Amid the antiwar protests of late 1966, Śrīla Prabhupāda put out a mimeographed leaflet (among the very first of his publications in America) from his small storefront temple on New York’s Second Avenue. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s followers and sympathizers handed this leaflet out by the thousands on the streets of New York, and later in San Francisco, Montreal, and other cities. His “Peace Formula” was an entirely new approach to the antiwar question, and for thousands of Americans, it provided the perfect solution. The great mistake of modern civilization is to encroach upon others’ property as though it were one’s own and to thereby create an unnecessary disturbance of the laws of nature. These laws are very strong. No living entity can violate them. Only one who is Kṛṣṇa conscious can easily overcome the stringency of the laws of nature and thus become happy and peaceful in the world. As a state is protected by the department of law and order, so the state of Universe, of which this earth is only an insignificant fragment, is protected by the laws of nature. This material nature is one of the different potencies of God, who is the ultimate proprietor of everything that be. This earth is, therefore, the property of God, but we, the living entities, especially the so-called civilized human beings, are claiming God’s property as our own, under both an individual and collective false conception. If you want peace, you have to remove this false conception from your mind and from the world. This false claim of proprietorship by the human race on earth is partly or wholly the cause of all disturbances of peace on earth. Foolish and so-called civilized men are claiming proprietary rights on the property of God because they have now become godless. You cannot be happy and peaceful in a godless society. In the Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa says that He is the factual enjoyer of all activities of the living entities, that He is the Supreme Lord of all universes, and that He is the well-wishing friend of all beings. When the people of the world know this as the formula for peace, it is then and there that peace will prevail. Therefore, if you want peace at all, you will have to change your consciousness into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, both individually and collectively, by the simple process of chanting the holy name of God. This is a standard and recognized process for achieving peace in the world. We therefore recommend that everyone become Kṛṣṇa conscious by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is practical, simple, and sublime. Four hundred and eighty years ago this formula was introduced in India by Lord Śrī Caitanya, and now it is available in your country. Take to this simple process of chanting as above mentioned, realize your factual position by reading the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and reestablish your lost relationship with Kṛṣṇa, God. Peace and prosperity will be the immediate worldwide result.
This is an old Hindi film which was reproduced by ITV with the title: “This Is Life” In this original version you can activate autotranslation for the subtitles in English.
The plot (From Wilkipedia): Anand Narayan comes from a poor family, which consists of his wife, Gayetri, daughter, Kamla, and two sons Madhu and Govind. Through hard work, disappointed with poor status Anand comes in contact with Lord Krishna face to face when he steals fifty rupees kept for donation by his wife, to pay for crossword competition. Anand complaints to the God about his partial treatment to someone rich and others remaining poor for their no fault. He works with Nekiram, who later on also becomes his business partner, and also his samdhi (in-law) as his daughter is in love with Madhu. Both get married in a simple ceremony. Both Nekiram, and Anand and his family work hard at preparing food in a small sweet shop. After Lord Krishna appears to Anand who asks the Lord for material success, Anands wins the crossword prize, becomes rich and purchases the same Dhaba which now grows into a restaurant, then a larger fancier restaurant, finally a five star hotel. Now Anand and his family are all wealthy and live in a palatial home. Bhagwan Shri Krishna regularly visits him and asks about him and his family. Anand proudly takes all the credit, and asks Krishna to accompany him to see his success and his hotel. Bhagwan Krishna declines, but agrees do so later. Things don’t go quite as well for Anand, when he finds out that Lakiram has been cheating him. Lakiram leaves the house, but Madhu accompanies him. Then Anand finds that Govind has been squandering money and time on women and alcohol; and to top his disappointments, Kamla gets pregnant. When Bhagwan Krishna comes to visit Anand again, he admits that he is a failure, his health is poor, and his family are all strangers to him. Lord Krishna advises Anand that this is his life and he must learn from the Mahabharata, and that every life is a struggle, which is confused by relations and near and dear ones, and also by one’s ego. Once the ego is removed, then only one can see clearly.
The grand festival Amrit Utsav, held on 22 March 2026 at ISKCON Patna, unfolded as a vibrant celebration of devotion, unity, and spiritual joy under the inspiring theme “Bliss of Chanting, Dancing & Feasting.” Organized by the Temple Management Council (TMC) of ISKCON Patna, in collaboration with congregation leaders, the festival attracted enthusiastic participation from more than 1,500 congregation members.
More than 3,000 people gathered along the Hussain Sagar waterfront in Hyderabad, India, on February 8, 2026, for the Hare Krishna Run, a public fitness initiative organized by theISKCON Abids Templeto promote an addiction-free lifestyle and mindful living. The event took place at Sanjeevaiah Children’s Park along Necklace Road and combined community running, music, and congregational chanting with a broader message about personal wellbeing and social responsibility.
The run was structured as a mass-participation outdoor event open to the public. Organizers offered three participation categories for both competitive runners and casual participants: a 10-kilometer Harinaam Run, a 5-kilometer Bhakti Run, and a 3-kilometer Sankirtan Walk. Participants included students, families, fitness enthusiasts, corporate teams, and members of the local ISKCON congregation.
The initiative was hosted by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)through its Abids temple in Hyderabad, with logistical support from W3Global India. The partnership expanded outreach beyond the temple community and brought in participants from corporate and civic networks in the city.
The event’s opening ceremony was attended by several government and institutional representatives. The run was formally flagged off by Nikhil Chakravarty, Director of Industries for the Government of Telangana, along with Shirish Kumar G. Chavan, Managing Director of Nizam Sugar Factory and Dean of ESIC Medical College and Hospital. Both speakers emphasized the importance of community-based initiatives that encourage healthier lifestyles and discourage substance abuse.
As the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) at the United Nations came to a close, the Vaishnavi Ministry North America paused in a spirit of gratitude, reflection, and renewed purpose.
Representing the ministry, Govind Priya Devi dasi, Minister of the Vaishnavi Ministry North America; SyamaMohini Devi Dasi, Secretary of the ministry; and Ila Hatwal, Youth Representative, traveled to New York City to participate in this important global gathering. In addition to attending sessions at the UN, they actively contributed to both online and in-person parallel events organized through NGO-CSW70 (the participation of non-governmental organizations in the UN meeting).
During their time in New York, the delegation engaged with representatives from various countries, exchanging perspectives, experiences, and insights. These conversations revealed a shared global concern, but also a shared hope, that by strengthening women’s leadership, we strengthen the very fabric of society.
One of the central highlights of their participation was the parallel event titled “Equipping Women to Inspire and Lead.” This session carried a powerful message that resonated throughout the discussions: investing in women is, in essence, investing in the future of our communities. This truth was not only spoken but demonstrated through lived experiences, thoughtful dialogue, and the collective wisdom of participants
What is Streetsville? It is one of those charming early Victorian southern Ontario towns. Streetsville, once a tiny town, is now at the heart of Mississauga, one of the largest urban areas of Canada. Still, Streetsville retains a sweetness. And in the heart of this sweet walkable area, devotees of Mississauga come together every week for a Krishna conscious gathering. The group has three chanting sessions, a pravachan (discourse), and a feast with some of my favourites – avocado and asparagus (boiled for three minutes). Vic Johnston Community Centre off of the Credit River, a lovely spot, is the venue. I spoke at the pravachan about karma yoga, the way to get to God through proper actions.
Actually, Streetsville was my second stop for the day. I had already participated in the Sunday satsang services in Brampton which was the mother temple to the one at Mississauga’s base. When one community thrives and grows we expand out to another region to start a new community. The experience we had with this transition was based on the spirit of cooperation. Brampton agreed to sacrifice two or three families to open up a new branch. To some degree, it was fairly easy because some of the Brampton goers are actually from Mississauga as residents there. It is now in the minds of the congregants at the new centre that they do some shopping for a property with an existing building in order to eventually move out of the current rental place.
All went well in both locations. I managed to catch the tail end of the Toronto Sunday Open House at the last service. The kirtan was pulsating. It was three strikes of glory for me.
What is Streetsville? It is one of those charming early Victorian southern Ontario towns. Streetsville, once a tiny town, is now at the heart of Mississauga, one of the largest urban areas of Canada. Still, Streetsville retains a sweetness. And in the heart of this sweet walkable area, devotees of Mississauga come together every week for a Krishna conscious gathering. The group has three chanting sessions, a pravachan (discourse), and a feast with some of my favourites – avocado and asparagus (boiled for three minutes). Vic Johnston Community Centre off of the Credit River, a lovely spot, is the venue. I spoke at the pravachan about karma yoga, the way to get to God through proper actions.
Actually, Streetsville was my second stop for the day. I had already participated in the Sunday satsang services in Brampton which was the mother temple to the one at Mississauga’s base. When one community thrives and grows we expand out to another region to start a new community. The experience we had with this transition was based on the spirit of cooperation. Brampton agreed to sacrifice two or three families to open up a new branch. To some degree, it was fairly easy because some of the Brampton goers are actually from Mississauga as residents there. It is now in the minds of the congregants at the new centre that they do some shopping for a property with an existing building in order to eventually move out of the current rental place.
All went well in both locations. I managed to catch the tail end of the Toronto Sunday Open House at the last service. The kirtan was pulsating. It was three strikes of glory for me.
Situated on the banks of the beautiful Saryu River, Ayodhya, also known as Saket, is the birthplace of Lord Rama and was the capital of the ancient Kosala Kingdom. Here, the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His quadruple expansion as Lord Rama, Laksmana, Bharata and Satrughna appeared as sons of Maharaja Dasaratha in Raghu dynasty in Treta-yuga.
Ayodhya was originally built by Vaivasvata Manu, who is the descendant of Svayambhur Manu, the ruler of the entirety of mankind. Ayodhya was his capital city. Thereafter, Dasaratha developed Ayodhya to such glorious proportions that the kingdom of Indra could hardly compare to it. Ayodhya is one of the seven most sacred cities (sapta-puri) as described in Garuda Purana. The whole tract of Ayodhya spanning 84 kos (nearly 275-km-long pilgrimage route) is smeared with the footprints and pastimes of Lord Ramacandra. There are many important holy places to visit here. Ayodhya Mahatmya of Skanda Purana mentions that Ayodhya city sits on Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra (disc), rising above the earth and the shape of Ayodhya Dhama resembles Matsya (fish).
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada says, “Ayodhya is not bound up with any material worlds. Just like Vrindavana, it is not bound up with any material limitations, as much as Krishna is not bound up by any material limitations. So the kingdom of Ayodhya was historical the tract of land as we see at the present moment, but at that time the king of Ayodhya was the emperor of the world.” (Letter to Satsvarupa, Montreal, 16 June 1968)
Ayodhya Dhama Yatra traditionally begins by visiting the revered Sri Hanuman Garhi temple and offering obeisances to Hanuman Ji, who is the protector of the Dhama. Main temple altar has a magnificent deity of Hanuman Ji sitting on the lap of his mother Anjana, flanked with silver and gold maces, and a silver garland inscribed with the name of Lord Rama. The Vijaya Stambha (victory pillar) that was brought by Hanuman from Lanka, and erected here in celebration of the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana can also be seen.
Sri Kale Ram Mandir, situated on the banks of the Saryu River, is the most important temple to visit. Unique deity of Sri Kale Ram Ji has the whole family of Lord Rama carved out on a Saligrama sila. Sri Kale Ram Ji was originally installed and worshiped by Maharaja Vikramaditya at Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple before Babar attacked. Just before the attack, the pujaries immersed Them in the Saryu River. Many years later, a brahmana from Maharashtra had a dream of Sri Rama and found the deities submerged in Saryu. He established Them at this present temple.
Dasaratha Mahal is the royal palace where Maharaja Dasaratha resided with his kith and kin. Childhood pastimes of Lord Rama were enacted here. At Dasaratha Mahal there are beautiful deities of Maharaja Dasaratha along with Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrughna and their respective families. Near Dasaratha Mahal is Kanak Bhawan. It is an exceptionally beautiful palatial house that was gifted by Lord Rama’s step-mother Kaikeyi to Sita immediately after the marriage. Lord Rama lived here after marriage. The main temple altar has three sets of gorgeous deities of Sri Sri Sita, Rama and Lakshmana. As per the inscription on the walls of Kanak Bhawan, one set of deities was installed by Lord Krishna.
Ayodhya is beautified by the river Saryu. Saryu originates from Mansarovar Lake in Mt Kailash in Tibet (China). Bordering Ayodhya to one side, Saryu is like a golden bracelet of Ayodhya Dhama. In Ramayana there are repeated mentions of the hallowed Saryu where Lord Rama performed numerous pastimes. At Saryu riverfront, there is Ram ki Pairi, a large stretch of ghats and gardens, skirted by a row of ancient temples. Every evening, a beautiful Arati ceremony takes place on the banks of Saryu River. On Diwali, there is a stunning display of millions of oil lamps that are lit to mark Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya, and pay homage to Him and His family. Ayodhya bagged a Guinness World Record when it witnessed the largest display of oil lamps at the Ram Ki Pairi, with the lighting of 6,06,569 lamps on November 14, 2020 during the Deepavali celebrations.
Sri Ram Janmabhoomi is the transcendental birthplace of Sri Rama Lala or baby Rama as called affectionately. As per Skanda Purana, this was the location of the palace of mother Kaushalya where Lord Rama took birth. At the main altar, exquisitely beautiful deities of Sri Rama Lala and His brothers Bharata, Lakshmana and Satrughna are worshipped here with great devotion and fervour. One can have the darshans of Sri Rama Lala at the current make-shift temple, even as the new temple is being constructed. In 1528 AD, unfortunately, the Mughal emperor, Babar, demolished the ancient temple that was originally built by Maharaja Vikramaditya. Indeed, it is extremely heartening to see a magnificent Temple coming up at this place! Ram Janmabhoomi Karyalaya is the workshop of the new temple construction site. One can see here rare photos and descriptions of all the places where Lord Rama visited and performed His pastimes. It is worthwhile to spend time here and immerse oneself in Lord Rama’s pastime places. The model of the new Sri Ram Janmabhoomi temple is also displayed here.
Nandigram is 22 km from Ayodhya and has reference in the Valmiki Ramayana. Bharata, the brother of Lord Rama, spent a very austere and remorseful time here while Rama was in exile for 14 years. There are three significant places to visit – Bharata Kunda, Bharata Gufa (cave) and Sri Bharata Hanuman Milap Temple. Bharata took his bath at Bharata Kunda, which is a huge lake. At Bharata Gufa (cave), Bharata spent his time when Rama was in exile and worshiped the padukas (honourable sandals) of Lord Rama. Nearby is Sri Bharata Hanuman Milap Temple, where we can have the darshan of beautiful deities of Bharata and Hanuman embracing each other. Nandigram is a quiet and serene place.
Makhauda Dhama is 19 km from Ayodhya, on the banks of Manorama river. This significant landmark has importance equal to Ram Janmabhoomi. Maharaja Dasaratha, on the advice of sage Vasistha, did the Putra-Kameshti yajna here, along with sage Rishyasringa to beget sons. There are two temples for Sri Rama Janaki here that are the site of putra-kameshti yajna. A ghee drain was laid from Ayodhya to Makhauda Dhama to bring in the huge quantities of ghee required for the yajna. The remains of this ghee drain can be seen starting from the borders of Ayodhya to the Ghaghova bridge till Makhauda Dhama. The renowned Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama (84 Kosi) of Ayodhya starts on the Purnima day of Chaitra month from Makhaura Dhama. Sri Ramrekha Temple is at Makhauda Dhama. This was the resting place for the attendees of the Vivaah (marriage) of Sri Rama and Sita.
Revered Lakshmana Qila temple is on the banks of the holy Sahasradhara Tirtha. This ancient temple is the spot where Lakshmana concluded his manifest earthy pastimes. Dasaratha Samadhi is 14 km from Ayodhya. Dasaratha left his body amid immense aggrievement at separation from his beloved son Rama. He was cremated at this place and a temple was built as a memorial to him in Bilva Hari ghat. Sacred Guptar Ghat is situated on the banks of the Saryu River, 10 km from Ayodhya. Lord Rama concluded His manifest pastimes by taking ‘Jal Samadhi’ here along with His two brothers, Bharata and Satrughna and all the inhabitants of Ayodhya.
Mani Parvat, implying the divine hillock of jewels, was brought from Janakpur after the marriage of Lord Rama with Sita. Mani Parvat was Sita Devi’s favourite location. Every year, Sita Rama’s Jhulan Utsava is observed throughout Ayodhya during the month of Sravana, which starts from here. Sita Kunda, one of the holiest sites in Ayodhya, is located in the Kami Ganj area near Mani Parvat. Just like Lord Rama would take a daily bath at Saryu river, Sita took the bath here. Sita Kunda was created by Sita herself.
Sri Valmiki Ramayana Bhawan is a unique multi-story temple that has the entire 24000 Sanskrit slokas in Valmiki Ramayana inscribed on all the walls. One can have rare and wonderful darshans of sage Valmiki with Lord Rama’s sons, Luv and Kusa standing side by side. Celebrated Surya Kunda is on the outskirts of Ayodhya while returning from Nandigram.
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has a temple in Ayodhya Dhama. Ayodhya had seven famous ancient Vishnu Murtis, each with a different prefix and with a unique pastime. Sapta-Hari Murtis include - Guptahari, Chakrahari, Vishnuhari, Chandrahari, Bilvahari, Dharmahari and Punyahari. Punyahari and Bilvahari temples do not exist anymore. These temples existed even before Lord Rama descended Himself and are located at various ghats on the banks of Saryu river.
Besides these places, there are many other holy places of Lord Rama’s pastimes spread in 84 kos of Ayodhya that can be covered while undertaking the Parikrama. Traditionally, there are four types of Parikramas (circumambulation) undertaken to cover Ayodhya Dhama - Antargrahi Parikrama, Panchkoshi Parikrama (16 km circuit), Chaturdashkoshi Parikrama (a circular journey of 45 km done once a year on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Navami in the Kartik month) and Chaurasi Koshi Parikrama that starts on Rama Navami.
Rama Navami, Deepavali, Rama Vivah (the day marking the marriage of Sri Rama and Sita), Sravana Jhula festival (July-August), Kartik Purnima and the folk theatre of a traditional Rama Lila performance during Dussehra are the major festivals celebrated with tremendous jubilation in Ayodhya. Throughout Ayodhya, one can hear the continuous vibrant chants of Lord Rama’s kirtan – ‘Jai Ram Sri Ram Jai Jai Ram’.
Places to visit in and around Ayodhya:
1. Sri Hanuman Garhi
2. Sri Kale Ram Mandir
3. Dasaratha Mahal
4. Kanak Bhawan
5. Saryu River Ghat
6. Sri Ram Janmabhoomi
7. Ram Janmabhoomi Karyalaya
8. Nandigram (22 km from Ayodhya)
9. Makhauda Dhama (19 km from Ayodhya)
10. Sri Valmiki Ramayana Bhawan
11. Lakshmana Qila Temple at Sahastradhara
12. Sri Guptar Ghat
13. Mani Parvat and Sita Kunda
14. Sri Nageshwarnath Temple
15. ISKCON Ayodhya
16. Sapta Hari Temples
17. Dasaratha Samadhi
18. Surya Kunda
Ayodhya is a 135 km (2½ hour) drive from Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya is well connected by rail from throughout India. Ayodhya airport, Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport will soon be serving flights from Ayodhya.
(Activate Autotranslation for the subtitles in English)
A heartfelt dramatic offering revealing the beautiful truth — Ram the Ideal King Ram the Loving Friend Ram the Goal of Sages Ram the Beloved of Every Devotee
Witness the most touching episode — Kevat’s simplicity, selfless service & pure devotion and the unforgettable *divine conversation with Lord Ram while helping Him cross the river.
A story that reminds us… Every heart finds its own Ram
On 25 March 2026, a historic milestone was reached when, for the first time in the 1,400-year history of the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury, a woman was installed.
Dame Sarah Mullally formally took her seat on the Chair of St Augustine at Canterbury Cathedral before an audience of around 2,000 distinguished guests, including Prince William, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Her Grace Visakha Dasi, Temple President, was invited to attend as part of a multi-faith presence in the Cathedral: “Representing Bhaktivedanta Manor at this momentous occasion, I was deeply struck by the spirit of inclusivity that permeated the ceremony. Religious leaders from a wide range of faiths and Christian denominations gathered together, reflecting a genuine sense of unity. The celebrations were enriched by vibrant elements such as traditional African dance, along with prayers and singing in African languages, Urdu, and Spanish.
“The atmosphere throughout was one of harmony—embracing diversity across faiths, cultures, generations, and traditions, while bridging the gap between heritage and modernity.
Maharajs is currently stable and recovering following his recent brain surgery. There are some encouraging signs, although it is still early in the recovery process.
The care team continues to monitor him closely, and the focus now is on gradual rehabilitation and support.
Many have kindly asked how they can help. In discussion with the care team, it has become clear that his recovery will require ongoing rehabilitation, support with daily activities, and some important home modifications to ensure a safe and supportive environment.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support these needs:
10. Panchamukha Hanuman Temple and Floating stones from Lord Rama’s Bridge
11. Jada Tirtham
12.Thirupullani Temple
13. Sethu Karai(Sethu Bridge)
14. Pamban Bridge
15. Gulf of Mannar Bio sphere Reserve (GOMBR)
Rameswaram is situated at the extreme south end of India on the Gulf of Mannar. The island is in the shape of a conch shell, 55 km by 12 km. It is one of the most prominent holiest pilgrimage places in India. Srimad-Bhagavatam (canto 10 chapter 79 verses 16-17) states that Lord Balarama visited “Setubandha [Rameswaram]” in the course of His pilgrimage. Lord Caitanya also visited Rameswaram during His South India tour as mentioned in Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila Chapter 9 verses 199-209.
Rameswaram is tropical island surrounded by coral reefs and sandy beaches with coconut palms and tamarind trees. It is a major centre of pilgrimage. The Sri Ramanathaswamy temple is one of the most important in India. It is a massive complex with a number of shrines, holy wells, gopurams, and several long hallways, one reaching 4000 feet in length, the longest in the world. The halls are adorned with many large pillars, some of them covered with scroll work, lotus designs, animals, and other figures, and colorfully painted medallions are on the ceilings. The worship at the temple goes back many thousands of years. The Rameswaram temple is also where Lord Caitanya found the Kurma Purana. In Kurma Purana, Lord found a verse stating that Ravana kidnapped an illusory Sita, and the real Sita was safely hidden by Agnideva. This information has greatly relieved many devotees of Sri Sri Sita-Rama. Rameswaram is easy to reach after seeing Madurai and the surrounding area. One can catch the early morning train from Madurai to Rameswaram.
In Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya lila Chapter 9 verse 199, ISKCON Founder-Acarya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada mentions in the purport: “The path from Mandapam through the ocean to the island known as Pambam consists partly of sand and partly of water. The island of Pambam is about 17 miles long and 6 miles wide. On this island, four miles north of Pambam Harbour, is Setubandha, where the temple of Rameavara is located. This is a temple of Lord Siva, and the name Ramesvara indicates that he is a great personality whose worshipable Deity is Lord Rama. Thus the Lord Siva found in the temple of Ramesvara is a great devotee of Lord Ramacandra.
In this area there are twenty-four different holy places, one of which is Dhanus-tirtha, located about 20 miles southeast of Rameswaram. It is near the last station of the Southern Railway, a station called Ramnad. It is said that here, on the request of Ravaṇa’s younger brother Vibhīṣaṇa, Lord Ramacandra destroyed the bridge to Lanka with His bow while returning to His capital. It is also said that one who visits Dhanus-tirtha is liberated from the cycle of birth and death, and that one who bathes there gets all the fruitive results of performing the yajna known as Agnistoma.”
Devotees continuously ask us the million-dollar question, “When is the TOVP opening?” Since construction began in 2009, there have been several opening dates announced, but they have been pushed back for various reasons, such as financial constraints and COVID.
Now, an official and definite date has been scheduled, and Ambarisa Dasa and Braja Vilasa Dasa, Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively, have made a commitment to this Grand Opening date as a worldwide offering to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada on his 50th Disappearance Day Anniversary, November 1, 2027. The opening itself will be a 3-4 month-long celebration leading up to Gaura-purnima on March 11, 2028. All our beloved Mayapur Deities will be relocated into Their new palace during that time, along with sixteen new acharya murtis. Mega kirtans, cultural programs, parikramas, and much more will be organized, interspersed with the moving of the Deities.
This will be a momentous and historic event for ISKCON and the entire worldwide Vaishnava community of Vishnu/Krishna bhaktas. It has already been predicted by priests of the Tirupati Balaji temple, which receives about 30 million visitors a year, that the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium will become the Tirupati of the East with an anticipated 60 million pilgrims visiting annually. We cannot fathom the wide-ranging influence the TOVP will have on the world.
Use one or more of the links below to stay in touch and informed so you can get ready for this monumental and world-altering event, manifesting Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s great mercy.
The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) recently presented its annual “Year in Review,” highlighting significant global progress in distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books and outlining new initiatives to expand outreach. The online call, hosted by ISKCON’s Minister of Book Distribution Vaisesika Dasa, emphasized that book distribution remains central to ISKCON’s mission, noting that the Governing Body Commission traditionally begins its annual meetings by reviewing worldwide book distribution results. Leaders encouraged devotees to “advocate” for book distribution within their communities, explaining that when leaders visibly support the effort, it inspires greater participation and engagement throughout the movement.
According to the call, devotees distributed 11,696,547 pieces of BBT literature worldwide in 2025, including over 5.8 million copies of Bhagavad-gita As It Is during the annual “Live to Give” marathon campaign. Distribution efforts spanned dozens of countries and languages, with significant contributions from India, North America, Europe, Africa, and other regions. The report also highlighted the continued growth of the Bhadra campaign, focused on distributing sets of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In 2025, devotees distributed 40,381 Bhagavatam sets worldwide, and organizers have set an ambitious goal of 100,008 sets by 2026.
Mukunda Goswami is now in recovery following recent brain surgery to relieve pressure caused by internal bleeding, according to an update from his care team. The procedure was successful, and devotees worldwide have been encouraged by early signs of movement as he begins the next phase of healing.
The update follows an earlier report published by ISKCON News, which informed the global community of his hospitalization and the urgent need for prayers ahead of the operation. A senior disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and a longtime leader in ISKCON’s Communications Ministry, Mukunda Goswami has spent decades offering spiritual guidance, pastoral care, and outreach worldwide.
Members of our Bhakti Academy in Toronto (BAT) were hankering to go on an outing. They wanted a break. It had been a long and brutal winter and a modest trip to the country would be fun. A change would be good. The idea came up to visit Gir Farms in Caledon. We had been there before. Everyone loved it. And besides, a Canadian swami had come to visit and we could get a good message from him apart from the great hospitality we receive from Vishal and Yasomati, the proprietors. They are strong devotees as is Bhakti Raghava Swami, my godbrother, born and raised in the Hearst/Timmins area.
It is a one hour drive from our Toronto ISKCON centre to the farm where you get to pet and feed the cows and bulls and spend some quality time there. People from all around come to cuddle the animals and gain some calmness.
Our visit began with food (prasadam) with a good percentage of it locally grown. Bhakti Raghava put in a good pitch for the case of “Simple living and high thinking,” a phrase coined by Gandhi, adapted by our guru, Prabhupada, who encouraged that kind of lifestyle. That may not be everyone’s lifestyle choice, but going in that direction, such as growing a garden over erecting a deck in one’s backyard, is not a bad way to go.
Our crew of BAT got the buzz out of the day they deserved. And what a gorgeous day it was. The sun was with us, the temperature too. The peace of the farm provided that break from the city we were yearning for.
Lord Sri Ramacandra is a powerful incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as an ideal king. He appeared in the Treta-yuga, more than two million years ago.
This is a verse from Brahma-samhita in which the incarnation of Lord Ramacandra is described. Ramadi. Not only Rama, but there are many other, innumerable incarnations. They are compared with the waves of a river. As the waves of the river or the waves of the ocean cannot be counted, similarly, how many incarnations are there of the Supreme Lord it is not possible to count. But out of them, the principal names are mentioned in the sastras. Therefore it is said ramadi. Ramadi means Rama and also other, many incarnations. And they are existing. Not that one incarnation appeared and it is finished. No. Not like that. Just like Lord Ramacandra appeared on this planet, say millions of years before. He appeared in the Treta-yuga. Treta-yuga means… We have passed only five thousand years of this age, Kali-yuga. Before that, there was Dvapara-yuga. Dvapara-yuga means 800,000 years. And before that, there was Treta-yuga, which continued for twelve hundred thousands of years. That means at least two million years before Lord Ramacandra appeared on this planet.
ramadi murtishu kala-niyamena tishthan nanavataram akarod bhuvaneshu kintu krishnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami
So now Lord Ramacandra appeared in Ayodhya. There is a place in Ayodhya, in northern India. There He appeared. As Krishna appeared in Mathura… That is also northern India. And Mathura is about ninety miles down southward from New Delhi. You have heard the name of New Delhi, the capital of India. So Ayodhya is also situated about five hundred miles northeast of New Delhi. So Lord Ramacandra appeared on this day. Today is called Sri Rama Naumi. On the ninth day of the moon Lord Ramacandra appeared. His father was the king of Ayodhya, and he had three wives. So out of… No. He had two wives. So out of two wives he got four sons. Ramacandra is the eldest son. The life and activities of Lord Ramacandra is… [break] …in a book which is called Ramayana. You have heard the name of Ramayana. Ramayana is also accepted as history. Vedic literatures are histories also.
The Puranas, the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Mahabharata, and Ramayana, they are counted amongst the history. The history of Ramacandra is that His father wanted to retire. Dasaratha, Maharaja Dasaratha. And he decided to enthrone Lord Ramacandra and retire. So everything was settled, but just one day before, his youngest wife turned the whole thing into different way. Sometimes Maharaja Dasaratha was suffering from what is called whitlow, some trouble in the finger? And this queen served him very nicely, and he was pleased. And he said, “My dear Sarmishtha, if you want some benediction from me, I can give you.” And she replied that “I shall ask you for the benediction when I require it. Not now.” So just one day before Lord Ramacandra’s coronation, she approached her husband Maharaja Dasaratha and reminded him, “My dear husband, you promised to give me some benediction, and I told you that I shall ask you when I require it.” Maharaja Dasaratha said,
“Yes, I remember. You want some benediction just now?” She said, “Yes.” “And what is that?” She said that “Ramacandra cannot be seated on the throne. My son should be coronated, Bharata.” He was surprised. It is a big demand. So he said, “All right. That will be done. Your son.” Because formerly, the kings… Not only formerly, even up to date, there are many kshatriya kings in India. They have more than one wife. And they are, naturally, there is rivalry between different wives. So the same thing. Human psychology is the same. Even two million years ago the same mentality was there, and she asked that “My son should be the king, not Ramacandra.” Ramacandra happened to be the son of Kausalya, the elder queen.
So Maharaja Dasaratha agreed and called for Ramacandra. “My dear boy, your…” She asked also that… She was very diplomatic. She wanted that Ramacandra go to forest for fourteen years. The idea was political, that “The king may agree to install my son just now. Now, after a few days, this Ramacandra may come with His army, and there may be some difficulty to continue the kingdom.” So she wanted that Ramacandra should go to the forest and He should not come back till the end of fourteen years from this day. So Maharaja Dasaratha agreed. Because he was kshatriya. Just see the promise.
A kshatriya never goes back from the promise, never refuses any challenge. If a kshatriya is challenged by somebody, that “I want to fight with you,” oh, he cannot refuse. This is kshatriya spirit. He cannot say that “I am now busy.” Suppose somebody comes to you, that “I want to fight with you.” You may say, “What nonsense fight? I have no time. We are in the temple.” But a kshatriya cannot deny that. A kshatriya at once must accept. “Oh, yes. Come on.” And the weapon should be, if he has no sword or weapon, he should be supplied weapon and fight. This is kshatriya spirit. They were highly charitable and chivalrous and keeping promise and with a great tendency for ruling over. They shall rule over. Administrators. Their business is…
There are different prescription for different classes of men for their livelihood. The brahmanas, they can pull on their livelihood by six ways. Pathana pathana yajana yajana dana pratigraha. Six. And they must be qualified with twelve high qualities. We have many times discussed. Out of that qualification, truthfulness is the first item for a brahmana. A kshatriya may speak lies. That is allowed, because he has to be diplomat, politician. But a brahmana, oh, he’s not allowed to speak lie.
This is the system, caste system or varnasrama system. Everyone was trained. Because these four classes of men are required in a society. For proper upkeep of society, one class of men must be very intelligent, highly qualified, with all good qualities. They must be trained in that way, ideal character so that people can see and follow them. Therefore brahmanas were taken to so much respect because they’re ideal character, learned, and godly, knows the science, spiritual science. Therefore they’re held in high estimation and topmost of the society. The next, the administrator, administrative class, kshatriyas.
They are trained how to kill. The kshatriyas were allowed to hunt in the forest to learn the art of killing because that was necessity for the kshatriyas. Kshatriya, if he… If the king, if he finds somebody is doing wrong, he can immediately chop off his head if he likes. The king was so powerful. And it is not that if there was some war, it is not that the president or the king shall sit down comfortably at home and ordinary soldiers will go and lay down their life. No. Formerly, the king or the head of the state, he should first of all go there in the fight. You see in the picture, the chief men of the fighting in the Kurukshetra, both sides, they were arrayed, this side, that side, with their chariot.
Not that the head man, the chief man, or the commander is taking shelter back side, protecting himself, and poor soldiers are (chuckles) thrown into the fighting. No. These were kshatriya spirit. And it is necessary that a class of men should be trained up in that way, kshatriya, fighting men. In India, because this training was there since a very long time, so there is no difficulty in recruiting soldiers there.
There is a class of men, they are very much forward in fighting still. They are called… Just like the Gurkhas, the Nepalese. You have heard the name of Nepal. Still a small state, independent state. They are not within India. Between China and India. The whole Nepal population, they are kshatriyas. Oh, they are very good fighters. Similarly, the Sikhs, the Jatas. There are classes. So they’re always forward for fighting. And you’ll be surprised that the British Empire was voluntarily liquidated because they lost India. The Britishers, they understood that because we are now losing India, there is no more possibility to keep our eastern empire. Therefore they liquidated. Why? Actually, the whole British Empire were being administered or managed by Indian soldiers, these Sikhs and Gurkhas. They extended their empire. After taking their position with India, they extended British Empire in the Middle East and Far East simply by these Sikhs and Gurkha soldiers. They got supremacy on the Burma and everywhere.
So there is necessity of a class of fighting men. You are finding in your country difficulty in recruiting because the recruiting process is wrong. You are recruiting from persons… You are training persons just like sudras, and you want them to fight. How they can fight? It is not possible. So as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that catur-varnyam maya srishtam guna karma vibhagasah… [Bg. 4.13]. Lord Krishna said that “The four classes or orders of the society, brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya, sudra, is planned by Me according to work and quality.” So this kshatriya quality men is also required, the brahmana quality of men is also required, the mercantile community, they are also required, and the laborer class, they are also required. Of course, laborer class, they do not require any training. Laborer class means one who cannot do anything, neither become brahmana, nor become kshatriya, nor become vaisya. That means the last balance of the population, they are called laborer class, sudra. Sudra means one who has no training. Sudra has no samskara. Samskara means training. Everyone is accepted as sudra by birth. Janmana jayate sudra. Janmana means by birth. By birth, everyone is born a sudra, a fourth-class man. It is to be accepted, and actually so. Just like a child, innocent child, what does he know? He has to be trained. Either you train him as a brahmana or train him as a kshatriya or train him as a vaisya. Or otherwise, he is sudra already, born sudra. Sudra has no training. Everyone, the basic principle, basic foreground, everyone, it is accepted sudra. Now, if you train him as a brahmana, then he becomes a brahmana. If you train him as a kshatriya, then he becomes a kshatriya. If you train him as a vaisya… So I think this is, this system is very scientific so that if you want help of a really intelligent man or God realized man, it is ready, the brahmana class. Just like if you require the help of a lawyer, we have got so many lawyers. If you require the help of medical man… Because there are trained men. Similarly, the society requires to train a certain class of men to become brahmanas. Just like we are training the Krishna conscious. The Krishna consciousness is meant for the brahmanas.
They are not meant for fighting because they are not being trained for fighting. They have been trained for becoming brahmanas. Who is brahmana? Brahma janati iti brahmana. The four divisions are described like this. Janmana jayate sudrah, everyone is born sudra. That is accepted. Samskarad bhaved dvijah. Now if you train him, never mind in which family he’s born, you have to train him. Just like boys are sent to school for being trained. So everyone is accepted as sudra, but you now train him. He goes to the guru-griha.
Guru-griha means teacher’s house. Formerly, for being trained, there was no such big scale school and colleges. Every village… Still, fifty years before in India, in every village there was a small school conducted by the brahmana, and the village children would be trained up there. So he was sent for training. And there was no school fee. The boys will go there, and on behalf of the teacher or spiritual master, they will go, brahmacari, door to door, and beg and bring forth alms, rice, dahl, grains, and everything. That was the system. There was no school fee. There was no problem how to send a boy to the school. Samskara. Now he’s trained up. The teacher sees the psychology of the boy, in which way he should be trained. Either he should be trained as a vaisya or he should be trained as a kshatriya. So everyone was trained like that, but generally, the son of a kshatriya… Just like Maharaja Ramacandra or Arjuna, from the very beginning they were trained as kshatriya.
Naturally, if somebody is the son of a medical man his father trains him to become a medical man in future. That is the natural tendency. If the boy is different altogether that is another question, but naturally, that is the tendency. So a kshatriya’s son was trained as kshatriya. A brahmana’s son was trained as a brahmana and a vaisya’s son was trained as a vaisya, and sudra had no training. So gradually this became a caste system. Brahmana’s son became brahmana. Because formerly, the training was there. But when it is vitiated, although a person born in the family of a brahmana, he is doing the work of a sudra. So according to Vedic scripture, one is classified according to his work and quality, not by birth. That is the classification of sastra. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says catur-varnyam maya srishtam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Guna means quality and karma means work. One must be qualified for the work and he must actually work. Then he is counted classified into that, I mean to say, category. Just like if you are simply trained or educated as a lawyer, and if you are not practicing in the court, nobody comes to you to consult as a lawyer.
Nobody cares for you. You must be practicing also. Similarly, to become a brahmana means first of all, he must know what is Brahman and he must be actually situated in the activities of Brahman. So devotional service are activities of Brahman. Activities in Krishna consciousness means activities in Brahman. Brahme carati iti brahma brahmacari. Carati means acts. Actually, he acts in life, applies the principles of brahmana in his life, he is called brahmacari. So these were the trainings. So just see how the training was, that a kshatriya cannot refuse his promise. So Maharaja Dasaratha, he fulfilled the promise of his youngest wife and asked his son, eldest son Ramacandra, “My dear boy, You’ll have to go to forest for fourteen years. That is the desire of Your youngest mother. And I promised that I shall fulfill her promise, uh, request. So please accept.” Ramacandra said, “Yes father, I am ready.” Just see. This is the quality. Out of the six opulences of God, this is one quality.
How one becomes God? God is not manufactured by vote. There are definition who is God. God must be the proprietor of all the riches. Aisvaryasya samagrasya. Samagra means all. Nobody can compete with Him. Here, in this world, material world, I am rich man, and there is another rich man who can compete with me. There is another rich man who can compete with him. But nobody can compete with God in richness. That is one qualification of God. Nobody can say that “I am richer than God.” You can say “I am richer than Ford or Rockefeller” or this or that. You can say. But nobody can say that “I am richer than God.” Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said mattah parataram nanyat asti kincid dhananjaya. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Dhananjaya is a name of Arjuna, and Krishna said that, “My dear Arjuna, there is nobody greater than Me.” So if anyone claims that he is God, he must prove by practical example that nobody is richer than him. That is the first. But unfortunately, we are accepting so many Gods. A rascal in the street, he also claims that “I am God.”
So similarly, the other qualification, nobody can be stronger than God, nobody can be wiser than God, nobody can be more beautiful than God, and nobody can be more renouncer than God. So here Ramacandra, Lord Ramacandra exhibited the quality how He renounced the whole kingdom simply on the order of His father, His obedience to father. He could have argued with His father, “My dear father, you, simply for keeping your promise and actuated by the dictation of a woman, you are doing this. Let us stop it. Everyone is expecting that tomorrow My coronation will be there, and they love Me so much.” Because He… Just like Krishna was so much loved, similarly, Lord Ramacandra was the life of the people. They were very much expecting that Ramacandra was going to be enthroned tomorrow. So how they were celebrating, how they were decorating the whole city. Everything. He never argued. He accepted immediately: “Yes, father. I am ready.”
So then one of the brothers, Lakshmana, He also requested Ramacandra, “My dear brother, You also take Me. I am Your constant companion. I must go with You.” So He said, “That’s Your wish. Voluntarily, if You want to come, You can come with Me.” Then Sita, His wife, young wife, She also said, “I’ll go with You.” Ramacandra requested His wife, “Oh, you cannot go with Me. It is very difficult. You are a king’s daughter, and you are brought up in so nice way, and you are so beautiful. You cannot go. You cannot take the trouble of living in the forest.” So she said, “Oh, I am Your wife. Married wife. So I must go even if You go to hell.” This is ideal wife. She could have refused: “Oh, Your father has ordered to go to forest. You can go. I shall go to my father’s house or I shall remain here.” No. This is ideal wife. She must be prepared to accept any circumstances of the husband. Not that when the husband is rich the wife is very faithful, and when he has come down to be poor or he’s going to forest the wife gives up his company. No. Wife means better half. She must abide.
Just like, it is said, just like a shadow follows the reality, similarly, the wife is the shadow of the husband. Wherever the husband goes, she must go. Whatever the husband wants, she must carry out. Of course, in this country this interpretation is taken differently, that wife is made a slave. But actually, it is not so. When Sita was kidnapped in the jungle, Ramacandra expected that, that she was beautiful, she was young, and “We shall be in open jungle. It may be some demons may come,” and actually it so happened. So for Sita, Lord Ramacandra massacred the whole family of Ravana. Only for Sita. So as the husband, so the wife. The wife was so faithful that she could not remain alone. She must accompany the husband even in the forest. And the husband was so faithful that, “Oh, my wife has been kidnapped.” So He massacred the whole family of Ravana.
So these are ideal history how… Ramacandra, Lord Ramacandra appeared on this world to educate or to place ideal example of a king. How the king should be. Therefore when there is good government… The example is given, Rama-rajya. Rama- rajya. It is the kingdom of Lord Rama. Because everyone was happy, everyone. There are so many instances in the life of Ramacandra. One brahmana… Not brahmana exactly. Somebody came to Ramacandra. Because at that time there was no court like this, that you have to go to a court and apply with stamp fee. Then your judgment will be delivered after six years. It is not like that. Anyone who has got some complaint, he should… The king used to sit in the open audience, and the citizens were allowed to approach the king and place their complaints. Because there was no complaint practically. Everyone was happy. Very minor complaint. So somebody came to Ramacandra, and he charged Ramacandra, “My dear king, my son has died. How is that, in the presence of his father, son can die? There must be something wrong in Your government.” Just see. The charge is “Why my son has died before my death? This is unnatural.” So there was nothing unnatural. The king was responsible even for severe cold, severe heat. That we get from history of Srimad-Bhagavatam. That is stated. So the kings were so much responsible. They were always thinking of the happiness of the citizens, and the citizens were also so nice.
One citizen approached Lord Ramacandra and His next assistant, His brother, Lakshmana, informed Him that “He is a brahmana. You were absent on Your tour for, I think for a fortnight or a month, and this brahmana has not eaten even a drop of water during Your absence.” Why? “Because he comes here to see You, darsana.” Just like we come here in the temple to see the Deity. So Lord Ramacandra was present personally. So he used to come. After seeing Ramacandra, offering his obeisances, then he would go home and take something, his breakfast. That was his vow. And because he could not see for a fortnight or a month Lord Ramacandra because He was out on political tour, he did not eat even. Just see. The citizens were similar to the king. So at that time, there was a statue of Ramacandra which was being worshiped in the family from Maharaja Ikshvaku. Maharaja Ikshvaku, the son of Manu, happens to be the forefather of the family in which Ramacandra appeared. So he was devotee of Lord Rama, and he was worshiping the statue of Lord Rama. So that statue was being worshiped by the family one after another. But when Ramacandra was actually present He kept that statue in the closet of the room, and when this brahmana approached and Ramacandra was informed by Lakshmana that he is so steady and strong in his vow, so Ramacandra ordered that he may be delivered that statue so that in My absence he can offer respect to the statue and do with this. That form, I mean to say, statue, or arca of Ramacandra is still existing in South India. It is being worshiped from that time.
So these were the dealings of Ramacandra. Then He, His younger brother Lakshmana and His wife went to the forest, and His wife was kidnapped by the diplomacy of the demon Ravana, and there was fight between Rama and Ravana. Ravana was very, materialistically, he was very strong. But the thing is for fighting with Ravana, Ramacandra did not come back to His kingdom and take His army. No. He did not come back because He was ordered to live in the forest. So He organized army with the jungle animals, the monkeys. The monkeys. He fought with Ravana, an organized materialist, with the monkeys. You have seen the picture. And He constructed a bridge between India’s last point to the other side. Ceylon is considered to be the kingdom of Ravana. So there was a bridge, and the stones were floating.
So there are so many historical incidences in the life of Ramacandra, and we should remember, because if we remember why we are observing today fasting for Ramacandra… There were many kings like Ramacandra. Because the kings were trained in that way. Maharaja Yudhishthira was also as good as Ramacandra, and Maharaja Parikshit was as good. There were many such kings. But we are not concerned because He was a king. He is the King of all kings, paramesvara. Because He is God, therefore we are observing today. Ramadi-murtishu kala-niyamena tishthan [Bs. 5.39]. So He is not original form of God. The original form of God is Krishna, and Krishna expands Himself in various other forms. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta-rupam means millions and millions. The Manu is also incarnation of Krishna. So in one day of Brahma there are fourteen Manus. So Brahma lives for one hundred years. Just see how many incarnation of Manus are there even for one Brahma, and there are innumerable Brahmas also. So, as stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that nobody can count how many incarnations are there, but some of the chief incarnations are mentioned, and Lord Ramacandra is one of them. So Lord Ramacandra, He killed Ravana and He installed his brother.
His brother was devotee, Vibhishana. So He did not go to conquer Ceylon, because He was emperor. He went to punish that culprit Ravana, and He installed his younger brother Vibhishana in that… And He came back with Sita, and again He was installed after fourteen years, and His brother was so faithful that so long His eldest brother was away, Ramacandra requested Him that “Your mother wants that You should be king, and I also wish that in My absence You should be king.” Bharata, He was so faithful brother, He replied, “No. You are king. So long You are living, nobody can be king. So I cannot be king.” Then He requested, “At least You administer.” Because after the departure of Lord Ramacandra, Maharaja Dasaratha died out of the shock because Ramacandra was very pet son, eldest son. He was going to be king, and by his order He was sent to the forest. The father could not tolerate the shock. He died.
So Ramacandra’s life, God’s activities, pastimes, if we hear, that means we are associating with Ramacandra. There is no difference between His form, His name, His pastimes, and Himself. He’s absolute. Therefore either you chant the holy name of Rama or you see the statue of Rama or you talk of His pastimes, transcendental pastimes, everything, that means you are associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we take advantage of these days when the incarnation of God appears or disappears, and we try to associate with Him. By His association we become purified. Our process is purification. Krishna consciousness means simply we are purifying our consciousness. From the birth, as I have explained, everyone is sudra.
Sudra means one who laments. That is called sudra. For a slight loss or slight inconvenience, one who laments, he is called sudra. And brahmana means one who tolerates. A sudra has no toleration. So kalau sudra sambhava. Kalau means… This age is called Kali. So it is the statement of the sastras that in this age the whole population is sudra. And formerly also, by his birth, everyone was considered sudra, but there was training, samskara. At the present moment, there is no samskara, there is no training. The training is only for earning livelihood. No other training. How one can earn money and enjoy senses that is the training at the present moment. But actually, to make successful the human life or the mission of human life, the Vedic culture is very nice. And by spreading Krishna consciousness, by adopting the process of Krishna consciousness, you can revive that cultural life, sublime life. If not wholesale, if there are a few people trained up in this line, and they become ideal examples to the society, immense benefit can be derived from their examples of life.
Lord Rama being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is fully replete with six opulences and the reservoir of all auspiciousness and thus reading, speaking about or hearing about Lord Rama elevates ones consciousness and cause one to return back home, back to Godhead. We find that throughout the history of Bharat varsha (India), people would gather to discuss and hear about Ramayana and derive great knowledge on dharma, culture and spiritual bliss from its narrations. Indeed the impact of the teachings and pastimes of Lord Rama were felt as far as Southeast Asia where countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia have local editions of Ramayana that narrate the epic in traditional dramas, songs and stories in their own language.
Rishabh Verma: Reflections on the essence of the Valmiki Ramayana
The Vedic scriptures describe many different types of charity or dana. Of these, Srila Ramanujacharya identifies two types of charity as the highest – charity of self-knowledge (Jnana dana) and charity of fearlessness (Abhaya Dana). These forms of charity are not only recognized by Bhakti Yogis, but also by Buddhists. Both schools agree that Abhaya Dana is superior to Jnana dana because it removes the fear of repeated birth and death. While the source of fearlessness in Buddhist schools comes from knowledge of the self, Bhakti Yogis derive this fearlessness from unflinching faith in Krsna and his incarnations by practicing devotional service fearlessly. Lord Rama, an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in this material world to demonstrate this principle.
Most people believe that the purpose of the incarnation of Lord Rama is to establish the principles of morality (Maryada) or the principles of righteous actions (Dharma). Sri Vedanta Desika, however, writes in his Abhaya Pradanam Saaram that the real purpose behind the incarnation of Lord Rama was to show the entire universe that one who takes shelter of the Supreme Lord (Sharanagati) need not fear. This may appear like a stretch but throughout the seven cantos of the Ramayana, Lord Rama demonstrates this principle.
Balakanda:
The demigods seek the refuge of the Lord for protection from the demon Ravana. The demon Ravana had defeated the demigods in battle and taken Indra as his prisoner. The demigods were very fearful of their position in heaven. Lord Vishnu promises to protect them and appear as Lord Rama on this Earth.
Ayodhyakanda:
When Lord Rama is exiled, Laxmana, the younger brother of Rama falls at his feet and asks the Lord to accept him as his servant. Lord Rama then promises Laxmana and his mother Sumitra that he will look after Laxmana in the forest as his own child. The mood of the Lord is heightened in Yuddhakanda when Laxmana is struck unconscious by the Nagapasha weapon of Indrajit. Lord Rama says ‘She, his mother Sumitra entrusted him to me and sent him to help me. How can I face her, myself alone alive, and Laxmana lost to us?’ (Valmiki Ramayana Yuddha Kanda Chapter 49: Rama comes back to senses)
Aranyakanda:
The sages and their wives seek shelter of Lord Rama for protection from the various demons present in the forest. Lord Rama promises his protection to the sages. At one point, Sita asks Rama if he should be engaging in killing even though he has been exiled as a hermit. Rama consoles Sita by telling her ‘Now these holy men have become dearer than my very life the moment they threw themselves upon my mercy; any harm, any injury done to them is so much done to me’. (Valmiki Ramayana Arayna Kanda Chapter 10: Rama explains himself)
Kishkindhakanda:
Sugriva approaches Lord Rama near the kingdom of Kishkindha and seeks the Lord’s protection from his brother Vali who had made a vow to kill him. Later on, when Rama kills Vali, he accuses the Lord of being partial to Sugriva without hearing his side of the story. Rama then tells Vali: ‘Sugriva is a dear friend to me even as Laxmana; and, inconsequence, he should be restored to his crown and wife. He ever seeks my welfare. Would I not disgrace myself by neglecting such a one and seeking your alliance? And I have sworn so before these Monkeys.’ (Valmiki Ramayana Kishkindhakanda: Chapter 18 Rama’s reply)
Sundarakanda:
When Hanuman is taking leave of Sita from the Ashoka forest, Hanuman asks for some form of identification he could take to the Lord to show him that he had in fact actually met Sita. Sita recites to hanuman a story of how a crow Named Jayanta (the son of Indra) had committed an offense at the feet of Lord Rama by attacking Sita. The Lord discharged his bramhastra after the crow. The crow, realizing that no one could protect him, fell at the feet of Rama to beg forgiveness. The Lord forgives him and gives him shelter.
Yuddhakanda:
In the beginning of the last Kanda, Lord Rama gives the essence of the Ramayana when Vibhishana, the brother of Ravana comes to offer his surrender. This episode is the most important section of the Ramayana, just as the last chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is that of the Mahabharata. He is accused by the monkey hosts, Sugriva, Jambavan, Angada and many others of being unworthy of being given shelter. The Lord speaks extensively on why he would offer his protection to Vibhishana and he speaks to the monkey hosts as follows:
‘People call me Rama, the incarnation of Dharma. I have laid down the rules of conduct for all. I must practice them aright. Now if I, even I were to inflict pain on one who has taken refuge in me, where is the limit to the evil that men may do?
The seeker of refuge need not feel friendly towards the protector nor express friendship in word or conduct. He need not be endowed with all the excellences that the doctrine of refuge demands of the seeker. It is quite enough that the seeker should join his palms in prayer, as a gesture of surrender. Even if he does not join hands, it is enough if he announces that one is helpless and needs help. Even if this is absent, turning in the direction of the savior is enough. Let the suppliant be our direct foe, still, we cannot harm him’. (Valmiki Ramayana Yuddhakanda: Chapter 18 Rama’s Pledge)
Hence, this Rama Navami, devotees must remind themselves of the promise of the Lord and with faith in his nature and words, demonstrate the principle of fearlessness in their lives by wholeheartedly engaging in devotional service. By demonstrating this principle in their lives, devotees will be able to glorify the Lord and also grant this gift of fearlessness to others who still live in a fearful state of material existence.
For some people the episode of Rama exiling Sita to the forest, while she was five months pregnant, is one of the most disturbing and incomprehensible events in the Ramayana. It seriously tests their faith; and in some cases actually breaks it, leading some to even offend Lord Rama. They forget it is a divine lila and that the Lord has His own reasons for doing what He does, and that they are not always within the purview of our tiny understanding.
