HH Bhakti Charu Swami Hare Krishna. When Srila Prabhupada went to the West, Krishna actually created the perfect arrangement for Srila Prabhupada. The United States of America, at that time, was in a perfect situation to receive Srila Prabhupada. If we look at the history of America, then we can see that soon after the second world war, America reached the height of it's material prosperity. At the same time, the youth of America became disillusioned. They saw that money cannot buy everything. Especially the most important need for everybody - love. Money cannot buy love. Other situations also created a situation where American youth became disillusioned and disgruntled. They started to look for a positive alternative. They started to wonder what would make their lives worth living.

In the mid 60's we see that America was going through a very special phase, like the counter culture. They were searching for a positive alternative. At that time, they were thinking to find that positive alternative through sex and drugs. Many of the youth at that time actually left a life of prosperity, comfort, and materialistic achievements. They came to the streets.

It was around that time when Srila Prabhupada arrived in America. It was a perfect situation, in 1965, the height of the counter culture movement. Srila Prabhupada gave them the real positive alternative to the materialistic way of life. What was that? Krishna Consciousness. We see that so many young American boys and girls became attracted to Srila Prabhupada. Many of them are present here. They came forward, being attracted by Srila Prabhupada's wonderful personality. This is how the Krishna Consciousness movement started in America.

At 26 Second avenue, Srila Prabhupada established the first ISKCON center. He registered the institution of ISKCON at a small little storefront, but he called it the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. We can see what a vision Srila Prabhupada had. Actually, it was really a vision, a vision into the future. Srila Prabhupada knew what was going to happen. A saintly personality like Prabhupada is a trikaladarshi. He can see the time in its three aspects: past, present, and future.

We see only the present. And the past is a hazy memory. The future lies in a dreamworld. Srila Prabhupada had a perfect vision. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness. When the movement was established in America, Prabhupada went to the West coast, San Francisco, Golden Gate Park, Haight Ashbury, the kingdom, the perfect world of the youth of America. All of the youth from America were converging in San Francisco. Srila Prabhupada saw that this was the real field for his preaching.

Srila Prabhupada went to the West coast. In that respect we must remember that Mukunda Maharaj played a very significant role. He is the one got the 26 Second Avenue storefront for Srila Prabhupada. Then Srila Prabhupada sent him to the West coast to start another center like that in the thick of the youth culture of America in Haight Ashbury. There, the youth culture of America again became naturally attracted to Srila Prabhupada.Among them was Tamal Krishna Maharaj.

He joined Srila Prabhupada in 1968. Srila Prabhupada went to a place where the young Americans were living in the redwood forest near San Francisco. He was so aloof from the materialistic culture that he was living in the forest. But Srila Prabhupada went to that place and it was just love at first sight. He left everything. Even that commune that he was living in. He came with Srila Prabhupada to San Francisco after one meeting, maybe even just one sight of Srila Prabhupada, attracted him to his lotus feet.

Then we see what an important role that he played in the Krishna Consciousness movement. It was as if he was just sent by Caitanya Mahaprabhu to assist Srila Prabhupada. Actually, Srila Prabhupada at one time, I remember.one devotee was lamenting about his past. He was telling Prabhupada that his life was so sinful. Srila Prabhupada said, "As soon as I called, you came."

Whatever they were doing was not really important. They were just waiting for Srila Prabhupada to come to America and then they came. Srila Prabhupada himself said that these boys and girls were sent by his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. These young Americans were sent by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to assist him in his mission.

When we see the life and activities of Tamal Krishna Maharaj, we see how much he had done for Srila Prabhupada. He was in the front line all of the time. At that time, in Los Angeles they had bought a Temple, a church. And who would be the President? Who did Srila Prabhupada select to be the President of the most important place for ISKCON? Tamal Krishna Maharaj.

Around that time, Shyamasundara Prabhu and Mukunda Maharaj and Gurudasa Prabhu, along with their wives Malati Mataji, Yamuna Mataji, and Janaki Mataji, had developed some relationship with the Beatles, mainly George Harrison. At that time, George Harrison and the Beatles were the most important people in the world of the youth. The whole youth of the world was bouncing with their music. This George Harrison became attracted to Krishna Consciousness. When things started to develop there in London, Srila Prabhupada sent Tamal Krishna Maharaj. Not so much to cultivate George Harrison, but to establish the Sankirtan Movement, to start book distribution. In London, then Paris, then Frankfurt, Tamal Krishna Maharaj started to establish the Krishna Consciousness movement in those areas.

This land where we are sitting, where we are situated today, initially there were a lot of difficulties to get the land because some people here did not want us to come. They did not want Srila Prabhupada to come and establish a center here. There were a lot of difficulties to get a piece of land. The buyers would come, somebody in the interest to sell the land, but then somebody would come and dissuade him from the deal. Two or three times the deals fell through. But then Tamal Krishna Maharaj was sent by Srila Prabhupada and he succeeded.

He made all of the arrangements. He came here with a lawyer, sat under a banyan tree which is by the side of the road, and signed the deal. Tamal Krishna Maharaj told me that at midnight he alerted Calcutta. Srila Prabhupada was still awake waiting for him to come back. He offered the agreement, the sell deed, to Srila Prabhupada.

I also had the good fortune of seeing Tamal Krishna Maharaj for the first time here in Mayapur. I remember my roommate was one American devotee, Tirthapada Prabhu. I saw Bhavananda Prabhu and another person, a very bright looking and handsome individual. They were walking. I remember the first sight and I immediately offered obeisances. It was so overwhelming. The sight was so impressive. My heart was immediately filled with appreciation and respect for him.

Srila Prabhupada was here at that time. That was in 1977. Tamal Krishna Maharaj became Srila Prabhupada's secretary. I was just a new devotee at that time, but during our first meeting Srila Prabhupada asked me to translate his books into Bengali. So I was translating his books and I had easy access to Srila Prabhupada. At those days, to go near Srila Prabhupada was practically impossible. Thousands of devotees were surrounding him, dying to have his darshan. So it was very difficult to get anywhere near Srila Prabhupada. Because of this service, I had the good fortune to approach Srila Prabhupada whenever I wanted it. Everybody knew that I was translating. Srila Prabhupada was actually guiding me. He was training me up.

One day while I was translating, Srila Prabhupada gave me a stack of Bengali letters. He asked me to reply to them. When I finished replying to those Bengali letters, Srila Prabhupada gave me a stack of Hindi letters to reply to. Srila Prabhupada used to give me the dictation and I used to handwrite them. Then Srila Prabhupada used to sign them.

In this way, when I started to reply to those letters, one day Srila Prabhupada told me that he was appointing me as his secretary for Indian affairs. Then he called Tamal Krishna Maharaj, who was his secretary at that time. He called Tamal Krishna Maharaj and told him about the appointment and suggested that I move into the room where Tamal Krishna Maharaj was staying. So that gave me another inconceivable good fortune - to be with Tamal Krishna Maharaj.

It was on top the Lotus building where we were sharing one room. That was an inconceivable good fortune for me. I had the good fortune of being trained up by him. He was so exemplary. I remember he used to get up every day at three o'clock. When he would get up, he would switch on Srila Prabhupada's tape. He would go to the bathroom and this tape was playing. I used to wake up hearing it. It was so nice to wake up lying in the bed listening to Prabhupada's tapes. Then Tamal Krishna Maharaj used to come out of the bathroom and then I would go.

We had a very wonderful relationship. I always treated him like my elder brother. He was so senior. Although, according to materialistic calculations, he is six months younger than me. I was born in September of 1945. Tamal Krishna Maharaj was born in March of 1946. So in that way it made him six months junior. When he found out, he was kind of joking, he said, "You're a senior to me, but I treat you like my junior." I used to tell him that, "You are so far advanced, so much senior to me." He was serving Srila Prabhupada so nicely.

This is how I had the good fortune of sharing a room with him wherever we went. From Mayapur we went to Bombay, from Bombay we went to Rishikesh, from Rishikesh we went to Vrindavan. Wherever we went we would always stay in the same room. Even if I said, "No, no, you stay in that room by yourself," he insisted that I come stay with him.

Even after Srila Prabhupada left, when Tamal Krishna Maharaj would come to Mayapur, he would share the room with me. He used to come and stay in my room until he got his room here in the Conch building. Although I always had a lot of respect for him, he would treat me like a friend.

I remember in Rishikesh sometimes we used to go for a walk. Srila Prabhupada was in Rishikesh. A few of us were with Srila Prabhupada. Sometimes in the afternoon Tamal Krishna Maharaj and I would go for a walk. We used to go across the Lakshman Jhula, across the Ganges, and then would go upstream. One day we walked like that and then we sat on a boulder on the bank of the river. Tamal Krishna Maharaj was telling me, "You're so fortunate to be born in India. Just to take your birth in India, you have come so close to the Vedic culture and to Krishna Consciousness."

I said, "Well that may be, but that's not me." I was not at all close to Indian culture in those days before I came to Krishna Consciousness. We were brought up with the understanding that the West is the best. So that was the culture. I was telling him, "The way you are serving Srila Prabhupada, I can very clearly see that you have been sent by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to assist Srila Prabhupada." He laughed and said, "You don't know my background."

Sometimes we had some very nice encounters also. Tamal Krishna Maharaj was known for his temper. He had another name which was Hot Tamale, because he has such a hot temper. When he used to get angry it was really something. He didn't get angry with me so often though.

In those days, I was a brahmacari. From Mayapur we went to Bombay. He was a little annoyed with me. I don't want to go into the details. He started to blast me. Finally he said, "I curse you that you'll get married!" In those days, for us to get married was something like the worst thing that could happen to a brahmacari. I was completely devastated. I went to Srila Prabhupada and told him that Tamal Krishna Maharaj cursed me that I would get married. Prabhupada replied, "You're already married. Go tell him that you're already married to Krishna."

In this way, we had so many wonderful encounters with him. At the bottom of it, the reality of it is that he was very affectionate to me, and I had a lot of respect for him. We had a deep bond between us. Sometimes there was an expression, "Tamal's man." I feel proud to admit that I am "Tamal's man." He was always very protective.

So today is Tamal Krishna Maharaj's disappearance. I want to end the class with one point. Tamal Krishna Maharaj's disappearance was very sudden. For six years, Tamal Krishna Maharaj did not come to Mayapur to attend the GBC meeting. He was studying. First, he did his undergraduate course in America. Then, he was doing his PhD in Cambridge. After completing that, he came to Mayapur after six years. He had so many ideas. He wanted to set up a University in Calcutta and eventually extend it to Mayapur. But all of a sudden, he was gone. Some of us had the feeling that Tamal Krishna Maharaj knew that he was going to leave.

I had an experience just about two or three days before Tamal Krishna Maharaj left his body. We were chanting together in his room. Tamal Krishna Maharaj stopped and said, "Take care of those boys in Calcutta." He had a few disciples there. "You are their father." I said, "No, I am the uncle. You are the father." He said again, "No, no. You are their father." He went on like that for some time. I could not understand why he was speaking like that because every body knows that the spiritual master is the father and that his godbrothers are the uncles.

This was one indication that I had that he knew that he was going to leave. He was requesting that I take care of his boys. All glories to His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj. Gaura Premanande Haribol.

Florida Is “The Rathayatra State” With Over A Dozen Festivals

For many, the season of Rathayatra, or the Festival of Chariots, won’t start until the summer. But Florida, which has become “The Rathayatra State” with a record-holding one dozen festivals in-state and more organized by Florida devotees out-of-state, is already kicking off its celebrations.

Most of the festivals are organized by devotees from Alachua county’s New Raman Reti, the largest ISKCON community in North America. They include former president Bhadra Das, second-generation devotee Govinda Syer, and Dharmaraj Das, who organized Rathayatras in his native Guyana for fourteen years before beginning the same service in Florida in 2002.

During that first year, Dharmaraj helped organize three Rathayatra festivals, and that number has been growing ever since.

This year, the season began at the ISKCON Alachua temple on March 8th with Snana Yatra, during which three-foot Deities of Jagannath (the Lord of the Universe), His brother Baladeva and sister Subhadra were bathed in a special abhisekh ceremony. The Deities are cared for by Yadunandana Dasi, who has worshipped Lord Jagannath for the past thirty-five years.

The first Rathayatra of the year took place on March 21st in historic downtown St. Augustine, which was founded in 1565 and is the oldest city in the United States.

That will be followed by Rathayatras in Tallahassee on March 28th; Clearwater Beach on May 10th; and on May 23rd Daytona Beach, where last year Mayor Derrick Henry and his police commissioner brother Patrick Henry attended a pre-parade ceremony where they read Bhagavad-gita verses aloud and honored prasadam (sanctified food).

Tallahasse

Next on July 19th comes Tampa Bay Rathayatra; on August 15th Jacksonville Beach, where farmers’ markets and local yoga groups participate in the after-parade festival; and on September 23rd a Rathayatra at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. A festival in Miami is yet to be confirmed.

Devotees will also bring Lord Jagannath’s chariot and kirtan to join in on Clearwater Beach’s Centennial Parade on May 27th; the 450th anniversary of the town of St. Augustine on September 8th;  the Gator Football Team’s homecoming parade in Gainesville in October; and Christmas parades in High Springs and Alachua in December.

But that’s not quite enough for Dharmaraja, who built the festivals’ two chariots – one of them 36 feet tall – with his son Nitai Pran. He’s also organizing Rathayatras outside of Florida in Nashville, Tenessee; Valdosta, Georgia; and North Carolina this year.

Even more incredibly, he’s even involved in festivals overseas. Last year, he and other devotees helped organize the first Rathayatra in San Juan, Puerto Rico, building a new cart there; bringing all the equipment needed for a festival, and even chartering an airplane to bring participants from Alachua.

“It was very successful – the location right in downtown old San Juan was packed with thousands of people,” he says. “And they loved us so much. The permit had taken five-and-a-half months to get, but right after the parade the authorities came and handed us our permit for 2015.”

St. Augustine

This year, the second annual San Juan Rathayatra will be held on December 27th, after which devotees will transport Lord Jagannath’s chariot by ferry across to the Dominican Republic for a Rathayatra in its capital Santo Domingo. There are even tentative plans to hold a festival in Jamaica too, possibly as soon as next year.

Each Rathayatra begins with an inauguration ceremony consisting of a small fire yajna, mantra-chanting, and the local mayor sweeping the road in front of the chariot with a broom, as the King of Puri, the original home of Rathayatra, traditionally does.

A parade follows in which devotees pull Lord Jagannath’s chariot through the city or down the beach with large ropes, as others chant and dance, attracting the smiles and intrigue of onlookers.

After the parade, a two to three-hour stage program is presented in an auditorium or outdoor bandshell featuring philosophical dramatic skits, Bharatnatyam or Odissi dance, speeches by city officials, and a big concluding kirtan which has members of the public dancing and singing along.

Seven hundred to as many as 3,500 of Srila Prabhupada’s books are passed out, as well as over 2,000 plates of prasadam. Meanwhile guests can browse devotional clothing, books and other items at the gift store, or find out more about Krishna consciousness at the Question and Answer tent.

Youth and second generation devotees from Alachua often help out with the festivals, assisting in setting up the 5,000 pound collapsible chariot and the tents on the festival site, and participating in dramas, kirtans and more.

Jacksonville

Florida’s Rathayatras have been a major success and ingratiated devotees to officials and dignitaries. Last year Fland Sharp, the mayor of Jacksonville Beach, requested every business along the beach to advertise Rathayatra with fliers in their stores.

Sharp also issued a proclamation for “Rathayatra Day,” while the Rathayatra chariot won first prize at the St. Augustine Christmas Parade in 2012 and 2013, getting dubbed “most unique float” and “best overall float.”

“I’m told it’s the first time in North American history that ISKCON Rathayatra festivals received trophies for first place two years in a row,” says Dharmaraja.

Praise has come from overseas, too, from none other than the very top as far as Rathayatra is concerned – the King of Puri.

“He sent me emails thanking us [ISKCON] for having Rathayatras all over the world,” Dharmaraja says.

Florida Rathayatras have also attracted many people to Krishna consciousness. Some have joined ISKCON as a result of the parades; a preaching center is being established in Jacksonville as a result; a Bhakti Vriksha congregational community is growing in Tampa; and the Indian community of Daytona Beach is offering ISKCON land to build a Jagannath temple there.

Within the next month, Dharmaraja expects his Festival of Chariots Foundation Inc. to receive 501C3 non-profit tax exemption status, meaning Florida Rathayatras will receive financial support from businesses rather than just devotee donations, allowing them to be more sustainable for the long haul.

Besides that, Dharmaraja has received a request from ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission to do something special for the 50th anniversary in 2017 of the first Rathayatra festival in the West. Ideas include a manual on how to do everything required to organize a Rathayatra, from building a cart to presenting yourself to city authorities and getting permits. Dharmaraja also wants to establish a website with links to schedules and plans for all ISKCON Rathayatras throughout the world.

“From day one, Rathayatra has been the service I settled into in Krishna consciousness,” he says. “So naturally it has become my heart and soul.”

For more information, please visit festivalofchariots.org or facebook.com/rathayatras

Baladeva Vidyabhusana Project Update and Rupa Gosvami’s Hari-namamrta-vyakarana

Baladeva Vidyabhusana Project Update

and Rupa Gosvami’s Hari-namamrta-vyakarana

By Dr. Demian Martins

I am glad to announce that while searching for Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s works, I found a manuscript of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Hari-namamrta-vyakarana. Just as Srila Jiva Gosvami’s Sat-sandarbhas were based on Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s notes on the Srimad-Bhagavatam, similarly Srila Rupa Gosvami’s grammatical treatise is the work which inspired Jiva Gosvami to write a full-fledged version of it. This is corroborated by Gopala dasa in his Amrtasvadini-tika, one of the original Sanskrit commentaries on Jiva Gosvami’s grammar. In the beginning of the text, Rupa Gosvami offers obeisances to Lord Hari and expresses his wish that the devotees may relish the Lord’s Holy Name through this grammar. This concise exposition of grammatical rules may help those who desire to acquire a basic knowledge of Sanskrit in the way it used to be taught by Lord Caitanya.

After several years of search, recently one of the primary goals of the Vidyabhusana Project has been attained: all printed editions of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s works, as well as possibly all articles ever written about him, have been digitized. This is the outcome of years visiting innumerable libraries all over India and going through hundred of catalogues and reference books to be sure that nothing was left behind. One of the benefits derived particularly from old editions is that they may have been based on manuscripts which do not exist anymore and might have readings different from those found in the available manuscripts. The files are being gradually uploaded and available for free.

During my quest for Vidyabhusana’s lost commentaries on the ten Upanisads, on a few occasions there were individuals trying to dissuade me claiming that he never wrote them. For a while I was looking for some evidence that those commentaries were ever written and the first hint I got was from an article published in the Sajjana-tosani magazine in 1897 in which Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura clearly affirmed that among the works of Vidyabhusana which he read are “the commentaries on some Upanisads.” Surprisingly, this was not accepted as evidence by some, albeit supposedly members of Bhaktivinoda’s parampara. Many decades later, Krishna dasa Baba wrote in the appendix to the Isopanisad-bhasya, published by him in 1966, that he was searching for the lost commentaries on the other Upanisads, among which were the Katha and the Kaivalya. Unfortunately, he didn’t tell us the source of this information. It was only recently that I found a clear and definitive evidence in the notes written by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, originally published in 1930 in a compilation called Prabhupader Vaktravali, in which he mentioned that once he desired to published the Dasopanisad-bhasya and wrote to his friend Visvambharananda-deva Gosvami, a leading Syamanandi scholar, who replied that because the manuscript was too worn-out, it was ‘given away to the Yamuna.’ It is my great hope that there might be a copy left somewhere and I am doing my best to find it.

It is being very difficult to catch up with the translation work among so many travels, yet I have already finished translating Visvanatha Cakravarti’s Gaura-gana-svarupa-tattva-candrika and Prabodhananda Sarasvati’s Viveka-satakam, and both should be coming out soon. As for Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s Tattva-dipika, devotees and scholars suggested that I provide sufficient explanatory notes to help average readers to follow the philosophical topics discussed there, which will take some time to be done.

The objectives of the Baladeva Vidyabhusana Project are as follows:

1. Search for lost manuscripts. (Such as the commentaries on nine Upanisads, Sandarbhas, Srimad-Bhagavatam, etc.)

2. Digitally preserve manuscripts currently existing in different libraries.

3. Digitally preserve all editions of Vidyabhusana’s books.

4. Digitally preserve articles written about Vidyabhusana.

5. Type all the original texts in digital unicode system, which can be converted into Devanagari, Bengali and Oriyan characters.

6. Prepare a critical edition for each work.

7. Translate all the works into English.

8. Publish all translations with the original Devanagari text.

9. Investigate and verify existent biographical data of Vidyabhusana, including historical evidences of the conflict between the Gaudiyas and the Ramanandis of Rajasthan.

10. Publish a comprehensive biographical work.

The credit of whatever success was achieved so far goes to the devotees, friends and well-wishers who have kindly come forward to offer assistance. 

VIP Visits Mayapur

Mr. Cesare Bieller, Consul General of Italy at Kolkata, visited ISKCON Mayapur. Around 40 different nationals live peacefully as a community in Mayapur. We have few devotees from Italy residing at Mayapur and they came together to welcome and meet the Italian Consul General. Ganga Das (an Italian National), our Deputy Director had invited Mr. Cesare Bieller to visit Sri Mayapur. Ganga das took him on a tour inside the campus, temple and had organised a meet with Italian devotees. Mr. Cesare was very much appreciative of the initiatives of ISKCON and expressed his willingness to develop Sri Mayapur as a tourist destination. He was concerned about the National Highway, which needs repair and maintenance and urged ISKCON to take it up with local government to fix the road. He was pleased to know about works under progress to connect Sri Mayapur by waterways. He also discussed on different modes of transport that will facilitate the tourists visit to Mayapur. Mr. Cesare also received transcendental gifts from Sri Mayapur.

VIP Visits Mayapur

Mr. Cesare Bieller, Consul General of Italy at Kolkata, visited ISKCON Mayapur. Around 40 different nationals live peacefully as a community in Mayapur. We have few devotees from Italy residing at Mayapur and they came together to welcome and meet the Italian Consul General. Ganga Das (an Italian National), our Deputy Director had invited Mr. Cesare Bieller to visit Sri Mayapur. Ganga das took him on a tour inside the campus, temple and had organised a meet with Italian devotees. Mr. Cesare was very much appreciative of the initiatives of ISKCON and expressed his willingness to develop Sri Mayapur as a tourist destination. He was concerned about the National Highway, which needs repair and maintenance and urged ISKCON to take it up with local government to fix the road. He was pleased to know about works under progress to connect Sri Mayapur by waterways. He also discussed on different modes of transport that will facilitate the tourists visit to Mayapur. Mr. Cesare also received transcendental gifts from Sri Mayapur.

Pishima: Srila Prabhupada’s sister

Pishima is Sleeping in My Bed–Srutakirti das, September 1974, ISKCON Krsna Balarama Mandir, Vrindaban, India

Srila Prabhupada stayed in Vrindavan for six weeks. During this time, he was very ill. In many temples around the world, 24-hour kirtan was being held. His sister, Pishima was also staying at the temple in Vrindavan much of the time. She was concerned and wanted to see her brother as often as she could.

One of my duties was to minimize this as much as possible. It was not an easy or enjoyable service. It was no coincidence that Pishima’s powerful determination was similar to Srila Prabhupada’s. She never listened to me. In fact, she would become quite upset and angry with me. She had a way of slipping into his room when no one noticed.

After one of her visits, Srila Prabhupada called me into his room.

“I am a sannyasi,” Srila Prabhupada said. “It is not good that she stays in the room when no one else is present. Even she is my sister . . . Because she is my sister, she cannot understand it. I cannot have a woman in the room with me, even though she is my sister.”

One afternoon I walked into the servant’s quarters, which was also my bedroom, and she was sleeping in my bed. I was amazed. I hurried into Srila Prabhupada’s room, where he was sitting at his desk. I offered my obeisances and had a look of anxiety on my face.

“Prabhupada,” I said. “Your sister is sleeping in my bed. I don’t know what to do.”

“She cannot,” Srila Prabhupada said. “You tell her! She must be told that she can’t be doing these things. It is not good. They’ll talk.”

Srila Prabhupada was referring to the local sannyasis, caste goswamis, and godbrothers who might criticize our beloved Gurudeva. Srila Prabhupada often said that everything must be first-class while in Vrindaban or we would not be taken seriously. As always, being the acarya, he set an example for us.

“It is not good that she is spending so much time like this,” he continued.

“Prabhupada, I can’t say anything to her,” I anxiously explained. “She won’t listen to me. She only listens to you.”

That day he spoke to her for quite a while. I don’t know what the conversation was about, but I do know that when I went to the servant’s quarters the following day, I cautiously peeked into the room and there she was, sleeping in my room, quite soundly. I gave up. I left the area and found a spot on the other side of Srila Prabhupada’s room. She knew her brother was transcendental and it didn’t matter to her what anyone else thought in regards to her being a woman. She was his sister. Her resolve to be near her pure devotee brother was much greater than my ability to prevent her from doing so. She did whatever she had to do to get Srila Prabhupada’s association. I later mentioned to him that she had been in my room again.

“She is my sister,” he compassionately said. “She wants to be around me.”At the end of 1977, Satsvarupa Maharaja told me that Srila Prabhupada had asked her forgiveness for his offenses.

“Sometimes you may have come to see me and my disciples have not let you in,” he told her.

I beg forgiveness from Bhavatarini for my many offenses that I committed while trying to do my service. I beg that in the future my love for Srila Prabhupada will develop to the degree displayed by his sister. By her determination, she was able to be Srila Prabhupada’s younger sister and assist him throughout their lives. I pray to have the same desire that Bhavatarini had to serve the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada life after life.

Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada–Srila Prabhupada Uvaca–Pishima is Sleeping in My Bed–Srutakirti das
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Joking with His Younger Sister, Pishima–Srutakirti das, July 1973, ISKCON Calcutta

I first meet Bhavatarini, Srila Prabhupada’s sister, during this visit to the Calcutta temple. From then on, she was always known as “Pishima” which, I think, means “sister.” She was an incredible sight. She was a few inches shorter and quite a bit heavier than Srila Prabhupada, but her face was undeniably like a female Srila Prabhupada. Whenever she came to the temple, she brought sweets and gave them to her older brother, Srila Prabhupada. She then distributed them to all of the devotees in the temple. She loved to associate with Srila Prabhupada and spent as much time as she could in his presence.

It was impossible for me to understand their conversations, since I didn’t understand Bengali, but sometimes His Divine Grace described some details. It was obvious she had great love for her brother, not just on a material platform, but was able to comprehend his topmost spiritual position as well. She cooked for him often. This was a source of great anxiety for his disciples because she always used mustard oil in her cooking, which Srila Prabhupada said, “. . . was difficult to digest.” Once, when she was approached about this method she responded, “He can digest nails, if he wants.”

One day, as I massaged Srila Prabhupada before lunch, Srila Prabhupada said to me, “Do you know any person who is fat, without eating?”

“No, Srila Prabhupada,” I said. “I don’t know anyone. Are you referring to your sister?”

He laughed loudly.

“Yes!” Srila Prabhupada said. “She tells me she is eating just a little bit, but she keeps on gaining weight. You don’t know anyone who keeps on gaining weight without eating, do you?”

“No, Srila Prabhupada,” I said chuckling. “I don’t think it is possible to gain weight without eating.”

Now both of us were laughing.

“Yes!” Srila Prabhupada said. “I don’t think so either. I think your conclusion is correct. She has to be eating very much. She tells me she is not eating, but I know she is eating. She complains to me about her health, that she doesn’t feel well. I told her, ‘You are so fat. How can you be healthy?’ She said, ‘I don’t know how. I am hardly eating at all. I don’t know how I am so fat?'”

I continued massaging Srila Prabhupada understanding how comfortable he was in his hometown surrounded by his family. I was so grateful to be able to associate with Srila Prabhupada during such intimate moments. I could see his concern for his sister’s health as he sometimes said that disease came from anxiety, uncleanliness and overeating.

That evening Srila Prabhupada was giving darsana to his disciples. Pishima was also present in the room. She didn’t mind that she could not understand the conversation. She enjoyed being with him as much as possible because she unconditionally loved her brother. How elevated and fortunate she was to have a natural love and affection for Srila Prabhupada!

“Look at her sitting there,” Srila Prabhupada said smiling. “Look at her … how fat she is.”

Everyone began laughing, including Srila Prabhupada and Pishima. He continued poking fun at her in a rascal-like, boyish way.

“She is so fat,” Srila Prabhupada said. “Look at her, how fat she is. She says that she doesn’t eat, but still she gets fat.”

The room was filled with laughter. Pishima enjoyed seeing everyone laugh and didn’t realize that her older brother was making fun of her. Srila Prabhupada enjoyed his joke and relished his disciples being a part of it. It was a rare and wonderful moment for everyone.

Srila Prabhupada, seeing you in that happy, carefree lila was pure nectar. I pray that in a distant lifetime I can bring a smile to your face as you laugh at me in my foolish predicaments. Presently, in my fallen condition, the only emotion you can feel for me is compassionate concern or annoyance due to my bumbling inability to properly or attentively follow your instructions.

Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada–Srila Prabhupada Uvaca–Joking with His Younger Sister, Pishima–Srutakirti das

The Times: March/Campaign For The Yamuna: An Epic Opportunity

By Bhaktisiddhanta Swami

The disheartening implications of the Yamuna crisis and the heartening networking of environmental and devotional groups in the campaign to save it have brought upon us a great opportunity. At this moment over 50,000 Yamuna enthusiasts march to Delhi with a prediction of 100,000 by the 22nd of March, Brajabasins, Sampradayik and Vyasa acaryas, yogis, agricultural union members, dancing children from Maan Mandir, Barsana, to secure a long term mandate in government policies to allow India’s most sacred and famous river, the Yamuna to return, unimpeded to the Homeland of Braja.

All places are made sacred by the presence of the Yamuna, which is 100 times more sanctified than the Ganga; the Varaha Purana even describes that the spiritual power of the Yamuna in Mathura(the birth place of Sri Krsna and Lord Varahadeva) is 100 times greater than the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayaga.

A historical event, in the present times, is at hand to support the greatest cause, a rally for India’s spiritual heritage, a unification of diverse spiritual camps, Hindu, Muslim, Christian etc., a common cause and denominator, the congregational chanting of the holy names, unity in diversity, a modern page out of the Caitanya Caritamrita.

This is not a protest, but a rally for an ‘uncompromising awareness’. This is the example set by Srila Prabhupada, utilizing ‘time, place and circumstance’ in the upholding of dharma.

As concluded by the GBC:

‘Whereas bringing the Yamuna waters back to Vrndavana is direct service to the holy Dhama of Vrndavana which is direct service to the Divine Couple Sri Sri Radha Krsna.

Whereas the aforementioned campaign can increase the public’s appreciation of ISKCON.

Whereas the aforementioned campaign can help ISKCON worldwide insofar as ISKCON will be seen at forefront of the environmental movement.’

Srila Prabhupada’s exact words were, ‘I have given you the framework; all you have to do is decorate it. And I have given you the decorations; all you have to do is hang them.’

The support of the Yamuna, knowing well that this is a form of Krsna, an arena of the Lord’s prakat and aprakat lilas(manifest and unmanifested pastimes), an instinctive devotional call, can be shown by a heart felt physical presence in an epic campaign and march. What a great opportunity for the most prominent international spiritual society to be visible in such a public viewing.

With the times of environmental concerns, a cutting edge in collective communications, the watering of such a tree as the ‘Yamuna concern’ will undoubtedly provide ‘fruits within our individual gardens of service, where ever we are situated.

This will demonstrate to the world that Iskcon truly stands for a mature accommodation of all the departments of devotion which the acaryas have principally outlined, whether it be nama sankirtan, arcana, or the ‘common sense’ decoration details of care for the dhama(Yamuna) as a unified and interdependent venture; all of which require implementation, not disempowering discrimination. They are supportive, codependent, and inseparable to one another.

For the devotees of the Lord, an epic opportunity, a circumstantial design of the Supreme has come before us to serve the Lord, Who Himself manifests as, glorifies as His own, His dhama (the Yamuna river). The choice in reciprocation is ours; if not you or I, some one else will come forward in triumphant glorification.

Best Wishes

Your servant,

Bhaktisiddhanta Swami

Hare Krsna dear devotees,
please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada. You might know already what happened in Vrindavan to a 82 years old Russian mataji.

I just created a petition and want to ask you for your help to spread it.

The petition started yesterday, it is called:

"Indian Government and government of Mathura district: Increase the security of the pilgrims in Vraja Bhumi"

This issue is very important for the security of pilgrims in Vrindavan, especially for women, and together we can do something about it!

Read more about it and sign it here:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Indian_Government_and_government_of_Mat hura_district_Increase_the_security_of_the_pilgrims_in_Vraja_Bhumi/?esVyjeb

Please forward to as many devotees as possible.

Campaigns like this always start small, but they grow when many people get involved. At the moment, after not even 24 hours, it's already signed by devotees from 25 countries. There is a good possibility that we reach our goal!

Your servant
Revati dd

By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

God’s names are a divine gift that can lift us from the conditions of material life and return us to our original spiritual freedom.

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for kindly participating in this Krishna consciousness movement. This knowledge, bhagavata-dharma, was spoken by Bhagavan Himself, Lord Sri Krishna. Bhagavan is a Sanskrit word. Bhaga means fortune, and van means one who possesses. So bhagavan means the supreme fortunate. There are six principal opulences: beauty, wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, and renunciation. One who possesses these in full, without any rival, is called Bhagavan.

Bhagavata-dharma means the relationship between the devotees and the Lord. The Lord is Bhagavan and the devotee is bhagavata, or in relationship with Bhagavan. Everyone is related with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as a father and son are related. That relation cannot be broken at any stage, but sometimes it happens that the son, out of his own independence, goes out of his home and forgets the affectionate relationship with the father.

We living entities are part of God. When we want to live independently of God, the conditional stage of our existence begins. “Conditional stage” means we accept a material body, which is conditioned in so many ways. For example, the body undergoes six kinds of change: It is born at a certain date, it remains for some time, it grows, it gives some byproducts, it dwindles, and at last it vanishes.

Besides these six changes of the body, we face many tribulations. There are the threefold miseries: those pertaining to the body and mind, those offered by other living entities, and those caused by natural disturbances. And the whole thing is summarized into four principles, namely birth, death, old age, and disease. Together these make up our conditional life.

Our Original Consciousness

To get out of these conditions of life, we must revive our Krishna consciousness, or God consciousness. Krishna means the Supreme Lord. God consciousness, or Krishna consciousness, is our original consciousness. Just as it is natural to remember our father in this life, it is natural to remember our original father. But we forget the supreme father, Krishna, and we want to live independently to enjoy life according to our whims. That is so-called independence. But by such independence we are never happy, so for this illusory happiness we transmigrate from one body to another. Each type of body has a particular facility for happiness. We want to fly in the sky. But because we are human beings, we have no wings and cannot fly. But the birds, although they are lower animals, can easily fly. If you analyze you’ll see that every type of body has a particular facility that others don’t. But we want all facilities of life. That is our inclination.

For example, modern scientists are trying to go to other planets, but they’re conditioned, so they cannot go. There are millions and trillions of planets before us the sun, the moon, Venus, Mars. Sometimes we wish, “How can I go there.” But because we are conditioned and not independent, we cannot go.

Originally, because we are spirit soul, we were free to go anywhere. We have immense independence, but we are now conditioned by this body. Therefore the human form of life is an opportunity to get back our original independence. That is called Krishna consciousness. That is freedom.

Two Kinds of Material Body

We have our spiritual body within the material body. That is our real identification. Now we are covered by two kinds of material body. One is called the subtle body and the other is called the gross body. The subtle body is made of mind, intelligence, and false ego, and the gross body is made of earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Generally we can see the gross body; we cannot see the subtle body. I know that you have your mind. I know that you have intelligence. You know that I have a mind and intelligence. But I cannot see your mind, I cannot see your intelligence, I cannot see your determination, I cannot see your thoughts, feelings, and will. You see my gross body made of earth, water, air, and fire, and I can see your gross body. And when your gross body is changed and you are carried away by the subtle body, that is called death.

Death means we change the gross body. For example, you have your shirt and coat, and you may change the coat but keep the shirt. Similarly, we keep our subtle body and give up the gross body; that is called death. And by the laws of nature the subtle body carries us into the womb of another mother. Then we develop another gross body with materials supplied by the mother. And when the body is prepared, we come out of the womb to work again with our subtle and gross bodies.

Bhagavata-dharma means that we have to transcend both the gross and subtle bodies and come to the spiritual body. It is very scientific. And as soon as we come to our real, spiritual body, being freed from the gross and subtle bodies, then we actually feel happiness and independence. The process of Krishna consciousness is the highest benediction for human society because it is trying to bring the human being to the platform of the spiritual body transcending the gross and subtle material bodies. That is the highest perfection. Human life is meant for coming to that platform, the spiritual platform, transcending the gross and subtle material bodily concept of life.

Therefore this Krishna consciousness movement is very important. Those who have taken to it are very, very fortunate.

“I Am Wasting My Valuable Life”

I shall explain a song sung by Narottama Dasa Thakura, one of our predecessor acharyas, or teachers. His songs are accepted in our Vaishnava society as Vedic truth. He has written in simple Bengali language, but it contains the Vedic truth. He has written many songs. One of them begins hari hari biphale janama gonainu: “My dear Lord, I am simply wasting my valuable life.” Narottama Dasa is speaking for people in general. Although we have been born as human beings, we do not know how to use human life. We are just like animals. The animal eats; we simply make arrangements to eat unnaturally. That is our advancement. In the animal kingdom every animal has a particular type of food. A tiger eats flesh and blood, but if you give the tiger nice oranges or grapes, he’ll not touch them, because those are not his food. Similarly, a hog eats stool. If you give the hog nice halava, it will not touch it. You see? Every animal has a particular type of food. Similarly, we human beings have our type of food. What is that? Fruits, milk, grains, vegetables. Our teeth are made for such foods. If you take a fruit, you can easily cut it into pieces with your teeth. If you take a piece of flesh, it will be difficult to cut with these teeth. But a tiger has a particular type of teeth, and he can immediately cut flesh into pieces.

We are advancing in education, but we do not even study our teeth. We simply go to the dentist, that’s all. This is our advancement of civilization. The tiger never goes to the dentist. Its teeth are so strong that immediately it can tear raw meat into pieces. But it doesn’t require a dentist, because it doesn’t eat anything unnatural for it. We eat anything; therefore we require the help of a dentist.

The human being has a particular type of business. That business is to study and discuss the bhagavata life. That is our natural business. We should try to understand Bhagavan, God. The relationship between Bhagavan and the bhakta, or devotee, is called bhagavatadharma. The business of human life is very easy: Simply hear about Krishna. Krishna is Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are part of Krishna.

Suppose I have forgotten my home. I left my home a long time ago and have forgotten my father. So if somebody reminds me, “Do you know such-and-such gentleman? He is your father. You were playing in such a way, your father was helping you . . .” In this way, if he simply talks of my father, I will remember my home. Similarly, we have forgotten our relationship with Krishna. If we simply hear about Him, then we will remember.

It is a simple process. We simply have to hear about Krishna. Krishna is situated in everyone’s heart, and we have forgotten Krishna, our supreme father, on account of material contamination. So hear about Krishna attentively. You haven’t got to do anything else. It doesn’t require that you become an M.A. or a Ph.D. No. God has given you two ears, and if you kindly submissively hear from the realized souls, then your life will be successful.

Deliverance by The Holy Name

I was explaining Narottama Dasa Thakura’s song. Let me finish it. He says:

hari hari! bifale janama gonainu
manusya-janama paiya,
radha-Krishna na bhajiya,
janiya Suniya bisa khainu

“My dear Lord, I received this valuable human form of life, but I have wasted it for nothing. This life is meant for understanding Radha and Krishna, but I did not do so. Therefore I have knowingly taken poison.” Sometimes a person takes poison to commit suicide. He knows that as soon as he’ll take the poison he’ll die. Similarly, one who is not taking to Krishna consciousness is drinking poison. This life is the opportunity to become Krishna conscious. And if you don’t use this opportunity, that means knowingly drinking poison.

Golokera prema-dhana harinama-sankirtana. Just as we receive radio sounds from different countries, from the spiritual world we receive the vibration of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Rati na jan milo kene tay: “I could not get my attachment to this transcendental vibration.” Samsara-bisanale, dibanisi hiya jwale, juraite na koinu upay: “I am suffering constantly with the poison of this materialistic way of life, and I did not try to get out of it by taking shelter of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.”

Then Narottama Dasa says, brajendra-nandana yei, Saci-suta hoilo sei. “In this age, the same Supreme Personality of Godhead who appeared five thousand years ago as the son of Nanda Maharaja that Krishna has appeared in this age as the son of mother Saci.” Lord Caitanya’s mother’s name was Saci-devi. Balarama hoilo nitai: “The same Balarama who appeared as Krishna’s elder brother has appeared as Nityananda.” What is the business of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda Prabhu? Dina-hina jata chilo, hari-name uddharilo delivering the lowly, wretched souls with the holy name.

There are two kinds of people within the material world. One is committing sin and the other is suffering sinful reactions. Papi-tapi. That is our business. In this life, I am suffering the resultant action of my past impious activities and creating another set of impious activities so that I shall suffer next life. Hariname uddharilo: But everyone can be delivered simply by chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Thank you very much.

By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

God’s names are a divine gift that can lift us from the conditions of material life and return us to our original spiritual freedom.

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for kindly participating in this Krishna consciousness movement. This knowledge, bhagavata-dharma, was spoken by Bhagavan Himself, Lord Sri Krishna. Bhagavan is a Sanskrit word. Bhaga means fortune, and van means one who possesses. So bhagavan means the supreme fortunate. There are six principal opulences: beauty, wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, and renunciation. One who possesses these in full, without any rival, is called Bhagavan.

Bhagavata-dharma means the relationship between the devotees and the Lord. The Lord is Bhagavan and the devotee is bhagavata, or in relationship with Bhagavan. Everyone is related with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as a father and son are related. That relation cannot be broken at any stage, but sometimes it happens that the son, out of his own independence, goes out of his home and forgets the affectionate relationship with the father.

We living entities are part of God. When we want to live independently of God, the conditional stage of our existence begins. “Conditional stage” means we accept a material body, which is conditioned in so many ways. For example, the body undergoes six kinds of change: It is born at a certain date, it remains for some time, it grows, it gives some byproducts, it dwindles, and at last it vanishes.

Besides these six changes of the body, we face many tribulations. There are the threefold miseries: those pertaining to the body and mind, those offered by other living entities, and those caused by natural disturbances. And the whole thing is summarized into four principles, namely birth, death, old age, and disease. Together these make up our conditional life.

Our Original Consciousness

To get out of these conditions of life, we must revive our Krishna consciousness, or God consciousness. Krishna means the Supreme Lord. God consciousness, or Krishna consciousness, is our original consciousness. Just as it is natural to remember our father in this life, it is natural to remember our original father. But we forget the supreme father, Krishna, and we want to live independently to enjoy life according to our whims. That is so-called independence. But by such independence we are never happy, so for this illusory happiness we transmigrate from one body to another. Each type of body has a particular facility for happiness. We want to fly in the sky. But because we are human beings, we have no wings and cannot fly. But the birds, although they are lower animals, can easily fly. If you analyze you’ll see that every type of body has a particular facility that others don’t. But we want all facilities of life. That is our inclination.

For example, modern scientists are trying to go to other planets, but they’re conditioned, so they cannot go. There are millions and trillions of planets before us the sun, the moon, Venus, Mars. Sometimes we wish, “How can I go there.” But because we are conditioned and not independent, we cannot go.

Originally, because we are spirit soul, we were free to go anywhere. We have immense independence, but we are now conditioned by this body. Therefore the human form of life is an opportunity to get back our original independence. That is called Krishna consciousness. That is freedom.

Two Kinds of Material Body

We have our spiritual body within the material body. That is our real identification. Now we are covered by two kinds of material body. One is called the subtle body and the other is called the gross body. The subtle body is made of mind, intelligence, and false ego, and the gross body is made of earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Generally we can see the gross body; we cannot see the subtle body. I know that you have your mind. I know that you have intelligence. You know that I have a mind and intelligence. But I cannot see your mind, I cannot see your intelligence, I cannot see your determination, I cannot see your thoughts, feelings, and will. You see my gross body made of earth, water, air, and fire, and I can see your gross body. And when your gross body is changed and you are carried away by the subtle body, that is called death.

Death means we change the gross body. For example, you have your shirt and coat, and you may change the coat but keep the shirt. Similarly, we keep our subtle body and give up the gross body; that is called death. And by the laws of nature the subtle body carries us into the womb of another mother. Then we develop another gross body with materials supplied by the mother. And when the body is prepared, we come out of the womb to work again with our subtle and gross bodies.

Bhagavata-dharma means that we have to transcend both the gross and subtle bodies and come to the spiritual body. It is very scientific. And as soon as we come to our real, spiritual body, being freed from the gross and subtle bodies, then we actually feel happiness and independence. The process of Krishna consciousness is the highest benediction for human society because it is trying to bring the human being to the platform of the spiritual body transcending the gross and subtle material bodies. That is the highest perfection. Human life is meant for coming to that platform, the spiritual platform, transcending the gross and subtle material bodily concept of life.

Therefore this Krishna consciousness movement is very important. Those who have taken to it are very, very fortunate.

“I Am Wasting My Valuable Life”

I shall explain a song sung by Narottama Dasa Thakura, one of our predecessor acharyas, or teachers. His songs are accepted in our Vaishnava society as Vedic truth. He has written in simple Bengali language, but it contains the Vedic truth. He has written many songs. One of them begins hari hari biphale janama gonainu: “My dear Lord, I am simply wasting my valuable life.” Narottama Dasa is speaking for people in general. Although we have been born as human beings, we do not know how to use human life. We are just like animals. The animal eats; we simply make arrangements to eat unnaturally. That is our advancement. In the animal kingdom every animal has a particular type of food. A tiger eats flesh and blood, but if you give the tiger nice oranges or grapes, he’ll not touch them, because those are not his food. Similarly, a hog eats stool. If you give the hog nice halava, it will not touch it. You see? Every animal has a particular type of food. Similarly, we human beings have our type of food. What is that? Fruits, milk, grains, vegetables. Our teeth are made for such foods. If you take a fruit, you can easily cut it into pieces with your teeth. If you take a piece of flesh, it will be difficult to cut with these teeth. But a tiger has a particular type of teeth, and he can immediately cut flesh into pieces.

We are advancing in education, but we do not even study our teeth. We simply go to the dentist, that’s all. This is our advancement of civilization. The tiger never goes to the dentist. Its teeth are so strong that immediately it can tear raw meat into pieces. But it doesn’t require a dentist, because it doesn’t eat anything unnatural for it. We eat anything; therefore we require the help of a dentist.

The human being has a particular type of business. That business is to study and discuss the bhagavata life. That is our natural business. We should try to understand Bhagavan, God. The relationship between Bhagavan and the bhakta, or devotee, is called bhagavatadharma. The business of human life is very easy: Simply hear about Krishna. Krishna is Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are part of Krishna.

Suppose I have forgotten my home. I left my home a long time ago and have forgotten my father. So if somebody reminds me, “Do you know such-and-such gentleman? He is your father. You were playing in such a way, your father was helping you . . .” In this way, if he simply talks of my father, I will remember my home. Similarly, we have forgotten our relationship with Krishna. If we simply hear about Him, then we will remember.

It is a simple process. We simply have to hear about Krishna. Krishna is situated in everyone’s heart, and we have forgotten Krishna, our supreme father, on account of material contamination. So hear about Krishna attentively. You haven’t got to do anything else. It doesn’t require that you become an M.A. or a Ph.D. No. God has given you two ears, and if you kindly submissively hear from the realized souls, then your life will be successful.

Deliverance by The Holy Name

I was explaining Narottama Dasa Thakura’s song. Let me finish it. He says:

hari hari! bifale janama gonainu
manusya-janama paiya,
radha-Krishna na bhajiya,
janiya Suniya bisa khainu

“My dear Lord, I received this valuable human form of life, but I have wasted it for nothing. This life is meant for understanding Radha and Krishna, but I did not do so. Therefore I have knowingly taken poison.” Sometimes a person takes poison to commit suicide. He knows that as soon as he’ll take the poison he’ll die. Similarly, one who is not taking to Krishna consciousness is drinking poison. This life is the opportunity to become Krishna conscious. And if you don’t use this opportunity, that means knowingly drinking poison.

Golokera prema-dhana harinama-sankirtana. Just as we receive radio sounds from different countries, from the spiritual world we receive the vibration of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Rati na jan milo kene tay: “I could not get my attachment to this transcendental vibration.” Samsara-bisanale, dibanisi hiya jwale, juraite na koinu upay: “I am suffering constantly with the poison of this materialistic way of life, and I did not try to get out of it by taking shelter of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.”

Then Narottama Dasa says, brajendra-nandana yei, Saci-suta hoilo sei. “In this age, the same Supreme Personality of Godhead who appeared five thousand years ago as the son of Nanda Maharaja that Krishna has appeared in this age as the son of mother Saci.” Lord Caitanya’s mother’s name was Saci-devi. Balarama hoilo nitai: “The same Balarama who appeared as Krishna’s elder brother has appeared as Nityananda.” What is the business of Lord Caitanya and Nityananda Prabhu? Dina-hina jata chilo, hari-name uddharilo delivering the lowly, wretched souls with the holy name.

There are two kinds of people within the material world. One is committing sin and the other is suffering sinful reactions. Papi-tapi. That is our business. In this life, I am suffering the resultant action of my past impious activities and creating another set of impious activities so that I shall suffer next life. Hariname uddharilo: But everyone can be delivered simply by chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Thank you very much.

By the Global Office, ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations

The Global Office for the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of ISKCON has appealed for volunteers who can serve on the International Team for this milestone event in the history of ISKCON.

“The celebrations are being planned across six continents in 75 countries, and are being organised by a team of volunteers,” explained Romapada Das, the International Coordinator for the 50th Anniversary. “But we need more volunteers to ensure that these festivities create the maximum impact around the world.”

The global celebrations for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary will be flagged off by mega-events in India and America that will track Srila Prabhupada’s epic journey on the Jaladuta from Kolkata to Boston in 1965. Other events being planned include festivals to celebrate or educate people about Vedic culture including music, food and yoga. Projects that will communicate ISKCON’s achievements in the last 50 years to stakeholder groups around the world include a 48-page colour publication, a special 50th anniversary movie, an international exhibition and a membership campaign.

The Global Office currently need volunteers who can serve in the following areas

Marketing
Branding
Website design and development
Website administration
Graphic artists
Public relations
Content writing and blogging
Social Media
Event management
Project management
Souvenir design and manufacturing
Movie production: script-writing, shooting, editing

Devotees willing offer their services can write to:

The International Coordinator, ISKCON 50th Anniversary Celebrations, Email: romapada@iskcon50.org

Please supply the following information when you write to the Global Office:

1. Legal name and spiritual name (if any)
2. Contact details and address
3. Local temple
4. Age
5. Educational qualifications
6. Preferred area of service
7. Experience in the preferred area of service
8. Number of hours per week you can volunteer
9. Events or projects you are interested in helping (see list on website)
10. Any other information

For more information you can contact the International Team at: info@iskcon50.org

TOVP Tour Daily US Diary: Day 1 and Day 2

Day 1: On Thursday, March 12 around 6:30pm the Lord in the form of His Padukas and Sitari arrived at Radha Jivana prabhu’s home to an ecstatic reception kirtan led by devotees from the Gainesville Krishna House.

The Padukas and Sitari received an abhishek, and Jananivas prabhu received a foot washing and spoke about Mayapur and the TOVP project to all the assembled devotees. Prasadam was served.

Day 2: On Friday, March 13, the Lord’s Padukas and Sitari were taken to Radha Jivana’s office where They were greeted with kirtan, and Jananivas prabhu spoke to all the devotee employees.

From there they went to Ambarisa and Svaha prabhus’ home in Gainesville, Florida for a special reception. Arati was performed and prasadam distributed to all the devotees.

EXCITING EVENTS FOR THE 40th ANNIVERSARY IN VRNDAVANA !!!

On-going 5 Day Schedule for the 40th Anniversary Festival of the Krishna Balarama Mandir (March 24-28)

Day 1- Tuesday, 24th March
• Welcome / Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HH Gopal Krsna Maharaja
• Sumptuous Prasad being served
• Beginning of Kirtan Mela “VRAJ RAS” in the Temple Courtyard 
• Memories in Krsna Hall by senior devotees who were serving 
Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana
• Evening Cultural Program in Krsna Hall (6:30pm – 9pm)

Day 2- Wednesday, 25th March
• Srimad Bhagavatam Class given by HG Gunarnava das prabhu 
• Sumptuous Prasad being served
• Book launch: ”Vrndavana is my Home” A History of Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna Balarama Mandir …by Daivisakti dd prabhu
• Memories in Krsna Hall by senior devotees who were serving 
Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana 
• Evening Cultural Program in Krsna Hall (6:30pm – 9pm)

Day 3- Thursday, 26th March
• Srimad Bhagavatam Class given by one of the senior devotees who were serving Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana 
• Sumptuous Prasad being served
• VRAJ RAS Kirtan mela in the Courtyard
• Srila Prabhupada’s Vrndavana Parikrama with Deena Bandhu das prabhu, visiting the Sacred Places where Prabhupada had pastimes. 
• Memories at Radha Gokulananda Temple by senior devotees who were serving Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana 
• Evening Cultural Program in Krsna Hall (6:30pm – 9pm)

Day 4- Friday, 27th March
• Srimad Bhagavatam Class given by of the senior devotees who were serving Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana
• Sumptuous Prasad being served
• Grand SobhaYatra, PRASAD breakfast at the Goshala
• VRAJ RAS Kirtan mela in the Courtyard
• Memories in Krsna Hall by our senior devotee guests
• Evening Cultural Program in Krsna Hall (6:30pm – 9pm)

Day 5 Saturday 28th march, Rama Navami:
• Srimad Bhagavatm Class given by one of the senior devotees who were serving Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana 
• Sumptuous Prasad being served
• Abhishek at 10:00am
• VRAJ RAS Kirtan mela in the Courtyard
• Hema Malini (possibly)
• Memories in Krsna Hall by senior devotees who were serving 
Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana
• Evening Cultural Program in Krsna Hall (6:30pm – 9pm)Finale
• Panca Gauda prabhu concluding the 40th Anniversary Festival

Senior speakers include:
Gopal Krsna Maharaj, Brahmananda prabhu, Gunarnava prabhu, Kisori prabhu, Surabhi prabhu, Gurudas prabhu, Gurukrpa prabhu, Akuti prabhu, Dhananjaya prabhu, Yadubara prabhu, Visakha prabhu, Sruta Kirti prabhu, Turiya prabhu , Deena Bandhu prabhu , Daivi Sakti prabhu, and many more senior Vaisnavas who were serving Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana.

*We have 64 confirmed senior Prabhupada disciples coming to participate!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and the Krsna Balarama Mandir

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Cultural Entertainment for the 40th Anniversary

(6:30pm til 9pm in KRSNA Hall)

24th .….Deena Bandhu prabhu welcoming guests for the opening of the 40th Festival Entertainment with the beginning of manasa Vrndavana Parikrama, along with a slide show of Vrndavana photos on large screen with Krsna Balarama’s classical musicians
Parividha prabhu presenting his KRSNA cultural cabaret. 
Madhura Theatre from Moscow presenting Agni and Butterfly
Manipuri dancers presenting the six Seasons of Rasa Dances and their Martial Arts

25th…..Deena Bandhu prabhu with manasa Vrndavana Parikrama 
Parividha prabhu presenting his cultural cabaret. 
Bharat das with his Bharat Natyam offering of scenes from Krsna lila
Manipuri dancers presenting the six Seasons of Rasa Dances and their Martial Arts

26th…..Deena Bandhu prabhu continuing with manasa Vrndavana Parikrama. 
Adi Yogi’s Vaikuntha Players performing KRSNA BALARAMA Lila
Panca Gauda prabhu and the Vrajavadhus

27th… Deena Bandhu prabhu continuing with manasa Vrndavana Parikrama. 
Parividha prabhu presenting his cultural cabaret. 
Madhura Theatre presenting scenes from Ramayana 
Chaytanya Nitai dd singing BHAJA HURE MANA with Kulis/ Audience participation 
Moscow’’s Hanuman Theatre Company presenting NIMAI

28th… Deena Bandhu prabhu ending his manasa Vrndavana Parikrama. 
Hanuman Theatre Company presenting Bhagavad-gita 
Madhura Theatre presenting Krsna and Kaliya
Grand Finale: Venunad Kala Kendra presenting Odissi dance drama of RAMAYANA 
Panca Gauda prabhu concluding the 40th Anniversary Celebrations

 EXCITING EVENTS FOR THE 40th ANNIVERSARY IN ISKCON VRNDAVANA During Ram Navami 2015

On-going 5 Day Schedule for the 40th Anniversary Festival of the Krishna Balarama Mandir (March 24-28)

Day 1- Tuesday, 24th March
• Welcome / Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HH Gopal Krsna Maharaja
• Sumptuous Prasad being served
• Beginning of Kirtan Mela “VRAJ RAS” in the Temple Courtyard 
• Memories in Krsna Hall by senior devotees who were serving 
Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana
• Evening Cultural Program in Krsna Hall (6:30pm – 9pm)

Day 2- Wednesday, 25th March
• Srimad Bhagavatam Class given by HG Gunarnava das prabhu 
• Sumptuous Prasad being served
• Book launch: ”Vrndavana is my Home” A History of Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna Balarama Mandir …by Daivisakti dd prabhu
• Memories in Krsna Hall by senior devotees who were serving 
Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana 
• Evening Cultural Program in Krsna Hall (6:30pm – 9pm)

Day 3- Thursday, 26th March
• Srimad Bhagavatam Class given by one of the senior devotees who were serving Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana 
• Sumptuous Prasad being served
• VRAJ RAS Kirtan mela in the Courtyard
• Srila Prabhupada’s Vrndavana Parikrama with Deena Bandhu das prabhu, visiting the Sacred Places where Prabhupada had pastimes. 
• Memories at Radha Gokulananda Temple by senior devotees who were serving Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana 
• Evening Cultural Program in Krsna Hall (6:30pm – 9pm)

Day 4- Friday, 27th March
• Srimad Bhagavatam Class given by of the senior devotees who were serving Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana
• Sumptuous Prasad being served
• Grand SobhaYatra, PRASAD breakfast at the Goshala
• VRAJ RAS Kirtan mela in the Courtyard
• Memories in Krsna Hall by our senior devotee guests
• Evening Cultural Program in Krsna Hall (6:30pm – 9pm)

Day 5 Saturday 28th march, Rama Navami:
• Srimad Bhagavatm Class given by one of the senior devotees who were serving Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana 
• Sumptuous Prasad being served
• Abhishek at 10:00am
• VRAJ RAS Kirtan mela in the Courtyard
• Hema Malini (possibly)
• Memories in Krsna Hall by senior devotees who were serving 
Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana
• Evening Cultural Program in Krsna Hall (6:30pm – 9pm)Finale
• Panca Gauda prabhu concluding the 40th Anniversary Festival

Senior speakers include:
Gopal Krsna Maharaj, Brahmananda prabhu, Gunarnava prabhu, Kisori prabhu, Surabhi prabhu, Gurudas prabhu, Gurukrpa prabhu, Akuti prabhu, Dhananjaya prabhu, Yadubara prabhu, Visakha prabhu, Sruta Kirti prabhu, Turiya prabhu , Deena Bandhu prabhu , Daivi Sakti prabhu, and many more senior Vaisnavas who were serving Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana.

*We have 64 confirmed senior Prabhupada disciples coming to participate!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and the Krsna Balarama Mandir

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Cultural Entertainment for the 40th Anniversary

(6:30pm til 9pm in KRSNA Hall)

24th .….Deena Bandhu prabhu welcoming guests for the opening of the 40th Festival Entertainment with the beginning of manasa Vrndavana Parikrama, along with a slide show of Vrndavana photos on large screen with Krsna Balarama’s classical musicians
Parividha prabhu presenting his KRSNA cultural cabaret. 
Madhura Theatre from Moscow presenting Agni and Butterfly
Manipuri dancers presenting the six Seasons of Rasa Dances and their Martial Arts

25th…..Deena Bandhu prabhu with manasa Vrndavana Parikrama 
Parividha prabhu presenting his cultural cabaret. 
Bharat das with his Bharat Natyam offering of scenes from Krsna lila
Manipuri dancers presenting the six Seasons of Rasa Dances and their Martial Arts

26th…..Deena Bandhu prabhu continuing with manasa Vrndavana Parikrama. 
Adi Yogi’s Vaikuntha Players performing KRSNA BALARAMA Lila
Panca Gauda prabhu and the Vrajavadhus

27th… Deena Bandhu prabhu continuing with manasa Vrndavana Parikrama. 
Parividha prabhu presenting his cultural cabaret. 
Madhura Theatre presenting scenes from Ramayana 
Chaytanya Nitai dd singing BHAJA HURE MANA with Kulis/ Audience participation 
Moscow’’s Hanuman Theatre Company presenting NIMAI

28th… Deena Bandhu prabhu ending his manasa Vrndavana Parikrama. 
Hanuman Theatre Company presenting Bhagavad-gita 
Madhura Theatre presenting Krsna and Kaliya
Grand Finale: Venunad Kala Kendra presenting Odissi dance drama of RAMAYANA 
Panca Gauda prabhu concluding the 40th Anniversary Celebrations

Mayapur Departure/U.S. Arrival – Maya Tests Us

In the early morning hours on Tuesday, March 10th in Mayapur, Jananivas prabhu and Vraja Vilas, to the nectarine sound of Krishna Kirtan, departed for the U.S. in a grand procession carrying with us the divine Padukas of Lord Nityananda and Sitari of Lord Nrsinghadeva.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the U.S. in 2015 (also officially pronounced the Year of the TOVP by GBC Chairman Praghosa prabhu), we are scheduled to travel for 108 days to over 35 temples and devotee sangas throughout the U.S. and Canada. This will also be Jananivas prabhu’s first step outside of India in over 45 years, and at the advanced age of 72.

However, our first stop was not Kolkata or the airport, but Shantipur, the residence of Adwaita Acharya, also the first stop of Srila Prabhupada before leaving for the U.S. in 1965. It was here that he prayed and meditated on Adwaita Acharya, Who called Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to descend, to empower him to fulfill the mission of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati and the previous acharyas.

The rest of our journey was met by several obstacles, testing our sincerity and determination to carry on with this historic visit.

Arriving at the Kolkata airport our tickets would not print out. Finally, we managed to get the tickets, but only to Delhi, not continuing to the U.S. In Delhi I had to call our travel agent and finally got the tickets for our connecting flight to the U.S. Then we had to wait. The flight was at 1:35. We waited for the announcement to board the flight and at 12:45 Radha Jivana luckily called and said they don’t make announcements and told us to immediately go to the flight gate. We still had to check in our baggage and go through the Security Check with our Visas. Here we were informed that Jananivas could not fly to America because, as a British citizen, he required an ESTA form which we had previously been told was not necessary.

The time was now already about 1:00, the flight was at 1:35. We were told we would never be able to get the form on time and all our luggage was removed from the plane. It seemed hopeless. Finally, at 1:10 I went online to fill out the ESTA form. It was almost 100 questions and as quickly as I could I filled it out while the airport officials continually insisted that I would not make it on time. By Krishna’s mercy I completed the form and then had to pay a $14 fee. My credit card was rejected. Luckily, Radha Jivan had given me his U.S. TOVP credit card and the charge went through. Even the airport personal were overjoyed and happy that I had managed to do all this in 20 minutes. We finally got on board and took off for the U.S.

Then came the U.S. Customs adventure. We had anticipated problems bringing the shoes and helmet into the country, but that was not a problem at all. The problem was when Jananivas prabhu and I were separated and he did not know how to answer the barrage of questions from the U.S. Customs Officials. Somehow or other Krishna helped again and because he had a British Passport he got his Passport stamped and made his first steps onto U.S. soil.

In honor of the passing of our dear Godsister, Nandalal Dasi ACBSP

By Deena Bandhu Das

In honor of the passing of our dear Godsister, Nandalal Dasi, here is part of a manuscript she wrote about her dandauti parikrama of Govardhan. Many thanks to Annabelle Anavadyangi Dasi Younger!
My dear Godsister Nandalal departed this world this morning (March 16, 2015), an auspicious Ekadasi. She would have turned 73 in May. Here is a document she wrote of an important event in her life.
————————-
Because many devotees have never heard of me or the instructions that Srila Prabhupada imparted when giving me a Deity I think it important to preface this ‘off-the-beaten-path’ portion of my Memoirs with those instructions. Without them I know you will wonder why I ever went out to live for 18 years at Govardhan Hill after Srila Prabhupada left his body. Perhaps with the addition of this event it will make more sense.
So this is the story of why I moved to Vraj Mandal in 1978.

I was initiated in 1970 in Los Angeles. Shortly after joining the temple I was told by temple authorities that because I was 28 and had been married as a karmi, I should not get married in the Movement. I became Karandhar Prabhu’s secretary and was also in charge of the Brahmacarinis for periods of time. After about a year, I began to feel rather left out as so many other devotees were being permitted to go up to Srila Prabhupada’s rooms for darsan or to perform some small service. I had never gotten to go and also not on morning walks or into the garden, and I began to plot and scheme how I would get up to see Srila Prabhupada! Finally I cooked up a ‘wonderful and impressive’ question that I wanted to ask Prabhupada, and miraculously, Karandhara relented and said I would be allowed to go up.
namaḥ paṅkaja-nābhāya
namaḥ paṅkaja-māline
namaḥ paṅkaja-netrāya
namas te paṅkajāṅghraye
My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus, and whose feet are engraved with lotuses.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.22
Teachings of Queen Kunti

As soon as I entered Srila Prabhupada’s rooms and paid obeisances, I prepared to launch into my wonderful question. Only a word or two were out of my mouth when Srila Prabhupada interjected with: “So! You do not need any of these nonsense husbands! You should take Krsna as your husband!” (Not sure, but don’t think the question was regarding husbands) Then he said, pointing at his desk: “Here! You take this Deity with you!” and as I was hesitating, he said again: “You take this Deity with you!” even more emphatically. So very carefully, I reached over and picked up the beautiful silver Deity of Krsna in three-fold bending form playing a flute. He was just 3 inches high. Namah pankaja-nabhaya… Then, Srila Prabhupada proceeded on with his instructions which were to forever change the course of my life: He said, “So, you should take Him with you where-ever you go, and you can worship Him anywhere, even under a tree; and when you get somewhere permanent you can set Him up and worship Him. You should get a box to carry Him in and you can put some cloth.”
There are godsisters of mine who remember us all rowed up on the floor in the Brahmacarini ashram in LA sleeping with my Deity. Yes! This Deity lived in the Brahmarcarini ashram in LA with us ladies for awhile after I received Him! After that Srila Prabhupada gave permission that He be kept on the temple altar where-ever I was and from time to time, if I was too overloaded with service, other Pujaris were assigned to bathe and dress Him in the mornings. So, Yes! I think you could say He was treated like an installed Deity, but significantly, One Who could be worshipped anywhere, even under a tree.
I have a long story to tell, but it all stems from these few sentences of instruction given to me in Los Angeles in about 1971 or 72.
By 1976 I was living in Krishna Balarama Mandir in Vrindavan. I was in the room, as were so many of us, when Srila Prabhupada left his body on November 14, 1977. I remembered devotees saying that one of the last desires Srila Prabhupada had was to go to Govardhan Hill. And in 1978 when all the single ladies were asked to leave the Vrindavan temple, I moved to Govardhan Hill with the Deity that Srila Prabhupada had given me. I have to say, I cannot thank Gurukrpa Prabhu (then Swami) enough for giving that order. Sometimes devotees hearing this express outrage that we were thrown out, but I can only say thank you. It made my life sublime.
DANDAVAT PARIKRAMA OF GOVARDHAN HILL

Niruopadhi-karunena sri-sacinandanena
Tvayi kapahi-sahho ‘pi tvat-priyenarpito ‘smi
Iti khalu mama yogyayogyatam mam agahnan
Nija-nikata-nivasam dehi govardhana tvam
Although I am a cheater and a criminal, unlimitedly merciful Lord Sacinandana, who is very dear to you, has given me to you. O Govardhana, please do not consider whether I am acceptable or not, but simply grant me residence near you.
Text 10 from Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami Sri Govardhana-Vasa Prarthana-Dasaka (Ten Appeals for Residence at Govardhan Hill)

I think possibly I was the first Western devotee to do Dandavat Parikrama of Govardhan Hill in the very early 1980s. By the time I decided to do it I had moved from Kusum Sarovara, my first home at Govardhan Hill, and was living further into the forest of Sri Govardhan at Madan Mohan Mandir in Govind Kund. Having said that, I need to tell you, I was told by devotees at our temple in Vrindavan that I was definitely in Maya… (This is MAYA, Prabhu!!! NOT BONAFIDE!!! You’re becoming a Sahajjiya!!!) I can only smile looking back at all this, as we were all pretty new to everything way back then. I also had no idea there was a proper way to begin a Dandavat Parikrama (Darsan at Hari Mandir, Puja and taking bath at Manasi Ganga, starting the Dandavats at Manasi Ganga, etc). I didn’t chant the mantra all the Vrajvasis chant, instead chanted Hare Krishna. My Hindi was terrible, couldn’t understand a thing, etc., etc., etc., and so, I started out all wrong. I think about the only thing I did right for sure was to chant Hare Krishna and I did do it in the month of Kartika. Despite all my obvious failings and on top of that being ‘totally in Maya, Prabhu (!)’, I think I can safely say, rituals are not the only way to get the mercy of Giriraji, although they can help. So please don’t contact me to guide you. Take the spirit of my efforts if you like, that may be ok, but no need to follow my route. Get in touch with someone eminently qualified like our dear godbrother Deena Bandhu Prabhu to tell you how to execute a proper Dandavat Parikrama…
DAY ONE
GOVARDHAN TO UDDHAV KUND
On the day I decided to begin, I had been thinking of doing this parikrama for some time, but had been filled with trepidation. It was a rather daunting decision—could I actually complete the whole thing? Was I in Maya??? As it happened, that day I was carrying my little white hand-sewn shoulder bag with a change of clothes in it. My Deity was secure in a muslin bag around my neck for safe keeping; I was barefoot, and of course I had my bead bag. Standing at the ourskirts of Govardhan Village on the Govardhan Parikrama Path and facing toward Radha Kund, it came to me that it was either Now or Never, so, gathering up my courage, I took the plunge.
I knew I could not go forward from where-ever I stopped at the end of the day, I could only go backward to find shelter, food and water. I also knew you don’t use a Govardhan Sila to mark the beginning of each new dandavat. This must be an ordinary stone. So I offered obeisances to Srila Prabupada and started. I knew how to do a dandavat, lying out full length as we always did for temple dandavats before the Deities and Srila Prabhpada when he was still present. This is the way I began: placing the stone at the end of my fingertips and then getting up, folding hands in pranam to Govardhan Hill, stepping up to the stone, grasping it and again going down in dandavats and again placing the stone. Thus, measuring the length of Govardhan Hill with the body as an offering, all the while chanting Hare Krishna, I began.
Whew! I quickly began to get the message that this was NOT going to be easy!!! Try doing pushups all day long for 10 days in a row and you kind of get the idea, but not really.
It was dusk when I arrived at Uddhav Kund, midway between Govardhan Village and Radha Kund, covered in dust, limping, fully aware of every aching muscle in my body including some I never knew I had. Fortunately the temple was not yet locked, and I went into the Mandir for darsan. The Pujari and residents there, numbering 2 or 3 Brajvasis and one Sri Sampradaya sadhu, were just lighting their tiny oil lamps and having a little Prasad before taking rest for the night. Out in the more isolated areas of Vraj at that time, there was no electricity and people generally prepared to take rest shortly after sunset. Needless to say they were amazed to see me showing up at this unusual hour when wiser souls had left the path long before and were comfortably resting in daramsalas or their own homes for the night!
Noting my arrival and realizing I was alone doing dandavat parikrama, they very kindly offered me a few chapatis and a place up on the roof of the Mandir to stay the night. The Pujari there is a famous resident of Vraj, whom it is said did 5000 parikramas to get his son, a devotee of the Lord; he recognized me from when I had lived at Kusum Sarovara. I gathered my little bag and prepared to go down to Uddhav Kund to take bath. It was chilly and I was pretty stiff ,tired, and totally covered in Vraj Raj (the cintamani dust of Vraj Mandala). Seeing this, the Sadhu stepped up and said to me, ‘No, no mataji, no need for taking bath now! You have taken bath in the dust of the feet of all those doing Govardhan Parikrama, in the dust of Giriraji Himself, and in the sacred dust of Vraj Mandal. No need to bathe in water tonight!’ and so with the offering of a thin blanket loaned by the Mandir, I climbed up to the flat stone roof of the Mandir.
The moon was just rising over the empty fields and thorny bushes that cover Vraj in that deserted and lonely area. Govardhan is not manifested on this side of the Parikrama path nearly the entire way from Govardhan Village to Radha Kund and then from Radha Kund past Kusum Sarovara : there it manifests at Syama-kutir on the way back to Govardhan Village. I could see the silhouetted domes of Kusum Sarovara not far away, on the other side of the Parikrama Path. It was a familiar and reassuring sight as I had lived there so long. I also knew that after dark these very isolated parts of Govardhan could be dangerous as dacoits (gangs of thieves) also lived in these areas. They sometimes attacked lone travelers and small, isolated Mandirs. The Brajvasis living in such places were always on guard to prevent attacks.
There was a small fire burning in a mudcovered bucket stove on the stone slabbed roof and one could see and feel the glory of Vraj Mandal spread out in all directions in the starry, moonlit night. It was so quiet and serene there. No cars, no people except those souls fully dedicated to a life of service to the Lord in His Holy Dhama. Such a simple life to live. No running water, no indoor toilets, no heating system except a small fire now and then on a cold night, no fans even in hot season. No TV, no phones, no computers. Just the hand-hewn stones of the Mandir, the dust of Vraj, a peacock cry in the distance, the breeze stirring in the trees and a cow lowing softly. Just the Holy Dhama surrounding you on all sides and the association of the Lords dedicated devotees. There is no other life more wonder-filled or satisfying.
As Srila Prabhupada writes in Krsna Book, Krsna was so kind to his dear friend Uddhav he sent him to Vraj on the pretext of sending a message to the residents of Vrindavan. After witnessing the love of the Gopis for Sri Krsna, Uddhav prayed to become a blade of grass or a creeper there so the Gopis would place their feet upon his head.
And thus, I fell to sleep, covered in the enchanted dust of Vraj, enfolded in the gentle, forgiving arms of Vrindavan Dhama that first day of my dandavat parikrama.
_____NOTES:
Comments by devotees reading this section:
Bhaktivedanta Vaikhanas Swami Wonderful, wonderful. I am getting ready to go to Vrindavana for parikrama during the month of Kartika (Oct 18-Nov 18). As usual my mind is thinking of all the obstacles and difficulties. Then I read your story and feel as if I am there at every place that you describe.
Sri Uddhava instructed Gopa Kumar that if he wanted to attain that most rarely achieved goal of serving Krsna in Goloka Vrindavana as a true Vrajavasi- then he must go to this Gokula Vrindavana to perfect his sadhana. Gopa Kumar was not a learned person and was described by Narada as quite naive. But he had one pointed faith and desire to serve Sri Madan Gopal in Vraj. And this carried him past all obstacles.
Sri Sri Radha Krsna and our beloved Gosvamis must appreciate your service so much. The proof is that you are able to remember and describe so movingly your incredible experiences. The power of Vrindavana is so extraordinary and you are capturing the beauty and spiritually compelling qualities of Vrindavana in your story. Please write more. Thank you.________
DAY TWO
UDDHAV KUND TO RADHA KUND
Next morning I was up at 3:00 am and chanted my rounds before going down to Uddhav Kund to bathe and launder my cloth. In the early 1980’s Uddhav Kund was in a rather dilapidated state, a difficult place to navigate in the dark. I took a little Prasad from Uddhav Mandir as my clothes dried and then, once again, with prayers to Sri Giriraji, Sri Uddhav, and the Deities of Uddhav Kund and after seeking the blessings of the residents there in that magical, solitary place, I continued my dandavat parikrama of Govardhan Hill. The day was bright and warm, the parikrama path mostly deserted. In the tradition of Gopis, occasional groups of Brajvasi ladies in bright saris, laughing and chattering away like flocks of exotic, colorful birds strode by, feet outlined in red lac, glass bangles tinkling, ankle bells ringing; clear-eyed babes perched nonchalantly on their hips.
Otherwise, it was quiet, the serene, clear, atmosphere of Vraj sparkling in the sunlight. The empty fields of the farmers, just newly sewn with mustard which would bloom a mass of golden yellow in the winter months soon to come, bordered both sides of the parikrama path. Only my chanting and sounds of birds were to be heard as I rose and fell, rose and fell, rose and fell.
As noon approached, Brajvasis passing by shared a spoon or two of subji on a couple of chapatis with me as I sat beside the path. During these early years few Western devotees were to be encountered out in Vraj so hospitality and curiosity were the usual modes of encounter. I was grateful for their mercy as I could carry nothing with me on this parikrama and actually perform the parikrama itself. So, as it should be, I was completely dependent upon the kindness of strangers.
As I labored onward toward Radha Kund, and as I was to become increasingly aware in the days to come, it is not physically possible to do Dandavat Parikrama. It is such a physically demanding sacrifice that one has to laugh while also chanting, completely in awe and disbelief at what is taking place. I think most people who do it say this. To rise and fall, rise and fall, rise and fall, from morning to evening in the holy cintamani dust of Sri Govardhan Hill can only be possible by the mercy of the Supreme Lord in the form of Sri Giridhari Himself. It is He who carries the devotee in His arms throughout the many days it takes to complete this offering. That such an impossible act occurs while you the performer look on and experience it all in complete wonder and amazement is just another one of the glories of Vraj Mandal. Sri Giriraj Maharaj Ki Jai!!!
As early afternoon came on, I was nearing the outskirts of Radha Kunda and decided it would be best to find a place to stay and try to go through the village of Radha Kunda the next day. This was just the second day of dandavats and I was as exhilarated as I was bone weary. As I recall, I rested that night in the mandir of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur which had a dharamsala attached where pilgrims could stay. NOTE: Am unsure of this and more research is necessary. It may have been the Lord Jagannath Mandir.
Evening was swiftly approaching as I washed my cloth in a bucket at a hand pump in the dharamsala and hung it up to dry. As you may know, the residents of Radha Kund also do not do their laundry in Radha and Shyam Kunds as is more commonly done at some of the other kunds around Vraj, but perform such chores from water pumped from wells. I was also quite hungry, but as I recall, being in a Brahmacari Ashram, was too shy to inquire if there might be any Prasad. I lay down wrapped in my sari on the bare wood planks of my cot, a little cold and hungry, and very shortly was sound asleep.
DAY THREE
RADHA KUND
“Of the many objects of favored delight and of all the lovable damsels of Vrajabhumi, Srimati Radharani is certainly the most treasured object of Krsna’s love. And, in every respect, Her divine kunda is described by great sages as similarly dear to Him. Undoubtedly Radha-kunda is very rarely attained even by the great devotees; therefore it is even more difficult for ordinary devotees to attain. If one simply bathes once within those holy waters, one’s pure love of Krsna is fully aroused.” Nectar of Instruction Text 11
Purport by Srila Prabhupada: …‘according to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur even great sages and great devotees like Narada and Sanaka do not get an opportunity to come to Radha-kunda to take their baths, what, then, to speak of ordinary devotees?’
One godbrother told me he had once asked another: ‘Why, if Narada Muni and Sanaka Rsi could not get an opportunity to take bath here, could we?’
This was the reply: Lord Caitanya broke open the storehouse of love of God and distributed it freely, not discriminating as to who is qualified and who is not. That tide of love of God flowed freely within our disciplic succession down to Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur who handed it off to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. In turn Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati ordered his faithful disciple A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to carry it to the West where he himself, drowning in the flood of love of God, disseminated it freely to everyone. And because we have taken up this mission to fulfill the desire of our beloved spiritual master by distributing his books and telling everyone we meet about Krsna, this becomes our qualification to approach Sri Sri Radha-kunda. To the very lowest has come the highest: unqualified love of God, unattainable even by great devotees and sages.
That day as I was about to begin parikrama of the topmost pinnacle of lila pastimes which are decorated with the bejeweled forest groves of the 8 priniciple sakhis of Srimati Radharani, where Caitanya Caritamrta was written and where the bhajan kutirs of the Six Goswamis and other great saints of our Sampradaya are found, I flashed back to 1976 in Los Angeles where a very different scene had occurred. That year I was in LA for the last time to collect funds to go to India. One day in the month of July a gas main suddenly blew up in the center strip of Venice Blvd at Watseka Avenue just opposite the temple. The explosion shattered the huge plate-glass window of Balians Grocery across the street and melted the phone in the phone booth outside the Laundromat we used behind the temple. We all ran outside to find flames and smoke shooting 2 stories high! Workers performing excavation work in the center strip had hit a gas main which exploded instantly throwing a backhoe and workers ten feet into the air. Flames were running down the gutters on both sides of the street. People died. The Laundromat was turned into a temporary morgue for the bodies. Almost immediately helicopters were circling overhead! By order of the police the entire area, including our temple, was evacuated for fear that at any moment gas leaking into the underground sewer tunnels could blow up the entire area!
As all were fleeing out of the area, myself and several devotees were rushing into the Temple to evacuate the Deities, one of which was the Deity Srila Prabhuapda had given me Who was being cared for on the temple altar at the time. My Deity and His paraphernalia were quickly gathered and taken out to safety while I rushed in several more times to assist in removing the paraphernalia of Rukmini Dvarkadisha. Each time I ran into the temple I wondered if this would be the last time I ever ran anywhere again.
This incident set off, for me, months of nightmares in which I found myself in Europe in what seemed to be World War II (I was born in 1942 shortly after commencement of the Second World War). I experienced scenes which were so terrifying I awoke each time praying never to have another one. I lived through one scenario where I was running through a village as bomb doors opened above me and bombs began to fall all around. Another time I was in a fox hole shooting and being shot back at. I had this dream twice. In the second dream, I was shot and died, a lowly young (probably German) soldier on a bloody battlefield of death and carnage – only to emerge again in 1942, the daughter of cattle ranchers in Wyoming in the USA!
A CIVILIZATION OF BUTCHERS
Whenever there is a rise in irreligion the Lord descends Himself as He did in his covered yellow incarnation as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Clearly, it was not by accident that Srila Prabhupada made his destination the United States of America. So many devotees mention that they come from cattle ranching families or that their fathers were butchers. And how many that didn’t fall into those direct categories were born into vegetarian families? Practically none. The history of this planet is a bloody one. In Kali Yuga it has always been about war. And as we have come to realize, wars stem from killing, much of which is killing of animals. As they say, ‘what goes around, comes back around’; it is the vicious cycle of the Law of Karma.
Increasingly we’re getting a vision of the future that awaits anyone born here in the Age of Kali; who but us understands the significance? Who can say what must be done to break the repeated cycle of violence to animals. A cycle which in return creates wars in which the butchers and gluttons are themselves cast into the carnage of blood-soaked, abattoir-like battlefields full of fear, pain, violence, slaughter and death? Srila Prabhupada said, such so-called humans are nothing better than animals. And that is our birthright. We know it well.
I used to wonder why Lord Caitanya appeared 500 years ago. Why didn’t He come now when things are unspeakably worse? Why did Srila Prabhupada’s time with us last such a very brief 11 years? Why were we, coming from the backgrounds that we came from, the ones who received his mercy, his association and his instructions? Why us?
These were questions that I pondered there on the banks of the sacred kund of Srimati Radharani as I began the day’s Dandavat Parikrama. And the answer is now becoming clear as, in my mind, almost 40 years later, I rise and fall, rise and fall, rise and fall, in the writing of my dandavat parikrama of Govardhan Hill.
Writing of this particular day of my journey in dandavats, I couldn’t get the story of Bahulastami, the Kartik advent of Radha Kunda, out of my mind. It is so significant for us in particular that Lord Caitanya came here 500 years ago to re-discover the location of Radha and Shyam Kunds, then mere muddy ponds in a farmer’s field. In reality these kunds are actually the scene of the lila of ‘purification’ of Krsna for the sin of killing the bull demon Aristasura.
For the lowest of this Age, through the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprahu comes the highest mercy. But before proceeding, I want to interject a note of caution, lest we forget: we do not bathe in Radha kund solely to become purified of any of our many sins, including that of animal slaughter, abortion, murder and flesh eating; primarily we bathe here, with great sobriety and reverence, to enable us to attain pure love of God in the mood of the Gopis of Vraj.
As this my vision slowly faded, I again looked out upon the banks of Radha-kund, which at the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s visit to reveal its location, was known as Aristagrama, the home of the demon Aristasura appearing in the form of a bull! Pushing all other thoughts aside with the dawning realization of how truly fortunate were I and my godsiblings and all those to come after us, my journey, measured length by length continued on around Radha Kund and out the other side. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
vraja bhuvana sudhamsoh prema bhumir nikamam
vraja madhura kisori mauli ratna priyeva
paricitam api namna yac ca tenaiva tasyas
tad ati surabhi radhakundam evasrayo me
May very fragrant Radhakunda, which is named after a girl who is a realm of love for He who is the moon of Vraja, a girl who is like the most precious jewel in the crown of the sweet girls of Vraja, be my shelter.
api jana iha kascid yasya seva prasadaih
pranaya sura lata syat tasya gosthendra sunoh
sapadi kila mad isa dasya puspa prasasya
tad ati surabhi radhakundam evasrayo me
The mercy obtained by serving Radhakunda makes the celestial vine of pure love for the prince of Vraja, which is famous for bearing the flowers of service to my queen, sprout. May that very fragrant Radhakunda be my shelter.
Sri Radhakunda-astaka by Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami
Verses 4 & 5
By the end of the day, I was quite tired and also pretty hungry. Radha Kund is a village full of spiritual significance; it is full of devotees who live very simply. Many are poor. I was lucky enough to have a few rupees on me and was able to purchase alu tikkia off a cart as the day progressed. I was beginning to worry about spending another cold night without a blanket and more substantial foodstuffs. Mundane thoughts to say the least, but one has to keep body and soul together. I was just an insignificant sojourner, pretty much un-noticed amidst the pilgrims on the crowded, cobbled streets of Radha Kund.

As I was nearing the end of my dandavats for the day, I suddenly heard a cheerful voice calling my name! Nandalal dasi!!!! Ki hal hai? (what’s happening/how are you?) It was Uddhav Sharma from Kusum Sarovara perched on his bicycle, a jute bag of fresh subji hanging from the handlebars and his young son Kannheya sliding off the back to greet me! Clearly I was doing dandavat parikrama as they could see and they appeared quite delighted (and amused) to see me doing it. I was very equally happy and relieved to see them! Upon hearing I was without Prasad and a blanket for the night, they returned quickly to Kusum Sarovara and Kannheya then pedaled back bearing a blanket and subji roti cooked by Yasoda, Uddhava’s wife. I can still see those large hands of Yasoda as she used to squat before their small cookfire shaping ‘basi rotis’ by hand into nice, thick bhajra chapattis, so tasty and filling.
So, my belly full and a warm brajvasi blanket to cover me, I ended the third day of dandavat parikrama.
Jai Sri Rupa, Sri Sanatana, Bhatta Raghunatha
Sri Jiva, Gopal Bhatta, Dasa Raghunatha
DAY FOUR
RADHA KUND TO KUSUM SAROVARA
Day four proved to be physically much easier for me. My body and mind were adjusting to the rigorous schedule of dandavats at last and I was headed for my old home at Kusum Sarovara. My day thus began on an easy note. Once again I was out amongst the fields of Vraj which I always preferred to the bustling town areas, and, as my body was not so stiff and sore as on the previous days, I set a good pace.
Interestingly, I was soon overtaken by a young Indian couple also doing dandavat parikrama! In all my time in Vraj I think this is the only one in which I encountered this nicely preserved tradition. The husband was performing the dandavats with his wife walking behind. Each time he prostrated himself in the dandavat she would lean over and take the dust from his feet on her head, and then she would bow down. They were accompanied by relatives, servants and a car to carry their gear, foodstuffs, water, bedding, fresh clothing, and other needed articles. At one point they took a break and although they had passed me by, I again caught up and they invited me to sit a moment with them. As it happened, their reasons for performing the parikrama were somewhat different from mine, as they were performing this sacrifice in order to get the benediction of a son! In India if one is in need of something, the population still knows how to approach the Supreme Lord as one of the 4 types of people who come to Him. All glories to the Vedic culture! And higher still, all glories to Srila Prabhupada who taught us the secret of escaping birth and death in the material world!
This couple with their entourage was soon outpacing me and I happily continued on alone, free of the chatter of family and relatives and all it implied; the beauty and sweetness of a morning filled with the cries of peacocks and other birds in Vraj once again embraced me.
At noon Kannheya came pedaling by to bring subji/roti once again and to share a few minutes with me by the side of the path. He was 9 or 10 at this time and a thin, cheeky and bright-eyed, mischievous boy who loved to play with and tease me.
I did my first walking parikrama of Govardhan Hill with Kannheya and his family, when I first moved to Kusum Sarovara . It was mostly due to his efforts and the plucky little Mohan who was 5 or 6, that I made it all the way around the Hill. As I began to tire a little over midway through that first parikrama, Uddhava found just the right stick to make a good 5 ft. danda and Kannheya and Mohan would take the lead holding one end of the danda. Pulling the danda with me holding on to the other end, they dragged me the last one third of the way around the Hill! Fourteen miles is a long way to walk the first time you do this parikrama!
In this lighthearted way, we finished my lunch and Kannheya pedaled on to Radha Kund to retrieve the blanket his family had loaned me for the night. I continued on rising and falling, rising and falling, rising and falling, anticipating shelter and a bath just a short way away at beautiful Kusum Sarovara, the deep and ancient lake of Kusum flowers.
Vraj is unique in the universe as the place of pastimes of Lord Krsna with His beloved cowherd damsels, the Gopis. And Vraj is also special in another way. It is home to the direct descendants of Mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja, the Gopis and Gopas and the cowherd men and their wives, the Vrajvasis. It is the Vrajvasis that to this day, by their presence maintain the ambience of the Dhama with their simple lifestyle, their customs, and their dress. Vraj is their life with its fields and cows, it’s small villages, it’s Pastime Places (Lila Sthalis) and it’s lovely temples; Radha and Krishna are the Lord and Lady of their lives. The Sadhus who also live here make it a place of Bhajana and Sadhana, but they too, live here by the hospitality of the Vrajvasis.
My first ‘bhajan kutir’ when I moved from Krishna-Balarama Mandir was at Kusum Sarovara where I was sheltered and protected by the Sharmas, the Brahmin family who are the caretakers. I was just a naïve, green devotee only very dimly aware of the wonderland I had wandered into and the glories that surrounded me on every side. I did not know that great Munis such as Ashtavakra Muni had lived on the banks of Kusum Sarovara in deep meditation awaiting the appearance on this planet of Radha and Krishna 5,000 years ago. Or that Narada Muni had temporarily obtained the body of a Gopi by bathing here many eons prior to the advent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! And so also it was, that here I learned to live in complete simplicity and began to love Vraj as my heart and soul.
Beyond Srila Prabhupada’s books, which I had brought with me, I had no guides. For Gaudiya siddhanta I needed nothing more, but according to the writings of the Six Goswamis, there are other guides and other means to deepen and open one’s heart to what my beloved Spiritual Master was teaching me. And these I found in the eternal living Vraj whose atmosphere is ever-fresh and purifying as are the waters of her Kundas, the hearts of her residents, the gentle sadhus worshipping there and the very dust we walk upon and so casually take for granted. The Holy Dhama is ever available to teach and purify us from whatever stage we find ourselves arriving at Her door. What I mean and try to convey by this is that one of the 5 goals of spiritual life is to live in Vraj Mandal. And I had arrived, and continue to celebrate that arrival to this day as I near the age of 72 years far away in Kali Yuga America.

Harinama in Radhakunda by HH Janananda Goswami 

We did Harinama Sankirtana at Radha kund and we where very lucky because HH Janananda Goswami joined us this day! (15.03.2015 ) Shri Harinama Sankirtana yajna ki Jai!

Original Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.864434430280031.1073742041.165222206867927&type=1

Harinama in Radhakunda by HH Janananda Goswami 

We did Harinama Sankirtana at Radha kund and we where very lucky because HH Janananda Goswami joined us this day! (15.03.2015 ) Shri Harinama Sankirtana yajna ki Jai!

Original Link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.864434430280031.1073742041.165222206867927&type=1

HH Indradyumna Swami's health update.

Indradyumna Swami: Dear devotees,
Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I would like to thank all of you for your concern, your care and especially your prayers during these last few days. As my dear friend Govinda Swami reported, I was recently diagnosed with Melanoma skin cancer, but the small malignant mole was successfully removed and further testing showed the cancer had not spread anywhere at all. I am presently recovering from surgery to the affected area. My doctors are happy with the results and told me today that I'll be good to go in a few weeks time.
Krsna has been very kind to me and I have had many realizations over the past 2 weeks. I am more grateful than ever for the mercy of my spiritual master, the association of devotees, the holy names, service to my Deities, the chanting of my gayatri mantras, the abode of Sri Vrindavan Dhama and service to the samkirtan movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I wake up each morning and thank the Lord for a new day of service and the opportunity to come closer to His Lotus feet. I am infinitely more aware now how temporary life is and am determined to use every second of what remains of my life in service to guru and Gauranga. I feel a resurgence of dedication to fulfill Srila Prabhupada's instructions to me to, 'preach boldly and have faith in the holy names.' In fact, I feel my service to him has only just begun. Once again I thank all of you for remembering me in my time of difficulty. I look forward to your association for many years to come.
Your servant, Indradyumna Swami
"A person who has developed detachment can give up the bondage of material society, friendship and love, and a person who undergoes great suffering gradually becomes, out of hopelessness, detached and indifferent to the material world. Thus, due to my great suffering, such detachment awoke in my heart; yet how could I have undergone such merciful suffering if I were actually unfortunate? Therefore, I am in fact fortunate and have received the mercy of the Lord. He must somehow or other be pleased with me." [ SB 11.8.38 ]