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Even though man has studied the heavens for thousands of years, we still know very little about the Universe we live in. And as we continue to learn more, we are consistently amazed, and sometimes confused, by what we learn. Here is a collection of amazing, interesting, and strange astronomy facts, in no particular order.
 

• Scientists believe that we can only see about 5% of the matter in the Universe. The rest is made up of invisible matter (called Dark Matter) and a mysterious form of energy

Power of Holy Names 1/3

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Hare krsna

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Every Rasa corresponds to a particular Bhava.

the Bhavas used to create Rasa. The following table states the nine moods (Navarasa) and the corresponding Bhava. Every Rasa is identified with a specific colour.

Secondary Rasas their Bhavas & colors

1.  Rasa – Shringar(Erotic)

Bhava – Rati

Meaning – Delight

Color – Light Green

2.  Rasa –  Hasya (Humorous)

Bhava –  Hasa

Meaning –  Laughter

Color –  White

3. Rasa – Karuna (Pathetic)

B

How to Attain Transcendental Love for Krishna ? - 5

[Delivered as a lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda on October 6, 1969, at Conway Hall, London, England].

Ladies and gentlemen, today's subject matter is the teachings of the Vedas. What are the Vedas? The Sanskrit verbal root of veda can be interpreted variously, but the purport is finally one. Veda means knowledge. Any knowledge you accept is veda, for the teachings of the Vedas are the original knowledge. In the conditioned state, our knowledge is subjected to many

Following is HH Bhakti Charu Swami Guru Maharaja's Sydney schedule:

4th April - Guru Maharaja arrives in Sydney

5th April - Program at Govindas (www.govindas.com.au). Topic: Path to
Enlightenment

6 - 8 April - Seminar on Krishna's Vrindavana pastimes

8th April - Srimad Bhagvatam class and Initiation ceremony in the morning.
Sunday feast class in the evening

10 or 11th April - Guru Maharaja will fly to Brisbane, Australia

Guru Maharaja's disciples in Sydney will endeavor to upload photos and
provide regul

Why do we do pradakshina (circumambulate) ?

We cannot draw a circle without a center point. The Lord is the center, source and essence of our lives. Recognizing Him as the focal point in our lives, we go about doing our daily chores. This is the significance of pradakshina. Also every point on the circumference of a circle is equidistant from the center. This means that wherever or whoever we may be, we are equally close to the Lord. His grace flows towards us without partiality.

Why is pradakshi

Why do we fast? 

Most devout people fast regularly or on special occasions like festivals. On such days they do not eat at all, eat once or make do with fruits or a special diet of simple food. Fasting in Sanskrit is called “Upavaasa”. Upa means "near" + vaasa means "to stay". Upavaasa therefore means staying near (the Lord), meaning the attainment of close mental proximity with the Lord.

Then what has Upavaasa to do with food?
A lot of our time and energy is spent in procuring food items, prepa

Why do offer food to the Lord before eating it? 

Indians make an offering of food to the Lord and later partake of it as prasaada "a holy gift from the Lord”. In our daily ritualistic worship (pooja) too we offer naivedyam (food) to the Lord. The Lord is omnipotent and omniscient. Man is a part, while the Lord is the totality. All that we do is by His strength and knowledge alone. Hence what we receive in life as a result of our actions is really His alone. We acknowledge this through the act of

Why do we apply the holy ash? 

This shows extreme case of applying ash (not commonly done). The ash of any burnt object is not regarded as holy ash. Bhasma (the holy ash) is the ash from the homa (sacrificial fire) where special wood along with ghee and other herbs is offered as worship of the Lord. Or the deity is worshipped by pouring ash as abhisheka and is then distributed as bhasma. Bhasma is generally applied on the forehead. Some apply it on certain parts of the body like the upper arms, c

Why do we not touch papers, books and people with the feet?

To Indians, knowledge is sacred and divine. So it must be given respect at all times. Nowadays we separate subjects as sacred and secular. But in ancient India every subject " academic or spiritual " was considered divine and taught by the guru in the gurukula.

The custom of not stepping on educational tools is a frequent reminder of the high position accorded to knowledge in Indian culture. From an early age, this wisdom fosters in us a

Why do we not touch papers, books and people with the feet?

To Indians, knowledge is sacred and divine. So it must be given respect at all times. Nowadays we separate subjects as sacred and secular. But in ancient India every subject " academic or spiritual " was considered divine and taught by the guru in the gurukula.

The custom of not stepping on educational tools is a frequent reminder of the high position accorded to knowledge in Indian culture. From an early age, this wisdom fosters in us a

Why do we wear marks (tilak) on the forehead? 

Tilaka refers to the markings which Vaisnava devotees apply to their bodies, to remind themselves and others that we are all eternal servants of Lord Krsna. The U-shaped mark represents the heel of Lord Visnu, and the oval part represents the Tulasi leaf. Tilaka is applied to twelve parts of the body, and the twelve names of the Lord are recited with each application. To apply tilaka, start with a little Ganges or Yamuna water (if you don't have any,

Why do we prostrate [Dandavats] before God, parents and elders? 

 कृष्णायवासुदेवायदेवकीनन्दनायच।   
नन्दगोपकुमारायगोविन्दायनमोनमः।।

Prostration, again and again, to Lord Sri Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, the Delighter of Devaki, the darling of Nandagopa, the protector of the Cows

Vaishnavas prostrate before their parents, elders, teachers and noble souls by touching their feet. The elder in turn blesses us by placing his or her hand on or over our heads. Prostration is done daily, when we meet e

Why do we have a prayer room?

Most Indian homes have a prayer room or altar. A lamp is lit and the Lord worshipped each day. Other spiritual practices like japa (repetition of the Lord's name), meditation, paaraayana (reading of the scriptures), prayers, and devotional singing etc is also done here. Special worship is done on auspicious occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, festivals and the like. Each member of the family young or old communes with and worships the Divine here.

The Lord is th

Why do we do namaste ?

Namaste!!!
Vaishnavas greet each other with namaste. The two palms are placed together in front of the chest and the head bows whilst saying the word namaste. This greeting is for all people younger than us, of our own age, those older than friends, even strangers and us. There are five forms of formal traditional greeting enjoined in the shaastras of which namaskaram is one. This is understood as prostration but it actually refers to paying homage as we do today when we gr

Why do we light a lamp?

In almost every Vaishnava home a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day at dawn and dusk and in a few it is maintained continuously (akhanda deepa). All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion.
Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness, ignorance. The Lord is the "Knowledge Principle" (Chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the

How prabhupada books saved me from customs officer at Chicago Airport

Moscow temple and Prabhupada marathon