As this year slowly comes to a close, many of us are quietly reflecting…on all that has passed, all that we have learned, and all that we are carrying forward. A new year is not just a change of date—it is a fresh step into the unknown. And in moments like these, it feels comforting to begin with the Lord—with prayer, gratitude, and surrender.
On 1st January, we will be offering a special puja to Lord Narasimhadev
with a simple yet heartfelt prayer: that He walks with us as we step into 2026,
Happy Winter Solstice!
And on this fine day when daylight hours increase starting now, a group of fellows I’m training for The Gita are doing well. They are taking the practice as a service to Krishna. The teamwork is appreciated. The objective is to get tighter and tighter in the moves and gestures in enacting Krishna’s words and Arjuna’s reactions. It is only our 4th day in practice and there will be just one more before going on the road for six locations during this holiday time.
The Ch
A Corinthian Minister attracted to Bhagavad Gita
Gurusakti dd: Today in Coventry I met Christine. She works as a councillor for Coventry Ciiy Council & is also a Corinthian Minister.
Christine married a Hindu Punjabi gentleman twenty years ago & learnt to speak fluent Hindi & Punjabi. The name Surya was given to her by a pundit shortly after her marriage. Speaking to Christine in Hindi, Punjabi & English felt incredible. I have never experienced speaking to an English person so naturally in bo
The years 2026 and 2027 mark a significant milestone for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness—60 years since its founding and 50 years since the disappearance of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. These years provide an important opportunity not only for commemoration, but for collective reflection, recommitment, and purposeful action.
The Indian Continental Committee (ICC) 60–50 Committee in India has been constituted to guide this national observance with a c
By Krishna Dharma das and Chintamani Dhama dasi
This article examines the progression from sraddha to nishtha and highlights the vital role of sadhu sanga in this journey. When the sadhu sanga is properly performed, one’s initial faith is informed and properly developed. One can then undertake the devotional practices, or bhajana-kriya, correctly. In the early stages of bhajana-kriya, we still engage in materialistic activities that disrupt our devotional practice. However, as we continue practi
By Gandini devi dasi
Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies (BIHS), in cooperation with ISKCON’s North America Regional Governing Body (NA-RGB), will offer a new six-month online course titled Consciousness Studies: Ancient & Modern Perspectives, beginning January 10, 2026. Designed as a university-level program, the course equips devotees to present Bhāgavata philosophy within contemporary scientific and intellectual discourse through weekly live and recorded classes.
Śrīla Prabhupāda envi
Participants in the Walk for Peace initiative. Image courtesy of Walk for Peacc USA.
Walk for Peace recently crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, which was the site of a vicious attack on a peaceful civil rights march in 1965. The WFP group of Buddhist monks, led by Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, started in October from their Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The 2,300-mile trek will end in Washington, D.C. sometime in February.
Bhikkhu explained the purpose of the wa
“Jesus Christ was such a great personality—the son of God, the representative of God. He had no fault. Still, he was crucified. He wanted to deliver God consciousness, but in return they crucified him—they were so thankless. They could not appreciate his preaching. But we appreciate him and give him all honor as the representative of God.
Of course, the message that Christ preached was just according to his particular time, place, and country, and just suited for a particular group of people. Bu
By Giriraj Swami
Fifty-one years ago, on December 26, 1969, in Boston, Srila Prabhupada awarded me second initiation. He said, “Sucih means purified. And another meaning of sucih is brahman. A brahman means purified. Those who are going to be sacred-threaded today should remember that they are being accepted as sucih, as brahman. After chanting for six months or one year, it is supposed that he has already become purified. Now he should be recognized that he is purified. So this sacred thread me
By HH Bhakti Gauravani Goswami
New Book and Song Released
A new inspirational work, Krishna’s Cows in New Vrajamandala, has just been released, offering readers an intimate glimpse into the sacred relationship between Lord Krishna, His devotees, and the cows who share His eternal pastimes.
Excerpt from the Introduction by Yadunandana Swami:
In the pages of this book, the reader will come closer to a world where everyday simplicity becomes an offering, and the life of seemingly ordinary animals r
Maharaja focuses on a crucial verse from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita about avoiding offenses toward the Lord and the Vaishnavas. He emphasizes how fundamental this principle is for spiritual advancement. Before explaining the verse, he recites related scriptural passages, sometimes set to music, noting the importance of keeping sacred texts—even digital ones—treated with reverence.
The main teaching centers on the gravity of Vaishnava aparadha (offenses). Various scriptures, including Bhagavatam, S
When Srila Prabhupada incorporated ISKCON in 1966, he expressed his desire that the Society would “systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large … to achieve real unity and peace in the world.” This guiding vision continues to inspire our service today.
At ISKCON News, we strive to inform and inspire our readers by sharing breaking news, major events, preaching initiatives, interfaith and institutional collaborations, devotee profiles, book previews, opinion pieces, and much m
By Atma Tattva Das,
During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Ethiopia on December 16-17, 2025, Mahaprasad Govinda had the opportunity to present BBT Africa’s new Amharic edition of Sri Īśopaniṣad, along with a translated Introduction to the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, to Prime Minister Modi. According to Mahaprasad Govinda, the gift was received warmly. Modi’s visit, the first state visit of its kind in recent years, highlighted the strengthening ties between India and Ethiopia.
Srila Prabhupada’s First Talks in America (New York, March 1966)
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you, because he has seen the truth.” [Bhagavad-gita4.34]
Knowledge is the solution. And for knowledge we have to go to the right person, the tattva-darsi. Tattva-darsi m
The purport of the verse is that even Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu — He is God himself, Krsna Himself — He felt, alone, unable to do this task. He felt.
So this is the position. You are cooperating; therefore I am getting the credit. Otherwise alone what could I do? Ekaki amara nahi paya bolo.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself wanted our cooperation. He is God, Krsna. And therefore cooperation is very important thing. Nobody should think that “I have got so great ability. I can do.” No. It is simply by c
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 – 6
If a man gets some ministership in the government by worshiping a political leader, he considers that he has achieved a great boon.
BG 4.12, Purport:
The boons of the demigods are material and temporary. Both the material worlds and their inhabitants, including the demigods and their worshipers, are bubbles in the cosmic ocean. In this world, however, human society is mad after temporary things such as the material opulence of possessing land, family and
We often see paintings of Lord Shiva sitting in meditation. After some research, we find that his main object of meditation is Lord Vishnu, which shows he is a great Vaishnava. However, in further research, as presented in this article, we find that his meditation can also be on a few very auspicious mantras with specific and detailed meditation that accompanies them. Herein is Lord Shiva’s ultimate spiritual advice for humanity at large as given to Narada Muni.
In the Sri Sanatkumara-samhita, f
I am glad to announce the release of the Kavya-kaustubha, composed by Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana, which is now being made available in English for the first time. This is one of Vidyabhusana’s independent works, dealing with the basic elements of Sanskrit poetics. Each of the definitions here is followed by examples from Vaiṣṇava literature or verses composed by the author himself. Although primarily didactic in nature, the selection of illustrative verses given here makes this book appealing to
By Kāla-Svarūpa Dāsa
Earlier this month, ISKCON News published a post entitled “Prabhupada’s Silicon Sutras: When 18 Years of Vision Meet the Speed of Now,” generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and submitted by Visnu Murti Das, Founder of Vanipedia. The following opinion piece is a response to that post.
Recently, an article was published on ISKCON News describing the integration of the AI tool Gemini into Vanipedia. The article, generated by the LLM itself, announced that the tool will
Following the intensity of the December Marathon 2024, we in the snowy world of Michigan began looking for a new target market for our “family business”—book distribution. We stumbled upon a massive market that was hiding in plain sight: Amazon.
Through our year-long efforts, we have successfully pushed Srila Prabhupada’s magnificent translation almost to the top of the charts. Now, we need your help to finish this race and claim the #1 spot. (Read to the end to find out how!)
When we first look
