “This is a great test for me. All right. If my husband rejects me, why should I live? I will sacrifice this body- to Agni” -she decided and asked Lakshmana to prepare a fire.

Lakshmana became furious and stared at Rama. Sugriva and others stood shocked. Rama stood like a rock. With tears in his eyes, Lakshmana prepared the fire.

Sita bowed to her husband and prayed: “0 Fire God Agni, if I am pure, unsullied and faithful to my husband, protect me.” So saying, she walked into the flames. All were shocked and the women present wailed.

But the fire subsided. God Agni stepped out carrying Sita. He told Rama: “She is absolutely pure. How can you suspect her?

Here, accept this pure and fine woman.”

Bugles blew, flowers were showered on them. Rama then said, “I know Sita is pure. Still, I had to do this so that people should not say something bad later.” He gladly welcomed Sita.

On occassion Lord Rama dressed himself like an ordinary person and began wandering within Ayodhya to understand what impression the citizens had of Him. By chance one night Rama heard a man talking to his wife who had gone to another man’s house. In the course of rebuking his wife, the man spoke detrimentally about the character of Sita devi, saying that he (the husband) is not like Rama who allows his wife to come back after staying at another’s house. Rama immediately returned home, and fearing such rumours, he externally decided to give up the company of Sita devi. He sent her away to the ‘ashrama’ of Valmiki Muni. Sita, who was pregnant at the time, later gave birth to twin sons named Lava and Kusa.

Lord Rama continued to perform many sacrifices during his ruling Ayodhya. At one such sacrifice, some fifteen years later, two boys came into the arena of the sacrifice while Rama was sitting on his ‘asana’. Valmiki had taught the boys the whole poem of the Ramayana and had put the story to a very beautiful and melodious ‘swara’, tune. Valmiki, accompanying the two boys, asked Rama’s permission so the boys could recite his poem. Rama gave permission, and the boys commenced in perfect unison.

Shri Ramachandra Bhagavan was deeply stirred by the depth of the knowledge of him and his pastime. Night after night the recital continued until it came to Sita’s abandonment to Valmiki’s ‘ashrama’. Rama was then convinced they were his very own sons born to Mother Sita. He sent word to Valmiki that he should come with Sita and vouch for her purity and faithfulness. If Sita was willing to come before the assembly and give proof of her innocence, she could resume her rightful place at her Lord’s side.

Everyone agreed and the next day Shrimati Sitadevi came. Everyone was touched at the sight of her, her head and eyes downcast, tears running down her beautiful face, her long hair chastely adorning her back.

iyam dasarathe sita suvrata dharmacarini
apapa te oparityakta mamasramasamipatah

lakopavadabhitasya tava rama mahavarata
pratyayam dasyate sita tamanujnatumarhasi

Valmiki Muni respectfully approached Shri Rama saying, “O son of Dasaratha, here is your wife Sita. She has been staying in my ‘ashrama’ since you abandoned her, performing austerities. She is completely without blame and is pure and innocent. Due to your position as King you played the part that you feared public opinion may be detrimental for you, and so you have also performed severe austerities. However, it is now proper that your impeccable wife be allowed to prove her own innocence.” (Valmiki Ramayana Uttara Khanda 7:87:14-15.)

Sita stood in silence, her eyes transfixed on the ground without blinking. With folded hands she said, “If Rama has always been foremost in my heart, then may my Mother Earth (Bhumi) herself deliver me. If I have been only true to him, wholly, mind, body and soul, then may my Mother Earth deliver me. If I have loved none but him, then let my Mother Earth deliver me.”

As she spoke, the earth rumbled, shook and cracked open where Sita stood. Shrimati Bhumi devi (Mother Earth personified) then appeared, seated on a throne of incredible natural earthly opulence, surrounded by ‘nagas’ (snakes), and she invited Sita to take her seat along side her.

Sita, entrusting her children to Valmiki, ascended the throne supported by ‘nagas’ adorned with fiery eyes and jewels on their heads. There, seated besides her mother, Bhumi and Sita disappeared from sight. The earth closed up leaving not even so much as a furrow on the surface as thought nothing had happened.

Sripad Madhwacharya’s Mahabharata Tatparaynirnaya 9:40., he relates,

pravisya bhumau sa devi loke drstyanusaratah

reme ramenavi yukta bhaskarena prabha yatha

“That beautiful Sita devi seemingly entered into the earth though actually she always remains with Lord Rama, just as the sun’s rays are always with the sun.”

Remembering Shri Rama, true to his vow of ‘ekapatni’, never accepted another woman other than Sita. Next to him on his ‘asana’ he kept a golden deity of Sitadevi for some time, performing sacrifices for thirteen thousand years. At the end of this period, Agastya Muni and many demigods and sages approached the Lord and reminded him that his pastimes on earth had now been fulfilled and he should now return to Vaikuntha. Lord Rama performed ‘acaman’, sipping water and reciting ‘mantras’, once, twice, thrice, then he resumed his form of Visnu, for it is from that seat of Visnu that his pastimes became manifest. “Lord Ramachandra returned to his abode, to which ‘bhakti yogis’ are promoted. This is the place to which all the inhabitants of Ayodhya went after they served the Lord in his manifest pastimes by offering him obeisance’s, touching his lotus feet, fully observing him as a father like king, sitting or lying down with him like equals, or even just accompanying him.”(Shrimad Bhagavatam 9:11:22.)

Let us offer our humble prayers to Rama and Sitadevi, path breakers of the world.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=85517

Today we celebrate the appearance of Sri Jahnava devi, the wife of Lord Nityananda.
Shri Suryadasa Sarakhela lived in Shaligrama. He had five brothers: Damodara, Jagannatha, Gauridasa, Krishna dasa, and Nrishinga Chaitanya. His fathers name was Shri Kamsari Mishra and his mother’s name was Shri Kamala Devi. Surya dasa used to be the King’s treasurer, and it was in this connection that he was given the title “Sarakhela.”

Shri Suryadasa Sarakhela had two daughters. The older of the two was named Shri Vasudha and the younger was named Shri Jahnava. The Gaura-Ganodesha-dipika says: shri varuni revatyoramshasambhave, tasya priye shrivasudha cha jahnava, shri suryadasakhya-mahatmanah sute, kakudmirupasya cha suryatejasah, kecit shri vasudha-devim, kalav api vivrinute, ananga-manjarim kecij, jahnavim ca pracakshate, ubhayam tu smichinam, purva-nyayat satam matam. Kavi Karnapura says, “Shri Nityananda Prabhu’s dear consorts, Shri Vasudha and Jahnava Devi are expansions of Varuni and Revati, respectively. Shri Suryadasa Pandit had formerly been Maharaja Kukudmi. His bodily effulgence was as brilliant as the sun. Some say that Shrimati Vasudha-devi is the incarnation of Shrimati Ananga-manjari, and others say that Shrimati Jahnavi-devi is the incarnation of Shrimati Ananga-manjari. In truth, both opinions are correct. They are both incarnations of Shrimati Ananga-manjari.

Suryadas Sarakhela was a dear devotee of Nityananda and Gauranga. Seeing his daughters maturing into the full bloom of their youth, he began to think about the subject of their marriage. This is recorded in Bhakti-Ratnakara: “Suryadasa Pandit began to think about this very deeply. Once, thinking in this way late at night, he fell asleep. At that time, a dream came to him. With this, his mind was filled with bliss. In his dream, he saw himself giving his two daughters in marriage to Shri Nityananda Prabhu.

Seeing this wonderful dream, the pandit swam in the ocean of ecstasy. A little while later, his dream broke. The next morning, he told a brahmana friend of his about his dream. He said, “I saw that Nityananda Prabhu is Balaram Himself. His unprecedented bodily effulgence filled the ten directions with its radiance. His arms and legs were decorated with all manner of wondrous and beautiful ornaments. My two daughters accompanied him on either side of him, and, having assumed the forms of Revati and Varuni, they were exceedingly beautiful. Certainly I must offer the hands of my daughters to Shri Nityananda Prabhu in marriage. Until he accepts them, I shall never find peace.”

In this way, having informed his brahmana friend of his intentions, Sarakhela Pandit dispatched him to Nabadwipa, to Shrivasa Pandita. With great haste the brahmana left, and soon he arrived at the house of Shrivasa. At that time, Nityananda Prabhu was staying at the house of Shrivasa Pandita. The brahmana explained to Shrivasa how Suryadas Sarakhela wanted to offer his two daughters in marriage to Nityananda Prabhu. Upon hearing all this, Shrivasa became happy, and submitted the entire matter to Shri Nityananda Prabhu. The merciful Nityanandna Prabhu told the brahmana to return to Suryadas Sarakhela with the assurance that he would certainly fulfill his heart’s desire. When the news came to Advaita Acharya, he became extremely happy. He said, “May all this take place very soon.” Meanwhile, the brahmana returned to Shaligrama and gave the auspicious news to Suryadas Sarakhela. Upon hearing this, Suryadas’s ecstasy knew no bounds.

In Borogacchi grama lived the son of King Harihora, Shri Krishnadasa. He was a great and dear devotee of Shri Nityananda Prabhu. He was prepared to bear and make all the necessary arrangements for a lavish wedding, putting his own home at the disposal of the entire celebration. Wanting Lord Nityananda to accept this as his offering, Krishna dasa went quickly to Nityananda Prabhu, and prayed that he might be allowed to bring the Lord to Borogacchi gram and commence with the wedding there.

Shrivasa, Shri Advaita Acharya, Shri Chandrashekhara, Murari Gupta as well as all the other devotees of Shri Gaurasundara gathered there and began performing sankirtana. Shri Surya Dasa Sarakhela’s brother, Krishnadasa, quickly returned to Borogacchi Gram. Nityananda Prabhu also arrived there shortly, as did all the devotees from Shaligrama. Seeing Nityananda Prabhu and all the different devotees who had arrived, Suryadas Sarakhela ran out on the road before them in great ecstasy and, welcoming them, invited them to his own home, after falling before the lotus feet of Shri Nityananda Prabhu in humble submission. The Bhakti-Ratnakara records this as follows: “Falling at the lotus feet of Shri Nityananda Prabhu Suryadasa flooded the ground with his tears. With his two hands he tightly held the lotus feet of Nityananda Prabhu. His voice trembling, he wanted to speak, but could find no words. Nityananda Prabhu slowly began to smile, and gradually was unable to contain his ecstatic laughter. Bestowing his full mercy upon Suryadasa, he embraced him. Suryadasa became absorbed in bliss. Who could have understood the limits of his ecstasy? Seeing his brother, Gauridasa also became ecstatic; not being able to contain his patience, was overwhelmed with internal delight.

A little while later, Shri Suryadasa Pandita worship the lotus feet of Nityananda Prabhu and offered his two daughters—Shri Vasudha and Shri Jahnava Mata—into the hands of Nityananda. The Bhakti Ratnakara says, “In the opinion of both the scriptures and the people in general Suryadasa was most fortunate, having given his daughters in charity to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Nityananda Prabhu.

Thereafter, following the beautiful and auspicious wedding, Shri Nityananda Prabhu remained in Shaligrama Pura for some time. In time, he went to Nabadwipa dhama, and arrived at the house of Sachidevi with his two wives. He offered his obeisances to the lotus feet of Shri Sachidevi. Sachimata was delighted to see Vasudha and Jahnava. She embraced them again and again, sat them on her lap and affectionately pinched them on the cheek.

All the Vaishnava housewives in Nabadwipa showed great affection toward the two brides of Nityananda. On the order of Sachidevi, Nityananda went to the house of Advaita Acharya in Shantipura. When Sita Thakurani saw Vasudha and Shri Jahnava, she floated inthe waves of ecstasy. She also embraced them as affectionately as Sachidevi had. Shri Nityananda stayed there at the house of Advaita for some time, until Uddharana Datta Thakura requested him to come to stay at his place in Saptagrama. There he stayed for a few days, and, after taking part in a great sankirtan festival, went on to Boro Grama. Nityananda Prabhu performed endless kirtan pastimes and wandered from one place to the next for this purpose.

After some time, Shri Vasudhadevi gave birth to a daughter named Ganga and a son named Virachandra. Shri Jahnavadevi, on the other hand, had no children.

After Shri Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acharya, Shrivasa Pandita, and many other members of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s personal entourage had gone back to Godhead, Shri Jahnava Mata wanted to further inundate the world with a flood of sankirtan nectar. At that time, in Kheturi Gram, on the Phalguna Purnima day, the day of Mahaprabhu’s advent, a great festival was to be held. The three acharyas Narottama, Shyamananda, and Shrinivasa (the three-fold mercy-potency of the Lord) heard that a great festival was to be held in Kheturi Gram at the house of Raja Santosha Datta. They too arrived to take part.

The festival had been arranged by King Santosh Dutta. He was the son of Narottam’s brother as well as Narottam’s disciple. For this festival, Jahanava Devi herself, the wife of Lord Nityananda, had come. Along with her came her uncle, Shri Krishna Mishra, as well as Shirpati, Shrinidhi, Minaketana Ramadasa, Murari Chaitanya, Jnana dasa, Parameshvari dasa, Balarama Dasa, Vrindavan Das Thakura, and all the other dearmost followers of Shri Nityananda Prabhu. Jahanava Mata first went to the house of Gauridasa Pandit in Ambika Kalna along with all her followers. The disciple of Gauri das Pandita, Hridaya Chaitanya with great cordiality welcomed Shri Jahnava Mata and all the devotees. Shri Jahnava Mata with her own hand cooked the offering for the Gaura-Nityananda deities there. Having had a festival there for one night, they went on to Nabadwipa. Arriving at the house of Mahaprabhu, and not seeing Sachimata there, Shri Jahanva Mata was very unhappy to have missed her, and felt the pangs of separation. Shripati and Shrinidhi then took Shri Jahnava Mata to their own Nabadwip home. Not seeing Shrivasa Pandita and Malinidevi there, she was heartbroken and began to cry. They stayed the night there, and on the following day went to Shantipura. Finding that Shri Advaita Acharya and Shri Sita Thakurani had passed away, Jahnava Mata was filled with grief. Their sons, Achyutananda and Gopala cordially greeted Jahnava Mata and all her Vaishnava associates and welcomed them with a proper ceremonial reception.

At length, Shri Jahnava Mata, along with her devotee associates went on to a place in Kanthak Nagara known as Teliyabudhir Gram, where the brother of Ramchandra Kaviraja, whose name was Govinda Kaviraja, greeted Her with all respect and offered puja to her. After staying there one night, they all set out for Kheturi Grama.

Arriving on the other side of the river from Kheturi Grama, they found that Raja Santosha Datta had made arrangements for boats to ferry the devotees across the river Padma as well as other conveyances to bring the devotees into Kheturi Gram. He also made many other arrangements for the well-being of the devotees, including suitable housing and ample prasada. Everything was decorated very beautifully. Raja Santosha Datta personally came a long way down the road just to welcome Jahanava Mata and her company by offering them flowers and garlands, as well as many other gifts.

In this way, all the devotees headed by Jahnava Mata entered Kheturi Gram while performing Sankirtana. At this time, with Shrinivasa, Narottama, and Shyamananda in front welcomed the delegation of devotees headed by Jahnava Mata by offering their full obeisances with great humility in the dust of the road. The devotees embraced each other in great ecstasy, and gradually they filled the four directions with the ecstatic and tumultuous sound of their kirtan.

Raja Santosha Datta had caused beautiful houses to be constructed to house the devotees headed by Jahnava Mata. He also made arrangements for servants to care for their every need. Gradually the different devotees headed by Jahanva retired to their respective quarters, and after having honored prasada, they rested. Seeing that the service of the Vaishnavas had been properly taken care of, Raja Santosha Datta was very happy.

The following day was the appearance day of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Within the newly constructed mandir, six deities were to be installed. In the evening, the devotees began performing sankirtana. Shri Raghunandana, from Shri Khanda, began the preliminary kirtan. All the people of Kheturi gram turned out for the occasion. Within the midst of that great assembly, Nityananda’s shakti, Shri Jahanva Mata looked very beautiful. Upon seeing her, upon seeing the devotees gathered there, and upon hearing the divine kirtan of those great souls, all the atheists and sinners were supremely purified. Everyone had left their homes and hurried out to see the devotees and to drown themselves in the nectar of the kirtan. Everyone dived and surfaced in the ocean of ecstasy, and in this way were drowned in the bliss of Vaikuntha. In this way, the kirtan continued until midnight.

The following day, with great pomp, and before a huge crowd, Shrinivas Acharya himself performed the abhishek ceremony for the installation of the six deities. On the order of Jahnava Mata and the devotees, Narottama Thakura began to perform kirtan. In the midst of that kirtan, Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu Himself, accompanied Nityananda Prabhu and all his eternal associates, made his divine appearance. Who can describe the overflowing of ecstasy felt by the assembled devotees there in Kheturi Grama on that day? Those who could remember that festival all attained eternal fame.

On the third day of the festival, Jahanva Mata herself cooked the bhoga for the deities. “Shri Jahnava Devi was extremely delighted by the Sankirtan festival. After purifying herself by bathing in the Ganges at midday, with great enthusiasm, she cooked wonderful preparations of rice, vegetables and other things. Her cooking was unprecedented.” (BR 10th Taranga).

Shri Jahnava Mata herself distributed prasada by her own hand to the great souls present there at that grand festival. After the festival was over, Jahnava Mata left Kheturi Gram accompanied by her entourage of devotees, and set out for Vrindvana. On the way there, they passed through Prayaga and Kashi and arrived in Mathura. There they visited Krishna’s holy birthplace, and, after bathing at Vishrama Ghata, they entered Vrindavana. In order to welcome Shri Jahanva Mata, some of the Vrindvana devotees met her in Mathura. Shri Parameshvari Das describes this meeting, and mentions the names of the different devotees who turned out to meet her, as follows:

“There was Gopal Bhatta Goswami, a reservoir of gaur-prema, and Bhugarbha Goswami, as well as the highly qualified Lokanatha. Krishna dasa brahmachari and Shri Krishna Pandita, Shri Madhu Pandit and the celebrated Shri Jiva were also present there. All of them were introduced to Jahnava Mata, who was informed of their names by Jiva Goswami. Hearing all this, Jahnava Mata’s great ecstasy was increased.” (Bhakti Ratnakara)

Having approached Shri Jahnava Mata, all the goswamis present there fell before her lotus feet and offered their pranams, and she allso offered her pranams to them. Shri Jahnava Mata, seeing the ecstatic efforts of the Goswamis was very happy. At last she toured the holy places in Vrindavana and saw the different deities of Vrindavana, headed by Shri Govinda, Shri Gopinatha, and Shri Madana Mohana. The Goswamis had made an extensive effort to see to it that the arrangements for Jahnava Mata’s stay were topmost. After some days in Vrindavana, she went to see Govardhan hill, Radha-kunda and Shyamakunda. When she visited the different places of the Lord’s pastimes, different divine moods amd emotions connected with those pastimes awakened within her. In this way, after wandering about in Vrindavana for some time, she returned to Gaudadesha, Bengal.

Having reached Gaudamandala, the greater circle of Mahaprabhu’s pastimes in Bengal, She first went to Kheturi Gram. There, the devotees came out to greet and welcome her, led by Narottama and Ramchandra Kaviraja. After staying there a few days, she went on to Budhari Gram. In Budhari Grama lived ther brother of Vamshidasa, Shri Shyamadasa Chakravarti. She proposed that his daughter Shri Hemalata should be married to Boro Gangadasa. On her order, Shyamadasa gave his daughter to Boro Gangadasa. After the wedding, Jahnava Mata gave Gangadasa the responsibilty of worshiping the deity of Shyamasundara. After staying in Badhuri Gram for some time, Jahnava Mata went to see the birthplace of Shri Nityananda Prabhu in the village of Ekachakra. As she took darshan there, she heard about the father and mother of Shri Nityananda, Harai Pandit and Padmavati. Hearing about her father-in-law and mother-in-law, and meditating upon them, She was overwhelmed with separation and began to weep. In the company of a local brahman, she saw the different places of Nityananda Prabhu’s childhood pastimes. No one can describe the bliss she felt upon seeing those places. That day she stayed at the empty house which had once been occupied by Nityananda’s parents, which had once been Nityananda’s home. She passed the night chanting the names of the Lord in kirtan.

Having stayed for one night in Ekachakra, she went to Kanthak Nagara, near Katwa. She say the place of the Lord’s sannyasa, and wept. From there, she went to Yajigram, to the house of Shrinivasa Thakura. The devotees there, headed by Shrinivasa Acharya, welcomed her with great devotion. Shrinivasa invited her into his home and performed a puja in honor of Jahnava Mata, worshiping her. In this way, that best of Acharyas, Shrinivasa, absorbed himself in the service of Jahnava Mata. After staying in Yajigram for some days, she again returned to Nabadwipa, to the birthplace of Shriman Mahaprabhu. At that time, Ishan, the family servant of Mahaprabhu was in his ripe old age. Upon entering the house of Mahaprabhu, Jahanva Mata fainted in ecstasy. Seeing her absorbed in a divine trance of ecstasy, the devotees also became ecstatic and began to weep tears of prem. Fromt he house of Mahaprabhu, She went to the courtyard of Shrivasa, where she spent the night. And all night, in the coutryard of Shrivasa, the devotees engaged in mahasankirtana, dancing and chanting with great enthusiasm, for the courtyard of Shrivasa is where Mahaprabhu began his sankirtan pastimes. That night, Jahanva Mata had a dream in which she saw Shri Gaurasundara and his devotees performing different pastimes.

The following day, She offered her prayers again and again to the holy dham of Nabadwipa, and then turned towards Ambika Kalna and set out in that direction. At again being visited by Shri Jahnava Mata, the residents of Ambika Kalna were overjoyed. Remembering Gauridasa Pandita, who had since passed away, Shri Jahnava Mata wept again and again. She offered her prayers there, at the lotus feet of the Shri Gaura and Nityananda deities. There the devotees began a kirtan, and in the midst of that great and tumultuous kirtan, Gaura and Nityananda personally appeared. That night, Jahnava Mata, as she had done previously, cooked many preparations for the pleasure of Gaura-Nityananda and offered it them upon the altar. Later, she herself distributed that prasada to the devotees there. That night, as she slept, in her dreams she saw Gauridasa Pandita with Gaura and Nityananda. They all offered Jahnava Mata their blessings.

The following day, bidding farewell to the devotees, Jahanva Mata went to the home of Uddharana Datta Thakura. There, after staying for a one-night sankirtan festival, she got in a boat and returned to her own home in Khorodoha Gram. In Khoradoha Gram, upon seeing her once again, the devotees felt boundless joy. With great eagerness everyone tried to push in front of the crowd to catch a glimpse of her. The devotees greeted her with sankirtan. Nityananda’s son, Birchandra and his daughter Shri Ganga offered their prayers at the lotus feet of Shri Jahnava Mata, and in turn were affectionately embraced by her. She smelled their heads in affection. After this, Jahnava Mata and Shri Vasudha devi, offered their respects to each other. After this, Shri Jahnava Mata spoke of her visit to the different holy places in Gaura Mandala and Vraja Mandala with all the devotees. Shri Jahnava Mata retained Parameshvari Thakura as a servant. The two of them were unlimitedly happy to see one another once again. The other devotees bid their farewells.

The story of Shri Jahnava Mata’s pilgrimage throughout the holy places of Gaura Mandala and Vraja Mandala has become quite famous throughout the society of Gaudiya Vaishnavas. Shri Jahnava Mata is a reservoir of prema-bhakti and is known as Nityananda-svarupini—the other self of Nityananda Prabhu. She delivered many sinners and atheists by her mercy. Her divine opulence (aishavarya) and sweetness (madhurya) are both astounding.

The birthday of Shri Jahnava Mata, the shakti of Nityananda, is celebrated on the 8th day of the full moon in the month of Vaishakha.

Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in his Kalyana Kalpataru has prayed as follows at the lotus feet of Shri Jahnava Mata:

“Having fallen into this ocean of misery, my life is a bewilderment, and I do not know how to reach its shore, nor even where to search for it. All my efforts (karma) are useless, all my knowledge (jnana) is useless, as are mysticism (yoga), austerity, religious penance, and mundane piety. None of these processes have any power to rescue me. I am weak, helpless. I don’t know how to swim across this ocean of ignorance. Who will deliver me from this dangerous predicament? Within this dangerous ocean of material existence I see the crocodiles of sense gratification—what a terrible sight! Within this ocean, I am tossed about by the turbulent waves which constantly boil and churn like a ship without a rudder. The impulses and urges that I have acquired from my previous births are like a wind that blows the ship in all directions. My mind is unsteady. This ship has no captain, no direction. I weep in despair, seeing that I cannot cross this ocean of misery. O Jahnava Devi! Today, by the power of your divine qualities, be merciful to this servant of yours. Dispell this illusion which torments me, and relieve me of the anguish of material existence. Let me take shelter at your lotus feet, for in this way I shall certainly cross over the ocean of birth and death. You are Nityananda-shakti—the divine energy of Nityananda Himself. You are the guru of Krishna-bhakti. Be merciful to me and grant me the shade of your holy lotus feet, which are like a wish-fulfilling tree. You have delivered countless abominable sinners. Please deliver me in the same way. Today, this lowly sinner falls at your holy feet, praying for your mercy.”

[This article and more information at www.stephen-knapp.com]

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=85515

From Back to Godhead

In the face of extreme hardship, Lord Ramachandra’s queen reveals her extraordinary character, founded on her pure devotion to the Lord.
The epic Ramayana, written by the sage Valmiki, tells the story of Lord Ramachandra, Krishna’s incarnation as the perfect king. Lord Rama’s wife, queen, and eternal consort is Sita Devi. She is also the ideal devotee.

Sita Devi’s example shows that one who acts according to God’s desire is peaceful and has harmonious relationships, regardless of circumstances. Sita Devi exhibits her inner harmony throughout her ordeal, whether she’s hearing of her husband’s fourteen-year banishment to the forest, being abducted and imprisoned by Ravana, or being reunited with Lord Rama.

Sita Follows Her Conscience

In the Ramayana, Sita Devi first clearly expresses her own will by disobeying Lord Rama, who wants her to stay behind when He leaves for His exile to the forest. She decides that to be with Rama in all circumstances is her sacred duty. The unequivocal voice of her conscience will not allow her to do otherwise. By insisting on going with her husband to the forest, Sita defines for herself what a devoted wife is.

To convince Rama to allow her to go with Him, Sita says, “Every day I will serve You and practice self-discipline. I too will live on fruits and nuts and will not interfere with Your austerities. Taking shelter in Your arms, O Rama, I will become fearless.”

Rama replies, “O frail lady, in the forest wild beasts will lurk on all sides, waiting to attack, and we will have to sleep on the bare ground with scorpions, worms, mosquitoes, and gnats as constant nuisances. Abandon this idea of coming with Me. If you are truly devoted to Me, you will follow My instructions.”

“O Rama,” Sita says, “all these hardships will seem like blessings to me. If You protect me, I can tolerate anything.”

Seeing her determination, Rama finally agrees with her decision. On His request, Sita gives all her valuable possessions to the brahmanas and Vaisnavas, and she and Rama go to the forest with Laksmana.

Despite the uncomfortable circumstances, Sita is peaceful. She has followed her pure interior directive, choosing wilderness over civilization, simplicity over opulence, austerity over luxury, and the satisfaction of following her conscience over the distress of being separated from Sri Rama.

Sita’s Harmony with The Earth and Living Beings

“I shall remain happy by gazing at the hills, lakes, and rivers,” Sita says when convincing Rama to allow her to accompany Him.

The natural beauty of forest life delights Sita, and she feels so cheerful and at home there that she seems to prefer it to the complexities of the city. Her silks and gold are gone. She has given up her palace bed “as soft and white as milk foam” to sleep on fallen leaves. And she no longer dines on a variety of delicious foods but on forest fruits and nuts and greens. Still, she has no regrets.

Forest life reveals that Sita has a special connection with the earth, the rivers, and the animals. When the transcendental couple is first crossing the Ganges, at midstream Sita joins her hands in prayer:

“O Mother Ganga, please protect Sri Rama on all sides. May He pass these fourteen years without harm.”

When Ravana abducts Sita, she is spirited and clever, although desperate. She calls out to her allies in the natural world the trees, the river, the birds, and the animals begging them to help her and to inform Rama of her abduction. Unable to help, the trees shed tears in the form of sap, and the lions, deer, and elephants are heartbroken. Sita wakes the old sleeping bird Jatayu and drops her jewels to the monkeys who will later assist Lord Rama.

In Lanka, Ravana thinks that by speaking of his love for Sita, she will soon be won over.

Ever fearless, however, Sita tells him, “My heart is devoted to Rama without deviation, and to Rama alone. Why should I, a swan sporting with her mate within a lotus-filled lake, prefer a duck meandering on the shore? You can do whatever you like to me, but rest assured that because of your vile and sinful lust, you will soon meet with death at Rama’s hands.”

Raging with fury, Ravana gives her twelve months to surrender to him and sends her to a grove of ashoka trees, where cruel, hideous women torture her.

Over the twelve months of Sita’s captivity, Ravana grows increasingly desperate and irrational in his frustrated lust. But even though an ordinary person in Sita’s unkempt condition would be weak and miserable, she grows stronger and more thoughtful. The flexibility with which she adjusted to changing situations in the forest has given way to an inflexible resistance to the terror of Ravana and his guards.

When Ravana again entreats Sita, she places a straw between herself and him as a symbol of her unwillingness to contact him directly.

“You should withdraw your mind from me,” she says, “and remain content with the numerous consorts you already possess. You will never be able to have me. I shall never do anything contrary to righteousness, and so there is no hope of your ever gaining my favor.”

She then turns her back to Ravana.

“Give up your futile hope,” she tells him. “You no more deserve me than a sinful man deserves perfection. . . . Because you are acting perversely, directing yourself away from the path of virtue, you will soon become the cause of the destruction of your entire kingdom. I will never be tempted by your offers of insignificant opulence and royal comforts because I am undivided in my devotion to Rama. . . . I am as inseparable from Rama as sunlight is from the sun.”

Although apparently helpless and grief stricken, Sita wins the sympathy of some of the other women Ravana has abducted. In Ravana’s absence, they comfort Sita. Also, several of the guards, most notably Trijata, respect and befriend Sita. They instruct the other guards to beg Sita’s forgiveness. Sarama, the wife of Vibhisana, Ravana’s virtuous brother, also becomes sympathetic to Sita, won over by her virtue.

When Hanuman arrives and offers to carry Sita on his back across the ocean, Sita, ever conscious of proper behavior, says, “I have vowed never to touch the body of any man other than Rama. I am already mortified due to being grasped by the sinful Ravana. I could not voluntarily touch another man. Nor could I allow anyone other than Rama to rescue me, thereby diminishing Rama’s fame. I therefore prefer to wait for my lord, confident that He will soon arrive.”

Hanuman assents to Sita’s request, respecting the incomparable chastity for which she is famous.

The Source of Sita’s Harmony

Always thinking of Rama within her heart, Sita constantly seeks to reunite with Him. Her commitment to Him and her constant meditation on Him protect her and give her the strength to resist Ravana’s many advances and allurements. Although Ravana delivers more offers and more threats, Sita’s fixed faith and conviction transform her: She grows in strength and calls upon powers she has never used before.

“I would burn you to ashes myself by the power of my asceticism and chastity,” Sita tells Ravana, “but I do not have my lord’s order. Nor do I wish to waste my ascetic merits on such a wretch as you.”

Sita resistance to Ravana’s obsession drains him of the powers he won through asceticism. “Thus the soldiers of Lord Ramachandra killed Ravana’s soldiers, who had lost all good fortune because Ravana had been condemned by the anger of mother Sita.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.10.20)

After Ravana’s death, his wife Mandodari says to his stricken body, “O greatly fortunate one, you came under the influence of lusty desires, and therefore you could not understand the influence of mother Sita. Now, because of her curse, you have been reduced to this state, having been killed by Lord Ramachandra.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.10.27)

Three Qualities of Sita Devi Reveal Her Inner Harmony

Sita’s forgiveness: After Ravana’s death, Hanuman comes to Sita in the ashoka grove and, before taking her to Rama, offers to kill the female guards who have tormented her for so many months.

In accord with Her noble character, Sita is ever kind to the downtrodden.

“These guards,” she says, “were simply carrying out Ravana’s order. No blame should be attached to them. Any suffering I felt was surely the result of my own past misdeeds, for such is the universal law. Indeed, there is an ancient maxim that is always the code of the virtuous: ‘A righteous person does not consider the offenses of others. At all costs that person always observes the vow of not returning evil for evil, for the virtuous consider good conduct their ornament.’”

Sita Devi also says that compassion should always be shown toward sinners, for no one was ever found to be free of sin.

Sita’s openheartedness: As Sita, Rama, and their soldiers are returning to Ayodhya, they reach Kishkindha, the home of the monkey warriors who assisted Rama in defeating Ravana.

Sita says, “I would be pleased if I could return to Ayodhya in the company of all the wives of the monkey chiefs.”

Rama stops the chariot, the monkeys quickly get their wives, and when everyone has returned and is seated, they continue on their way.

Sita’s gratitude: After the coronation of Sita-Rama, Sita wants to give Hanuman something as a token of her appreciation for all that he did for her. She unclasps the necklace that Rama has given her and then looks at Him. Understanding her intention, Rama asks her to give the necklace to Hanuman, and she happily places it around his neck.

Evidence of Sita’s Unconditional Love

In the pastimes of Sita Devi we see the beauty of her character in contrast to the ugliness of the palace politics that drives her and Rama into exile; we witness how her love for Rama supersedes His duty to her; we see her graceful flexibility in accepting the austerities of the wilderness; we feel her fear of Ravana and admire her intelligence in opposing him; we find her steadfast and patient as Ravana’s captive; we see her virtue winning even her vicious guards to her side; we see her ferocious anger toward Ravana soothed by her constant meditation on Rama; we discover that her austerities under the ashoka tree make her not hardhearted but compassionate. All these experiences are harmonized by her unadulterated, unconditional love for Sri Ramachandra.

“I know of her undivided love for Me,” said Lord Rama. “Indeed, guarded as she is by her own moral power, Ravana could not have violated Sita.”

Maharaja Dasaratha, Sita’s father-in-law, once told her, “Your remarkable behavior will earn you a place in history as the most glorious woman the world has ever seen.”

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=85503

There is no mention of Sri Madhu Pandit in Caitanya Caritamrta. Only it is mentioned in Bhakti Ratnakar that Sri Gopinathji manifested Himself before Him. [B. R. 2.473]

Oh Srinivas! What more can I say? The Lord reveals Himself to his pure devotee, who then preaches his glories to the world. Who can describe their incomprehensible activities by which the Lord becomes subservient to their love. Thus did Sri Brajendra Kumar reveal himself to Paramananda Bhattacarya and Sri Madhu Pandit, who is the abode of many wonderful qualities.

“Thus has Sri Gopinathji, who is an ocean of mercy, and who sports on the enchantingly beautiful banks of Bansibat, become manifested by the grace of Sri Madhu Pandit.” [Sadhan Dipikayam]

Thus Sri Madhu Pandit became the servant of Sri Gopinath, whose bodily luster steals away the minds of everyone. Hundreds and thousands of people came running to see Him, famed as He is as sweetness personified. When the soothing sweetness and coolness of his charming form entered their hearts through their eyes, they found that the burning fire of material existence which had previously been burning there, was now extinguished.

The Deity of Sri Nanda Dulal which was fashioned from the same sila as Sri Shyamsundar (Khardaha) and Sri Ballabajiv (Ballabhapur), and which was brought from the Nawab’s palace, is considered by some, to have been worshipped previously by Sri Madhu Pandit.

Sri Nanda Dulal is still residing in the village of Saibona, which can bereached by bus from Khardaha. One has to get down at Matarangi Mor, and then proceed by rikshaw to the temple of Sri Nandadulal. The seva-puja is at present being conducted by disciples of Srila Omkarnath.

When Srinivas and his companions were preparing to depart from Sri Brindavan Dham with the bullock cart of books, Madhu Pandit presented him the flower garland of Sri Gopinathji as his blessing.

Madhu Pandit was the disciple of Sri Gadadhar Pandit.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=95501

Janaka Maharaja did not have any children, so the Brahmins suggested to him to do a hola-yajna.  “You take a plough and draw a line around the palace.  When you move the plough, it will get stuck in the mud, and every time it gets stuck you have to donate gold to the priests. In this way you are giving a lot of charity and you are getting a lot of blessings so you will get children.”

In one place it got stuck, and after giving all the gold, still the plough would not move on.  “There must be some big rock there,” everybody said, so they dug and found a box.  And inside the box was a baby, a female baby, and she looked just like Laksmi.  She was known as Janaki, the daughter of Janaka, and she grew up in the palace. When Siradhvaja (Janaka) was plowing a field, from the front of his plow [sira] appeared a daughter named Sitadevi. Thus he was known as Siradhvaja.

MARRIAGE

Janaka made an arrangement for the marriage of Sita. He wrote a message that read, “If anyone wants to try and string this bow and get my daughter, then please come.” Many princes came, Ravana came, and he put his hands on each side, and he lifted the bow. So then Siva went inside the bow and pressed down.  Ravana got stuck, finally Lord Siva let go. And then Rama came, but he didn’t use two hands, only one.  He put his foot on the other end of the bow and he took the string.  As he pulled it, the bow broke into two pieces.  Everyone clapped their hands, and flowers fell from heaven.  Then Lord Ramacandra got married to Sita.

Source: http://www.ramaiswami.com/appearance-of-sita-devi-2/

Today marks the auspicious appearance day of a very great female personality, namely Sita Devi, the consort of Lord Ram. Sita Devi, one of the most prominent personalities in the great epic Ramayan, is an epitome of pure love and devotion and an exemplary chaste wife. Her character and her pastimes set a great example and high standards for all women in today’s world, whether in the role of a daughter, wife, mother or in fact in any role at all. It also shows the strength pure hearted women can have, and is a good warning to everyone to never disrespect a respectable woman.

The appearance of Devi Sita on this planet was truly extraordinary and was an indicator of her divinity. Once, when there was a drought in the kingdom of Mithila, the janak at that time, maharaj Seeradhwaja, with the instructions of the Brahmanas, performed a Yajna to invoke the blessings of the Lord so that his kingdom may be freed from the disturbances created by the draught. After the Yajna was performed the Brahmanas instructed Maharaj Janak to plough the earth himself so that the sacrifice would bear the desried result. When Janak, who was a very saintly and learned king, was thus ploughing the land, the tip of the plough got stuck to something in the ground, which when dug, revealed a beautiful golden box. In that box, lay an exquisitely beautiful and divine baby girl. The king, who was childless till then, was extremely happy at heart to receive this girl and excepted her as his daughter, who was then named by the assembled saints as Sita, due her having appeared during the ploughing of the earth, as the tip of a plough is called Sita in Sanskrit. After this incident the king was blessed with a daughter, who was named Urmila and the two sisters grew up under the loving care of their parents. When Devi Sita was a small girl, she attracted everyone’s heart with her noble and beautiful qualities, and she was very devoted to the worship of the Lord.

The ancestors of Maharaj Janak were blessed with the bow that Lord Shiva used to kill the demon tripurasur, and therefore it was kept in the palace and worshiped by everyone. There are two versions of a pastime of Devi Sita with this bow. Some devotees say, that once when the Sita was playing ball with her friends, the ball rolled under the table on which the celestial bow was place. With a desire to retrieve the ball to continue with the play, Devi Sita with great ease lifted the bow, which was otherwise very difficult to lift even for the most powerful fighters on the earth. Another version of the story suggests that Sita would worship the bow and in order to clean the surface on which the bow was placed she lifted it up. In either case, when Maharaj Janak heard of this incident, he was truly amazed, and at that time he took a vow to marry his daughter to the person who was qualified and strong enough to lift the bow of Lord Shiva and string it. After that, in due course of time, Lord Ram came there with Rishi Vishwamitra and he won the hand of Devi Sita in the Swayamvar.

After having peacefully lived in Ayodhya for many years giving pleasure and serving her in-laws, when Maharaj Dasharath wanted to enthrone Ram as the king of Ayodhya but was forced to send him to the forest due to the two boons that he had promised to his wife Kaikeyi, Sita Devi insisted on accompanying Lord Ram to the forest. This shows how she was completely dedicated to her husband and made no considerations about the discomforts that she may have to face in the rough terrain of the forests. Her decision was praised by all respectable personalities in the society and she was considered as the personification of devotion to her husband. When she was thus traversing through the forests with her husband and brother- in-law, never did she complain about any inconveniences, rather she was faithfully serving Ram and keeping a happy demeanor for his pleasure. Once while living in the forest, before the kidnapping of Sita, Lord Ram invoked Agni dev and entrusted Devi Sita in his care, in order to carry out the lila for which he had descended on this earth. Thereafter, in Panchavati after the episode of Shurpanakha and the killing of Khar and Dushan, on Ravan’s instruction Marich disguised as a golden dear to captivate Sita, and Ram went to catch the dear on Sita’s insistence. After hearing the calls for help, that were actually made by marich in the voice of Ram, Sita instructed Laxman to go help Ram, but understanding that there was some demoniac game at play Laxman refused to go. However, he had to eventually submit to the orders of his sister-in-law and for her protection drew a line around the cottage, which he requested her not to cross. In the absence of the two brothers, the deceitful demon Ravan came disguised as a Brahman and begged for alms. When Sita asked for forgiveness for not being able to cross the line and come to serve him and instead humbly asked him to come forward, he threatened to curse her and thus making her fearful forced her out of the line. At that time revealing his true identity and his lusty intentions, he dared to kidnap Devi Sita, who is the mother of the entire universe and thus ensured his destruction in the near future. In truth he had actually only taken Chaya Sita, for if the actuall Sita would be there, due to her fierce purity and sanctity, he would have been burned immediately. But the pastimes of the Lord are inconceivable and Sita wanted to give the credit of saving her to her husband and also the Lord wanted to kill all the demons on the planet which would have been possible only by having a war.

‘Vinash kale vipreet budhi’ is a famous saying which means that at the time of one’s destruction one is not able to think properly and that was the situation with Ravan. Despite the constant requests and suggestions from his wife and brother, to hand over Devi Sita to Lord Ram, Ravan, stubborn and proud as he was, did not heed their wise council, which led to his destruction and the destruction of the entire demon society at the hands of Lord Ram and his army. After the war, however, instead of accepting Sita back, Lord Ram instructed Devi Sita to prove her chastity by entering fire. This was done not because Lord Ram had any doubts about her pristine character, on the contrary he was well aware that the real Sita was under the protection of Agni dev and therefore in order to curtail the possibility of others questioning her chastity and to get back the real Sita, this pastime was performed by the Lord, which is truly inconceivable for the ordinary human brain.

Thereafter, upon their return to Ayodhya and the coronation of Lord Ram, they lived happily in their kingdom till yet another painful pastime came to take place. In Ayodhya, there occurred an incident that one day the wife of one of the citizens returned home after having spent a night elsewhere due to various reasons and the husband refused to accept her in his house, and said that he was not Ram that he could except a woman back in his house who had stayed with another man. This although highly inappropriately said by the person, but Lord Ram, being the king, had to ensure that his subjects had faith in him and therefore he instructed Laxman to take Sita, who was at that time pregnant, to the forest under the pretext of visiting the saints, which Devi Sita was always very eager for, and to leave her in the forest and tell her that Lord Ram had given her up due to the unrest amongst the subjects in the kingdom. With a heavy heart Laxman carried out Lord Ram’s order and took Sita to the forest and left her there. When Devi Sita found out the true reason for their coming to the forest, she was heartbroken, but due to her unflinching faith and love in her Lord, she accepted his order and took up an austere life for his pleasure in the hermitage of Rishi Valmiki. In due course of time she gave birth to two boys, namely Luv and Kush, and they grew up under the care and instructions of Rishi Valmiki.

When Devi Sita was in the forest, Lord Ram decided to perform a horse sacrifice and requested the royal preist Rishi Vashisht to conduct it. Thereupon, the Rishi told Ram that he could only perform the sacrifice with his wife, or if that was not feasible then he should get married again. This however was not exceptable to Ram as whatever he had done was due to the public and he personally had no doubts whatsoever about her purity and he had taken a vow not to marry anyone else. In order to solve this dilemma, the sage instructed Ram to make a golden statue of Sita to sit in the yajna with him, after which every year a new deity of Sita Devi was made. In one such sacrifice, Luv and Kush happened to sing the Ramayan, which they had learned from their guru Valmiki, the author of Ramayan, which stole the hearts of all those who were assembled there. When eventually everyone got to know that they were Lord Ram’s sons, Devi Sita was called to the court to come and once again prove her chastity so that Lord Ram may except her and the boys. When Sita came to the court, she was accompanied by Valmiki Rishi who proclaimed in front of everyone that she was pure and that they should except her on his word as he had never spoken a lie, but despite this, she was asked to prove herself. Then as the ultimate proof, she invoked Mother Earth and requested her to take her back in her lap from where she had originally appeared. Answering her prayers, Mother Earth appeared and to everyone’s dismay Devi Sita entered the earth and in this way brought her pastimes on this earth to an end. Lord Ram was very much aggrieved by Sita Devi’s entering the earth but he then excepted his sons and ruled on the earth for many more years before ending his pastimes.

In this way, the life of Devi Sita is truly inspirational, in the way that despite all the troubles that came her way even though she is the eternal consort of Lord Ram, her mood was always to serve him and she was always most merciful to all those around her. On her auspicious appearance day, we pray to her for her causeless mercy that we may be able to attain unflinching devotion for Radha Shyamsundar.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=85516

Sri Surjadas Sarekhela was a resident of Shaligram. He had five brothers – Damodar, Jagannath, Gauri das, Krsna das and Nrsimha Caitanya. His father’s name was Sri Kamsari Misra. His mother’s name, Sri Kamala devi. He received the title “Sarakhela” as he used to keep the accounts for the king of Gaur desh. His two daughters were named Sri Vasudha and Sri Jahnava, who was the youngest.

In Gaur-ganoddesh-dipika it is stated that they are the expansions of Baruni and Revati in Brindaban and Surjadas Sarakhela, whose body effulgence is like the sun, is an expansion of Kakudmir, the king of Raivat. The two Lords Gauranga and Nityananda were very affectionate to him. Seeing that his two daughters had reached the full bloom of their youth, he began to contemplate their marriage. Thinking in this way, he fell asleep and in his dream he saw that in a very happy mood he was presenting his two daughters to Nityananda Prabhu. Having seen such a wonderful dream, he began to float in an ocean of bliss.

In the morning when he awoke, he told his dream to one brahmana friend of his, “I saw in my dream that Nityananda Prabhu is none other than Baladeva. His bodily effulgence was shining in all directions and his body was decorated with various shining ornaments. On either side of him my two daughters appeared as Baruni and Revati. Now if I cannot give my daughters in marriage to Nityananda Prabhu then there will be no peace for me.” Having confided in his friend in this way, he sent him to the house of Srivas Pandit in Navadwip. That brahmana came to Navadwip very quickly and found that Nityananda Prabhu was living at Srivas Pandit’s house. The brahmana explained everything in detail to Srivas Pandit who later at the proper time divulged all of this news to Nityananda Prabhu. Lord Nityananda having assured the brahmana that he would fulfill the desire of Surja das, sent him back to Shaligram. Advaita Acarya as well as Srivas Pandit were very happy to have heard this news and urged that the marriage take place as soon as possible. The brahmana, in the meantime having returned to Shaligram, delivered this auspicious news to Surja das who was overjoyed that his dream would now come true.

In the village of Borgachi lived the son of Raja Hari Hora, Sri Krsna das, who was a very dear devotee of Nityanan¼da Prabhu. He offered to bear all of the expenses for the wedding and to have it conducted at his house. With this in mind he requested Nityananda Prabhu to kindly come to his house, and after bringing him there he began to make the necessary arrangements for the wedding. Srivas Pandit, Sri Advaita Acarya, Sri Candrasekhar, Sri Murari Gupta and many other devotees all arrived and began Harinam Sankirtan. Surja das Pandit’s brother, Sri Krsna das soon arrived at Bordachi and then Nityananda Prabhu and the other devotees accompanied Him to Shaligrama. When Surjadas saw that the devotees along with Nityananda Prabhu had arrived, in great happiness he came out to greet them and then ushered them into his house where he offered his dandavats to Lord Nityananda.

Surja das fell down at the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, his eyes brimming with tears of ecstatic love. He caught hold of His two lotus feet and wanted to offer some prayers but he could not express anything due to being overcome by ecstatic emotions. Lord Nityananda smiled sweetly and embraced him in great love. Surjadas was always absorbed in intense happiness. Who can understand his inner self.

Seeing these loving pastimes of his brother, Gauri das lost his patience and felt great bliss within himself. Then, after worshipping the two lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, he offered his two daughters in marriage to him.

Thus the marriage ceremony was very auspiciously performed and Nityananda Prabhu remained at Shalagram with his two newly wedded wives for a few days. Thereafter he came to Sri Krsna das’s house at Borgachi, where he remained for a couple of days. Next He came to Navadwip. Along with his two wives He offered His obeisances at the feet of Saci Mata. Saci Ma was extremely pleased to see them and she showed a great deal of affection to the new brides.

The other Vaishnavas also began to show them great affection. Then taking leave of Sacimata, Nityananda came to Advaita Acarya’s house in Santipur. Sri Sita Thakurani began to float in the ocean of bliss after seeing Vasudha and Jahnava devi. Taking them in her lap she was very affectionate to the new brides. After remaining there for a few days Nityananda Prabhu came to Uddharon Datta Thakur’s house at Saptagram at his insistent invitation. There they all engaged in a festival of sankirtan for a few days after which Nityananda Prabhu came to Khardaha. [Bhakti-Ratnakar 12th Taranga]

After the disappearance of Sri Advaita Acarya, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Srivas Pandit and various other associates of Sri Goursundar, three especially empowered manifestations of the compassion of the Lord, Mahaprabhu, namely Srinivas Acarya, Narottama Thakur Mahasay and Shyamananda Prabhu continued to flood the land with Hari Nam Sankirtan. Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s sakti Sri Jahnava Mata, was especially requested by these three Acaryas to be present at the celebrated festival which was conducted by them at Kheturigram, under the patronage of Narottama Thakur Mahasoy’s cousin, Raja Santosh Datta. Present with her were Sri Krsna das Misra (her uncle), Mineketan Ramdas, Murari Caitanya, Jnana das, Sri Paramesvari das, Balarama das, Sri Brindavan das Thakur, and other dear devotees of Lord Nityananda Prabhu.

First she came to her uncle Gauri das Pandit’s temple at Kalna where she was nicely received by Hrdoy Caitanya Prabhu. Here she cooked for the two Lords, Nitai-Gauranga, and in the evening they had a festival of sankirtan. When she came to Navadvip and realized that she wouldn’t be able to see Sri Saci Mata any more, she was very sad and cried. Then Sripati and Srinidhi came and took her to their house. But again she was plunged into grief due to the pangs of separation at not being able to see Srivas Pandit and Malini devi. At Santipur Sri Acyutananda and Gopal tried to
console her in the absence of Advaita Acarya and Sita Thakurani. Then she came by way of Kantak Nagar to Teliya Bhudari gram where Sri Govinda Kaviraj received her with all respect. The next day the party set out for Kheturi. When they reached the banks of the Padma river they found that Raja Santosh Datta had already made arrangements for crossing the river. From the opposite bank palanquins were waiting to take them to Kheturi.

After presiding over the festival of Kheturi, Ma Jahnava decided to go to Brindavan. One day when she was bathing in the Jamuna, a small black hand grabbed the end of her cloth as she was getting out of the water. When she looked, however, there was no one there. Then Gopinath spoke to her, “I want to come and stay with you. When you’re taking bath in the Ganga one day I’ll come and join you.”

After passing some days in great happiness in Sri Brindaban Dham, Sri Jahnava Mata set out on the path back to Gaurdesh. First she came to Kheturi, and then to Bhudari gram where she arranged the marriage of Bor Ganga das with Sri Hemalata, the daughter of Sri Shyamdas Cakravarti (brother of Bansi das). After the marriage, Sri Iswari entrusted the worship of Shyamsunderji to Borgangadas. Then she came to Ekcakra, the birthplace of her worshippable Lord. From there she passed through Kantak Nagar, Jajigram, Navadwip, Ambika kalna, Saptagram, before finally arriving back at Khardaha.

As she was bathing in the Ganges one day, something touched her body in the water. Then she lifted that object out of the water and beheld the enchanting form of Sri Gopinathji, while tears of love streamed from her eyes. This Deity is at present being worshipped by the descendant of Ganga devi, the daughter of Nityananda Prabhu, at Jirat, Hugli. There is a rail station at Jirat between Bandel and Kalna station. From the Jirat station one should proceed by rickshaw to “Gopinath Tala”.

“Having fallen into the ocean of material existence I am completely distraught and filled with anxiety. Floating in this ocean, without any refuge, I am trying to find a shore; but without any success, I am losing all hope of ever finding it. What activity will bring me there? or what knowledge will bring me there? Conducting some fruitive sacrifices, engaging in some mystic yoga process or conducting austerities – none of these have any power or effect. I am getting very weak and I cannot swim much longer. Now in this extremely dangerous situation, will no one come to save me? Alas! To make matters worse, having caught sight of the crocodile of worldly affairs, I am petrified with fear and the current of lust is always churning the water. I can barely keep my head above the water, the winds carrying the results of activities performed in previous lives, is blowing and making the water so choppy. I am losing my mind and now I am simply crying frantically. I can’t see anyone who can get me out of this ocean of woes. O my dear Sri Jahnava devi, please have compassion on your servant and bless me with some of your divine qualities. Please extend me the rope of your mercy and alleviate this intense pain that I am experiencing.

“I have taken shelter of the boat of your lotus feet and I have full faith that you can carry me across this ocean.

You are the divine energy of Lord Nityananda and the bestower of Krsna bhakti. Please bless me at your feet, which can bestow all one’s desires. You have already delivered so many despicable creatures, now today here is one more destitute and hateful wretch, come to your lotus feet.” [Kalyan Kalpataru]

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=95503

By Radha Mohan Dasa 

Bhaktivedanta Manor Devotee Care Office (DCO) has been recognized for its outstanding community service, receiving a Civic Award in the Community Care category at Hertsmere’s annual ceremony held at the Hilton DoubleTree in Borehamwood.

Krishna Purna Dasi, Dr. Diviash Thakrar, Hemangi Radha Dasi, and Saraswati attended the event to accept the award on behalf of the DCO, highlighting a year of impactful and compassionate service to vulnerable individuals.

In front of local leaders, charity workers, and community representatives, the Awards were handed out by the Mayor of Hertsmere, Cllr Alpha Bird Collins.

A core part of the DCO’s work is its weekly meal initiative. Every Thursday, volunteers prepare around 70 meals for elderly and unwell individuals, distributed via a local charity. This forms part of the wider Meals on Wheels – Prasadam Seva program, which has delivered over 5,000 meals in the past year across Bushey, Watford, Radlett, Borehamwood, and Stanmore. In partnership with local charities, the DCO has expanded its reach, providing an additional 3,000 meals annually to those unable to cook for themselves.

The DCO has also supported 23 Hindu patients in local hospitals, including end-of-life care. In September 2025, 20 volunteers completed chaplaincy training, enabling them to serve as qualified Hindu chaplains.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/bhaktivedanta-manor-recognized-for-community-care-initiatives/

The 15th European Farm Conference, organized by ISKCON’s Ministry of Cow Protection and Agriculture, will be held on September 11–13, 2026, at the newly established Goloka Ecofarm in Savona, Italy. Located between Genoa and Savona, the ecofarm will host devotees and experts from across Europe for three days of practical learning, discussion, and community building centered on sustainable living and cow protection.

The conference will feature a wide range of hands-on workshops and presentations. Topics will include cheese, butter, and ghee making; mozzarella production; building with cow dung; cow care and ox training; natural soap production; composting; assessing soil quality; and seed saving. Sessions will also explore self-sufficiency through small-scale agriculture, as well as fundraising and volunteering opportunities to support farm communities.

Participants can expect an immersive experience designed to inspire and equip devotees with practical skills for developing sustainable farm projects aligned with ISKCON’s rural vision. The event will also provide opportunities for networking, sharing best practices, and strengthening collaboration among farm communities across Europe. One of the most anticipated features will include prasadam offerings such as “bona fide” Italian pizza.

For more information and to register, click here.

Source: https://iskconnews.org/15th-european-farm-conference-to-be-held-at-goloka-ecofarm-in-italy/

God is our supreme father, and one of His energies, nature, is our mother. A mother nourishes her child with the milk from her body, and she also sees to the overall development of her child by imparting proper culture and education. Similarly Mother Nature cares for her innumerable children by providing grains, fruits, flowers, and medicinal herbs, and she showers her motherly affection on us by giving invaluable lessons, guiding us on the journey of life.

During one rainy season, I got an opportunity to stay at a small village named Galtare, 120 km north of Mumbai, India. I've had some attraction for rural life since childhood, and upon spending some time in the countryside, I could understand why Srila Prabhupada quoted the English poet Cowper: "God made the country, and man made the town." I could see how the materialistic civilization prevalent in cities makes us godless. In the city, not seeing the hand of God in any aspect of life becomes natural. It is so easy to believe that industry and the Internet fulfill our needs. Packaged foods give us the sense that machines have manufactured them. Life goes on uninterrupted even if no rain falls for many years. But in the village, one can experience God closely. There life is absolutely dependent on agriculture, which depends on rain, and rain depends on God.

When we're close to nature, the intoxication of the materialistic way of life gradually starts fading away. In my experience, the knowledge enunciated in Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Srila Prabhupada's purports becomes clearer.

The chirping of the birds, the symphony of the running stream, the mooing of the cows, and the sound of the swift breeze provide inexplicable happiness to the ears. Seeing the unlimited blue sky above, the thousands of stars at night, the giant mountains, the stretch of the green fields below swaying in the wind, and the love of a mother cow for her little calf is total perfection for the eyes. The mystical aroma of the soil, the scent of clear pollution-free air, the smell of freshly bloomed flowers, and the fragrance of cow dung deeply purify the sense of smell. The joy of touching soil, cows, green plants, and clear river water seems to reach even our souls. And the taste of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, water, and pure cow milk impels us to think how the artificial ways of modern life give us untainted miseries in the name of happiness.

While living in the countryside, I tried to visualize Srila Prabhupada priceless teachings. And I reaped satisfaction of the soul and enhanced faith. Understanding our supreme father becomes easy when our mother, nature, gives us personal lessons as she holds us in her loving embrace. In these pages, I present a few of the numerous teachings that Mother Nature helped plainly illustrate for me during my stay at Galtare.

Photo captions:

Human beings need not eat animals. There are ample food grains, milk, fruit, and vegetables so that the human beings as well as the animals can eat sumptuously and to their heart's content. If all living beings are satisfied with food and shelter and obey the prescribed rules, there cannot be any disturbance between one living being and another. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.4.12, Purport)


In India, the women go to draw water from the well and they keep the waterpot on their head. They are going, but the head is so balanced that the waterpot will never fall down. If you learn how to keep the balance, in spite of your movement the waterpot on the head will not fall. Similarly, if you mold your life in such a way that Krishna should always be remembered, then in spite of your mind being very agitated, your mind will be fixed up in Krishna. That is required. (Lecture onSrimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.12–14, Allahabad Kumbha Mela, January 17, 1971)

All the living entities within the universe are conducted by the Vedic directions, as a bull is directed by the rope attached to its nose. No one can violate the rules laid down in the Vedic literatures. To the chief person, who has contributed theVedas, we offer our respect! (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.8)
The web is created by the spider, and it is maintained by the spider, and as soon as the spider likes, the whole thing is wound up within the spider. The spider is covered within the web. If an insignificant spider is so powerful as to act according to its will, why can't the Supreme Being act by His supreme will in the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the cosmic manifestations? (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.28, Purport)

We find that in Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna advises go-rakshya, the protection of cows. This is essential because if cows are cared for properly they will surely supply sufficient milk. We have practical experience in America that in our various ISKCON farms we are giving proper protection to the cows and receiving more than enough milk. In other farms the cows do not deliver as much milk as in our farms; because our cows know very well that we are not going to kill them, they are happy, and they give ample milk. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.15.25, Purport)

When there is a river, one can take drinking water, wash his clothes, bathe and so on, for that water will serve all purposes. Similarly, if one worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, all his goals will be achieved. (Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila 14.66, Purport)

We have to follow. If we follow the footprints of great personalities, then there is no danger. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. Just like in the villages there is a track. One who follows that track is not lost. Similarly, if we follow the track of the mahajana—on which a great personality has traversed—then we'll not fall. (Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.10, Montreal, July 9, 1968)

The cow's calf not only is beautiful to look at, but also gives satisfaction to the cow, and so she delivers as much milk as possible. But in the Kali-yuga, the calves are separated from the cows as early as possible for purposes which may not be mentioned in these pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.17.3, Purport)

Now, our next program will be to organize farming land to set an example to the whole world how people can be peaceful, happy, and free from all anxieties simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and living an honorable life in Krishna consciousness. (Letter, October 19, 1975)

Stick to your own place and grow your food. There is no question of transport. A little transport is required, the bullock cart. Krishna was being carried on a bullock cart. There is no use of petrol. Simply use the bull. They are already there. Utilize them. (Morning Walk, Rome, May 25, 1974)

They are simply misusing their advancement, and they are satisfied when they have got a motorcar instead of bullock cart. That's all. They think, "Now I am advanced. We had bullock carts, and now we have got motorcars with three hundred thousand parts. And every part will give me trouble." And that is advancement. (Morning Walks, October 1-3, 1972, Los Angeles)

When the flame in a lamp burns the wick improperly, the lamp is blackened, but when the lamp is filled with ghee and is burning properly, there is bright illumination. Similarly, when the mind is absorbed in material sense gratification, it causes suffering, and when detached from material sense gratification, it brings about the original brightness of Krishna consciousness. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.11.8)

Cow dung dried in the sunshine is kept in stock for utilizing them as fuel in the villages. They get wheat and other cereals produced from the field. There is milk and vegetables, and the fuel is cow dung, and thus they are independent in every village. There are hand weavers for the cloth. And the country oil-mill (consisting of a bull walking in circle round two big grinding stones, attached with yoke) grinds the oil seeds into oil. The whole idea is that … the less we are anxious for maintaining our body and soul together, the more we become favorable for advancing in Krishna consciousness. (Letter, June 14, 1968)

Just like the trees, plants, grass. They cannot move. They have no legs. They have got legs, but they cannot move. They are eating through the legs. Therefore they are called pada-pa, which means "collecting water through the leg." These trees are drinking water from within the earth with their legs. Therefore they push their roots very deep to find out where is water. (Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 13.4, Miami, February 27, 1975)
Just like the cow and bull. The bull helps, plowing. That is the original system. Now they have invented tractors, and the bulls are being killed. Why should they be killed? Engage them in tilling the field. They will have an occupation. And the men also will have an occupation. There is immense land. So there will be no question of unemployment. (Conversation, Melbourne, July 2, 1974)

According to smriti regulation, the cow is the mother and the bull the father of the human being. The cow is the mother because just as one sucks the breast of one's mother, human society takes cow's milk. Similarly, the bull is the father of human society because the father earns for the children just as the bull tills the ground to produce food grains. Human society will kill its spirit of life by killing the father and the mother. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.2.29, Purport)
Krishna's navel resembles a lotus, He is garlanded with lotuses, and His eyes are also compared to the petals of a lotus (alola-candraka-lasad-vanamalya-vamshi). So if we simply think of only this one verse, which describes Krishna's body with reference to the lotus, we can meditate our whole life on how beautiful Krishna is, how wise Krishna is, and how Krishna manifests His creation. This is meditation—thinking of Krishna. (Teachings of Queen Kunti, Chapter 5)

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=86260

The Issue of the Proto-Indo-European Language

By Sri Nandanandana dasa (Stephen Knapp)

There has been an attempt to explain the origins of such languages as Sanskrit, Greek and Roman for many years. This is because there has been a recognition of many similarities between them, but the exact original language which they have derived from has never been identified. So they say that it is now extinct, but they call it the Proto-Indo-European Language (PIE). This has now given way to the groupings of many other languages that are now included in what has become the “family” of 439 languages and dialects (as of 2009) of Indo-European languages. But the origin of all of them is supposed to be this non-existent Proto-Indo-European language. So how did this get started?

This whole process first began in the 16th century. In 1583, Thomas Stephens, a Jesuit missionary in Goa, wrote to his brother about the similarities that he saw between Indian and European languages, specifically Sanskrit, Greek and Latin. Not much came from this observation, and his letter was not published until the 20th century.

Shortly after this, it was Filippo Sassetti, a merchant born in Florence in 1540 who traveled to India, wrote in 1585 about the similarities between Sanskrit and Italian. Thereafter, it was Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn, who, in 1647, noted the similarities among various Indo-European languages, which in his study included Dutch, Albanian, Greek, Latin, Persian, and German, and later Slavic, Celtic and Baltic. He was the one who started the idea that they all must have derived from a primitive and less developed but common source, a language which he called Scythian.

Next came Gaston Coeurdoux in the 1760s who made a thorough study of Sanskrit, Latin and Greek conjunctions to show a relationship between them. Then, Mikhail Lomonosov also studied the Slavic, Baltic (Kurlandic), Iranian (Medic), Finnish, Chinese, and other languages for his Russian Grammar (published in 1755).

A few years later this idea again appeared in 1786 when Sir William Jones (Sept. 28, 1746–April 27, 1794), the most noted of these comparative linguists, lectured on the similarities between Latin, Greek and Sanskrit, and later added Gothic, Celtic and Persian. He has said, “… no philologer could examine them all three, without believing them to have sprung from some common source, which perhaps, no longer exists. There is a similar reason, though not quite so forcible, for supposing that … Gothick … had the same origin with the Sanscrit; and the old Persian might be added to the same family.” (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2009, Jones, Sir William) His conclusions and lectures inspired others to begin taking a more serious look at this.

However, it was Thomas Young in 1813 who first introduced the term Indo-European, which caught on and became the standard term in comparative linguistics, especially in the work of Franz Bopp, whose further study of other older languages gave support to this theory. It was through Franz Bopp’s Comparative Grammar in 1833 to 1852 that gave rise to the Indo-European language studies as an academic discipline.

Additional developments in this area continued with a few other noted works, such as with August Schleicher’s 1861 Compendium, Karl Brugman’s 1880s Grundriss, and then his reevaluation in Junggrammatische. Then Ferdinand de Saussure’s “laryngeal theory” became the beginning of the “modern” Indo-European studies.

Later, the division of the Indo-European languages were further divided into a Satem verses a Centum group by Peter von Bradke in his 1890 work, Concerning Method and Conclusions of Aryan (Indo-Germanic) Studies. Therein he described how the “Aryans” knew of two kinds of guttural sounds, the velar and palatal. This led von Bradke to divide the palatal series into a group as a spirant and a pure K sound, typified by the words satem and centum. From this point, the Indo-European family was further divided accordingly.

THE INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE FAMILY

From these studies was developed the present “family” of languages that all descended from the original Proto-Indo-European language. These are then listed in an order based on when these comparative linguists estimate as the oldest. There is much study that has been given this field, but it remains inconclusive and subject to change.

In any case, the order of the present family of Indo-European languages looks something like this, in 10 main branches without going into all of the sub-sub-divisions, all descending from the mysterious and original Proto-Indo-European language:

1. Anatolian is said to be the earliest branch of languages, with isolated sources in Old Assyrian from the 19th century BCE.

2. Hellenic with isolated records in the Mycenaean Greek from 1450 to 1350 BCE. The Homeric texts are said to date from the 8th century BCE.

3. Indo-Iranian branch, descending from the Proto-Indo-Iranian back to the third millennium BCE. From this appeared Iranian, attested from around 1000 BCE in the form of Avestan. Indo-Aryan, or now what is called the Indic languages, attested to the late 15th to early 14th century BCE in Mitanni texts which showed traces of the Indo-Aryan language. The Rig Veda is said to preserve the oral tradition, and current scholars feel dates from the middle of the second millennium BCE in the form of Vedic Sanskrit. Classical Sanskrit is said to have appeared with the Sanskrit grammarian Pannini.

4. Italic, which now includes Latin and any descendants, attested to have been found from the 7th century BCE.

5. Celtic, from the Proto-Celtic, with the Tartessian from the 8th century BCE.

6. Germanic from the Proto-Germanic, dating from the runic inscriptions from near the 2nd century CE, with the Gothic texts from near the 4th century CE.

7. Armenian, from the 5th century CE.

8. Tocharian, attested to the 6th to 9th century CE, in two dialects (Turfian and Kuchean).

9. Balto-Slavic. Slavic from Proto-Slavic, attested to have evidence from the 9th century CE; and Baltic, attested to the 14th century CE.

10. Albanian, attested to the 14th century CE.

The Satem division includes the Italic, Anatolian, Tocharian, Celtic, Germanic, and Hellenic languages, while the Centum group includes the Slavic, Indo-Iranian, Baltic, Armenian, and Albanian. The premise for what constitutes a language to be a member of this Indo-European family is that they must be recognized as having genetic relationships, or show evidence that makes it presumed they are stemming from a common ancestor, known as the Proto-Indo-European language. This may include innovations among various languages that suggest a common ancestor that had split off from other Indo-European groups.

Traveling from East to West, the language families appear across the globe in the following way:

Celtic, with languages spoken in the British Isles, in Spain, and across southern Europe to central Turkey; Germanic, with languages spoken in England and throughout Scandinavia & central Europe to Crimea; Italic, with languages spoken in Italy and, later, throughout the Roman Empire including modern-day Portugal, Spain, France, and Romania; Balto-Slavic, with Baltic languages spoken in Latvia & Lithuania, and Slavic throughout eastern Europe plus Belarus & the Ukraine & Russia; Balkan (exceptional, as discussed below), with languages spoken mostly in the Balkans and far western Turkey; Hellenic, spoken in Greece and the Aegean Islands and, later, in other areas conquered by Alexander (but mostly around the Mediterranean); Anatolian, with languages spoken in Anatolia, a.k.a. Asia Minor, i.e. modern Turkey; Armenian, spoken in Armenia and nearby areas including eastern Turkey; Indo-Iranian, with languages spoken from India through Pakistan and Afghanistan to Iran and Kurdish areas of Iraq and Turkey; Tocharian, spoken in the Tarim Basin of Xinjiang, in far western China.

The languages with the largest number of speakers in these Indo-European groupings are Spanish, English, Hindi, Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, German, Marathi, French, Italian, Punjabi, and Urdu.

LOCATION OF THE PROTO-INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE

It is calculated that by 2500 BCE to 2000 BCE, the breakup from the Proto-Indo-European language into its first attested descendant languages and dialects was in effect, and had begun to be divided into the branches described above. The Proto-Indo-European language is accepted as the common ancestor of all Indo-European languages, which is estimated to have been spoken around 5000 to 3000 BCE in areas of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. And this language had to have been spoken by a people now called the Proto-Indo-Europeans. But who were they and where were they located?

Let us remember, that this Proto-Indo-European language has not been identified. It is not an actual language but merely a hypothetical reconstruction of a language that is presumed to be the ancestor of modern Indo-European languages. It also has been accepted by linguists to have disappeared before it became a written language, which gives room for so many variables in trying to identify this language. So the idea of finding the location of the people who spoke this language will depend mostly on educated guesswork.

It has been speculated that the original Indo-European people, and speakers of the original Proto-Indo-European language were a people called the Kurgan. They were supposed to have lived northwest of the Caucasus mountains, north of the Caspian Sea, as early as the 5th millennium BCE. These were a developed people, who had domesticated cattle and horses, farmed the land, used gold and silver, had counting skills, worshiped multiple gods, believed in life after death, and so on. (This is from The Beginning of the Bronze Age in Europe and the Indo-Europeans, by Marija Gimbutas, 1973. And Empires of the Silk Road, by Christopher I. Beckwith.)

Then, around 3000 BCE, these people abandoned their homeland and migrated in different directions, some of whom found themselves in Greece by 2000 BCE and in India by 1500 BCE.

Other scholars say that these people lived in the vicinity of the Pontic Steppe, north of the Black Sea and east to the Caspian, where a people called the Scythians lived. However, before the invention of any writing system, the Proto-Indo-European language is supposed to have died out. Then as these people spread out, so did the languages that came from this Proto-Indo-European language.

So to further the development of this idea of the spread of this Proto-Indo-European language, it is said that people from this original West Asia location migrated in different directions, developing new languages as they traveled. Therefore, the hypothesis is that the central cause and beginning of all written language started here. The speakers of Proto-Celtic moved west. The Germanic tribes followed the Celts but moved farther north. The Italic people traveled south, arriving in the Italic peninsula around the 2nd millennium BCE. The Hellenic family moved to Greece. Those that developed the Proto-Indo-Iranian languages moved east and south from the PIE ancestral homeland. And the Indic tribes split even further towards India where they developed Sanskrit.

To help support this theory, it is suggested that the language of the Rig Veda, though most archaic, was no longer understood by the masses by the time Panini composed the grammar for Sanskrit around 400 BCE. This became what is known as Classical Sanskrit, which superceded the older Vedic Sanskrit, which was the language of the Vedas, Brahmanas and Upanishads. Classical Sanskrit differed from Vedic Sanskrit in points of vocabulary, grammar and syntax.

However, contrary to this hypothesis of how the Indo-European languages spread out from the Causasus Mountains area, we can still see that the Lithuanian people on the far northern reaches of Eastern Europe on the Baltic Sea, still hold much Sanskrit in their language. That is a long way from India. This gives credence to the idea that Sanskrit was far more prominent, pervasive and influential than this theory of how the Indo-European languages spread out suggests.

ANOTHER LOOK AT SANSKRIT

The fact is that the pre-Classical form of Sanskrit, also known as Vedic Sanskrit, represents an oral tradition that goes back many thousands of years. According to tradition, the written form of Sanskrit was a development of only around 3000 BCE or earlier. This was done by the sages who could foresee the lack of memory the people of the future would have, which would necessitate why the Vedic texts would need to be in a written form. It was and is a most sophisticated language, which means that it had to have been in existence for many hundreds or thousands of years before we see it’s written form, first appearing in the Rig Veda. It is nonetheless accepted that the language of the Rig Veda is one of the oldest attestations of any Indo-Iranian language, and one of the earliest attested members of the Indo-European languages. For it to still exist quite clearly in the Lithuanian language, and to see similarities of its words in so many other languages, could it be that the Proto-Indo-European language they are looking for is actually Sanskrit? Let us remember that it was only Sir William Jones who said Greek, Sanskrit and Roman languages must come from a different common source, and Thomas Young in 1813 who first introduced the term Indo-European, and linguists have been running with that ever since.

The fact is that when we talk about how a central group of people who spoke the Proto-Indo-European language and who came out of the area of the Caucasus mountains, it is quite similar to what became known as the Aryan Invasion Theory, wherein the idea was presented that Aryans invaded India from the same region and then started their Vedic culture. This theory has since crumbled like a house of cards with more evidence that shows this never happened this way, but that the Vedic Aryans were indeed the indigenous people of the Indus and Sarasvati regions, from which their culture spread out in all directions. [See my Ebook, The Aryan Invasion Theory: The Final Nail in its Coffin, for more information on this, at www.stephen-knapp.com]

Sanskrit itself was not thought of as a second language, but as a refined manner of speaking, especially in regard to the Vedic texts when used in rituals. Thus, Sanskrit was for the higher classes of society and an educational attainment, similar as it still is today. In this way, Sanskrit existed along with the different Prakrits or vernaculars, even as it does today in India, and gradually developed into Indic dialects and eventually into contemporary modern Indo-Aryan languages.

Over the centuries the Prakrits underwent language change to a degree in which the vernaculars and Sanskrit ceased to be comparable, but had to be learned as a separate language. Thus, the dialects and Prakrits became separate languages, though outgrowths of the main popular language. This is much like we find in India today wherein many of the popular languages are but outgrowths of, and hold many similarities to, Sanskrit. This is likely to be the same way with Latin or even Greek and other languages we find over the world today, which still hold many similarities with what was once their linguistic roots. Therefore, Sanskrit is likely to be the closest link to, or is indeed that Proto-Indo-European language for which they are looking.

NOT EVERYONE AGREES WITH THE PROTO-INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE THEORY

However, regardless of the areas in which the PIE is said to have developed, or in what time in history, not everyone agrees with these theories. As Jagat Motwani, Ph.D. declares in his research on the age of Sanskrit: “With substantial historical evidences, it has been proved that none but India (Aryavarta or Bharat) is the original home of the Aryans and their language Sanskrit. ‘Arya’ and ‘Swastika’ have their origin in Sanskrit. Swastika has been found among several peoples in Europe. Swastika has been found also among native Indians in Americas whose ancestors might have gone there from India about 10,000 years back. On the basis of the age of Swastika, it has also been established that the age of Sanskrit is over 10,000 years.” 1 This, of course, is much earlier than the idea of some scholars that PIE was spoken between 5000 to 3000 BCE, as previously mentioned.

Renfrew also writes that Trubetskoy severely criticized the dangerous assumptions which led to this idea of the Proto-Indo-European language: “The homeland, the race and the culture of supposed Proto-Indo-European population has been discussed, a population which may possibly never have existed.” 2

Jagat Motwani explains another important point in the frailty of thinking about how there is a parent language, now disappeared, called the Proto-Indo-European language: “If Jones had thought about the age of Sanskrit in comparison to that of Latin or Greek–age difference of about 1000 years–he would have not postulated such thesis that Sanskrit, Latin and Greek had lived together as daughters of the PIE [Proto-Indo-European language], under the same roof. Sanskrit is much older than Latin and Greek, at least by one thousand years. Moreover, the birth place of Sanskrit (India) was thousands of miles away from Italy and Greece. Even fifty mile distance causes dialectic difference.” 3

Motwani goes on to say that Karl Menninger also questioned the righteousness of the PIE as a language: “If all these languages are sisters, they must have a common ancestor, an original language from which they have developed. But we know of no people that spoke or wrote such a mother language, nor have we any direct evidence or written documents concerning it.” 4

Motwani goes on to question: “It is hard to understand why and how such a concept of the IE [Indo-European] languages and their invisible mother PIE has been theorized and has been endorsed by celebrated linguists like Sir William Jones. Leave the question of any PIE documents, but even her name and home address are not known.” 5

Victor Stevenson also explains in his book Words: The Evolution of Western Languages, that many European languages evolved from Sanskrit: Evidence that the languages of Europe had, with a few exceptions, evolved in stages from a common source, was found neither in Greece nor Rome, nor any where in Europe, but in an ancient and distant language, the Classical Sanskrit of India. Enshrined and unchanged for more than 2,000 years in the ritual speech of its scholars, it was shown to possess massive similarities to Greek and Latin. Only one conclusion could be drawn; all three had come from a common source.” 6

CONCLUSION

Regardless of how advanced modern society has become, we have not invented a language more elaborate and developed than Sanskrit. After so many years, where is there a language that has superceded the sophistication of Sanskrit? Therefore, even though linguists may say that whatever the parent language of Sanskrit and Greek and Latin may be, it is now deceased, disappeared into oblivion, and no one knows what that language was, I say something different. I say that the language they are looking for is right in front of them, and that is Sanskrit itself. Sanskrit was the preeminent and most developed of early languages from which came many others, such as Greek and Latin, or the seeds of other languages. Regardless of the fact that according to Vedic tradition Sanskrit is considered the vocal manifestation of the Shabda-brahman, or the spiritual vibration from which the Vedic texts sprang forth, or in which the Supreme Reality is found, Sanskrit is indeed that language that provided the source of many of the languages we still highly regard to this day.

NOTES

1. Motwani, Jagat K., Ph.D., None But India (Bharat), iUniverse, Inc., Bloomington, Indiana, 2010, p.142.

2. Renfrew, Colin, Archaeology & Language: The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1987, p.108-9.

3. Motwani, Jagat K., Ph.D. None But India (Bharat), iUniverse, Inc., Bloomington, Indiana, 2010, p.155.

4. Menninger, Karl, Number Words and Number Symbols: A Cultural History of Numbers, New York, Dover Publications, 1969, p.101.

5. Motwani, Jagat K., Ph.D. None But India (Bharat), iUniverse, Inc., Bloomington, Indiana, 2010, p.157.

6. Stevenson, Victor, Words: The Evolution of Western Languages, New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1983, p.10.

[This is a chapter from the forthcoming book by Sri Nandanandana dasa, called “Mysteries of the Ancient Vedic Empire”]

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=84423

atmaupamyena sarvatra
samam pasyati yo ‘rjuna
sukham va yadi va duhkham
sa yogi paramo matah

TRANSLATION
He is a perfect yogi who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, in both their happiness and their distress, O Arjuna!

PURPORT
One who is Krsna conscious is a perfect yogi; he is aware of everyone’s happiness and distress by dint of his own personal experience. The cause of the distress of a living entity is forgetfulness of his relationship with God. And the cause of happiness is knowing Krsna to be the supreme enjoyer of all the activities of the human being, the proprietor of all lands and planets, and the sincerest friend of all living entities. The perfect yogi knows that the living being who is conditioned by the modes of material nature is subjected to the threefold material miseries due to forgetfulness of his relationship with Krsna. And because one in Krsna consciousness is happy, he tries to distribute the knowledge of Krsna everywhere. Since the perfect yogi tries to broadcast the importance of becoming Krsna conscious, he is the best philanthropist in the world, and he is the dearest servitor of the Lord. Na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamah (Bg. 18.69). In other words, a devotee of the Lord always looks to the welfare of all living entities, and in this way he is factually the friend of everyone. He is the best yogi because he does not desire perfection in yoga for his personal benefit, but tries for others also. He does not envy his fellow living entities. Here is a contrast between a pure devotee of the Lord and a yogi interested only in his personal elevation. The yogi who has withdrawn to a secluded place in order to meditate perfectly may not be as perfect as a devotee who is trying his best to turn every man toward Krsna consciousness.

Niranjana Swami:

I’ve been finding myself talking a lot about Srila Prabhupada recently. My desire to speak more about him was probably stimulated in Mayapura when I read a booklet produced by a committee of our GBC body about Srila Prabhupada’s position as the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON. Essentially it was just a wonderful book that established, very conclusively, the meaning of “Founder-Acarya… not only based upon Srila Prabhupada’s position in ISKCON but also based upon the position of “Founder-Acarya” in our sampradaya.

I was very enlivened after reading this booklet. I read it one day when I was sick and was unable to attend the meetings. It deepened my conviction about the importance of preserving Srila Prabhupada’s presence within the International Society for Krsna consciousness.

The word “Acarya” in Founder-Acarya means that Srila Prabhupada is the ultimate teacher by his own example in ISKCON. Being a perfect teacher by example, therefore, everything he does is instructive because, as followers, we are meant to aspire to strictly follow his example.

Prabhupada would oftentimes speak about the difference between following in the footsteps and imitating. He would say that following in the footsteps of the previous acaryas means that we follow the same path they themselves walked. It also means to follow their instructions. Therefore, mahajano yena gatah sa panthah….they leave behind instructions by which their followers can traverse the same path as they themselves also traversed.

Imitating means that we try to artificially imitate the position of being fully realized without being fully realized.

Prabhupada would oftentimes quote the verse,

yad yad acarati sresthas
tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate

TRANSLATION
Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

This is Krsna’s instruction in Bhagavad-gita. He explains why He had to also teach by setting an example because if He didn’t then the whole world would be put to ruination.

Srila Prabhupada’s instructions were so potent because he did what he was preaching. In English, we have an expression, I don’t know if there is a comparable one in Russian, “He walks his talk.” In other words, his actions are fully consistent with his words. Because he was so elevated, he would sometimes give an instruction which would seem almost impossible to follow. But his example was always there as the extra strength for us to try.

We all experienced that during Srila Prabhupada’s manifest presence in our Krsna consciousness movement. Srila Prabhupada was inspiring his followers to become ghostianandis, to preach Krsna consciousness, and not to become concerned simply about one’s own enlightenment. There was an overwhelming emphasis on spreading Krsna consciousness and there was an enthusiasm to do so because we always had his example. We may not be Krsna conscious, but we could always preach boldly and strongly that it exists because we could always point to Prabhupada.

In one sense it was very simple in those early years because Prabhupada was not only our Founder-Acarya, but he was the only guru. When someone became qualified for initiation, they knew who they were going to be initiated by and who they were going to serve. That gave Srila Prabhupada’s followers great strength and conviction to preach his message. We felt Prabhupada was therefore us and was carefully watching to make sure we didn’t deviate.

He said, “Don’t change the message. Keep it intact.”

I remember one lecture when Srila Prabhupada found something in the transcription he was reading which was different from that which he dictated. He became very disturbed. In the lecture Prabhupada said, “Don’t be overintelligent.” Don’t think that you know more or you know better than your spiritual master.” He said, “Your potency will be in your ability to simply repeat what I have given to you.”

So we could repeat everything that Prabhupada told us and we always had the full confidence and support that the example was there for others to see. This gave us great strength to preach, and to preach boldly, because Srila Prabhupada always emphasized to preach boldly.

He told us to “Boil the milk and make it thicker.” In other words, don’t compromise. Don’t water Krsna consciousness down to something it isn’t. Krsna is already all-attractive. Don’t ever water Krsna consciousness down.

I was telling a story to a group of devotees in Kaliningrad the other day. I was remembering one conversation that Srila Prabhupada had… I can’t remember what year it was. I think it might have been 1975.

He was visited by one well-known yogi at that time. His name was Yogi Bhajan. I never met Yogi Bhajan but in 1971, I was living with a group of people who were his followers. It was before I read Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita. They used to speak a lot about him to me. But I had no particular appeal or attraction to him.

Anyway, Prabhupada was visited by this yogi along with two of his secretaries. He came to invite Srila Prabhupada to a conference called the “Unity of Man” conference. He was promoting himself as the organizer of the conference and he was inviting and also visiting popular yogis, mystics, saints, and sadhus to extend invitations. He was promoting this conference as if it would benefit all of humanity. So he said, “We want you to come, Swamiji. Please come and we’ll give you a slot and you can speak. Become part of our united effort to save the world.”

Srila Prabhupada tried to explain to him that there’s only one way that humanity can be united. He said, “We can only be united if we surrender to Krsna.” So he asked, “Therefore Bhagavad-gita will be preached and Krsna’s message will be preached exclusively at the conference?” And then Yogi Bhajan said, “Yes. That will be there. But there will be many other sages, mystics and saints and they will give their teachings. In this way we can all be united in harmony, with the same goal.”

Prabhupada said, “No. There’s only one goal. Krsna’s goal. We have to follow Krsna otherwise how can we become united?” Prabhupada used the example about the United Nations. He would say that the United Nations means that even though many countries come together, they have their own flag and they represent their own interests. Yhey are mainly interested in their own interests. That’s all. So he said that United Nations simply means that there are more flags. Therefore United Nations simply means that we add more flags but there’s no real unity because everyone is simply representing their own interests. They want to make sure that their own interests are being secured.

So he was expressing this same point to Yogi Bhajan, that actually there is only one interest… Krsna’s interest. So he explained why he didn’t want to attend. He said, “You can have your conference but I will not attend.”

But Yogi Bhajan was a little persistent because he felt that if Prabhupada attended more people would come. Prabhupada didn’t want to be used that way. Yogi Bhajan really tried to make it look really nice, “If you come, it will be so nice, so wonderful, it will be a real good example for the world.

Yogi Bhajan’s secretaries were sitting and taking notes. Prabhupada was noticing this as he was speaking. So Prabhupada just turned to Yogi Bhajan and said, “Write this down in your notebook. Bhaktivedanta Swami says that without Krsna, there will be no unity. Put that in your notebook. Make sure that you write it down.”

Yoga Bhajan tried one more time by explaining how it would be such a wonderful experience. Prabhupada finished the whole conversation by making one statement. He says, “If you go into the latrine and you throw scented water on stool, does that make it a nice place?” Prabhupada was trying to explain, “That’s what you are trying to do. You are trying to make everything a nice place, but without Krsna you cannot make this a nice place.”

At that particular point, one of the people accompanying him got a little incensed, so they got up and they left. Prabhupada simply laughed.

Someone may say, “Why didn’t Prabhupada take the opportunity to preach at the event?” Because he didn’t want to compromise Krsna consciousness. He was an uncompromised example of Krsna consciousness.

There is another story I like about Prabhupada and his bold preaching.

Prabhupada was invited in Jagannath Puri to inaugurate a book that one local author had written. Many famous people were there to do the inauguration. So Prabhupada saw this as a very good opportunity to preach boldly because he was very disturbed that his disciples were not being allowed to take darshan of Lord Jagannath. He therefore accepted the invitation although the organizers didn’t know that was Prabhupada’s intention. The organizers arranged for all the other invited guests to speak about the book first and then Prabhupada was to speak last. So one by one each dignitary came and spoke about the author’s book, glorified him, and said things about the book. Prabhupada was then invited to speak.

Prabhupada immediately began speaking how Lord Jagannath is the Lord of the universe. He’s not just Lord of the Hindus, not just Lord of the Indians. He’s the Lord of universe. And because He’s the Lord of the universe, that means that everyone has a relationship with Lord Jagannath. He gave a very powerful talk about the Lord’s position, quoting Bhagavad-gita, aham bija-pradah pita…. Krsna says, “I am the seed-giving father of all living beings.”

So he was challenging, “Why are you not allowing Vaisnavas to take darshan of Lord Jagannath?” He spoke for some time and the organizers were starting to get a little anxious. They were standing on the side and were saying, “Swamiji, the book. Swamiji, the book!” Prabhupada didn’t even look at them. He continued like fire. “Swamiji, Swamiji, the book!” Prabhupada just waited until he finished his message. He then looked up at them and they said, “Swamiji, the book!” Prabhupada picked up the book and said, “Oh yes. This book is inaugurated” and then he threw it on the table and walked off the stage.

Finished. So bold. He was so bold. He could be bold. Of course Prabhupada even sometimes said to us, he said, “I can do this because I’m an old man. Don’t imitate. Because he would be that way and people would still respect him and listen to him. He would caution us though. He wanted us to preach boldly but to be careful to not imitate.

Prabhupada was also a gentleman. He would not publicly criticize. Even when people would ask Prabhupada, for example, if they would ask, “Can you tell me? What is your opinion of Yogi Bhajan?” And Prabhupada would say, “What is his philosophy?” So he would make the person explain what is the philosophy of Yogi Bhajan. I’m using him just as a hypothetical example. But he did it with many people because people would sometimes ask Prabhupada’s opinion about… at that time there was a lot… for instance there was Krsnamurti, who was very popular, Guru Maharaji, the so-called “perfect master”. Then there were so many gods around too. Prabhupada also had to deal with questions about all of these gods. So Prabhupada would ask, “What is his philosophy?” Upon hearing the philosophy he would then rip it to pieces. He would expose the impersonal conclusion or whatever misrepresentation of the absolute truth that it was. But he would not openly criticize the individual.

He did this a lot with Vivekananda. Although he would not go out of his way to criticize publicly, but he would definitely do it in private conversations and lectures with disciples. If he was asked publicly he would have to defend Krsna. He was always defending Krsna. He was always defending the sampradaya.

One time Prabhupada was sitting in a room with Indian people… I think it was in Bombay. One gentleman was challenging Prabhupada because Prabhupada was using strong words. I think he might have been using “rascals” or “mudhas”. And the man was saying, “Swamiji, you are supposed to be sama darsinah. Why are you speaking like this?” Prabhupada replied, “Oh, sama darsinah? That is a higher platform. I’m not on that platform. I have to discriminate. But I discriminate because I see who is following Krsna’s instructions and who is not following Krsna’s instructions. And Krsna says, “avajananti mam mudha”, He says “na mam duskritino mudha”. He gave examples how Krsna used strong language, “mudha”. “So therefore I simply present what Krsna says. I have to discriminate, who follows and who doesn’t follow. But I give Krsna’s instructions to everyone. In this sense I don’t discriminate. This is my sama darsinah. I tell everyone what Krsna says, indiscriminately.”

And then the man said, “But Swamiji, what do you do? You are simply repeating what somebody else said. What are you doing?” Of course, this is Prabhupada’s whole mission. Bhagavad-gita AS IT IS. That was his whole mission. His mission was to give Krsna’s instruction as Krsna gave it. Therefore he was presenting Krsna’s words, explaining what Krsna’s words were and then he was teaching by his own example how he would surrender to Krsna’s words. Therefore Prabhupada’s words had so much potency to change people because he didn’t compromise. He gave Krsna’s words and he taught by his example, being fully surrendered to Krsna.

Here was an example of somebody who gave Krsna’s instructions and then pushed everybody beyond their own self-imposed limits, whoever was sincere enough and could understand that, “Yes, he’s following. I have to follow too.”

Prabhupada would never compromise. That was his compassion. Some people may say, “Oh, it looks like arrogance. Why wouldn’t he compromise for people?” But that was his compassion. Atmaupamyena sarvatra. That’s exactly what this verse is about in Bhagavad-gita.”He is a perfect yogi who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, in both their happiness and their distress, O Arjuna!” His compassion was that, “They can only be saved if they take shelter at Krsna’s lotus feet. How can I give anything else? Anything else would be violence.”

This was his compassion because he was fully realized in what is real happiness, and because he saw all living entities as parts and parcels of Krsna, he knew that the only thing that could make them happy is to connect them to Krsna.

Isopanisad says, “One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or anxiety for him?” Srila Prabhupada was never experiencing any material anxiety. He had only one anxiety and that was the sufferings of others. That was his anxiety. Why? Because he was satisfied. He had his connection with Krsna and therefore he didn’t need anything from anyone for himself. Thus, he could give Krsna unlimitedly to everyone without compromising.

Therefore he was a perfect yogi who could see why others were suffering. He knew their source of suffering, as he says right here in this commentary, “the cause of distress of a living entity is forgetfulness of his relationship with God.” Prabhupada went right to the root cause.

Someone may say, “Well, there’s so many other causes of distress. I could make a big, long list.” But Prabhupada would go right to the root— forgetfulness of one’s relationship with God— because as soon as one establishes a connection with the Supreme Lord… no more birth, no more death. Moreover, whatever distress they may experience in this life is just burning up whatever reactions were left from previous lives, thus finishing their connection with the material world. Isn’t that compassion? He felt that kind of compassion and that’s why he was so uncompromising. “How can I give them anything less than Krsna?” That was his love. That was his equality. That was his kindness.

So he gave Krsna uncompromisingly, and he was very careful to preserve that same method of distribution for the future. He therefore taught his followers to give Krsna to others. And he also expected his followers for future generations to preserve his teachings and this example.

So even though we may not be fully Krsna conscious, we still have to know what is the goal— the example that we want to come to ourselves? We cannot imitate complete Krsna consciousness. But at least we must try to come to that platform. And even though we cannot imitate Srila Prabhupada’s perfect, Krsna conscious vision of the world, we must keep his method of preaching intact by preserving what he’s given to us in its most potent form— in his books— without imposing any of our own interpretation.

Every page of Bhagavad-gita as it is pure devotional service. Every page of Srimad Bhagavatam is pure devotional service. It’s not anything else. It’s pure devotional service… beginning, middle and end. Therefore those who are true followers of Srila Prabhupada will keep his message intact. We still have his example. We can still talk about it. We can still remember that example. We should know what that example is. Everyone should know Srila Prabhupada. If you don’t know Srila Prabhupada, you’re losing. He’s the perfect example. Otherwise, how do we know what platform to aspire for unless we have the perfect example? If we don’t know, we’ll start thinking, “Oh I could be like this, I could be like that.” No. He’s our Founder-Acarya for all time— not just for twelve years while he was present on the planet. He’s the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON for as long as ISKCON is present.

Prabhupada was very, very strong on this point. Whenever he saw the slightest discrepancy in being presented without the title “Founder-Acarya”, he would immediately correct it.

One time Srila Prabhupada came to the new BBT headquarters in Los Angeles and in the front there was a sign, “Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.” Prabhupada said, “Where is Founder-Acarya? Why is it not there?” Devotees were shocked. He wanted to make sure that “Founder-Acarya” was on everything. Why? Someone may think it was vanity. No. There was never any pride in Prabhupada. It was his compassion. He wanted to make sure his vision prevailed for the Krsna consciousness movement. Therefore Founder-Acarya had to be everywhere because he wanted to ensure that everyone would be led to Krsna’s lotus feet.

That is the mission we experienced in his presence. We’d bring everyone to Prabhupada’s lotus feet because we were confident he was connecting them to Krsna.

So we need that example. Yes. The goal is to find shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna, and the example of how to find shelter at the lotus feet of Krsna is in our Founder-Acarya.

Srila Prabhupada’s books are the foundation of the Krsna consciousness movement. Nobody else’s books are as important as Prabhupada’s books. When people come to our temples they should immediately see only Prabhupada’s books… a grand display. We should be eager, excited, ecstatic, to introduce people to Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Srila Prabhupada’s books change lives… not just during his manifest presence. They are still changing lives and will continue to change lives. There’s so many stories about how people’s lives have been changed by coming in contact with Prabhupada in his books.

I like to tell this story. It’s a wonderful story. Quite some time back, I was visiting the temple in Montreal. During the visit, I was writing my Vyasa Puja offering to Srila Prabhupada. Usually we have a deadline in order for it to be published in the annual Vyasa Puja book and the deadline was the next day.

So I was sitting in my room about to begin writing my Vyasa Puja offering. What oftentimes happens, however, whenever it comes to write a Vyasa Puja offering, I sit there and I go blank for a little while, thinking about what I am going to write. So I was just sitting, looking at the screen thinking, “Where to start?” Starting is usually the hardest part. Once I’m started I can get going.

All of a sudden there was a knock on the door. It was the Temple President. He said, “Maharaja, there’s a gentleman who came to the temple and there’s nobody here. Would you take a little time to talk to him and answer his questions?”

So I said, “You know. I have one hour right now. And I need this one hour to write my offering in time for the deadline tomorrow. So he said, “He’s probably got just a few questions. I’m sure it won’t be very long.”

So I agreed. I went into the temple reception area and there was one man, probably in his 60’s. He introduced himself and asked if we could sit down. So I shook his hand and sat down.

He then just started talking. “Do you know that I was the caption of Montreal police back in 1973?” It might have been 1974. I can’t remember exactly the year he told me. “I was at the airport when your Prabhupada came. I saw him, I looked at him and I could see that here’s a very saintly person. For what I know right now about him, I wish I would have just given everything up right then and there and became his disciple.”

So I said, “Really? How is it that you know more now?” He then reached in his pocket and pulled out a pocket-sized Bhagavad-gita. This Bhagavad-gita looked like it had been really read a lot. He said, “You see this Bhagavad-gita? I’ve read it thirty-two times.” I said, “Thirty-two times?” He said, “Yes. Thirty-two times and still counting. I don’t go anywhere without it. I read it every day. Sometimes I take my wife to the shopping mall and she says, ‘I may be awhile and you’ll have to wait.’ and I say, ‘No problem. I’ve got my Bhagavad-gita. Take as long as you want.’ In fact, my wife is shopping right now. But I saw that the temple was so close by that I decided to come. I could read Bhagavad-gita again and again and it’s always fresh.”

He then opened the Bhagavad-gita and started reading verses from it, and then he started talking again about Prabhupada. “He was such a beautiful person. I don’t know why I did not become his disciple.” He started to tell everything that he saw at the airport.

He went on talking and talking and I was thinking, “I thought that I was going to answer some questions but there are no questions being asked. He just wants to talk.” So I just sat there and was just mystified listening to him.

All of a sudden he said, “Oh, I think my wife is probably ready by now.” He had been talking for about forty-five minutes mostly about Prabhupada. He got up, went to the door and started to say good-bye. Then he said, “You know, my wife and I read Prabhupada Lilamrita every night together. She won’t read Bhagavad-gita. But I can get her to read Prabhupada Lilamrita. And every night we read about Prabhupada. He then started telling me the latest story he read from Prabhupada Lilamrta.

This went on for about another ten to fifteen minutes as he stood by the door with his hand on door knob and the door half-opened. Then he said, “I really have to go now. It’s been nice talking with you”, and he left.

I probably didn’t say more than five words. I looked at my watch and one hour passed. I was thinking, “Oh no. I lost my one hour!” I had a program coming up and therefore lost the hour I was hoping to use for writing my Vyasa Puja offering.

As it turned out, the next morning I sat down and just wrote the whole story about my meeting with the former Captain, and that was my Vyasa Puja offering. I saw how Krsna just sent him to write my Vyasa Puja offering for me because I couldn’t come up with anything myself.

Anyway, my realization is that Prabhupada is still changing lives. That man was so attached to Prabhupada. It seemed to me that the gateway to the spiritual world will be open to him for the attachment he has to Krsna’s pure devotee.

I could tell so many other stories but the point is that it’s so important to make Srila Prabhupada’s books available to people. People are hankering to know someone like Prabhupada and we have a responsibility, as his followers, to make sure that Prabhupada is always accessible to everyone. We should be carefrul to never eclipse Srila Prabhupada.

For instance how do we make Krsna accessible? We make Krsna accessible by being Krsna conscious. That’s how Krsna becomes accessible. The more Krsna conscious we are the more people can make a connection with Krsna. We don’t make Krsna accessible by packaging Him in a way that people can’t see who Krsna is. We make Krsna accessible by the way Prabhupada made Krsna accessible. He spoke only about Krsna. That’s how Krsna became accessible. And he lived only for Krsna. That made Krsna even more accessible.

So why shouldn’t we make Prabhupada accessible also? We should make him accessible by making sure that everybody has an opportunity to receive his books. Everybody should know what his example is. And everybody should know what his mission is. Krsna. Nothing more, nothing less. The lotus feet of Krsna.

When you have the lotus feet of Krsna, you have everything. Prabhupada says, yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati. (Mundaka Upanisad 1.3) When you have Krsna, you have everything. That’s his mission.

Therefore there’s nothing more than Krsna because there is nobody equal to Him and nobody is greater than Him. Krsna is the last stop, the param gatih, the final goal. And we have to establish that goal in the minds of everyone.

Prabhupada therefore emphasized that there is nothing more than Krsna. And he would never give anything less than Krsna. Uncompromising. Nothing less. That was his compassion. That was his kindness to humanity. Anyone who came in contact with him could feel his compassion. Simply seeing him, tears would come to people’s eyes because he was so filled with compassion. Prabhupada would cry, simply to think how people were trying to forget Krsna.

A devotee once told me a story about Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada was in a car with devotees, driving by a golf course. When he saw the golfers he asked, “What are they doing?” He had never seen or heard of golf before. The devotee replied, “Prabhupada, that’s called golf.” Prabhupada asked, “What is this golf?” The devotee said, “You see that stick there they are holding? They walk around all day and push a little white ball into a hole.” Prabhupada started to cry, big tears. “They are doing so much to try to forget Krsna.” Crying. Para dukha dukhi. That is a Vaisnava. A Vaisnava has that feeling in his heart. He has his connection with Krsna and therefore has everything he needs. He has service to Krsna. There’s a purpose for living for him. There’s a purpose for everything he does… for eating, for breathing. He never hankers. He’s satisfied in any condition of life. And because he does not suffer, he can feel other’s suffering.

In this way a person who is self-satisfied and freed from envy can think of others’ welfare. Therefore when he sees others forgetting Krsna, he cries. He feels the pain that they won’t be happy until they are connected with Krsna.

That’s what drove Prabhupada to expand the Krsna consciousness movement in the way he did within twelve years. He was sleeping two hours a night and waking up at midnight. He was translating Srimad Bhagavatam until four o’clock in the morning. He would then begin his day, go for his morning walk, give Srimad Bhagavatam class. Even during his morning walk he was preaching to his disciples. Then he would meet people. Everything he did, he did with the burning desire to give Krsna to others.

We need that example. It gives us impetus. We should think, “What am I doing with my life? Let me use whatever strength, whatever wealth, whatever intelligence I have to do something for Prabhupada’s mission. I cannot be a miser and waste this life.”

Prabhupada is driving us to understand that principle. And if we don’t remember Prabhupada and remember his example, we’ll so easily forget. We’ll think his mission is to become comfortable in life.

Prabhupada didn’t teach that, because he never looked for his own comfort. He never tried. Comfort was offered but he was not interested. He taught how to use all of our energy for spreading Krsna consciousness. He never asked for his own comfort.

Sometimes devotees would give comforts to him. We gave a lecture on Sunday explaining why Prabhupada would sometimes accept it. He accepted only out of compassion. Not because he was interested in his own comfort. He accepted it because he wanted to reciprocate the love of his disciples and take that love and place it to Krsna’s lotus feet. But he would never ask for his own comfort. His example was to not be interested in one’s own personal comfort. His comfort was giving Krsna to others. That was comfort for his heart because he felt he was using his energy for the hightest purpose.

Prabhupada concludes this commentary with that point. He says. “Here is a contrast between a pure devotee of the Lord and a yogi interested only in his personal elevation. The yogi who has withdrawn to a secluded place in order to meditate perfectly may not be as perfect as a devotee who is trying his best to turn every man toward Krsna consciousness.”

This is what’s in Srila Prabhupada’s purport. When we read Srila Prabhupada’s commentaries, these are the realizations we should be getting. He called his commentaries his personal ecstasies.

Prabhupada was even one time sitting and reading his own book. When the Fifth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam was brought to him, Prabhupada immediately opened it and began reading it. Devotees said, Prabhupada even you read your own books.” And Prabhupada said, “Oh yes. I have not written these books. Krsna has written these books. That’s why I am reading them.

This is Prabhupada. Krsna on every page.

So this is our understanding of this verse:

“He is a perfect yogi who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, in both their happiness and their distress, O Arjuna!”

Prabhupada knows how to make others really happy and he knows what the cause of distress is. Just one very simple point. We’ve simply forgotten Krsna. That is the source of distress.

Prabhupada used to quote Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. He said that there is nothing lacking in this material world. Everything is available except one thing… Krsna consciousness. “Therefore,” he said, “I have come to give to Him to you.”

Hare Krsna.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=63706

By Gauranga Prabhu

In the high-stakes world of academic achievement, getting into the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is often seen as the ultimate finish line. Parents start dreaming of Silicon Valley offices, and students start dreaming of… well, finally getting some sleep. But as it turns out, there is a fascinating “Dimension X” to the post-IIT life that even the most seasoned filmmakers are just beginning to capture.

Imagine the scene: a bustling local train, the rhythmic clatter of the tracks, and a young monk calmly offering copies of the **Bhagavad Gita**. To the casual commuter, this looks like a simple act of devotion. To one particular filmmaker, however, it looked like a career crisis in progress.

“Why are you begging like this?” the gentleman asked, perhaps wondering if the job market had truly become that dire. When the monk revealed he was an IIT graduate, the man’s concern shifted to genuine bewilderment: “What happened? You didn’t get employment or what?”.

It is a classic comedic misunderstanding. In a world where a “good placement” is defined by a paycheck, the idea of an elite engineer choosing to distribute **transcendental messages** instead of software updates can seem like a glitch in the system. But as Srila Prabhupada often taught, the most refined intelligence shouldn’t just be used to build better machines; it should be used to understand the “machine” of the material world and the soul within it.

When you have a sharp brain, why not use it for the highest purpose? Instead of just engineering better gadgets, these “monks with degrees” are engineering better lives. They aren’t looking for a “job” in the mundane sense because they’ve already found the ultimate Boss.

The filmmaker, who was coincidentally making a movie about the Herculean struggle students undergo just to *enter* IIT, realized he had a brand-new sequel on his hands. He had documented the effort to get in, but he hadn’t considered what happens when someone finds something even more prestigious on the way out.

The irony grew even thicker when the monk mentioned a friend—also an IITian—who was leading a temple in Pune. It seems that for some, the path from “IIT” to “Internal Infinite Transformation” is becoming a popular route.

So, the next time you see a bright-eyed monk who looks like they could solve a triple integral in their head, don’t worry about their employment status. They haven’t missed out on a career; they’ve just upgraded their “package” to something out of this world. After all, why settle for a corner office when you can have a direct connection to the spiritual sky?

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=117845

Expanded over 100 acres of area, Govardhan Ecovillage is a project of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The project is owned and managed by ISKCON Wada.

It is the result of an ardent desire of Radhanatha Swami to fulfill the dream of his beloved guru, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada – “To erect for the members and society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna.”

“Eco-friendly,” Radhanatha Swami explained, meant: Living in harmony with nature and according to the way Krishna wants us to live on a material level and spiritual level.

Living with respect for Mother Earth, Bhumi-devi, who is the consort of Lord Varahadeva, Lakshmi herself and honoring her and living in ways that replenish her resources rather than exploit her resources, and then utilize whatever resources she gives us, by her grace, for the service of Lord Vishnu.

Govardhan Ecovillage is not an overnight establishment, but shape formed over a century of toil, hardship and the constant passion of many. Govardhan Ecovillage is a place that houses several eco-friendly initiatives. Govardhan Ecovillage is implementing several rural development initiatives in many villages nearby with the help of Sri Chaitanya Seva Trust.

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=117838

On the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, ISKCON Mayapur launched its latest initiative, an Interactive Timeline of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada (1896–1977), ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya.

This engaging timeline presents the major milestones in Srila Prabhupada’s life and mission—from his birth in Kolkata in 1896, to his historic meeting with his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, in 1922, his courageous journey to America in 1965, the founding of ISKCON in 1966, and the extraordinary worldwide expansion of the Krishna consciousness movement until his departure in 1977.

What makes this timeline especially unique is that visitors can hear Srila Prabhupada himself speaking about many of the key events of his life and mission, bringing each moment vividly to life through his own words and realizations.

To explore the timeline, click here.

Source: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-mayapur-launches-interactive-timeline-of-srila-prabhupada/

By Chaitanya Jivana Das 

National Sanskrit University has launched a new undergraduate degree program titled Śāstrī in Gauḍīya Darśana, equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts degree. The initiative offers students an opportunity to study Gauḍīya Vedānta within a formal university setting, combining traditional śāstric learning with a modern academic framework.

Program Structure and Duration

The semester-based program is designed to be completed in either three or four years. Students who complete three years, or six semesters, will receive a Śāstrī degree, equivalent to a B.A. Those who continue for a fourth year and complete eight semesters will be awarded Śāstrī Sammanita, equivalent to a B.A. Honours degree. The course follows a Choice Based Credit System, intended to provide both flexibility and a systematic progression of studies.

Eligibility and Medium of Instruction

Applicants must have completed 12th standard from a recognized government board. While a background in Sanskrit is preferred, students from general educational streams may also apply. Those who have completed Prāk-Śāstrī or equivalent traditional studies are likewise eligible.

The medium of instruction and examination is Sanskrit, enabling students to study original texts directly rather than through translations. Organizers say this approach is intended to strengthen both Sanskrit proficiency and a deeper understanding of Gauḍīya philosophy.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/national-sanskrit-university-launches-gau%e1%b8%8diya-darsana-degree/