By Chaitanya Charan das
Question: Is the Ramayana, comprising as it does stories from ancient times, practically relevant today?
Answer: Yes, it is relevant because the stories, though from an ancient setting, embody timeless values.
From “me” to “we”
One of the primary values that it conveys – selfless sacrifice – is especially relevant in our present times that are characterized by obsessive selfishness. Contemporary culture largely glamorizes the “me” paradigm, which impels people to seek th
[The following history from the Valmiki Ramaya is full of import for anyone who wants to be a guru, GBC, temple president or leader in ISKCON or any spiritual institution.]
The incident of Lord Rama and the Dog
From Valmiki’s Ramayana Uttara Khandha between chapters 59-60
Part one
Thereafter in the bright morning Sri Rama, of lotus-like eye having performed forenoon rites, took his seat in the Royal Council-chamber along with the Brahmanas, who were masters of the Vedas the priest Vasistha and
According to Madhvacarya’s Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya 2.3-4 the original Mula Ramayana was a massive work consisting of 100 crore slokas (1 billion) while the currently available Valmiki Ramayana consists of only 24,000 slokas. The greatest repository of Rāma līlā in the Purāṇas is the Padma Purana wherein much of the fifth canto is devoted to Lord Rama. It even includes a narration of the Ramayana that took place in a earlier Kalpa and is different (Kalpa Bheda) in some respects to the more
Hare Krsna dear devotees,
Please offer your prayers for His Holiness Mukunda Goswami.
He is at Gold Coast University hospital, planning to undergo surgery to remove some blood around his brain.
They are planning to operate today (Tuesday 24th March 2026). They are not calling it an emergency as thankfully he is still well overall and communicative, however there is still some certain risk involved. This operation will hopefully prevent future complications.
He is being taken care of and is in go
The Honorable President of India, Droupadi Murmu, visited the Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan on March 19, 2026 as part of a three-day spiritual tour of Uttar Pradesh. She was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and other officials during the visit to the temple.
Upon arriving at the temple, the President and Governor were received by Temple President Panchgauda Das, Janardan Das, Bhakti Anugrana Janardana Swami, Srutakirti Das, Ravi Lochan Das, and others. The dignitaries
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi,
Govardhan Ayurveda Hospital, located at Govardhan EcoVillage (GEV) in Maharashtra and operated in association with Bhaktivedanta Hospital & Research Institute, has been named Best Wellness Centre of the Year 2026 during the FICCI International Medical Value Travel Awards — one of Asia’s most prestigious recognitions in the healthcare and medical tourism sector.
The award was presented at Advantage Healthcare India, a summit organized by the Federation of Indi
On a recent episode of The Namarasa Podcast, Sukhavaha Devi Dasi, a disciple of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, reflects on her experiences joining the Hare Krishna movement in the early 1970s and the spiritual journey that followed. First encountering Bhagavad-gītā As It Is while a college student at Penn State in 1971, she recalls being immediately captivated by its teachings. That discovery led her to begin chanting, adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, and eventually travel t
On the plane, this composition rolled out onto some paper:
A GURU IS OR WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A GURU
A guru is not a king
Perhaps the center of a ring
Moving on levels of dignity
Crowned by acts of humility
There are four prominent Sampradayas of the Vaishnavas, out of which the Sri Sampradaya was commenced by Sri Maha Laxmi Devi and whose Acharya is the great Sri Ramunjacharya.
When the Lord desires to re-establish Dharma, he either appears himself or sends his close associates. These Acharyas, battling lots of difficulties for the sake of all living entities, re-establish Dharma
Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=117588
In the year 1017 A.D. Sripad Ramanujacarya, a partial incarnation of Lord Ananta Shesha and Laxman appeared on the ‘sasthi’, sixth lunar mansion of the light fortnight in the month of Chaitra, (April-May). He made his appearance in South India, Tundiradesha, at Sriperumbudur, about half way between Kancipuram and Madras. His fathers’ name was Asuri Keshava Somayaji, also known as Sarvakratu Diksitar, who it is believed was either an advaitin, or a smarta. His mother was Kantimati, the grand dau
Today is the appearance anniversary of Sripada Ramanujacharya, the principal acharya in the Sri, or Lakshmi, sampradaya. Srila Prabhupada wrote, “We find great shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Ramanujacharya because his lotus feet are the strongest fort to combat the Mayavadi philosophy.” (letter 22.11.1974) And in the early days of ISKCON in India, before we had Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is in Hindi, Prabhupada would refer people to read the Hindi edition of the Gita with Sri Rama
In 1895 Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura published in his “Sajjana-tosani” selected verses from “Śrī Prapannāmṛta”, a 12th century book by Sri Ananta Acarya, son of the great Kuresa, famous disciple and chief associate of Srila Ramanujacarya. The book contains valuable information and biographical accounts of the great founders of the Sri-sampradaya – Nathamuni, Yamunacarya and Ramanuja. It is stated in “Prapannāmṛta” in relation to Ramanujacarya’s birth:
caitre meṣe śukla-pakṣe pañcamyāṁ guru-vāsare
Sri Ramanujacharya (A.D. 1017–1137) spent 80 of his 120 years at Sri Rangam. For twenty years he was the chief priest of the temple. Ramanuja is the main acarya, or spiritual teacher, in the line of teachers and disciples knows as the Sri Sampradaya. His presentation of Krsna Consciousness is known as visistadvaita, “qualified nondualism.”
A staunch proponent of the philosophy of personalism, he taught that although the Supreme Lord and the individual souls are qualitatively one, there is stil
Sri Ramanujacarya’s Life History (By Sri Ubhaya Vedantha Anbil Ramaswamy)
Sri Ramanuja (1017 – 1137 CE), the most important philosopher-saint of Sri Vaishnavam and one of the most dynamic characters of Hinduism. He was a philosophical as well as a social reformer, displaying a catholicity that was nearly unparalleled in Hindu religious history before him. He revitalised Indian philosophy and popular religion so much that nearly every aspect of Hinduism has been influenced by his work. His life
By Nitai Madhava Dasa
ISKCON India is steadily progressing in its efforts to support and implement the global 60-50 vision under the guidance of the ICC 60-50 Committee. With a structured and collaborative approach, several key initiatives have been launched to strengthen outreach, education, and devotee engagement across the country.
A significant development has been the appointment of dedicated regional and national coordinators who are actively facilitating communication, implementation,
By Dina-Palika Devi Dasi
The Karuna Care Association is offering three upcoming courses designed to help devotees better understand the emotional aspects of spiritual life and develop tools for personal growth and compassionate care. Together, the courses form a series titled Introduction to Emotional Awareness, though each course may also be taken individually.
The first course, Name Your Feelings, Tame Your Mind, explores how recognizing and identifying emotions can deepen self-understanding
Indresh Gaura also flew in from Toronto in order that a number of us could put our ‘heads together’ to discuss the future of the Krishna conscious project in the Greater Vancouver area. What we are looking at is a ten-acre property that has so much potential. Since the 80s, there has been a campus here – a facility for a temple and some residents. Those buildings are now old and a whole reconstruction of the area is required. Generally, the area is relatively a flat terrain in this Burnaby area
Recorded at Hsuan Chuang University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan, on March 18, 2026, this lecture by Dr. Kenneth Valpey, also known as HH Krishna Kshetra Swami, presents a thoughtful and deeply enriching exploration of the mind, yoga, and the spiritual search in modern life.
Drawing from the Bhagavad-gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and the wider contemplative traditions of India, Dr. Valpey presents yoga not merely as a bodily discipline, but as a profound science of consciousness, inner cultivati
His extraordinary journey began 74 years ago in the small town of Ede, in the Netherlands. Finishing in an even smaller town, here in Sandy Ridge, North Carolina. He will always be remembered as a small-town boy with big-town aspirations. Indeed, his work reached globally.
