This past weekend, New Vrindaban hosted hundreds of devotees for its 24-Plus Kirtan event. It was the first major festival held in over a year since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and devotees traveled from all over North America to be a part of it. Among them was a group of nine Vaishnavis from Krishna House in Gainesville, Florida. Most of them were new devotees who had joined during the pandemic and had never been to New Vrindaban, or for that matter, to any major ISKCON festival.
To re
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Nothing major but I was feeling a bit woozy from the vaccine I received yesterday, nevertheless I wanted to keep busy. In that regard priestly duties were put to motion. It started with a visitation to Nimai Nitai’s home. Among his family friends was someone’s birthday; Jyoti is her name. She’s a young mother. We celebrated with a cheese cake.
Now you may ask what is it with my involvement in a birthday and what does it have to do with priestly duties? Well, my role in a spiritual community may
The Life of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
From Back to Godhead
Compiled by Manu dasa
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914) is a prominent preceptor acharya in our succession of spiritual masters and disciples coming from Lord Krishna. He was a pioneering spiritual leader, a householder, a magistrate working in colonial India under the British rule, a prolific preacher, writer, and poet. He wrote volumes of books reintroducing the pure teachings of Lord Chaitanya at a time when those teachings had
अध्याय छिहत्तर – शाल्व तथा वृष्णियों के मध्य युद्ध (10.76)
1 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: हे राजन, अब उन भगवान कृष्ण द्वारा सम्पन्न एक अन्य अद्भुत कार्य सुनो, जो दिव्य लीलाओं का आनन्द लेने के लिए अपने मानव शरीर में प्रकट हुए। अब सुनो कि उन्होंने किस तरह सौभपति का वध किया।
2 शाल्व शिशुपाल का मित्र था। जब वह रुक्मिणी के विवाह में सम्मिलित हुआ था, तो यदुवीरों ने उसे जरासन्ध तथा अन्य राजाओं समेत युद्ध में परास्त कर दिया था।
3 शाल्व ने समस्त राजाओं के सामने प्रतिज्ञा की, “मैं पृथ्वी को यादवों से विह
"By the grace of the Lord, a devotee can achieve wonderful success simply by willing, but a real devotee does not like that. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught that one should not desire material opulence or material reputation, nor should one try to enjoy material beauty; one should simply aspire to be absorbed in the devotional service of the Lord, even if one does not get liberation but has to continue the process of birth and death unlimitedly. Actually, however, to one who engages in Kṛṣṇ
"Mother Yashoda’s love is unmatched in purity and is unlike any other that even the infinite Lord who pervades the entire creation is bound by her love."
“Because mother loves the most…in this material world, there is no comparison of mother's love. Without any exchange. Even in this material world. Mother loves the child without any expectation of return generally…that is called unalloyed love. Anyabhilasita-sunyam, free from all material gain.”- Srila Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam1.8.31 lectur
By Madhava Smullen
After a successful school year of keeping all students safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, the TKG Academy in Dallas, Texas held a graduation ceremony on May 27th that felt “triumphant,” according to Vice Principal Gopi Gita Dasi. During the event, three students who had attended TKG Academy since preschool graduated from Twelfth Grade, while the rest of the school’s thirty-three students received end-of-year certificates.
Throughout the year, Covid safety protocols such as ma
By Madhava Smullen
An online “Sravana Festival,” with a series of Zoom talks by illustrious guests about the pastimes of Lord Jagannath and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, is setting the mood for the upcoming Ratha Yatra celebrations at the ISKCON temple in Plainfield, New Jersey and on the Atlantic City boardwalk.
The nectarean spiritual talks, which are taking place every Sunday from 9:00am to around 10:30am EST, began on June 20th with Director of Gopal Jiu Publications Madhavananda Das, who is based
I’ve known Devananda for many years. He grew up in London, Canada, area. I know little about his Jewish descent, but he adopted to eastern ways like I did. Pursuing life in India; living like a yogi/sadhu of sorts was his calling. He’s been active in China and India and teaches shiatsu and massage therapy.
It’s great when he comes around, being about the same age we have something to share about experience in the yoga field, although my chosen approach has been more in the bhakti line. There is
अध्याय पचहत्तर – दुर्योधन का मानमर्दन (10.75)
1-2 महाराज परीक्षित ने कहा: हे ब्राह्मण, मैंने आपसे जो कुछ सुना उसके अनुसार, एकमात्र दुर्योधन के अतिरिक्त, वहाँ एकत्रित समस्त राजा, ऋषि तथा देवतागण अजातशत्रु राजा के राजसूय उत्सव को देखकर परम हर्षित थे। हे प्रभु, कृपा करके मुझसे कहें कि ऐसा क्यों हुआ?
3 श्री बादरायणि ने कहा: तुम्हारे सन्त सदृश दादा के राजसूय यज्ञ में उनके प्रेम से बँधे हुए उनके पारिवारिक सदस्य उनकी ओर से विनीत सेवा कार्य में संलग्न थे।
4-7 भीम रसोई की देख-रेख कर रहे थे, दुर्योधन कोष
When I walked in the Cabbagetown area of Toronto, an Asian woman standing in front of her residence, a high-rise building, noticed me and instantly asked her question.
“What religion?”
“Hare Krishna!”
“Oh! From India!” she concluded. We chatted.
My answer was simple; there’s a lot included in those two words, “Hare Krishna.” There’s a whole culture, philosophy and way of being. Today, I came to affirm what that means in a practical way.
Madhava, Govinda, Sarthak and I headed for Niagara Falls.
अध्याय चौहत्तर - राजसूय यज्ञ में शिशुपाल का उद्धार (10.74)
1 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: इस प्रकार जरासन्ध वध तथा सर्वशक्तिमान कृष्ण की अद्भुत शक्ति के विषय में भी सुनकर राजा युधिष्ठिर ने अत्यन्त प्रसन्नतापूर्वक भगवान से इस प्रकार कहा।
2 श्री युधिष्ठिर ने कहा: तीनों लोकों के प्रतिष्ठित गुरु तथा विभिन्न लोकों के निवासी एवं शासक आपके आदेश को, जो विरले ही किसी को मिलता है, सिर-आँखों पर लेते हैं।
3 वही कमलनेत्र भगवान आप उन दीन मूर्खों के आदेशों को स्वीकार करते हैं, जो अपने आपको शासक मान बैठते हैं
One of the first things a serious spiritual aspirant learns is the necessity of surrendering to a spiritual master. ‘Try to learn the truth by accepting a bona-fide guru’, the Bhagavad-gita tells us. Many other Vedic texts exhort us similarly. These are frequently cited by Srila Prabhupada throughout his books. It would be an extremely inattentive student who failed to grasp the idea that without a spiritual master we cannot advance in spiritual life. We sing this every morning in the gurvastak
Sesa das talks about HH Bhakti Charu Maharaja being a ‘courageous firebrand…’ IN GLORIFICATION OF HIS HOLINESS BHAKTI CHARU MAHARAJA
Can you picture our dear Vaisnava gentleman His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami as a sword wielding, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, general on the battlefield, a courageous soldier in the thick of battle, waging war on behalf of ISKCON? A more predominant view of Maharaja is one who is a source of inspiration, refuge, and hope. However, as I reflect on my recent G
Video of HH Bhakti Charu Swami glorifying Srila Prabhupada’s Journey to USA in a packed Netaji Indoor Stadium which seats 12,000 people. To inaugurate the ISKCON 50th Anniversary year, on August 13th in Kolkata a grand celebration was held with the participation of thousands of devotees from 108 countries, spiritual leaders and dignitaries such as the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
By Tapana Mishra Dasa and Balimardana Das
Viplavah 2021 Global Education Symposium, hosted by the ISKCON Ministry of Education
Dates: July 29th – Aug 1st 2021
Registration: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vcuCtrjkoH9AT4P7zTX-56DQN-5l998OG
Location: Zoom - https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vcuCtrjkoH9AT4P7zTX-56DQN-5l998OG
FaceBook Event: https://fb.me/e/7a2FdM4JK
Event Type: Ted-talk style presentations for 15 mins followed by 10 minutes Q&A with each speaker, interactive engagement
Ag
By Krishna Premarupa Das
What is the most difficult service in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)? Most probably, it’s to serve as a diksa guru, or initiating spiritual master.
On Saturday, 5th of June, the GSC hosted a three-hour online conference for ISKCON diksa gurus. This was the first of its kind as a virtual event. The event was titled the "Challenges of Being a Guru in ISKCON".
The Guru Services Committee (GSC), a standing committee of the Governing Body Comm
It is quite the achievement, first of all, that there is a leadership college that trains men and women to be just that – leaders in a spiritual organization. I was invited to the GBC College Graduation and here’s a message from our graduate from Canada. His name is Anuttama. He sent me a letter tonight.
“Hare Krishna Maharaja (that’s me) and Prabhus (other blessers),
I wanted to inform you that I graduated from the GBC College leadership for Zonal Supervisor today. It was a longer journey than
Hare Krishna Dear Devotees
🎉 Special launch of the long awaited book 📖 "Servant of the Servant" written by HH Tamal Krishna Goswami, on the occasion of the 75th Vyasa-puja of Tamal KrishnaGoswami and the 125th Vyasa-puja of Srila Prabhupada!
Order your copy NOW at mayapurshop.com to avail limited offer of free shipping all over India!
This fast-paced, action-packed book treasures the Sankirtana history of ISKCON and many beautiful and instructive exchanges between Srila Prabhupada and his rig
अध्याय तिहत्तर – बन्दी गृह से छुड़ाये गये राजाओं को कृष्ण द्वारा आशीर्वाद (10.73)
1-6 श्रील शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने कहा: जरासन्ध ने 20800 राजाओं को युद्ध में पराजित करके उन्हें बन्दीखाने में डाल दिया था जब ये राजा गिरिद्रोणी किले से बाहर आये, तो वे मलिन लग रहे थे और मैले वस्त्र पहने हुए थे। वे भूख के मारे दुबले हो गए थे, उनके चेहरे सूख गये थे और दीर्घकाल तक बन्दी रहने से अत्यधिक कमजोर हो गये थे। तब राजाओं ने भगवान को अपने समक्ष देखा। उनका रंग बादल के समान गहरा नीला था और वे पीले रेशम का वस्त्र पहने थे
