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TEXT 13

vidhi-hinam asrstannam 
mantra-hinam adaksinam 
sraddha-virahitam yajnam 
tamasam paricaksate

SYNONYMS

vidhi-hinam--without scriptural direction; asrsta-annam--without distribution of prasadam; mantra-hinam--with no chanting of the Vedic hymns; adaksinam--with no remunerations to the priests;sraddha--faith; virahitam--without; yajnam--sacrifice; tamasam--in the mode of ignorance; paricaksate--is to be considered.

TRANSLATION

And that sacrifice performed in defiance of scriptural injunctions, in

You are under the clutches of maya. you have no independence. Neither anyone has got any independence to save you. That is not possible. The same example as I gave sometimes, that you learn how to drive aeroplane. So you go high in the sky. But if you are in danger, no other aeroplane can help you. You are finished. Therefore you must be a very careful pilot to take care of yourself. Similarly, in this material world everyone individually has to take care of himself. How he can be saved from the

Hare Krishna
3rd March, 2015. Gurgaon

This is the second last blog in the series of last few blogs on Vaishanava etiquette and Vaishanava Apradha. We will read about three categories of devotees and what Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has to say on Vaishnava Apradha.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in `Vaisnava Ninda’ (Sajjan Toshani, 1893) that If we neglect to show respect to the ordinary jivas, special honour to the religious jiva, and proper respect to brahmana-jivas and vaisnava-praya-jivas, th

This article was written by Phalini devi dasi.

Early in the morning on Saturday, September 13, 2014, my husband Haripada dasa and I picked up a couple of friends--Sarva-drik Prabhu and his wife Sudevi dasi--and headed north.  We arrived at the Medium Security Facility of the Petersburg Prison in Virginia around 11:15 a.m.  We were checked through security, our hands were stamped, and we were escorted through several heavy, metal doors until we found ourselves in the prison chapel. 

     The chape

yad yan niruktam vacasa nirupitam  
dhiyaksabhir va manasota yasya
ma bhut svarupam guna-rupam hi tat tat  
sa vai gunapaya-visarga-laksanah

Translation: 
Anything expressed by material vibrations, anything ascertained by material intelligence and anything experienced by the material senses or concocted within the material mind is but an effect of the modes of material nature and therefore has nothing to do with the real nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Lord is beyond

TEXT 12

abhisandhaya tu phalam 
dambhartham api caiva yat 
ijyate bharata-srestha 
tam yajnam viddhi rajasam

SYNONYMS

abhisandhaya--desiring; tu--but; phalam--the result; dambha--pride; artham--for the sake of; api--also; ca--and; eva--certainly; yat--that which; ijyate--worship; bharata-srestha--O chief of the Bharatas;tam--that; yajnam--sacrifice; viddhi--know; rajasam--in the mode of passion.

TRANSLATION

But that sacrifice performed for some material end or benefit or preformed ostentatiously, out of

You can become immediately out of the scope of maya if you always remain surrendered to Krsna. Maya will not touch you. Just like if you remain always in the sunshine, there is no question of night. Nowadays it is very easy. If you simply drive your plane on the western side, you'll never get night. You just round about. Yes. Just like it is materially possible. You drive your plane simply on the western side. Start your plane in the morning and go to the western side and don't stop it. You go o

TEXTS 27–28
manisino ’ntar-hrdi sannivesitam
sva-saktibhir navabhis ca trivrdbhih
vahnim yatha daruni pañcadasyam
manisaya niskarsanti gudham

TRANSLATION
Just as great learned brāhmaṇas who are expert in performing ritualistic ceremonies and sacrifices can extract the fire dormant within wooden fuel by chanting the fifteen Sāmidhenī mantras, thus proving the efficacy of the

Dear devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

After the ecstatic Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama, today all the six parties returned to Mayapur. Today also marks the beginning of festivities in Sri Mayapur. Sri Radha-Madhava Boat Festival will be celebrated in the evening, followed by other festivals like Ganga puja, Ratha yatra, Deity procession, Jhulan yatra etc. Main stage cultural program features much awaited "Blue Mystic " drama performance by Bhakti Ma

Hare Krishna.
28th Feb, 2015. Gurgaon.

“There are three things that are inconceivable: the position of Lord Siva, hladini sakti, and, yes, guru-tattva.” (BR Sridhara Swami)

Among all the spiritual personalities the position of Lord Siva is unique. In one of my previous blog I shared how I used to worship lord Shiva. After coming into Krishna consciousness I still retain a special corner in my heart for lord Shiva and now when I read and hear more lectures from senior devotees about him, the fog of

This year, the 3rd of March, the ISKCON Congregational Development Ministry will award those devotees around the world who have done an outstanding service in the area of congregational preaching. This is an annual occurrence during the Gaura Purnima festival in Mayapur, where several of ISKCON leaders and preachers are gathered at the moment. 

During the 2015 Annual Award Ceremony, the congregational ministry will recognize devotees in a variety of areas. From pioneers and supporters of the pre

 In a gesture expressing unity of purpose for the service of ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, His Grace Praghosa Das, the newly appointed Chairman of the GBC, has announced in Mayapur that 2015, the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the Western world, is the Year of the TOVP.

“Having just accepted this wonderful service as the GBC Chairman, I’d like to start my term by announcing this as the Year of the TOVP. Fortunately, since 2010,

Reading from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 6, Chapter 4 (The Hamsa-guhya prayers),

Text 26
yadoparamo manaso nama-rupa-  
rupasya drsta-smrti-sampramosat ya iyate kevalaya sva-samsthaya  
hamsaya tasmai suci-sadmane namah

Translation: 
When one’s consciousness is completely purified of the contamination of material existence, gross and subtle, without being agitated as in the working and dreaming states, and when the mind is not dissolved as in susupti, deep sleep, one comes to the platform of tran

TEXT 11

aphalakanksibhir yajno 
vidhi-disto ya ijyate 
yastavyam eveti manah 
samadhaya sa sattvikah

SYNONYMS

aphala-akanksibhih--devoid of desire for result; yajnah--sacrifice;vidhi--accordingly; distah--direction; yah--anyone; ijyate--performs;yastavyam--must be performed; eva--certainly; iti--thus; manah--mind; samadhaya--fixed in; sah--he; sattvikah--is in the mode of goodness.

TRANSLATION

Of sacrifices, that sacrifice performed according to duty and to scriptural rules, and with no expectation of r

TEXT 25
deho ’savo ’ksa manavo bhuta-matram atmanam anyam ca viduh param yat sarvam puman veda gunams ca taj-jno na veda sarva-jnam anantam ide

TRANSLATION
Because they are only matter, the body, the life airs, the external and internal senses, the five gross elements and the subtle sense objects [form, taste, smell, sound and touch] cannot know their own nature, the nature of the other senses or the nature of their controllers. But the living being, because of his spiritual nature, can know h

TEXT 18
yatha sasarja bhutani
dakso duhitr-vatsalah
retasa manasa caiva
tan mamavahitah srnu

TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Goswami continued: Please hear from me with great attention how Prajapati Dakna, who was very affectionate to his daughters, created different types of living entities through his semen and through his mind.

PURPORT
The word duhitṛ-vatsalaḥ indicates that all the prajās were born from Dakna’s daughters. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that apparently Dakna had no son.

TEXT

Dear devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Devotees are being tossed in the waves of ecstasy and Gaura- prema as they traverse the places of pastime of Lord Caitanya and His associates in Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama. Around 5000 devotees in five different groups which also contains Russians is jubilantly enjoying with transcendental singing and dancing , engaging in nine process of devotional service . They are doing the parikrama covering the seven isl

TEXT 8-10

ayuh-sattva-balarogya- 
sukha-priti-vivardhanah 
rasyah snigdhah sthira hrdya 
aharah sattvika-priyah

katv-amla-lavanaty-usna- 
tiksna-ruksa-vidahinah 
ahara rajasasyesta 
duhkha-sokamaya-pradah

yata-yamam gata-rasam 
puti paryusitam ca yat 
ucchistam api camedhyam 
bhojanam tamasa-priyam

SYNONYMS

ayuh--duration of life; sattva--existence; bala--strength; arogya--health; sukha--happiness; priti--satisfaction; vivardhanah--increasing;rasyah--juicy; snigdhah--fatty; sthirah--enduring; hrdyah--pleasing

Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama Day 4

HOLY PLACES VISITED on Day 4 Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama 

1. Samudragada: King Samudra Sena used to live here.
2. Campahati: Gaura Gadadhara Mandir, Residence of Dvija Vaninatha.

3. Ratupura: Replica of Radha-kunda
4. Vidyanagar: Birth place of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and residence of his Brother Vidyavacaspati.

We are on the 24th verse of this chapter that is entitled the “Hamsa-guhya Prayers”

SB 6.4.24

na yasya sakhyam puruso ’vaiti sakhyuh  
sakha vasan samvasatah pure ’smin
guno yatha gunino vyakta-drstes  
tasmai mahesaya namaskaromi

Translation: 
As the sense objects [form, taste, touch, smell and sound] cannot understand how the senses perceive them, so the conditioned soul, although residing in his body along with the Supersoul, cannot understand how the supreme spiritual person, the master of