Following are excerpts from some scriptures (Puranas) describing the glories of lamp offering:

The sins accumulated in millions of kalpas vanish in an instant when a dipa is offered during Kartika. O great brahmana, listen to this dipa’s virtues, which are dear to Keshava. By offering a dipa in this month a person will not take birth on earth again.

This dipa-dana bestows all the benefits available at Kurukshetra during solar eclipses and at Narmada during lunar eclipses, multiplied by the millions. O great sage, what is the value of Ashvamedha sacrifices for someone who in this month lights ghee or sesame oil lamps? By this offering to the Lord, all prescribed activities, even if devoid of mantra, rituals and cleanliness  are brought to perfection. Anyone who offers dipa to Keshava during Kartika is actually performing all sorts of ablutions and sacrificial ceremonies.

On the other hand, all the pious deeds of the three worlds are not effective if this Kartika dipa does not burn before Lord Keshava.
O brahmana, since time immemorial the ancestors are praying, ‘If a scion who can please Lord Keshava by this dipa-dana would appear in our lineage, we would certainly all become liberated by the mercy of the Lord, who has a cakra on His hand.’

Moreover, even if the volume of one’s sins equals Mount Meru, this dipa-dana can certainly incinerate them. Be it in a temple of Lord Vasudeva or in one’s private house, this offering yields amazing results. Indeed, the person who lights this dipa before Madhusudana is fortunate and glorious, because even hundreds of sacrifices and ablutions in holy places cannot match the results instantly acquired by this dipa-dana.

Even one who never performs religious rituals or even the worst sinner will surely be purified by this offering. O Narada, in the three worlds there is no sin that can stand before this Kartika dipa. In fact, by presenting this dipa before Lord Vasudeva, the eternal abode can be reached without obstruction.

Now I will tell you about the merits accruing to one who offers a dipa with camphor throughout Kartika, or particularly on the day of Dvadashi. O Narada, all the born or to-be-born members of one’s family line, including all the innumerable forefathers, will enjoy in heaven for a long time according to their wishes, and will attain liberation by the grace of Lord Hari, who has a cakra on His hand.

In this month, O great brahmana, a person who illuminates Lord Keshava’s temple even for the sake of gambling purifies his family up to seven generations. And those who kindle this Kartika dipa in a temple of  Lord Vishnu will prosper with wealth, progeny, good reputation, and fame. Just as friction manifests the fire inherent in any wood, so this dipa-dana undoubtedly manifests dharma (present in any action).

O eminent brahmana, the destitute should also arrange for this offering throughout the month, until the full-moon day, even if it is necessary to sell his own person to do so.
The fool who does not offer this dipa in Lord Keshava’s temple during Kartika, O sage, should never be considered a Vaishnava.
(Skanda Purana, dialogue between Brahma and Narada)

Between the offering of all existing wealth and the offering of a dipa during Kartika there is no comparison – in fact, the latter is certainly more precious.
(Naradiya Purana, dialogue between Rukmangada and Mohini)

A person who kindles an akhanda-dipa before Lord Hari will leave for the Lord’s abode on a effulgent vehicle and live there in bliss.
(Padma Purana, dialogue between Shri Krishna and Satyabhama)
“Of all gifts, the gift of a lamp during the month of Kartik is the best. No gift is its equal.”

Source: http://www.iskconvrindavan.com/virtues-of-lamp-offering-during-month-of-kartika/

On October 16th the United Nations and the world celebrates World Food Day. In their communications the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasizes: “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.” And they urge everyone: “Let's adapt agriculture to climate change to build the Zero Hunger Generation.”

According to Vladimir Rakhmanin, the European regional director of FAO, “while we have enough food to feed the entire human population, there are still millions out there starving. The problem is, he says, is not the quantity of the food we produce, it is the unbalance in distribution.” 

Rakhmanin also pointed out the importance of adapting the agriculture to the effects of climate change, by switching to sustainable, local agriculture. 

Volunteers of different faith groups discuss the tasks before the food distribution begins.

With its organic farm Krishna-valley, ISKCON Hungary has been one of the most well known champions of sustainability in Europe. To respond to the appeal of the UN FAO about the balanced distribution of food, on Sunday October 16th, ISKCON Hungary organized a major free food distribution event to the needy in Budapest.

Volunteers have distributed 1,600 plates of hot lunch, and gave out tons of dry food, including pasta, flour, vegetable oil, rice and other items from which families can cook from for weeks.

Hare Krishnas, Muslims, Jews and Buddhists worked together to help the needy on World Food Day.

The special feature of the charity event was that at this time, people from other religious communities have also joined the Krishna devotees in their effort in helping the poor. Dozens of Hungarian Muslim, Jew, and Buddhist volunteers contributed with money, food and their time to make the World Food Day free food distribution program in Budapest a great success.

People on the receiving end not only appreciated the food and kind words they got from people of different faiths today, but also the good example they witnessed in their way of cooperation, and their acting upon shared values.

Source:http://iskconnews.org/iskcon-hungary-organizes-interfaith-ffl-on-un-world-food-day,5867/  ;

Since its construction, Srila Prabhupada’s Palace has been the heart and soul of the New Vrindaban community in West Virginia. A sacred Smriti Samadhi, it is the greatest memorial to ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya in the Western World.

What’s more, it was beloved by Prabhupada himself, who wanted to retire to it to translate his books, and repeatedly asked when it would be completed.

“When my palace will be ready I shall go there and stay,” he wrote in 1974. “I like very much that place, very calm and quiet.”

So it is inspirational for many that this year has seen renewed energy and attention at Prabhupada’s Palace, as devotees work to again increase the international recognition it receives.

An important step was enlisting a qualified person to facilitate the effort. Enter new Palace Manager Vrajadhama Das from Toronto, who has been a devotee for twenty years and worked as an office manager and sales trainer before joining Prabhupada’s Palace this March.

“Serving Srila Prabhupada nicely is our priority,” he says. “If we’re not doing that, it doesn’t really matter what other improvements we’re making.”

To that end, a priority for Vrajadhama was to renovate a room in the Palace for a pujari, Srinama Das, to live in so that he can attend to Srila Prabhupada’s care full-time.

Devotees are also renovating the Palace kitchen, so that Srinama can prepare Prabhupada’s meal offerings onsite rather than transporting them up the hill from the temple.

The next priority is, of course, making sure that the devotees serving Prabhupada are happy.

“One way I try to do that is by recognizing and appreciating the devotees for the hard work that they’ve been doing here for so many years,” Vrajadhama says. “I walk the grounds of the Palace every morning, and stop and talk to everyone to see if they need anything and if they’re satisfied in their service. I also try to make sure that people are engaged in activities that suit their personal abilities, which was Srila Prabhupada’s philosophy of management.”

These efforts have resulted in increased staff enthusiasm and numbers, with four local people and twenty-one devotees engaged in various capacities, up considerably from previous years.

With the staff numerous and active, Prabhupada’s Palace is also seeing increased attendance at several unique programs that utilize its atmosphere of personal association with Srila Prabhupada.

One of these is the monthly Prabhupada Sangam, started in Spring 2013 by husband and wife Kripamaya Das and Krsna Bhavi Dasi, both Prabhupada disciples, and maintained today by Vrajadhama and his wife Nityananda Dasi.

“The evening starts off with grand disciples or second generation devotees talking about what Prabhupada means to them,” says Vrajadhama. “We then have Prabhupada disciples speak about their personal experiences with him – both local disciples as well as visiting devotees like Nanda Kumar Prabhu or Srutakirti Prabhu, who had lots of one-on-one time with him. It’s very sweet.”

The Sangams are an attempt to bring Prabhupada’s Palace to life. “I really wanted to bring the New Vrindaban community members back to the Palace,” says Vrajadhama. “To let them know, this is not just a place for tourists, but this is Prabhupada’s home – he’s here, and he wants you to come and visit.”

Each event is filmed and archived on the New Vrindaban YouTube page, and the last one was livestreamed on Facebook, an exciting new step in utilizing modern technology.

Meanwhile, as a way of reaching out to the public Kirtan Experience events are held on the First Friday of every month. Introduced in April this year, they are advertised locally in Wheeling and surrounding areas as a way to “enliven, unite and inspire through transcendental music.”

Between 30 and 50 people usually attend these programs, many of them general public who appreciate the sweet and informal vibe. Devotees from different ISKCON New Vrindaban departments take turns leading each time, starting off with slow bhajans and building until everyone is jumping up and down, spinning in circles, and having an all round great time.

Sharing that joy of Krishna consciousness with a much larger public audience was this year’s fifth annual Festival of Colors on September 17th, held on the Palace grounds. Drawing nearly three thousand local people despite rainy weather, it saw families and students chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, dancing, throwing colors and taking tours of Prabhupada’s Palace.

Feedback has been very positive, and weather providing in future years Vrajadhama feels the Festival can again hit previous heights of 4,500 and beyond.

It’s a reasonable expectation: this year, overall tourism at Prabhupada’s Palace already increased from 20,000 annually to approximately 30,000. Vrajadhama attributes this to stronger social media presence, as well as an increasing interest from TV, radio and print media.

“It’s really about getting ourselves out there,” says Vrajadhama. “Because we have so much to offer. People are becoming aware that we’re doing a lot of work here, and that we’re ready to reintroduce ourselves to the world. They’re excited about that, and they want to come and see what we’re up to.”

In addition to Srila Prabhupada, the regular events and Palace tours, there’s a lot to see these days, with many physical improvements being made too.

A new Smoothie Shack opened at the Palace on Memorial Day in May, with devotees repurposing and renovating an unused gazebo. Painting it the Palace Wall’s signature salmon pink, they added four matching bistro-style tables with umbrellas, and began serving fresh fruit smoothies, freshly squeezed organic lemonade, and ice cream.

In the future, there are plans to add a grill to offer sandwiches and other hot snacks. More benches will also be added in shaded areas to make the Palace grounds more welcoming.

“It’s an added service for guests who’ve come a long way,” Vrajadhama says. “Now they can sit down and look out over our lotus pond with a refreshing Strawberry Bananarama or Mango smoothie, and just take time to absorb the serene atmosphere. This is a place of pilgrimage, so we really want people to slow down, and see Krishna everywhere in the natural beauty of New Vrindaban.”

Meanwhile, Prabhupada’s Palace itself is undergoing a major restoration project, with beautiful new rose and black granite steps, and a new drainage system to protect against water damage. The outer wall is being stabilized with rebar and concrete, and given a new durable stucco finish, a saffron topping with lotus designs, and ornate black window frames in Jaipur-style arches.

As the construction team does this work, Vrajadhama is overseeing painters who have repainted the Palace’s ornate black and gold exterior, its railings, and its chattras, or lookout towers, giving a fresh new appearance.

Next, the Palace roof, which has been leaking and causing internal damage for years, will be stripped and rebuilt, along with a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.

Whatever work devotees do, Vrajadhama feels, it will be successful as long as they keep Srila Prabhupada in the center and remember that he is always present at his Palace. As he told devotees in 1974, “I am already living here and always will be.”

“And that’s evident to both devotees and guests,” says Vrajadhama. “One woman took the tour this summer after she saw the Palace in a commercial. During the tour, she was listening very intently, really absorbing all the information. Then, when we turned the corner, entered Srila Prabhupada’s study, and saw him behind his desk writing in his murti form, she began to cry. Tears were running down her face, and she was overwhelmed with emotion. The others on the tour felt it too. And at that moment I knew that Srila Prabhupada is here – and that although he might physically appear to be absent, he will always be in his Palace.”

“This,” concludes Vrajadhama, “Is what makes Prabhupada’s Palace such an important place, and why it’s so important for us to continue improving and caring for it. Not only for us, but also for our children, and their children, and for the people of America – to be able to come and experience its gifts far into the future.”

Source:http://www.brijabasispirit.com/2016/10/16/new-vrindaban-devotees-serve-prabhupada-at-his-palace-with-renewed-enthusiasm/

First day of the GBC meetings in Mumbai. Wonderful gathering of amazing sadhus. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32373

On behalf of Jananivas, Ambarisa, Svaha and Braja Vilas prabhus and the entire TOVP Team, it is with great sorrow and bereavement that we have learned of the passing of one of the TOVP’s first heroes, His Grace Sri Nathji prabhu (Dr. N.D. Desai) yesterday, October 17th. We are in shock at his sudden departure at the age of 76 due to heart failure during a visit to Bhutan. It is truly a dark day of loss for the TOVP and for his family. We offer our condolences to his wife, two sons and daughter during this challenging time. His cremation ceremony will be held on October 18th in India. He will be greatly missed by us all.

Yet we are also blissful and confident that he has been blessed by Srila Prabhupada in his forward journey to the Lord’s abode. As Srila Prabhupada told Mr. Sethi regarding his helping to build the temple at Juhu, Mumbai, “If you help build this temple, the Lord will build a great temple for you in Vaikuntha”, Sri Nathji prabhu will no doubt be similarly rewarded for his seva to the cause of Sridhama Mayapur. As Braja Vilas prabhu relates:

“In 2011 I was living in America and working when Ambarisa prabhu mercifully offered me this greatest seva opportunity to help with fundraising for the TOVP. I agreed even though I had absoulutely no experience doing anything like that before nor any connections in India, having left there years before. In the first month of my new service I somehow had the opportunity to meet Sri Nathji prabhu at Radha Krishna prabhu’s house in Chowpatty and we introduced ourselves. I explained to him about the TOVP project and how Ambarisa prabhu had given the seed funding of $22 million to start the project and that it was well underway. He was so inspired by the idea and to hear of Ambarisa prabhu’s dedication that, to my surprise and without me even asking, he immediately said he would give $1 million. Ambarisa prabhu and I later visited his home and he immediately gave the full amount. We later found out that this money was originally supposed to be for the Chowpatty temple, but Sri Nathji prabhu, with the permission of his guru, His Holiness Radhanath Swami, had decided to help the TOVP instead. Even at a recent program at his home he received Lord Nityananda’s Padukas and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Sitari with great pomp and celebration and performed an abhisheka and arati for Their service. He became like a Grandfather to me, full of love and caring feelings, and always enthusiastic, energetic and entertaining. Our connection was such that I felt I knew him from a previous life. I am deeply aggrieved at this loss and am remorseful that he will not be with us at the Grand Opening of the TOVP in 2022. He was the first donor to the TOVP after Ambarisa prabhu’s initial seed funding and this literally kick-started the entire fundraising campaign, and for this service to Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada’s mission we are eternally indebted and grateful.”

Sri Nathji prabhu was born Narendra Dharmsind Desai on May 22, 1940 in Baroda, Gujarat in India. His mother, Shanta Ben, a Krishna bhakta, prayed that he would become a great devotee of Krishna, even while still in her womb. As explained by Satyaraja das (Steven J. Rosen) in his biographical book, Bhakti-Yoga in Business, The Spiritual Journey of Dr. N.D. Desai, “When she was pregnant, she prayed several times each day before that picture (of Lord Krishna) for a son that would serve Lord Krishna with full enthusiasm. Years later, when he took initiation as a Vaishnava, she confessed that she was fully satisfied – Krishna had answered her prayers.”

Even after earning his Ph.D. in engineering and eventually becoming a successful businessman, Sri Nathji prabhu incorporated his devotion to Lord Krishna on a practical level. As he explains in Satyaraja prabhu’s book, “Both my mother and father, of course, supported the idea that everything belongs to Krishna, and so we eventually incorporated the standard Vaishnava principle of giving fifty percent of our profits to devotional activities, which we did through ISKCON or through other charitable organizations.” Satyaraja prabhu adds, “In due course, he would give much, much more than fifty percent. He would give his all.”

He finally met Srila Prabhupada in 1971 and his life changed forever. “I first met Srila Prabhupada, my spiritual teacher, in March, 1971 and this changed my life. Meeting a pure devotee has that effect – it brings one to another stage of existence.”

With that devotional attitude and with inspiration from Ambarisa prabhu, Sri Nathji prabhu gave his full support to the TOVP. Ambarisa and Svaha prabhus are grateful and thankful for his endearing devotion and we at the TOVP are all eternally indebted to him for his service. Jananivas prabhu will be organizing a special Nrsimha puja in his honor, among other observances.

We wish to conclude with this statement from Srila Prabhupada:

“If you help build this temple in Sridhama Mayapur, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur will personally come and take you back to Godhead.”

We believe this is certainly the case with Sri Nathji prabhu. He was a living example of the ability to live a spiritual life while actively taking part in the workaday world, and is a shining example to all Vaishnavas in that regard. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur is undoubtedly pouring his blessings upon him.

All glories to His Grace Sriman Sri Nathji prabhu.

For further biographical information and inspiration about the life of Sri Nathji prabhu, a copy of Satyaraja prabhu’s book, Bhakti-Yoga in Business, The Spiritual Journey of Dr. N.D. Desai, can be purchased here:

http://store.krishna.com/bhakti-yoga-in-business-the-spiritual-journey-of-dr-n-d-desai/

Dr. N.D.Desai (Srinathji Prabhu) 

Industrialist with a Mission 

(22.05.1940 - 17.10.2016)

A successful Bombay engineer seeks to inspire purity in his daily world of business and finance

Every evening at 6:00 Narendra Desai leaves his office in downtown Bombay. His chauffeur drives him home through Streets crowded with cars, trucks, ox-carts, rickshas, eight million people, and an occasional elephant. They pull up at a seven-story building overlooking parks, swimming pools, and the Arabian Sea. Upstairs, Dr. Desai bathes, changes into white silk robes, applies two lines of sacred clay to his forehead, and enters the marble temple in his apartment. He places three drops of water in his right hand, then three drops in the left, lights three sticks of incense, and begins reciting Sanskrit verses of prayer.

Soon his wife and three children join him. Tiny burning wicks of clarified butter throw soft light on the devotional paintings and tapestries. Everyone's attention is focused on the smiling Deities of Lord Krsna and His consort Radha. After the last prayer has been recited and the last flower offered, parents and children bow to the floor in submission to the Deities and then prepare for a dinner of vegetarian dishes first offered to the Lord.

The Desai family repeats the procedure each morning and evening, seven days a week, 365 a year. Brought up by pious, well-to-do parents, Dr. Desai has known the significance of the arati ceremony since childhood. In fact, so have most Hindus. The same elaborate offering to the Deity takes place in millions of homes across the subcontinent and around the world. Krsna, the ceremony proclaims, is the Supreme Lord and enjoyer of all works and sacrifices. He is the real master of the home, and His pleasure is the true goal of one's daily activities.

For Dr. Desai, however, the ceremony does not end with the last ablution. As an initiated devotee of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, he has dedicated his words, wealth, intelligence, and life to spreading the teachings of Lord Krsna. His spiritual name, Nathji dasa, means "servant of Lord Krsna, who is the master of all creation."

An ordinary day for Nathji begins at 4:00 A.M. After morning duties he takes a brisk walk around Seaface Park while chanting Hare Krsna on prayer beads and then joins his family in their temple room by 6:30 for ceremonies and a reading fromBhagavad-gita. At breakfast, father and children trade stories from the epic histories Ramayana and Mahabharata. At 8:00 Nathji brings his children to school and continues on to his office, where duties may include reviewing company accounts, evaluating new equipment, calling the minister of finance in Delhi about a new export factory, or visiting the refinery in Trombay, a Bombay suburb. Nathji returns home by 7:00 for evening temple ceremonies, an offering of foods to the Deity, and then dinner with his family. Before retiring at 10:00 he may read from scriptures or prepare notes for his Sunday lecture at ISKCON's Bombay temple and cultural center.

Nathji is the chairman of the board and managing director of several private companies, whose total combined sales exceed $40 million annually. Among his factories are India's largest producer of light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, and other lighting supplies and the country's second largest supplier of active electronic components. Despite the importance of his various enterprises, Nathji's real attention remains focused on his projects for spreading Krsna consciousness. In addition to providing financial backing for temples, cow protection centers (go-salas) like the one at the ISKCON asrama in Hyderabad, and the printing of Vaisnava literature, he has designed a traveling temple, built on a large Tata company truck chassis that will broadcast Bhagavad-gita to villages all over India. He sponsors gatherings as well sometimes in tents holding fifteen thousand people, sometimes in the privacy of his own apartment to teach bhakti (devotional service to Lord Krsna) and encourage membership in ISKCON. Nathji also serves as General Secretary to Bombay's Bhaktivedanta Institute, a branch of ISKCON dedicated to presenting Vedic scriptural conclusions in scientific terms.

At age twenty-one Nathji graduated with a masters' in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. That same year he secured a contract from Sunoco to open a nonfuel oil refinery outside Bombay. and soon thereafter he finished his Ph.D. One evening in 1971 he met devotees for the first time at his parents' house. His father, a member of Indian Parliament and president of several Bombay factories, often received religious people at his home. He greatly appreciated Srila Prabhupada's purity and world preaching efforts and invited him to come with disciples for chanting and a lecture. That evening Nathji's father became one of ISKCON's first Life Members, but Nathji remained skeptical. He had read several editions of Bhagavad-gita commented upon by impersonalistic scholars, and the nondevotional, monistic school appealed to him more than the idea of a personal God.

Still, Nathji began to visit Srila Prabhupada whenever Prabhupada came to Bombay. "I would argue that the Vedas describe every living entity as brahman, spiritual energy, and that Krsna is just one expression of that spiritual energy. Srila Prabhupada would correct me immediately. 'You may be brahman, but Krsna is the Supreme Brahman. He is the source of everything, including the brahman energy. You are a tiny particle of brahman, and He is the complete whole. Where have you picked up this nonsense impersonalistic idea? You are God? Did you create the universe? What is your authority to speak? Krsna spoke Bhagavad-gita. Can you speak such wisdom?' In this way he would defeat me."

Despite philosophical differences with Srila Prabhupada, Nathji was attracted by his explanations and broad vision of theological matters. Studying the books of Krsna consciousness and attending classes at the Bombay temple led Nathji to adopt the chanting of Hare Krsna as a daily meditation. Eventually he even relinquished his impersonal conceptions of truth in favor of the Vaisnava explanation that the soul retains individuality eternally in loving service to the Supreme Person.

Relatives and acquaintances looked askance at the idea of a highborn Hindu taking initiation from an American. "I told them there was nothing American left in him, that he had completely dedicated himself to Krsna's transcendental loving service. But many of them remained socially offended. I had been in Bombay five years, accumulating 'friends' like sins, and after my initiation many of them at first shunned me."

The notion that only born Hindus can accept spiritual initiation or perform the initiatory rites is widespread in India yet erroneous. According to Vaisnava scriptures, offering initiation into spiritual life is the prerogative of anyone fully conversant with the science of Krsna consciousness, and any sincere person can be a candidate for initiation. Nonetheless, social custom has made guruship and discipleship the privileges of those born in brahmana, or high-caste, families. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who promulgated the Krsna consciousness movement in Bengal five hundred years ago. defied this artificial restriction and, on the authority of scripture, accepted disciples from middle-class, low-class, and even outcaste families. The spiritual masters in succession from Him have followed His example.

Nathji was not disturbed by the criticism ("I didn't become a devotee to win friends," he says), and he continued his devotional practices openly. Paintings of Lord Krsna and His many incarnations adorned the walls of his office and home. Holiday gifts to clients included posters of the Deities at New Vrindaban, his spiritual master's rural community in West Virginia. 

Not long after Nathji's initiation, a young Communist union leader instigated a strike at one of Nathji's factories. Nathji rejected the strike leader's ambitious demands and instead handed him a copy of Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita.

"This has nothing to do with religion," the union organizer said. "We are talking worker-management relations."

"Then consult the real owner of the factory," Nathji replied. "My workers know I am a devotee of Lord Krsna. They know I manage this place on His behalf. They also know I try to encourage them by setting an example of fairness and concern for their well-being. These are qualities Lord Krsna praises in the Gita. But your demands are unreasonable by any standards except your own. If you want to negotiate successfully with me, I suggest you take this book home and read it."

Nathji noted that the workers were impressed by hearing him speak so strongly about the Gita's teachings, and after a few meetings they signed an agreement. Nathji later learned that the union leader, like many of his contemporaries, had received training in Bhagavad-gita as a boy and that the negotiations had rekindled his appreciation for its teachings. After the strike the union leader even commented that work, after all, "wasn't everything." Eventually he quit the Party and took to regularly studying the sacred text.

"I had never heard of a strike being argued in quite that way," Nathji says, "but one must have the strength of his convictions. Especially in business, where corruption is so widespread, Bhagavad-gita has been for me an important guiding force for knowing how to act in the right way."

Acting "in the right way" is a lesson Nathji imparts gently to his children, whom he feels have been "entrusted" to him. "Lord Krsna describes in the Gita that unsuccessful yogis take their birth in affluent or devotee families, a position from which they may easily complete their course of self-realization. By Krsna's arrangement, I am able to offer my children a favorable situation for becoming Krsna conscious, and I therefore take it that they are very elevated souls.

"When I talk to them about the eternality of the soul and our loving relationship with Krsna, they take it seriously. It's not that I impose the Gita's teachings on them; they actually understand and follow. Of course I still play the role of father, but they know that in a higher sense Krsna is their real Father and I am more like a guardian."

Nathji also teaches his children not to fall for what he calls "sweet talk, " that is, the allurement of materialism without carefully considering the consequences. "A classmate may invite them to smoke or drink or indulge in some other distraction, so we have an agreement. Before accepting any proposal they are not sure is truly beneficial, we discuss: What do the scriptures say? What will the effect be? What is the authority behind the suggestion, its motive? Naturally, the main thing is for them to see good examples in their father and mother. Children are so perceptive, they see even the slightest flaw. In that way they are forcing us to become Krsna conscious."

Nathji's mother, an elderly woman who has done much social service and received several requests to run for public office, was at first suspicious that such a large organization as ISKCON might have been infiltrated by the C.I.A. Her suspicions were allayed when Giriraja Swami reassured her that any agent capable of chanting Hare Krsna on beads for the two prescribed hours daily, following the rules of a devotee no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxicants (including coffee, tea, and cigarettes), and no gambling would be a true agent of intelligence and a most welcome member of the community. Mrs. Desai has been a well-wisher of ISKCON ever since.

"Srila Prabhupada's message to the world was not one of artificial renunciation," Nathji says, "but of devotion. Whatever you may be family man, businessman, professional add Krsna to your life and be happy. Business, after all, is an essential element of society. But if you work for Krsna, your life becomes sublime."

Source: http://www.backtogodhead.in/n-d-desai-industrialist-with-a-mission-by-yogesvara-dasa/

Dear Devotees,

A Talk by Giriraj Swami October 17, 2005 Sri Sri Radha-Radhanatha Temple Durban, South Africa

We welcome you to this most auspicious place, the temple of Sri Sri Radha-Radhanatha, on the most auspicious occasion of the beginning of Kartika, in the most auspicious association of Lord Krsna’s devotees. Kartika is also known as the month of Damodara (dama means “ropes,” and udara means “abdomen”), or Krsna who allowed Himself to be bound about the waist by the ropes of His devotee’s love.

Srila Rupa Gosvami compiled the law book of Krsna consciousness, the science of devotion, in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, translated by Srila Prabhupada in a summary study as The Nectar of Devotion. There the observance of Kartika is mentioned as one of the sixty-four items of devotional service. Rupa Gosvami quotes from the Padma Purana that just as Lord Damodara is favorably inclined toward His devotees, so the month of Kartika, which is also dear to Him, bestows great favor upon His devotees, even for a little service or a little practice. It is even said that the benefit gained for service performed in the last five days of Kartika is equal to that gained from service performed for the entire month. In other words, for a very small performance of devotional service in the month of Damodara, one gets a very big result–especially in Vrndavana. Also, Srila Prabhupada has explained that wherever the deities of Radha and Krsna are installed, that is also Vrndavana. So even here our devotional service will be magnified “one thousand times.”

Srila Prabhupada gives us the example of a store that has a sale. Often when a new store opens they will have a sale, and a customer can get a very valuable item by paying a very small amount. So, the month of Kartika is like a sale, a transcendental sale. By a little investment in terms of spiritual practice and service, you can get a great benefit. Of course, the management of the store hopes that you will come to appreciate its goods and patronize the store even after the sale is over. So we, too, hope that you will continue with your spiritual practices, or increased practices, even after the month of Kartika.

There is a special potency to the month itself. Just as certain times of the day, such as the brahma-muhurta, which begins one hour and thirty-two minutes before sunrise and continues until the sun rises, are more auspicious for spiritual progress and enhance the value of one’s practices, so, too, within the year, the month of Kartika is most auspicious. Devotees try to take advantage of the facility offered by Kartika by on the one side increasing their spiritual practices and doing extra service–they chant more rounds, read more scripture, recite more prayers, distribute more books, and make special offerings–and on the other side decreasing their material involvement, their sense gratification. As it is, we are in the four-month period of Caturmasya, so every month we forgo a certain type of food, but in Kartika devotees may do extra austerities. They may eat only once a day, or give up sweet or fried foods, or rise earlier than usual, or whatever–work on some area of their spiritual life that they want to improve–and they get special mercy in the month of Kartika to fulfil their vows and improve their spiritual practices.

Today also is sarat-purnima, the full-moon night of the sarat season, the night on which Krsna played upon His transcendental flute at Vamsivata by the Yamuna River in Vrndavana and called the gopis to dance with Him. Now, we may take it that He played on His flute and in a figurative way called the gopis to dance with Him, but actually Krsna’s flute is one of His messengers, and so the gopis not only heard the beautiful, melodious sound of the flute, but they actually received the message that Krsna wanted to meet them. And because their only desire was to please Krsna, to fulfil His desires and make Him happy, they all went to Him–not with the aim of fulfilling any selfish desire of their own, but only with the aim of fulfilling Krsna’s transcendental desire to dance with them.

Because the rasa dance superficially resembles the dancing of men and women in the material world, it can easily be misunderstood, and there are critics of Lord Krsna and Srimad-Bhagavatam and Krsna consciousness itself that find fault with the rasa-lila. I know religious groups outside of the Vedic tradition that criticize and challenge: “Oh, Krsna is a womanizer. How can you worship a god that enjoys with women?” They do not understand the pure love exchanged by Krsna and the gopis. In Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami explains the difference between love, or prema, and lust, or kama. In lust, the person wants to gratify his or her own senses, whereas in pure love, the devotee wishes to satisfy Krsna’s transcendental senses. The two may resemble each other, but actually they are completely different.

kama, prema,–donhakara vibhinna laksana lauha ara hema yaiche svarupe vilaksana

atmendriya-priti-vancha–tare bali ‘kama’ krsnendriya-priti-iccha dhare ‘prema’ nama

“Lust and love have different characteristics, just as iron and gold have different natures. The desire to gratify one’s own senses is kama, but the desire to please the senses of Lord Krsna is prema.” (Cc Adi 4. 164-165) Iron and gold are both metals, but there is a great difference between them, between their values. The pure love of the devotees for Krsna is like gold, and the lust of people in the material world who want to gratify their senses is like iron.

Another point of contention related to the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam is that the name of Radha is not mentioned. Some people challenge, “You are worshiping Radha and Krsna, Radha-Radhanatha, but on what authority? We don’t find the name of Radha in the Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam.” But in the five chapters that describe the rasa-lila, we find that after Krsna called the gopis and began to reciprocate with them, He disappeared. The gopis then plunged into separation from Krsna, and they began to search all over the Vrndavana forest for Him. In time they found two pairs of footprints: Krsna’s and a gopi’s. Then the other gopis, in their separation, exclaimed:

anayaradhito nunam bhagavan harir isvarah yan no vihaya govindah prito yam anayad rahah

“Certainly this particular gopi has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful Personality of Godhead. Therefore Govinda was so pleased with Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.” (SB 10.30.28) “Because She worshiped Lord Hari better than all of us, She has gotten to be with Krsna now.” The word aradhito, which means “worshiped” or “perfectly worshiped,” refers to Radha, as confirmed by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and other acaryas. They explain that Her name does appear in the Vedas, Upanisads, and other Puranas, and that in this verse, although Her name is not mentioned explicitly, the superexcellent glories of Sri Radha are nonetheless proclaimed.

Ultimately Krsna also left Srimati Radharani, and when the other gopis came upon Her, they found Her in such a state of intense lamentation in separation that they felt, “Actually, She loves Krsna more.” There is a technical discussion of what actually took place in the rasa-lila, why Krsna left with Radharani and why eventually He left Her too. But His ultimate purpose was to reunite all the gopis, and when the other gopis saw Srimati Radharani in such a state of ecstasy in separation, they felt sympathetic toward Her. They did not feel any envy at all.

Thereafter they all searched for Krsna together. But they could not find Him anywhere. Finally they decided, “We cannot find Krsna unless He wishes to be found. We cannot force Him to come before us.” So they considered, “How can we attract Krsna’s attention? How can we move Krsna to come back to us?” And they concluded that the best method was sankirtana, chanting the glories of Krsna together, along with crying.

So they returned to the banks of the Yamuna where they had originally met Him, and they began to sing the glories of Krsna–very beautiful songs in separation, known as the Gopi-gita. And when Krsna heard the loving prayers of the gopis, sankirtana, His heart was moved and He could no longer stay away from them. He came to them, reappeared before them in His most attractive feature:

tasam avirabhuc chaurih smayamana-mukhambujah pitambara-dharah sragvi saksan manmatha-manmathah

“Then Lord Krsna, a smile on His lotus face, appeared before the gopis. Wearing a garland and a yellow garment, He directly appeared as one who can bewilder the mind of Cupid, who himself bewilders the minds of ordinary people.” (SB 10.32.2)

Then followed a very interesting dialogue between Krsna and the gopis. The gopis felt some transcendental anger because Krsna had abandoned them. After all, He had called them to Him, they had risked everything to go to Him in the dead of night, and then He had left them. So they wanted Krsna to explain why.

In a most tactful and intelligent way, they began, “There are three kinds of lovers.” They presented three categories of lovers, or different ways that lovers deal with others, and asked Krsna to explain them. Indirectly, they were asking Krsna, “In which category do you fit?”

In one category are people who reciprocate exactly with the other party. In other words, “If you are kind to me, I will be kind to you; if you ignore me, I will ignore you.” Krsna said, “They are like merchants. They give only with the expectation of return, and they give only as much as they expect in return. Actually, they are selfish.”

In the next category are those who love the other even though the other does not love them. For example, at least in principle, parents love their children no matter what the children do. The children may not even appreciate the parents’ service, but the parents go on loving and serving them. And even better than parents are devotees, because although parents serve their own children, devotees love and serve everyone. Whether others appreciate them or not, they try to help everyone. Krsna said, “Those who love others even if others don’t love them in return, they are following the true path of dharma and they are the true friends of humanity.”

In the third category are those who don’t reciprocate even when others love them. The first category is “I reciprocate only if you love me.” The second category is “Even if you don’t love me, I love you.” And the third category is “Even if you love me, I don’t reciprocate.” So, the gopis wanted Krsna to admit that He was in the third category. They did not want to say it themselves, but they wanted to hear it from Krsna’s own mouth. They wanted to trap Him with their subtle network of wise and clever words.

Now, within the third category there are four divisions. There is the atmarama: He is completely self-satisfied. Even if you love him, he won’t reciprocate, because he is self-satisfied; he is situated in transcendental bliss. Then there is the apta-kama: He has desires, but they are already satisfied, so he doesn’t need you. Even if you love him, he won’t reciprocate. Then there is the third division, akrta-jna: he is ungrateful. And then there is the last division, guru-druhah. In the first three, “You love me, but I don’t reciprocate; I remain indifferent,” but in this last category, guru-druhah, “You love me, and I am not just indifferent to you; I become inimical.” Actually, the gopis wanted Krsna to admit that He had been ungrateful.

Ultimately Krsna had to respond to their question, and His answer was, “I did not neglect you, nor was I indifferent to you. I was always thinking of you. But in order to increase your love for Me, I hid Myself from you.” Krsna gave the example of a poor man who gains some wealth and then loses it. He will be so anxious that he can think of nothing except his lost treasure: “What happened to my money? How can I get it back?” Krsna said, “So I was reciprocating with you, because your desire was to increase your love for Me, and by hiding Myself from you I created a situation by which your attachment for Me would increase. So I was reciprocating with you.” Although Krsna’s argument sounded good, it did, however, contain one defect: the gopi’s love was already unlimited, and even so, by its very nature it was always increasing. So that could not have been the real reason.

Again, there is an intricate and elaborate discussion by the acaryas about the dialogue between Krsna and the gopis, but at the very end Krsna admits defeat. He says,

na paraye ‘ham niravadya-samyujam sva-sadhu-krtyam vibudhayusapi vah ya mabhajan durjara-geha-srnkhalah samvrscya tad vah pratiyatu sadhuna

“Actually, I am unable to repay my debt for your service to Me even with the prolonged life of Brahma, because you have given up everything for Me. You have given up family ties, which are so difficult to break. You have given up the dictates of the world, of the Vedas, and of your relatives. You have forsaken everything for My sake–which I could not do for you. You have given up all other relationships for Me, but I could not do that for you. I still have My father and mother and friends. You came running out of your houses in the middle of the night, but I sneak out and return in the morning so that no one catches Me. But you, with complete abandon, have come to meet Me without any consideration of the consequences. And I have so many devotees with whom I reciprocate: devotees in madhurya-rasa, in vatsalya-rasa, in sakhya-rasa, in dasya-rasa, and in santa-rasa. I also reciprocate with the sadhakas in the material world who are struggling and trying to become devotees. I reciprocate with everyone who approaches Me. But you love only Me. So I cannot equal your love. I admit it: I can never repay My debt to you.” He concluded, “I am defeated by your love.”

The gopis were so touched by Krsna’s words that they thought, “Now He has defeated us! We could not admit to Him that He defeated us, but He has admitted to us that we defeated Him. So He has defeated us.” [laughter] Of course, this is all on the platform of transcendental love. And it is said that later, when Krsna left Vrndavana to go to Mathura and Dvaraka and the gopis were left in separation from Him, they would think of His words to them, na paraye ‘ham, and that would give them solace to bear the separation. Of course, here we come to another subtle and intricate discussion, because even in separation from Krsna they experienced His presence.

After hearing Krsna’s reply, the gopis were appeased, and so He began the pastime of the rasa dance. All of the gopis were dancing in a circle, and Krsna expanded Himself to be next to each one. Each gopi felt, “Krsna is with me alone,” and each was completely satisfied by Krsna.

One of our godbrothers, Garuda dasa Adhikari (Graham M. Schweig), is a professor at a university in the United States, and he has written a translation and study of the five chapters of the rasa-lila, rasa-panca-adhyaya, that has been published by Princeton University Press, one of the most prestigious presses in academia. There he uses the image of the rasa dance as a symbol for interfaith harmony. It is a symbol that is most appropriate, especially for a diverse country such as South Africa.

The idea is that there were so many gopis, and each was individual, but that Krsna was by the side of each one, reciprocating with each perfectly. He accepted all of them, and all of them accepted each other, and there was complete harmony–not only between Krsna and the gopis, but also among the gopis themselves–in this dance of divine love. So, different worshipers serve God in different ways. They have different practices and rituals, and different scriptures and languages. But God reciprocates with all of them. And if they can come into harmony, not only with God but with each other as well, in the dance of divine love, then there can be complete harmony in the world.

So, today is a most sacred occasion: the beginning of kartika-vrata, and sarat-purnima, the night Krsna enjoyed His rasa-lila with the gopis–after removing Himself from their presence in order to demonstrate to the world, in their separation from Him, their supreme love.

Thank you very much.

Hare Krsna

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=8953

Russian Padayatra Report by Narada dasa

We started 13 May 2016 from Samara
Finished 9 September (Radhashtami) in Ershov village
69 devotees participated (39 men and 30 women)

Lasted for 120 days

76 harinam-sankirtan on the streets

3080 Srila Prabhupad books distributed
342 audio disks with kirtans and lectures
350 «Golden Age» magazines

29 cities

16000 km the total distance covered

Total income $10,453
+ donations by devotees 304 339,23 Rub
+ donations on sankirtana 267 253,60 Rub
+ selling the car (at the end) 63 000 Rub
+ mehendi 23 403,00 Rub

Total expenses 602 116,59 расход
– Petrol 197 099,03 Rub
– Books from BBT 98 875,00 Rub
– Prasadam 94 232,25 Rub
– Old car 50 000 Rub
– Repairing cars 50 593,80 Rub
– Sound system 41 950,00 Rub
– Technical stuff, musical inctruments and so on 69366,51 Rub

more about Russian padayatra:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1757929814441434/

This summer our Padayatra came to Rostov city. On the first harinam in the park one little girl with her mother were passing by. Little girl, maybe 4-5 year old, liked harinama so much that after watching a little began to dance with us. She was dancing the whole harinam, and become very sad, when it was over. She started to cry so sincerely that her mother asked where the next harinam will be. Next day they came to the other park and they both mother and daughter were dancing with us and they were very happy. After two days I met them on sunday programm with Prabhavishnu prabhu and asked them how they are doing. Mother said that daughters first question every morning was if we are going to Hare Krishnas today? She couldn’t wait to meet devotees. And thee both were very happy during the programm. Now they attend bhakti-vriksha group.

This story happened in Vityazevo. As usuall, harinama was passing by different litle summer shops, people were staring and so on. I notised one girl among them she was unusual. She was very beautiful with big black eyes, black hair. She was look like indian girl. She couldn’t take her eyes of harinam, in return, I couldn’t take my eyes from her. Some book distributors offered books to her but she had no money.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32383

Yashomatinandana das: Sometimes Prabhupada was very tolerant of his devotees.
After he read some letters from New York about Bali Mardan and his wife, Prabhupada said,
“The whole problem is sex life. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham. Tuccham means insignificant. One may think that sex is the greatest platform of happiness, but actually that happiness is insignificant. In fact, sex life is a source of distress. We have so many problems because of sex life.”
Although the situation in the New York temple was a big problem, Prabhupada spoke in this way for five minutes and then dropped it.
He reduced every problem to a philosophical understanding because he saw everything from a philosophical viewpoint.
I saw that in his every action Prabhupada never thought of himself as the doer but fully dependent on Krishna.
He would pursue a certain line and leave success or failure up to Krishna.
Some devotees wanted to go from Juhu to Bombay by taxi, and being a miserly man, I agitated them by saying, “Why should you go by taxi?”
I told Prabhupada, “When I tell the devotees that it’s too expensive to go to Bombay by taxi, they get agitated.”
Prabhupada said, “Just consider that before becoming devotees they were eating flesh and blood like tigers. Now they are chanting Hare Krishna, they are dancing and they are enjoying spiritually. Haven’t they accomplished something great? So if they want some extra money, give it to them. Don’t worry about their faults.”
Then in a lecture the next day he said, “Money is very hard to earn. Money is like Krishna’s blood and we should not waste it. Every rupee should be considered as a brick in the temple.”
So to me he said, “You tolerate,” while to them he said “Don’t waste money.”
In other words, he helped me increase my tolerance in the service of Krishna, and he helped them increase their frugality in the service of the Lord.
He approached the difficulty from different angles and instead of feeling discouraged, everyone saw a way to increase the quality of their service.
This was a key principle in Prabhupada’s dealings with every devotee, and that’s why he was able to produce so many managers.
In spite of our many mistakes, the movement grew because of Prabhupada’s kind and affectionate dealings.
The last verses of the Nectar of Instruction say, vaikunthaj janito vara madhu-puri tatrapi rasotsavad,
“Greater than Vaikuntha is Mathura mandala, and greater than that is Vrindavan where the rasa dance takes place. And greater than Vrindavan is Govardhan. And in Govardhan, Radha-kunda is the best place. Where is a knowledgeable person who will not serve the holy place called Radha-kunda?”
When that book came out, Prabhupada’s secretaries complained that devotees wanted to give up distributing books to stay in Radha-kunda.
Prabhupada said, “Just see the rascals. They have not followed the first verse of Upadesamrta and they are jumping to the eleventh verse.”
The first verse is vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam,
“One who controls the pushes of the senses is fit to be guru and make disciples everywhere.”
Sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat. Prabhupada said,
“Let them control their senses first, then they can think of Radha-kunda. Their mentality is called markata-vairagya, the renunciation of the monkeys. Monkeys also live in the forests, eating only fruits and leaves, but they are thinking, ‘Where is the she-monkey?’ The desire to give up one’s service and go to Radha-kunda is simply monkey business.”
—Jashomatinandana
.Excerpt from “Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint” 
by Siddhanta das

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32389

Srila Prabhupada: Instead of actively taking part in politics, saintly persons should engage in the chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. By the grace of Lord Caitanya, by simply chanting this Hare Krishna maha-mantra, the general populace can derive all benefits without political implications. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.14.12 Purport)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/J6eMdr

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32334

The Vaishnava observance of Damodara Utsav seva during Kartika (Damodar mase)

[Srimad Bhagavatam 10:9:1-2 txt] : Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: One day when Mother Yasoda saw that all the maidservants were engaged in other household affairs, she personally began to churn the yogurt. While churning, she remembered the childish activities of Krsna, and in her own way, she composed songs and enjoyed singing to herself about all those activities.

PURPORT
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, quoting from the Vaisnava-tosani of Srila Sanatana Gosvami, says that the incident of Krsna’s breaking the pot of yogurt and being bound by Mother Yasoda took place on the Dipavali Day, or Dipa-malika.

Even today in India, this festival is generally celebrated very gorgeously in the month of Kartika by fireworks and lights, especially in Bombay (and in Sri Vrndavana Dhama and ISKCON Temples all over the world). It is to be understood that among all the cows of Nanda Maharaja, several of Mother Yasoda’s cows ate only grasses so flavorful that the grasses would automatically flavor the milk.

Mother Yasoda wanted to collect the milk from these cows, make it into yogurt and churn it into butter personally. She thought that this Child Krsna was going to the houses of neighborhood gopas and gopis to steal butter, because He did not like the milk and yogurt ordinarily prepared.

While churning the butter, Mother Yasoda was singing about the childhood activities of Krsna.

It was formerly a custom that if one wanted to remember something constantly, he would transform it into poetry or have this done by a professional poet. It appears that Mother Yasoda did not want to forget Krsna’s activities at any time. Therefore, she poeticized all of Krsna’s childhood activities, such as the killing of Putana, Aghasura, Sakatasura and Trnavarta. While churning the butter, she sang about these activities in poetical form.

This should be the practice of persons eager to remain Krsna conscious twenty-four hours a day. This incident shows how Krsna conscious Mother Yasoda was. To stay in Krsna consciousness, we should follow such persons.

Srimad Bhagavatam 10:9:1-2. purport.)

Sri Damodara-ashtakam

(found in the Padma Purana of Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa, spoken by Satyavrata Muni in a conversation with Narada Muni and Saunaka Rsi)

“In the month of Kartika one should worship Lord Damodara and daily recite the prayer known as Damodara-ashtakam, which has been spoken by the sage Satyavrata and which attracts Lord Damodara. (Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa 2:16:198)

In Iskcon Temples around the world and in the homes of devotees…everyone gathers for the entire month of Damodar (Kartika) to offer lamps (candles – dipas) and in great happiness, we sing the glories of Sri Damodara. Check locally for the timings of that ceremony in your nearby ISKCON Temple. Usually it is done in the evening, but some temples and communities perform the ceremony morning and evening.

1
namamisvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupam
lasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanam
yasoda–bhiyolukhalad dhavamanam
paramrstam atyantato drutya gopya

To the Supreme Lord, Whose form is the embodiment of eternal existence, knowledge, and bliss, Whose shark-shaped earrings are swinging to and fro, Who is beautifully shining in the divine realm of Gokula. Who due to the offense of breaking the pot of yogurt, that His mother was churning into butter and then stealing the butter that was kept hanging from a swing,…is quickly running from the wooden grinding mortar in fear of Mother Yasoda. But, Who has been caught from behind by her who ran after Him with greater speed- to that Supreme Lord Sri Damodara, I offer my humble obeisances.

2
rudantam muhur netra-yugmam mrjantam
karambhoja-yugmena satanka-netram
muhuh svasa-kampa-trirekhanka-kantha-
sthita-graivam damodararm bhakti-baddham

Seeing the whipping stick in His mother’s hand, He is crying and rubbing His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes are filled with fear, and the necklace of pearls around His neck, which is marked with three lines like a conch shell, is shaking because of His quick breathing due to crying. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, whose belly is bound not with ropes, but with His mother’s pure love, I offer my humble obeisances.
3
itidrk sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde
sva-ghosam nimajjantam akkyapayantam
tadiyesita-jnesu bhaktair jitatvam
punah prematas tam satavrtti vande

By such Childhood pastimes as this, He is drowning the inhabitants of Gokula in pools of ecstasy. He is revealing to those devotees who are absorbed in knowledge of His supreme majesty and opulence, that He is only conquered by devotees, whose pure love is imbued with intimacy… and is free from all conceptions of awe and reverence. With great love, I again offer my obeisances to Lord Damodara hundreds and hundreds of times.

4
varam deva moksam na moksavadhim va
na canyam vrne ‘ham varesad apiha
idam te vapur natha gopala-balam
sada me manasy avirastam kim anyaih

0 Lord, although You are able to give all kinds of benedictions, I do not pray to You for the boon of impersonal liberation, nor the highest liberation of eternal life in Vaikuntha, nor any other boon. O Lord, I simply wish that this form of Yours as Bala Gopala in Vrndavana may ever be manifest in my heart, for what is the use to me of any other boon besides this?

5
idam te mukhambhojam atyanta-nilair
vrtam kuntalaih snigdha-raktais’ ca gopya
muhus cumbitam bimba-raktadharam me
manasy avirastam alam laksa-labhaih

O Lord, Your lotus face, which is encircled by locks of soft black hair tinged with red, is kissed again and again by Mother Yasoda. Your lips are reddish like the bimba fruit. May this beautiful vision of Your lotus face be ever manifest in my heart. Thousands and thousands of other benedictions are of no use to me.

6
namo deva damodarananta visno
prasida prabho duhkha jalabdhi-magnam
krpa-drsti-vrsyati-dinam batanu-
grhanesa mam ajnam edhy aksi-drsyah

O Supreme Godhead, I offer my obeisances unto You. O Damodara! O Ananta! O Vishnu! O master! O my Lord, be pleased upon me. By showering Your glance of mercy upon me, deliver this poor ignorant fool who is immersed in an ocean of worldly sorrows, and become visible to my eyes.

7
kuveratmajau baddha-murtyaiva yadvat
tvaya mocitau bhakti-bhajau krtau ca
tatha prema-bhaktim svakam me prayaccha
na mokse graho me ‘sti damodareha

0 Lord Damodara, just as the two sons of Kuvera-Manigriva and Nalakuvara–were delivered from the curse of Narada and made into great devotees by You in Your form as a baby tied with rope to a wooden grinding mortar, in the same way, please give to me Your own prema-bhakti. I only long for this and have no desire for any kind of liberation.

8
namas te ‘stu damne sphurad-dipti-dhamne
tvadiyodarayatha visvasya dhamne
namo radhikayai tvadiya-priyayai
namo ‘nanta-lilaya devaya tubhyam

0 Lord Damodara, I first of all offer my obeisances to the brilliantly effulgent rope which binds Your belly. I then offer my obeisances to Your belly, which is the abode of the entire universe. I humbly bow down to Your most beloved Srimati Radharani, and I offer all obeisances to You, the Supreme Lord, who displays unlimited pastimes.

Sri Damodar astakam ki jaya!

PADMA PURANA OF KARTIKA VRATA
quoted by Srila Sanatana Gosvami in his Hari-bhakti Vilasa

Glories of Kartika Vrata-Kartik is the best, the purest of purifiers, and most glorious of all months. Kartika month is particularly dear to Lord Sri Krsna.

This month is full of bhakta vatsalya. Any vrata, even the smallest, will yield huge results. The effect of performing a Kartika Vrata lasts for one hundred lifetimes, whereas ordinary vratas only last for one lifetime!

As Krsna says in Gita that He is the month of Nov-Dev, similarly, Srimati Radharani is the holy month of Kartik which precedes His month. Rupa Gosvami and others refer to Radharani as the Kartika-devata or Kartika Devi, in other words, Radharani is the goddess or presiding Deity of the Kartika Vrata.

Daily, one can offer Tulsi arotik, ghee lamp to the Deities in your temple and sing Damodarastakam, bathe in Yamuna if possible, give in charity to devotees, chant 16 attentive rounds or more, read Srila Prabhupada’s Books, attend Morning and Evening Program whenever possible, go on Parikramas, and serve the Vaisnavas.

Do not find faults in others.

Prayer before beginning:
“O Srila Prabhupada! By your mercy, may Radha and Krsna be pleased with my Kartika Vrata.”

Benefits observing Kartik Vrata:
All sins flee from the heart. Perform other vratas one hundred times not equal to one performance of Kartik Vrata. All the holy places will live within your body. Proper performance of Kartik Vrata gives one a million times the result of chanting mantras. Those who worship Sri Damodara in Vrndavana even once… easily attain Krsna bhakti. Dhruva Maharaja attained Hari darsana by worshiping Krsna in Mathura during the Kartika month.

Suggestions during Kartika Vrata:

Remember–Kartika Vrata is a special time to worship Radha Damodara, and especially one gets the mercy of Radharani, since it is Her month, and She is very very easily pleased this month… if one worships Her along with Her beloved Damodara.

Srila Prabhupada on When to Start Kartika Vrata: “In Vrndavana we should have Kartika Vrata, Urja Vrata, for one month… beginning on Ekadasi (Pasanukusa) (Srila Prabhupada Tape 10/6/72)

Pasanukusa Ekadasi Morning: Offer prayer-“O Janardana, O Damodara, O Devesa who are accompanied by Radhika. During the month of Kartika, I will bathe early every morning for Your satisfaction.”

Rise early every day by Brahma Muhurta, bathe, chant japa offer Mangala Arotik

Hear Srimad Bhagavatam daily in association of Vaisnavas. By regularly reading Srimad Bhagavatam during Kartika month, one gets the benefit of reading all the 18 Puranas. All other duties should be given up in favor of hearing from Srila Prabhupada’s Books from devotees during this month.

Chant extra rounds and more kirtana with family.

Give up favorite prasadam for entire month (sweets, salties) Try to eat only once in a day. *If you can do and carry on ordinary works*

No eating honey, eggplant, portal, pickles, red rajma beans, or sesame seeds, or urad dahl (no kichoris)…unless maha prasad is offered to you:)

Daily sing the Damodarastakam, meditating on meaning…..throughout the day.

Daily offer arotik and prayers to Tulsi devi praying for eternal residence in Vrndavana and eternal service at the Lotus Feet of Srila Prabhupada, NitaiGoura, Krsna Balarama, and RadhaSyamasundara. And to the feet of all the assembled devotees…..asking whenver possible, “Prabhu, may I be of some service?”

Donate charity or seva to devotees whenver possible

Offer special nice foods to your personal Deities for entire month.
Chant
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare …..

and taste the sweet feeling of spending the entire month absorbed
in serving Srila Prabhupada and assembled Vaisnavas!

Bilvamangala Thakura expresses very nicely this intense eagerness in his book Krishna-karnamrita. He says,

“I am eagerly waiting to see that boy of Vrindavana whose bodily beauty is captivating the whole universe, whose eyes are always bounded by black eyebrows and expanded like lotus petals, and who is always glancing over His devotees and therefore moving slightly here and there. His eyes are always moist and His lips are colored like copper, and from those lips there comes a sound which drives one madder than the mad elephants. I want so much to see Him at Vrindavan!”

O, ocean of mercy, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!
Let there be an awakening of Your auspicious mercy,
which easily drives away all kinds of material lamentation.
By Your mercy, everything is made pure and blissful.
It awakens transcendental bliss and covers all gross material pleasure.
By your auspicious mercy,
quarrels and disagreements arising among different scriptures
are vanquished.

Your auspicious mercy causes the heart to jubilate
by pouring forth transcendental mellows.
Your mercy always stimulates devotional service,
which is full of joy.

May transcendental bliss be awakened in my heart
by Your causeless mercy.
(CC Madhya 10.119)

JAI SRILA PRABHUPADA
who has so kindly given us
the Holy Names and Pastimes of
KRSNA

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=4625

According to Vedic astronomy, the day begins at sunrise, so I can pretend it’s still yesterday, the first day of Kartika. It’s late at night and I may not be at my most coherent, but it’s also the time when the mind is most free, the unconscious sprinkling its droplets of intuition, dreams, poems, visions, and hopes like a fine autumn mist on one’s awareness. Yes, I’m sure I sound deranged, but bear with me for a moment or two more. Then I’ll go to sleep, to dream in earnest.

It’s Kartika, damn it!

This is the time of year when the efforts we make in spiritual life—our sadhana, our devotions, our prayers, our study of sastra, our kirtana, and our service—reap extra rewards, far, far out of proportion to what we might expect in ordinary hours. Of course, it’s all causeless mercy anyway; it’s not as if we usually punch some bhakti-yoga time-clock and God hands out our weekly paycheck.

But still, Kartika is special. During this month, the supreme personality of Godhead, Krishna, turns up the mercy knob to 11, maybe even 12 or 13, depending on how much He thinks we can handle. Devotees choose to perform vrata, or vows, to take advantage of this “clearance sale.” “Buy one, get one free.” “No offer too low, all the mercy must go!” We might decide to read more, chant extra rounds, eat only once a day, go on pilgrimage, do extra service. There are really too many choices to mention.

One of the rules of Kartika is that  you’re not supposed to advertise your vow, at least not too specifically, lest others get some of the credit for your austerities. I think the threat of losing some of the credit is intended to prevent people from trying to fatten their false egos, even as they restrict themselves in other ways: Oh, me? Oh, ha-ha, I’m not doing much, just chanting sixty-four rounds. No, really, I’m not advanced at all, just a worm in stool . . . Stop! You mustn’t touch my feet (hops from one foot to the other to avoid being touched), etc., etc.

I don’t know if such scenarios have ever played out in real life. In my head they do, all the time. It’s the struggle between the desire for worship and the hunger for humility. Still, I’m going to share with you my vrata, because I think it might help somebody. I’ve got several going on, but this is the most important:

Do the thing you find difficult to do, and do it for Krishna.

That’s it. All day, every day, for thirty days, do those petty, mundane, boring, non-nectarean household chores, procrastinated projects, and tiresome tasks that you just don’t feel like doing. Dirty dishes in the sink and it’s not your turn to wash them? Wash them, and let your scrubbing be a bubbly glorification of the Lord. Is it your day to do your cardio workout but you’re just too tired? Do it for Krishna, every drop of sweat the evidence of your surrender.

It’s not that we shouldn’t read verses, or chant extra, or any of those other goodies we never seem to find the time for except during Kartika, and it’s not that there’s anything inherently spiritual about scrubbing out the toilet, but it’s interesting how we think we get to choose those ostensibly spiritual activities, as if they’re chocolates in a Godiva sampler and not the very staff of life, spiritually speaking. We decide how we’re going to serve Krishna, but what if Krishna has other plans? He usually does, doesn’t He?

How much of an austerity can something be if we get to decide when, where, and how much to do? Maybe that’s part of the mercy upgrade, we get an energy burst to do (some of) what we ought to be doing all the time. But those other things we ought to be doing, the ones we tell ourselves we have no choice but to do and then avoid anyway . . . well, we keep avoiding them, or we do them with a bad attitude, or else we just don’t see how Krishna is connected to them. But if He’s not connected to the wet laundry waiting to be hung, then hanging it is just srama eva hi kevalam, useless labor.

The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.

We’re going to die, and sooner than we think, and clean sheets will be the last thing on our mind then. But how will we surrender to Krishna in the form of death, if we can’t even surrender to Him in the form of laundry piling up while we’re still alive? This is the “yoga of the everyday”:

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform — do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to Me.

For me, that kind of surrender takes the form of dealing with lawyers, tax professionals, credit card companies—this week. Next week the austerity will be trying to chant my quota of Hare Krishna mantra while visiting my husband’s family for a few days. This is what life throws at me. I can either see the Lord’s hand in it, always, or I can spend my life resisting what is. The “what is” is always Krishna. That’s what “absolute truth” means.

For most of my life I’ve avoided doing those things that make me too uncomfortable, with the result being that I’ve accomplished very little, for all the dreams I’ve had, and for all the potential my teachers in high school told me I embodied. The potential I was full of has turned to something else with the passage of years: regret, excuses, and general BS. I have served neither God nor man nor even my own senses to the degree I’m capable of.  Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura expressed it well:

After being born, my childhood was spent simply playing around frivolously, according to the nature of children. Then my youth quickly passed by in executing many different obligations according to social customs. All those days having been wasted uselessly, I now suffer old age in the end as my only reward. (Ami Ati Pamara Durjana)

As I see how little time I have left in this life, I’ve started making more of an effort. Moving out of my inertia was painful, but only briefly, like getting a rusty wheel to turn. It makes a lot of noise at first, but then it develops momentum. The funny thing is that it’s not any harder than whining and worrying. With a little help from my B-complex vitamins, I’m actually feeling more energized by doing all this unpleasant stuff than by avoiding it.

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

Today I surrendered to laundry, online shopping, and talking to the tax man. What did you surrender to today? What did you not surrender to?

The URL for the article is http://www.easternside.com/

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=8967

The Midterm Meetings of the ISKCON GBC Society are taking place at ISKCON Juhu, Mumbai, India.
They will last from October 15-20, 2016.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32350

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

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

Source:https://www.kksblog.com/2016/10/kartik-part-3/

Political pundits last weekend were calling the second presidential debate “the darkest and nastiest in modern history,” full of scandals, personal attacks and insults. And the ongoing drama may be what’s taking over the news lately.

But not everyone, even in Washington, is being dragged down by it. On Saturday October 8th, thousands of people from different faiths and backgrounds gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a “Chant 4 Change,” trying to bring some light into the darkness.

Throughout the ten-and-a-half-hour event, they chanted God’s names together in each other’s traditions. They sang songs of peace, unity and love. They sang to change the consciousness that has caused so much violence, racism, corrupt leadership, environmental destruction and economic collapse recently.

“You can point to so many outward problems,” says organizer Gaura Vani, a second-generation ISKCON devotee and kirtan artist. “But when you trace it all back, it goes back to one’s own heart. If we change who becomes president this year, but we don’t change the consciousness of the nation, the city, our community, and ultimately our families and our own selves, we will not have lasting change for good.”

Although a rainy day made for a smaller crowd than expected, the 2,000 people who attended, according to Gaura Vani, “were 100% clear why they were there.” Meanwhile, thousands more regular visitors to the Lincoln Memorial witnessed and heard the chanting, and many others watched on a Facebook livestream.

“People could feel that something incredibly special was happening,” says Gaura. “And the fact that it was held not only at the same spot where Martin Luther King gave his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech, but also exactly fifty years after ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada’s first public kirtan in Tompkins Square Park, added to that historic atmosphere.”

Chanting together were people from the Sufi, Buddhist, Vaishnava, Sikh, Hindu, Native American, Jewish, Christian and yoga communities. And they hailed from Spain, Colombia, Argentina, India, Russia, Ukraine, and all over the U.S. The scene perfectly brought to life Vaishnava saint Bhaktivinode Thakur’s words from his Chaitanya Siksamrita:

“The Church of Kirtan invites all classes of people, without distinction to engage in the highest cultivation of the spirit. This church, it appears, will extend all over the world, and take the place of all sectarian institutions which exclude “outsiders” from the precincts of the mosque, church or temple.”

The event started at noon with representatives from different faith traditions speaking invocational prayers. They included Father Don Rooney, pastor of the Saint Bernadette Catholic Church in Springfield, Virginia; Episcopalian Minister Alan Gates from the California Bay Area; Washington D.C. rabbi Tamara Miller; Matt Regan, Secretary to the International Buddhist Committee of Washington D.C.; and Mary Aubry, a teacher from the Buddhist Vipassana tradition.

Source: http://iskconnews.org/rain-cant-dampen-spirits-at-dcs-historic-chant-4-change,5859/?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=twitterfeed

We read in the Bhagavad-gita that happiness is a characteristic of a person acting in the mode of goodness. Is this happiness the result of being in the mode of goodness? Or is being happy a way to cultivate the mode of goodness?

To put it another way…

Does happiness come from success? Or does success come from happiness?

This entertaining and insightful TED Talk gives an interesting and very practical perspective.

Let me know what you think in the comments below

Source:http://successfulvaisnavas.com/happiness/

This photo was taken in the office of the CEO of Dai Nippon printers in Tokyo.
Japan was wonderful. All the young guests who came to see Srila Prabhupada at the temple humbly offered Him flowers and bowed down at His lotus feet, many of them offering full dandavats.
Respect is part of the Japanese culture, and very beautiful.
At Dai Nippon, which was so big that the offices and factory took up an entire city block, they offered His Divine Grace the chance to see their dentist to replace the single lower front tooth He had just lost.

He went to their dental clinic, which was part of their very large medical office, and met the young dentist who would make the solid gold tooth and bridge for Him.
Since gold is good for the heart, and was an ingredient of the heart medicine Srila Prabhupada used every other day, “yogendra-ras” (it also contained pearls and coral and came in a small red pill form), He asked if they could use gold and they immediately agreed. 
The young dentist was so joyful, honoring and respectful, and bowed over and over to His Divine Grace as He did the needful and took a plaster cast of His lower jaw and teeth.
The gold replacement was ready the next day, and when the dentist put it into Srila Prabhupada’s mouth, He moved His mouth around and exclaimed… “This is very nice… I can hardly feel it!”!
He reached up and pulled the dentist’s head to His heart, hugged him and messed up his hair (as He did with George Harrison once in London) and thanked him over and over… the young saintly dentist was in bliss, as you can imagine, and was smiling from ear to ear :-)

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32306

Just as the last of the monsoon clouds dispersed and the balmy October sun shined bright, hundreds of unsuspecting people in Pune were caught in a sudden tsunami last weekend. Yes, 130 supercharged devotees from ISKCON Pune spread out across 10 chosen spots in the city and distributed nearly 700 books of Srila Prabhupada within a matter of just 2 hours on Saturday, 8 October 2016. This was indeed an unprecedented spiritual deluge for the city!

What was the occasion? ISKCON Pune just held their first ever Monthly Sankirtana Festival (MSF) with the guidance and encouragement of His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu (ACBSP), who delivered a two-day seminar on the significance and implementation of regular and systematic book distribution. MSF is a strategy of book distribution where a large number of devotees go out together for book distribution on one weekend every month. It has been a great success in the US and Canada since many devotees doing a little bit adds up to big results and strong relationships in the devotee community. Adding to the spiritual weaponry at ISKCON Pune is “Our Family Business – The Great Art of Distributing Srila Prabhupada’s Books” – the first book written by His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu about the principles, practice, techniques, as well as the history of book distribution in ISKCON. More than 100 devotees in Pune received copies of Our Family Business signed by him, and more copies are available at both temples in Pune.

Under the excellent leadership of His Grace Radheshyam Prabhu, ISKCON Pune has taken up the MSF formula, gearing up to double their marathon scores and increase their overall scores this year. Every month from now, teams from the Pune congregation including kids and matajis will organize themselves, load up book bags, pack prasadam, and jump into vehicles one day a month to continue the barrage of books and drown the city in spiritual bliss. HG Nama Prabhu (Sankirtana Leader at ISKCON Pune) and Bhakta Anand Patil Prabhu (MSF Incharge) will work together and conduct regular MSF every month. Bhakta Anand Patil Prabhu is an enthusiastic book distributor and leader, who was inspired by His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu in Wellington, New Zealand. As a global inspiration, ISKCON Pune is all set to step up their book distribution to the next level, with their first MSF drawing amazing experiences for the participant devotees and the public:

One devotee implemented the law of “Always leave a good impression” by treating the people he met with openness, kindness, and compassion. By seeing his interactions with the people who did not even take books, one owner of a restaurant said he would keep a shelf in his shop filled with Srila Prabhupada’s books and let his customers take. So, an outlet for book distribution was created by sincerely applying the principles of good book distribution.

Another devotee who joined the MSF was initially not having much success on the field, and then, he desperately prayed to Srila Prabhupada. Within a few minutes, he met a young man who not only took a book but also said that he has previously read Bhagavad Gita As It Is and is eager to join ISKCON full-time! The devotee was positively surprised and invited him to the Sunday Feast. Well, Krishna has a wonderful plan for everyone, and devotees become active instruments in the plan by taking the trouble to go out and distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books.

The event was hosted by both ISKCON temples in Pune, Sri Sri Radha Vrindavana Chandra (NVCC) and Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari (Camp), and facilitated by a team of volunteers from the ISKCON Sankirtana Leaders Team – India. To host such training events or to get copies of Our Family Business, please write to brihatmridanga@gmail.com.

Source:http://www.dandavats.com/?p=32309