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Sydney Town Hall

The double-decker bus, full of chanting devotees, pulled up outside the stately Town Hall in the centre of downtown Sydney. The melodious kirtana party proceeded up the elegant sandstone steps, crossed the open terrace and entered the cavernous main hall.

Flowers and garlands decorated the temple vyasasana that was set up on stage before the gigantic pipe organ. A large flower show had finished just that afternoon, and since the organisers had not yet removed all the potted plants
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Halava preparation

In the course of performing their daily, and nightly, service to the Deities in the temple, Srila Prabhupada's second-initiated pujaris, would regularly have to miss out on Prabhupada's classes and outside engagements.

Ambika dasi, assigned the task of cooking the evening offering, was feeling a little depressed. She would miss Prabhupada's Sydney Town Hall lecture. She had just completed the arati when Srutakirti entered the kitchen.

"Why don't you take the maha-prasadam into Sr
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Dog races

Another major public speaking engagement was booked for Prabhupada at night -- at the Sydney Town Hall. Many posters advertising the event had been mounted all around town, and devotees were hopeful of a big turnout. As he prepared to leave, Srila Prabhupada asked, "What is that sound?" Although unfamiliar to Prabhupada, the local devotees knew very well what it was. Living so close to the local race track, they had grown accustomed to the amplified bugle sound, followed by the combined
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Sinful condition

Saturday, 17 February 1973

During morning class, Srila Prabhupada mentioned how the Fifth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam described a variety of different punishments for sinful acts. Nature's laws, he stressed, were very strict, and one could not claim ignorance as an excuse. In question-time, someone asked how long it took for the soul to enter its next body after death.

Prabhupada replied that it depended upon the individual. Usually it was quick -- a matter of minutes -- but if a ma
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 4 Text 20
sa evam aradhita-pada-tirthad
adhita-tattvatma-vibodha-margah
pranamya padau parivrtya devam
ihagato 'ham virahaturatma


sah -- so myself; evam -- thus; aradhita -- worshiped; pada-tirthat -- from the Personality of Godhead; adhita -- studied; tattva-atma -- self-knowledge; vibodha -- understanding; margah -- path; pranamya -- after saluting; padau -- at His lotus feet; parivrtya -- after circumambulating; devam -- the Lord; iha -- at this place; agatah --
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 4 Text 19
ity avedita-hardaya
mahyam sa bhagavan parah
adidesaravindaksa
atmanah paramam sthitim


iti avedita -- thus being prayed to by me; hardaya -- from the core of my heart; mahyam -- unto me; sah -- He; bhagavan -- the Personality of Godhead; parah -- Supreme; adidesa -- instructed; aravinda-aksah -- the lotus-eyed; atmanah -- of Himself; paramam -- transcendental; sthitim -- situation.


TRANSLATION
When I thus expressed my heartfelt desires unto the Supreme Pers
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 4 Text 18
jnanam param svatma-rahah-prakasam
provaca kasmai bhagavan samagram
api ksamam no grahanaya bhartar
vadanjasa yad vrjinam tarema


jnanam -- knowledge; param -- supreme; sva-atma -- own self; rahah -- mystery; prakasam -- enlightening; provaca -- said; kasmai -- unto Ka (Brahmaji); bhagavan -- the Personality of Godhead; samagram -- in sum total; api -- if so; ksamam -- able; nah -- unto me; grahanaya -- acceptable; bhartah -- O my Lord; vada -- say; anjasa
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 4 Text 17
mantresu mam va upahuya yat tvam
akunthitakhanda-sadatma-bodhah
prccheh prabho mugdha ivapramattas
tan no mano mohayativa deva


mantresu -- in consultations; mam -- unto me; vai -- as either; upahuya -- by calling; yat -- as much as; tvam -- Your Lordship; akunthita -- without hesitation; akhanda -- without being separated; sada -- eternally; atma -- self; bodhah -- intelligent; prccheh -- asked; prabho -- O my Lord; mugdhah -- bewildered; iva -- as if it
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 4 Text 16
karmany anihasya bhavo 'bhavasya te
durgasrayo 'thari-bhayat palayanam
kalatmano yat pramada-yutasramah
svatman-rateh khidyati dhir vidam iha


karmani -- activities; anihasya -- of one who has no desire; bhavah -- birth; abhavasya -- of one who is never born; te -- your; durga-asrayah -- taking shelter of the fort; atha -- thereafter; ari-bhayat -- out of fear of the enemies; palayanam -- flee; kala-atmanah -- of He who is the controller of eternal time; y
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 3 Text 23
daivadhinesu kamesu
daivadhinah svayam puman
ko visrambheta yogena
yogesvaram anuvratah


daiva -- supernatural; adhinesu -- being controlled; kamesu -- in sense enjoyment; daiva-adhinah -- controlled by supernatural force; svayam -- himself; puman -- living entity; kah -- whoever; visrambheta -- can have faith in; yogena -- by devotional service; yogesvaram -- the Supreme Lord; anuvratah -- serving.


TRANSLATION
Every living entity is controlled by a supernat
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 3 Text 22
tasyaivam ramamanasya
samvatsara-ganan bahun
grhamedhesu yogesu
viragah samajayata


tasya -- His; evam -- thus; ramamanasya -- enjoying; samvatsara -- years; ganan -- many; bahun -- great many; grhamedhesu -- in household life; yogesu -- in sex life; viragah -- detachment; samajayata -- awakened.


TRANSLATION
The Lord was thus engaged in household life for many, many years, but at last His detachment from ephemeral sex life was fully manifested.
PURPORT

Even th
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 3 Text 21
imam lokam amum caiva
ramayan sutaram yadun
reme ksanadaya datta-
ksana-stri-ksana-sauhrdah


imam -- this; lokam -- earth; amum -- and the other worlds; ca -- also; eva -- certainly; ramayan -- pleasing; sutaram -- specifically; yadun -- the Yadus; reme -- enjoyed; ksanadaya -- by night; datta -- given by; ksana -- leisure; stri -- with women; ksana -- conjugal love; sauhrdah -- friendship.


TRANSLATION
The Lord enjoyed His pastimes, both in this world and in
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 3 Text 20
snigdha-smitavalokena
vaca piyusa-kalpaya
caritrenanavadyena
sri-niketena catmana


snigdha -- gentle; smita-avalokena -- by a glance with a sweet smile; vaca -- by words; piyusa-kalpaya -- compared to nectar; caritrena -- by character; anavadyena -- without flaw; sri -- fortune; niketena -- residence; ca -- and; atmana -- by His transcendental body.


TRANSLATION
He was there in His transcendental body, the residence of the goddess of fortune, with His usual g
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 3 Text 19
bhagavan api visvatma
loka-veda-pathanugah
kaman siseve dvarvatyam
asaktah sankhyam asthitah


bhagavan -- the Personality of Godhead; api -- also; visva-atma -- the Supersoul of the universe; loka -- customary; veda -- Vedic principles; patha-anugah -- follower of the path; kaman -- the necessities of life; siseve -- enjoyed; dvarvatyam -- in the city of Dvaraka; asaktah -- without being attached; sankhyam -- knowledge in Sankhya philosophy; asthitah -- be
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Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 3

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 3 Chapter 3 Text 18
ayajayad dharma-sutam
asvamedhais tribhir vibhuh
so 'pi ksmam anujai raksan
reme krsnam anuvratah


ayajayat -- made to perform; dharma-sutam -- by the son of Dharma (Maharaja Yudhisthira); asvamedhaih -- by horse sacrifices; tribhih -- three; vibhuh -- the Supreme Lord; sah -- Maharaja Yudhisthira; api -- also; ksmam -- the earth; anujaih -- assisted by his younger brothers; raksan -- protecting; reme -- enjoyed; krsnam -- Krsna, the Personality of Godhead
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Sankirtan in bombay

The municipality of Bombay had denied permission to allow construction of a temple on the grounds that kirtana in the temple would be a "nuisance". Giriraja brought this news to Prabhupada's attention at the official end of the festival.

The devotees, now enthusiastic and rejuvenated, prepared to return to their respective temples around the world. It was decided, however, that some of them be encouraged to stay on and hold massive kirtana programs in Bombay to convince res

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Types of Marriages

 

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There are eight types of marriage described in Manusmriti (Laws of Manu) or “Manava Dharma Shastra”: 


• Rite of Brahmana (Brahma) – where the father of the bride invites a man learned in the Vedas and a good conduct, and gives his daughter in marriage to him after decking her with jewels and costly garments. 

• Rite of the Gods (Daiva) – where the daughter is groomed with ornaments and given to a priest who duly officiates at a sacrifice during the course of its performance of this rite. 

• Rite o

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12 principles of grihastha ashram

 

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1.  Alignment with Srila Prabhupada

• Krishna Conscious family life is consistent with the teachings and example of Srila Prabhupada.
• Srila Prabhupada’s teachings must be applied with consideration of time, place and circumstance.
• In the field of grihastha life, one should take into account the local culture without compromising Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. One should not attempt to simply transpose practices from one culture to another without understanding the principles and values underpi

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The dictionaries referred by Prabhupada

 

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  1. Nirukti, or the Vedic dictionary 
  2.  Viśvakośa dictionary
  3. Viśva-prakāśa dictionary
  4. Amarakośa Sanskrit dictionary (the most authorized)
  5. Kaumudī dictionary
  6. Viśva-prakāśa Sanskrit dictionary
  7. Śabda-kośa dictionary
  8. Medinī dictionary
  9. Professor Apte’s Dictionary
  10. Greek dictionary
  11. vaiṣṇava-smṛti a dictionary of Vaiṣṇava activities
  12. Dictionary known as Vaiṣṇava-mañjuṣā.
  13. Dictionary compiler Hemacandra, also known as Koṣakāra
  14. Mahattamānām abhidhāna also means dictionary of great devotees, or a book full of the words of g
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Rasanath Das, an ex-investment banker turned Hindu Monk, was spending recent Sunday afternoons leading Occupy Wall Street protesters in meditation until police cleared their camp at New York's Zuccotti Park this week.

The 32-year-old monk isn't sure now where his next session will be. He'll keep following the protesters to lead meditation, though, convinced they will only roll back the inequality around them if they find equanimity deep inside.

"Anger won't solve anything," he told Reuters. "We h

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