Jananivas: In 1973 we had just completed the lotus building in Mayapur. I went to Prabhupada’s room and asked him,
“Can Lord Chaitanya wear a peacock feather?”
He said, “Why not? He is Krishna.”
I told him some of the Gaudiya Math people were complaining that Lord Chaitanya shouldn’t wear a peacock feather.
Srila Prabhupada became very disappointed and he just looked down. He didn’t say anything else.
I took it to mean that he was disturbed that his God-brothers always criticized him.
In fact
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If we do not have a connection with Srimad Bhagavatam, then spiritual life becomes dry! Chanting becomes difficult and then the four regulative principles become very narrow and gradually with time, we start craving for more space. Even though we have all the knowledge, even though we have been enlivened in Krsna consciousness and even though we have been so surrendered, at one point it will become too narrow! So the Bhagavatam is very important because it is the science that explains everythin
By Nitya Kishor Devi Dasi
ISKCON Mayapur welcomes all of you to the most auspicious of the events!
Śrī Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama 2018.
This year we are celebrating 100 years that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur started the Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama.
Nowadays, every year more than 8 thousand devotees from more than 50 countries come to Parikrama. It is a life changing experience for each one of them!
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur says: By performing Sri Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama the who
TEXT 30
lelihyase grasamanah samantal
lokan samagran vadanair jvaladbhih
tejobhir apurya jagat samagram
bhasas tavograh pratapanti visno
lokan samagran vadanair jvaladbhih
tejobhir apurya jagat samagram
bhasas tavograh pratapanti visno
SYNONYMS
lelihyase—licking; grasamanah—devouring; samantat—from all directions; lokan—people; samagran—completely; vadanaih—by the mouth; jvaladbhih—with blazing; tejobhih—by effulgence; apurya—covering; jagat—the universe; samagram—all; bhasah—illuminating; tava—Your; ugrah—terrible; pratapanti—scorching; visno—O all-pervading Lord.
TRANSLATION
O Visnu, I see You devo
In the Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, it is described how Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu along with His associates in the Panca-tattva broke open the sealed storehouse of love of Godhead, and became so intoxicated by it, that they simply couldn’t keep it to themselves, and decided to freely distribute it. Sri Nitai opened the marketplace of the holy name, allowing anyone and everyone to purchase the holy names for the price of faith.
Sri Nityananda Prabhu is understood be the most merciful - even more than Pa
TEXT 29
yatha pradiptam jvalanam patanga
visanti nasaya samrddha-vegah
tathaiva nasaya visanti lokas
tavapi vaktrani samrddha-vegah
visanti nasaya samrddha-vegah
tathaiva nasaya visanti lokas
tavapi vaktrani samrddha-vegah
SYNONYMS
yatha—as; pradiptam—blazing; jvalanam—fire; patangah—moths; visanti—enters; nasaya—destruction; samrddha—full; vegah—speed; tatha eva—similarly; nasaya—for destruction; visanti—entering; lokah—all people. tava—unto You; api—also; vaktrani—in the mouths; samrddha-vegah—with full speed.
TRANSLATION
I see all people rushing with full speed into Your mouths as moths da
Constant change has become the underlying theme of the age – update your fashion, contrast your scenery, evolve your goals and upgrade your gadgets. After all, variety is the mother of enjoyment. If someone maintains the same job for over ten years they may well be viewed as dull, unambitious and dysfunctional. Stability and steadiness just isn’t valued in the same way. Being ‘original’ no longer relates to doing something authentic – it means to do something new! But does this constant adjustm
Question: Swamiji, can you please give me some basics on spiritual life?
Serve the devotees! That’s the basics. That is where it all begins. And when we serve the devotees, we serve their feet. We serve the lotus feet of the devotees and that means you have to bow down to the devotees – otherwise how will you get there? And bowing down to the devotees is not just a stretching exercise! Bowing down is not only about the gross body but we bow down our subtle body too. We bow down our will before
Srila Prabhupada: Although there is no Deity, still this Hare Krishna Mantra is considered to be the sound vibration incarnation of Krishna. Actually, we should give more stress in worshiping the incarnation of sound vibration but whenever there is possibility of installing Deities and strictly following the regulations of worship, we shall do this, but the essential part of our activities is to worship the sound incarnation.
– Letter to Visnujana – Bombay 4 April 1971
Source: http://www.dandav
Srila Prabhupada: “This is a simple method. All you have to do is bow down before Krishna with faith and say, ‘My Lord Krishna, I was forgetful of You for so long, for so many lives. Now I have come to my consciousness; please accept me.’ That’s all. If one simply learns this technique and sincerely surrenders himself to the Lord, his path is immediately open.”
(Science of Self-Realization, Chapter 7)
The unity of the individual souls.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation—devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me.
PURPORT
Since the sons of King Pracinabarhisat were all united in Krsna consciousness, the Lord was very pleased with them. Each and every one of the sons o
By Gopiparanadhana Das
yena sva-rocisa visvam rocitam rocayamy aham yatharko ‘gnir yatha somo yatharksa-graha-tarakah
So, in our material consciousness we think that Krishna is very distant. Even after practicing devotional service for many years. We vaguely perceive the presence of Krishna in His holy name. When we come to the mangal-arati we are vaguely aware that Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda are standing there on the altar. Or maybe we spend the whole mangal-arati not giving any attenti
There was a video clip about teenagers in Australia who have a very hard life – they have iPads with only 1 GB memory space! And on Saturdays their parents would do all the shopping for the week, drive the car into the garage and then the kids had to carry all that shopping, all the way from the car to the kitchen! Oh my God, what an intense life! So this is the suffering of the young generation in Australia. (laughter)
Anyway, we are all like that. Everything is too much. Kitchen sinks are fil
By Niranjana Swami
krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-kala-pathojani-bhrajita
sad-bhaktavali-hamsa-cakra-madhupa-sreni-viharaspadam
karnanandi-kala-dhvanir vahatu me jihva-maru-prangane
sri-caitanya daya-nidhe tava lasal-lila-sudha-svardhuni
TRANSLATION
O my merciful Lord Caitanya, may the nectarean Ganges waters of Your transcendental activities flow on the surface of my desert like tongue. Beautifying these waters are the lotus flowers of singing, dancing and loud chanting of Krsna’s holy name, whi
The individuality of the self is a central teaching in Vaisnava philosophy, but what is our practical understanding of this term? Individuality is present in all living beings on both a material and a spiritual level. This article translates how this concept needs to relate to education practices in ISKCON today. The author explores evidence in some of Srila Prabhupada’ writings and scripture that deal with the issue of individuality together with some more recent research by academics in the f
TEXT 28
yatha nadinam bahavo 'mbu-vegah
samudram evabhimukha dravanti
tatha tavami nara-loka-vira
visanti vaktrany abhivijvalanti
samudram evabhimukha dravanti
tatha tavami nara-loka-vira
visanti vaktrany abhivijvalanti
SYNONYMS
yatha—as; nadinam—of the rivers; bahavah—many; ambu-vegah—waves of the waters; samudram—ocean; eva—certainly; abhimukhah—towards; dravanti—gliding; tatha—similarly; tava—Your; ami—all those; nara-lokavirah—the kings of human society; visanti—entering; vaktrani—into the mouths; abhivijvalanti—blazing.
TRANSLATION
As the rivers flow into the sea, so all these great war
“All their hearts were melting for Him on the pot of attraction. They looked at Him without blinking their eyes, and they moved hither and thither in perplexity.” (SB 1.10.4)
Yes. Krsna, the very name, suggests attractive. Krsna means all-attractive. (from Srimad Bhagavatam lecture June 19, 1973 in Mayapura India)
Full lecture
Krishna Means All Attractive
Lecture by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.4
Mayapura, June 19, 1973
Pradyumna: (leads chanting,
What’s the importance of the family in society? Are men and women the same? What value, particularly, do women have to social peace and harmony? If women have a special role, how is it best accomplished? This article from First Things gives a simple and interesting perspective. As an introduction to the article, here is a quote from Prabhupada that makes the same point…
This is from a lecture by Srila Prabhupada about the value of family and women:
“We were student of economics and there
