Times of India Article - Chariots of the Gods: Jagannath Rath Yatra by H G Damodar Pandita Prabhu

Posted by ISKCON desire tree on July 16, 2010 at 10:00pm

Chariots of the Gods: Jagannath Rath Yatra

Damodara Pandita Dasa, Jul 16, 2007, 12.24am IST

The little boy held his father's hand tightly. The huge crowd of devotees was surging towards the three multicoloured wooden chariots balanced on 12-foot wheels. The bright canopies were decorated with flags that were fluttering in the wind, pretty against the blue skies.

Crashing cymbals glistened in the bright sunshine, while the beating of drums, mridangas, set the mood. Scores of perspiring hands were t

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Kolkata Devotees ~ Q & A to HH Radhanath Swami

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on July 16, 2010 at 1:06pm

Q: U performed so many austerities in ur life. It was v peak time in our movement. Many times we feel frustrated while practicing spiritual lives. Did u never considered leaving KC?

Ans: I don’t remember even once consider leaving. I accepted “ I have to surrender”, nothing else. I understood from SP books that if we are not submissive, we cannot make proper spiritual advancement. So I was trying to be totally submissive. In those days, for 2 yrs atleast, I am not even getting 2-3 hrs sleep a day

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How to Overcome Distractions ?

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on July 16, 2010 at 1:05pm

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Mathajis,

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

We are living in this world wherein we have so many distractions. Internet, TV, gossips, news-papers, criticisms, cheating, politics, social-pressures and the list is endless. How to save ourselves from these things ? In Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.8.42, Kunti Maharani very nicely prays to Lord Krishna to help her to remember Him always without any deviation. She says,

tvayi m

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Remembering Srila Prabhupada - On Speaking Strongly in Srila Prabhupada's Service

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on July 16, 2010 at 1:03pm

On Speaking Strongly in Srila Prabhupada's Service

There is no doubt that the words of the sadhu possess the power of destroying the evil propensities of one's mind. The sadhus in this way benefit everyone who associates with them. There are many things which we do not disclose to the sadhu. The real sadhu makes us speak out what we keep concealed in our hearts. He then applies the knife. The very word 'sadhu' has no meaning other than this. He stands in front of the block with the uplifted sacri

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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 5 Text 39

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on July 16, 2010 at 1:03pm

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 5 Text 39
grivayam janaloko 'sya
tapolokah stana-dvayat
murdhabhih satyalokas tu
brahmalokah sanatanah

grivayam -- up to the neck; janalokah -- the Janaloka planetary system; asya -- of Him; tapolokah -- the Tapoloka planetary system; stana-dvayat -- beginning from the breast; murdhabhih -- by the head; satyalokah -- the Satyaloka planetary system; tu -- but; brahmalokah -- the spiritual planets; sanatanah -- eternal.

TRANSLATION
From the forefront of the chest up to

Hera Pancami ( During Puri Jagannatha Rathayatra at Gundica Temple )

Posted by Lakshman Poddar on July 16, 2010 at 10:30am

Hera Panchami is a unique festival in the Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra at the Gundicha Temple. Hera means to ‘see’ and Panchami means the ‘fifth day’ – on Hera Panchami day Goddess Lakshmi comes to the Gundicha Temple to see Lord Jagannath. The visit of Goddess Lakshmi takes place five days after the Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra.

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The meaning of Hera-pancami is as follows. On the fifth day of the Rathayatra Festival, Laksmi-devi becomes very worried and thinks, "Where has my husband gone? He told me, 'I

Jayapataka Swami's first japa

Posted by Amogha das on July 16, 2010 at 6:37am

I am a godbrother JPs and my wife is his disciple. This article is a glimpse at how this courageous preacher carried on preaching, ecstatic, despite the crippling effects of the stroke on his body.

At this time he revealed the first time he chanted japa, with an amazing aspect.

I wrote the following on October 5, 2009, when Jayapataka Swami was in Kuala Lumpur. This was the first time I could be close to him since he had his stroke. For those who don't know, this stroke would normally have finishe

Jagannath Rathayatra ( The Puri Temple Complex ) Part - 3

Posted by Lakshman Poddar on July 15, 2010 at 2:25pm

The temple records reveal that the major temple complex calledSri-mandir was built in the 12th century by King Chodaganga Deva(Anangabhima Deva) and it houses as many as 4000 - 5000 priests andcovers an area of approximately one acre bounded by stone walls with agate on each of the four sides. The 25ft high outer wall (655ft x 640ft)is called Meghanada and the inner wall 420ft x 315ft is calledKurma-prachir. The gopura of the main shrine is said to be 215ft talland houses the six foot tall Deiti

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When is Anger Justified?

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on July 15, 2010 at 2:15pm

Hare Krishna

An ordinary man works for his own sense enjoyment, and when this principle of sense enjoyment is extended to include his society, nation or humanity in general, it assumes various attractive names such as altruism, socialism, communism, nationalism and humanitarianism. These "isms" are certainly very attractive forms of karma-bandhana (karmic bondage), but the Vedic instruction of Sri Īśopaniṣad is that if one actually wants to live for any of the above "isms," he should make them Go

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Good Fortune

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on July 15, 2010 at 2:12pm

PAMHO

AGTSP

The Nectar of Instruction 3

By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami

The material world is a place of confinement for the living entities who are by nature ānandamaya, pleasure-seeking. They actually want to be free from the confinement of this world of conditional happiness, but not knowing the process of liberation, they are bound to transmigrate from one species of life to another and from one planet to another. In this way the living entities are wandering throughout the material

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Remembering Srila Prabhupada - On Speaking Strongly in Srila Prabhupada's Service

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on July 15, 2010 at 2:11pm

On Speaking Strongly in Srila Prabhupada's Service

A devotee who confidently states his position and forcefully refutes others may be misunderstood to be arrogant, especially by those brought up in the pseudo-liberal belief that every opinion is as good as any other. But a devotee's confidence comes, not from pride or dogmatism, but because he is actually right and everyone else is wrong. Devotees know the Absolute Truth and thus know everything best. (c.f. Bg. 15.19)

The devotee is always right.

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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 5 Text 38

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on July 15, 2010 at 2:11pm

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 5 Text 38
bhurlokah kalpitah padbhyam
bhuvarloko 'sya nabhitah
hrda svarloka urasa
maharloko mahatmanah

bhuh -- the lower planetary systems up to the stratum of the earth; lokah -- the planets; kalpitah -- it is so imagined or said; padbhyam -- out of the legs; bhuvah -- the upper; lokah -- the planetary system; asya -- of Him (the Lord); nabhitah -- from the navel abdomen; hrda -- by the heart; svarlokah -- the planetary systems occupied by the demigods; urasa --

Krishna’s Protection in Times of Misery

Posted by Mayapur Vasi Das on July 15, 2010 at 1:24pm

An answer to Krishna’s sometimes mysterious ways may lie in the following quote from the Saranagati songs of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur.

"All the troubles encountered in your devotional service are great causes of happiness, for in your devotional service joy and sorrow are equally great riches, both destroy the misery of ignorance."

I can see this in my own life, when in recent years I had to undergo much physical hardship and a certain degree of insecurity. I often asked myself: "Will I ever be p

Feeling Separation from Krishna: Sri Siksastaka, Verse 7

Posted by Mayapur Vasi Das on July 15, 2010 at 12:27pm

sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me

O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, a moment feels like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.

Inspirations
For devotees of Krishna, the world feels empty in the absence of their beloved Lord. In affairs of love there is no substitute for the beloved—no other person, toy, or material object can replace one’s beloved. Without Krishna the world seems like a play

Carry on the Mission!

Posted by Shabda Hari Das on July 15, 2010 at 11:59am

GURUVAKYA

"Prabhupada really wanted us to be dedicated to carrying out his mission. We can be inspired how he carried out the mission of his spiritual master for us to carry out our mission which is Prabhupada’s mission, to carry out the mission of our Founder-acarya. And we know that all the subsequent generations of devotees--some of Prabhupada’s grand-disciples are members of our GBC--we’re already an endangered species, we’re going to eventually be in extinction, all the direct initiated disc

Watching Sports (Football) - Srila Prabhupada's Views.

Posted by ISKCON desire tree on July 15, 2010 at 11:48am

The following text is a compilation of different quotes by Srila Prabhupada on idle sports.

On football world cup Srila Prabhupada did not have very positive opinion.

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A)

Hamsaduta: This week is the big world football, soccer matches. So everyone goes to see that. They either stay at home and watch television or they go to the fields.

Prabhupada: Because they have been taught like that. Wh

Becoming Mature in Krishna Consciousness

Posted by Mayapur Vasi Das on July 14, 2010 at 5:36pm

It’s time to become mature—high time. All around us the signs are clear, crystal clear. The winter of Kali-yuga is increasing its intensity. If we do not become mature soon, our life will freeze on the banyan tree of this world.

What exactly does it mean to become mature?

Immediately two answers come to mind:

(1) To develop a new set of desires and orientation in life
(2) To become enjoyable for others.

Let us consider the example of a young, immature boy and girl. When they become physically mat

No Fear

Posted by Mayapur Vasi Das on July 14, 2010 at 5:33pm

Once Srila Prabhupada was asked what he felt when he chanted.
He said, “I feel no fear.”

No Fear

All right death, here I am
come take me in your arms.

I have drawn
a luminous circle
with Krishna’s holy names
around me.

When you hold me
you will feel the ecstatic touch
of my Lord’s lotus feet on your heart
and you will tremble
with divine love.

Remembering that Krishna’s names
give auspicious benedictions to all,
who needs to fear

anything or anyone?

H H Sacidanand Swami

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Lecture -- Seattle, September 27, 1968 By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on July 14, 2010 at 2:07pm

PAMHO

AGTSP

Lecture -- Seattle, September 27, 1968

By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

(ORIGINAL)

Prabhupada: …So service to Krsna means as soon as you dovetail yourself in the service of Krsna, you are not different from Krsna. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: mam ca 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena yah sevate. This very word, sevate. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. "Anyone who seriously engages himself in My service, immediately he becomes transcendenta

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Remembering Srila Prabhupada - On Speaking Strongly in Srila Prabhupada's Service

Posted by Saci Gaurasundara Dasa on July 14, 2010 at 2:06pm

On Speaking Strongly in Srila Prabhupada's Service

The path of speaking out is a lonely one. The strong speaker cannot expect to be popular. More likely he will be misunderstood and rejected, even by fellow devotees. As said by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, shortly before his passing away:

I have most probably given many people troubles in the mind. Some of them might have thought that I am their enemy because I was obliged to speak the plain truth for service and devotion towards the A

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All Posts (35310)

Times of India Article - Chariots of the Gods: Jagannath Rath Yatra by H G Damodar Pandita Prabhu

Chariots of the Gods: Jagannath Rath Yatra

Kolkata Devotees ~ Q & A to HH Radhanath Swami

How to Overcome Distractions ?

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - On Speaking Strongly in Srila Prabhupada's Service

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 5 Text 39

Hera Pancami ( During Puri Jagannatha Rathayatra at Gundica Temple )

Jayapataka Swami's first japa

Jagannath Rathayatra ( The Puri Temple Complex ) Part - 3

When is Anger Justified?

Good Fortune

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - On Speaking Strongly in Srila Prabhupada's Service

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 2 Chapter 5 Text 38

Krishna’s Protection in Times of Misery

Feeling Separation from Krishna: Sri Siksastaka, Verse 7

Carry on the Mission!

Watching Sports (Football) - Srila Prabhupada's Views.

Becoming Mature in Krishna Consciousness

No Fear

Lecture -- Seattle, September 27, 1968 By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Remembering Srila Prabhupada - On Speaking Strongly in Srila Prabhupada's Service

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