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The following incident, described in Watering the Seed, took place exactly forty-five years ago.

Almost every morning in Bombay Srila Prabhupada used to walk on Juhu Beach. One morning I was feeling especially wretched and miserable. Although so many other devotees were present, Srila Prabhupada began to speak as if he were addressing me personally.

He quoted a Sanskrit verse and said there are two words—a-natha and sa-natha. Natha means “master,” so a-natha means “without master” and sa-natha m

Sri Namamrta

1. The Holy Name Revives One’s Dormant, Eternal Krsna Consciousness
2. The Role of the Holy Name in the Progression of Devotional Service
3. The Holy Name Frees One from the Reactions to Sins
4. By Chanting the Holy Name, the Mind Becomes Controlled
5. The Holy Name Protects One from Pride
6. By Chanting, One Develops Forbearance
7. The Holy Name Eradicates Material Desires and Sinful Activity
8. The Holy Name Cleanses the Heart and Frees One from Material Contamination
9. The Holy

Prabhupada didn't like the Mercedes-Benz auto sedan, which was driven to India from Germany. The suspension was to bouncy on Indian roads, which were wavy at times from the heat, which created waves in the asphalt by the overloaded lorries. Sometimes Srila Prabhupada's head would hit the interior roof. He said, "Send it back." The 'car visa' was valid in India for six months only. And to keep it longer, one has to pay 600% tax. Then Srila Prabhupada assigned me this task of securing three Indi

Since the vast majority of our readers are coming to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna Consciousness for the first time through Internet searches, and without access to devotee association or a nearby Hare Krishna temple, many people have inquired about how they can set up an altar in their homes and start practicing Krishna Consciousness at their own pace.

The first and foremost principle of Krishna Consciousness is chanting the Hare Krishna mantra:

“Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Har

From Back to Godhead 

For anyone interested in spiritual progress,
gambling is more than just a harmless amusement.

High’s convenience store is bustling with last-minute shoppers picking up odds and ends for a holiday dinner. Having run out of milk, I find myself in the crowded store, standing in a line that wraps around the food aisle. I resign myself to the waiting, and chant the Hare Krsna mantra softly to myself.

An elderly shabbily dressed woman at the counter draws my attention. She’s fr

Krishna is self-satisfied and does not need anything, but out of His mercy He will accept our offerings of love and devotion.

Krishna’s supreme opulence surpasses all description and comparison. Millions of goddesses of fortune serve Him in the spiritual realm. He is the supreme controller, the ultimate refuge, and the proprietor of everything. Yet, because of His love for His devotees, the all-powerful Lord accepts their loving offerings.

Krishna consciousness helps us recognize and reestablis

We concluded our last discussion on the existence of the self with the recognition that accepting our own existence somehow or other implied the existence of God, quoting Srila Prabhupada’s words “One can understand the nature of the Supreme by thorough study of oneself” (Bg 2.16, purport) (http://www.dandavats.com/?p=12367#more-12367).But by what process can this understanding be achieved?

Descartes concludes from his first two meditations that the self exists. He begins to ponder the nature o

Gitanushilanam 2023 is the world’s biggest online Bhagavad Gita competition dedicated to ISKCON founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It is the annual flagship event of Learn Gita Live Gita to celebrate the Gita Jayanti of year 2023.

Learn Gita Live Gita is an initiative under the leadership of HG Lila Purushottam Prabhu (Director-IIT Mandi, Director- BGIS Vrindavan) to bring about success and happiness to every person in this world irrespective of their age, gen

By Rasananda Sankirtana Dasa 

Bhakta Wilfred, Rasānanda Sankīrtana Dāsa, and Gauranga Prema Prabhu distributing books in Paris.

His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada’s marathon in France is considered by many to be in a category of its own. Some devotees say that France is one of the most challenging places to distribute books, and within France, the city of Paris is the most difficult. Yet, it has become a thriving base of operation for the sankirtan devotees under the tutelage of HH Janananda Gos

The day commenced with a soul-stirring Samadhi Arati, an offering of lamps, and prayers at Srila Prabhupada’s resting place, setting the tone for a day of devotion and reflection. Mangala Arat

Once, on his guru maharaja’s disappearance day, Srila Prabhupada said, “On the absolute platform, there is no difference between the appearance and the disappearance of the spiritual master. Both are beautiful, just like the sunrise and the sunset.” So, although we feel separation, within that separation our remembrance of Srila Prabhupada is heightened, and thus we experience the beauty of his presence—in separation.

To straightaway speak about Srila Prabhupada’s departure feels abrupt to me, b

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Shri Krishna explains,

janma karma ca me divyam
evaà yo vetti tattvataù
tyaktvä dehaà punar janma
naiti mäm eti so ‘rjuna
[BG 4.9]

‘One who understands the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities never attains…never has to take birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode.’ Those divine personalities who come to distribute the treasure of prema bhakti, the emissaries of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, their lila is of the same natu

Dear Devotees,

Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I am writing this message to you during a solemn yet joyful time when we recall the disappearance of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON. It is solemn because of the very heart-wrenching reality that Srila Prabhupada left our presence forty-five years ago this year, yet joyful because we know he departed back to the lotus feet of Sri Krishna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu after

“That night, Srila Prabhupada called me. I was attending Srila Prabhupada – actually one of us used to always be with Srila Prabhupada for two hours. My shift was 12am-2am. So it must have been around 1am. Srila Prabhupada called me, and told me: “The time has come for me to leave this planet, therefore you should make arrangement to take me to Vrindavan immediately.” He wanted to leave his body in Vrindavan. I was completely shocked, and immediately ran downstairs to wake up Tamal Krishna Ma

Dear Srila Prabhupada! As I was preparing the accompanying lecture on your pastimes in Vrindavan over the years, I stumbled across this photo of myself looking at you in Vrindavan from a short distance away with a smile on my face. I feel so honoured to have been with you at that time! For the pleasure of the devotees I researched many of your pastimes in Vraja from 1925 to 1977. My talk on Tuesday on my YouTube channel at 3:30 pm India time will highlight your glories the day before we all cele

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

It is only possible to deliver a conditioned jiva from Maya,

By divine intervention of God.

To a realm that is higher;

Ecstatically deep and broad.

An ocean of liquid love!

In His mercy, to bring us there,

He sent us Srila Prabhupada.

Sri Krsna Caitanya desired to moisten the dried-up souls.

To acheive it,

He not only comes Himself, But Nitai-Balarama empowered Srila Prabhupada,

To bountiful conceive it.

A world encircling garland of prema-nama-sankirtana!

All G

Once, on his guru maharaja’s disappearance day, Srila Prabhupada said, “On the absolute platform, there is no difference between the appearance and the disappearance of the spiritual master. Both are beautiful, just like the sunrise and the sunset.” So, although we feel separation, within that separation our remembrance of Srila Prabhupada is heightened, and thus we experience the beauty of his presence—in separation.

Srila Prabhupada’s departure is a painful topic, but remembering Srila Prabhu

Note: Click here for improved version: http://www.dandavats.com/wp-content/uploads/new_SP_Disap_2008.docx

By Giriraj Swami

We have gathered at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada on the auspicious occasion of his disappearance festival. When we were with His Divine Grace in Surat on his guru maharaja’s disappearance day, he remarked that on the absolute platform there is no difference between the appearance and disappearance of the spiritual master—just like the sunrise and sunset, both are beau

DIWALI FESTIVAL: 10th October. 1968,
(Letter from Srila Prabhupada to Hamsadutta dasa written from Seattle., Letters book Vol 1. p.549.)

Diwali ceremony can be observed in the temple by illuminating 100’s of candles, indifferent parts of the temple, and offering a special Prasad to the Deity. This ceremony was observed by the inhabitants of Ayodhya, the Kingdom of Lord Ramachandra, while Lord Ramachandra was out of His Kingdom due to His 14 years banishment by the order of His father. His young

By Giriraj Swami

In Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami says that the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya are like a lake with many beautiful lotus flowers, which are love for Krishna—Radha and Krishna. As our acharyas tell us, the Caitanya-caritamrta is perhaps the most important of all the books of the followers of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and on this date thirty-seven years ago, Srila Prabhupada completed his translation of the Caitanya-caritamrta.

Whenever Srila Prabhupada was