God is one. Moreover, according to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that one God is Krishna, the cowherd boy of Vrindavan, who chooses to expand Himself unlimitedly still remain the same one Supreme Person, just to increase His own pleasure. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.3.28) designates this original Godhead as svayam bhagavān: Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has three primary energies. The first is antarańga–śakti, or the internal potency. The second is known as taṭastha–śakti, th
First Meaning: –
Srila Jiva Gosvami reveals the meaning of each of the sixteen Names in the Hare Krishna Mahaamantra in his Mahaa-mantrartha Dipika as follows: –
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
(1-Hare)
Krishna steals the minds of everyone, yet Radha steals even His mind by Her divine expertise. Thus She is known as Haraa.
(2-Krishna)
He forcibly attracts Sri Radha with the sweet sound of His flute, therefore that Lord of all enchantin
The practice of serving the Lord’s lotus feet is one of the fundamental processes of devotional service. Srila Prabhupada mentions it in his writings and spoken words nearly twenty-thousand times! It is recommended by Prahlada Maharaja in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Pada-sevanam is listed among the nine activities which are technically called bhakti.
Pada-sevanam, or service to the Lord’s lotus feet, is the constitutional position of an accomplished servant of Krishna such as Laxmi devi. Laxmi exemplifi
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A brief analysis of Bhagavad-gita 9.4, 9.5, and 9.6.
The Bhagavad-gita is one of the world’s perennial wisdom texts. Because it offers knowledge of the Absolute Truth, some of its texts can be difficult to understand. Few are as difficult as verses four and five of Chapter Nine: “By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them. And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Alt
The names of Krishna are the repository of all happiness and the greatest wealth. If we chant properly, we will not experience material miseries, but we may experience what the materialist might mistake as misery: the spiritual joy of intense separation from Krishna.
Since that joy comes from proper chanting, we might wonder how we can chant with attention and concentration, even if we are not yet pure devotees of Krishna. How can we control the mind? How can we keep ourselves from thinking of
We read from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Chapter Three: “Karma-yoga.”
TEXT 41
tasmat tvam indriyany adau niyamya bharatarsabha papmanam prajahi hy enam jnana-vijnana-nasanam
TRANSLATION
Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
The Lord advised Arjuna to regulate the senses from the very beginning so that he could curb the great
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If God is inconceivable, as the scriptures state, can we really know anything about Him?
Sri Isopanisad states that Krsna is simultaneously very far away and very close. The Vedic scripturesencourage us: The best way to know Krsna and bring Him closer is to hear about Him.
As we open any book about Krsna, we’ll immediately feel the richness of the clear and scientific knowledge it contains. We’ll also come to understand that Krsna is by nature inconceivable to finite beings
(English version of the ‘Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu’ by Sri Rupa Goswami)
Edited by Tridandi Goswami Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami
Text
Akhilla, Rasa, Amrita, Murti, Prasrmara, Ruci, Ruddha, Taraka, Pali, Kalita, Syama, Lalita, Radha, Preyan, Bidhu, Jayati.
Akhila=All inclusive, Rasa=Mellow, Zest, Amrita=Nectar, Murti=Form, Prasrmara=Expanding, Ruchi=Attractive features, Ruddha=Controlling, Taraka=of the name, Pali=of the name, Kalita=Influenced by, Syama=of the name, Lalita=of the name, Radha=
Sri Krsna Madhura Utsava There are various festivities where Lord Krishna's rasa lila is celebrated - this festival being just one of them.
The purnima or full moon of Damodara month is the second full moon of the autumn season, and rasa lila is again celebrated. This second rasa yatra is celebrated more in Bengal, whereas the first one is celebrated more in Vrndavana.
On this day one should perform full worship of Radha and Krsna with many flowers, and place them in a rasa mandapa surrounded
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When we think calmly and carefully about this wonderful universe, we can see that everything is working under the control of a supreme brain. The arrangements in nature are perfectly ordered. Things would be at random without the careful planning of a scientific and engineering brain. It is a common understanding that there is a cause behind each action. A machine cannot run without an operator. Modern scientists are very proud of automation, but there is a scientific brai
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Fifty centuries ago, during a fierce war, Lord Krishna and one of His pure devotees achieved a unique intimacy…
In the midst of the great battle, surrounded by the clash of arms, the pounding of hooves, the rattle of trappings, the shouts of warriors, and the screams of wounded men and beasts, where the dust churned up by the horses dimmed the sun and blood turned the earth to mud, Krishna suddenly stopped the chariot and sprang to the ground. Raising the wheel of a disable
“Vedic Culture Hasn’t Been Preached Properly”
Chapter 13 of the book “Civilization and Transcendence”
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Next question, Śrīla Prabhupāda. “Do you envision a different role for the Vedic culture in the Western countries, where the influence of other great religions has been felt for centuries?”
Śrīla Prabhupāda: No. There is no “different role.” God is one. God cannot be two.
As Kṛṣṇa states in the Bhagavad-gītā [7.7], mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: “There is no author
bhagavan api ta ratrih
saradotphulla-mallikah
viksy- arantum manas cakre
yoga-mayam upasritah
Sri Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all opulences, yet upon seeing those autumn nights scented with blossoming jasmine flowers, He turned His mind toward loving affairs. To fulfill His purposes He employed His internal potency. – S.B 10.29.1
On this most sacred and holy evening on the full moon night of the month of Kartik,in the forest of Vrindavan the moon starts rising on th
As we read the scripture and hear from the spiritual master, we will hear both easy and difficult instructions. We’ll naturally be attracted to those that seem easier to follow, but the two types of instruction have a unity of purpose.
One of the most encouraging verses I have found in Bhagavad-gita is 2.40: “In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” A similar verse can be found in the ninth chap
Krishna Lifts the Govardhan Hill.
Once in the beautiful land of Vraja,
For Lord Indra they wanted to do a puja
Begging to Indra to supply them rain
So that in time they can harvest their grain
Seeing this Krishna was not happy,
He told his father this is unnecessary,
‘You should worship Govardhana hill,
This is what I really feel’
The gopas and gopis were all so happy,
To worship Govardhan they were all ready,
With laddu, halava, pakora and puri
They offered it all to Govardhana joyfully
Hearin
Origin of Govardhan:
In the western coast of India, in the island of Salmali, lived Dronachala, the king of the mountains. Once a sage by the name of Pulastya Muni, came to him to take his son Giriraja with him to Kashi Varanasi). After offering some initial resistance, Giriraja, somehow agreed to go with him only on condition that he should not put him down on the earth in between. If he does so, he would stay there forever.
When they were flying over the Vraja bhumi, Giriraja increased his
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A time filled with love, devotion, and gratitude.
After going through the intense summer and a humid monsoon, we in India perceive sarat, or autumn, as one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. According to the vedic calendar, Sarat falls during the months of Asvin and Karttika, of which Karttika carries special significance because it is favored by Lord Krishna.
Everyone loves certain foods, drinks, clothes, and music, and Lord Krishna is no exception. In fact, we ha
Have you ever experienced the sensation that your mind is without a clear purpose, akin to a playful child stirring up mischief? If you have, rest assured that you are not alone. Our minds, by their very nature, can be unruly, much like an unsupervised child in a room. To restore order, we must become the responsible adult in charge of our thoughts.
This concept is not only relatable but also rooted in profound wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. In these ancient texts, we disc
FIRST CONTACT WITH THE HOLY SOUND
My life took an apical turn when I stumbled across the Hare Krishnas. Being born in India I had some knowledge of “Krishna” but I was like most Indians are – conscious of Krishna but not Krishna Conscious. Being just “conscious of Krishna” didn’t mollify my thirst for happiness. When I was introduced to the programs conducted by the Hare Krishnas near our college campus new hope dawned upon me. What mesmerized me the most in these programs was the chanting of t
1 Sri Narada said: Asked by whom, and for what reason did Lord Krsna, the master of the universes, come to the earth? O best of the knowers of the Vedas, please tell.
2 Sri Narayana Rsi said: In ancient times, during the Varaha-kalpa, bearing a great burden and filled with grief, the earth took shelter of the demigod Brahma.
3 Accompanied by hosts of demigods, who were all unhappy at heart to be so troubled by the demons, she went to the assembly of Brahma, which is very difficult to attain.
4
