The Vancouver Krishna community celebrated the birthday of Balarama with chanting, class and feasting. I took the opportunity to read my poem, "About Balarama", a synopsis of his pastimes and why we honour him so. He is just one of those many avatars that enrich the lives of bhakti practitioners. He is indeed colourful and precious. When we chant the Maha Mantra, the words Rama Rama refers to Balarama. Being the half-brother of Krishna, he is bound to demonstrate wisdom, love, and playfulness.
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ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanaṁ
ramya kaścid upāsanā vraja-vadhu-varga-vīrya kalpita
śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇaṁ premā pum-artho mahān
śrī-caitanya mahāprabhor matam idaṁ tatradaraḥ na paraḥ
“It is the conclusive opinion of Lord Caitanya that the most worshipable form of the Lord is that of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja. Vṛndāvana Dhāma is the topmost worshipable abode. The highest and most pleasing type of worship of Kṛṣṇa is done by the vraja gopīs. Śrīmad-Bh
युधिष्ठिर ने पूछा : जनार्दन ! अब मैं यह सुनना चाहता हूँ कि भाद्रपद (गुजरात महाराष्ट्र के अनुसार श्रावण) मास के कृष्णपक्ष में कौन सी एकादशी होती है ? कृपया बताइये ।
भगवान श्रीकृष्ण बोले : राजन् ! एकचित्त होकर सुनो । भाद्रपद मास के कृष्णपक्ष की एकादशी का नाम ‘अजा’ है । वह सब पापों का नाश करनेवाली बतायी गयी है । भगवान ह्रषीकेश का पूजन करके जो इसका व्रत करता है उसके सारे पाप नष्ट हो जाते हैं ।
पूर्वकाल में हरिश्चन्द्र नामक एक विख्यात चक्रवर्ती राजा हो गये हैं, जो समस्त भूमण्डल के स्वामी और सत्यप्रतिज्
My dearest Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to you on this most auspicious day of your Vyasa-puja.
In 1969 you wrote the following in a letter to one of your disciples:
Just as you have already understood the benefits of this Krsna Consciousness Movement, try to realize and assimilate it more and more and distribute it to the suffering humanity. Our movement is the greatest gift to the human race. They may not immediately app
The next day was Vyasa-puja day, the celebration of Prabhupada’s seventy-fourth birthday. That morning a package arrived from New York containing several copies of the Vyasa-puja booklet, a twenty-five-page paperback filled with homages from Prabhupada’s disciples.
Months before, one of the devotees had discovered an old issue of a magazine published by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati; the magazine contained a Vyasa-puja homage Prabhupada had written commemorating the appearance day of his own
A talk given on Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja seeking to understand the unparalleled contribution he has made to the history of Gaudiya Vaisnavism This picture showing Srila Prabhupada with godbrothers and friends is both rare and revealing. Rare as it is one of a kind. Revealing because Prabhupada is very animated, with most others setting their gaze on him. While we cannot be certain, it is reasonable to assume that this conversation could be about the epic journey that Prabhupada was soon to
1) O Krsna, Who descended in the province of Mathura, O Lord Who gives the great gift of pure love for Yourself, O Perfromer of extraordinary pastimes, O great Treasure-house of various kinds of sweetness, O Lord Who is full of transcendental opulences, great mercy and majesty. All glories unto You.
2) O Krsna, O Deliverer of the Pandavas and Protector of King Pariksit, everyone should hear talks in relation with You, just as King Pariksit who enquired about Your pastimes.
3) O Krsna, you are s
By Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
It was Janmastami, the annual celebration of the advent of Lord Krsna some five thousand years before. Residents of Calcutta, mostly Vaisnavas (devotees of Lord Krsna) but also many Muslims and even some British, were observing the festive day, moving here and there through the city’s streets to visit the temples of Lord Krsna. Devout Vaisnavas, fasting until midnight, chanted Hare Krsna and heard about the birth and activities of Krsna from Srimad-Bhagavatam, one of
By Atma Tattva Das
2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the Padayatra celebrations in the Czech Republic, establishing a legacy that transcends generations. The event, which involves a spiritual journey on foot, has been a steadfast symbol of devotion, culture, and community for ISKCON devotees worldwide. In an exclusive interview with the second-generation leader Nrsimha Caitanya Das, the dynamic spirit and enduring impact of this Padayatra is explored.
As this year’s Czech Republic Padayatra ma
I spent some time today with two bhakti friends in Central Park with tall trees to shade us. It was by the edge of this calming space that Karuna Sindhu and I walked that last day of my last walk across Canada. It was the end of June 2014, and we encountered a drizzle most of that day.
As I wrote in The Saffron Path, "It was the final day of my fourth trek across Canada. I was walking with companion monk, Karuna Sindhu, through a wet west coast drizzle. There was no plan for a major reception,
Coming Soon!
Jhulan Yatra is starting from August 27th to August 31, 2023.
Sri Janmashtami, September 7th
Srila Prabhupada Appearance Day: September 8th
The appearance of Srimati Thakurani, September 20th
Sri Lalita Shasthi, September 21st
Radhastami: Appearance of Srimati Radharani, September 23rd
With all these auspicious festivities fast approaching and very closely packed, we want to first use the opportunity to thank all our esteemed donors who took the month of Purushottama ve
By Maharishi Das
One week ago my dear god brother Ananta Acarya Prabhu presented me with the most wonderful collection of Hare Krishna Vinyl LP’s, I have had these in the past but never such good copies.
I am always amazed how so many individuals have never heard of the Hare Krishna movement, and have never heard the Maha Mantra. I feel so humbled as I can introduce many to the process through sound and also with prasadam as together with a listening session I can also feed them Krishna prasada
It gives us great bliss to inform that we at ISKCON Ujjain got the wonderful opportunity to spread the glories of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada to hundreds of villages in Madhya Pradesh
MP Government (MP Jan Abhiyan Parishad in association with the Cultural Department, Public Relations Department, M.P. Tourism Department, and Acharya Shankar Sanskriti Ekta Nyas) organized a Sneh Yatra in all 52 districts of the M.P. State.
The objective of this Yatra was to create harmony among
Dear Devotees,
Please accept our humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
ISKCON Ministry of Education cordially invites you to take part in this year's Books Are The Basis week.
The global event is scheduled from 29th September to 5th October 2023, and the topic for this year is _Shastra Caksu_ - seeing the world through the eyes of Srila Prabhupada's books.
We humbly request that you involve your temple and community in celebrating this festival within your local area.
Mayapur Clean & Green has expanded its service to address one of the most dangerous kinds of waste for one’s health and the environment: electronic or e-waste, including phones, computers, cables, earphones, refrigerators, batteries, AC units, and similar items.
Mayapur Clean & Green is an initiative formed by Murari Mohini Devi Dasi to fulfill the need for an effective garbage management system in Mayapur. For the last two years, she has been working with her team, which includes Marvi, Vrajaj
At the Science World we did gather
And took a strike right at her
This illusion, maya, who is not
Received a black eye, yes, she got
We ripped through the condo town
From the street I took a look around
Chanters blocked, so I peered up
Yes, my eyes then veered up
And viewed the people from the balcony
Do they approve of our modality?
There were drum beats, loud voices galore
For some it's a bore, others a score
Religious stuff, forget it!
Free fun, let's give it some credit
We live in a world,
Rules Srila Prabhupada’s Lived By
Don’t blindly follow until you can follow blindly
Question everything. If it is false, leave it; but if it is true surrender to it.
“You must test the spiritual master for one year. And when you are convinced that here is a person I can follow blindly, then you accept.”
Live your why
Know your purpose and deeply connect with it. Never deviate from you mission and enroll others to help you fulfill it.
“My mission is to save human society.”
No personal agenda
Pur
By JG.Carand Das, Assisting Manager
Introduction:
I recently spoke with a dear friend who left ISKCON to join an evangelical movement. When I asked him why he made such a change, his answer was eye-opening. He said, “In my heart, Krishna will always be there, but I joined the evangelicals because I felt important, taken care of, and loved in their congregation.”
What Is Congregation and Why Do We Need Them?
According to the dictionary, a congregation is a gathering of people, especially for rel
Mahendra dasa was vice president of the Pittsburgh temple when I joined there in 1972. I was an inexperienced 19 year old and he was a worldly grownup of 27 so he naturally became my mentor. When Srila Prabhupada came to Pittsburgh that year Mahendra took the lead in preparing for that visit, which included renovating the temple which he mostly did himself. He also helped to organize Visnujana Swami’s Transcendental Rock Opera performance, wherein Prabhupada spoke, at a prestigious concert hall
By Thomas Haribol
With nearly 20 years of success and the expansion of Krishna House ashrams, the leaders of this transformative approach have recently published a resource outlining the principles and practices that can be replicated by other devotees seeking to attract and form young people interested in Krishna Bhakti.
This second edition of “Krishna House: ISKCON Ashramites in the West” was published by Sweetsong Books in July 2023 and authored by Kalakantha Dasa and Jitamitra Dasi, both di
