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Harekrishna, kya koi prabhuji/mataji kripeya bataenge ki bigraha ko kyun baye taraf  (left side) rakhkar pranam kiya jata hai? if possible give answer with reference please.

A talk on Sri Rama-ekadasi, November 6, 1996, in Pune, India, by Giriraj Swami

We are gathered here in the auspicious month of Kartik, which is also known as Damodara. Srila Prabhupada wrote in The Nectar of Devotion that just as Lord Damodara is very dear to His devotees, so the month of Damodara is also dear to them. And in the month of Kartik, in the year 1974, Srila Prabhupada completed his translation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, in Juhu, Bombay.

When Srila Prabhupada was in Bombay, we used

By Giriraj Swami

We have gathered at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada on the auspicious occasion of his disappearance festival. When we were with His Divine Grace in Surat on his guru maharaja’s disappearance day, he remarked that on the absolute platform there is no difference between the appearance and disappearance of the spiritual master just like the sunrise and sunset, both are beautiful.

Srila Prabhupada always glorified Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he instructed ev

श्रील प्रभुपाद के वियोग मेँ... (अकिंचन दासानुदास- ललितमाधवदास)

कृष्‍णकृपाश्रीमूर्ति ए. सी. भक्तिवेदांत स्वामी श्रील प्रभुपाद के अनुयायी उनके वियोग मेँ उनकी सेवा का रसास्वादन करते रहे हैं| श्रील प्रभुपाद मात्र एक आचार्य नहीँ थे बल्कि कॄष्णभावनामृत आंदोलन के संस्थापक-आचार्य जो एक सक्रिय आध्यात्मिक वास्तविकता थे। यह वास्तविकता युग धर्म या आध्यात्मिक जीवन के उस रुप से किसी तरह कम नहीं है जिसकी संस्तुति समस्त मानवता के लिए इस कलियुग में की गई है, उस कलियुग में जो सभी युगों में सबसे अधिक खतरनाक है, जि

My dear daughter,

In your recent prayers, you asked me, “My dear Krishna, mahatma is a common title these days. We have so many self-styled mahatmas in India. Then I see that many people fall from their spiritual quest or abandon it because they had chosen to follow someone only because of his appearance or popularity. Later the so-called mahatma didn’t behave as a genuine advanced spiritual teacher resulting in a crisis of faith. Can you please let me know whom we can call a mahatma and what are

By Caitanya Caran Das

Damodara lila special

One of the important legends associated with Diwali is Damodara lila, a pastime in which mother Yashoda tried to tie Krishna with a rope. The rope turned out to be two fingers short. So she tied more rope, but, no matter how many ropes she tied together, the combined rope remained two fingers short.

This pastime signifies that no matter how much we try, we will always fall short in our attempts to understand God with our intelligence. Modern science i

By Giriraj Swami

We are gathered on the auspicious occasion of Sri Govardhana-puja at the feet of Sri Giriraja Govardhana. Many of you may know the history, related in Srimad-Bhagavatam: One day Sri Krishna noticed that the cowherd men were collecting paraphernalia for worship. As the omniscient Supersoul, the Lord already understood the whole situation. Still, as a matter of etiquette, He humbly inquired from His elders, headed by Nanda Maharaja, what their purpose was. He said that no secrets

Life Lessons: by understanding nature, we come to an understanding of our own natures. Everywhere we look are lessons to be learned.  Open your heart and become open to life’s lessons.

• 1. Jellyfish  

A little girl — 5 — is walking along a sandy beach. A red tide had caused millions of jellyfish to wash ashore. They lay there marooned, gasping for air. She ever so gently picks one little jellyfish and returns him to the surf. Her teenage brother begins to laugh, “You will never be able to save all

By Bhanu Swami

Karma – Activities of the Conditioned Soul

• Ignorance of Krsna

• Desire to Enjoy

• Material body

• Identity with body

• Desire to enjoy in body

• Action to get enjoyment

Immediate Experience

Of enjoyment

Or suffering

Attachment to objects

causing enjoyment

Repulsion to objects

of suffering

(samskara)

Desires or hatred Restrictions

in next life (vasana) in next life (karma)

Free will, intelligence

Action

Tama Raja Sattva

Misery Immediate Detachment

Pleasure Peace

Action: Prakrti

From Back to Godhead

by Sadaputa Dasa

The ancient Greek writer Aratos tells the following story about the constellation Virgo, or the virgin. Virgo, he says, may have belonged to the star race, the forefathers of the ancient stars. In primeval times, in the golden age, she lived among mankind as Justice personified and would exhort people to adhere to the truth. At this time people lived peacefully, without hypocrisy or quarrel. Later, in the age of silver, she hid herself in the mountains, but

By Adikarta das

When I joined ISKCON in 1974, I immediately felt relief from material suffering. I was, and am, to be honest, a real Kali yuga specimen. The first service I had was working in the garden at Bhaktivedanta Manor. It was nice, after some of the other things I had done,prior to my attempt at becoming a devotee, but I may not be still trying to be a devotee, if I had had to do that my whole devotional life.

After about 10 days, I was asked to go out on book distribution, which, right

By Aseem Krishna Das

Sadhu Sanga 2019 with His Holiness Subhag Swami Maharaj was organised in Ayodhya Dham from 26th September to 1st October 2019. This Sadhu sanga event is organised every year at one of Lord’s pastime places with the purpose for the disciples and well wishers of His Holiness to come together to listen to and associate with their spiritual master and amongst themselves.

Devotee association is a very important aspect of devotional life. Devotees eagerly wait for the Sadhu Sang

If you ever go to Solomon Island you have got to check out this fascinating tradition. The island is home to a tribe that have a peculiar way of clearing the forest for harvesting crops. The entire village, about a hundred or so members, gather around a tree they wish to chop. They then hurl profanities and vulgarities at said tree, like a drunken pirate at 3 am.  After about an hour, they fell the tree. When discovered by anthropologists, the reason for this custom was posed to their chief. The

Today is the appearance anniversary of Radha Kunda, the bathing pond of Srimati Radharani in Vrndavana. Devotees bathe there especially on the midnight of this day.
To hear a lecture (in English) by Bhakti Rasamrita Swami on the glories of Appearance of Radha Kunda, please click here: https://goo.gl/x15EiF

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=51985