A Maha Harinam Sankirtan was held in Krishnanagar city on 8th Sep, 2015. This was the second Maha Harinaam held in Krishnanagar. The sankirtan was inaugurated by Rajkumar Malakar, inspector in charge, Kotwali P.S., Krishnanagar. The procession started from Rajbari Maidan at 4:30 PM and it covered city’s important areas like Kshanish Park, Sadar Hospital, Post Office, Kitowali police station and returned back to Rajbari Maidan. The procession was colourful and there were many flags, festoons, Abhiram patik etc. About 800 devotees participated including more than 300 Mayapur community devotees. Local devotees (Bhakti Vriksha, Namhatta, Chatra Samaj and others) also took part in Nagar Sankirtan Party.

All the devotees looked very enlivened and effulgent. They smiled, jumped and danced for a large part of the procession. One of Mayapur’s very special singer, H.G. Mitra Caitanya Pr. led kirtan very enthusiastically and everyone absorbed in dancing. Two foreign matajis decorated themselves mimicking Radha & Krishna dance. They danced artfully for the entire period of procession.

A good number of renowned devotees were present in the procession like Mayapur Deputy Director H.G. Sankarsan Nitai Pr., H.G. Ghanashyam Pr, and Srila Prabhupada’s disciples H.G. Murari Hari Pr, H.G.Hamsaduta Pr. and H.G. Ajamila Pr. Besides them, H.G. Madhav Hari Pr. and H.G. Nitaipadakamala Pr. also were present in the procession.

Apart from Harinam Sankitan there was also Srila Prabhupada’s books and prasad distribution on the street which common people accepted with a smile. Mayapur devotees went by six buses. After the program finished, a delicious dinner prasadam was served to them at Gita Bhavan. Khichri prasad was served to all the local participants from Krishnanagar.

Many Krishnanagar residents came forward to help Srila Prabhupada and His mission. Mayapur Local Preaching (MLP) acknowledged all of them for their valuable and wonderful service. Overall the program was a grand success by the will of the Lord and sincere endeavor of the organizing devotees of Mayapur and Krishnanagar under the able guidance of MLP coordinator H.G. Mathuresh Pr.

By Muralidhara-priya Das

The devotees in Surat, India celebrated 50th Anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in USA, along with the Vyasapuja of HH Bhakti Charu Maharaj. However the main theme of this convention was to encourage devotees to participate in construction of the TOVP.

With folded hands HH Bhakti Charu Maharaj gave a presentation on the TOVP project in front of thousands of his disciples whom had come from all over India and different parts of the world. He explained that the desire of Srila Prabhupada was to build a wonderful temple for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and for the satisfaction of our Vaishnava acharyas.

Radha Jivan Prabhu also made presentations for two consecutive days to more than one thousand assembled devotees. The TOVP fundraising team received more than four hundred pledges for contributions, reaching a total of 1.5 million dollars or ten crore in Rupees.

We give our congratulations to H.H.Bhakti Charu Maharaj, and all his disciples, for their great performance and commitment to Sridham Mayapur.

By Padmapani das

Thinking back to the late Sixties and early Seventies, I fondly remember how the Hare Krishna mantra had already infiltrated contemporary culture due to Srila Prabhupada’s extraordinary efforts to spread the holy names throughout the world. A number of famous musicians and artists had begun to discover the chanting and were promoting it in their records and books.

For example, the Broadway musical “Hair” was a big hit and the accompanying record — which included the chanting of Hare Krishna — became a popular staple on the radio. George Harrison recorded the song “My Sweet Lord” with the melodious chanting of Krishna’s names in the background; and prior to that, the words “Hare Krishna” could be found on one of the Beatles’ albums (Magical Mystery Tour). Poet Allen Ginsberg, a self-styled leader of the new counterculture, had visited India and picked up the mantra there. He subsequently wrote about the chanting in at least one or more of his poetry books. After meeting Prabhupada at 26 Second Avenue in the Lower East Side of New York, Ginsberg increased his dedication to the holy names and often chanted them during “be-ins” and poetry readings. When John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their famous “bed-in” at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal in 1969, the devotees were there singing Hare Krishna during the recording of “Give Peace a Chance.” The “Radha Krishna Temple” album produced by George Harrison in 1970 in co-operation with the London devotees could be found in record stores throughout Europe and North America. Such was the widespread influence of Srila Prabhupada’s dynamic preaching efforts even though he had only been in the western world for a short period of time. Srila Prabhupada was already expertly fulfilling the order of his spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj.

“The pure devotees are not only satisfied by knowing everything about the Lord, but are also eager to broadcast the information to others, for they want to see that the glories of the Lord are known to everyone.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2.5.9, Purport)

Despite his rapid and enormous success at distributing Krishna consciousness worldwide, Srila Prabhupada always remained humble and never took credit for himself. His attitude was perfectly in line with the sastric descriptions of an unalloyed servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead:

“A pure devotee never thinks himself as great; he always thinks that other devotees are greater than himself.” (Bhakti-rasamrta sindhu, Chapter 1)

Although Srila Prabhupada accomplished superhuman results in his service to guru and Krishna, he was deeply and genuinely humble. I specifically remember seeing Prabhupada for the first time in the Los Angeles temple room. When the curtains opened for morning Deity greetings, Srila Prabhupada slowly but surely prostrated himself before his beloved Lord. I’ll never forget the absolute surrender and humility he exhibited before our very eyes. In fact, watching Prabhupada in various temples over the years as he bowed to the Creator with such profound sincerity was always one of my favorite experiences. Lord Krishna declares in the Bhagavad-gita:

“He who follows this imperishable path of devotional service, and who completely engages himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal is very, very dear to Me.” (BG. 12.20)

While demonstrating such exalted devotional service himself, Srila Prabhupada was very kind and merciful as well. Quoting the above mentioned verse from the Bhagavad-gita in his book, The Teachings of Lord Caitanya (Chapter 14), Prabhupada writes:

“Even if one is not situated on such a transcendental position, if he simply approves of such a transcendental life, he also becomes very dear to Krishna.”

By showing such enormous compassion to us all, Prabhupada not only conquered our hearts, but according to scripture, he did the same to none other than the Lord Himself:

“A pure devotee is completely surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord, and only by his love does he conquer Krishna, who cannot be conquered by anyone.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 8.66, Purport)

Thus we can understand that the essence of Krishna consciousness is love — love for the Supreme Lord and all His parts and parcels. So Prabhupada arrived on the shores of America with a most appealing message at a remarkably appropriate time in the history of the world. Young people everywhere were screaming and clamoring for love, and Prabhupada distributed the highest form of love without charge. “Please chant Hare Krishna and be happy” he would tell us again and again. It’s no wonder that Lord Siva proclaims the following:

“My dear Parvati, there are different methods of worship, and out of all such methods the worship of the Supreme Person is considered to be the highest. But even higher than the worship of the Lord is the worship of the Lord’s devotees.” (Lord Siva, Padma Purana)

Devotees’ hearts everywhere are combined in love for His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, which ultimately — despite our personal differences — keeps us unified as a family of godbrothers and godsisters. If we can’t always live together in body, at least we can live together in spirit. We are firmly united in our affection and appreciation for Prabhupada. His magnanimous heart and limitless love for Krishna have ignited the modern day Hare Krishna revolution. The mercy of Krishna has come to this world through Srila Prabhupada and therefore so many souls are forever grateful and indebted to him for his unparalleled service on the Lord’s behalf.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

By Radhanath Swami

Today is the last day of our yatra. On the request of devotees we have come to this place. It is a very unknown part of Vrindavana this particular temple. It is not to be found in any of the parikrama books. We only are aware of these deities Sri Sri Radha Gopijanavallabha. The mercy They have personally bestowed upon myself.

Yesterday devotees had a vote, by democratic process; conclusion was we come here today.

We understand Krishna by the grace of Krishna’s devotees. We cannot approach Krishna directly. It is by His own sweet will that He has arranged. Krishna wants to give credit to His devotees, He wants to bestow His mercy through His devotees. It is only through the mercy of Vaisnavas that we can understand what is Krishna, what is the Holy name, what is Vrindavana, what is the purpose of life beyond just greed and egoism.

I would like to briefly narrate a few personal encounters in my life in relationship to Sri Sri Radha-Gopijanavallabha – with your permission.

In 1971 I was a devotee of Lord Siva, I was traveling from the area Pashupatinatha to Amarnatha for a pilgrimage in month of August. Very crowded third class train, didn’t sit down for about 40 hours. Finally the train stopped and I wanted to somehow or other to move, so I crawled over people’s heads, somehow I pulled myself out of the window, because I had these attachments. The train started moving and I tried to get back in and it was so very crowded, no window to fit a human being inside.

So the train left and I was in this unknown place. I asked a sadhu on the railway platform – where is this. He said this is Mathura, today is Janmastami! So he took me to Janmasthaana where I spent the whole day. It was very crowded and very joyful, although I really didn’t know who is Krishna or what is Krishna so much. And then at midnight everyone went to Dwarkadhisha. Bathed in Visnu-ghata. So I was thinking actually that night I stayed, although I was in Mathura, in a temple of Lord Siva with a babaji named Sivananda. And I was thinking I will go to Vrindvana for about 3 days. Then I will go to Amarnatha.

So I started walking down the road and a bus saw me on the road between Vrindavana and Mathura near fields and it stopped and picked me up. They said I did not have to pay anything. So I went on the bus and then I arrived and I just asked someone is there a river here – Yamuna, because I knew there was Yamuna. So they pointed, so I was just walking toward Yamuna because that was my tradition – whatever holy place I would just go to; whatever holy river was there and just sleep under tree and do meditation. So as I was walking and one Vraja-vasi approached me and said to me; “oh you have come from foreign land.” Because foreigners were very rare at that time. There was no ISKCON at that time.
He said you have come to Krishna’s home, we are Krishna’s family, you are our guest let me give you some food. So he took me to some Vraja-vasi’s house and had prasad, nice prasad, and then he said where are you staying, I said on the river. He took me to one ashram of one blind sadhu, then I met him and he said let him stay here and he said yes, but still I went to the Yamuna. So on the 3rd day when I was going to leave in the morning from Mathura to the railway station. I woke up with typhoid fever, so I was very very sick. And some of Srila Prabhupada’s godbrothers were very kind to me. And after I was in this Rama-Krishna charitable hospital for about 2 weeks. Laying in a room with 40 dying people.

They gave me shelter in one Gaudiya matha for some time and I was studying
there. The doctor told me I had to wait at least 2 months before I could travel or I would die. My body was so weak and emaciated from the way I was living. By the end of the 2 months I came to the conclusion that of all the theologies, philosophies, religions and spiritual paths that I have experienced there is nothing higher, nothing as sweet, nothing more beautiful then the religion of Vrindavana. Devotion to Sri Sri Radharani and Sri Krishna. So I decided to spend the rest of the my life in Vrindavana and never leave.

So after some time I was living on the bank of Yamuna. Sometimes going to Govardhana, Nandaghama, Varsana and various places. I would usually sleep under trees near Chir-ghata here in Vrindavana. We would go to mangala-arati at Radharamana temple and then Radha-vallabha temple then go to mangal arati to Seva-kunja and Banke-bihari gets up quite late. Sometimes to Radha-Damodara temple. So what happened is some sadhu, one very nice sadhu he got to know me. I would go every night a few sadhu’s and myself we would go around Vrindavana, Vrindavana parikrama, we did this every night. For the whole month of kartik, we would just sing bhajans on the bank of the Yamuna. One of the sadhu’s was a musical godbrother of Ravi Shankara, he played sitar. But he considered Ravi Shankar to be somewhat in maya because he played ragas without Krishna’s names. He would play ragas and only chant Krishna’s names when he played. So he was a fantastic sitar player.

We would sit on bank of Yamuna and just chant and he would just play, 3/4/5 of us and then we would go around Vrindavana every night in the moonlight. And one of these nice sadhus told me I want you to meet a very very very simple and pure soul. When you meet him you will understand what is bhakti. So I thought he was going to bring me to some nice temple. He took me in the Radha-Vallabha temple area down this very isolated little ally way where there was an open sewer gutter just flowing like anything, black sewage and had to step over the sewage gutter to get in the door. And it was someone’s house. Very, very small house. And a family was living in that house. Always making noise and everything. Then a hallway and in one of the hallways in their house there was a closet. The family was always passing, walking through that hallway and in that closet were the Deities of Sri Sri Radha-Gopijanavallabha. And then he introduced me to the pujari. His name was Ghanshyam.

How gracious and how kind he was! He had such pure love and devotion to the Deities. I was told that many years before when was young a man, he came from a very wealthy family. His Father, Mother all family members came on a pilgrimage to Vrindavana. They spent a few days and what the dhama of Vrindavana did to his heart was something wonderful. He became so deeply attached to Vrindavana.
Just by being here he became completely detached from everything in life. He saw no other purpose or meaning to existence except surrendering to Sri Radha and Krishna in Vrindavana. So when it was time to go he said I will stay here I will not leave. So his parents thought this is ridiculous so they said all right you come a little later. So they went back.

The parents came back again; they said now you must come, he said no I will not leave. So they told him we will take away all your property, all your money everything unless you come back. We will not in any way support you being here.
He considered the only real treasure and wealth in life his residence in Vrindavana, in the service of Radha and Krishna. So they left. From a very wealthy family, he was in total poverty. In the summer, which is very hot, in the winter it is extremely cold, he would just sleep in the dust of Vrindavana on the ground in various places. He would go do madhukari and get some roti. At that time Vrindavana was a very very quite place. He hardly new anyone. He would just be immersed in chanting the holy name and praying. One day he was just sitting in the dust all day long just chanting the holy names and do you know what his Deity was? – The name of Radharani.

In the Sanskrit alphabet he just wrote “Sri Radha”. In the dust with his finger and he would just worship that. And at the end of the day he would erase it so that nobody would step on it. So when he erased he saw some gold. He rubbed the ground and he felt something there and he started digging in a little and there was a piece of gold. So he was thinking what is this. Dug into the ground and what he found was something extraordinary. It was the top of the head of Srimati Radharani’s deity. And next to Her underground was a beautiful blackish deity of Lord Krishna. And it was written underneath Him Radha-Gopijanavallabha.

So he had These deities, These deities you see, They’re quite big deities. He had absolutely not one paise. He only had one torn-up set of clothes, he had no residence and here is self-manifesting deities of Radha-gopijanavallabha. So he felt that They have somehow put Themselves under my care, I cannot leave Them.

So he would just sit there with Them and chant. And sometimes people would come by and give some madhukari. He could not go to homes because he can’t just leave the deities in the field. He was worshipping Them literary under a tree, even in the rainy season under a tree. And people would sometimes come by and give some roti and he would offer it. This went on for some time. And this particular family of Vraja-vasis they saw his genuine and sincere devotion. So they said you can put your deities in the closet of our house near our hallway. Those deities remained there for about the next 50 years. And he worshipped Them there.

This is where we met him. He would never leave the deities. He would only one time of the day he would go the Yamuna, because he had no one to help him, to collect water. To bring back. He would bathe in Yamuna and then bring a bucket back to bathe the deities.

Now when I met him he was an old man. Perhaps in his 80’s. And he had a certain mood about him. It was that he was the most fallen, insignificant servant of Gopijanavallabha. Most unqualified and that anyone who came to that temple and very few people ever came. But anybody who would come in to that little temple he would consider that was Gopijanavallabha’s very special guest, Gopijanavallabha’s friend, personally invited. And he would give his life, his soul his everything to serve anybody who came. He was one of the simplest people I ever met. He was really living in poverty. You know where he slept for that 50 or 60 years? He slept in the hallway. People would just, family would just walk by. Practically stepping over him. The deities were in a tiny little closet near that closet was a tiner closet. Whatever the deities belongings were, were in there. And he just slept on the hallway on the floor.

So I started coming there about 9 o’clock every morning after about 5 different mangal arati’s that I would attend. I would go to Gopijanavallabha temple. And one day I just went there because I just wanted to be with Ghanshyam. So one day he told me come today at noon and I will give you prasad. So I was thinking how can I refuse this. So I came at noon, he gave me, all he had was 3 rotis; nothing else. 3 rotis. So he said you come everyday, you must come. He said you must come everyday. Gopijanavallabha and Radharani want you to come everyday to take prasad with Them.

So after about 3 days there was this one sadhu who brought me to his house. He told me do you know that Ghanshyam has not eaten anything for 4 days. I said why. He said because you are eating all his rotis. He said Ghanshyam does not go out to beg really. He can’t go far. There’s 3 little houses right in that area. Each one cooks one roti. And he goes to those 3 houses everyday to get 1 roti from each house. And he brings, that’s all he has. He offers that to Gopijanavallabha. So he said he his giving you all of his food.

So I came the next day and he just put down the rotis down in front of me. And I said Ghanshyam these are your rotis. He said no, no, these are your rotis. I said I already had prasad. He said doesn’t matter Gopijanavallabha wants you to eat these rotis. I said no, no I do not want these rotis. He said You MUST, YOU MUST. He spoke nice English, because he was coming from an educated family.

I said Ghanshyam I have been told that you’ve not eaten for 4 days because I am eating all of your prasad. He said no, who has told you this, it is not true. i am eating so much, gopijanavallabha is giving me everything I need. Now you eat these rotis, please. I said Ghanshyam I am not going to eat these rotis because they are your rotis. Literally he began to weep and tremble with folded palms begging me to eat the rotis. I said Ghanshyam unless you show me that there is more rotis in your house I am not going to these.

He said I have so many rotis in this house. He said Gopijanavallabha is consort of Sri Radharani, She is the supreme goddess of fortune. You don’t think there is any rotis in Her house. I said Ghanshyam show me the rotis. He said no need to show you, no need. They are here. You just take this parasad. He became so concerned, I said Ghanshyam I know that there are 12 places in Vrindavana that give madhukari to sadhus at a particular time of the day. In those days every sadhu knew where to go at what time to get free rotis. That was the first thing sadhu’s learn when they come to Vrindavana; Time schedule of roti distribution in different temples.

So, I said I can go anywhere, you are here. You are starving. He said No need, you take these rotis. He started crying and pleading and praying to me. I understood if I did not take his rotis I would break his heart. So I was praying to Gopijanavallabha what should I do? Break his heart or starve his body. He would not let me leave without eating the rotis. But I never came back at 12 o’clock. The next day he didn’t eat the rotis at 12 o’clock knowing that I would come 9 o’clock the next day. We had a big fight and I refused to eat his rotis.

This was a selfless service attitude. He was so old and so thin. One day I saw him walking with this bucket of water to bathe Gopijanavallabha. And from the Yamuna he would walk about 3 steps and then would have to put the bucket down and rest. Then he would pick it up strenuously, 3 steps then put it down to rest. At the time I was only 20 years old. So I took the bucket from him and I said I will carry it to the top. He would not let go, he said no need, no need, no need. I said Ghanshyam let me carry it for you. I can carry it in 3 mins, it takes you half hour. I am young. He said yes you are young so you should enjoy. But I am old man. I am just the servant. My life is sacrifice, he said you are Gopijanavallabha’s friend. You should not have to work for Him, but I am just his fallen servant. It is my duty to serve Him. He would not give me that bucket. I was walking alongside him for about 20 mins. We were having tug of wars, he would not give me the bucket. And then finally he began to cry and with a choked up voice he said this service I have to Gopijanavallabha; is all I have in life. Please, please do not take it away from me. I never tried to take that bucket from him again.

One day I happened to be there and it was some festival so a Vraja-vasi brought him a cup of sweet rice to offer to Gopijanavallabha. Now please don’t give or take the spontaneous love of the Vraja-vasi’s but you can hear to understand its nature. He was just eating 2/3 rotis a day for how many years and here was a small pot of sweet rice in a clay cup and it was brought. The way he offered it to the deities is he sat me down on the little hallway in front of the closet. He put the spoon, 1 spoon in a cup and put it right to Gopijanavallabha’s mouth and said a little prayer. Then he put it to Sri Radharani’s mouth and said a little prayer, then he came to me because it’s only a few feet from the deities and where I was sitting. He came and said open your mouth and put your head back. Then I opened by mouth and put my head back and he just poured the sweet rice from the spoon in my mouth. And this is how he offered the entire pot of sweet rice. He just kept on doing it spoon by spoon, Gopijanavallabha’s mouth, Sri Radharani’s mouth then he would just toss in my mouth. I said Ghanshyam save some for yourself, he said no need, no need. Then with folded palms and tears in his eyes he said you are Gopijanavallabha’s friend, you Gopijanavallabha’s friend. I am only his insignificant servant.

One time in the month of January I happened to come by to visit him in the night time. So Ghanshyam and I were chanting together. Whenever I went, I would come at all different times of the day sometimes just to visit him and whenever I would come he was never idle, he was never sitting, sleeping, but always doing seva. I’d come and he would be fanning the deities he just be standing and fanning and singing songs. Another time I had come he had sandalwood pulp and he was putting chandan and grinding. But most of time, 90% of the times when I would come he would just be sitting alone with the harmonium and singing beautiful songs for Gopijanavallabha. He was always busy doing some seva. Sometimes he would be doing puja, offering arati, sometimes he be dressing Them. So this night I came and we were singing this nice kirtan together. In this old broken down little house in a hallway. So then I said I’m going, now I must go and Ghanshyam said where are you going. I am going to take rest. He said where do you take rest. I said I always take rest on the bank of Yamuna. He said oh no, it is January, it is very cold. Then you have no home, you have no proper clothes, no blanket even. He said you stay here tonight it is too cold, I insist you must sleep here tonight. So I said Ghanshyam I sleep on Yamuna every night. He said no no, tonight you must stay here.

Gopijanavallabha, you are His guest, you must sleep nicely. So I laid down on the floor next to him and he came out with this old blanket and put it on top of me. So I was thinking ahhh this is very nice blanket. And then he laid next to me. All he had is just a thin dhoti and little chadar. Not even a pillow. He slept right on the bare floor, he just had a little piece of burlap he wouldput on the floor and he would lay on his arm. And he was trembling cold. I said Ghanshyam this is your blanket. You sleep with your blanket. He said no no, it is not my banket. It is your blanket. He said Gopijanavallabha wants you to have this blanket. You are his friend. I am only his fallen servant. You must accept this blanket. I said no it is your blanket. I will only stay here if you sleep with the blanket. So then he was begging me again, weeping, begging me take the blanket, sleep nicely. He said I am an old useless servant. What difference does it make if I suffer. But you are dear to the Lord, you must enjoy.

This was his mood. He was worshipping the deities for 50, 60 years. And I’m just a new devotee, I just arrived in Vrindavana and understood who Krishna is a couple months before. So finally, he surrendered. I was about to walk out. I said if you don’t take this blanket I am leaving for the Yamuna. He said all right, all right, I will sleep in the blanket. You just lay down. So I lay down and it was cold. Ghanshyam was under this old tattered blanket but it was a little warm. So sometime later I woke up at night, in the middle of the night. And mysteriously I was feeling a little warm. So, I looked over at Ghanshyam and he’s just laying there trembling, trembling like a leaf in the wind. And then I looked at myself and I saw the blanket was on me. While I was sleeping he put the blanket on me.

So very, very quietly I picked up the blanket and I wanted to not wake him. As soon I touched his body with the blanket he just leaped up “NO NEED, NO NEED” I said Ghanshyam you are not even sleeping, you are freezing. He said NO NEED, NO NEED you are Gopijanavallabha’s friend, I am his servant. The duty of the servant is to serve the friend. Gopijanavallabha will never be pleased with me unless I sacrifice my life for the happiness of His guests and His devotees. You must accept this blanket. He said you keep this blanket, you take it with you. I refused. So then we actually, I wasn’t yelling but I said no I’m not going to sleep with this blanket and he was insisting and insisting, then finally I said I am going to the Yamuna. Then he said all right, all right I will sleep with the blanket. So I lay down, he laid down. And I woke up a few minutes later and I was warm. And I looked over there he was suffering, miserably, freezing, trembling and again I tried to really, really secretly put the blanket, as soon as I touched him NO NEED, NO NEED, NO NEED. He said my life is to serve. He said you don’t understand my happiness is to serve, my only function in life is to serve. Whether I suffer or I whether I enjoy means nothing. The only meaning is Gopijanavallabha and Radharani are happy with me. They are happy when I give everything I have to devotees.

He was so sincere. I would not except. At least 5/6 times that night this happened of the switching of blankets. I never came back there at night. In the winter.
Then it started getting warmer, started going there sometimes at night and he was aging. It was so nice, somehow or other he had made this little bed for the deities, have you seen the size of these deities? He would, every night, whenever possible, he would put the deities in the bed and lay Them down and massage Their feet and put a little blanket over Them. And then he would sing for Them for hours while They were sleeping. But because he was getting, he did this for many many years, but in his old age he could not lift the deities and put Them in the bed. So any time I would come at night the would ask me please,please help put Radharani and Gopijanavallabha in Their bed.

I wasn’t initiated at that time. I didn’t even have a spiritual master, what to speak of being a brahmana. But he would have me lift, because the feet are lighter he would take the side of Gopijanavallabha’s feet and I would take His shoulder’s and we would carry Gopijanavallabha into and lay Him into the bed and take Sri Radharani and lay Her in bed. And he was so happy, he would just be crying in joy at Gopijanavallabha and Radharani tonight get to sleep in Their bed again. He would never ask me please come every night and help me. If I happened to come at night he would very humbly appeal, will you put Gopijanavallabha in Their bed. Otherwise he would put Them to rest standing up. And how much he was so happy I could see, it was like the most glorious festival, was like the most glorious feast in his heart to see the deities nicely lying in Their bed to take rest.

One day I said, I came in the morning, I said to Ghanshyam I am going to Varsana. He started to cry. He was so dedicated to those deities. As far as I know, although he was living in Vraja-bhumi since he was 19/18 years old he came, this time he was there about 60 years. As far as I know he had never gone to Varsana. He had never gone to Nanda-ghama, never even seen Govardhana hill. Because he was duty-bound to his deities. He would never leave Them. When I told him I going to Varsana he began to cry. With folded hands he said when you go so Sri-ji mandir please, please tell Sri Radharani Ghanshyam is longing to come there to see Her. But that I cannot come because I am only Her servant. And I cannot leave my service.
Another time I was going to Govardhana hill, I said I am going for Govardhana parikrama. Ghanshyam again began to cry. He said when you see Giriraja, tell Him that Ghanshyam has been worshipping to Him and praying to Him for many years and is longing to see Him. He was seeing Varsana, he was seeing Govardhana, much clearer then so many thousands of pilgrims that walk around on parikrama of these places.
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura taught us do not try to see Krishna, decide to serve Krishna in such a way that He will be pleased to see you. When I heard this statement of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura some time later in remembrance of Ghanshyam came very intimately into my heart. Truly lived by the principles of servant of the servant of the servant.

It was actually in that little closet temple that I was with Ghanshyam and 2/3 other old sadhus that would come to meet him in the mornings. And I had to leave India because my visa had expired. So they gave me 2 suggestions in the presence of Gopijanavallabha. 1 suggestion is if you have to leave India; go to Mithala -Janakpura. It is the Varsana of Rama’s lila. It’s in Nepal so it is out of India. So I went there.
I was in Nepal in for about a month or something, and then my Nepalise visa expired. And I only had a 2-week transit visa in India. Just to go through then I had to depart. So from Pashupatinatha I went to Ayodhya and Prayag, and then I came to Vrindavana. There I spent about 10 days in Vrindavana. My last day I did Govardhana parikrama and then departed. But the day before Govardhana parikrama I visited Ghanshyam baba. And he and a couple others were saying if you have to leave Vrindavana, because I was crying I have to leave Vrindavana. They said if you have to leave Vrindavana you should go to New Vrindavana. I asked what is this New Vrindavana? They said Swami Prabhupada, when he was here in Vrindavana, because I had already accepted Prabhupada as my guru by that time in Vrindavana.

They said your guru-maharaja Swami Prabhupada, he was telling us that he has created a Vrindavana in America called New Vrindavana. And he told us that it is non-different then from Vrindavana. So you should go there, that way you will never leave Vrindavana until you can come back. And he even told, he said you should be pujari when you go there.

So I had to leave and I went to Amsterdam. That was the first ISKCON temple I ever saw. I would live with Prabhupada when he came to Vrindavana. I was with Prabhupada in Bombay for sometime before. When I never saw an ISKCON temple and the whole expect for 10 days when Prabhupada was doing parikrama around Vrindavana there was never any ISKCON devotees here.

So then I went to the temple of London, Bury place ; stayed for some time. And then I visited my parents because they were severely heart-broken by my spirit of attempted renunciation. So I visited them for some time then I got the news that Prabhupada was coming to New York. So immediately I went and hitchhiked to New York. And I was with Prabhupada for about a week there. And the day he was leaving there was an announcement that Prabhupada is coming to New Vrindavana. And he is going to give a 7-day lecture series on Srimad Bhagavatam and it is going to be called the Bhagavat-dharma discourse. And he is going to celebrate Janmastami there and Vyasa-puja and we need people to help prepare for the festival because devotees from all over the country are going to be coming so whoever can come, please come and help to serve Prabhupada there and be there for his festival. So when I heard that I was thinking in Gopijanavallabha temple I was told that I should go to New Vrindavana and Prabhupada is going to be there. So I went to New Vrindavana. And my intention was only one thing – just to stay there till 6 months expired then I can get a visa to come back to Vrindavana India. That was my only intention. But when Prabhupada came and I heard him preach I realised that we really see Vrindavana through serving the spiritual master. Through the Supreme Lord. As long as we have any selfishness in our heart. Narottama Dasa Thakura (says)- as long as we have any material desire in out hearts we can’t really see what is Vrindavana.
So by Prabhupada’s mercy he inspired me that you should just surrender to your service, where you are. You are here now to surrender to your service. Surrender to serving in helping in my mission. So I was in charge of milking cows and doing some other simple work. Then the pujari, the brahmacari in asharam got married. That happens sometimes. I was such a simple new devotee. I was thinking how is it possible, he’s serving Radha-Vrindavananatha. He is a personal, he is bathing Radha-Vrindavanatha, he is dressing Them, he’s feeding Them, why in the world would anyone who had such a wonderful service would want to get married. Inconceivable!! So I went to that devotee I said if you want female association come and help me milk cows. It’s the safest way to associate to with the opposite sex. Somehow or other he didn’t accept my advice. So he got married.

Then the temple president said you should be the pujari. I said who is going to take care of the cows? He said you, you do both. So I was pujari for Radha-Vrindavananatha. I remember one day I was putting the dress on Srimati Radharani something wonderful happened, I remembered then Ghanshyam baba told me I should be the pujari at New Vrindavana. So for 11 years I was not allowed to come to India. Because in those days devotees were really in a sense of surrender and they were very duty-bound in the way they rendered their service. We would never ever, ever act outside authority or blessings. So for 11 years I remained there worshipping the deities. And after I was given sannayas, actually I did not want to take sannayas. But the leader of New Vrindavana Kirtananda Maharaja he would. I would just always be talking about Vrindavana, because in those days nobody had ever been to India but a few devotees.
When I was in London in Bury place, I had this old thin, it was one of those wolf grey chadars, was really an old one. Some sadhu wore it for years and gave it me. And I had it on when I was in London and the devotees in Bury place were gathering around me, they said that’s just like Prabhupada’s chadar. They had never seen a chadar except on Srila Prabhupada. And me, they said where did you get that, its just like Prabhupada’s chadar, we have never seen anything, its so. I said a sadhu gave it to me in Vrindavana. VRINDAVANA!, you have been to Vrindavana! People would be very interested to know what is Vrindavana. We would read about it Krishna book, but what is it like today.

So when I came to New Vrindavana only the leader had been to Vrindavana. Nobody else had ever been. So everyone would want to know about Vrindavana and after I would tell everyone, everyone wanted to go. Kirtananda Maharaja made a rule that I was not allowed to speak about Vrindavana. That rule was very very difficult to follow. Sometimes devotees would come way up to that old mountain farmhouse where the temple was of Radha-Vrindavanatha and it would be just me and them looking after the offerings and the aratis. In between they would say tell me about Vrindavana. And I would start telling them about the places of Govardhana and the places of Vrindavana and the places of Nanda-ghama, Varsana. I’d start telling them about Vraja-vasi’s and start telling them about different sadhus I would know there. Telling them about my meetings with Prabhupada there. And then they’d start telling everybody. And the temple president would say, because I was a brahmacari, he’d say Radhanatha is in maya.
He wakes up at 1 in the morning and chants rounds and works all day, why is he in maya? Because he is talking about Vrindavana. Then he’d come all the way up, I told you not to talk about Vrindavana, you are agitating the community.
One day he said Prabhupada said New Vrindavana is non-different then Vrindavana so you just talk about New Vrindavana. So he was trying to convince me, he would say I will never, ever in your life let you go back to Vrindavana because I know if you go you will never come back. So he was trying to convince me to take sanyassa in 1982. And I was refusing refusing, he was pushing, and pressurising, and he had the whole community, he preached to whole community to not give me any peace of mind till I took sannyasa. So everyone would be harassing me.

So finally he said to me you take sannyasa I will let you visit Vrindavana. But I still refused. Finally, it was too much, I had to surrender, and after I surrendered I decided I want to be unconditional so I knew I had to do it anyway I said but I still get to go to Vrindavana. So 11 years later 1983 I returned to Vrindavana. First time. I remember I came to Gaura-purnima, first time I ever went to Gaura-purnima in Mayapura 1983. Because when I was living in India, so then I took a train from Calcata to Delhi and I took the Taj express to Mathura and I decided to go according to my old tradition. I went to Visvam-ghata, took bath and walked along the Yamuna from Mathura to Vrindavana. But things really changed at that time, there was a lot obstructions in that water if you tried to do it today. So I came to Vrindavana. And I’ll never forget, this is 11 years later, you know at Radha-Vallabha temple there is the old temple, there is the new temple where the deities were. Well that old temple is very close to Ghanshyam baba’s house.

So I came and I happened to see Ghanshyam sitting on the steps outside the old temple. And now he was 11 years older, he was in his late 80’s or 90’s, I don’t know. And he looked at me. When I lived in Vrindavana, I wore this simple white lungi, that was kind of torn up and I had a little chadar and I had long dredded hair and I never shaved because I was young, it didn’t make that much difference that I never shave. And now here I am a Sannyasi, with a danda, with shaved head. So he was looking at me and he was old, he was just looking at me.

Because one great sadhu living in Vrindavana had given me a name when I was little, the name Ratin-Krishna dasa. I never got initiated but he gave it out of affection. So Ghanshyam always called me Ratin. That means Krishna the chariot driver of Arjuna.
So he looked at me and he was just looking and I bowed down, and I got up, and he was just. And then he said, like a father to a long lost son – Ratiiiiin!
Then he started to weep, started to cry. He embraced me. And he said Radha-Gopijanavallabha has been waiting for so long to see you. And he took me by the hand and took me to that same little hallway where the closet was. And he started; he started taking off the jewellery of the deities and giving it to me. Saying Radharani wants you to have this. He’s giving me rotis. And I came that night from Krishna-Balarama temple, secretly. I left Krishna-Balarama temple that night to help him put Radha-Gopijanavallabha into the bed, 11 years later. I even brought a couple godbrothers to the temple, he was just taking off, giving them whatever he could give them, he would give them, bow down to each Vaisnava.

Then the next time I came, I came to the door and I walked in. I walked into that little temple there was no Gopijanavallabha, there was no Ghanshyam. So I asked the family members – Ghanshyam, Ghanshyam. And the person, with tears in their eyes, smiling said Goloka.

He was so old but he knew that if he were to die, there’d be no one to take care of the deities. Because that family had nothing to do with the deity worship, they were just working people and like that. So even though, he was really aged then in poor health, he just lived to take care of the deities. From my understanding, because for many years I was asking people, where is Gopijanavallabha. Nobody knew, even that family didn’t know. Then I met one very dear brother and friend named Asika-Krishna dasa Prabhu. Who during the time I lived in Vrindavana he would often, we would go to see Ghanshyam baba. And he told me, what he told was this – that Ghanshyam baba was just living because there was no one else to do the seva of the deities. But then one trust built this temple, but they had no deity, so they were looking for a deity to put in the temple. So someone told them, there is this beautiful self-manifesting deity just in the closet. So they asked him, and he was so happy. After 60 years in this closet Gopijanavallabha, maybe 70 years in this closet, Gopijanavallabha will finally have a temple. So he came here when the temple was built and he was, somebody else’s temple, somebody else’s trust but he was just the pujari.
And very very soon after, because the trust would supply another pujari. As soon as he saw that Gopijanavallabha had a house and he trained some other pujari, someone to take care of Them. As soon as he saw the deity seva taken care of nicely he gave up his body. A young person will serve the deity better then me.
So he had no reason to remain in this world.

When we read about qualities of selfless service, when we read about the principle of servant of the servant of the servant, when we contemplate actual humility of the heart, Sri Gopijanavallabha empowered him to be a very wonderful wonderful example of that. But only a few people in the whole world ever saw him or knew him. He was just totally an unknown person. But his life and soul is the prayer where the people would just come to see the deities. Probably no more than 6/7 different people a month would come to see his deities. But anybody who came would be the joy of his life. To serve Gopijanavallabha’s friend, his special invited guest. So I think today Ghanshyam baba is very happy. That all of you have come to see the beautiful forms of his beloved Lord. And what a mystery life is that at the time I was just an insignificant little beggar sleeping on bank of Yamuna. And I been given the wonderful fortune of now bringing, helping to bring a 1000 devotees for the darshan of Gopijanavallabha.

Our beloved Srila Prabhupada was truly the embodiment of selfless service.
Srila Prabhupada left Vrindavana, he left his beloved Radha-Damodara. He suffered heart attacks, strokes, sea-sickness, persecution to give us Krishna. Srila Prabhupada told us that he saw us as the representatives of his guru-maharaja.

And he how served and gave his life to give us Krishna. It is by Srila Prabhupada’s selfless compassion that my insignificant self has been spiritually sustained and nourished to whatever extent there is year after year. It is by his selfless service attitude based on pure love that is sustaining all our spiritual lives. And actually it’s Srila Prabhupada, his act of such humble devotion even to wretched materialistic people that has brought all of us to Vrindavana. It is actually Srila Prabhupada who has fulfilled the spiritual desires of millions of people throughout the world. And even it is Srila Prabhupada who has actually fulfilled Ghanshyam baba’s great desire. The 1000’s of sincere souls will come to take the blessings of his beloved Lord.

So we should know with great faith and conviction that His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the ultimate manifestation of the highest teachings of Vaishnava scriptures. He has given us everything, he has given us everything. He has given us the complete, unadulterated mercy of the parampara. And what does he stress, he puts such great great emphasis on the spirit of service. Throughout his lectures, throughout his books and manifested by his life how much emphasis he has put on developing a proper service attitude.

What is a service attitude?

Service doesn’t simply mean doing something for someone else. That is a very superficial understanding. But real service is selfless, unconditional, uninterrupted by various obstacles that come in our path. Ghanshyam baba longed to visit Varsana, Govardhana, Mahavana. But there was no consideration because his service was to his Lord. Srila Prabhupada could have been living here in Vrindavana, probably would have lived to over a 100 years old. But he sacrificed his health, he sacrificed the peace of mind of the holy dhama. He sacrificed everything. Selfless to give you the opportunity to love Krishna.

Prabhupada taught us this principle, to live by this principle. It is the principle we read on every page of Caitanya-caritarmta – unconditional selfless service. It is the principle that is broadcasted throughout the entire Srimad-Bhagavatam, from the first verse to the last – unconditional devotional service without ego.
What is the pleasure of the Lord, what is the pleasure of His devotees? What is my duty to Him? Prabhupada notes the will of the Lord comes through Guru, Sadhu and Sastra. His guru told him to spread the holy names all over the world.
It became his life and soul. Doesn’t matter what obstacles, what inconveniencies. Doesn’t matter whether it brings life or death. Because he had that selfless humble attitude of service; all of us have been saved. The doors to the spiritual world of Goloka have been opened to billions and billions and billions of people.
trnad api su-nicena taror iva sahisnuna amanina mana-dena kirtaniya sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31] Caitanya Mahaprabhu told us to string this verse of the thread of the holy name and to wear it always. It is our life, we can evaluate how we are successful by how we are pleasing Krishna. We can evaluate how we are pleasing Krishna by studying our hearts, our intentions, our words and actions. In relationship to this teaching.
trnad api su-nicena taror iva sahisnuna amanina mana-dena kirtaniya sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31] Be humble like the straw in the street, tolerant like trees, ready to offer all respect to others and expect none in return. If we live by this verse then we can actually follow Prabhupada’s teachings. And broadcast the glories of the holy name always.

Today is the last day of our yatra. This is the last meeting we will all have together. The purpose of this yatra is not sight-seeing, not just to come to a holy place and get sick become purified from that. The purpose of this yatra is to inspire us to dedicate our lives and soul with the selfless service attitude. To serving Srila Prabhupada and his mission. Because he has given us his life and his life’s contribution to the parampara was a society he created. If we are not grateful to him for saving us will Krishna be pleased with us.

However knowledgeable you may become in various high topics. Will Krishna be pleased with if we are not grateful to his pure servant who sacrificed his life to take us out of the ignorance of kali and give us the path of perfection? So let us pray here, with very sincere hearts, that through this wonderful yatra, we have participated in over the last 15 days will bring us a much deeper sense of dedication, humility, to really do that we possibly can to Prabhupada and his mission of pure compassion. And follow his teachings to humbly serve the Vaisnavas, give his compassion to the suffering conditional souls. By reading his books, by speaking from his books, distributing his books. By helping in what other way and ultimately we can pray that we can sincerely, whole heartedly, understand the importance of chanting the holy names and making it the first priority in our lives.

The more love we have the more love we can give. That love comes when we gratefully serve those who has given us so much. And we could really reciprocate with Srila Prabhupada by taking shelter of the holy name because that is the ultimate gift that he has given us. Prabhupada wanted us to remain united, to cooperate with each other in spreading the glories of chanting the holy names:
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

I wish to thank all of you very much for your outstanding service to the Vaisnava community during Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance festival. It was, it was a feast for my heart to see all of you serving so nicely. What a great benediction that was to have the opportunity to perform the sacred service of giving prasad to Srila Prabhupada’s followers from all over the world in honour of Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance festival. I think some causeless mercy has descended upon us. I think because all of you are very very sincere in your efforts, Srila Prabhupada has rewarded by giving you the chance to serve his devotees. We must be convinced, not only theoretically but practically that happiness is never an acquired, the illusory mirages of this world, real happiness can only come through service, through giving.

Thakura Bhaktivinode said – the sufferings and miseries I endure in my service to Krishna are the source of my greatest joy.
Getting prestige, popularity, followers, getting money, beautiful family, nice home, good health, these things give a very temporary superficial external sense of happiness or pleasure. But in service even if none of those things we just stated are there, in service we gain actual inner satisfaction.
Let me ask of, were you happy in seeing how blissful the devotees were getting served prasad? – HARIBOL
Who do you think was getting more inner joy – those being served and eating or those for fasting so long rendering service – huh? Would you have been happier sitting there eating?
This is Prabhupada’s mercy. This is really Srila Prabhupada and Sri Radha’s mercy, that we can understand this principle practically. That our real happiness is in sacrifice of service. And the more that service is unconditional and selfless the more it is a service of love, of pure love. It is that pure love of Krishna that every soul is longing for. And nothing can replace it. We must long for that love. But we have no qualification, we are so far away from the standard of unconditional love. But if we serve sincerely, with humility, and we desperately, desperately, desperately trying to chant the holy names properly then Krishna will see out efforts.
That little sparrow trying to dry up the ocean and Krishna sees if we are sincere and determined with the right purpose He will bestow that love upon us through the mercy of guru and Vaisnavas. Actually your service to the devotees during Prabhupada’s festival will perhaps give faith and happiness to people all over the world, even those who are thousand’s of miles away when they hear about it. It is preaching.

If we become proud we have served nicely then that pride neutralises the effect of the great benediction we received. But if we feel ourselves unqualified but grateful, grateful for the causeless mercy that I was allowed to serve amongst other Vaishnavas, soon Krishna will bestow the prime benediction of pure love within our hearts.

So I know all of you worked very hard to do this and on behalf of Srila Prabhupada, and behalf of all the leaders of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and all the devotees who have given their lives, I very gratefully thank all of you very much. Let this be a lesson of what is of real value to the heart.
I’d like to also thank all of you for your incredible enthusiasm throughout this festival. Many of you have gotten sick, physically, and of course many thorns in your feet, much dust in your lungs. But still I didn’t hear anyone complaining, everyone is just trying to get purified, trying to help all the other devotees to be happy in Vrindavana. And especially thank you for tolerating me. I honestly and sincerely do not know how you do it or why you do it but you do it.

That is some special magic of Srila Prabhupada, that he can somehow or other see his eternal resplendent divine mercy through a little piece like me, that is his inconceivable power. So I thank all of you very very much and pray that when you return to your homes and bring the real spirit of Vrindavana – selfless service and the longing for complete attachment to Sri Sri Radha-Gopinatha. And complete determination to glorify Them by hearing and chanting Their holy names.

I want to especially offer my gratitude to Malati devi mataji. She’s so humble, I’ve learnt so much, she’s one of the senior most disciples of Srila Prabhupada on the entire planet. She’s one of the few people who had accessive personal direct service to Srila Prabhupada and some of the most intimate surroundings of Srila Prabhupada’s mission. She’s fearless, she’s absolutely determined, despite inconceivable health problems, she just never gives up, never complains and never wants any credit, just happy to be amongst the devotees. My deep deep gratitude to Malati mataji for all she’s done and all she’s doing for Srila Prabhupada and all of us. And to Rasalila mataji who has performed very difficult service maintaining a marriage in the western world in the age of kali for so many years. This is very very outstanding preaching. And in the process to raise a child – Gaurangakishor Prabhu. Raise a child who loves Krishna, loves to preach about Krishna. Good fruits come from good trees. Thank you mataji.
And to Nartaki mataji, is she here? Such a humble devotee and how much she, she really has deep deep attachment to Krishna. To hearing about Krishna, to speaking about Krishna, to being with devotees of Krishna. She has truly been blessed deeply in her heart by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy.
During this yatra we had many wonderful souls come and join us speak to us. Amongst them the shining jewel of all Vraja-vasis has come to be with us today – Dinabandhu Prabhu – HARIBOL, HARIBOL, HARIBOL!
What would be Vrindavana yatra without Dinabandhu Prabhu! His spontaneous devotion, his enthusiasm to preach the glories of Vrindavana-dhama, with his incredible knowledge and realisations, always a profound inspiration for us.
Same time he is very much involved performing great sacrifices in Prabupada’s service for making Vrindavana temple for what Prabhupada wants it to be. So my gratitude to you Dinabandu Prabhu. I learnt so much from you. I hope you are all happy.

Devotees: HARIBOL, HARIBOL, HARIBOL!

If you are happy then my insignificant life has served some noble purpose. So I am grateful that you have given me that. Srila Prabhupada ki’ jaya!

A Radhastami Song Video Release

The Cowgirls’ Song of Separation

The Most Beautiful Song, By The Most Beautiful Girls Ever

By Sahadeva dasa

On the auspicious occasion of Radhastami, we are pleased to release a video rendition of Gopi Gita from Srimad Bhagavatam. These verses are found in the 31st Chapter of the 10th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. These famous prayers were sung by the Gopis when Krishna suddenly disappeared from their company and they were searching for Him everywhere. This is one of the finest poetry ever composed. Srimad Bhagavatam is ‘Grantharaja’, the king of all the scriptures and this poetry is one of its crest jewels.

This transcendental sound doesn’t wait for one’s understanding but directly enters the heart and imbues it with the love of Krishna. Srila Prabhupada says,

“The prayers of Narottama dasa Thakura, this sound is above the material platform. It is directly from the spiritual platform. And there is no need of understanding the language. It is just like a thunderburst. Everyone can hear the sound of thunder-there is no misunderstanding. Similarly, these songs are above the material platform, and they crack like thunder within your heart.” (VedaBase, SPL 30: London: A Dream Fulfilled)

Srila Ramananda Raya says, “What is the use of a bowman’s arrow or a poet’s poetry if they penetrate the heart but do not cause the head to spin?’ (CC, Antya 1.196)

Gopi Gita is one such poetry.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would regularly hear it. When King Prataprudra was denied audience, he went in disguise and recited these verses while Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was taking rest in the Jagannatha-vallabha garden during the Ratha yatra festival. He took the Lord’s lotus feet in his hands and began to massage them very gently. As he did so, he recited these verses. When the Lord heard the word ‘tava kathamrtam’, He rose in ecstatic love and embraced him.

In an overcommunicated world where text messages, email and facebook demand our constant attention, we should take care not to miss these valuable jewels in this human form of life.

Srila Prabhupada advises, “Now Gajendra was in danger, and although he was in a body other than that of a human being, he remembered the stotra he had chanted in his previous life. Yatate ca tato bhuyah samsiddhau kuru-nandana. To enable one to achieve perfection, Krsna gives one the chance to remember Him again. This is proved here, for although the King of the elephants, Gajendra, was put in danger, this was a chance for him to remember his previous devotional activities so that he could immediately be rescued by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

“It is imperative, therefore, that all devotees in Krsna consciousness practice chanting some mantra. Certainly one should chant the Hare Krsna mantra, which is the maha-mantra, or great mantra, and also one should practice chanting cintamani-prakara-sadmasu or the Nrsimha stotra (ito nrsimhah parato nrsimho yato yato yami tato nrsimhah). Every devotee should practice in order to chant some mantra perfectly so that even though he may be imperfect in spiritual consciousness in this life, in his next life he will not forget Krsna consciousness, even if he becomes an animal.” (SB 8.3.1)

It is rather easy to memorize these Sanskrit verses when they are in a song format, set to a melodious tune.

Dr. Sahadeva dasa

Rādhāṣṭamī

Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s Appearance Day

For the occasion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s appearance day we present a wonderful lecture titled “Rādhā-Prema Makes Kṛṣṇa Mad”, given by Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Swami Mahārāja on 19th March 1992 in Bhubaneswar, India.

Rādhā-Prema Makes Kṛṣṇa Mad

“The love of Rādhikā is My teacher, and I am Her dancing pupil. Her prema makes Me dance various novel dances.”(Cc, Ādi-līlā 4.121-124)

“You will find three topics in rādhā-prema. First is, rādhā-prema makes Kṛṣṇa mad. Rādhā-prema is so powerful that it makes Kṛṣṇa, who is almighty and all-powerful, mad. Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, almighty and omnipotent, yet He becomes mad for rādhā-prema. So rādhā-prema is greater than Him.

Number two is that the pleasure and happiness derived from relishing the mellow of that love, rādhā-prema, is unknown to Kṛṣṇa. It is unknown to Him who is all-knowing. Therefore rādhā-prema is greater.

The third and last point is that there is a combination of two opposites in rādhā-prema. One after another we will discuss these three topics.”

To listen to this lecture click the arrow below:

As an offering to our most beloved Sri Guru, Tattva Vicara Publications has published this lecture as a booklet. To order your FREE copy of this booklet (postage applies) please contact us at  info@tvpbooks.com

To read this booklet click on the booklet below:

By Sri Giridhari das

Maraimalai Nagar is a small town located at the outskirts of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, South India.

Our Janmastami was a grand success event. For the first time, we had a long program starting from 5 pm extended up to the mid-night. Prior to the program, we had erected a huge pandal for easy distribution of prasadam. The program was well advertised throughout the area through banners, pamplets, and announcements. The entrance as well as the program hall (the school auditorium) was nicely decorated with flowers, banana trees, coconut leaves etc. We had depicted Krsna lila in chronological order through our attractive paintings. Also, we had displays showing ISKCON activities and the main preaching points.

People started to come in big groups from the evening. Four varieties of Prasadam (all cooked by our own devotees) was served to all the visitors from the very beginning of the program. We had a minimum of 2,500 visitors for the festival (last year we had about 1,500). A drama titled “Mrgari” was staged by our own devotees which had a lot of applause. We had two lectures, one in the evening during the peak hour and the other in late evening. We had nearly 150 devotees for the abhisekam done at mid-night for Sri Sri Gaura-nitai (deities of one of our congregational members). Later everyone took anukalpa prasadam.

Books were nicely organized and the distribution was also quite good.

The next day Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa puja festival was also done in the same auditorium with nearly 200 people in attendance.

Over all, the festivals were enlivening.

(Excerpt from Mysteries of the Ancient Vedic Empire by Stephen Knapp, Sri Nandanandana dasa)

First of all, why should we consider that Ancient India was so important? What did it have to offer anyone? And what did others have to say about Vedic India? And what difference does it make if it did spread over such a wide area and into so many different countries? And even if it did, why would this make a difference today?
If we have not studied the ancient Vedic culture, then there may be more about it that we should understand. After all, it is still the oldest living indigenous culture on the planet. It is not dead yet, and never will be. That alone says something of its universal nature. And if we have studied it, then we should review some of the impressions that India made in the minds of other people to better understand its importance.

THE WIDE INFLUENCE OF VEDIC INDIA

First of all, as explained in The Ancient World by John Haywood, “India is the birthplace of two of the world’s great religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. Today, nearly half the world’s population live in countries whose cultural development has been influenced by one or both of these religions. Apart from India itself, these countries include China, Tibet, Nepal, Japan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Indonesia. The influence of ancient India was not just limited to its religions. Indian mathematicians were the first in the Old World to discover the mathematical value of zero, and gave the world quadratic equations and the now universally used system of ‘Arabic’ numerals. The alphabets of Tibet, Mongolia and all of the Southeast Asian languages are of Indian origin. Yet despite their wide-ranging influence, the early civilizations of the Indian subcontinent are the least well known of any of the ancient civilizations.” 1

Let me add that how the influence of the Vedic culture of ancient India, Bharatvarsha, spread throughout the world is also hardly understood. This is why I have put together the present volume. And, as mentioned above, the advancements that were developed within and spread outside of India is also rarely recognized, which is why I have explained these ancient advancements, many of which the world now takes for granted, in my book Advancements of Ancient India’s Vedic Culture.

Many others also had complimentary things to say about the importance of India and its Vedic traditions, such as Mark Twain: “Let us remember,… That India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit, the mother of Europe’s languages; that she was the mother of our philosophy, mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics, mother, through Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity, mother, through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all.” 2

Mark Twain went on to say: “This is India! Cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition, whose yesterdays bear date with the moldering antiquities of the rest of the nations,… one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the globe combined. India had the start of the whole world in the beginning of things. She had the first civilization; she had the first accumulation of material wealth; she was populous with deep thinkers and subtle intellects. India is the prime source of human development.” 3

William H Gilbert said in his Peoples of India: “In the history of human culture, the contribution of the Indian people in all fields has been of the greatest importance. From India we are said to have derived domestic poultry, shellac, lemons, cotton, jute, rice, sugar, indigo, the buffalo, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, sugar-cane, the games of chess, pachisi, and polo, the zero concept, the decimal system, the basis of certain philological concepts, a wealth of fables with moral import, an astonishing variety of artistic products, and innumerable ideas of philosophy and religion such as asceticism and monasticism.”

In this same regard, Rabindranatha Tagore also related, “I cannot but bring to your mind those days when the whole of Eastern Asia, from Burma to Japan was united with India in the closest ties of friendship.”

A. L. Basham also felt that India was extremely important, as he says in his Cultural History of India: “There are four main cradles of civilization, from which elements of culture have spread to other parts of the world. These are, moving from east to west, China, the Indian subcontinent, the ‘Fertile Crescent’, and the Mediterranean, especially Greece and Italy. Of these four areas, India deserves a larger share of the credit than she is usually given, because, on a minimum assessment, she has deeply affected the religious life of most of Asia, as well as extending her influence, directly or indirectly, to other parts of the world.”

Pierre Sonnerat also explained, “We find among the Indians the vestiges of the most remote antiquity… We know that all peoples came there to draw the elements of their knowledge… India, in her splendour, gave religions and laws to all the other peoples; Egypt and Greece owed to her both their fables and their wisdom.” 4

The German historian and novelist Friedrich Schlegel saw in Sanskrit the “original language,” or what is now called the Proto-Indo-European language, and declared in 1803 that, “Everything without exception is of Indian origin… ” 5
Also, “Whether directly or indirectly, all nations are originally nothing but Indian colonies… The oriental antiquity could, if we consented to deepen it, bring us back more safely towards the divine.” 6

Regardless of how much various religions in the past or even today have tried to wipe out or minimize the advanced nature of Vedic culture, they still could not do that, as explained as follows by Higgins: “The peninsula of India would be one of the first peopled countries, and its inhabitants would have all the habits of the progenitors of man before the flood in as much perfection or more than any other nation… In short, whatever learning man possessed before his dispersion may be expected to be found here, and of this, Hindustan affords innumerable traces… notwithstanding … the fruitless efforts of our priests to disguise it.” 7

Even Vedic culture’s deep spirituality is found to be the underlying basis of other religions, as explained by Maurice Maeterlinck: “Thanks to the labors of a science which is comparatively recent, and more especially to the researches of the students of Hindu and Egyptian antiquities, it is very much easier today than it was not so long ago to discover the source, to ascend the course and unravel the underground network of that great mysterious river which since the beginning of history has been flowing beneath all the religions, all the faiths, and all the philosophies: in a word, beneath all the visible and everyday manifestations of human thought. It is now hardly to be contested that this source is to be found in ancient India. Thence in all probability the sacred teaching spread into Egypt, found its way to ancient Persia and Chaldea, permeated the Hebrew race, and crept into Greece and the north of Europe, finally reaching China and even America.” 8

Professor James Traub, in India–The Challenge of Change, goes on to say: “Five thousand years ago, civilization of India was age-old. This civilization should be much older with many millennia of human endeavor behind it. Five thousand years ago, when the peoples of Europe were hauling stones across the face of the continent and grubbing out a meager existence, Indians throughout what is now western and southern Pakistan and Punjab, and even farther to the East, were living in elaborately designed cities, with sturdy houses, broad, straight roads, public baths, and drainage systems that were hardly equaled until the Roman era three thousand years later…. But five thousand years ago, according to archeologist John Marshal, the Indus Valley civilization was already age-old and stereotyped on Indian soil, with many millennia of human endeavor behind it. Usually we think of Mesopotamia as the cradle of civilization, but evidence suggests that the society of northwestern India, which has preserved its essential spirit over countless generations, deserve equal billing.”

Not only was the Vedic Indian influence recognized to the west of India, but also far to the east, as explained by Rene Grousset in Farther India and the Malay Archipelago (Volume II): “In the high plateau of eastern Iran, in the oases of Serindia, in the arid wastes of Tibet, Mongolia, and Manchuria, in the ancient civilized lands of China and Japan, in the lands of the primitive Mons and Khmers and other tribes of India-China, in the countries of the Malaya-Polynesians, in Indonesia and Malay, India left the indelible impress of her high culture, not only upon religion, but also upon art, and literature, in a word, all the higher things of spirit… There is an obstinate prejudice thanks to which India is constantly represented as having lived, as it were, hermetically sealed up in its age-old civilization, apart from the rest of Asia. Nothing could be more exaggerated. During the first eight centuries of our era, so far as religion and art are concerned, central Asia was a sort of Indian colony. It is often forgotten that in the early Middle Ages there existed a ‘Greater India,’ a vast Indian empire. A man coming from the Ganges or the Deccan to Southeast Asia felt as much at home there as in his own native land. In those days the Indian Ocean really deserved its name.”

Will Durant in his Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage, goes on to say, “It is true that even across the Himalayan barrier India has sent to us such questionable gifts as grammar and logic, philosophy and fables, hypnotism and chess, and above all, our numerals and our decimal system. But these are not the essence of her spirit; they are trifles compared to what we may learn from her in the future. As invention, industry and trade bind the continents together, or as they fling us into conflict with Asia, we shall study its civilization more closely, and shall absorb, even in enmity, some of its ways and thoughts. Perhaps, in return for conquest, arrogance and spoliation, India will teach us the tolerance and gentleness of the mature mind, the quiet content of the unacquisitive soul, the calm of the understanding spirit and a unifying, pacifying love for all living things.”

However, that may depend on how much the people of India retain their culture. Otherwise, the more Westernized they become in their thinking and values, the more the above statement may be called into question. Nonetheless, to remain aware of its possibilities, we should not forget the well-known and glowing words that Max Muller had for India and its culture: “If I were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty that nature can bestow–in some parts a very paradise on earth–I should point to India. If I were asked under what sky the human mind most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions of some of them which well deserve the attention even of those who have studied Plato and Kant, I should point to India. If I were to ask myself from what literature we, here in Europe, may draw the corrective which is most wanted in order to make our inner life more perfect, more universal, in fact more truly human, again I should point to India.” 9

Lord Curzon, while Viceroy of India, in his address at the Great Delhi Durbar in 1901, expressed, “Powerful empires existed and flourished here (in India) while Englishmen were still wandering, painted, in the woods, and while the British Colonies were still a wilderness and a jungle. India has left a deeper mark upon the history, the philosophy, and the religion of mankind, than any other terrestrial unit in the universe.”
From a more political perspective, Lord Curzon, before he went to India as a Viceroy, two or three times emphasized the importance of India to the British Empire when he said: “India was the pivot of our Empire. If this Empire lost any other part of its dominion we could survive, but if we lost India, the sun of our Empire would be set.” (Times, 3/12/1898)

Lord Roberts, after retiring for good from India, also said a similar statement to the London Chamber of Commerce: “I rejoice to learn that you recognize how indissolubly the prosperity of the United Kingdom is bound with the retention of that vast Eastern Empire.” (Times, 25/5/1893)
“That retention of our Eastern Empire is essential to the greatness and prosperity of the United Kingdom.” (Times, 29/7/1893)
“However efficient and well-equipped the army of India may be, were it indeed absolute perfection, and were its numbers considerably more than they are at present, our greatest strength must ever rest on the firm base of a united and contented India.” 10

In this way, the Vedic empire was a different kind of empire and showed its influence by its qualities and beneficial nature to one and all, rather than by power and military dominance. In A History of India by Kulke and Rothermund (1986, p.152), they explain how the influence of ancient India traveled over many lands: “The transmission of Indian culture to distant parts of Central Asia, China, Japan, and especially Southeast Asia is certainly one of the greatest achievements of Indian history or even the history of mankind. None of the other great civilizations–not even Hellenic–had been able to achieve a similar success without military conquest.”

The attractive nature of the Vedic Aryan Culture is explained more completely by David Frawley: “In the beginning there was one culture–that of the Spirit–and one language–that of Truth. This culture was outwardly one of worship and inwardly one of meditation. The language was one of mantra and communication was from the heart. The outer life was simple. There were small cities and villages, mainly along the rivers. Agriculture was practiced with the use of domesticated animals. Boats and wagons were used for travel. The emphasis was on the inner life and the outer life was not considered important, nor was there any great effort or need to improve it. Nature was abundant. This culture did not come from the outside but came from within and was guided by the sages, who generally lived in retreat in the mountains, who visited the peoples periodically and gave them instruction. From it later cultures diversified, along with divisions of language and religion, as we gradually fell from truth and our connection to the Divine to pursue outward and sensate values.” 11

Some additional information of the peaceful and developed ways of the Harappan culture is described by Michel Danino in his book, The Invasion that Never Was. “Dancing, painting, sculpture and music (there is evidence of drums and stringed instruments) were part of Harappan culture. Probably drama and puppet shows too, as a number of masks were found. The Harappans may also have been the inventors of the game of chess, of which one terracotta set was found at Lothal. Other kinds of gaming board and pieces have come up at many sites, as well as cubical dice identical to those used today. Children do not seem to have been neglected, judging from the exquisite care with which craftsmen fashioned toy oxcarts and figurines, spinning tops, marbles, rattles and whistles. And they could also amuse themselves with pet dogs and monkeys, pet squirrels and birds, too.

“Naturally, with hundreds of rural settlements, agriculture was practiced on a wide scale, the result of a long tradition going back four millennia. There is evidence of networks of canals for irrigation, of carefully shaped ploughs and ingenious tilling methods: at Kalibangan, for instance, excavations revealed a field ploughed with two perpendicular networks of furrows, in which higher crops (such as mustard) were grown in spaced-out north-south furrows, thus casting shorter shadows, while shorter crops (such as gram) filled contiguous east-west furrows. In the Indus valley, wheat, barley, pulses, a number of vegetables, and cotton were some of the common crops, and were planted following the two-season pattern still in use today (rabi or winter, kharif or summer); in Gujarat, rice and various millets were grown, too.” 12

THE SPIRITUAL ASPECT–STILL ATTRACTIVE TODAY

One of the major factors of the Vedic society was their spiritual orientation, which many people seek out even today. Max Muller mentioned this in one of his books: “I wish to point out that there was another sphere of intellectual activity in which the Hindus excelled–the meditative and transcendent–and that here we might learn from them some lessons of life which we ourselves are but too apt to ignore or to despise.”13

It was the Vedic philosophy that charmed and attracted people. As the Britisher Sir Charles Elliot explains, more than military or economic power, Vedic India spread into the hearts of people because of her way of thinking, and through that process spread over the globe. “Scant justice is done to India’s position in the world by those European histories which recount the exploits of her invader and leave the impression that her own people were a feeble dreamy fold, sundered from the rest of mankind by their seas and mountain frontiers. Such a picture takes no account of the intellectual conquests of the Hindus. Even their political conquests were not contemptible, and are remarkable for the distance, if not the extent, of the territories occupied… But such military or commercial invasions are insignificant compared with the spread of Indian thought.”

Sir William Jones (1746-94) once said about his admiration for India: “I am in love with Gopia, charmed by Crishen (Krishna), an enthusiastic admirer of Ram and a devout adorer of Brihma (Brahma), Bishen (Vishnu), Mahisher (Maheshwara); not to mention that Judishteir, Arjen, Corno (Yudhishtira, Arjun and Karna) and the other warriors of the Mahabharata appear greater in my eyes than Agamemnon, Ajax and Achilles appeared when I first read the Iliad.” 14

Arthur Schopenhauer, the German scholar (1788-1860), as quoted by Nehru, 15 once said that he expected Vedic Dharma to become accepted by the majority of people: “From every sentence (of the Upanishads) deep, original and sublime thoughts arise, and the whole world is pervaded by a high and holy and earnest spirit… In the whole world there is no study … so beneficial and as elevating as that of the Upanishads… (They) are products of the highest wisdom … It is destined sooner or later to become the faith of the people.”
It was also Schopenhauer who said, “The truth was recognized by the sages of India.” 16

GREATNESS OF VEDAS

Much of the reason for the qualities of ancient India and its great sages are held and can be seen by the greatness of the Vedic texts. This has been recognized by numerous scholars over the years. Here are a few, such as Professor Paul William Roberts in Empire of the Soul: Some Journeys in India: “The Vedas still represent eternal truth in the purest form ever written.”

Of course, we know that Henry David Thoreau greatly admired the Vedic literature, as mentioned in Quotes of Henry David Thoreau: “What extracts from the Vedas I have read fall on me like the light of a higher and purer luminary, which describes a loftier course through a purer stratum. It rises on me like the full moon after the stars have come out, wading through some far stratum in the sky.”

He also said in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, “In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita, since whose composition years of the gods have elapsed, and in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial; and I doubt if that philosophy is not to be referred to a previous state of existence, so remote is its sublimity from our conceptions.”

Another famous quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson is, “I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita. It was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us.”

Even Aldous Huxley once related, “The Bhagavad Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value of mankind. The Gita is one of the clearest and most comprehensive summaries of the spiritual thoughts ever to have been made.” 17

Annie Besant brings up another idea, that even westerners who are now drawn to the rare teachings of the Vedic philosophy are experiencing an attraction that was attained in a previous life. In India: Essays and Lectures she says: “Among the priceless teachings that may be found in the great Indian epic Mahabharata, there is none so rare and priceless as the Gita… This is the India of which I speak–the India which, as I said, is to me the Holy Land. For those who, though born for this life in a Western land, and clad in a Western body, can yet look back to earlier incarnations in which they drank the milk of spiritual wisdom from the breast of their true mother–they must feel ever the magic of her immemorial past; must dwell ever under the spell of her deathless fascination; for they are bound to India by all the sacred memories of their past and with her, too, are bound up all the radiant hopes of their future, a future which they know they will share with her who is their true mother in the soul-life.” 18

CHAPTER NOTES
1. Haywood, John, The Ancient World, New York, Metro Books, 2013, p.54.
2. Twain, Mark, Following the Equator, 1897, p. 347.
3. Ibid.
4. Sonnerat, P., Voyage aux Indes orientales et a la Chine, Paris, 1782.
5. Schlegel, Friedrich von, Letter to Ludwig Tieck of 15 December, 1803, quoted by Leon Poliakov in The Aryan Myth.
6. Schlegel, Friedrich von, Essay on the Language and Wisdom of the Indians, quoted by Roger-Pol Droit in L’Oubli de I’Inde, Paris Presses Universitaires de France, 1989, p. 129.
7. Higgins, The Celtic Druids) (Niranjan Shah, India: The Birthplace of Human Speech, International Vedic Vision, Sands Point, N.Y., 2013, p. 66.
8. Maeterlink, Maurice, in The Great Secret) (Niranjan Shah, Indian Origins of Ancient Civilizations, International Vedic Vision Foundation, New York, 2011, p.4.
9. Muller, F. Max, India, What can it teach us? Published by Rupa & Co., New Delhi, reprint in 2002.
10. Quoted in “Dadabhai Naoroji: Poverty and un-British Rule in India,” 1901, http://www.archive.org/details/povertyunbritish00naoruoft .
11. Frawley, David, Gods, Sages and Kings: Vedic Secrets of Ancient Civilization, Passage Press, Salt Lake City, 1991, p.239.
12. Danino, Michel, & Sujata Nahar, The Invasion That Never Was, The Mother’s Institute of Research, Delhi, 2000, p.91.
13. Muller, Max, India: What Can it Teach Us?, Longmans, Funk & Wagnalls Company, London, 1999, p.138.
14. Mukharji, S.N., Sir William Jones: A Study in Eighteenth Century British Attitudes to India, Orient Longman, 1987.
15. The Discovery of India, Calcutta, Signet Press, 1946, pp. 92-93.
16. Schopenhauer, Arthur, The World as Will and Representation, Vol. 1, trans. E. Payne, New York: Dover Publishing Inc., 1969, p.3.
17. Galav, T. C. Philosophy of Hinduism–An Introduction, p.65.
18. Besant, Annie, India: Essays and Lectures, Vol. IV, The Theosophical Publishing Company, London, 1895, p.11.

By Hari Narayana Das

The annual of Krakatau festival which went on for almost a week was closed with the Lampung Cultural Carnival on 30 August 2015, centralized in Mahan Agung at Dr. Soesilo Street, North Teluk Betung . The carnival was followed by hundreds of participants from various parts of Lampung and other parts of Indonesia. The Lord of universe, Lord Jagannath also took part in the carnival just to shower His mercy to the people of Lampung on His Ratha yatra and established the presence of the Hare Krishna devotees in Lampung.

The devotees in Lampung used to eagerly participate in ratha yatras in other parts of Indonesia and thus became very enthusiastic to have a Ratha yatra festival in Lampung itself. When they participated in Jakarta ratha yatra this year they expressed their eagerness to serve Lord Jagannath on Ratha yatra in Lampung. They made a discussion with the coordinator of Nusantara (All islands of Indonesia) Ratha yatra, Tapana Misra prabhu and other devotees and decided to do ratha yatra in Lampung.

Most devotees in Lampung reside in the Vaisnava Village named Gita Nagari Baru (GNB) translated as‘New Gita Nagari’, two hours from the capital city of Lampung, where 30 families comprising more than 150 sincere hard working devotees make the whole place vibrant with life. The GNB, a Varnasrama farm community, was established under the supervision of H.H. Bhakti Raghava Swami Maharaj in 1999 to implement Srila Prabhupada’s instruction, ‘institute Varnasrama dharma’. Only some young devotee students reside in the city area of Bandar Lampung at Prahlad and Kunti Devi preaching centers meant for the boys and girls respectively.

Make the Ratha-yatra festival very great success. This will be a great introduction in your city and people will appreciate it . SPL to Syamasundara, 4th May, 1967

Understanding the letter of Srila Prabhupada and desiring to serve him, the devotees tried hard to search out when would be the suitable time to do ratha yatra. The human resources ministry in Bandar Lampung restricted them to have a grand ratha yatra festival but due to their humble prayer, the Lord answered them…encouraging their eagerness to serve Him. When they came to know that The Krakatau Festival was being followed by many other cultural participants, devotees submitted a proposal to the committee requesting permission to participate in the carnival. The committee accepted. Now….. the devotees were puzzled considering how they were going to prepare the chariot.

“Krsna is sufficiently powerful and able to give facilities to His devotees provided a devotee works very sincerely to please Him. We shall always keep this motto in our view” SPL to Syama dasi, 30th March, 1969

They called Tapana Misra prabhu and asked for a solution. During his visit to GNB Lampung few years back, H.H. Subhag Maharaj had once inquired about the possibility of having ratha yatra in Lampung. It appeared as if some plan of Lord Jagannath was beginning to manifest.

The news of ratha yatra preparations in Lampung spread fast through social media. The chariot team was called in and asked to prepare the chariot. The chariot was prepared in Jember, East Java, which was then to be sent to Lampung. Brajanagara prabhu, Sadhu Jivana prabhu, Ragava prabhu, and bhakta Edy prabhu prepared a beautiful chariot for the Lord. “Then with this taste of Krsna consciousness, we become more and more attracted so more and more, Krsna gives encouragement, and then more and more we increase in our desire to serve Krsna” SPL to Krsna devi, 15th June, 1969.

Help and assistance began to pour in from many devotees. After the construction of the chariot, the team went along with the chariot to Lampung for the reassembly. Brajanagara prabhu also carved the deities and They were beautifully painted by Sadhu Jivana prabhu.

On the day of the festival the devotees decorated the chariot with colorful flowers and it made many people who passed in front of Pupuk Sriwijaya (Pusri) office completely astonished to see something so extraordinary. Pusri office was the place where the devotees prepared for the ratha yatra festival ahead of participating in the carnival.

At 11.00 am the deities arrived and were placed on the chariot. A traditional Malay dance performed by girls from Gita Nagari Baru Village welcomed the guests. Mr. KS Arsana, S.Pi., of Hindu Parisad Indonesia expressed his happiness that as a leader of Indonesia Hindu Prisad could come and participate in the ratha yatra and said that this Ratha yatra festival gives a reflection of the diversity of Hindus in Nusantara. He also gave appreciation to the devotees who worked hard preparing the festival. Mr. Komang Koheri, S.E., member of Lampung Parliament, in his speech said that in particular he prepared to come to the ratha yatra and join with the devotees rather than share the stage with prominent dignitaries. Other important guests included Mr. Nengah Maharta, M.Si., leader of Hindu Parisad, Lampung Province, and Mr. Nyoman Sudiarsa, S.Sg. M.Pd., Director and Counsellor of Hindu Society, Lampung. A Recorded Class by H.H. Subhag Swami Maharaj translated by Gadhadar prabhu fired up the spirit of the devotees. A Balinese dance and Gopi dance were performed for the pleasure of the Lord. Three different cultures united in front of Lord Jagannath.

At 03.00 pm Their Lordships were offered arati along with chanting of the Jagannathastakam. The guests offered camphor lamps placed on coconut to Their Lordship. Then the devotees pulled the chariot to the Dr. Soesilo Street to join the festival parade. As the parade commenced, all the participants who had come from different parts of Lampung and other parts of Indonesia displayed their attractive performances in front of the stage of honors. In the parade, Lord Jagannath, Balarama, and Subadra devi passed through the city of Lampung. When the Lord’s chariot came in front of the stage, the MC announced that Jagannath’s chariot was wonderful and the biggest contingent followed by more than 300 devotees. All people there gave a big applause. On behalf of devotees Mr. Komang Koheri presented a copy of Bhagavad-gita as it is to the Governor of Lampung, Mr. M. Ridho Ficardo and Assistant Deputy Ministry of tourism, development of tourism and the Creative Economy, Mr. Lokot Ahmad Endar.

One ton of oranges donated by Dina Dharini mataji was offered to Lord Jagannatah and was distributed to all the onlookers. Within a short time the stock of prasadam ran out but still more and more people were coming to see Jagannatha and were asking for prasadam. The Kirtan group led by Sesa prabhu sang the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra all the way that could be heard by all people in Lampung city. After two hours journey, the Lord arrived in the parking area of Lampung art market. At the end all devotees honored prasadam that already prepared by the committee. The book distribution team lead by Rama Gopal prabhu and Bhakta Made Yagustana distributed 78 Srila Prabhupada’s books.

We hope that Prabhupad is pleased and bless the devotees who organize such a wonderful Ratha-yatra. Srila Prabhupada mentioned in his letter that “ I thank you all very much for making the rathayatra festival so successful. Please convey my gratitude to all the boys and girls who participated in this great transcendental service.”(SPL to Upendra, 4th July 1968). He also blessed all devotees as he stated in his other letter that “may Krishna bless you all for your sincere service that you may all go on making more and more advancement in Krishna Consciousness.” (SPL to Jayananda das, 19th July, 1976).

We would like to take this opportunity to thank HH Bhakti Raghava Swami for his blessings and encouragement which were so essential for the devotees. Our ever grateful obeisances are due to HH Kavichandra Swami and HH Ramai Swami, the GBCs of Indonesia, for their support and guidance to always look for new avenues for sankirtan. Our humble obeisances to HH Subhag Swami for always reminding us of the importance of the Sankirtan movement of Mahaprabu and inspiring us with the dedication of Sriman Jayananda Prabhu, for bringing us closer to Srila Prabhupada and keeping us united in family of ISKCON. Our gratitude to Leader of Indonesia Hindu Parisad, and all Lampung devotees who worked hard for the success of the festival, Atvata dasa, Santa Kumara dasa, Yadava dasa, Jadabharata dasa, Kesava dasa, Krishna Prema dasa, Dharmatma Dasa, Sudharsan dasa, Janesvara dasa, Teja Vrsaya dasa, Visvakarma dasa, Narayani devi dasi, Vibawati devil dasi, Mrganitri devi dasi, bhakta Gede, Dharmaraj dasa, Dhananjaya dasa, Radha Govinda devi dasi, bhaktin Ganga. , Sarvajnana dasa, Ganga Narayana dasa, Pak Kadek Sayang, Vyasa deva, Sruta Deva dasa, Kalindi devi dasi, Vainateya dasa, Bhakta Mesi, Vamana dasa, Trivikrama dasa, dan Budi Yoga Dasa.

By Romapada Das, International Coordinator, ISKCON 50th Anniversary

The success of the Boston celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America has been reported widely in various devotee websites and American media.

If any temple has not yet observed a celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of Prabhupada’s arrival in the US, there is still time.

Temples that have missed out can celebrate the 50th anniversary of  Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in New York on 19th September with a special programme in his honour.

Temples could do the following on the 19th (or in the weekend):

1.      Announce the 50th anniversary of Prabhupada’s arrival in America during Mangala Arati

2.      Devotees can get together and sing the two songs Prabhupada wrote on the Jaladuta (Prayers to the Lotus Feet of Krishna and Markine Bhagavata Dharma). If devotees cannot sing the song, they can recite the Bengali words with translations into English or their local languages. Alternatively, the songs have also been sung by ISKCON leaders recordings could be played for the devotees during or before the Bhagavatam Class on the 19th. Both recordings are available on Youtube here:

a.      Krishna tava punya habe bhai

b.      Markine bhagavata dharma

3.      The morning class should be based around Srila Prabhupada’s historic arrival in New York, and how it changed the world.

4.      Congregation members and others should be encouraged to attend a special class in  the evening to appreciate Srila Prabhupada and the historic milestone of his arriving in New York

5.      There could be readings from Prabhupada Lilamrita and devotees could speak about their realizations. Prabhupada disciples could share stories about their personal association with Srila Prabhupada.

6.      Devotees should be encouraged to play an active role in the 50th anniversary celebrations.

7.      If you have not already formed a 50th anniversary Committee for your temple, this could be the occasion to achieve this. The Committee should be comprised of congregation leaders and temple devotees and be empowered to organize events and festivals for the 50th anniversary in 2016.

8.      Devotees can also download posters and banners from the ISKCON 50 website (www.iskcon50.org) and display them prominently around the temple premises.

For more information, please contact:

Romapada Das, International Coordinator, 50th Anniversary: romapada@iskcon50.org