QUESTION: I once read somewhere, but I cannot remember where, that Kubja was attracted by Krishna in a selfish way of sensual satisfaction, and still Krishna fulfilled her desire. And then it is said that this intimate contact with Krishna purified her, so that her love later transformed into pure prema, as that of the gopis. Do you perhaps know where is this described?
Her love became like the prema of the gopīs but is actually not on the same level of quality.
In Bhakti Rasamṛta Sindhu, First
Tulasi Jala Dan can be followed for one month during the hot season in the northern hemisphere.
One may hang a pot with a hole in it, fill it with water and drip water over Tulasi and Shaligrama Shila.
As it is hot this time of year it is pleasing for the Shaligrama to receive cool waters dripped upon Him.
In the southern hemisphere be careful not to overwater as we come out of Summer and into Autumn.
A Talk by Giriraj Swami Ojai, California
The original Personality of Godhead is Krsna, and He manifests Himself in different forms. One such manifestation is Lord Ramacandra. When Krsna appeared in His original form He acted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas when He appeared as Rama He acted as the ideal king. In fact, the pastimes of Lord Rama display ideals in many ways. Lord Rama appeared as the son of King Dasaratha, and Dasaratha acted as the ideal father and king. Rama acted
I have one short story. It is a story I made up myself but I think it is quite nice. Once, there was a group of people who lived in an oasis in the desert. In this oasis, they had their enjoyment, they had their variety of things – camel milk, dates and some bananas; or bananas and dates and camel milk; or camel milk with bananas and dates; dried bananas; camel milkshake – but that was it. So they were milking their varieties and this oasis was known as the “Oasis of sense gratification”.
One d
Everything can be used in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even modern technology. The TOVP Team happily announces the creation and roll-out of the new TOVP phone App, now available for Androids and iPhone.
With the aim of keeping devotees informed about the progress of the TOVP literally right at their fingertips, the new free TOVP App gives everyone access to features such as news updates, links to the website, photos, Youtube Channel and Facebook Page, TOVP social wall, and
Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam canto - 10, Chapter - 01, Text - 38 by HG Narayani Mataji
(Her Grace Narayani Devi Dasi joined ISKCON in Boston in 1970. She has done many services for Srila Prabhupada including Deity worship in Calcutta temple, traveling book distribution in Western India for the Bombay temple, and teaching Bhakti Sastri, Bhakti Vaibhava and Bhaktivedanta courses in the VIHE in Vrndavana. )
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Lecture on Understanding Krishna's position and disposition from the Gita and the Mahabharata by HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu
(His Grace Caitanya Charan Prabhu is a monk and spiritual teacher in the time honored tradition of bhakti yoga. He is a editor of Back to Godhead, which is the official international magazine of the Hare Krishna movement.)
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Lecture on Goal of Varnashram by HG Ekalavya Prabhu on 03 April 2016 at Kolkata
(Ekalavya Das was born in New York City, USA in 1965, the same year that ISKCON Founder Acarya, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada came to New York. His mother’s younger sister would regularly hear Srila Prabhupada’s Kirtans in Thomkins Square Park in 1966.)
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Lecture on One who does wrong and suffers wrong he is wrong by Sivarama Swami on 04 April 2016 at DUB
(Sivarama Swami was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1949. In 1956, during the failed Hungarian revolution, he emigrated with his family to Canada.)
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On Saturday 23rd April, Bath Spa University will be hosting a conference to mark the first fifty years of the Hare Krishna Movement, also known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
One of the movement’s leading gurus, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, will be in attendance and there will be an opportunity to experience the arati ceremony where worship is offered, enjoy Indian dance and join in chanting the Hare Krishna mahamantra.
A panel chaired by Suzanne Newcombe (
With his first novel, “The Yoga Zapper,” ISKCON devotee Hari Mohan Das (Mohan Ashtakala) has blended exciting fantasy storytelling with themes from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, including the prophesied appearance of Kalki Avatar at the end of Kali Yuga.
He hopes to entertain and educate a diverse Western audience with this potent mix, published by mid-sized Canadian publisher Books We Love.
Mohan has all the requisite background for a mystical novel like this. As a child, he grew up in North India a
In the beginning of our spiritual life, we come with lots of enthusiasm. Then, after some time, we lose that initial fire and we come into a realm of struggling with all the high standards of Krsna consciousness. We do not feel the same inspiration that we had in the beginning. Then, what do we do? At that point, what can we do?
Srila Prabhupada explains that one must chant in a mood of a helpless child. So, when we become helpless, when we realize, ‘Actually, I am not a great devotee, I am s
Not Always Rosy!
Bhaktimarga Swami: I had met Jaya Vijay at a festival in the Berkley area some years ago and had marvelled at his working efforts. He was a padayatra (pilgrim) leader for 10 years from 1986 to 1996. He is indeed inspiring. I wanted to include him in this blog about the purifying nature of walking. An article appeared in the recent issue of Padayatra Worldwide:
“When you watch a Padayatra India slideshow everything seems rosy, but in fact, it was very difficult. Walking the hig
With the hope of introducing my festival program in modern day communist China we spent yesterday morning learning about the country by visiting the capitol, Beijing. In the afternoon we toured the famous “Forbidden City” in central Beijing. Constructed from 1406 to 1420 the Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace that served as the home of emperors as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for almost 500 years. During the tour I noted many similarities betwee
Recently I have been dealing with some difficult situations, and although I am familiar with what Srila Prabhupada and our scriptures and previous acaryas have said about such cases, I still wasn’t sure if my present approach was actually in line with Srila Prabhupada’s will and I wanted some confirmation. In this mood, I began listening to a talk Srila Prabhupada gave about Lord Chaitanya’s meeting with the Mayavadi sannyasis in Varanasi—not a likely place, I thought, to find an answer to my
WAITING FOR ETERNITY WE FORGET TO LIVE TODAY: When I was a new devotee I often reflected that within a few years that special flower airplane would take me back to Godhead, and so I had no worries. Ten years later I realized my thinking was wishful and I had to deal with living in the world. Gaudiya Vaishnavism or living with a consciousness or remembrance of Krishna isn’t life denying but life affirming.
For those who came to this path of bhakti in great distress, having bottomed out material
Most devotees know that 26 Second Avenue was the first Hare Krishna temple outside India, the place from 1966-68 where Srila Prabhupada performed the first initiations, the place where ISKCON’s first generation of leaders were trained, the place where Bhagavad Gita As It is was written. At the end of 1968, so many people were coming to Krishna consciousness that a bigger location was needed. Over the years, the New York temple has relocated to
Over 20000 students attended a mega youth festival organized by ISKCON Pune on 20th March to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ISKCON. The event, which was attended by principles of various colleges, political leaders from the youth community, the education commissioner of Pune and several other VIPs, was widely covered by several newspapers and broadcast on Indian’s national TV channel, Doordarshan. The theme of the event was‘Drishti - Bharat leads the world’ and showcased India’s real spiritu
