Lord Jagannath Shobha Yatra at Budh Vihar of North West Delhi district in Delhi by ISKCON Rohini Delhi’s devotees (6 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: If you get one thousand of rupees, ten rupees is already there. If you get Krishna, you get all perfection. Hrishikesh, May 15, 1977.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/yh5WGt
ISKCON Desire Tree's Posts (20385)
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Today I was in Sydney central I stopped this young Chinese couple saying, “We’re stopping all the good looking couples today and showing these books on meditation,” They laughed and stopped happily. The guy said, “Oh meditation? My golf teacher said that he plays good golf because he meditates daily and he highly recommends it.”
The boy was into it right away. The girl wasn’t into it but ended up she was the one who had the money so I was praying to Krishna to help. The guy asked her if she could give me a donation. She looked at me and said, “I will pay for the book if you promise me that this book will change him.” I said, “It will surely change him,’ and asked, what’s wrong with him anyways?” She said, “Oh he looks at too many girls, I want him to become loyal to me.” and she gave the donation. As I put the donation in my pocket I said, “I don’t know about the book making him loyal to you, but it might make him a celibate monk.” They both laughed and she said, “That’s even better.” And they walked away happily with Srila Prabhupada’s book “THE SCIENCE OF SELF REALIZATION”.
Your Servant
Shastra krit Das.
There comes a time, sometimes regularly, where we may feel, Oh, Krishna. I can’t do this anymore. This ‘this’ will be different for everyone. It happened to Arjuna in the Gita – he wanted to give up, not to fight, and go off to the forest to be alone. He did not want to deal with people and life’s problems. He told Krishna: I’m not fighting, I can’t do it, I can’t see the point, better if I don’t act and move to the side.
If it can happen to Arjuna, who had everything going for him, including talent, skill, health, family, and especially friendship with Krishna, it can certainly happen to all of us. The struggle for existence, as daily life is described in our teachings, can sometimes just be too much. We will feel like Arjuna and have a desire to give up and go away.
Arjuna was a good person. He did nothing wrong and still he felt despondent. Of course that was connected to him not wanting to do anything wrong; the impending war and killing was something he was having grave doubts about. And he was a warrior! In his blood was the natural desire to protect the innocent and ensure good leadership in the world. Still he was overwhelmed, doubtful, and unsure of his next steps.
Our fight may be with an illness, a slow recovery, mistakes, a sudden death, a mountain of bills or debts, a challenging work environment, tension in relationships, a loss, a failure, a breaking of the law. Or it maybe we see how broken the world is and feel helpless to help. The list is endless.
How to respond to such feelings of inadequacy? How to work through them, gathering our resolve, and moving forward? We need to be able to do this otherwise such feelings will wear away at our energy and we will slowly grind to a halt.
By the end of the Gita, Arjuna has found his understanding, found his sense of self in relationship to the context of his life. Here are three of Krishna’s teachings in the Gita that helped him recover and re-energize:
We have to do something:
We are a soul with a body. One one level, spiritually, we have nothing to do with this world. The soul remains untouched. One another level, while in the body, we are connected to the world and must move within it. We are forced to act, even if all we do is breathe and eat. And every move has an impact on our future – both action and inaction. Be careful Arjuna, Krishna says. Running from difficulty may seem like a good move, but will solve nothing.
Do what we are good at:
Krishna told Arjuna, you are a warrior. To go off and be a renunciate is not your calling. You won’t be able to do it, and it will be neither good for you nor the world. Better do what you are called to do by your natural talents and disposition than trying to avoid your duty because it’s hard. We should try to adopt this mood ourselves. What is our best way to serve, to give, to live in community with others and Krishna? What is our part to play, even though we may sometimes want to be or do something else. We have to find our best fit.
Don’t do it for ourselves, but for Krishna:
Even if we know what to do and it’s what we are good at, we can still feel off center. That’s because life becomes dry if we are only trying to live it for ourselves. Working for others is a step up, but that still wasn’t enough for Arjuna. Ultimately we need to do it for Krishna. Krishna told Arjuna, “Remember Me and fight.”
How can we apply these things? We should think, “I am doing this for Krishna so let me do it in the best way possible.” If I am cooking for friends, let me cook as if it’s for Krishna and make it fabulous. If I am repairing a wall, let me see it as Krishna’s wall and make it perfect. If I am managing, selling, planning, teaching, parenting, drawing, doctoring – whatever – let me do it to the very best of my ability. Let me develop that ability. Let me be and do the best for Krishna.
Arjuna had Krishna in his uncertainty and so do we. With Krishna, we can face anything. And that makes all the difference.
So one thing is to simplify your life and this is really nice for the modern age to give yourself permission to simplify your life.
Atyahara, you don’t have to collect too much. In fact nowadays studies are showing that when you have less clutter in your life you can focus more and actually that focus is more important than intelligence. It’s better to be a focused person than to be a genius whose attention is being pulled all over the place. And one of the ways he’s recommending that you become focused as you simplify your life. Get rid of a few things that you don’t need. It’s actually very satisfying to the self when you get rid of external things that you don’t need. As many of you know. I know cause i’ve mentioned many times in this class, i once had a professional organizer come to my house. I’m getting rid of all the stuff i’m going to get it all organized. I hired a professional organizer. They’re really good too, that’s all they do, and she came over to our house and she told me something that really stuck in my mind. She said that all the extra things that you have hanging around amount to visual noise, visual noise. See that thing over there, yeah, what’s it for, i don’t know, get rid of it, get it out of your life and as you do one by one it’s also almost metaphorical because there’s parallel clutter in my heart at the same time, they are just clutter i keep in my heart. Why do i need all these things. I mean if you listen to any of the airwaves now days they will introduce you to unlimited ideas and worries that you never need and knew you needed to have and that you get to carry around. It’s clutter you don’t have to have it. You’re human being just soul in a human body just passing through this world and the shastras already given their complete permission to not concentrate on all the chatter. You have full permission not to tune into cnn, specially on fox or any of the other frequencies in this world that simply give you anxiety. You have permission you’re liberated. Don’t collect this clutter don’t collect it externally don’t collect it internally, this is a practice that anyone can take up in their life and feel satisfied. It’s a rage right now in japan somebody wrote a book about living a zen-like existence get rid of all your stuff that you don’t need and see how you feel. See if you’re not more focused when you get rid of all this stuff – maybe i’ll use this in a year, it’s a broken blender, my brother-in-law said he has a cousin who has a friend who lives in new york that he knows somebody in philadelphia who can fix it and therefore i’m holding on to it because it may have some value. If your are being chased by a tiger you have to go across the river you drop everything so you can swim faster. So think like that and also realize the fact that as you shed a lot of the extra things that you have in your life, you’ll see actually that krishna is supplying everything anyway. This is the beauty of growing up in an brahmachari asrama, this way you are trained, so children can learn early on i don’t need anything. I’m happy with a little mat on the floor and then only need is just a little prasadam and service and if i have that life is sublime and happy you don’t need anything else. But if you get an apartment you got to get insurance you gotta get a telephone then you gotta get internet and the internet doesn’t work fast enough so you got to get more internet then you gotta replace the telephone because it’s already obsolete by the time you get the internet and then you go then you enter into hell which is also known as home depot. Home depot with unlimited varieties of stuff you can’t figure out which one to get and it doesn’t matter which one you get its the wrong one and there’s nobody there that really cares to help you.
I really don’t care so this is commonsensical advice spiritual life. Is easy it’s something that you can start with right now. Right today. Start getting rid of a few things, started giving up a few the things you’re carrying within your heart that you don’t need to carry. Stop taking in extra things and have a simple diet, eat something that is simple. You don’t need extra stuff, you don’t eat junk, just simple foods offered to krishna and be happy with that. These are just two things that can make you feel so satisfied and then you can sit down and you can read bhagavad gita and chant hare krishna. Get rid of more stuff and only keep the things that you really need. If you just keep those things you’ll start feeling satisfied, so make a list about the things that really matter in your life, make a priority list, what one thing, if you could only do one thing for the next week, what do you think would be the most important thing for you to do that’s all you had to do for a week
Tamal Krishna Goswami: “This Braj is in prakad and aprakad, prakad means manifest and aprakad unmanifest. So, we cannot see the Braj without getting the eyes to see Braj, and Giriraj Govardhana has the power to bless us to be able to see. We can pray that 'You have seen everything, you have arranged everything, all of the pastimes happened on your own slope, on your lap.’ Just like if a child is sitting on the lap, you can see very nicely that child. So Krishna and Krishna’s associates, they’re performing their activities right on the lap of Giriraj Govardhana, he has seen everything. So we ask him to bless us with the vision to be able to see in the same way.
At the same time we also want another blessing, and that is the blessing which actually preceeds…comes first. 'Please give us the blessing to somehow be pleasing to our spiritual master,’ because without pleasing the devotee guru, how can one expect to please Krishna. So what is that service or activity which gives pleasure to guru? It is to help the guru in his service to his guru. And what is the guru’s or the guru parampara’s service? To reclaim the fallen conditioned souls. So the first prayer we can also make here is 'Give me some compassion my dear Giriraj Govardhana, give me some determination, give me the qualities by which I can assist my spiritual master and the other devotees of the Lord in the mission of spreading Krishna conciousness. At the same time give me that purity of heart by which one day I will qualify to be able to absorb myself in constantly remembering Your transcendental pastimes.’
This is the goal of our Krishna conciousness movement, to always remember Krishna, never forgetting Krishna.”
Devotee artist: After Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate Mike Pence said in a speech that we had to stop illegal entry into the country otherwise ‘we’ll have taco trucks on every corner’, a Los Angeles curator invited me to participate in a new art exhibit called 'A Taco Truck on Every Corner’, the theme being, of course, taco trucks.
Remembering Srila Prabhupada’s directions, I dovetailed my abilities with the show’s theme and created a piece called 'Govinda’s Vegetarian and Vegan Taco Truck’.
It turned out to be a popular art piece in both the show and on social media.
Satsvarupa das Goswami: Sri Krishna is “handsomeness and waves of nectar of handsomeness.” (Brhad-Bhagavatamrta). But Srila Prabhupada was seventy or eighty years old. We were all young men, so why were we attracted to this “old man”? (Srila Prabhupada used to say, “I’m an old man, I may die at any moment.” And, “I am a poor foreigner. Why are they after me?”) He had the attractive features of a sage. The way he sat, the shape of his head, the gestures of his hands. He was from the East, like Gautama Buddha. He sat on the floor or on the ground, and whatever furniture he had was at a low center of gravity, no chairs. The aura and look in his eyes was from another world. You can’t describe it, his shining eyes. His eyes signaled, “You can look in my eyes but you will not be able to understand my love of Krishna, but that’s what’s there.” He was childlike also, very sweet but very strong. You couldn’t come before him like a rogue and a rascal and still approach him. You had to accept that he was an elderly person, a guru, and you must be respectful to him, and then things could happen. Then you could begin to perceive his actual beauty; he would relax and allow himself to be taken care of by you and exchange with you.
We were certainly not turned off by the fact that he was an elderly person. We weren’t looking for youth. We knew where our youthful smart-aleckness had gotten us—into trouble and suffering. There was no question of sexual attraction, or as men sometimes do, squaring off with aggressiveness: “Can you beat me up? Can I beat him up?” With Srila Prabhupada, it was freedom from all that because he was the guru, he was old, and he knew so many things that you didn’t know.
Srila Prabhupada kept spelling everything out: He was a representative of Krishna, and Krishna is there in His name, Krishna is there in so many ways, and we can serve Krishna and go to Krishna. Aside from Srila Prabhupada, nobody was going to tell you about Krishna —that Krishna is God and that Krishna is a cowherd boy. Krishna was so “far out” we couldn’t believe it, but every time we went in front of Srila Prabhupada, we had to believe it. He kept up the reality of Krishna. And in the books that he gave out—there was Krishna. He made such a powerful presentation that you said, “Let’s go up and hear the Swami talk about Krishna.” You would come to him with your concoctions, “What about this? And what about that?” But Srila Prabhupada would bring it right back to Krishna and you would accept it. And so, gradually in his presence, hearing about Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and devotional service to Krishna, you started becoming Krishna-ized and you realized that Srila Prabhupada had knowledge and influence to do this to people—to create faith in them, for Krishna. But you had to go back regularly to him and get it charged up.
He had unshakeable faith in Krishna, and he could see Krishna. We sometimes imagined how he saw Krishna. We couldn’t quite understand it. When did he talk with Him, in sleep? Srila Prabhupada would say, “Yes, you can talk with Krishna, but He only talks with intimate persons.” We may not have known exactly how, but we did know that we were attracted to him because he had such conviction about Krishna. I remember once in that room he said, “People can talk philosophy about Krishna, but what is their realization?” Then I realized that’s what he’s got—full realization of Krishna. Exactly how he realized, we didn’t know, but we had faith that he was experiencing a huge amount that we were not.
Those who were not his disciples thought he was pretty much like everybody else: an old man with Hindu knowledge, probably the same motives and drives as everybody else. But we disciples believed in him and sensed that his perception of everything was very different from ours. He was in touch with Krishna, and fascinating, attractive and lovable. We could sense his mystic potency. Even Allen Ginsberg saw it: “I would disagree with him and even suspect ego exchanges, but no matter how much I disagreed, I was always glad to be with him because of the aura of sweetness due to his complete dedication.” Nicely put. Even he, although not a disciple, when coming into Srila Prabhupada’s presence, was able to see, “Here is a man who is totally dedicated and in love with Krishna.” That made Srila Prabhupada beautiful; although he appeared to be an old man, he was beautiful because of his love for Krishna.
In this chapter, the passing away of Bhismadev, in the purport to this verse there is a list of challenges for society at large to improve their quality of life. The first challenge is, “Not to become angry!” We remember Upadesamrta, the Nectar of Instruction Verse 1, vaco vegam manasa krodha vegam, one must control the pushings of anger. So even when anger is pushing, one must somehow or other subdue it. Bhismadev also said that in order to conquer anger, one must learn to forgive because it is very difficult to judge with two types of measurements – measurement for others and different measurements for ourselves. For ourselves, there are so many explanations for our mistakes, “It wasn’t really my fault. It was just circumstances. I didn’t intend it that way…”whereas for others, “How could they do that! This is outrageous.” We judge them different and the same extenuating circumstances are not being considered so Bhismadev points out that we must learn to forgive. We have to see that others make mistakes because then we can overcome anger.
Forgiving is not necessarily the same as forgetting. If someone has committed an abominable activity, we may forgive but it does not mean that we forget. We will remember but we will also keep a special eye – if someone puts his fingers in the money box then after that we keep him at a distance from the money box obviously. So forgiving and forgetting is not necessarily the same. Also, there may be a point when we forget, it depends on the seriousness of the offence.
Sometimes though, anger is required. Sometimes, it is necessary to send out a signal that from now it is too much. This has to stop. BANG, fist on the table! Everyone needs that also. It is not that anger per se is bad. Those who are envious sometimes deserve anger. Those who are envious of devotees, we need to sometimes check it with anger. That is also there. But Bhismadev is referring to uncontrolled anger. Controlled anger has a place. Srila Prabhupada would also get angry at times but his anger was always related to Krsna and to whatever was favourable to Krsna. When there was neglect, Prabhupada was not tolerating that. He would point it out!
When I was 21, a close college friend of mine died. Suddenly, just like that. And I felt like someone had cut the phone line and I could never speak to her again. It was over and I was shaken to the core.
That event, among others, made me rethink life. What are we all doing here, where are we going, and what really matters? It propelled me to continue my search, not exactly sure what I was looking for, but certainly something better than what was presenting itself before me.
This week again, when I heard the news that a dear and respected senior devotee passed away, I was again shaken. Just like that – it’s over, life is gone, and the body finished.
ISKCON’s Founder, Srila Prabhupada, said that the fact we don’t want to die, indicates we are eternal, that we don’t actually die. It’s unnatural and uncomfortable for the soul to leave the body, as it’s unnatural for the soul to even be in a body. So we fear death, the pain, the struggle, and the pain we leave behind for others – but in so fearing, we also end up fearing life. We fear to acknowledge life, that life is consciousness and that consciousness, the soul, actually animates the body.
“For the soul, there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” Bhagavad-gita 2.20
My ‘just like that’ moments are like a loud alarm clock. They send me running to the Gita, for words to make sense of it all. They also slow me down and as I sit quietly at the kitchen table I see the large cobweb on the outside window for the first time. Death simplifies and makes the web of life clear – we all have to walk through that door, sooner or later. The promise of bhakti is that with Krishna, no matter how difficult the passage, for us and others, we can make it through with support, shelter, and loving kindness.
On this day in October 1966 I was ten years old and living in a small village in Cornwall. I’d gone out for a walk in the afternoon and wherever I went, people were talking to each other about a terrible thing that had happened that morning in a Welsh village.
I don’t remember hearing about disasters very much when I was young, so this made a deep impression on me. It was as if the whole village felt it. News travelled a little slower back then, but the grainy images on a neighbours black and white television set was showing hundreds of people trying to rescue children from a school that had been covered in an avalanche of mining waste. Thousands of tons of slag, made unstable due to the rain, had slid down a hill and covered houses and an entire primary school. Many children my age had died, I heard.
One neighbour shooed me away, saying to her husband: “He’s too young to listen to this; these are kids his age. He’ll get affected by it.”
Affected I was. For days afterwards we were told harrowing stories of the little children who had been at their lessons when the hill simply slid down on top of their school. The black slag came in through the windows of their classrooms, covering them and everything else. We had bad dreams about it, and wrote letters to ‘The children of Aberfan’ to show our support and solidarity. A collection was taken up, and I brought a threepenny bit from home.
News wasn’t just ‘the news’ then, where you could choose to distant yourself from all the bad things in the world. This was real children who had died, 116 of them within a few minutes, in a small village just like ours, and in a primary school just like ours. We were connected.
Source:https://deshika.wordpress.com/2016/10/21/remembering-aberfan/
The mid-term GBC meeting usually comprises strategic planning sessions with the leaders discussing a range of topics on how to develop and spread Krsna Consciousness all over the world.
The local devotees, headed by TP Brajahari das, provided all the necessary facilities, such as, accommodation, conference halls, office needs and and wonderful prasadam.
Source:http://www.ramaiswami.com/iskcon-gbc-meeting-juhu-part-2/
National Institute of Education (NIE) – Sri Lanka celebrated the annual Navaratri festival during the first week of October. Participants were the Minister of Education Mr. Radhakrishnan and all leading educational officers from different districts of the country. On this occasion, ISKCON devotees were invited as guests along with Buddhist head-monks and Christian priest. As ISKCON’s representative, Vasudeva Datta Prabhu spoke in length on the importance of adding the study of Bhagavad Gita As It Is in the religious school curriculum in Sri Lanka. He stressed that the students are the future of the country, so it is great responsibility on the teachers, professors and government officers to give proper spiritual guidance to their pupils. Not only this, they should first teach by their good example – yad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janah. He explained the word “acharya” and cautioned the esteemed audience not to be like his European teacher who would with a cigarette in his hand say to the students – “It is not good to smoke”.
He also explained that ISKCON devotees are offering various seminars and giving practical guidance to university students on how to give up their bad habits and how to live a pure life based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and chanting the holy names of Lord Krishna. At the end of the speech, the minister jubilantly came to the stage to receive a copy of Bhagavad Gita As It Is in Tamil. Seeing this, the Director General of NIE Mrs. Jayanthi Gunasekara also stood up from the audience and indicated that she would also like to have a copy of the Bhagavad Gita. Vasudeva Prabhu called her on the stage and gifted her a copy of the Bhagavad Gita in English.
The Minister of Education approved on the importance of Bhagavad Gita and he was impressed with the proposal of including Bhagavad Gita in school curriculum for the Hindu students. He assured that he would try to do it. He welcomed devotees to meet him at his office anytime in the future.
NIE is very influential institute because it is the place where the school syllabus for the entire country is designed and published. Thus we hope that this step would be a turning point to disseminate the knowledge of Bhagavad Gita throughout the country through the educational system.
The photos from the event were published in Veerakesari, the most prominent Tamil newspaper in Sri Lanka.
To see more photos click here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1849171755301611.1073741889.1639909306227858&type=3
– Sudarshan Cakra dasa
GBC meetings in Mumbai.
The GBC Body today is meeting with the Indian ISKCON Bureau at Juhu in Mumbai.
In Racitambara’s great desire to find the absolute truth, she traveled throughout Europe, Canada, and the United States studying different religions. Finally, she gave herself fully to God, knowing He would surely help her.
Racitambara Devi Dasi (in the photo with the light blue sari): I was 22 and it was November 17, 1972 when I left home with only the clothes on my back and the prayer, “Please, God, help me find You.” After about two hours of praying and walking in Vancouver, Canada, I was standing on the corner of Georgia and Granville when Bhakta John said, “Hey, little lady, would you like some incense?” I said, “No, thank you, I’m looking for God.” He said, “Well, you’ve found Him!” He opened the Bhagavad-gita and showed me the picture of Gopal with His arm around a calf and said, “God is a blue boy with a flute.” I said, “Man, you’re crazy. I’ve studied many different religions, but no one’s told me God is a blue boy with a flute!” He opened to Srila Prabhupada’s picture and said, “This is our spiritual master and he believes it.” I looked at Srila Prabhupada’s picture and thought, “This is the wisest, most all-knowing person in the world. If he believes it, it must be true.” I bought a Bhagavad-gita, wandered down the street, and met a friend who let me stay with her.
After that I met devotees every day – Bhakta John who became Caitanya Simha Dasa and Bhakta Roger who became Riddha Dasa – and each day they gave me a gift. I started attending the Sunday feasts and then moved into the temple. I never left, but later married Caitanya Simha. After a short time we moved to Los Angeles.
In December ’73 Srila Prabhupada arrived at the L.A. airport greeted by a huge kirtan. I was at the back of the crowd with two youngish businessmen behind me, also excitedly looking on. Suddenly there was Srila Prabhupada, and when I offered my obeisances it was like a tidal wave welled up from my inner being and poured out and I cried and cried. It was so purifying. When I finally stood I saw the two businessmen had tears pouring down their faces, too.
One of my main services was to make the cookies Srila Prabhupada gave to the children after class. We called them “Prabhupada cookies,” and they were made of butter, flour, and sugar in a simple ratio. I wouldn’t have dreamed of making anything but these type of cookies. I would run home after mangala-arati, make the cookies, arrange them neatly on a tray, and bring them in time for guru-puja and place them behind Prabhupada’s vyasasana.
Once, Prabhupada was coming to Los Angeles from Hawaii. Ramesvara Prabhu, our GBC, told us that Srila Prabhupada was gravely ill and wouldn’t be coming to the temple to see the Deities. “Are there any questions?” he asked. I said, “Should I make the cookies?” In front of two devotees, Ramesvara said, “Stupid woman! I just said how sick Prabhupada is and how he’s not coming to the temple, and she wants to know if he’s going to give cookies to the children!” I was so shocked by what he said that I wanted to be like Sita and let the earth open and swallow me. I slinked home, crying, and my husband, trying to make me feel better, said, “Service is absolute. You should make the cookies, and later you can offer them to a picture of Srila Prabhupada and give them to the children in the playground.” I made the cookies, and the next morning Prabhupada, supported by two devotees, came into the temple room and offered his obeisances before each of the three altars. He took caranamrita and said, “There must be guru-puja.” He was so weak he had trouble getting onto the Vyasasana. After guru-puja he said, “There must be class.” He could hardly hold himself up, and even though he was speaking into the microphone, it was hard to hear him because he was so weak. Still, he gave a short class. After the class the devotees wanted him to return to his room, but Prabhupada said, “No, where are the cookies? The children are waiting for cookies.” Ramesvara said, “Cookies!” in an odd voice, and I said, “I have the cookies!” I was so pleased that I had done my service and I later thanked my husband for inspiring me.
Once, when I found a cow cookie cutter, I thought, “How wonderful! Srila Prabhupada will remember the Vrindavan cows!” I made beautifully decorated cow-shaped cookies and took them to Srila Prabhupada. Palika offered the cookies to Prabhupada, and later told me, “Prabhupada said, ‘They think I will eat the cow?’” I threw the cow cookie cutter away.
Once, I made carob-mint ice cream for Srila Prabhupada. I gave it to Prabhupada’s servant and said, “Please, can you take it to Srila Prabhupada?” He said, “Prabhupada doesn’t eat carob.” I said, “I worked so hard to make this. Please!” I was almost crying. “All right,” he said, I’ll take it in.” The servant came back a few minutes later and said, “Do you have more of that ice cream? Prabhupada ate the whole bowl and would like another.”
For the 4 o’clock offering I used to cut the grapes in half and take the seeds out. Once Prabhupada sampled the offering and said, “Tell the cook that sometimes Krishna likes to suck on the seeds. She doesn’t always have to take the seeds out of the grapes.”
Srila Prabhupada’s window overlooked an alleyway that was quite scary at night. It was the time of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., and I was always afraid someone would take a shot at Prabhupada. I’d get up about 1 a.m. and chant my rounds in the alleyway looking up at him. He was always before me. His window would be open and I’d hear him either chanting his rounds or translating. I felt I was somehow protecting him. Of course, what could I have done?
In July ’76, Prabhupada told my husband, “We’ve just purchased a thirteen-story building in New York. I want you to go and rewire, replumb, reorganize, and paint it. When do you think it can be ready?”
My husband calculated and was about to say they could have it ready in a year when Prabhupada smiled and said, “I am scheduled to be in New York in six weeks.” My husband came home and said, “Pack up – we’re on the first plane to New York in the morning.” I never went back to Los Angeles.
Prabhupada said something and we did it. I don’t remember sleeping for six weeks. I painted, and my husband was everywhere at once with work crews ripping this and doing that. It was a wonderful marathon, and six weeks later the temple was finished. It was astounding. When Srila Prabhupada’s car drove up, the devotees lined the walkway from the road to the front door, each with a gift for him. My husband, who’d been doing last minute things, came running out and saw that everybody had a gift but him. He ran back in, found an old blackened rose, and came out again. Srila Prabhupada glided along wonderfully slow and regally with his head held high, looking at the temple. Devotees gave him garlands, chadars, fruit, flowers, and Prabhupada kept handing them to his servant. When he was in front of my husband, Srila Prabhupada stopped, waited, and put his right hand out like he was expecting something. By now, my husband had hidden the blackened rose behind his back, thinking it unworthy of being offered, but now he slowly brought it out and put it in Srila Prabhupada’s hand. Prabhupada wrapped his two hands around the rose and said, “Thank you very much.” Prabhupada was pleased with everything in the temple.
In Juhu, Srila Prabhupada asked my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, “Would you like to ride in my car?” It was like one child with a wonderful idea speaking to another. My daughter looked at me for permission, and then said, “Yes, Srila Prabhupada.” She got in the back with Srila Prabhupada and they drove to his apartment. That happened every day for two weeks, and each time it was like a brand new idea, child to child.
In early ’77, when Prabhupada came to Juhu for the last time, I was at the back of the crowd thinking, “Oh, Srila Prabhupada, you have so many disciples. I’m also your disciple, but do you know me?” Srila Prabhupada got out of his car and instead of sweeping into the building as we expected, he stopped, looked over the crowd, and saw me. He looked deep into my eyes, into the soul, gave me a smile as if a million suns had come out at once, and nodded his head. I clearly heard him say, “Of course, I know you. We have an eternal relationship.” Since then I’ve always felt Prabhupada is with me and knows me, for we have an eternal relationship.
Then Prabhupada went inside and got on the elevator. I offered my obeisances with my little daughter next to me. But when I stood up, my daughter was gone! I called out, “Has anyone seen my daughter?” Someone said, “Didn’t you see? Prabhupada called her into the elevator!” I ran upstairs and there she was, sitting at Prabhupada’s feet. Prabhupada picked out a piece of pineapple from a huge tray of cut fruit and popped it into her mouth. How did he know that pineapple was her favorite fruit? The last six months of my pregnancy I ate a pineapple every day because I craved it – it was her craving. She still loves pineapple. Out of so many varieties of fruits, Prabhupada picked out and fed that one to her.
Later, my family was living at the farm in Hyderabad when we heard that Srila Prabhupada was sick in Vrindavan. We purchased cheap train tickets, traveled sitting on our suitcases with the chickens and the goats, and arrived in Vrindavan to have Bhavananda tell us, “You can’t go in to see Srila Prabhupada. He’s not seeing anybody.” We said, “You have no idea of the austerity we went through to get here. Please, let us see Srila Prabhupada one last time!” But he said it was impossible. So the three of us went out and stood in front of Prabhupada’s long French doors, knowing that he was just on the other side, in bed. We were saying our last prayers to Srila Prabhupada when suddenly the curtains and doors opened and we saw him. We offered our obeisances and felt satisfied. Bhavananda later said, “Those curtains and doors hadn’t been opened for months, but Srila Prabhupada had told his servant, suddenly, to open them. Srila Prabhupada knew. He just knew.
The Madan Mohan Temple, established by Sanatan Goswami, was the first temple to be erected in Vrindavan on the order of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu 500 years ago. Near the temple is the sacred samadhi of Sanatan Goswami. Our parikrama party of 375 devotees enjoyed many hours discussing the glories of Lord Caitanya and His associates. We also relished chanting the holy names as we viewed the sacred waters of the Yamuna river a short distance away.
Source:https://www.facebook.com/indradyumna/posts/10207468803501204
On the evening of 17th October, world renowned Bollywood playback singer, Alka Yagnik, and her daughter, Syesha, came to meet HH Jayapataka Swami at Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari Mandir, ISKCON Juhu. They were thrilled to meet Maharaja. Alka Yagnik also sang a short maha mantra kirtan in which all the devotees joined in to sing. They discussed various topics from chanting to Mayapur to the Bangla language. Both Alka and Syesha were inspired and expressed interest in meeting and collaborating with Iskcon in the near future.
Worshippers of faiths from all corners of the world now call Houston home.
A Hare Krishna temple - ISKCON Houston – was built in 1969, and by the 1970s, the city’s Hindu community had begun expanding dramatically.
At first, devotees met in each other’s homes; now, mandirs are sprinkled throughout suburban Houston, most notably in Pearland, Stafford and Sugar Land.
The community has now swelled to more than 120,000 people, according to Vijay Pallod, a spokesman for Hindus in Houston, who immigrated here in 1980.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/VRwY2S
The question many ask is, what is so special about Kartik month that the Vedic scriptures, which do not exaggerate at all, praise it so lavishly? Why rewards offered during this month are so great, to the extent of being unbelievable?
We have heard of people dancing on the new year day, on birthdays, in clubs and in parties. Such dancing lasts for a day or two; may be a week. But one full month of nonstop dancing? That sounds insane. Surprisingly, that is the case with the devotees of Lord Krishna, especially the Hare Krishnas, during the Damodara month, also known as Kartik.
You have heard how special Kartik month is and how it gives rich rewards to devotees. If you are like me, you may have wondered what makes it so special. There must be a reason behind it.
Everything and every event in the world has a reason. This applies to the smallest atoms in a molecule as well as to the gigantic galaxies mystically floating in the universe. It is only when we cannot understand the reason behind a phenomena or an event that we call it a coincident or an accident. There are many verses in the Vedic scriptures that glorify the Kartik month for its magnanimous nature. We have described its glories in the article titledThe most rewarding Damodara month is back. The internet is filled with information on what smart people do during this month and why they do it.
One article described the benefits offered during Kartik vrata, or Damodara month aTranscendental Big Billion offer. Another called it the month of Sale. In reality though, the benefits one can receive by doing even little devotional service during this month are way beyond the imagination of the performer. Any worldly reward, including the so-called big billions, are too tiny to be compared with the generously distributed rewards during Kartik month.
The question many ask is, what is so special about Kartik month that the Vedic scriptures, which do not exaggerate at all, praise it so lavishly? Why rewards offered during this month are so great, to the extent of being unbelievable? Not only that, why any devotional service performed during this month earns thousands times the benefit? What makes this month so extraordinarily special that people around the world leave all their work in order to grab the opportunity to offer even a little service to Lord Krishna?
Offering a ghee lamp, some fresh fruits and flowers to Their Lordships, offering water to Tulasi Devi, taking dips in the sacred waters of holy rivers or ponds in the early morning, visiting a nearby Vishnu temple and paying obeisances to the Deities…. Indeed, the list of what services one can render during this month is big and the benefits derived are even bigger.
Devotees offering ghee lamps to Lord Damodara during Kartik month
So, again, what is it that makes this month so special?
Have you heard of King’s birthday? Do you know how the emperors used to give out expensive gifts to citizens, almost indiscriminately, on certain days, like Queen’s birthday, Prince’ birthday or on the wedding ceremony of the Princess? There are two main reasons why they do so; 1) they are very happy on those days, and 2) they are extremely wealthy and generous.
If an earthly emperor can give out liberally when he is happy, why cannot the owner of the universe? It is said that when God gives, He gives in abundance. When God gives, He gives in style; His own style. The inconceivable benefits offered during Kartik month is just an example of what God can do when He is pleased with someone. The best part is, it is very easy to please Him, especially during this month.
Lord Krishna, who is also known as Lord Hari, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What it means is, He alone is the master of the entire cosmic manifestation. Brahma-samhita and other Vedic scriptures declare that the innumerable Vishnu forms are Lord Krishna’s expansions or expansion of His expansions. The same Lord Krishna has declared that Kartik month is His dearmost month.
“Of all plants, the sacred Tulasi is most dear to Me; of all months, Kartik is most dear, of all places of pilgrimage, My beloved Dwarka is most dear, and of all days, Ekadashi is most dear.” (Padma Purana, Uttara Khand 112 .3 )
Skanda purana says:
“As Satya-yuga is the best of yugas, as the Vedas are the best of scriptures, as Ganga is the best of rivers, so Kartik is the best of months, the most dear to Lord Krishna.”
Numerous other statements are found in the Vedic scriptures showing how Kartik month, being very dear to Lord Krishna, is greatly rewarding. Just as a Prince’ birthday is very dear to the King and just as he generously distributes gifts to citizens on such occasions, Lord Hari magnanimously gives out big rewards during this month. We all know there is no limit to Lord Krishna’s capacity to give out, His love for His devotees, and His inconceivably magnanimous nature. He can give unlimited to unlimited people and still have unlimited. That is Him.
This is confirmed in Sri Isopanishad:
“The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance. (Supreme Absolute Truth is the complete Personality of Godhead – Mayapur Voice)
Now that we read how Kartik month is very dear to the Supreme Lord and how that makes it supremely beneficial, one more question can come to mind – what makes Kartik Lord Krishna’s most dear month? In other words, why out of total 12 months, Lord Krishna says that Kartik is the most dear to Him?
Answer to this question is given by Lord Krishna Himself. It is mentioned in Padma Purana, Kartik mahatmaya, 3rd adhyaya, that once Lord Krishna’s dear wife Satyabhama devi asked Him what made her so fortunate that she became His wife. In reply, Lord Krishna narrated a story from her past life how she had performed austerities during the Kartik month. Devi Satyabhama then asked why Kartik month was so exalted. This time Lord Krishna recalled the conversation that took place between Sri Narada Muni and Prithu Maharaj, the son of King Vena. It was the story of Shankhasura, the demon who stole the Vedas, and how Lord Vishnu, in His Matsya incarnation, killed him and restored the Vedas.
When Shankhasura noticed that although he had defeated the demigods they were still powerful, he realized that it was due to the Vedic mantras. So he went to Brahma loka, stole the Vedic mantras and hid them in the ocean. When the demigods realized it, they, headed by Lord Brahma, went to Lord Vishnu and chanted prayers to wake Him up from yoga-nidra. On waking up, Lord Vishnu assured them that He would kill the demon and bring back the Vedic mantras along with their seeds. Lord Vishnu then said that just like the demigods offered Him prayers, whoever worships Him during that period of the year, that is, 11th day of Shukla paksha of Ashvini month to 11th day of Shukla paksha of Kartik month, known as Deva-uthi ekadhashi, will please Him immensely and attain His abode. This is how the Kartik month became so glorious and dear to Lord Hari. It was the 11th day of Kartik when Lord Hari woke up from His yoga-nidra and incarnated as Matsyavatara (Fish incarnation). The word Deva-uthi ekadashi literally means the ekadashi when Lord Vishnu woke up from yoga-nidra. While narrating this story, Lord Krishna stressed the importance of religious observances during Kartik to Queen Satyabhama.
As mentioned earlier, in other articles we have covered more details on the type of devotional service one can offer and its corresponding rewards. However, we thought it appropriate to mention at least a few of them here explaining why devotees specifically offer ghee lamps.
“In the month of Kartik, which is very dear to Sri Hari, one who bathes early in the morning attains the merit of bathing in all places of pilgrimage. Anybody who offers the Lord a ghee lamp in the month of Kartik, O brahmana, becomes free from all kinds of sins, such as killing a brahmana, and he goes to the abode of Lord Hari.” -Padma Purana
“When one offers a lamp during the month of Karttika, his sins in many thousands and millions of births perish in half an eye blink.” – Skanda Purana
“By offering a lamp during the month of Karttika one attains a pious result ten million times greater than the result obtained by bathing at Kuruksetra during a solar eclipse or by bathing in the river Narmada during a lunar eclipse.- Skanda Purana
“Even if there are no mantras, no pious deeds, and no purity, everything becomes perfect when a person offers a lamp during the month of Karttika.” Skanda Purana –http://www.jayapatakaswami.com/?page_id=2530
Offering of ghee lamps to Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishna is the most popular service that devotees render throughout this month. Offering of lamps can be done at home, at office, at clubs and even in hospitals. ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, organizes spiritual campaigns to inspire people to offer ghee lamps to Sri Sri Radha Damodara at least once everyday during the Kartik vrata. Devotees chant prayers called Damodarastakam and dance jubilantly in front of the Deities. The specialty of the ISKCON devotees, widely known as the Hare Krishnas, is that they have Radha-Krishna temples in all corners of the world. Being in different time zones, at any given time chanting and dancing is going on in one or more of their temples in the world.
As we know, this month is also known as Damodara month as Lord Krishna’s Damodara pastime took place during this month. Considering how rendering devotional service during Damodara month brings all auspiciousness to the performer, one can only thank Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, for his enormous contribution to the welfare of human society.
If you are not offering ghee lamps to Lord Krishna during the Kartik month, it is high time you start it at the first opportunity. The benefits mentioned in the scriptures for devotional service performed during this month are not imaginary; they are for real. Sincere seekers of happiness should take such scriptural injunctions seriously and perfect their human life.
Source:http://mayapurvoice.com/svagatam/month-full-dancing-makes-kartik-month-special/
Damodara lila special
One of the important legends associated with Diwali is Damodara lila, a pastime in which mother Yashoda tried to tie Krishna with a rope. The rope turned out to be two fingers short. So she tied more rope, but, no matter how many ropes she tied together, the combined rope remained two fingers short.
This pastime signifies that no matter how much we try, we will always fall short in our attempts to understand God with our intelligence. Modern science is finding the same about the universe too, which, the Vedic literatures state, is a product of God’s superintelligence. Centuries of cosmological research has increased scientific information, but not scientific understanding, because of “two” unexpected trends:
1. The more scientists know, the more they realize how little they know –
Science “conquered” space – and realized how little it knew about space. To the uninformed, space missions proved human greatness. To the well informed, they showed human smallness. Space research reveals that there are more stars in the universe than all the grains of sand on all the beaches of earth, and our sun is just one of these cosmic grains. No wonder former President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Kenneth R Boulding admitted, “Cosmology… is likely to be very insecure because it studies a very large universe with a small and biased sample.”
2. The more scientists know, the more they realize what they previously “knew” was wrong –
Newton’ laws were considered bedrock truths of physics till they were found inapplicable in the microscopic and the macroscopic realms. Quantum physics was developed to explain the atomic world, and relativistic physics for the cosmic. But then both of them turned out to be violently contradictory. As both have to coexist at the origin of the universe – when both the microscopic and the macroscopic were one, science had the formidable challenge of devising with a Theory of Everything (ToE) to unify these irreconcilable pillars of science. Let’s review the history of the development of the ToE:
Initial vain roar: Physicist Leon Lederman, former president of the American Physical Society, “we hope to explain the entire universe in a single, simple formula that you can wear on your T-shirt.”
Subsequent exasperated grunt: Astrophysicist Steven Weinberg, a Nobel laureate in physics, “As we make progress understanding the expanding universe, the problem itself expands, so that the solution always seems to recede from us,”
Final concealed whimper: Theoretical physicist John Wheeler of Princeton University, “Never run after a bus or woman or cosmological theory, because there’ll always be another one in a few minutes.”
Going back to the pastime, the rope Mother Yashoda was trying to tie around Krishna was only two fingers short. But the rope of ToE that science has been trying to tie around the universe is not only short, but also broken, as Stephen Hawking confessed, “The theories (in physics) we have so far are both inconsistent and incomplete.”
Mother Yashoda did eventually succeed in tying Krishna – but only after when Krishna, by His own grace, let Himself be bound. Similarly science can understand the universe, especially our place and purpose within it – but only when it harmonizes with super intelligence by researching and applying the verifiable spiritual science delineated in BG, thus paving the way for spiritual revelation.
That’s not as unscientific as it may sound. A scientist no lesser than founder of quantum physics Nobel Laureate Max Planck stated, ” For religion, God is at the beginning; for science, God is at the end.” And science has started reaching that end by its discovery of “fine tuning” of the universe – micro-precise adjustment of the values and inter-relationships of at least 80 parameters essential for life. Obviously fine-tuning needs a fine tuner. Of course, diehard devotees of atheism have proposed chance and multiple universe theories, but these are all intrinsically unproven and unprovable. They fit better the realm of science-fiction than science.
When scientists accept the verdict of their own evidence, they will remove the obstacle in a long-overdue spiritual leap of science. Lest they hesitate or falter in this bold step, renowned physicist Micheal Faraday’s reminder can urge them on, “We ought to value the privilege of knowing God’s truth far beyond anything we can have in this world.”
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From Back to Godhead
A time filled with love, devotion, and gratitude.
After going through the intense summer and a humid monsoon, we in India perceive sarat, or autumn, as one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. According to the vedic calendar, Sarat falls during the months of Asvin and Karttika, of which Karttika carries special significance because it is favored by Lord Krishna.
Everyone loves certain foods, drinks, clothes, and music, and Lord Krishna is no exception. In fact, we have our likes because we are parts of Krishna, who has His own personal likes. Krishna loves butter, yellow clothing, peacock feathers, cows, flutes, and the land of vrindavan. Similarly, of all months, He loves Karttika the best.
A Month of Love
Devotional service can be performed at any time, in any place, yet devotees know well that devotional service performed during Karttika is especially pleasing to the Lord. Therefore they perform additional austerities and devotional practices during this month. Although the vedic scriptures describe in detail material benefits one may derive by performing devotional service during Karttika, pure devotees of Lord Krishna have no interest in these. rather, they are interested only in pleasing the Lord. every year, ISKCON devotees eagerly await the arrival of Karttika, when they daily sing the Damodarastakam prayers and offer heartfelt love and devotion as they circle ghee lamps before the Lord. Throughout the month they are so immersed in the childhood pastimes of Krishna as damodara that you can hear them constantly sing about them.
The Damodarastakam prayers, composed by Satyavrata muni, beautifully describe the damodara pastime, in which Yasoda binds mischievous Krishna to a grinding mortar. The prayers also give information about God, His devotees, and the science of devotional service. The essential lessons we learn from the pastime and the Damodarastakam prayers is that the all-pervading, allpowerful Lord is easily conquered by the love of His devotee and that the love-saturated devotees desire nothing except to constantly hear and glorify His pastimes.
O Lord damodara, although You are able to give all kinds of benedictions, I do not pray to You for the boon of impersonal liberation, nor for the highest liberation of eternal life in vaikuntha, nor for any other, similar boon. o Lord, I simply wish that this form of Yours as baby Gopala in vrindavana may ever be manifest in my heart, for what is the use to me of any other boon besides thisn Your supremely enchanting face, encircled by shining locks of dark-blue curling hair, resembles the fully blossomed lotus tinged with a reddish luster due to its being kissed again and again by mother Yasoda. may this vision of Your lotus face, with lips as red as a bimba fruit, remain forever in my heart. millions of other benedictions are of no benefit to me. Damodarastakam 4–5
This prayer reveals the mood of pure devotional service and the life of pure devotees the essence and the sweetness of the month of Karttika.
The Damodara Pastime
According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Lord Krishna enacted the damodara-lila on the day of dipavali (diwali). In this pastime, which is described in the Tenth canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krishna angered His mother, Yasoda, by breaking a pot of butter. He then ran away when He saw a furious Yasoda chasing Him. After a great struggle, Yasoda caught baby Krishna and tried to bind Him with rope to a grinding mortar. but surprisingly, she found the rope she was using was two inches too short. Although she added more rope, every time she tried to bind Krishna she found the rope was short by exactly two inches. Finally, Krishna, appreciating His mother’s hard endeavor, agreed to be bound. devotees then began to call Him damodara, “one whose udara (belly) is bound by dama (ropes).” Srila Prabhupada writes:
Yogis, mystics, want to catch Krishna as Paramatma, and with great austerities and penances they try to approach Him, yet they cannot. Here we see, however, that Krishna is going to be caught by Yasoda and is running away in fear. This illustrates the difference between the bhakta and the yogi. Yogis cannot reach Krishna, but for pure devotees like mother Yasoda, Krishna is already caught. Krishna was even afraid of mother Yasoda’s stick. . . . Krishna is afraid of mother Yasoda, and yogis are afraid of Krishna. Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.9.9, Purport
When devotees see the master of the entire universe bound by the love of His devotee, their hearts are filled with extreme gratitude. Attracted by Krishna’s divine qualities, their hearts are uncontrollably pulled toward Him. Although devotees do not wish to subdue the Lord, He takes extra pleasure in being ordered and controlled by His devotees. each tries to be controlled by the other, because where love is present, happiness lies not in winning but in being won over. Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.16.34), “The Lord and the devotees both conquer. The Lord is conquered by the devotees, and the devotees are conquered by the Lord. because of being conquered by one another, they both derive transcendental bliss from their relationship.”
After immersing their minds in this wonderful pastime for an entire month, devotees feel much more closely connected to their Lord. You can also try this immersion. If possible, visit an ISKCON temple and take part in the Damodar- astakam prayers throughout Karttika, offering your own devotion to Lord damodara with your lamp. If you cannot visit an ISKCON temple, please arrange to sing these prayers and offer lamps at home.
Other Events in Karttika
After killing the demon ravana, Lord ramacandra entered Ayodhya on dipavali. To celebrate this event the residents of Ayodhya used lamps to illuminate the city, which in the Lord’s fourteen-year absence had come to resemble a city haunted by ghosts.
Damodarashtakam – Back To Godhead
Ayodhya is like our heart, and Sita-rama are the life-force within that heart. Ayodhya was once a wealthy city, but when Sita and rama left it, the residents felt they had lost their hearts and behaved like moving corpses. It is impossible to describe the mental agony these people suffered in separation from their beloved Lord. They performed their daily duties only as a formality and maintained their lives only in the hope that one day they would again see Lord rama. caitanya mahaprabhu expressed His own feelings of separation in His Siksastaka (7): sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me. “In Your absence, I feel that the entire universe is a dreary void.”
When Lord rama returned to Ayodhya, the city’s residents regained their life and their distressed hearts lit up with joy. This light became manifest in the form of lighted lamps.
Govardhana Puja also falls in the month of Karttika. When Krishna convinced nanda maharaja to stop the family’s traditional Indra Puja, an infuriated Indra sent a heavy downpour of rain over vrindavan. but because Krishna protected vrindavan, Indra could not destroy even a particle of dust of this holy land. With the little finger of His left hand, Krishna effortlessly lifted Govardhana Hill and crushed Indra’s pride, thus protecting the devotees of vrindavan.
This pastime, too, proves Krishna’s unlimited love for His devotees. In the Bhagavad-gita (18.66) Krishna assures us that if we abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender to Him, He will protect us in all situations. by lifting Govardhana Hill, Krishna showed how He will go to any extent to protect His loving devotees. by meditating on this pastime, devotees feel extremely grateful and are ready to give up everything and surrender to Krishna.
Finally, for devotees of ISKCON the month of Karttika holds another importance: ISKCON’s founder-acarya, His divine Grace A. c. bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, left this world during this month and rejoined Lord Krishna in His eternal pastimes in the spiritual world. everyone, especially devotees in ISKCON, will remain eternally indebted to Srila Prabhupada, without whose guidance we would have never understood the significance of damodara-lila, dipavali, Govardhana Puja, or Karttika, nor would we have appreciated the inconceivable love between the Lord and His devotee.
Glories of the Month of Karttika
From Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Sixteenth Vilasa, Volume One
In The Skanda Purana it is said: “The pious result obtained by bathing in all holy places and giving all charities is not equal to one ten-millionth part of the result obtained by following the vow of Karttika.”
In the Padma Purana it is said: “of the twelve months, Karttika is the most dear to Lord Krishna. To anyone who even slightly worships Lord visnu during its time, the month of Karttika gives residence in Lord visnu’s transcendental abode.”
“Lord Krishna is pleased by the offering of a single lamp during the month of Karttika. Lord Krishna glorifies anyone who lights a lamp for someone else to offer.”
“O tiger of sages, a person who during the month of Karttika hears the topics of Lord Hari becomes free from the sufferings of hundreds and millions of births.”
“They who during the month of Karttika bathe, keep an allnight vigil, offer lamps, and protect a tulasi forest attain spiritual forms like Lord vishnu’s.”
