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According to Madhvacarya’s Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya 2.3-4 the original Mula Ramayana was a massive work consisting of 100 crore slokas (1 billion) while the currently available Valmiki Ramayana consists of only 24,000 slokas. The greatest repository of Rāma līlā in the Purāṇas is the Padma Purana wherein much of the fifth canto is devoted to Lord Rama. It even includes a narration of the Ramayana that took place in a earlier Kalpa and is different (Kalpa Bheda) in some respects to the more

By Madhava Smullen

A new program at New Vrindaban in West Virginia, dubbed “Seva-Yoga,” has been launched to help guests build a relationship with Krishna through service.

“It evolved naturally from an experience we had over the weekend of Gaura Purnima,” says New Vrindaban Lodge Manager Sarah. “We were short-staffed for various different services, so a team of people like the temple president Jaya Krishna, communications director Anuradha, and others jumped in to help clean the rooms to get t

On this day Jahnu Muni swallowed and released the Ganga, who was on her way to deliver the ancestors of King Bhagiratha – this is one reason why the Ganges is also called the Bhagirathi.

On this day, the Ganga is worshipped, and many people make offerings to the forefathers, and bathe in the Ganga. On this day, if possible, one should worship the Ganges and bathe in her waters.

From Bhaktivinode Thakura’s Sri Navadvipa Mahatmya Chapter 13: Description of Vidyanagara and Jahnudvipa

As Nityananda

We are keeping it up. Every day Dharma Prana and I attend the noon services, called Bhoga Arati where I play the mrdunga drum and sing in a type of serenade to entertain the deities of Krishna on the balcony or altar.

My beating that drum becomes a kind of needed work-out. Also, for the Tuesday night garbage pick up, the trash must be ready for bringing out to the street. To prepare for that I saw the opportunity to crush the accumulation of cardboard boxes. Our produce arrives in those boxes w

अध्याय पच्चीस - कृष्ण द्वारा गोवर्धन - धारण (10.25)

1 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: हे राजा परीक्षित, जब इन्द्र को पता चला कि उसका यज्ञ सम्पन्न नहीं हुआ तो वह नन्द महाराज तथा अन्य गोपजनों पर क्रुद्ध हो गया क्योंकि वे सब कृष्ण को अपना स्वामी मान रहे थे।

2 क्रुद्ध इन्द्र ने ब्रह्माण्ड का विनाश करने वाले बादलों के समूह को भेजा जो सांवर्तक कहलाते हैं। वह अपने को सर्वोच्च नियन्ता मानते हुए इस प्रकार बोला।

3 इन्द्र ने कहा: जरा देखो तो सही कि जंगल में वास करने वाले ये ग्वाले अपने वैभव से किस तरह इतने उन

Imagine that in every situation in life you are more grounded, centered, present and free to respond in the most conscious and empowering way.

Imagine in each moment of your life, no matter how challenging the experience may be, you feel yourself being led into an even deeper connection with yourself and all those around you.

Ayurveda teaches us that every sensation we feel, whether physical or emotional, is our body's way of communicating vital information with us. The “feelings” we feel are g

अध्याय चौबीस -- गोवर्धन-पूजा (10.24)

1 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: उस स्थान पर अपने भाई बलदेव के साथ रहते हुए कृष्ण ने ग्वालों को इन्द्र-यज्ञ की जोर-शोर से तैयारी करते देखा।

2 परमात्मा होने से भगवान कृष्ण पहले से ही सारी स्थिति जानते थे फिर भी विनीत भाव से उन्होंने अपने पिता नन्द महाराज इत्यादि गुरुजनों से पूछा।

3 भगवान कृष्ण ने कहा: हे पिताश्री, कृपा करके मुझे बतलायें, कि आप इतना महत प्रयास किसलिए कर रहे हैं, आप क्या करना चाह रहे हैं, यदि यह कर्मकाण्डी यज्ञ है, तो यह किसकी तुष्टि हेतु किया जा

The second annual International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Law Department conference was conducted May 1st and 2nd, 2021, in a meeting attended by more than 50 devotees, with good representation from six continents. Following formal recognition of the Law Department by the GBC in 2018, the first conference of the Law Department was held in January 2020, in Gainesville, Florida. This year plans to hold the conference in India were scuttled due to Covid-19, and the meeting was held

In the morning the sun shot out to bless the sky and earth. By noon clouds closed the doors to a usually welcome sun.

But the sun did shine on my day in the form of three Zoom talks; the first on the topic of Vedic hero, Bhishma. Truly, he is one of my favourites. Moments for honoring him was possible by the request of Kirtan Vancouver, although I expected that the request for my conducting a discussion would probably be on the Mother’s Day theme. Bhishma was one of those noble men who looked a

Sometimes ISKCON members think about ISKCON as an institution, or as the “leaders” of the temples, or the GBC, or someone else other than us. We expect ISKCON to care for devotees, and we may feel hurt or disappointed when care is not given as we would expect or as we would like. ISKCON is a society made up of members. Each of us is ISKCON. When each one of us feels that we have the responsibility to care for one another, then ISKCON will be a caring organization, with a family atmosphere based

अध्याय तेईस - ब्राह्मण-पत्नियों को आशीर्वाद (10.23)

1 ग्वालबालों ने कहा: हे महाबाहु राम, हे दुष्टदलन कृष्ण, हम सब भूख से त्रस्त हैं। इसके लिए आपको कुछ करना चाहिए।

2 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: ग्वालबालों द्वारा इस प्रकार प्रार्थना किये जाने पर देवकीपुत्र भगवान ने अपने कुछ भक्तों को जो कि ब्राह्मणपत्नियाँ थीं, प्रसन्न करने की इच्छा से इस प्रकार उत्तर दिया।

3 [भगवान कृष्ण ने कहा]: तुम लोग यज्ञशाला में जाओ जहाँ वैदिक आदेशों में निपुण ब्राह्मणों का एक समूह स्वर्ग जाने की इच्छा से इस समय आंगिरस यज्ञ

By Sanj Gohil

“There are so many facilities afforded by cow protection, but people have forgotten these arts. The importance of protecting cows is therefore stressed by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā (kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāvajam).

– Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 10.6.19, Purport.

Established in 1973, Bhaktivedanta Manor has truly developed into a spiritual hub like no other. It is organized, structured, and methodologically presented in such a way that it leaves a lasting imp

Like so many parts of India, the holiest city of Vrindavan is suffering from the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic. 

Due to the ongoing outbreak of the Corona Virus, ISKCON Vrindavan reports that it has recently lost five wonderful devotees who were a part of the community.

Throughout the pandemic, if a Devotee of ISKCON Vrindavan contracts the virus, the Devotee Care Department provides them with medical and emotional support, to the best of their abilities. They are always ready to give any sort of a

We continue our observance of Candana-yatra. We are reading from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Four: “Sri Madhavendra Puri’s Devotional Service,” which describes how Madhavendra Puri traveled by foot from Govardhana to Jagannatha Puri to procure sandalwood to grind and mix with camphor and place on the body of the Deity Gopala whom he had installed on the top of Govardhana Hill. After Madhavendra Puri installed Gopala on the top of Govardhana Hill, two brahmans came, and he init

The grassy green of the park is now spotted with the yellow of the dandelion. Yellow is a happy colour. In our culture we read about the striking yellows worn by Krishna and Vishnu, from the waist down. Also, I have a fond reflection of the colour yellow from the time I walked the prairies. The yellow tone of the canola (not my favorite plant) set against the endless blue sky is just absolutely stunning.

Rich colours overall. It can make your day.

There was more to my day than that long sit in

अध्याय बाईस - कृष्ण द्वारा अविवाहिता गोपियों का चीरहरण (10.22)

1 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: हेमन्त ऋतु के पहले मास में गोकुल की अविवाहिता लड़कियों ने कात्यायनी देवी का पूजा-व्रत रखा। पूरे मास उन्होंने बिना मसाले की खिचड़ी खाई।

2-3 हे राजन, सूर्योदय होते ही यमुना के जल में स्नान करके वे गोपियाँ नदी के तट पर देवी दुर्गा का मिट्टी का अर्चाविग्रह बनातीं। तत्पश्चात वे चन्दन लेप जैसी सुगन्धित सामग्री, महँगी और साधारण वस्तुओं यथा दीपक, फल, सुपारी, कोपलों तथा सुगन्धित मालाओं और अगरु के द्वारा उनकी पूजा

May 14, 2021

Dear Devotees,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

The Covid crisis continues to affect India and Bangladesh and the ISKCON communities there in a terrible way. We have lost many members of our extended ISKCON family, and people in the surrounding regions of our communities are struggling with the Covid disease and its impact on food supplies, financial security, and more.

ISKCON is responding in two primary ways.

First, devotees of ISKCON’s interna

By Radhapriya

As most of you are aware, the pandemic continues to rage on and is now engulfing India. The situation is extremely dire and getting worse by the day as the second wave of the pandemic has hit India even harder than the first wave. This predicament is also heavily affecting ISKCON devotee communities in India and around the world.

The ISKCON Governing Body Commission held an emergency meeting on April 30th to determine what ISKCON can do to help. In discussions with ISKCON leaders,