Uday and I agreed to meet at Yonge and Bloor for the subway train to head west for a live Gita class session. And on my way for the 5 o'clock juncture, a Palestinian man walked next to me. "What are you?" he asked.
"A monk with Krishna."
"Are you Indian? You dress like one, but you are white."
"I thought I was beige. My parents are from the Netherlands. Mom looks Dutch. Dad's got some Italian in him, so I speculate. And what are you?"
"I come from the land stolen by a thief. The name starts wit
On this auspicious day of Parshva Ekadashi, we are blessed to have the auspicious appearance of Lord Vamanadev, Srila Jiva Goswami, and Sri Indulekha Sakhi!
Tripple blessings all in one day!!!
Significance of Parsva Ekadasi: A Day of Fasting and Worship
Parsva Ekadashi, also known as Jayanti Ekadashi, is a propitious day of fasting and worship. By observing this fast, individuals can seek forgiveness for their past sins and gain high spiritual benefits. It is believed that keeping this fast pr
Lord Vamanadeva appeared within this world from the womb of Aditi, the mother of the gods. He appeared at midday on the shravan-dvadasi, the 12th day of the lunar month of Shravan when the moon is waxing.
There are many lessons for Vaishnavas to learn from the narration of His activities, as found in the 8th canto, 18th chapter of the Bhagavat Purana (Srimad Bhagavatam). Amongst the lessons are these:
1. That God comes to this world in many forms; not just once, in one form, or even many times
By Gauravani dasa
1. He is known by many names, the most common ones being Vamana (the little dwarf), Trivikrama (he who has taken three step; the giant form), and Upendra (Indra’s younger brother);
2. In every planetary system the denizens worship a particular visnu-tattva as their sole Lord (Plaksadvipa, Surya-Narayana; Brahmaloka; Maha-purusa; Maharloka; Yajna-purusa, et cetera) and in the heavenly planets, the demigods worship Lord Visnu in His plenary portion: the four-armed Vamana;
3. Wh
Lord Vamanadeva
The Dwarf Incarnation of Supreme Lord
&
Sri Ulagalantha Perumal Temple
At Kanchipuram
Vamana avatar, an extraordinary astonishing incarnation of Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as the son of Kasyapa Muni and Aditi to regain the universe for His devotees- the demigods from the great King Bali who had ruled over the entire universe.
He appeared as Lord Vamana, a brahmana dwarf and tricked Bali Maharaja by asking for three steps of land. When Bali agreed to offer Lord three
“Bali Maharaj, very intelligent personality. He was the son of Virochana, grandson of Prahlad, great grandson of Hiranyakashipu, great grand-nephew of Hiranyaksha. A very mixed up type of family heritage!”
So he performed yajna to please his guru Shukracharya, and his guru-maharaj was very pleased with him. In fact he arranged for the descendents of Bhrigu Muni to come to perform this yajna. And his disposition, his good qualities, was so pleasing to everyone that the descendents of Bhrigu show
Srila Prabhupada writes to one his disciples about Lord Vamanadeva:
Montreal 3 July, 1968
My Dear Satsvarupa,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 28, 1968, and I thank you very much for it. Regarding Bali Maharaja: He is born in the same atheistic family of Maharaja Prahlada. He happened to be the grandson of Maharaja Prahlada, and as his great grand-father, Hiranyakasipu was very powerful, and as there was animosity between the demigods and the demons, Bal
When Sri Gaurasundara came to Ramakeli, Sri Jiva was blessed by having darshana of His worshipable lord, though he was just a baby at the time. Placing the dust of His lotus feet on the child’s head, Mahaprabhu indicated him to be the future sovereign preceptor of the Gaudiya sampradaya.
As he got a little older, Sri Jiva took up the worship of the Deities of Sri-Sri Rama-Krsna. He would carefully decorate Them and offer bhoga and arati, serving Them with his full attention. Even in his play, w
We shall read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Eight, Chapter Twenty-two: “Bali Maharaja Surrenders His Life.” We begin with the chapter summary:
“The summary of this twenty-second chapter is as follows. The Supreme Personality of Godhead was pleased by the behavior of Bali Maharaja. Thus the Lord placed him on the planet Sutala, and there, after bestowing benedictions upon him, the Lord agreed to become his doorman.
“Bali Maharaja was extremely truthful. Being unable to keep his promise, he was ve
By Atma Tattva Das
Driven to share the Holy Name, the Bhakti Bloom team has planted the seeds of unity and spiritual awakening at their inaugural Kirtan mela, a two-day extravaganza spanning July 29th and 30th, 2023, near Berlin, Germany. This transformative event drew seekers from diverse backgrounds, offering them a fragrant bouquet of melodies, profound spiritual insights, and a unique opportunity to commune with the Divine.
The event was a resounding success, and its inception and developme
By Atma Tattva Das
Devotee Care South Africa (DCSA), an integral part of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in South Africa, recently hosted a highly relevant End-of-Life Seminar at the Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple in Durban during the last week of August 2023. The seminar, held in collaboration with the Bhaktivedanta Medical Association (BMA), provided invaluable insights into the delicate subject of end-of-life care.
The seminar addressed the profound questions and
Tomorrow Is Parshva Ekadashi || Also Called Vamana Dwadashi – Vamanadev Appearance
(On This Auspicious Day, One Should Fast From Grains)
Lord Vamanadev is the fifteen incarnations of the lord, In this form, the Lord figures were that of a dwarf, and His bodily hue was blackish, and He was dressed in yellow garments. Lord Viṣṇu appeared at an auspicious moment on Śravaṇa-dvādaśī when the Abhijit star had arisen. At that time, in all the three worlds (including the higher planetary system, outer
Introduction: Radha Ashtami, also known as Radhashtami, is a significant Hindu festival celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm across India. It marks the auspicious appearance day of Radha Rani, the divine consort of Lord Krishna. Radha Ashtami falls on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the bright half of the Bhadrapada month in the Hindu calendar, typically occurring in August or September. In this blog, we will explore the significance, rituals, and cultural aspects of Radha Ashtami.
The Signi
By Rasananda Sankirtana Dasa
On September 22nd-24th, 2023, the community of Radha-Parisisvara temple will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the installation of Sri-Sri Radha-Parisisvara on the most auspicious day of Radhastami.
On the 22nd, a Maha Harinam will proceed from place Saint-Michel (the historical location where devotees would go on Harinam back then) to rue Lesueur (which was the former location of the temple), passing by Luxembourg Park, where Srila Prabhupada once held an ini
Discover Your Teaching Potential with the Teacher Training Course I & II
Are you ready to embark on a transformative teaching journey? The Teacher Training Course is your gateway to becoming an empowered teacher and preacher in the Krishna Consciousness movement. This dynamic six-day course, guided by HG Aniruddha Dasa (TTC I) and HG Rsi Kumara Dasa (TTC II), offers a comprehensive curriculum that goes beyond the classroom, equipping you with essential skills that can be applied in various fac
Tata play customers have to add 'FTA complimentary pack new' pack on their set top box.
The ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry (IDWM) acts on behalf of the GBC to ensure that the worship in our temples and centres is done according to the standards as given by Srila Prabhupada. It also provides training for devotees interested in developing their skills and abilities as Pujaris and brahmanas. The Ministry is also presently compiling ‘position papers’ that address often asked questions related to worship. By closely studying and researching Srila Prabhupada’s books, conversations and let
Srimati Radharani is the queen of Vrindavana and dear most devotee of Lord Sri Krishna. She is an expert in all the fine arts and Her transcendental form is like an ocean of nectar. Her splendid bodily luster is like the yellow pigment gorocana, molten gold, or stationary lightning. She wears wonderfully beautiful blue garments and She is decorated with various pearls and flowers.
Srimati Radharani is the ideal maha-bhagvat. As the most excellent devotee, She is also the most compassionate. She
( १ ) पवित्रीकरणम्
ॐ अपवित्र: पवित्रो वेत्यस्य वामदेव ऋषि: विष्णुर्देवता गायत्रीच्छन्द: हृदि पवित्रकरणे विनियोग:।
ॐ अपवित्र पवित्रो वा सर्वावस्थां गतोऽपि वा।
य: स्मरेत् पुण्डरीकाक्षं स बाह्याभ्यन्तर: शुचि:।।
( २ ) त्रिराचमनम्
अन्तर्जानुहस्त: संहताङ्गुलिना शुद्धजलं गृहीत्वा मुक्ताङगुष्ठकनिष्ठेनवामेनान्वारब्धपाणिना ब्रह्मतीर्थेन त्रिरप: पिबेत्।
१ 👉 ॐ केशवाय नमः
२ 👉 ॐ नारायणाय नमः
३ 👉 ॐ माधवाय नमः
४ 👉 ॐ हृषीकेशाय नमः
( ३ ) आसनशुद्धि:
ॐ पृथ्वीतिमन्त्रस्य मेरुपृष्ठ ऋषि: सुतलं छन्द: कूर्मो देवता आसने विन
The 6th annual MAN-tra Men’s Retreat is returning in just a few weeks to New Vrindaban, West Virginia, USA. Space is still available for the gathering which runs from Friday, September 29th thru Sunday, October 1st.
With an aim to empower devotee men to integrate Krishna consciousness into all aspects of their lives, the MAN-tra Retreat was conceived by H.H. Bhaktimarga Swami and H.G. Anuttama Prabhu in 2018. Every year the retreat features a variety of special guest speakers covering topics rel
