NESTLED among the many islands of the Erne is the pretty, wooded isle of Inish Rath, home to possibly Fermanagh’s smallest religious community. 
For the past 30 years, members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known to most simply as the Hare Krishnas, have called the island home. Since 1986, this group has been ever changing, attracting members from all over Ireland and far beyond. 
While there are currently only 12 full time residents at the settlement – which is made up of gardens, children’s play areas, grazing ground for cattle, allotments for growing food, a school, open fields, woodland walks, and, its the centre, a large Victorian house that hosts stunning altars to Lord Krishna – that number often grows up to 20, and often includes families and children. 
Last week, when the Herald visited, Hare Krishna Island was buzzing with activity and visitors having travelled from all over Ireland to the idyllic lakeland temple to mark one of the most important days in their religious calendar, Janmashtami. The warm summer air was filled with the sounds of signing and chanting, as others prepared a midnight feast that would follow that day’s fasting or put the finishing touches items for use in that night’s procession. 
Janmashtami, explained temple president Gopal Acarya (Das), is Lord Krishna’s appearance day. 
“Sometimes Krishna comes to deliver his devotees and to re-establish religious values in the world,” said Gopal, who originally comes from Poland. “We can see that from time to time, things go wrong, and Krishna comes in different ways or he sends his representatives like Jesus Christ is one of them, or Muhammad is another, we don’t reject representatives of God.” 
Gopal explained that was one of the major aspects of Krishna philosophy, the acceptance of all God’s messengers and respect for all religions. 
“We accept they come from all one come and represent the same one God, and they teach the same principles,” he said. “The principles of every religion is to love God, to obey him, to serve him, and to serve others. In this sense, it’s always the same thing. 
“We understand God is one, like the sun is one. If you look in the sky while you’re in Ireland, it’s not that the sun became Irish. If you go to France it’s not French, it’s not Indian, the sun is one. God is like that also, he is one for everyone. He is always the same. He is the one person known by many different names.” 
Fermanagh’s Hare Krishna Island is one of only three main centres for the faith in Ireland, the other two being in Dublin and Belfast. To get to the island, which the ISKCON bought when the opportunity came up in the 1980s, a ferry or rowing boat picks visitors up from Hare Krishna Quay, while curious paddlers or those on boats can drop by, using the visitors’ quay on the island. 
The island is home to many animals and while this includes wild deer, most are domesticated. From pigs to dogs to peacocks, the most revered animals on the island are the cattle. As Gopal explained, all Krishna food is vegetarian, however they to eat milk products. 
“We protect cows and we take care of them,” he said. “For us a cow is a mother because she gives milk, and we cooperate. Not only does she give milk but she is also a wonderful fertiliser.” 
Gopal said all were welcome to visit the island, particularly on Sundays when they had a programme of events each week: “Tourists come and they cruise around. We tell them a little about Krishna and what Krishna culture teaches life to be better. 
“Krishna consciousness is actually a proposal to everyone that you can change your life and you can be happy without alcohol, drugs and all those different things that people try to be happy through. We differentiate between pleasure and happiness. The things that give you pleasure but don’t give you satisfaction. The thing that gives you satisfaction is your contact with God.” 
Explaining that for those who follow the Krishna teachings the ultimate goal is to die and go to the Lord, rather than being reincarnated into a new body in this world of suffering, Gopal said for those on the island, all that they do is informed by their desire to become spiritual beings. Rising at 4am for chanting and singing, and to discuss philosophical scriptures, he said “the foundation of our day is spiritual practice.” 
“Generally our life is a spiritual life,” said Gopal. “We don’t separate the two.”

Source : http://fermanaghherald.com/2016/09/thirty-years-of-hare-krishna-island-on-the-erne/

This is a picture of Rama Dasa, a miniature brahma bull that has lived on the Higher Taste Rescue Ranch with Bhakta Mike for the past 20 years. Recently he has succumbed to advanced arthritis and will not get up anymore. He is being provided with 24 hour care and a caretaker has been hired to ture him and massage him during the night hours. We at the Higher Taste Rescue Ranch, a branch of ISKCON seattle, wish that all the devotees pray for him that he may take a nice devotee birth in his next life. He has had a great life and will be survived by his family of 3 sons, Jiva Dasa, Hari Vilasa Dasa, Gopinath Dasa, and his wife, mother Sita Dasa who has already passed. The devotees at the Higher Taste Ranch wish to thank you for your prayers and support for cow protection and spiritual education. Thank you and Hare Krishna !!! All glories to Srila Prabhupada !!!

Request for prayers for a unique devotee, Ramadasa, the minature bull that has been on a rescue ranch under the care of Bhakta Mike Lund. 

Thank you, Hare Krishna.

 Source : http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31051

The happiness of bhakti is very hard to understand. Generally in the world we take “happiness” as being satisfaction for our body, mind, or both: pleasure of the senses, pleasing thoughts, pleasing emotions, pleasing relationships. Those who are intelligent enough to understand that we are different from body and mind seek a very different kind of happiness: liberation. In the happiness of liberation, peace and freedom are key. There is a sense of balance, detachment, and expansive bliss beyond anything the body and mind have to offer. But the great teachers of bhakti–divine loving service–tell us not to seek either of those two types of happiness. They say that desires for those types of happinesses are like witches or ghosts who make us forget the real essence of life.

For a long time I thought simply of degrees of happiness–sense and mental pleasures are a very small degree, liberation a greater degree, and service out of love for God (bhakti) an unlimited degree. But, happiness isn’t just a matter of degree–it’s also a matter of kind.

BRS 1:1:30:sukhapradatvam: sukhaṃ vaiṣayikaṃ brahmam aisvaraṃ ceti tat tridha
Translation: “Bhakti bestows happiness. There are three types of happiness: from material things, from brahman realization, and from the Lord.”

So, three kinds. And the type of happiness from matter, and from liberation, are at odds with thetypeof happiness from love.

BRS 1:2:22 (also quoted in CC Mad 19:176): bhukti-mukti-spṛha yavat pisaci hṛdi vartate, tavad bhakti-sukhasyatra katham abhyudayo bhavet
“How can the happiness of bhakti arise in the heart when the witch of desire for enjoyment and liberation remains there?”

NoD 3: Eligibility of the Candidate for Accepting Devotional Service: “This evidence from srimad-Bhagavatam gives assurance to the pure devotee of being elevated to association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. srila Rūpa Gosvami remarks in this connection that one who is actually attracted by the beauty of the lotus feet of sri Krishna or His service, and whose heart, by such attraction, is always full with transcendental bliss, will naturally never aspire after the liberation which is so valuable to the impersonalists.

“A similar passage is also there in the Third Canto, Fourth Chapter, verse 15, of the same book, wherein Uddhava addresses Lord Krishna and says, “My dear Lord, for persons who are engaged in Your transcendental loving service there is nothing worth obtaining from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification or liberation - although happiness from these different sources can be very easily had by them. In spite of such facilities, my dear Lord, I do not aspire to achieve any such results. My only prayer is that I may have unflinching faith and devotion unto Your lotus feet.”

“A similar passage appears in the Third Canto, Twenty-fifth Chapter, verse 34, wherein Kapiladeva instructs His mother and says, “My dear mother, devotees whose hearts are always filled in the service of My lotus feet and who are prepared to do anything for My satisfaction, especially those fortunate devotees who assemble together to understand My qualities, pastimes and form and thus glorify Me congregationally and derive transcendental pleasure therefrom, never desire to become one with Me. And what to speak of becoming one with Me, if they are offered a post like Mine in My abode, or opulence like Mine, or even personal association with Me with similar bodily features, they refuse to accept, because they are satisfied simply by being engaged in My devotional service.”

“In Srimad-Bhagavatam, Fourth Canto, Ninth Chapter, verse 10, King Dhruva says, “My dear Lord, the transcendental pleasure derived by meditation upon Your lotus feet, which is enjoyed by the pure devotees, cannot be approached by the transcendental pleasure derived by the impersonalists through self-realization. So how can the fruitive workers, who at most can aspire to promotion to the higher heavenly planets, understand You, and how can they be described as enjoying a happiness similar to the devotees’ happiness?””

Indeed, the flavors are incompatible. Why are they incompatible? We can argue that loving service (bhakti) really begins at liberation.

Bhagavad-gita 18.54: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannatma, na socati na kaṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate param
_{TRANSLATION :} “One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me [Krishna].”

If bhakti begins at liberation, wouldn’t the happiness of liberation be a prerequisite? However, in Bhagavad-gita 12.5 Krishna does not recommend achieving liberation through some means other than bhakti and then taking up bhakti. Rather, he suggests engaging only in bhakti right from the beginning of spiritual life. In fact, one who does only bhakti naturally achieves liberation as a byproduct:

Bg 14.26: maṁ ca yo ‘vyabhicareṇa, bhakti-yogena sevate, sa guṇan samatityaitan, brahma-bhūyaya kalpate

Why is a desire for sense pleasure incompatible with bhakti? Why is a desire for liberation incompatible with bhakti?

^{Why is a desire for sense pleasure incompatible with bhakti?}

The answer to the first question is fairly simple. The desire for sense pleasure, and the flavor of happiness derived from it, is opposed to bhakti because sense pleasure is self-centered and bhakti is Krishna centered. Sense pleasure means taking Krishna’s energy separate from him; love means using his energy for his pleasure. That’s a fairly simple concept, although a conditioned soul’s attachment to sense pleasure may take a very long time to subside even after understanding the concept.

^{Why is a desire for liberation incompatible with bhakti?}

What appears much harder to understand is how the desire for liberation and the type of happiness of liberation, is diametrically opposed to bhakti. If we think of bhakti as love, and use even mundane affection as an example, the contrary nature of liberation and love gets clearer. When we love someone we don’t want freedom–rather we want to be bound to them. Humans have all sorts of binding mechanisms, ceremonies, and contracts to solidify tying themselves to someone they love. When they break those bonds to become “free” they feel much suffering.

The concept of the happiness of love being the opposite of the happiness of liberation is demonstrated in this quote from Jiva Goswami’s Madhava Mahotsava, chapter 8: “”Radha, please enjoy this kingdom of Vṛndavana which is served by Paurnamasi.” Directed by Paurnamasi, the chief elders gave their blessings to Radha. While giving blessings, their own prosperity increased. After the abhiseka, Radha gave the order, “Let all prisoners (bound creatures) be liberated!” When Radha said this, an astounding event occurred: Krishna be­came bound up. Upon hearing this blessing of liberation for all creatures, thesakhis, bound by love to Radha, shook in fear. As there were no bound up creatures, the birds and beasts assisting in the pastimes were liberated, but even they could not give up their internal bondageof prema.”

As we can understand from the quote, above, for those who are in love, the happiness of liberation destroys love. Therefore, if someone on the path of bhakti aspires for the happiness of liberation, such a person cannot achieve love. Love will always remain at a distance.

^{God in the mood of Krishna and in the mood of Narayana}

In Raghunatha Dasa Goswami’s Manah siksa verse 4, he tells us that if we want the most intense and intimate relationship with the Lord, a relationship with Krishna of Vrindavana, then we must give up feelings of attachment for the husband of Laksmi–in other words, Narayana. We may understand the concept that an attachment to the feelings of detachment and being unaffected by anything are at odds with the great attachment and caring that love requires. Yet, Narayana and Krishna are the same person. Why would love for Krishna involve detachment from Narayana?

The answer lies in understanding that those who are attached to Narayana have that attachment precisely because they have some interest–more or less–in God’s opulences. Even when a service mood predominates, the devotees of Narayana also relish the grandeur, the splendor, the power, and the majesty of living in Vaikuntha. They are filled with another variety of pleasure of liberation beyond just detachment and equanimity. While they certainly love Narayana, they also love that feeling of being powerful and opulent–having all their desires instantly fulfilled. Love of the form of the Lord who is Krishna in Vrindavana has no such mixing of pleasure. The devotees in Vrindavana only and solely enjoy Krishna’s happiness through Krishna. They use all the rural beauty of Vrindavana for Krishna’s pleasure and do not relish anything separately from his pleasure.

^{Ultimate love in bhakti}

So, what is the flavor, or kind, of happiness of love that is categorically different from sense pleasure and liberation? It is a happiness of “I am Krishna’s and Krishna is mine.” It’s a happiness of union, of belonging, of being a part of a greater whole. It’s a happiness where one moment of so-called “freedom” from the beloved feels like a great age of time in suffering. The world without one’s beloved seems empty of anything of value or interest. Only the beloved is fascinating, and the beloved is fascinating eternally and unlimitedly.

Does the contradictory nature of liberation and love mean a devotees who is pure in bhakti is missing some sort of happiness? Not at all. One who has love also feels fully satisfied in terms of other kinds of happiness. As it is said:

sri saṅkara, quoted in Padyavali, 45: ya bhukti-lakṣmir bhuvi kamukanaṁ, ya mukti-lakṣmir hṛdi yoga-bhajam, yananda-lakṣmi rasikendra-mauleḥ, sa kapi lilavatu madhavasya
Translation: “Whatever is the sense-enjoyment experienced on earth by materialists; whatever is the enjoyment of liberation experienced in the heart by followers of Yoga; whatever is the joy of poetry experienced by the topmost kavis in this world - may all those joys [and even more] combined in the form of Krishna-lila protect you all.”

and

BRS 1:1:31: yatha tantre: siddhayaḥ paramascarya bhuktir muktis ca sasvati, nityaṃ ca paramanando bhaved govinda-bhaktitaḥ
Translation: “Thus it is said in a tantra: Astounding mystic powers, material enjoyment, eternal happiness in the realization of brahman, and eternal bliss from service to the Lord all appear from bhakti to Govinda.”

The reason that the happiness of liberation is included in bhakti is that spiritual love is fully voluntary and predicated on freedom. The reason that the happiness of sense pleasure is included in bhakti is that, as part of Krishna, when his senses are satisfied, our are also. However, one who wants to taste the flavor of sense pleasure or liberation can never touch the flavor of the happiness of love. Even if the happiness of love is all around such a person, it cannot be perceived or experienced.

Let us pray and strive, therefore, only for love.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the birth of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness – New York 1966-2016 – Bhagavat Atheneum / Bibliothi Contemporary Art in collaboration with Association Culture del Mondo present "Matchless Gifts: A group exhibition of work by artists related to the Krishna Consciousness Movement from its earliest days to the present" at The Bhakti Center in New York.

For the first time, the works of various artists will be exhibited collectively, spanning from those who since its inception have participated in the Krishna Consciousness movement along with other international artists who have since contributed with works reflecting interpretations of the spiritual message of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Calcutta 1896 Vrindavana-1977) and the Bhagavad Gita: Enzo Barchi (Ekadasinath), Miriam Briks (Dhriti) & Kevin Yee (Ramdas), Marek Buchwold (Baradraj), Claudio Bianchi, Aurelio Bulzatti, Tommaso Cascella, Bruno Ceccobelli, Harvey Cohen (Haridas), Anna Maria Colucci (Samagra), Teresa Coratella, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Baldo Diodato, Bruna Esposito, Govinda Dasi, Uemon Ikeda, Jadurani, Mark Kostabi, Patrizio Landolfi (Pandu Putra), Massimo Livadiotti, Ria Lussi, Andrea Orlo (Acarya Prema), Tito Marci, Muralidhara, Pariksit, Alberto Parres, Jacelyn Parry, Paola Princivalli Conti, Salvatore Pupillo, Puskara, Jack Sal, Andrea Tagliaventi, Tarshito, Giampaolo Tomassetti (Jnananjana).

The spreading of the core beliefs proposed by the Hare Krishna primarily involves the contemplation of Bhakti yoga as a relationship with the divine through love and devotion, vegetarianism, aryuveda and in particular, the visual arts and music played an important role in inspiring young American people to contribute with their creative impulses to the Movement. It was Prabhupada who in the sixties, inspired the early artists who eventually affectionately named the art space Swamiji’s art studio, located in the East Village, New York. It was also in the same neighborhood, in Tompskins Square Park, on October the 9th 1966, where he initially sat down with a group of first followers under the American elm (known as the Hare Krishna Tree) and held the first session of chanting outside of India accompanied by it’s rhythmic dances, percussions and the fervent devoted chanting of the mantra Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In the first section of the exhibition, showcases the first twenty years of the movement. This period saw the birth of works by authors such as Harvey Cohen (Haridas) with his poster for the Mantra Rock Dance (1966), Govinda Dasi with the cover of the Bhagavad Gita in 1968 and Baradraj & Jadurani Dasi with the cover for the 1972 edition. Before in the New York studio, in Boston, then followed by Los Angeles, the artwork that would grace the books of Srila Prabhupada, were realized with the same techniques descended from the bottegas of old European art masters, interpreting the ancient Vedic iconography in a modern key. With the acquisition in 1979 of Villa Vrindavana – a property that once belonged to the Machiavelli family – some of the first American artists amongst which, Ram das Abhiram with Dhriti Dasi and Pariksit, were invited to form a European branch of the school and it was there, together with Jananjana (Giampaolo Tomassetti) and Acarya Prema where they renewed the artistic output that successively came to be identified as Neo-Vedic. From 2015, Villa Vrindavana became the seat of the Italian Museum of Sacred Art – MOSA and continued the dissemination of sacred texts either through painting or through the popular Radio Krishna Centrale network (RKC), where until up to the early nineties, prominent Italian figures such as musicians and composers Claudio Rocchi (Krishna Chaitanya Das) and Paolo Tofani (Krishna Prema Das) were a frequent mainstay.

The second section of the exhibition is dedicated to artists primarily from different cultures and faiths who have contributed in expressing the spiritual themes of the Krishna Consciousness movement though art: Enzo Barchi, Claudio Bianchi, Aurelio Bulzatti, Tommaso Cascella, Bruno Ceccobelli, Anna Maria Colucci (Samagra), Teresa Coratella, Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Baldo Diodato, Bruna Esposito, Uemon Ikeda, Mark Kostabi, Patrizio Landolfi (Pandu Putra), Massimo Livadiotti, Ria Lussi, Tito Marci, Alberto Parres, Jacelyn Parry, Paola Princivalli Conti, Salvatore Pupillo, Jack Sal, Andrea Tagliaventi, Tarshito.

In the exhibition, there will be displayed the memorabilia of Alan and Carol Kallman, George Harrison, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, along with the short films by Giorgio and Jonas Mekas and a video with Allen Ginsberg chanting Hare Krishna. These works together document the impact that the words and teachings of Prabhupada had on the culture of that time. Various events were organized within that context and the most important one being the Mantra Rock Dance that took place on January 29th, 1967, in San Francisco. It was a fund raising concert in which the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin played along with Big Brother & The Holding Company.

Other supporters of the movement were Ravi Shankar, author of the music of the documentary Hare Krishna (A Giorgio Film, 1967) and, especially, George Harrison who produced the album The Radha Krishna Temple (1969), including the Hare Krishna Mantra in the song My Sweet Lord and financed the printing of the book Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead produced by ISKCON.

“Surely, to create a work according to such a specific theme will be a real challenge,” – says Enzo Barchi, who initially had the idea for the exhibition – “but it’s also a form of transcendental meditation geared towards Sri Krishna and His pure devotee Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who are a source of endless inspiration and spiritual joy.”

As Sanjaya exclaimed in the last verses of the Bhagavad Gita, “when I remember the wonderful form of Lord Krishna, I am struck with even greater wonder, and I rejoice again and again. Wherever there is Krishna, the master of all mystics and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power and morality.”

An Italian / English bilingual catalog will be realized by Bhagavat Atheneum and Associazione Culture del Mondo, published by Kappabit with texts by Radhanath Swami, Marek Buchwald (Baradraj das), Francesco Gallo Mazzeo, Manuela De Leonardis and Iacopo Nuti (graphic design by Andrea Tabrini).

"Matchless Gift: an exhibition of work by artists related to the Krishna Consciousness Movement from its earliest days to the present" curated by Francesco Gallo Mazzeo.

Opening time & date – 6:00pm September 13th. Exhibition will continue from September 13 – 18.

Location – The Bhakti Center, 25 1st Avenue, Manhattan, New York.

More info at: matchless gifts

Source : http://iskconnews.org/matchless-gift-a-collective-art-exhibition-in-new-york,5781/

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.30.28

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

SYNONYMS
anaya — by Her; aradhitah — perfectly worshiped; nunam — certainly; bhagavan — the Personality of Godhead; harih — Lord Krishna; isvarah — the supreme controller; yat — inasmuch as; nah — us; vihaya — rejecting; govindah — Lord Govinda; pritah — pleased; yam — whom; anayat — led; rahah — to a secluded place.

TRANSLATION
Certainly this particular gopi has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pleased with Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.

PURPORT
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti explains that the word aradhitah refers to Srimati Radharani. He comments, “The sage Sukadeva Gosvami has tried with all endeavor to keep Her name hidden, but now it automatically shines forth from the moon of his mouth. That he has spoken Her name is indeed Her mercy, and thus the word aradhitah is like the rumbling of a kettledrum sounded to announce Her great good fortune.”

Although the gopis spoke as if jealous of Srimati Radharani, they were actually ecstatic to see that She had captured Sri Krishna.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti quotes the following detailed description of Srimati Radharani’s footprints, as given by Srila Rupa Gosvami in his Sri Ujjvala-Nilamani: “At the base of the large toe of Her left foot is the mark of a barleycorn, below that mark is a disc, below the disc is an umbrella, and below the umbrella is a bracelet. A vertical line extends from the middle of Her foot to the juncture of Her large and second toes. At the base of the middle toe is a lotus, below that is a flag with a banner, and below the flag is a creeper, together with a flower. At the base of Her small toe is an elephant goad, and upon Her heel is a half-moon. Thus there are eleven marks on Her left foot.

“At the base of the large toe of Her right foot is a conchshell, and below that a spear. At the base of the small toe of Her right foot is a sacrificial altar, below that an earring, and below the earring a spear. Along the base of the second, third, fourth and small toes is the mark of a mountain, below which is a chariot, and on the heel is a fish. “Thus all together there are nineteen distinguishing marks on the soles of Srimati Radharani’s lotus feet.”

Srila Prabhupada confirms:

The name Rādhā is derived from this verse (S.B.10:30:28), from the words anayārādhitaḥ, meaning “by Her the Lord is worshiped.” Sometimes the critics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam find it difficult to find Rādhārāṇī’s holy name in that book, but the secret is disclosed here in the word ārādhita, from which the name Rādhā has come. Of course, the name of Rādhārāṇī is directly mentioned in other Purāṇas. This gopī’s worship of Kṛṣṇa is topmost, and therefore Her name is Rādhā, or “the topmost worshiper.” (Sri Caitanya Caritamrta 2:8:100 – purport).

and further comments in his purports about Srimati Radhika:

In fact, Rādhārāṇī is the internal potency of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and She eternally intensifies the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Impersonalists cannot understand this without the help of a mahā-bhāgavata devotee. The very name “Rādhā” suggests that Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is eternally the topmost mistress of the comforts of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. As such, She is the medium transmitting the living entities’ service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Devotees in Vṛndāvana therefore seek the mercy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī in order to be recognized as loving servitors of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (Sri Caitanya Caritamrta -1:4:56 – purport).

The name “Rādhā” is derived from the root word ārādhana, which means “worship.” The personality who excels all in worshiping Kṛṣṇa may therefore be called Rādhikā, the greatest servitor. (Sri Caitanya Caritamrta – 1:4:87 – purport).

I offer my respects to Radharani, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vrindavana. You are the daughter of King Vrshabhanu, and You are very dear to Lord Krishna. (Bhagavad-gita Intro)

In Vrindavana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Srimati Radharani, the pleasure potency of Lord Krishna. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23 – Purport)

Srimati Radharani is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Radharani is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Krishna, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23 – Purport)

One who is attracted by the beauty of Radha and Krishna cannot be attracted by the false beauty of this material world. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.20.31 – Purport)

It is explained by the Gosvamis that Radharani is the manifestation of the pleasure potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.31.38 – Purport)

Lord Caitanya is Krishna Himself, but He appears as a devotee to taste the sweetness of the transcendental mellow in Himself which is tasted by Srimati Radharani, the greatest of all devotees. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.33.4 – Purport)

If one takes shelter of Vrindavana under Vrindavaneshvari, Srimati Radharani, certainly all the problems of his life are solved very easily. (Srimad-Bhagavatm 4.8.24 – Purport)

If a devotee approaches Srimati Radharani to offer some service to Krishna, even Srimati Radharani thinks that the devotee is greater than She. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.1.27 – Purport)

The form of the Lord with a flute in His hands is most attractive, and the one who is most sublimely attracted is Srimati Radharani, Radhika. She enjoys supremely blissful association with Krishna. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.3.31 – Purport)

The ahladini-shakti is manifested as Radharani, but Krishna and Radharani are the same, although one is potent and the other is potency. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.13.57 – Purport)

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=11895

By Padmapani Das

Egypt was the first country in which Srila Prabhupada set foot outside of India. He stopped in Port Said on September 2, 1965 and visited the town with the captain of the Jaladuta steamship. Prabhupada said he liked it.

As I was based in Cairo from 1978 to 1983, I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Port Said in 1979 as a pilgrimage to this historic city. Walking around the docks where the big freighters stopped to gather supplies en route to their worldly destinations provided me with a rare chance to solemnly meditate on Srila Prabhupada’s divine mission. Who could imagine the great spiritual significance of such a journey by one lone passenger on an Indian steamship bound for New York? It was the beginning of the worldwide Hare Krishna revolution.

While in Port Said I did some research to find out the exact place where Srila Prabhupada and Captain Pandiya would have disembarked in 1965. I took a photo of that place (see above). I’ve also included some relevant information regarding the spiritual significance of Port Said in Srila Prabhupada’s lila. Needless to say, visiting that important city was a milestone in my life and a trip I’ll never forget.

From The Jaladuta Diary, Introduction:

“In the port of Calcutta on August 13, 1965, carrying only a small suitcase, an umbrella, and a bag of dry cereal, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, as he was known at the time, climbed up the steep gangway onto a cargo ship named the Jaladuta. The ensuing journey presented considerable hardship. Srila Prabhupada wrote of some sea-sickness, and on the thirteenth day of the voyage, during the passage through the Arabian Sea, he suffered a massive heart attack. He was concerned that he might pass away, but in his uneasy sleep that night he had a dream, a vision. Lord Krishna appeared. The Lord was in an open boat, along with His other incarnations. Krishna was rowing the boat, and the boat was pulling Srila Prabhupada’s ship with a rope. Krishna was smiling at Srila Prabhupada and was pulling the ship all the way to America! Srila Prabhupada did not write about this occurrence in his diary but simply drew a line through those troubled days, declaring that he had passed over a great crisis in the struggle between life and death. Years later he related these events to his followers.”

From Srila Prabhupada’s Diary:

23 MONDAY
Today Annada Ekadashi
We started towards Red sea on the western front at about 12/30 noon. The sky was almost clear and there was sunshine since the starting of the trip from Cochin port. We are floating now on the Arabian sea. My sea sickness again began. Headache vomiting tendency no hunger dizziness and no energy to work. It is continuing. There are sometimes showers of rain but for a short time. There was a fellow passenger in my cabin. He is also attacked with sea sickness. The whole night passed
24 TUESDAY
Today at about 1/30 p.m. I enquired from wheel-room that we have come only 400 miles off the Indian coast. My sea-sickness is still continuing. I take my meals once only but today I could not take my full meals also although I was fasting yesterday. I (am) feeling uncomfortable.
25 WEDNESDAY
Beginning from today down
26 THURSDAY
27 FRIDAY
28 SATURDAY
29 SUNDAY
30 MONDAY
31 TUESDAY
Passed over a great crisis on the struggle for life and death.
A separate statement has to be written on this crisis area.
1 WEDNESDAY
Port Suez
2 THURSDAY
Suez Canal & Port Said
3 FRIDAY
We started from Port Said today at about 1 p.m. The Port Said city is nice. It has long narrow neat and clean roads with lofty buildings. The city is not at all congested. While passing the rear point of Suez towards Mediterranean sea, the city is clearly seen. But it is a small city with some industrial factories. Although in the desert in the city all varieties of vegetables available. There is also a Marine drive like Bombay Chowpatty beach. I could see a good park in the city.

From Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 4, 1965:

“To cross the Atlantic Ocean took ten days. This great sea is usually full of storms and fog and is very disturbing. But by the mercy of Krishna, there was no disturbance. The captain of the ship, the main officer, told me, ‘This kind of quiet Atlantic I have never seen in my life.’ I told them that this is only by Krishna’s mercy, nothing else. After the troublesome storm in the Arabian Sea, I knew that if I had had to face a storm like that again, I would die.

“Afterwards, the captain of the ship purchased an electric stove for me in Port Said. I then cooked for myself and took prasada. If they hadn’t managed this stove for me, maybe there would have been no possibility of me reaching America. I could have died on the way, but instead Krishna mercifully brought me here. Why Krishna has brought me here, only He knows.”

From Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupada: It was heart attack.
Hari-sauri: Yeah.
Prabhupada: Otherwise I could not understand. So I passed through third heart attacks. One, two, three. They say that anyone who gets heart attack, the third attack, he must expire. Heart attack.
Hari-sauri: You had three attacks on the ship.
Prabhupada: Two.
Hari-sauri: Oh. And then one when you got to…
Prabhupada: New York. Third one — paralyzed.
Hari-sauri: Very bad one.
Prabhupada: Left side paralyzed. I do not know how we were saved.
Hari-sauri: Krishna.
Prabhupada: And one girl, that captain’s wife, she studied astrology. She was… She said, “Swamiji, if you can survive your seventieth year, then you’ll live for one hundred years.” So, somehow or other, I survived my seventieth year. I do not know whether I shall live for hundred years, but seventieth year was severe — three heart attacks and paralysis.
Hari-sauri: All in the same year.
Prabhupada: Then without any family. At that time none of you were with me. I was alone. I was completely dependent on anyone.
Hari-sauri: Krishna.
Prabhupada: But on the ship I saw that “Krishna is with me.” I was going for this reas… (someone enters) Hare Krishna.

It’s interesting to note that Srila Prabhupada wrote the following in his diary:

“The Port Said city is nice. It has long narrow neat and clean roads with lofty buildings. The city is not at all congested. While passing the rear point of Suez towards Mediterranean sea, the city is clearly seen. But it is a small city with some industrial factories. Although in the desert in the city all varieties of vegetables available. There is also a Marine drive like Bombay Chowpatty beach. I could see a good park in the city.”

Here is some historical information to confirm the words of Krishna’s pure devotee:

“Port Said was where Western ideas of urban space met the East. Port Said was planned to become a city, laid out on a checkerboard pattern with wide, straight streets intersecting at right angles. Port Said’s streets were lit by gaslight in 1876, and by 1891, only nine years after New York, Port Said had electricity. Its rigid geometry was in marked contrast to traditional Middle Eastern cities, with narrow and winding medieval alleys. Egypt’s Viceroy Ismail was impressed, and sought to emulate the European model by reconstructing parts of Cairo in belle époque style.

“Today, Port Said is still characterized by intricate wooden balconies and high verandas that overhang old wooden doors and faded pastel facades. Though many have been torn down and replaced with standard modern concrete and glass, those that remain leave Port Said with an appealing, albeit fading, colonial ambience.”

I can honestly say from my own personal experience of having lived and traveled extensively in nine Middle Eastern countries that Port Said is the most remarkable city of all. It’s often referred to as “Egypt’s Forgotten Treasure.” So it’s no surprise to me that Srila Prabhupada liked it. Walking along the beach there is certainly reminiscent of “Marine drive like Bombay Chowpatty beach,” as Prabhupada noted.

“Port Said acted as a global city since its establishment and flourished particularly during the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century when it was inhabited by various nationalities and religions. Most of them were from Mediterranean countries, and they coexisted in tolerance, forming a cosmopolitan community. Referring to this fact Rudyard Kipling once said ‘If you truly wish to find someone you have known and who travels, there are two points on the globe you have but to sit and wait, sooner or later your man will come there: the docks of London and Port Said.'”

(Wikipedia)

Despite the once grandiose Egyptian culture and society, Srila Prabhupada always put everything in perspective when he preached the philosophy of Krishna consciousness:

“And whatever plan he’s making, it will be all frustrated. That is the whole history. Big, big emperor, big, big politicians, they have tried. Roman Empire, the Carthagian Empire, Greece Empire, Egyptian Empire, and Mogul Empire, British Empire — all frustrated. It will never be successful. For a few days, hundred, two hundred years or five hundred years, it may go on. So real plan is how to become Krishna conscious. Then everything is successful. Ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate (BG 3.27). These rascals, on account of false prestigious position, trying to be happy without God… That is not possible. Throughout the history you study. So many rascals have tried. The Napoleon, the Hitler, the Gandhi, this, that. What they have achieved? Nothing. If we honestly study their lives and activities, what they have achieved? Hm? Do you think they have achieved anything?”

(Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=31046

Verse 4.38: In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has become accomplished in the practice of devotional service enjoys this knowledge within himself in due course of time.

The quest to figure out who were are and what we are meant to do is one that many have embarked on. Perhaps you are on this very quest yourself. 

For some people, its a journey they've been on since childhood. For others it's one that they have embarked on later in life. Perhaps, like me, these questions started occupying your mind towards the end of high school when you felt pressured to choose a major in University.

The Gita provides the answer for all of us. 

We are spiritual beings (having a material experience) and we are meant to serve.

The answer is so simple and elegant. Know what the best part is? 

It is applicable to everyone regardless of gender, nature or culture.

Personally, I have always struggled with "what it is I'm meant to do". The Gita's answer that we are meant to serve is a powerful one for two reasons:

1. It isn't prescriptive. It takes into account that everyone has different natures and inclinations. 

2. It indicates that consciousness behind an action is more important than the action itself. 

When speaking about service, the Gita is defining it as a mood, intention and attitude. It's not the service we receive as part of a business transaction but rather the understanding that everything we do is in service of something or someone and is done with a particular intention/consciousness. Whether we realize it or not, the thing we serve most is often our own minds!

For this week's challenge, we invite you to stop once a day to ask the question "who am I serving?" before doing something. It's a powerful question and the answer might surprise you!

Source: http://gita-asitis.blogspot.in/2015/04/who-do-you-serve.html

Sri Vraja Mandala Parikrama 2016- Invitation

Dear devotees, with great happiness we are inviting devotees worldwide to join Sri Vraja Mandala Parikrama 2016, in its 30 years celebration!

In the last 30 years, under the guidance and inspiration, of HH Lokanatha Swami Maharaj and HH Radha Ramana Swami, a team of very enthusiastic and dynamic devotees have being organising a 30 day Parikrama in Vrajabhumi, giving everyone and anyone a precious opportunity to be close to Radha Krsna lila.

“ For me, it is a life changing experience, sleeping and waking up in Vrindavana dhama. Seeing only deities, the vrajabasis, the cows, the peacocks, the parrots and hearing the holy sound of “Hare Krsna” for many days… every day”  Vrindavan lila dasi, Russia

Vraja Mandala Parikrama is an immersion program, where all our desires to understand, to come close, and know Krsna’s pastimes are easily fulfilled . The Parikrama is intense as such, it makes us advance in a period of a few days, what maybe would take years…. or lifetimes.

“This is the third time I’m performing Vraja Mandala. I’m looking forward to join the devotees during Parikrama, only nectar of Krsna Katha, good walk, holy name, prasada and no worries. A blissful time.” Krsna das, Italy

“Most devotees who visit Vrndavana never experience Vraja like this. One devotee comments, "If you don't walk, you miss ninety per cent of Vraja." Normally in Vrndavana we tend to feel like transcendental tourists, catching buses to the holy places. But to see Vraja on foot allows one more time to think and to find one's real identity.” HH Lokanatha Swami Maharaj

Vraja Mandala Parikrama is very well organised, facilitating the pilgrims during Parikrama days with : doctor, car (if you are tired), hot water for bathing, foot massage, laundry service and many other things. Apart from that there is delicious prasadam and  soul nurturing Katha given by different sanyasis and senior devotees. These are the actual items that a devotee looks for.

From 2016 onwards  the Parikrama organisers will have the International Group to accommodate the International community. They had created 2 different “Packages”  for those who are not able to commit for 30 days in a row:

Radha Kunda Mahima: 10 days Parikrama, starting in Vrindavana towards the amazing hills of Badrinath. On the way we will take shelter of Mathura, Madhuvan, Shantanu Kunda, Radha Kunda on Bahulastami (Radha Kunda’s appearance day) and Govardhan Parikrama.

Varshana Kripa:  This package consist of 15 days. What does it mean? Everything included in the Radha Kunda Mahima package plus 2 days in the unforgettable Badrinath, Kamyavan and  Varshana (Srimati Radharani’s palace) where the devotees stay for a few days finalising their parikrama with the grand celebration of Govardhan puja, often attended by  HH Sacinandana Swami Maharaj.

Vraja Kripa :  This is the full Parikrama Pack with 30 days experience, which will help you make a revolution in your spiritual life, allowing you to go deep in your relationship with the Supreme Person, the Summum Bonum Sri Krsna, the King of Vraja and his most dear Srimati Radharani. Those who participate in the 30 days Parikrama will wander by the 12 forests of Vraja, getting the mercy that comes from the kundas, the saintly devotees and all the magnanimous sacred places.

Main Guest Speakers:

HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj

HH Lokanatha Swami Maharaj

HH Sacinandana Swami Maharaj

HH Kavichandra Swami Maharaj

HH Radha Govinda Swami

HH Bhakti Purushottama Swami

HH Radha Ramana Swami

HG Dina bandhu prabhu

HG Bhadra prabhu

and many more

How and Where to register?

Please go to our website:

 http://www.vrajamandalaparikrama.com/registration/

For further information, registration and groups: vrajamandala.international@gmail.com  (English, Russian, Spanish and Chinese languages)

Facebook page: Vraja Mandala Parikrama - International Group

Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the Svetasvatara Upanishad (6.8) "The Supreme Lord has multipotencies, which act so perfectly that all consciousness, strength and activity are being directed solely by His will". The material world, where we are now living, is called bahir-anga-sakti, the external energy of Krishna. Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-Gita (9.10): "Under My superintendence the material energy is working". Apart from the material, external energy, there is another energy - the internal energy. By the internal energy the spiritual world is being manifested. As the material world is manipulated under the external energy, the spiritual world is conducted by the internal potency. That internal potency, called the Hladini Sakti, is Srimati Radharani.

In CC Adi 1.5 it is said "The loving affairs of Sri Radha and Krishna are transcendental manifestations of the Lord's internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Radha and Krishna are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally". Srimati Radharani, as the highest devotee of Sri Krishna, derives the greatest pleasure in serving Him. She is the origin of all the Gopis and of all the Goddesses of Fortune (Lakshmi devi) who are engaged in the service of the Lord. She is the mainstay, the ideal and the ultimate refuge of all devotees embarking on the path of devotional service. Without first getting the mercy of Srimati Radharani it is impossible to even approach Sri Krishna.

The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is in fact a prayer to Srimati Radharani. The word 'Hare' is derived from 'Hara' which denotes the internal energy or Hladini Sakti of Krishna. This is none other that Srimati Radharani. When one is chanting the maha-mantra, one is saying: "O Krishna ! O Radha !! Please engage me in your devotional service". Krishna is difficult to approach directly, but  He is bhakta-vatsala, always eager to please His devotees. Thus the mood of a devotee is to invoke the compassion of Srimati Radharani Who then recommends the devotee to Sri Krishna. Since Krishna is easily pleased by Srimati Radharani, He then readily accepts the devotee in His service.

By His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acharya: International Society for Krishna Consciousness 

In ten short years, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada inundated the world with Krishna consciousness. In the following excerpt from one of his essays, he smashes the sectarian misconception that the Spiritual Master is limited to a particular person, form, or institution, and establishes the universal conception of Guru. This lecture was originally published in The Harmonist in 1936, on the Advent Day of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. It was reprinted as the Preface to Srila Sridhar Maharaj's book, Sri Guru and His Grace, in 1983.

-- 
--------------------
Please chant 
********
"हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे || 
हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे ||" 
 
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare !
 
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare !!
 
108 times
*********
--------------------

Chant Hare Krishna
And your life will be sublime!

ALWAYS REMEMBER KRISHNA
NEVER FORGET KRISHNA

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, “My dear friend, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna , has a voice as deep as a cloud resounding in the sky. With the tinkling of His ornaments, He attracts the ears of the gopis, and with the sound of His flute He attracts even the goddess of fortune and other beautiful women. That Personality of Godhead, known as Madana-mohana, whose joking words carry many indications and deep meanings, is increasing the lusty desires of My ears.’

“Krishna's deep voice is more resonant than newly arrived clouds, and His sweet song defeats even the sweet voice of the cuckoo. Indeed, His song is so sweet that even one particle of its sound can inundate the entire world. If such a particle enters one’s ear, one is immediately bereft of all other types of hearing.

“My dear friend, please tell me what to do. My ears have been plundered by the qualities of Krishna's sound. Now, however, I cannot hear His transcendental sound, and I am almost dead for want of it.

“The tinkling of Krishna's ankle bells surpasses the songs of even the swan and crane, and the sound of His bangles puts the singing of the caṭaka bird to shame. Having allowed these sounds to enter the ears even once, one cannot tolerate hearing anything else.

“Krishna's speech is far sweeter than nectar. Each of His jubilant words is full of meaning, and when His speech mixes with His smile, which is like camphor, the resultant sound and the deep meaning of Krishna's words create various transcendental mellows.

“One particle of that transcendental, blissful nectar is the life and soul of the ear, which is like a cakora bird that lives in hope of tasting that nectar. Sometimes, by good fortune, the bird can taste it, but at other times he unfortunately cannot and therefore almost dies of thirst.

“The transcendental vibration of Krishna's flute disturbs the hearts of women all over the world, even if they hear it only once. Thus their fastened belts become loose, and these women become the unpaid maidservants of Krishna . Indeed, they run toward Krishna exactly like madwomen.

“When she hears the vibration of Krishna's flute, even the goddess of fortune comes to Him, greatly hoping for His association, but nevertheless she does not get it. When the waves of thirst for His association increase, she performs austerities, but still she cannot meet Him.

“Only the most fortunate can hear these four nectarean sounds-Krishna's words, the tinkling of His ankle bells and bangles, His voice and the vibration of His flute. If one does not hear these sounds, his ears are as useless as small conchshells with holes.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila text 40-48)

Full text and purport

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta 
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Antya-lila Chapter 17, Text 40-41

nadaj-jalada-nisvanaḥ sravana-karsi-sac-chiñjitaḥ
sanarma-rasa-sucakaksara-padartha-bhangy-uktikaḥ
ramadika-varangana-hrdaya-hari-vaṁsi-kalaḥ
sa me madana-mohanaḥ sakhi tanoti karna-sprham

nadat—resounding; jalada—the cloud; nisvanaḥ—whose voice; sravana—the ears; karsi—attracting; sat-siñjitaḥ—the tinkling of whose ornaments; sa-narma—with deep meaning; rasa-sucaka—joking; aksara—letters; pada-artha—meanings; bhangi—indications; uktikaḥ—whose talk; rama-adika—beginning with the goddess of fortune; vara-angana—of beautiful women; hrdaya-hari—attracting the hearts; vaṁsi-kalaḥ—the sound of whose flute; saḥ—that; me—My; madana-mohanaḥ—Madana-mohana; sakhi—My dear friend; tanoti—expands; karna-sprham—the desire of the ears.

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, “My dear friend, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna , has a voice as deep as a cloud resounding in the sky. With the tinkling of His ornaments, He attracts the ears of the gopis, and with the sound of His flute He attracts even the goddess of fortune and other beautiful women. That Personality of Godhead, known as Madana-mohana, whose joking words carry many indications and deep meanings, is increasing the lusty desires of My ears.’

PURPORT

This verse is found in the Govinda-lilamrta (8.5).

“kanṭhera gambhira dhvani, navaghana-dhvani jini’,
yara gune kokila lajaya
tara eka sruti-kane, ḍubaya jagatera kane,
punaḥ kana bahuḍi’ na aya

kanṭhera—of the throat; gambhira—deep; dhvani—sound; nava-ghana—of new clouds; dhvani—the resounding; jini’-conquering; yara—of which; gune—the attributes; kokila—the cuckoo; lajaya—put to shame; tara—of that; eka—one; sruti-kane—particle of sound; ḍubaya—inundates; jagatera—of the whole world; kane—the ear; punaḥ—again; kana—the ear; bahuḍi’-getting out; na aya—cannot come.

TRANSLATION

“Krishna's deep voice is more resonant than newly arrived clouds, and His sweet song defeats even the sweet voice of the cuckoo. Indeed, His song is so sweet that even one particle of its sound can inundate the entire world. If such a particle enters one’s ear, one is immediately bereft of all other types of hearing.

kaha, sakhi, ki kari upaya?
krishnera se sabda-gune, harile amara kane,
ebe na paya, trsnaya mari’ yaya

kaha—please say; sakhi—My dear friend; ki—what; kari—can I do; upaya—means; krsnera—of Krishna ; se—that; sabda—of the sound; gune—the qualities; harile—having attracted; amara—My; kane—ears; ebe—now; na paya—do not get; trsnaya—from thirst; mari’ yaya—I am dying.

TRANSLATION

“My dear friend, please tell me what to do. My ears have been plundered by the qualities of Krishna's sound. Now, however, I cannot hear His transcendental sound, and I am almost dead for want of it.

nupura-kinkini-dhvani, haṁsa-sarasa jini’,
kankana-dhvani caṭake lajaya
eka-bara yei sune, vyapi rahe’ tara kane,
anya sabda se-kane na yaya

nupura—of the ankle bells; kinkini—tinkling; dhvani—the sound; haṁsa—swans; sarasa—cranes; jini’-conquering; kankana-dhvani—the sound of bangles; caṭake—the caṭaka bird; lajaya—puts to shame; eka-bara—once; yei—one who; sune—hears; vyapi—expanding; rahe’-remains; tara kane—in his ear; anya—other; sabda—sound; se-kane—in that ear; na yaya—does not go.

TRANSLATION

“The tinkling of Krishna's ankle bells surpasses the songs of even the swan and crane, and the sound of His bangles puts the singing of the caṭaka bird to shame. Having allowed these sounds to enter the ears even once, one cannot tolerate hearing anything else.

se sri-mukha-bhasita, amrta haite paramrta,
smita-karpura tahate misrita
sabda, artha,–dui-sakti, nana-rasa kare vyakti,
pratyaksara–narma-vibhusita

se—that; Sri—beautiful; mukha—by the mouth; bhasita—spoken; amrta—nectar; haite—than; para-amrta—more nectarean; smita—smiling; karpura—camphor; tahate—in that; misrita—mixed; sabda—sound; artha—meaning; dui-sakti—two energies; nana—various; rasa—mellows; kare vyakti—express; prati-aksara—every word; narma-vibhusita—full of meaning.

TRANSLATION

“Krishna's speech is far sweeter than nectar. Each of His jubilant words is full of meaning, and when His speech mixes with His smile, which is like camphor, the resultant sound and the deep meaning of Krishna's words create various transcendental mellows.

se amrtera eka-kana, karna-cakora-jivana,
karna-cakora jiye sei ase
bhagya-vase kabhu paya, abhagye kabhu na paya,
na paile maraye piyase

se amrtera—of that nectar; eka-kana—one particle; karna-cakora—of the ear, which is like a cakora bird; jivana—the life; karna—the ear; cakora—the cakora bird; jiye—lives; sei ase—with that hope; bhagya-vase—by good fortune; kabhu—sometimes; paya—gets; abhagye—by misfortune; kabhu—sometimes; na paya—does not get; na paile—if does not get; maraye—dies; piyase—from thirst.

TRANSLATION

“One particle of that transcendental, blissful nectar is the life and soul of the ear, which is like a cakora bird that lives in hope of tasting that nectar. Sometimes, by good fortune, the bird can taste it, but at other times he unfortunately cannot and therefore almost dies of thirst.

yeba venu-kala-dhvani, eka-bara taha suni’,
jagan-nari-citta aulaya
nivi-bandha paḍe khasi’, vina-mule haya dasi,
bauli haña Krishna -pase dhaya

yeba—whoever; venu—of the flute; kala-dhvani—the sweet vibration; eka-bara—once; taha—that; suni’-hearing; jagat—of the universe; nari—of the women; citta—hearts; aulaya—become disturbed; nivi-bandha—the fastened belts; paḍe—fall; khasi’-becoming loosened; vina-mule—without a price; haya—they become; dasi—maidservants; bauli—mad; haña—becoming; Krishna -pase—after Krishna ; dhaya—run.

TRANSLATION

“The transcendental vibration of Krishna's flute disturbs the hearts of women all over the world, even if they hear it only once. Thus their fastened belts become loose, and these women become the unpaid maidservants of Krishna . Indeed, they run toward Krishna exactly like madwomen.

yeba laksmi-ṭhakurani, tenho ye kakali suni’,
Krishna -pasa aise pratyasaya
na paya krsnera sanga, baḍe trsna-taranga,
tapa kare, tabu nahi paya

yeba—even; laksmi-ṭhakurani—the goddess of fortune; tenho—she; ye—which; kakali—vibration of the flute; suni’-hearing; Krishna -pasa—to Lord Krishna ; aise—comes; pratyasaya—with great hope; na paya—does not get; krishnera sanga—association with Krishna ; baḍe—increase; trsna—of thirst; taranga—the waves; tapa kare—undergoes austerity; tabu—still; nahi paya—does not get.

TRANSLATION

“When she hears the vibration of Krishna's flute, even the goddess of fortune comes to Him, greatly hoping for His association, but nevertheless she does not get it. When the waves of thirst for His association increase, she performs austerities, but still she cannot meet Him.

ei sabdamrta cari, yara haya bhagya bhari,
sei karne iha kare pana
iha yei nahi sune, se kana janmila kene,
kanakaḍi-sama sei kana”

ei—these; sabda-amrta—nectarean sound vibrations; cari—four; yara—of whom; haya—there is; bhagya bhari—great fortune; sei—such a person; karne—by the ears; iha—these sounds; kare pana—drinks; iha—these sounds; yei—anyone who; nahi sune—does not hear; se—those; kana—ears; janmila—took birth; kene—why; kanakaḍi—a hole in a small conchshell; sama—just like; sei kana—those ears.

TRANSLATION

“Only the most fortunate can hear these four nectarean sounds-Krishna's words, the tinkling of His ankle bells and bangles, His voice and the vibration of His flute. If one does not hear these sounds, his ears are as useless as small conchshells with holes.”

Courtesy : The Hare Krishna Movement

Surrey Now

Surrey - The last place you’d expect to find a guy nicknamed “The Walking Monk” is in a car heading toward Chicago.

So apparently Bhaktimarga Swami does not walk everywhere, despite the moniker he’s earned for hoofing it across Canada an impressive four times.

The Ontario-born Swami, who finished his last such trek in 2014, is currently halfway through a similar walk across the U.S., in another effort to promote a “more car-free, carefree lifestyle.”

This week, he’ll be in Surrey to attend a pair of events, and the Now caught up with Swami – known as John Peter Vis before he adopted a monastic way of life back in 1973 – via cellphone as he motored down an interstate in Illinois earlier this week.

“Yesterday was a momentous day where I stopped at the midway point in America, in Nebraska, and now I’m making a return journey back to Toronto, ultimately, my home place,” Swami explained in an interview on Monday (Aug. 8).

“It’s a pleasant day and we’ve had a great trip so far doing half of the U.S. The whole idea is to reconvene next spring and do the second half, the western part, heading west.”

Two decades ago, in 1996, Swami set out on his first cross-Canada walk as something of a 100th-birthday tribute to a mentor of his. Putting his “feet and heart together” that year, he started in Victoria and made it all the way to Cape Spear, Newfoundland, with many stories to tell.

“I’d always wanted to see Canada closeup,” he recalled, “because before I was a monk I hitchhiked or flew and took buses, things like that, but I wanted to see it the way it was done by the ancients, you know, the way you should do it, especially because it’s a kind of birthright for a monastic person to do this kind of thing.”

He enjoyed the “CanWalk” experience enough to complete three more cross-country journeys in years since.

Pain, physical,” Swami admitted. “The biggest challenge of all is walking on an angle – it’s like walking on a beach. But nevertheless, everything else compensated for that (pain), including meeting fantastic people, meeting characters, being confronted by black bears, grizzlies, whatnot, and finally I became an addict, I like it, gotta do it again.”

His first coast-to-coast walk was documented in “The Longest Road,” a 2003 National Film Board of Canada movie about the Trans-Canada Highway.

While in the U.S. recently, a spell of hot weather prompted Swami, 64, to experiment with nighttime walking, starting at 9 p.m. and ending at 3:30 a.m.

“It was quite nice (in Omaha and other parts of Nebraska), you know, as long as you had a safe area to walk through, on trails, basically,” he said. “You’re not allowed to walk on the freeways, so the choices in America are a secondary highway or a back road.”

In Surrey this week, Swami will make an appearance at Ram mandir (8473 124th St.) on Friday evening, Aug. 19, and is also scheduled to visit the market at Newton’s Zaklan Heritage Farm on Saturday, Aug. 20, from noon to 2 p.m.

Across Canada these days, he shares his “Tales from the Trails” at community centres, yoga studios, libraries, schools and other places.

CLICK HERE to read “The Walking Monk” blog.

“It’s always an adventure and you don’t know what you’re going to deal with on the day ahead,” Swami related.

“What happens when you’re walking is you start to appreciate the little things around you and everything becomes significant,” he added. “Those of us who are obsessed with the fast pace of life, we just don’t even know what’s in our midst. By walking, you pick up on fantastic details out there.”

In one photo of Swami, the Now noticed he wore a pair of Croc sandals, and asked about a possible endorsement deal from the footwear company.

“There was something happening there with Crocs, yes, on my third walk across Canada,” Swami elaborated. “They sent me a pair, and that was the best I could do,” he added with a laugh. “I found other footwear, though, that was superior, but I do resort to my Crocs once in a while just because they’re pretty lightweight.”

Courtesy : Thewalkingmonk

Brahma-vaivarta Purana

Chapter Two Sridama-Radha-kalaha-varnana

Description of the Quarrel Between Sridama and Radha

1-2 On whose request did Krishna come to the surface of the earth, what the Lord did before He returned to His own abode, how He removed the earth’s burden, and how He killed the demons, of all these I will, carefully thinking of what happened, tell you the story.

3 Listen and I will tell you of Lord Hari’s descent as a cowherd boy. His arrival in Gokula, and Radha’s descent as gopi.

4 Listen and I will tell you in detail what before you heard me tell only briefly in the story of Sankhacuda’s death.

5 Sridama quarrelled with Radha and She cursed him to become the demon Sankhacuda.

6 Then Sridama cursed Radha: Go to a human womb in Vraja! Become a girl of Vraja and walk on the earth’s surface!

7 Afraid of Sridama’s curse, She went to Sri Krishna and said: I will become a gopi! Sridama cursed Me! What will I do to prevent it! O breaker of fears please tell me.

8 How can I live without You? O Lord, without You every moment will become a hundred yugas.

9-10 My heart bursts into flames when the blinking of My eyes separates Us. O Lord glorious as the autumn moon, using the cakora birds of My eyes I drink the nectar of Your face day and night. I declare that You are My heart, My self, My mind and My body.

11 You are My eyes and My power to see. You are My life. You are My treasure. Awake of asleep, I always meditate on Your lotus feet. O Lord, without serving You I cannot live for a moment.

12 Hearing these words, Lord Krishna placed His beautiful beloved on His chest. He reassured Her and removed Her fears. He said:

13-14 O girl with the beautiful face, during the Varaha-kalpa I will go to the earth. You will go with Me and also take birth on the earth. O goddess, I will go to Vraja and enjoy pastimes (with You) in the forest.

15 You are more dear to Me than life. If I am present why should You be afraid? Saying this, Lord Hari, the master of the universes, became silent.

16 For this reason the master of the universes went to Nanda’s Gokula. Why should He be afraid? Of what would He, the killer of fears, be afraid?

17 Pretending to fear the illusory potency, He assumed the appearance of a gopa, approached Radha, and enjoyed pastimes with Her.

18-19 To keep the promise He made when the demigod Brahma prayed to Him, Lord Krishna came to earth with the gopis, removed the earth’s burden and then returned to His own abode.

20 Sri Narada said: Why did Sridama quarrel with Radha? What you briefly told before, now please tell at length.

21 Sri Narayana Rsi said: One time, in a rasa-mandala in a secluded place in a great forest in Goloka, Lord Hari enjoyed pastimes with Sri Radha. Overcome with bliss, Radha could not understand Herself or anything else.

22 Leaving Her unsatisfied in the midst of Their pastimes, He went to enjoy amorous pastimes with Viraja, another gopi.

23 Beautiful Viraja resembled Radha. She has a billion beautiful gopi friends.

24 As she sat on a jewel throne, this gopi, who thought Lord Krishna more dear than life, and who was fortunate and glorious among women, saw Lord Hari approach.

25 Lord Hari looked at her, her face glorious as the autumn moon, and she, ravishingly beautiful, smiled, and with crooked eyes gazed at Him.

26 She was eternally sixteen years old, in the full bloom of youth. She wore exquisite garments and Her beauty was richer with jewel ornaments.

27 Seeing that she was being tortured by Kamadeva’s arrows and the hairs of all her limbs were erect with excitement, Lord Hari at once enjoyed pastimes with her.

28-29 In the great forest, in a secluded place, in a circle of jewels, on a bed made of flowers, as she embraced to her chest the Lord of her life, who is more glorious than millions of Kamadevas, Viraja fainted, overcome with the bliss by enjoying amorous pastimes with Lord Krishna .

30 Seeing Lord Hari embraced by her in the jewel pavilion, Radha’s friends at once told their mistress.

31 Hearing their words, Radha became angry and lay down on Her bed.

32 Her eyes like red lotus flowers, the goddess wept bitterly. The great goddess said to them: “Show Him to Me.”

33 If you speak the truth, then come with Me. I will give Krishna and this gopi the result They deserve.

34 When I punish her who will save her? With her quickly bring Lord Hari’s other lovers also.

35-36 Don’t bring that smiling, crooked-hearted, nectar-mouthed pot of poison to My home. Instead, take the Lord to My beautiful pavilion and keep Him there.

37 Hearing Radha’s words, some gopis became frightened, and they all folded their hands and humbly bowed their heads and necks.

38 Standing before Her, they all said to the Lord’s eternal beloved: “We will show You the Lord with Viraja.”

39 After hearing their words, beautiful Radha, ascended a chariot. She departed with 1 630 000 000 gopis, travelling on a chariot…

40 ..made of may regal jewels, splendid as millions of suns, roofed with thirty million domes made of regal jewels, splendid with a variety of colourful flowers, pulled by colourful horses,…

41 ..with ten thousand wheels, enchanting the heart, travelling as fast as the mind, beautiful with ten million pillars and many different glorious jewels,

42 …with many wonderful and colourful beautiful pictures, with many rubies in the inside rooms, with many jewels decorating the wheels,…

43 …with four hundred thousand splendid and wonderful wheels decorated with wonderful bells and tinkling ornaments,…

44 …with a hundred thousand jewel palaces, with doors made of the best of jewels, with jewel pictures,…

45 …with domes of the best regal jewels, with splendid spires, with delicious foods and exquisite garments,…

46 …beautiful with many jewel beds, jewel cups and cases, and golden platforms,…

47 …with ten million ruby staircases, with very beautiful syamantaka and kaustubha jewels,…

48 …splendidly beautiful with wonderful forests and lakes and hundreds of groves of millions of lotus flowers,…

49 …with splendid jewel domes and spires eighty miles wide and eight hundreds miles high,…

50 …splendid with ten million garlands of parijata, kunda, karavira and yuthika flowers,…

51 …fragrant with many very beautiful campaka, nagesa, mallika, malati, and madhavi flowers,…

52 …decorated with many garlands of kadamba flowers and thousand petal lotuses,…

53 …decorated with wonderful forests, lakes, and colourful flower gardens, fast as the wind, the best of all chariots,…

54 …covered with exquisite fine cloth, decorated with hundreds of jewel mirrors,…

55 …decorated with sapphires and white camaras, fragrant with sandal, aguru, musk and kunkuma,…

56 …splendid with ten million parijata-decorated beds, ten million flags, and ten million bells,…

57 …with ten million jewel beds covered with wonderful and colourful blankets, fragrant with campaka flowers, sandal and kunkuma,…

58 …decorated with flower-pillows, and perfect for amorous pastimes, and also decorated with many beautiful things never seen or heard of before.

59 O sage, quickly descending from the chariot thus described, Lord Hari’s beloved goddess Radha, at once went to Him in the pavilion of jewels.

60 At the entrance She saw a handsome, smiling, lotus-faced guard accompanied by a hundred thousand gopas.

61 To that gopa, who was Sri Krishna ’s dear friend named Sridama, goddess Radha, Her eyes now like red lotuses, angrily said:

62 Go away! O servant of a rake, go away! I will see what kind of beautiful lover Your master has now!

63 Hearing Radha’s words, strong and fearless Sridama, holding a stick in his hand, did not allow Her to enter.

64 Their lips trembling, the other gopis angrily pushed the servant Sridama.

65 Hearing a great commotion from the people of Goloka and understanding that Radha was angry, Lord Hari disappeared.

66 Hearing the word “Radha” and seeing Lord Hari disappear, Viraja became afraid. By practice of mystic yoga she gave up her life.

67 Her body at once became a river circling Goloka.

68 That river was filled with jewels, very deep, eight hundred million miles wide, and ten times as long.

Chapter Three Sri Radha-Sridama-sapodbhava

The Cursing of Sri Radha and Sridama

•  O sage, when She went to the pavilion of amorous pastimes Radha did not see Lord Hari. Seeing the river that Viraja had become, She went home.
   
•  Seeing that His eternal beloved had become a river, Sri Krishna loudly wept on the beautiful shore of that Viraja River.

•  “O best, best of lovers, come to Me! O beautiful one, beautiful one, how can I live without you? 

•  “By My blessing now become the most beautiful of women, and the empress of rivers. 

•  :Now have a form more beautiful than the beautiful form you had. O chaste one, your previous form has now become a river.” 

•  “Raise from the water and come to Me.” Taking a new form, and beautiful like Radha, she approached Lord Hari. 

•  Wearing yellow garments and her lotus face smiling, with crooked eyes she gazed at the Lord of Her life and He gazed at her. 

•  She was oppressed by the burden of her hips and thighs, and her breasts were swollen and high.

•  She was the most beautiful of beautiful women, and She was fortunate and glorious among women. She was the colour of a beautiful campaka flower and her lips were ripe bimba fruits. 

•  Her beautiful teeth were like ripe pomegranate seeds,, her face was an autumn moon, and her eyes were blossoming dark lotuses. 

•  She was decorated with a dot of musk and many dots of red sindura. She was beautiful with beautiful designs and pictures. Her braided hair was very beautiful. 

•  Jewel earrings resting on her cheeks, She was decorated with a necklace of jewels and glorious with a necklace of pearls. On the tip of her nose was an elephant pearl. 

•  She was splendid with jewel armlets and bracelets and a bracelet of shells. She was opulent with many tinkling ornaments and tinkling jewel anklets.

•  Seeing her so beautiful and so full of love for Him, the Lord of the universes at once embraced her and kissed her again and again. 

•  Going to a secluded place, the all-powerful Lord again and again enjoyed many different kinds of amorous pastimes, beginning with viparita-lila, with His beloved. 

•  Accepting the Lord’s invincible semen, passionate and fortunate Viraja at once became pregnant. 

•  After a hundred celestial years of pregnancy, she gave birth to seven handsome sons from the Lord.

•  In this way the Lord’s eternal beloved became the mother of seven sons. She was very happy with her seven sons. 

•  One day, her heart filled with amorous desires, the saintly girl again enjoyed pastimes with Lord Hari in a secluded place in Vrndavana forest. 

•  Then, frightened by his brothers, her youngest son came there and went to his mother’s lap. 

•  Seeing her son was afraid, she who was an ocean of kindness left Lord Hari and placed the boy on her lap. Then Krishna went to Radha’s home. 

•  When she had comforted the boy she noticed that her beloved was no longer there. Her heart filled with unsatisfied desires, she lamented greatly. 

•  She angrily cursed her son: “You will become an ocean of salt-water. The living entities will never drink your water.” 

•  Then she cursed all the boys: “Those fools will go to the earth! Fools, go to beautiful Jambudvipa on the earth! 

•  “They will not stay together in one place, but will stay each in his own place. They will stay happily around different islands. 

•  “They may enjoy pastimes with the rivers on these islands.” In this way, because of his mother’s curse, the youngest boy became an ocean of salt-water. 

•  The youngest then told the other boys about their mother’s curse. Unhappy, all the boys went to their mother. 

•  After hearing their mother’s words, they offered obeisances to her feet. Then, their necks bowed with devotion, they all went to the surface of the earth.

•  O sage, they became seven oceans around the seven islands. From the youngest to the eldest, each ocean was twice as large as the preceding one. 

•  They became oceans of salt-water, sugarcane juice, wine, clarified butter, yoghurt, milk and sweet water. Their liquid will be used to cultivate grains on the earth. 

•  In this way they became seven oceans around the seven islands of the earth. Unhappy in separation from their mother and brothers, all the boys wept. 

•  Tormented by separation from her sons, chaste Viraja wept again and again. She fainted out of grief she felt for her sons and husband. 

•  Understanding that she was drowning in an ocean of grief, Radha’s master, His lotus face smiling, came to her again.

•  When she saw Lord Hari she stopped weeping and lamenting. Gazing at her beloved, she became plunged in an ocean of bliss. 

•  Overcome with passion, she placed Lord Hari on her lap and enjoyed pastimes with Him. In this way, even though she had abandoned her sons, Lord  Hari became pleased with her. 

•  His eyes and face filled with happiness, He gave her a benediction: “Beloved, I will always come to you. 

•  “Like Radha you will be dear to Me. By the power of My blessing you will always protect your sons.” 

•  Seeing Sri Krishna with Viraja as he spoke these words, Radha’s friends told their mistress. 

•  Hearing this, Radha lay down in the palace of anger and wept. Then Krishna entered that palace and approached Her. 

•  O Narada, accompanied by Sridama, Krishna stood at Radha’s door. When She who is the queen of the rasa dance saw Her beloved Lord Hari, She became angry and said: 

•  O Lord Hari, You have many other lovers in Goloka. Go to them! Why do You need Me? 

•  Even though Your dear lover Viraja, out of fear of Me, left her body and became a river, still You go to her! 

•  Build a palace on her shore and stay with her. Stay with her. Go to her. She became a river. You became a river also. 

•  Because they belong to the same class, it is glorious for one river to associate with another river. As they happily eat together and sleep together they feel great love for each other. 

•  O crest jewel of divine persons, when they hear from Me that You are enjoying pastimes with a river, the great souls will smile.

•  They who say You are the master of the universes do not truly know Your heart. The Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul in the hearts of all, now desires to enjoy pastimes with a river! 

•  After speaking these words, angry goddess Radha stopped. Surrounded by a hundred thousand gopis, She would not rise from Her bed. 

•  Some gopis carried camaras in their hands, some carried fine garments, some carried betelnuts in their hands, and some carried flower-garlands in their  hands.

•  Some carried cups of scented water in their hands, some carried lotus flowers in their hands, some carried red sindura in their hands, and some carried flower garlands in their hands. 

•  Some carried jewel ornaments in their hands, some carried black kajjala, some carried flutes and vinas in their hands, and some carried combs in their hands.

•  Some carried aviras in their hands, some carried yantras in their hands, some carried scented oil in their hands, some most beautiful women carried karatalas in their hands, and some carried toy balls. 

•  Some played mrdangas, murajas, flutes and karatalas, some expertly sang, and some expertly danced. 

•  Some carried toys in their hands, some carried cups of honey in their hands, some carried cups of nectar in their hands, and some carried footstools in their hands. 

•  Some carried garments and ornaments in their hands, some served Radha’s feet, some stood before Her with folded hands, and some spoke prayers glorifying Her. 

•  How many stood before Her? O sage, millions and millions stood outside. 

•  As Krishna stood at the door, Radha’s friends, who held sticks, would not allow Him to enter. 

•  As the Lord of Her life stood before Her, Radha spoken to Him words that were inaccurate, not worthy to be spoken, improper, and very harsh.

•  O Krishna , O lover of Viraja, get away from Me! O Lord Hari, o restless debauchee, why do You trouble Me? 

•  Go at once to Padmavati! Go to beautiful Ratnamala or Vanamala whose beauty has no equal!

•  O lover of a river, O master of the demigods, O guru of the demigods’ guru, I know who You are. Auspiciousnss to You! Go! Go from My asrama! 

•  Again and again You act like a human! Rake, enter a human womb! Leave Goloka and go to Bharata-varsa! 

•  O Susila, Sasikala, Padmavati, Madhavi, stop this criminal! What need have we for Him?

•  After hearing Radha’s words, the gopis spoke to Lord Hari words there were beneficial, truthful, gentle, sweet, and appropriate to that circumstance. 

•  Some said: “O Lord Hari, for a moment go to another place. When Radha’s anger subsides we will bring You here.” 

•  Some very affectionately said: “Go home for a moment. You make Radha blissful. Except for You, who can protect Her.

•  O sage, out of love for Radha some gopis said to Lord Hari: “For a moment go to Vrndavana forest until Her anger subsides.”

•  Some joked to the Lord: “O passionate one, by devotedly serving Her You will appease the jealous anger of Your passionate beloved.”

•  Some said the to Lord: “Go to another wife in the meantime, O Lord, we will bring the result You earnestly desire.” 

•  Some stood smiling before Lord Hari and said: “Go to Her and pacify Her jealous anger.” 

•  Some gopis spoke harshly to the Lord of their lives: “Who can see Radha’s lotus face now?” 

•  Some said to the all-powerful Lord: “O Lord Hari, go to another place, and when Her anger is over You may return.” 

•  Some beautiful and arrogant gopis said to Him: “IF You don’t go to another’s home, we will force You to go.” 

•  Some beautiful gopis then surrounded the smiling, peaceful, and cheerful Supreme Lord of all and prevented Him from entering. 

•  Forced by the gopis, Lord Hari, who is the first cause of the world’s causes, left and went to another’s home. Then Sridama became angry. 

•  His lotus eyes now red, Sridama angrily spoke to the supreme goddesss, Sri Radha, whose lotus eyes were also red with anger. 

•  Sridama said: O mother, why do You speak these harsh words to m master? O goddess, You rebuke Him without any consideration and for no reason.

•  You mock the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of Brahma, Ananta, Siva and is the master of Sarasvati, Laksmi, Laya, Maya and Prakrti, who is beyond the modes of material nature, who is self-satisfied, and whose desires are all fulfilled. Know that it is only because of Your service to Him and Your worship of His feet that You have become the best of goddesses and the queen of all. O beautiful one, You do not understand Him. How can I have the power to describe Him? 

•  With a playful bend in His eyebrows He can create many millions of millions of goddesses like You. You do not understand Him, the Lord who is beyond the modes of material nature. 

•  In Vaikuntha goddess Laksmi eternally serves Lord Hari with great devotion. She washes His lotus feet and dries them with her own hair.

•  With devotion Sarasvati always praises Him with beautiful prayers that are nectar for the ears. You do not understand Him, the great Supreme Personality of Godhead. 

•  Frightened goddess Maya, who is the material energy and the personified life of all conditioned souls, always praises Him with devotion. O proud one, You do not understand Him. 

•  Although they eternally offer prayers to Him, the Vedas cannot understand even one sixteenth of His glory. O beautiful one, You do not understand Him.

•  O goddess, with his four heads powerful Brahma, the father of the Vedas, glorifies Krishna . Brahma serves His lotus feet. 

•  With this five heads, the guru of the yogis, offers prayers to Lord Krishna . His eyes filled with tears and the hairs of his body erect, he serves Lord Krishna ’s lotus feet.

•  With His thousand heads Ananta Sesa again and again offers prayers to Lord Krishna , the all-pervading Supersoul. He devotedly serves Lord Krishna ’s lotus feet. 

•  Dharma, who is the protector and witness of everyone and the master of the worlds, happily and devotedly serves Lord Krishna ’s feet always. 

•  All-powerful Lord Visnu, who resides in Svetadvipa and is His partial incarnation, meditates on Lord Krishna as the Supreme at every moment. 

•  The demigods, demons, sages, kings, manus, humans and philosophers serve Him though they cannot see His lotus feet even in a dream. 

•  At once abandon Your pride and worship the lotus feet of Lord Hari, who merely by the play of bending His eyebrow destroys the material creation. 

•  Brahma’s lifetime is an eye-blink for Lord Krishna . Twenty-eight Indras live their lives in Brahma’s day. 

•  Brahma lives for 108 years calculated in this way. O Radha, You and the gopis and everyone and everything are under my master’s dominion. 

•  Hearing Sridama’s very harsh and forceful words, She became suddenly angry. She stood up and spoke to him. 

•  Going outside, Her hair loosened, Her lotus eyes reds, and Her lips trembling, She harshly spoke to him. 

•  Sri Radha said: Rogue! Fool! Servant of a rake! Listen. I don’t know your master. You know everything about Him. 

•  O lowest wretch in Vraja, Sri Krishna is your master and not Mine? You praise your father and rebuke your mother.

•  As the demons always insult the demigods, so you always insult Me! Therefore, O fool, become a demon!

•  Gopa, leave Goloka and go to a demoness’ womb. Fool, now I have cursed you. Who can protect you? 

•  After thus cursing him, the queen of the rasa dance became silent. Then, with jewelled-handled camaras in their hands, Her friends served Her.

•  After hearing Her words, his lips trembling in anger, Sridama cursed Her: Go to the womb of a human woman! 

•  You are angry like a human woman, therefore become a human woman on the earth! Mother, I have cursed You. Of this there is no doubt.

•  You will be eclipsed by a part of Your own shadow. The fools on the earth will say you are the wife of a petty king. 

•  That petty king will be a partial incarnation of Lord Hari. He will be a great yogi born in a human womb because of Radha’s curse on him. 

•  In Gokula You will attain Lord Krishna . You will stay with Him in the forest there and enjoy pastimes with Him. You will be separated from Him for a hundred years and then You will attain Him, Your Lord, again and return with Him to Goloka. 

•  After speaking these words and after bowing down before Radha, Sridama went to Lord Hari. Bowing down before Lord Krishna , Sridama narrated the story of the cursings. 

•  Sridama wept as never before. As weeping Sridama was about to go to the earth, Lord Krishna said to him: 

•  You will become the king of demons. In the three worlds no one will defeat you.

•  After fifty yugas Siva’s spear will make you leave that body and with My blessings you will return to Me. 

•  After hearing Lord Krishna ’s words, grieving Sridama said to Him: You will never transform me into a person that has no devotion for You. 

•  Saying this Sridama left his own asrama. Then, weeping again and again, Radha came there. 

•  Saintly Radha loudly lamented, “Child, where are you going?” Then Sridama became Sankhacuda, the husband of Tulasi. 

•  When Sridama had left, Goddess Radha approached Lord Hari. She told Him everything and He spoke to Her. 

•  Lord Krishna told everything to His grieving beloved. Then, in the course of time, Sridama became Sankhacuda and then returned to the Lord. 

•  In the Varaha-kalpa Radha went with Lord Hari to the earth. O sage, She attained a birth in Gokula in King Vrsabhanu’s home. 

•  In this way I have spoken the transcendental narrations of Lord Krishna , which everyone yearns to hear. What more do you wish to hear?

Chapter Sri Radha-Krishna Samvada

• I will go to the earth. O demigods, first return to your homes, and then, by your amsa expansions, quickly go to the earth.
   
• After speaking to the demigods, Lord Krishna , the master of the universes, called the gopas and gopis and spoke to them words that were sweet, truthful and appropriate.
   
• Sri Krishna said: O gopas and gopis, please listen. All of you please go to Nanda’s land of Vraja. O Radha, please go at once to the home of King Vrsabhanu.
   
• King Vrsabhanu’s dear wife is the saintly gopi named Kalavati. She is Subala-gopa’s daughter. She is a partial incarnation of the goddess of fortune.
   
• She is fortunate and glorious among women. She was the mind-born daughter of the pitas, but by Durvasa’s curse she was born in a house in Vraja.
   
• At once go to Nanda’s Vraja and take birth in her womb. O girl with the lotus face, I will assume the form of a small boy and I will marry You. 
   
• O Radha, to Me You are more dear than life. To You I am more dear than life also. We are not different. We are one body eternally.
   
• Listening, Sri Radha wept, overcome with love. O sage, with Her cakora-bird eyes She drank the moonlight of Lord Krishna ’s face.
   
• Sri Krishna said: O gopas and gopis, please take birth on the earth in the beautiful palaces of the noble gopas. […]

69 In this way the demigods must go, by their partial expansions, to the earth and help to remove its burden. The demigods’ wives must also go, by their partial expansions, to the earth.

70 At that point Lord Krishna stopped speaking. O Narada, Brahma stood there, listening.

71 Sarasvati was at Lord Krishna ’s left and Laksmi at His right. Parvati and all the demigods were before Him.

72 The gopis and gopas were before Him. Sri Radha rested on His chest. At that moment Sri Radha, the queen of Vraja spoke to Lord Krishna .

73 Sri Radha said: O Lord, please hear the words of Your maidservant. My life has become a blazing fire that burns without stop. My mind trembles, swinging to and fro.

74 When I look at You I cannot even blink. O Lord, how can I go to the earth without You?

75 O friend, how much time must pass before I will meet You again in Gokula? O master of My life, please tell the truth.

76 An eyeblink without You will be a hundred yugas for Me. What will I look on? Where will I go? Who will protect Me?

77 O master of My life, how can I for a moment think of mother, father, relatives, friends, brother, sister, or children when You are gone? 

78 O master of illusions, please promise me that when I am on the earth You will not cover Me with illusion and make Me forget Your glories.

79 O Krishna , please turn My mind into a bumblebee always wandering among the nectar lotus-flowers of Your feet.

80 Wherever I may be born, please give Me service to You and remembrance of You.

81 You are Krishna and I am Radha. When I am on the earth may I never forget the glory of Our love. O Lord, please give Me this benediction.

82 As breath always stays with the body and as the body always stays with its shadow, may We two always stay together when We take birth. O Lord please give Me this benediction.

83 When We are on the earth let Us not be separated for even an eyeblink. O Lord, please give Me this benediction.

84 Who was it that used My life-breath to create Your body, feet, and flute?

85 How many glorious kinds of women are there? How many kinds of glorious men praised again and again? No woman is attached to her lover as I am to You.

86 How is it that I was created from half of Your body? There is no difference between Us. That is why My mind always thinks of You.

87 How is it that My mind, heart, and life were placed in Your body. And Your mind, heart and life were placed in Mine?

88 That is why an eyeblink’s separation from You brings a great catastrophe to My mind. That is why, when it hears that We may be separated, My life-force burns in an unending fire.

89 After speaking these words in the assembly of demigods, again and again Sri Radha grasped Lord Krishna ’s lotus feet and loudly wept.

90 Then, placing Her on His lap and with His own garment wiping the tears from Her face, Lord Krishna spoke many true and beneficial words.

91 Sri Krishna said: Goddess, please listen and I will describe to You the yoga of the Supreme, a yoga even the kings of the yogis cannot understand, a yoga that cuts grief into many pieces.

92 O beautiful one, consider this: The entire universe is constructed of two things: resting places and things that rest in them. It is not possible for a resting thing to be separated from its resting place.

93 For the fruit the resting place is the flower. For the flower the resting place is the twig. For the twig the resting place is the branch. For the branch the resting place is the tree itself.

94 For the tree the resting place is the sapling. For the sapling, which is manifest from the seed, the resting place is the seed. For the seed the resting place is the earth.

95 For the earth the resting place is Lord Sesa. For Lord Sesa the resting place is the great tortoise beneath Him. For the tortoise the resting place is the wind. For the wind the resting place is I Myself.

96 For Me the resting place is You. I always rest in You. You have all powers. You are the root from which the material nature has sprung. You are the Supreme Goddess.

97 You are the resting place of all bodies. You are the resting place of the three mode of nature. You are the resting place of Me, for I am Your heart. Without You I cannot act. Only by Your grace have I the power to act.

98 From the man the seed is manifest. From the seed children are manifest. The resting place of both seed and children is the woman, who is manifest from material nature.

99 How can the spirit soul exist without the body? How can the body exist without the spirit soul? They are both the first cause. O goddess, how can the creation be manifest without them both?

100 O Radha, We are not different. We are the seed and the world grown from the seed. I am the soul and You are the body. Where the soul is present, there also is the body. We are not different. Why must You be so humble?

101 As whiteness is present in milk, as heat is present in fire, as fragrance is present in earth, and as coolness is present in fire, so I am always present in You.

102 As milk and its whiteness, fire and its heat, earth and its fragrance, and water and its coolness are one and cannot be separated, We are one also. We cannot be separated.

103 Without Me, You are lifeless. Without You, I am invisible. O beautiful one, without You I cannot exist.

104 Without clay a potter cannot make a pot. Without gold a goldsmith cannot make a gold ornament.

105 As the spirit soul is eternal, Your are also eternal. You are the material nature. You are all powerful. You are the eternal resting place of everything.

106 Laksmi, all-auspicious Sarasvati, Brahma, Siva, Sesa, and Yamaraja are dear as life to Me. But You are more dear than life to Me.

107 If this were not so, then why do the demigods and demigoddesses stay nearby, but You rest on My chest, O Radha?

108 O Radha, give up Your tears. I saintly one, give up this fruitless and mistaken worry and go to King Vrsabhanu’s house.

109 O beautiful one, use Your powers to create an artificial pregnancy in Kalavati. For nine months fill her womb with air.

110 When the tenth month comes leave Your natural form behind, accept the form of an infant girl and go to the earth.

111 At the time of giving birth, place Your form of a naked infant on the ground by Kalavati and cry like a newborn child.

112 O saintly one, in this way, without entering a mother’s womb, You will appear in Gokula. I also will appear without entering a mother’s womb. You and I do not enter a mother’s womb.

113 The moment I come to earth Vasudeva will carry Me to Gokula. Pretending to fear Kamsa, I will go there for Your sake.

114 I will be Nanda’s son in Yasoda’s house. O beautiful one, again and again You will happily see me and tightly embrace Me.

115 O Radha, because of the benediction I give You, You will remember everything. Following My own wish, I will enjoy pastimes with You in Vrndavana forest again and again.

116 Therefore, accompanied by thirty three virtuous friends and twenty one billion gopi-associates, please go to Vraja.

117-18 O Radha, after comforting with eloquent nectar words the numberless gopas and gopis left behind in Goloka, I will go to Vasudeva’s home in Mathura City.

119 The ten million gopas most dear to Me should take birth in the homes of the gopas. To enjoy pastimes with Me they should go to Vraja.

120 O Narada, then Lord Krishna stopped speaking. The demigods, demigoddesses, gopas and gopis were silent.

121 Then Brahma, Siva, Yama, Sesa, Parvati, Laksmi and Sarasvati joyfully offered prayers to Lord Krishna .

122 Overcome with love and burning in the flames of imminent separation, the devoted gopas and gopis offered prayers to Lord Krishna and bowed down before Him.

123 Burning in the flames of imminent separation even though Her desires were all fulfilled, Sri Radha devotedly offered prayers to Her lover Krishna , who is more dear to Her than life.

124 Seeing that Sri Radha was weeping many tears of distress, Lord Krishna spoke to Her truthful words of enlightenment.

125 Sri Krishna said: O goddess more dear than life, please be peaceful. Give up You fears. What You feel I also feel. Why should You be unhappy while I am with You.

126 However, I will tell You something that is not good. You will be separated from Me for a hundred years.

127 O beautiful one, I will go to Mathura and because of Sridama’s curse, We will be separated.

128 In Mathura I will remove the earth’s burden, release My parents from bondage and give liberation to a florist, a tailor and a hunchback girl.

129 Then I will kill Kalayavana, deliver Mucukunda, build the city of Dvaraka, and see a Rajasuya-yajna.

130 Then I will marry 16 100 princesses and defeat many enemies.

131 Then I will help My friends, burn Varanasi, make Siva yawn and cut Banasura’s arms.

132 I will forcibly take the Parijata tree, see many saintly sages when I go on pilgrimage, and perform many other activities.

133 While on pilgrimage I will speak with My friends and relatives, help My father perform a yajna, and, at an auspicious moment, see You again.

134 There I will also see the gopis and again I will teach You the truth of spiritual philosophy.

135 From that time We will never really be separated for even a moment of the day or night. Then, after some time, I will return to Vraja.

136 Beloved, during the hundred years We are separated We will meet in Our dreams again and again.

137 In My Narayana form I will go to Dvaraka for those hundred years. In that way I will enjoy My pastimes there.

138 Then I will return to live with You in the forest. Then I will wipe away all the sufferings of My parents and the gopas and gopis. 

139 When I have removed the earth’s burden I will return to Goloka with the gopas, gopis and You.

140 O Radha, in My form as eternal Lord Narayana I will return to Vaikuntha with Laksmi and Sarasvati.

141 My various incarnations will return to Svetadvipa, the home of religion, and the partial incarnations of the demigods and demigoddesses will all return to their respective abodes.

142 Then You and I will again live in Goloka. Beloved, now I have told You everything both good and bad. Who can stop from happening what I have foretold?

143 After speaking these words, Lord Krishna had Radha rest against His chest. All the demigods and their wives were astonished.

144 Then Lord Krishna said to the demigods and demigoddesses: O demigods, please return to your homes and prepare for your mission.

145 O Parvati, please go to Mount Kailasa with your husband and sons. At the proper time you will execute the mission I have given you.

146 As I have said, you will take birth as a partial incarnation. You will not be accompanied by Ganesa, who is the lord of the great and the small.

147-8 Bowing down before Lord Krishna , the demigods happily returned to their homes. Then, bowing again before Lord Krishna and before Laksmi and Sarasvati, they went, eager to execute their mission, to the earth. Then Lord Krishna described Sri Radha’s mission, a mission beyond what the demigods can attain.

149 Lord Krishna said to Sri Radha: Accompanied by the many gopas and gopis I have already named, please go to King Vrsabhanu’s home.

150 Beloved, first I will go to Vasudeva’s home in Mathura, and then, on the pretext of fearing Kamsa, I will go to Gokula, where You will be.

151 Radha bowed down before Lord Krishna . Tormented with the thought of being separated from Her love, She wept, Her eyes now red lotus flowers, again and again.

152 She began to go and then She returned. Again and again and again and again She left, returned, and gazed and gazed at Lord Krishna ’s face.

153 With the cakora birds of Her unblinking eyes saintly Radha drank the nectar moonlight of Lord Krishna ’s face.

154 Seven times the supreme goddess Radha circumambulated Lord Krishna . Seven times She bowed down and respectfully stood before Him.

155 Then twenty-one billion gopis and ten million gopas came there.

156 O Narada, accompanied by the multitudes of gopas and gopis, Sri Radha bowed down before Lord Krishna and respectfully stood before Him.

157 Accompanied by Her thirty-three close friends and by the many gopas and gopis, beautiful Radha bowed down before Lord Krishna and then went to the earth.

158 Then Radha-gopi went to Vrsabhanu-gopa’s home, the place Lord Krishna arranged for Her in Nanda’s Gokula.

159 When Radha went with the gopas and gopis to the earth, Lord Krishna became eager to go there also.

160 After speaking to the gopas and gopis and giving them their various duties, Lord Krishna , the master of the universes, travelling as fast as the mind, went to Mathura.

161 Before all this Vasudeva and Devaki had six sons and Kamsa killed each one as soon as they were born.

162 By Lord Krishna ’s order, Yogamaya pulled from Devaki’s womb the seventh embryo, who was an incarnation of Lord Sesa, and place it in Rohini’s womb in Gokula.

Courtesy : Dandavats

There are many who openly state that they don't believe in God and don't follow any religious principles or practices. These people are harmless for those who have decided to explore god-centered spiritual alternatives in life. 

There are many others who accept, follow, and even propagate various degrees of religiosity while still denying the eternal existence of the supreme person, God, as the Absolute Truth. They talk about the all pervading impersonal energy, or the ultimate oneness of everything, or void, or the unending cycle of birth and death as the ultimate reality or absolute truth. They say God is merely a concept and that there is no spiritual world where he exists eternally with his innumerable loving associates. Such people are dangerous for the spiritual enquirers. If one forms emotional bonds with such atheists, it's difficult to come out of their influence and take to the path of pure love for God.

Beware of the religious atheists.

Source : http://thebandwagonofmoltengold.blogspot.in/2015/04/beware-of-religious-godless.html