By Sri Nandanandana dasa (Stephen Knapp)
As many of you know, when I was initiated by His Divine Grace, Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, I was given the name of Sri Nandanandana dasa.
When I was to be accepted for initiation, I was told to write a paper on the significance of being initiated. I did the research from whatever books we had back then, and found that I really liked going through my books of Srila Prabhupada and gathering the information for the paper. The paper was then
In a recent interview with the GBC Strategic Planning Team, Sesa Prabhu, my father, spoke about ksatriya training. I found the letter that was referred to in the interview which he wrote to Jagadish Maharaj on the topic in 1983. Being an educator myself, I found this a relevant subject to today’s world in ISKCON and want to put it forth for publication on Dandavats.
Attached is a picture of my father in uniform during his time at West Point Military Academy. I thought the photo was a good pair
karmany evadhikaras te
ma phalesu kadacana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango ‘stv akarmani [ B.g. 2.47]
“You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty”.
The above mentioned verse is one of the most famous verses in Bhagavad Gita, although many know this verse and probably might have recited and heard them many times, very few
भगवद्गीता यथारूप 108 महत्त्वपूर्ण श्लोक
अध्याय चार दिव्य ज्ञान
अजोSपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोSपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ।। 6 ।।
अजः– अजन्मा;अपि– तथापि;सन्– होते हुए;अव्यय– अविनाशी;आत्मा– शरीर;भूतानाम्– जन्म लेने वालों के;इश्वरः– परमेश्वर;अपि– यद्यपि;सन्– होने पर;प्रकृतिम्– दिव्य रूप में;स्वाम्– अपने;अधिष्ठाय– इस तरह स्थित;सम्भवामि– मैं अवतार लेता हूँ;आत्म-मायया– अपनी अन्तरंगा शक्ति से।
By Nandan Dasa
On the auspicious occasion of Radhastami 2024, ISKCON Mayapur launched the “Navadvipa Mandal” feature on both the Mayapur app and website. This offering is dedicated to Srimati Radharani, who manifested the sacred land of Navadvipa. We warmly invite all devotees to explore and immerse themselves in the divine glories of Navadvipa Mandal through this new virtual experience.
LEARN Teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Srila Prabhupada said, “My idea is to attract people of the
Dear devotees, I wish you a most fulfilling Radhastami where the blessings of Divine love are abundantly showered upon you and everyone else who aspires for it.
Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami ecstatically raises his voice in glorification of Srimati Radharani:
“If one asks about the origin of love of Krishna the answer is that the origin is Srimati Radharani alone.
If one asks: ‘Who is the most dear friend of Krishna?’
The answer again is: ‘Srimati Radharani alone.’
She is able to fulfill all of K
It gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to be with us in Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple to celebrate Radhastami. A day in which we meditate upon the deepest mystery buried within the vast treasure of the Vedic scriptures. According to a particular person’s level of spiritual awareness, and their particular inclinations, Srila Vyasadev, has compiled the Vedic literatures in such a way to elevate the consciousness of humanity. There are puranas specifically ingrained in the mode of ignora
An early offering for Radhastami.
Srimati Radharani, the tenderhearted, feminine counterpart of Godhead, is that one person in all of existence who knows best how to express love for Krsna. She is the supreme container of love for Him, and, as such, She is known as the asraya category. Moreover, it is She who, like a mother, nurtures us in our devotional service.
Krsna, the object of Her love, comes once in a day of Brahma to display and enjoy His pastime mellows. Afterward, however, Krsna was
By Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
Knowledge about Srimati Radharani, Her relationship with Krishna, Her relationships with Her sakhis and gopi manjaris is expanded throughout the confidential literatures of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. In recent years these books are becoming more accessible to English speaking readers. We are becoming more aware, at least theoretically, that devotion to Srimati Radharani is the topmost expression of Krishna consciousness. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says in one of his songs, “Srimat
Radhastami || Srimati Radhika’s Appearance Day!
Date: 11th September 2024
Sri Radhashtami, the festival celebrating the appearance of Srimati Radharani, is coming up on September 11th. Srimati Radharani is the pleasure potency of Sri Krishna, and without Her mercy, one cannot approach Madhava. As Srila Prabhupada reminds us in His Radhashtami lecture, “Krishna is difficult to approach directly, but He is bhakta-vatsala, always eager to please His devotees. The devotee’s mood is to invoke the c
By Manjari Gauthie
…The crowd presses forward, a mass of bodies all straining to get a better view of the altar. The curtains are still closed, but thin wisps of frankincense smoke can be seen curling from behind their edges. The sweet smell permeats the room and fuels my eagerness to finally see Their Lordships in our temple for the first time. Balabhadra is leading an intense kirtan. The vibration of hundreds of voices in the air is almost too much to stand. I’m sure I’m not the only one fe
For the most auspicious celebration of Sri Radhastami, we read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Three: “Pure Devotional Service.”
TEXT 23
jivan chavo bhagavatanghri-renum
na jatu martyo ’bhilabheta yas tu
sri-visnu-padya manujas tulasyah
svasan chavo yas tu na veda gandham
TRANSLATION
The person who has not at any time received the dust of the feet of the Lord’s pure devotee upon his head is certainly a dead body. And the person who has never experienced the aroma of the tulasi leaves
Srimati Radharani appeared on the eight day of the waxing moon of Hrsikesha (Bhadra) mase, at noon.
“Srimati Radharani is as fully spiritual as Krishna. No one should consider Her to be material. She is definitely not like the conditioned souls, who have material bodies, gross and subtle, covered by material senses. She is all spiritual, and both Her body and mind are of the same spiritual embodiment. Because Her body is spiritual, Her senses are also spiritual. Thus Her body, mind and senses f
भगवद्गीता यथारूप 108 महत्त्वपूर्ण श्लोक
अध्याय चार दिव्य ज्ञान
स एवायं मया तेSद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः ।
भक्तोSसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ।। 3 ।।
सः– वही;एव– निश्चय ही;मया– मेरे द्वारा;ते– तुमसे;अद्य– आज;योगः– योगविद्या;प्रोक्तः– कही गयी;पुरातनः– अत्यन्त प्राचीन;भक्तः– भक्त;असि– हो;मे– मेरे;सखा– मित्र;च– भी;इति– अतः;रहस्यम्– रहस्य;एतत्– यह;उत्तमम्– दिव्य।
There are 3 energies affecting us all
As real and organic as nature’s call
They are at play practically all the time
Like wind, rain, moon, and sunshine
They influence our mood, action, and thought
If we analyze them it can help us a lot
Let us explore the names of these energies
And come to grips with their bold tendencies
The first one is SATTVA, its Sanskrit name
It is positive power we should welcome and aim
The special feature here is to be very mindful
Sensitive, patient, rational, thought
भगवद्गीता यथारूप 108 महत्त्वपूर्ण श्लोक
अध्याय चार दिव्य ज्ञान
एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदु: ।
स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्टः परन्तप ।। 2।।
एवम्– इस प्रकार;परम्परा– गुरु-परम्परा से;प्राप्तम्– प्राप्त;इमम्– इस विज्ञान को;राज-ऋषयह– साधू राजाओं ने;विदुः– जाना;सः– वह ज्ञान;कालेन– कालक्रम में;इह– इस संसार में;महता– महान;योगः– परमेश्वर के साथ अपने सम्बन्ध का विज्ञान, योगविद्या;नष्टः– छिन्न-भिन्न हो गया;परन्तप– हे शत्रुओं को दमन करने वाले, अर्जुन।
Glimpses of brilliant Sri Krishna Janmastami 2024 celebrations at my parents' in-laws place in Pune. Even at their advanced age it very inspiring that their devotion to Lord Krishna has been unflinching for over four decades.
The Bhaktivedanta Archives, a vital service for preserving Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and related materials, has recently celebrated a significant achievement: the completion of the new freezer/cooler/acclimatization rooms. Parama-Rupa Dasa, the Founder of the Bhaktivedanta Archives, and Nitya-Trpta Dasi, who serves alongside him, recently discussed the importance of this new facility and its impact on their preservation efforts. “Our photo vault is a major milestone,” said Parama-Rupa. “It al
By Aditya Devi Dasi
On the eve of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, ISKCON New York City unveiled a beautiful work of art, a mural of Sri Maha-Vishnu hand painted on the north-west facing side of the temple building.
Bhakti street artist Jamuna Pritti spent one week finalizing this artwork which took several weeks of preparation. She describes it as “a fusion between the Sri Isopanisad cover and the mantra mandala I created back in 2015, with a little zine street art vibe.”
There's no one more important in my life than guru, Prabhupada. I posted my offering of gratitude to him on August 23/24. I didn't want to be late so I reached out early instead. I did complete, on this day, my latest poem based on the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita, "The 3 Energies."
There are 3 energies affecting us all
As real and organic as nature’s call
They are at play practically all the time
Like wind, rain, moon, and sunshine
