I was a junior in high school and had one more year to go before I could be free of all my bad association, but the Laguna temple president Rsabhadeva recommended me to Prabhupada for initiation, so a letter went off to him.
So what did Krishna do while the letter went to Srila Prabhupada? My parents put me in the Santa Ana Psychiatric Center as a way of deprogramming me.
All of a sudden I wasn't coming to the temple, so Ratnanabha, who worked for the phone company, tapped my parents' phone and
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By Madhava Smullen
New paperback editions of Srimad-Bhagavatam: A Comprehensive Guide for Young Readers Cantos 1, 2, and 3 are now available on Amazon.com, along with the just completed Canto 4. The first three cantos in the series, compiled by Aruddha Dasi, were originally each released in two parts starting in 2016. However the new editions, redesigned by Raghu Consbruck, and featuring new illustrations by a variety of artists, have been revised into a single volume per Canto, making them mo
I was so happy to receive another submission from a godsister in Los Angeles. She had given her story of the early days in the movement in Canada, to add to the compilation of our upcoming book Krishna in the Maple Leaf. Her spiritual journey began at the young age of fifteen, when she heard about the Bhagavat philosophy. Interesting it is that the guidance counselor at her school encouraged her in her spiritual pursuit.
For myself it was just a pleasure to deliver two classes virtually for two
By Yogesvara dasa
Introduction
A Native American storyteller named Ron Evans tells a tale that warms the heart of all who agonise over the effects of contemporary media. Ron visited Africa some years ago and was present the day electric lines were installed for the first time in a tiny village. Along with wiring came a gift from the local government: the village’s first television. Ron describes how the entire village sat mesmerised for three days watching every programme. Then as if on cue, r
By Dr. Navnath Janjale
It was hot summer day in May 2003. I was preparing for medical entrance exam and was completely exhausted by the long hours I had put. Add to it the tremendous anxiety about carrier and future.
I desperately wanted to read some inspiring book, which would give me some peace of mind. I started searching books on the shelf. In the corner was Bhagavad-gita As It Is. It had been kept on my book shelf for nearly ten years. I opened it and began to read. I realized that every v
अध्याय तिरपन – कृष्ण द्वारा रुक्मिणी का हरण (10.53)
1 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: इस तरह कुमारी वैदर्भी का गुप्त सन्देश सुनकर यदुनन्दन ने ब्राह्मण का हाथ अपने हाथ में ले लिया और मुसकाते हुए उससे इस प्रकार बोले।
2 भगवान ने कहा: जिस तरह रुक्मिणी का मन मुझ पर लगा है उसी तरह मेरा मन उस पर लगा है। मैं रात्रि में निद्रा लाभ नहीं ले पा रहा हूँ। मैं जानता हूँ कि द्वेषवश रुक्मी ने हमारा विवाह रोक दिया है।
3 वह अपने आपको एकमात्र मेरे प्रति समर्पित कर चुकी है और उसका सौन्दर्य निष्कलंक है। मैं उसे, उन अयो
ISKCON New Vrindaban has started its festival season, which runs from May to September, and draws pilgrims, gives inspiration and association to visiting devotees, helps to maintain the temple, and provides engagement and financial support for devotee staff.
During the pandemic, New Vrindaban, with its 2,200 acres, spacious temple room and strict following of Covid protocols, has been a popular destination for devotees looking to safely experience the deity darshan and temple
Believe it or not but despite the gorgeous weather of the last few days, snow came upon us. I was leading the chant at noon in the temple room, which I do every day at what’s called the raja bhoga arti (service), when I took a glance outside. To my surprise huge snowflakes descended on the other side of the window. Mind you, those unwelcome puffs of white melted upon reaching the warmed-up ground but it was a bit of a shock.
I had meaningful sessions today, not just about kirtan chanting but di
अध्याय बावन – भगवान कृष्ण के लिए रुक्मिणी सन्देश (10.52)
1 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: हे राजा, इस प्रकार कृष्ण द्वारा दया दिखाये गए मुचुकुन्द ने उनकी प्रदक्षिणा की और उन्हें नमस्कार किया। तब इक्ष्वाकुवंशी प्रिय मुचुकुन्द गुफा के मुँह से बाहर आये।
2 यह देखकर कि सभी मनुष्यों, पशुओं, लताओं तथा वृक्षों के आकार अत्यधिक छोटे हो गये हैं और इस तरह यह अनुभव करते हुए कि कलियुग सन्निकट है, मुचुकुन्द उत्तर दिशा की ओर चल पड़े।
3 भौतिक संगति से परे तथा सन्देह से मुक्त सौम्य राजा तपस्या के महत्व के प्रति वि
अध्याय इक्यावन – मुचुकुन्द का उद्धार (10.51)
1-6 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: कालयवन ने उदित होते चन्द्रमा की भाँति भगवान को मथुरा से आते देखा। देखने में भगवान अतीव सुन्दर थे, वर्ण श्याम था और वे रेशमी पीताम्बर धारण किये थे, वक्षस्थल पर श्रीवत्स का चिन्ह था और उनके गले में कौस्तुभमणि सुशोभित थी, चारों भुजाएँ बलिष्ठ तथा लम्बी थीं, मुख कमल सदृश सदैव प्रसन्न रहने वाला था, आँखें गुलाबी कमलों जैसी थीं, गाल सुन्दर तेजवान थे, हँसी स्वच्छ थी तथा उनके कान की चमकीली बालियाँ मछली की आकृति की थीं। उस म्लेच
From doing things for Krsna to looking after people who were doing things for Krsna to looking after people for Krsna, all these things come up in devotional service. The mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu offers us a golden opportunity that if somehow or other, we can take advantage in the service we do for this mission and in our personal behaviour and in our dealings with the vaisnavas, then surely we can go back to Godhead. As I said, in my youth, I was sometime careless in my dealings with ot
अध्याय पचास – कृष्ण द्वारा द्वारकापुरी की स्थापना (10.50)
1 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: जब कंस मार डाला गया तो हे भरतर्षभ, उसकी दो पटरानियाँ अस्ति तथा प्राप्ति अत्यन्त दुखी होकर अपने पिता के घर चली गई।
2 दुखी रानियों ने अपने पिता मगध के राजा जरासन्ध से सारा हाल कह सुनाया कि वे किस तरह विधवा हुईं।
3 हे राजन, यह अप्रिय समाचार सुनकर जरासन्ध शोक तथा क्रोध से भर गया और पृथ्वी को यादवों से विहीन करने के यथासम्भव प्रयास में जुट गया।
4 उसने तेईस अक्षौहिणी सेना लेकर यदुओं की राजधानी मथुरा के चारों ओर घ
The beauty found in this relative world pales before the beauty of Krishna’s perfect form.
People are very much enamored by the beauty of this world. The Vedic literature, however, offers us penetrating insight into the actual nature of material beauty. If people would take the time to hear from these revered sources, they would be surprised to learn that what is accepted as beauty within this world is but the pale, illusory reflection of the unlimited spiritual beauty of Lord Krishna, the Supr
This photo, digitally enhanced, shows Srila Prabhupada as a young gentleman.
After receiving spiritual initiation in 1932, Srila Prabhupada (then Abhay Charan De) sought to expand his pharmaceutical business both to support his family and to contribute to his spiritual master’s preaching mission. Even more important to him, however, were the rare occasions when he could meet with his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s affectionate dealings with
Prabhupāda: So the devotees are protected by the Viṣṇudūtas always, constantly. They are invisibly wandering all over the universe. We may see or not see, because we cannot see spiritual body with these material eyes. So even we do not see, the Viṣṇudūta is always protecting the devotees from the enemies.
As I have explained yesterday, devotees will have enemies. Kṛṣṇa had enemies. This world is such: envious. Ordinarily, they are envious. The whole world is full of enviousness. Even the greate
"So I am so much pleased upon all of the boys and girls in Los Angeles and all over the world who are understanding and appreciating this unique quality of our transcendental literature and voluntarily they are going out to distribute despite all circumstances of difficulty. By this effort alone they are assured to go back to home, back to Godhead. In order to change this materialistic society and prevent them from gliding to hell, first thing is to educate them. All decent men want to give ser
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur made an unequaled contribution to the ultimate, spiritual welfare of humankind. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur wrote in his preface to the Jaiva-dharma: “Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur is an extremely dear associate of Sri Chaitanya Chandra. In the course of time, when those who preached the desires of Chaitanya Deva had left this world to enter the Lord’s eternal pastimes, the sky over Bengal slowly darkened, covered by the thick clouds of sensual enjoyment
The sun is always shining, always existing, but we can’t always see it—it’s dark half the time. There's night and day. The sun does rise on schedule, though, so we’re not condemned to live without sunlight. You can predict when it will rise.
Krishna is the same way. He always exists. He also has a regular schedule for appearing in this world, which is mentioned in the Vedas.
Just as biological life depends on sunlight, our existence depends on the Absolute Truth, Who is ultimately a Person, the
By Madhava Smullen
Lord Jagannatha is coming.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 was the first year without a New York Ratha Yatra parade in 45 years – instead, Lord Jagannatha was driven down Fifth Avenue in a minivan, along with a virtual online celebration.
This summer, things are beginning to look different. The number of new coronavirus cases in the US has plummeted from a seven-day average of more than 250,000 a day in early January, to a daily average of less than 14,380 during the past
अध्याय उनचास – अक्रूर का हस्तिनापुर जाना (10.49)
1-2 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: अक्रूर पौरव शासकों की ख्याति से प्रसिद्ध नगरी हस्तिनापुर गये। वहाँ वे धृतराष्ट्र, भीष्म, विदुर तथा कुन्ती के साथ-साथ बाह्यिक तथा उसके पुत्र सोमदत्त से मिले। उन्होंने द्रोणाचार्य, कृपाचार्य, कर्ण, दुर्योधन, अश्वत्थामा, पाण्डवगण तथा अन्य घनिष्ठ मित्रों से भी भेंट की।
3 जब गान्दिनीपुत्र अक्रूर अपने समस्त सम्बन्धियों तथा मित्रों से भलीभाँति मिल चुके तो उन लोगों ने अपने परिवार वालों के समाचार पूछे और प्रत्युत्तर में अ
