By Giriraj Swami
In Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami says that the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya are like a lake with many beautiful lotus flowers, which are love for Krishna—Radha and Krishna. As our acharyas tell us, the Caitanya-caritamrta is perhaps the most important of all the books of the followers of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and on this date thirty-seven years ago, Srila Prabhupada completed his translation of the Caitanya-caritamrta.
Whenever Srila Prabhupada was
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 to go to his quarters every morning at six o’clock, when he would go for his
By Khusboo Basan
Yudhisthira Maharaj said, “O Janardana, O protector of all beings, what is the name of the Ekadashi that comes during the dark fortnight (Krishna paksha) of the month of Kartika (October November)? Please impart this sacred knowledge to me.”
The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna then spoke as follows, “O lion among kings, please listen as I narrate to you; The Ekadashi that occurs during the dark part of the month of Kartika is called Rama Ekadashi. It is most auspicious, for it at on
भगवद्गीता यथारूप 108 महत्त्वपूर्ण श्लोक
अध्याय नौ परम गुह्य ज्ञान
मांहिपार्थव्यपाश्रित्ययेSपिस्यु: पापयोनयः ।
स्त्रियोवैश्यास्तथा शुद्रास्तेSपियान्तिपरांगतिम् ।। 32 ।।
माम् –मेरी;हि– निश्चय ही;पार्थ– हे पृथापुत्र;व्यपाश्रित्य– शरण ग्रहण करके;ये– जो;अपि– भी;स्युः– हैं;पाप-योनयः– निम्नकुल में उत्पन्न;स्त्रियः– स्त्रियाँ;वैश्याः– वणिक लोग;तथा– भी;शूद्राः– निम्न श्रेणी के व्यक्ति;ते अपि– वे भी;यान्ति– जाते हैं;पराम्– परम;गतिम्– गन्तव्य को।
भगवद्गीता यथारूप 108 महत्त्वपूर्ण श्लोक
अध्याय नौ परम गुह्य ज्ञान
अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक् ।
साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि सः ।। 30 ।।
अपि– भी;चेत्– यदि;सु-दुराचारः– अत्यन्त गर्हित कर्म करने वाला;भजते– सेवा करता है;माम्– मेरी;अनन्य-भाक्– बिना विचलित हुए;साधुः– साधु पुरुष;एव– निश्चय ही;सः– वह;मन्तव्यः– मानने योग्य;सम्यक्– पूर्णतया;व्यवसितः– संकल्प करना;हि– निश्चय ही;सः– वह।
As darkness descends upon the holy town of Vrindavan, thousands of devotees gather at the ISKCON Krishna Balaram Mandir to celebrate the auspicious month of Kartik. The temple complex comes alive with the warm glow of countless flickering candles, creating an ethereal atmosphere of devotion and spiritual enchantment.
Beautifully adorned deities of Radha-Krishna, decorated with intricate flower garlands and colorful ornaments, preside over the celebrations. The temple’s architecture is magnific
The 2nd International Gita Olympiad Workshop, hosted by ISKCON Kurukshetra in collaboration with Kurukshetra Development Board and Kurukshetra University, was a resounding success. Held at the historic site of Kurukshetra, where Lord Krishna delivered the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, the workshop drew over 100 enthusiastic participants, with students traveling from various parts of the country. The event aimed to foster a deeper understanding of the Gita’s teachings among young minds.
U
In this video, HH Sacinandana Swami shares insights on controlling and focusing the mind, especially during the practice of chanting the Holy Name. He explains that the mind, much like a vast storage of memories and distractions, must be “turned off” to focus solely on Krishna. Swami references various teachings from saints and scriptures on how to manage the mind: for example, Rupa Goswami encourages lovingly directing the mind towards holy topics, while Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur sugge
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
Nectar Talks, a podcast hosted by devotees at ISKCON Alachua, has launched its second season following the success of its first. The podcast is dedicated to capturing and sharing the essence of devotees’ spiritual journeys.
In a recent conversation with ISKCON News, Amrita-keli Dasi, one of the podcast hosts, shared some exciting updates about the new season. Among the enhancements is upgraded equipment, which will significantly improve both the quality and ov
As part of the 2024 Bhadra Purnima campaign, the Badrinath/Haridwar Yatra distributed more than 150 Srimad Bhagavatam sets over a five-day period. It was yet another wonderful opportunity to reconnect, rejuvenate, and recommit to exploring one of the many channels that Srila Prabhupada continues to provide so that we can participate in his most cherished service—book distribution.
Around 650+ devotees took part in this campaign, visiting places such as Sukaratala, the very place where Sukadev Go
There were a lot of things “on the go” for me today. Before leaving for a frisky walk to Union Station to hit the commuter “GO train”, I was hearing the gory details of an abuse case that an acquaintance went through in Europe. (Details withheld). That was the third scenario. I heard this week for an hour long call.
Then I heard of some Hollywood scandal by a celeb, Diggy, whom I don’t really know - something to do with party abusiveness on minors and none. At this point it is not rumour, as
भगवद्गीता यथारूप 108 महत्त्वपूर्ण श्लोक
अध्याय नौ परम गुह्य ज्ञान
समोSहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्योSस्ति न प्रियः ।
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम् ।। 29 ।।
समः– समभाव;अहम्– मैं;सर्व-भूतेषु– समस्त जीवों में;न– कोई नहीं;मे– मुझको;द्वेष्यः– द्वेषपूर्ण;अस्ति– है;न– न तो;प्रियः– प्रिय;ये– जो;भजन्ति– दिव्यसेवा करते हैं;तु– लेकिन;माम्– मुझको;भक्त्या– भक्ति से;मयि– मुझमें हैं;ते– वे व्यक्ति;तेषु– उनमें;च– भी;अपि– निश्चय ही;अहम्– मैं।
By Madhur Gauranga Das
The Damodara Outreach Program (DOP), initiated by the Congregational Development Ministry (CDM) in 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, aims to spread the teachings and love of Lord Damodara during the sacred Kartik month, which spans from October 17 to November 15 in 2024. This initiative has grown from a small local effort to a global movement, attracting devotees eager to engage in acts of devotion.
Kartik month, revered for its spiritual significance, offers unique opport
In this video, H.G. Sankarshan Prabhu delivers a talk on Chapter 5, Text 16 of the Bhagavad Gita, focusing on the transformative power of spiritual knowledge. He explains how true knowledge, which comes from surrendering to Krishna, dispels ignorance like the rising sun and reveals one’s eternal connection with the Divine. He contrasts mundane and spiritual knowledge, sharing personal anecdotes about his own spiritual journey and encounters with false teachings. The talk emphasizes the importanc
By Atma Tattva Das
Mauritius recently commemorated the 49th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s historic arrival in the country in 1975 with a week of celebrations that honored his legacy as well as set the stage for next year’s highly anticipated 50th-anniversary event. From heartfelt gatherings at Krishna Balaram Mandir to a vibrant beach kirtan at Pointe aux Sables, the spirit of devotion and gratitude for Srila Prabhupada’s contributions was palpable.
The festivities kicked off on September 29
The latest poem: The Game The Gamble
When Krishna was an adult
His response to the Earth’s insult
Was to sit in deliberation
And dismiss the current administration
He saw the world was rotting
Essential values were forgotten
By Rama vigraha Dasa
From Back to Godhead
To say that most politicians are incompetent, and in many cases downright dishonest, isn’t very controversial. We’ve all read about their blunders, their tricks, and their schemes. So the aim of this article is not to give proof of their failure to bring about world peace and prosperity; it is rather to show that the root cause of their incompetence is selfish materialism, and that the remedy is the re- spiritualization of society through the worldwide
Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) – Canto 2: The Cosmic Manifestation – SB 2.9: Answers by Citing the Lord’s Version
Verse – 33
aham evasam evagre
nanyad yat sad-asat param
pascad aham yad etac ca
yo ’vasisyeta so ’smy aham
Synonyms: aham — I, the Personality of Godhead; eva — certainly; asam — existed; eva — only; agre — before the creation; na — never; anyat — anything else; yat — all those; sat — the effect; asat — the cause; param — the supreme; pascat — at the end; aham — I, the Persona
From Back to Godhead
False Prestige heads a list of weeds, such as Lust, Greed, and Anger, that block the growth of the vine of Bhakti.
Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita metaphorically describes love of God as a creeper, or vine. The following story is based on that metaphor.
I reared my head like a cobra, not to strike at someone but to catch the sun. Holding a jumbo glowing flower at the top of my green leaves, I dominated the garden with my presence.
My name is False Prestige, and I call myself an
