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This year, the 3rd of March, the ISKCON Congregational Development Ministry will award those devotees around the world who have done an outstanding service in the area of congregational preaching. This is an annual occurrence during the Gaura Purnima festival in Mayapur, where several of ISKCON leaders and preachers are gathered at the moment. 

During the 2015 Annual Award Ceremony, the congregational ministry will recognize devotees in a variety of areas. From pioneers and supporters of the pre

 In a gesture expressing unity of purpose for the service of ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, His Grace Praghosa Das, the newly appointed Chairman of the GBC, has announced in Mayapur that 2015, the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the Western world, is the Year of the TOVP.

“Having just accepted this wonderful service as the GBC Chairman, I’d like to start my term by announcing this as the Year of the TOVP. Fortunately, since 2010,

Reading from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 6, Chapter 4 (The Hamsa-guhya prayers),

Text 26
yadoparamo manaso nama-rupa-  
rupasya drsta-smrti-sampramosat ya iyate kevalaya sva-samsthaya  
hamsaya tasmai suci-sadmane namah

Translation: 
When one’s consciousness is completely purified of the contamination of material existence, gross and subtle, without being agitated as in the working and dreaming states, and when the mind is not dissolved as in susupti, deep sleep, one comes to the platform of tran

TEXT 11

aphalakanksibhir yajno 
vidhi-disto ya ijyate 
yastavyam eveti manah 
samadhaya sa sattvikah

SYNONYMS

aphala-akanksibhih--devoid of desire for result; yajnah--sacrifice;vidhi--accordingly; distah--direction; yah--anyone; ijyate--performs;yastavyam--must be performed; eva--certainly; iti--thus; manah--mind; samadhaya--fixed in; sah--he; sattvikah--is in the mode of goodness.

TRANSLATION

Of sacrifices, that sacrifice performed according to duty and to scriptural rules, and with no expectation of r

TEXT 25
deho ’savo ’ksa manavo bhuta-matram atmanam anyam ca viduh param yat sarvam puman veda gunams ca taj-jno na veda sarva-jnam anantam ide

TRANSLATION
Because they are only matter, the body, the life airs, the external and internal senses, the five gross elements and the subtle sense objects [form, taste, smell, sound and touch] cannot know their own nature, the nature of the other senses or the nature of their controllers. But the living being, because of his spiritual nature, can know h

TEXT 18
yatha sasarja bhutani
dakso duhitr-vatsalah
retasa manasa caiva
tan mamavahitah srnu

TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Goswami continued: Please hear from me with great attention how Prajapati Dakna, who was very affectionate to his daughters, created different types of living entities through his semen and through his mind.

PURPORT
The word duhitṛ-vatsalaḥ indicates that all the prajās were born from Dakna’s daughters. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that apparently Dakna had no son.

TEXT

Dear devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Devotees are being tossed in the waves of ecstasy and Gaura- prema as they traverse the places of pastime of Lord Caitanya and His associates in Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama. Around 5000 devotees in five different groups which also contains Russians is jubilantly enjoying with transcendental singing and dancing , engaging in nine process of devotional service . They are doing the parikrama covering the seven isl

TEXT 8-10

ayuh-sattva-balarogya- 
sukha-priti-vivardhanah 
rasyah snigdhah sthira hrdya 
aharah sattvika-priyah

katv-amla-lavanaty-usna- 
tiksna-ruksa-vidahinah 
ahara rajasasyesta 
duhkha-sokamaya-pradah

yata-yamam gata-rasam 
puti paryusitam ca yat 
ucchistam api camedhyam 
bhojanam tamasa-priyam

SYNONYMS

ayuh--duration of life; sattva--existence; bala--strength; arogya--health; sukha--happiness; priti--satisfaction; vivardhanah--increasing;rasyah--juicy; snigdhah--fatty; sthirah--enduring; hrdyah--pleasing

Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama Day 4

HOLY PLACES VISITED on Day 4 Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama 

1. Samudragada: King Samudra Sena used to live here.
2. Campahati: Gaura Gadadhara Mandir, Residence of Dvija Vaninatha.

3. Ratupura: Replica of Radha-kunda
4. Vidyanagar: Birth place of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and residence of his Brother Vidyavacaspati.

We are on the 24th verse of this chapter that is entitled the “Hamsa-guhya Prayers”

SB 6.4.24

na yasya sakhyam puruso ’vaiti sakhyuh  
sakha vasan samvasatah pure ’smin
guno yatha gunino vyakta-drstes  
tasmai mahesaya namaskaromi

Translation: 
As the sense objects [form, taste, touch, smell and sound] cannot understand how the senses perceive them, so the conditioned soul, although residing in his body along with the Supersoul, cannot understand how the supreme spiritual person, the master of

TEXT 15
alam dagdhair drumair dinaih khilanam sivam astu vah varksi hy esa vara kanya patnitve pratigrhyatam

TRANSLATION:
There is no need to burn these poor trees any longer. Let whatever trees still remain be happy. Indeed, you should also be happy. Now, here is a beautiful, well-qualified girl named Marisa, who was raised by the trees astheir daughter. You may accept this beautiful girl as your wife.

TEXT 16
ity amantrya vararoham kanyam apsarasim nrpa somo raja yayau dattva te dharmenopaye

TEXT 7

aharas tv api sarvasya 
tri-vidho bhavati priyah 
yajnas tapas tatha danam 
tesam bhedam imam srnu

SYNONYMS

aharah--eating; tu--certainly; api--also; sarvasya--of everyone;tri-vidhah--three kinds; bhavati--there are; priyah--dear; yajnah--sacrifice; tapah--austerity; tatha--also; danam--charity; tesam--of them; bhedam--differences; imam--thus; srnu--hear.

TRANSLATION

Even food of which all partake is of three kinds, according to the three modes of material nature. The same is true of sacrifices,

Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama Day 3

HOLY PLACES VISITED 

1. Hansa-vahana: Lord Siva rode on Lord Brahma’s swan in order to reach the place where Suta Gosvami was describing the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

2. Gomati River and Brahma Puskara

3. Kuruksetra and Naimisaranya

4. Pancaveni (Confluence of five holy rivers): Crossing Ganga by boat.

5. Praudha-Maya Mandir.

6. Bhajan Kutir of Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaj7. Sri Dhamesvara Mahaprabhu: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Deity worshiped by H

Hare Krishna.
24th Feb, 2015. Gurgaon

This is in continuation of my last blog on Krishna’s flutes. I am sharing the below nectar from a lecture by HH Radha Govinda Maharaj on Venu Gita. We are all aware that the Venu Gita (Song of Lord Krishna’s Flute Play) is a compilation of  twenty verses in the 21st chapter of tenth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

HH Radha Govinda Maharaj first recited the below verse.

gopyah kim acarad ayam kusalam sma venur damodaradhara-sudham api gopikanam

bhunkte svayam yad ava

TEXT 5-6

asastra-vihitam ghoram 
tapyante ye tapo janah 
dambhahankara-samyuktah 
kama-raga-balanvitah

karsayantah sarira-stham 
bhuta-gramam acetasah 
mam caivantah sarira-stham 
tan viddhy asura-niscayan

SYNONYMS

asastra--not mentioned in the scriptures; vihitam--directed;ghoram--harmful to others; tapyante--undergo penances; ye--those;tapah--austerities; janah--persons; dambha--pride; ahankara--egoism; samyuktah--engaged; kama--lust; raga--attachment; bala--force; anvitah--impelled by; karsayantah--tor

Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama Day 2

Godrumadvipa (Process: kirtanam)

Route : Harihar-kshetra to Swarup Ganj

HOLY PLACES VISITED on Day 2 Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama 

1.Am-ghata: Here Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu planted a mango seed whichimmediately developed into a tree bearing ripe fruits.

2. Suvarna Vihar: Site of the capital city of King Suvarna Sena, who laterappeared as Buddhimanta Khan, an associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

3. Gauradaha.

4.Svananda Sukhada Kunja: Gaura Gadadhara Temple, r

VERSE 13
antar dehesu bhutanam atmaste harir isvarah
sarvam tad-dhisnyam iksadhvam evam vas tosito hy asau

TRANSLATION:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated as the super soul within the cores of the hearts of all living entities, whether moving or nonmoving, including men, birds, animals, trees and, indeed, all living entities. Therefore you should consider every body a residence or temple of the Lord. By such vision you will satisfy the Lord. You should not angrily kill these living

The third day of the ISKCON GBC’s Annual General Meetings opened with a presentation by Madhavananda Dasa, a member of the ISKCON Chowpatty in Mumbai. He informed the GBC body of a mega kirtan festival, Chant for a Change, being planned in Jagannath Puri to coincide with the Navakalevara festival wherein the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra are changed once in 16 years. 

The most unique element of this kirtan festival would be the spiritual leaders and members of the four Vaish

In a gesture expressing unity of purpose for the service of ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, His Grace Praghosa Das, the newly appointed Chairman of the GBC, has announced in Mayapur that 2015, the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the Western world, is the Year of the TOVP. 

“Having just accepted this wonderful service as the GBC Chairman, I’d like to start my term by announcing this as the Year of the TOVP. Fortunately, since 2010

The fifth day of the Annual General Meeting of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission focused on celebrating the 50th anniversary of ISKCON’s incorporation in 2016. 

Pancaratna Dasa, a member of the 50th Anniversary International Steering Committee, presented an elaborate report on the progress made so far along with the list of events being planned. As this year also marks the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s departure to the West, devotees in Kolkata and Mayapur have been working on organi