Dear devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
After the ecstatic Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama, today all the six parties returned to Mayapur. Today also marks the beginning of festivities in Sri Mayapur. Sri Radha-Madhava Boat Festival will be celebrated in the evening, followed by other festivals like Ganga puja, Ratha yatra, Deity procession, Jhulan yatra etc. Main stage cultural program features much awaited "Blue Mystic " drama performance by Bhakti Ma
Hare Krishna.
28th Feb, 2015. Gurgaon.
“There are three things that are inconceivable: the position of Lord Siva, hladini sakti, and, yes, guru-tattva.” (BR Sridhara Swami)
Among all the spiritual personalities the position of Lord Siva is unique. In one of my previous blog I shared how I used to worship lord Shiva. After coming into Krishna consciousness I still retain a special corner in my heart for lord Shiva and now when I read and hear more lectures from senior devotees about him, the fog of
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
2. Gomati River and Brahma Puskara
3. Kuruksetra and Naimisaranya
4. Pancaveni (Confluence of five holy rivers): Crossing Ganga by boat.
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
3. Gauradaha.
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
