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In a recent press release, ISKCON of Houston, Texas, announced their first annual Festival of Bliss, the Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra, to be held on Saturday, November 9th, at 10:30 AM at the American Legion Park.

The festival procession will begin at noon from the American Legion Park and “promises a vibrant cultural experience with live music, dance performances, and traditional Indian cuisine.”

The announcement continued, “The Ratha Yatra is not just a parade; it is a journey of the heart, a cel

By Giriraj Swami Care Team  

Giriraj Swami has been diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia, a progressive neurological condition that affects his cognitive functions, including decision-making, emotional regulation, and social behavior. This diagnosis significantly impairs his ability to control his actions and feelings, leading to behaviors that are inconsistent with his character and values.

Although the diagnosis was only recently confirmed, Giriraj Swami has been affected by the condition fo

Thank you Oh Srimati Radharani, Oh Divine Mother for giving this fallen and sinful soul entrance into Your personal abode, Sri Vrindavan. I know that I am fully unqualified to step onto this holy land of Yours but Your mercy is unfathomable, unimaginable and incalculable.

भगवद्गीता यथारूप 108 महत्त्वपूर्ण श्लोक

अध्याय सात भगवदज्ञान

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोSर्जुन ।

आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ॥ 16 ॥

चतुः विधाः– चार प्रकार के;भजन्ते– सेवा करते हैं;माम्– मेरी;जनाः– व्यक्ति;सु-कृतिनः– पुण्यात्मा;अर्जुन– हे अर्जुन;आर्तः– विपदाग्रस्त, पीड़ित;जिज्ञासुः– ज्ञान के जिज्ञासु;अर्थ-अर्थी– लाभ की इच्छा रखने वाले;ज्ञानी– वस्तुओं को सही रूप में जानने वाले, तत्त्वज्ञ;च– भी;भरत-ऋषभ– हे भरतश्रेष्ठ।
भावार्थ : हे भरतश्रेष्ठ! चार प्रकार के पुण्यात्मा मेरी सेवा करत

By Nartaka Gopala dasi

Srimati Gandharvika devi (Sonia Lerner) passed away Saturday September 21, 2024 in Miami Florida from complications of the liver. She was 80 years old and had joined the International Society for Krsna Consciousness in 1988 in Miami Beach, Florida. She was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia, South America, and also lived several years in Brazil. Her mother was from Guatemala and she was mostly raised by her Jewish stepfather. She had two children, her son Juan and daughter Cynthi

Rare photo of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada along with the Chief Mahant of Sri Veni Madhav Temple

Prayagraj Yatra

The King of Tirthas

 

Places to visit in and around Prayagraj:

1. Sri Veni Madhav Temple

2. Triveni Sangam – Magnificent Confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and invisible Sarasvati Rivers

3. Lord Caitanya’s Footprints at Sri Dashashwamedha Brahmeshwar Mahadev Temple

4. Sri Nag Vasuki Temple

5. Bharadvaja Muni’s Ashram

6. Akshaya Vat of Lord Ramacandra near Patalapuri Temple at Pra

September 29th Update

Several power poles and power lines (including phone lines which connects many residents to the Internet) are still down in parts of Alachua. Some devotees saw their power restored yesterday but are still facing damage caused by falling trees and branches. While power has not been restored to the temple and its residents, devotees are safe and beginning cleanup.

Manorama Das, ISKCON Youth Minister, did report that a tree that fell on the covered bus port (shelter) that prot

9/30/24 Health Update

Today, HG Mahatma Das is continuing with his healing and resting as much as possible. Despite experiencing a lot of bodily discomfort, he remains in good spirits and stable condition, making the best of a difficult recovery process. He is constantly thinking of Krishna and sharing blissful realizations.

Your prayers are needed for his ongoing recovery. Please continue with your kirtans, prayers, chanting very good rounds, and pujas. This is helping him greatly.

Radhapriya D

From Back to Godhead

Because many factors influence the way we see the world, too much faith in our own perspective can be materially and spiritually dangerous.

My husband and I were counseling a couple and making progress, but then we reached an impasse. The husband insisted that his perceptions of the couple’s interactions were reality and anything different from those perceptions was false or illusory. In other words, his wife’s view was wrong if it differed from his. My husband and I did ou

From Back to Godhead

In many places in his books Srila Prabhupada describes the wonders of prasadam, food prepared with devotion and offered to Krishna. Prabhupada discusses such merits of prasadam as how it effectively immunizes one against the contamination of the material nature, how it frees one from becoming a ghost after death, and even how it is considered ecstatic nectar from the lips of Lord Krishna. In the Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila, 4.93, purport) Srila Prabhupada writes:

Th

Kama (Cupid) possesses five arrows, with which he inflicts all conditioned living entities. According to Sripad Prabodhananda Saraswati (in his commentary on the Gita Govinda), these arrows are: infatuation, agitation, heart-burning, extreme dryness and destruction. Let us elaborate:

During the course of one’s life, one sees many members of the opposite sex. There is a natural attraction caused by the arrangement of Maya because we identify ourselves with the body (pumsah-striya-maithuni bhava)

भगवद्गीता यथारूप 108 महत्त्वपूर्ण श्लोक

अध्याय सात भगवदज्ञान

न मां दुष्कृतिनो मूढाः प्रपद्यन्ते नराधमाः ।

माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिताः ॥ 15 ॥

न– नहीं;माम्– मेरी;दुष्कृतिनः– दुष्ट;मूढाः– मूर्ख;प्रपद्यन्ते– शरण ग्रहण करते हैं;नर-अधमाः– मनुष्यों में अधम;मायया– माया के द्वारा;अपहृत– चुराये गये;ज्ञानाः– ज्ञान वाले;आसुरम्– आसुरी;भावम्– प्रकृति या स्वभाव को;आश्रिताः– स्वीकार किये हुए।

भावार्थ : जो निपट मुर्ख है, जो मनुष्यों में अधम हैं, जिनका ज्ञान माया द्वारा हर लिया गया है तथा जो असुरों की नास्ति

By Rasika Sekara Das 

In the peaceful village of Pajieslys, Lithuania, New Govardhan Ashram stands as a spiritual haven built on the vision of Bhakti Sharan Shanta Swami. Although he has since left the body, his teachings and dreams live on through the local community of devotees, who are now engaged in realizing one of his greatest aspirations: the construction of a new temple, a sanctuary for the worship of Giriraj Govardhan and a center for spiritual growth.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org

By Bhavya Bhatnagar and Ramacarya Das 

This year marked a remarkable milestone for ISKCON St. Louis, which celebrated its 50th installation of Nitai-Gaura Nataraja Deities. The deities were originally installed during the last week of August 1974. Over the decades, ISKCON St. Louis has become a vibrant community, serving as a spiritual home and contributing to the St. Louis community. This event was celebrated from Aug. 31st to Sept. 1st at the temple.  

Renowned honorable guests who were associ

There was foggy condition at the beach in Burlington when Jagannath Misra and I started our morning walk. From there I was whisked away by the same Jagannath headed for a special place - the African Lion Safari, a big attraction. At the entrance I met the members of the Bhakti Academy Toronto (BAT) as we prepared for an adventure by car through regions of African animals, Australians and the Americans. Before  making that journey (a caravan of 3 cars) I mentioned to the group, “We are going to h

From Back to Godhead

By Satyaraja Dasa

In India’s traditional wisdom texts, bhakti, or devotion, is sometimes presented as a person. This is especially so in Gaudiya Vaishnava literature. In Kavi Karnapura’s Chaitanya-candrodaya-natakam, for example, we see bhakti personified as a character in a play. In the modern era, Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Bhakti-tattva-viveka describes her as a

By Dharma-setu das

Karana and I got married on the 5th of January 2002. Since then I have received a lot of valuable advice that has at various times helped me in my marriage. Three recommendations have been particularly useful and have stood the test of time. I’d like to share these with you along with some of the realisations that I have gleamed from them.

1 – “Always Forgive One Another”

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Lecture given in Hyderabad, December 17, 1976

The most learned members of society should show others by example how to live peacefully and become Krishna conscious.

saktah karmany avidvamso
yatha kurvanti bharata
kuryad vidvams tathasaktash
chikirshur loka-sangraham

“As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, the learned may similarly act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.”—Bh