Decorated with peacock feathers

O mind, please remember Lord Hari's splendid crown decorated with peacock feathers and gunja, His wavy locks of hair, His forehead splendid with tilaka, His eyebrows, eyes, nose, splendid cheeks, ears, glittering jewel earrings, red lips, flute, face, arching neck marked with three lines, soft shoulders, broad arms decorated with armlets and other ornaments, hands, fingers marked with wavy lines, chest decorated with kaustubha jewel and garlands of pearls and forest flowers and the splendid mark of the goddess of fortune, the line of hairs on His splendid abdomen, His lotus navel, slender waist, tinkling bells, yellow garments, large knees, ankles decorated with tinkling ankle-bells, lotus feet, graceful toes, pink toenails, the redness that extends across the soles of His feet up to His heels, and on His right foot: the barleycorn-mark at the base of His big toe, the urdhva-rekha by His fore-toe, the curved lotus in the middle of His foot, the flag on the surface of His foot, the elephant-goad and thunderbolt at the base of His little-toe, the jambus, and the eight-pointed star in the middle.

Sri Rupa Cintamani
The Cintamani Jewel of Beauty Text 5-10

An Anonymous Neophyte

What’s Your Religion?
* * *

I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. I immediately ran over and said “Stop! Don’t do it!”

Q. “Why shouldn't I?” he said.
A. I said, “Well, there’s so much to live for!”

Q.“Like what?”

Q. "Are you religious or an atheist?"
A. "Religious."

Q. “Well … are you a Personalist or Impersonalist ?”
A. “Personalist.”

Q. “Me too! Are you Hindu or Muslim?”
A. “Hindu.”

Q. “Me too! Are you or Vaishnava or a Shivate?”
A. “Vaishnava.”

Q. “Me too! Are you a follower of the Laxmi Sampradaya or Madhva ?
A. “Madhva.”

Q. “Wow! Me too! Are you a Madhvaite or a Gaudiya Madhva devotee?”
A. “Gaudiya Madhva.”

Q. “Me too! Are you Raganuga Bhakta or Sadhana Bhakta?"
A. “Sadhana Bhakta."

Q. Unbelievable Me too!"Are you a follower of GURU X or X Swami ?
A. “X Swami”

To which I said, “Die, heretic scum!” and pushed him off.

- Submitted by an Anonymous Neophyte

The well wisher

Dinana Duhkha Harana Deva

He is the Lord of the fallen and distressed.
He is the well wisher of all saintly persons.

1) The Lord, whom saints yearn for, has liberated the fallen brahmana, Ajamila.

2) He has given the umbrella over the Dhruva Maharaja’s head. He protected Prahlada Maharaja and liberated him. For the sake of His devotees, He builds a bridge to Lanka, where Ravana resides.

3) To give up the delacasies of Duryodhana, he ate the vegetables of Vidura. Without considering the condition of the fruits, he ate Sabhari’s fruits sweetened with devotion.

4) He saved the elephant from the alligator in the ocean. He tired the evil Dushasana, while Draupadi yelled in court, “Krsna! Krsna!”

5) Oh Lord Hari, You have come and left and done so many wonders. Thus, the blind beggar, Sura Dasa, is at your door.

* * * * * *

Note: This song can be sung in Raga Hemanta in Ektala
and was composed in the language of Braja Bhasa.

Who's there?

Krishna imitates the sounds of a cuckoo to signal his presence to Radha. She gets out of bed and tiptoes to the door, but as soon as she starts to unlatch the bolt, her conch-ivory bracelets tinkle. Krishna hears this sound with great expectation, but then he hears another sound: Jatila, Radha's wizened mother-in-law, guarding the chastity of her son's wife, wakes up and calls out, "Who's there? Who's there?" Krishna's heart immediately sinks. And this happened again, as Krishna passed the night in a corner of Radha's back yard, hiding in the hollow of a large kadamba tree. (Ujvala Nilamani 1.18 - Rupa Goswami)

Memo

Have you got the memo ? "It says we are all going to die. No exemptions or exceptions. It is mandatory and everyone will participate regardless of your personal circumstances". This is why it is so important that we cultivate transcendental knowledge, water a devotional creeper so when death knocks on our door we will be prepared. Lets not cheat ourselves by wasting valuable time, dancing like a monkey on a stick, chasing some phantasmagoria -AJD

"Time and Tide wait for No Man"

* * *
Founder of Apple(Steve Jobs) addresses Stanford Graduates about life and death.

Social leprosy

" During and after World War II we find in the west the terrific growth of the social institution which may be termed "good time" marriage, in which man and woman come together in so-called marriage for having a good time and, in search of a good time again, part from each other to seek new partners. Such marriages are Hedonistic, believing only in sex thrills, in childlessness, in the neglect of the family bond and the discipline it demands. This has resulted in an all-pervading sex obsession on a scale only know to the decadent Roman Empire. The influence of Freud has also given pseudo-scientific approval to sexual irresponsibility and colored the views on sex and marriages of persons who consider themselves advanced. These "advanced" sectors of life have for their heroes and heroines play-boys and glamour girls, who's sex gluttony has brought to the society dominated by them, strains and conflicts, disappointments and frustrations, vulgarity and ugliness, neuroses and psychoses on a scale never known to the human society before. This is social leprosy. What is called love is a stark unromantic animal sex indulgence" -Kanaiyalal Munshi

* * *

Human society possesses creative energy.

The Vedic System of four Varnas and four Ashrams is meant to regulate this energy as to create a positive influence from which everyone can benefit.

The four Ashrams are:

Brahmacarya (celibate life) controls this energy and consequently one's meditative and cognitive abilities increases.

Grhasta (married life) is meant to regulate the sexual creative energy so one can continue to advance on the spiritual path.

Vanaprasta (semi detached) is for retirees who have become entangled in house hold life. By practice one can gain confidence and feel the presents of God everywhere.

Sanyas is complete detachment from mundane worldly affairs, living the remainder of this life in the service of the lord, in preparation for the next life.

The four Varnas (occupations) are:

Brahmanas - Spiritual advisers
Ksatriyas - The martial class.
Vaisyas - Agriculturalist,bankers,trade etc.
Sudras - labor, support services etc.

-AJD

How to see

Question: What advice did Srila Guru Maharaja give as to how to see the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Koladvip?

Govinda Kunda - Sri Vrindavan Dham

Srila Govinda Maharaja: He said this is a very auspicious place, and specifically it is Gupta Govarddhan. Close to Govarddhan Hill is Manasa Ganga, and Govinda Kunda is also here in remembrance of Govinda Kunda by Govarddhan. In Vrindavan is Manasa Ganga, and here in Nabadwip is the Ganges. In Govardhan the Lila of Krishna goes on in many ways, and here also the Lila of Gandharva-Govindasundar takes place: the Pastimes of the Lord near Govinda Kunda of Vrindavan are happening here. And we remember Kusum Sarovar also, but until now I haven't made it because time has been short due to the many services going on in our various Centers here in India. I have always wanted to excavate the hole behind the Indians' Guest House and make it into Kusum Sarovar. That was my plan, and I asked Guru Maharaja if we could dig there a nice kunda with steps going down into it. He happily agreed.

You can see Koladwip lila here:(Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math,Kolerganj, Nabadwip
Nadia, West Bengal,India)

kuliya gramete asi'
sri krsna caitanya
hena nahi, ya 're Prabhu
na karila dhanya
(Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat: Antya 3.541)

"In order to very widely rescue the fallen souls Sriman Mahaprabhu showed here His Pastimes in such a way that anyone who takes shelter here must be rescued by Him from his unfortunate position."

All you need is Love (priti)

The sweetness of the word “love”
By Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

Love is a very sweet word. When it is spoken, a very sweet mood arises in the hearts of both the speaker and the listeners. Though few are able to understand its true meaning, everyone still likes to hear the word. All beings are controlled by love. Many will even give up their lives for it.

All beings are controlled by love

To love is the sole purpose of human life. Many think that the fulfilment of their selfish desires is the primary purpose of their existence, but that is wrong. For love, man can sacrifice all of his own interests.

Selfishness causes man to strive only for his own happiness and autonomy, but love causes him to sacrifice all of his own interests for the sake of that thing or person that is dear to him. Whenever there is a clash between selfishness and love, love is victorious. In particular, even when selfishness is very intense it still remains subordinate to love. What is selfishness? Selfishness is to endeavour for that which is dear to oneself. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to say that human life is directed by love. Love becomes the primary purpose of man’s life, even when he strives to fulfil his selfish desires.

Materialists and liberationists strive for enjoyment and liberation, out of love for them

Love is pre-eminent on the path of transcendentalism also. Those who seek spiritual pleasure, considering worldly pleasure to be temporary, are of two kinds: those overcome by an urge to enjoy and those driven by a desire to be liberated. Those overcome by an urge to enjoy are presently either preoccupied with their search for wealth, kingdom, wife or children, or encumbered with a desire for the position of Indra or any other demigod in Svarga or for happiness in the higher planets such as Brahmaloka. Because they have a love for those things, they constantly endeavour to have them.

Those who crave liberation have no love for such worldly enjoyments, but cherish instead the desire to be liberated from worldly affairs. Hence, because they have a love for liberation, they strive for it. Love is what the materialist seeks from his enjoyment and the liberationist from liberation. Hence, to attain love is the final object for both kinds of people. Love is the single aim of all spiritual endeavour.

What Candi dasa says about love

In regard to love, the Vaisnava poet Candi dasa says:

piriti baliya, e tina akhara,
e tina bhuvana-sara
ei mora mane, haya rati-dine,
iha vai nahi ara (1)

vidhi eka cite, bhavite bhavite,
niramana kaila “pi”
rasera sagara, manthana karite,
tahe upajila “ri” (2)

punah je mathiya, amiya haila,
tahe bhiyaila “ti”
sakala sukhera, e tina akhara,
tulana diba se ki (3)

jahara marame, pasila yatane,
e tina akhara sara
dharama karama, sarama bharama,
kiva jati kula tara (4)

e hena piriti, na jani ki riti,
pariname kiva haya
piriti-bandhana, bada-i vishama,
dvija candidase kaya (5)

The three syllables pi-ri-ti (love) are the essence of the three planetary systems. They remain in my mind day and night. I think of nothing but them. (1)

Concentrating deeply, Brahma created the syllable pi. Then when the ocean of rasa was churned, the syllable ri emerged. (2)

the ocean was churned a second time, nectar emerged, which was prepared into the syllable ti. How can I compare anything to these three syllables, which are the abode of all happiness? (3)

That person in whose heart the essence of these three syllables has forcibly entered finds dharma, karma, shyness, commonsense, caste and family tradition useless. (4)

I do not know what the nature of that love is or what its result will be. The twice-born Candi dasa says, “The bondage of love is truly terrible.” (5)

Insentient objects are shadows of sentient objects

Objects are of two kinds: sentient objects and insentient objects. Sentient objects are original, whereas insentient objects are perversions of sentient ones. They can be called the shadows or reflections of sentient objects. Whatever is present in an object is also present in some way in its shadows. Hence, whatever is present within the original, sentient objects must also be present in their insentient counterparts.

To love is the nature of sentient objects, and love’s perversion is found in insentient objects

If we examine the nature of sentient objects, we find that to love is their sole nature. This nature must also exist in some way as a reflection within insentient objects. Just as insentient objects are perversions of sentient ones, attraction and motion are perversions of love. They make up the nature of insentient objects and are present in every insentient atom. Let us now examine the nature of love.

The nature of love

Attraction and motion are present in their pure form within sentient objects as love. The soul is a sentient object. Here, “soul” refers to both the supreme sentient being, the Supersoul, and the minute sentient being, the soul. Their nature is to love. Pure love is found only within the soul. Only a perversion of that pure nature, not the pure nature itself, is to be found within the soul’s reflection - that is, within insentient objects. Hence, pure love is not to be found in any material object of this world. Rather, its perversion, which is mere attraction and motion, is to be found in them.

By the forces of attraction and motion, atoms assemble to form objects. Through attraction, objects are drawn towards each other. Also, on account of their independent motion, the planets revolve around the sun. Anything that is present in a perverted object or perverted nature is also present in the original object in its untainted form.

The independence, attraction and repulsion of the soul

Independence and attraction to other objects are also always found within the soul. The soul exists in a state of bondage in this world. There are unlimited, minute souls, each possessing the nature to love. This can be seen in the attraction all souls exert upon each other. Furthermore, because of their independence, each soul wants to remain separate from the others.

In this material world, every object draws other objects towards it; and these other objects in turn, by virtue of their independent motion, try to remain separate from that object. Big objects draw small objects towards them. The sun is big, attracting the planets and their satellites towards it. But owing to their own independent motion, those planets and satellites remain at a distance from the sun and, attracted by its gravitational force, orbit it. Moreover, the planets’ attraction and motion also assist them in their orbit. What we see in this world is also found in the spiritual world in its unadulterated form.

The difference between the material sun and the transcendental sun

The Chandogya Upanishad (8.1.13) states:

sa bruyad yavan va ayam akasas tavan esho
’ntar hridaya akasa ubhe asmin dyavaprithivi
antar eva samahite ubhav agnis ca vayus ca
surya-candramasav ubhau vidyut nakshatrani
yac casyehasti yac ca nasti sarvam tasmin
samahitam iti

In the reflected creation, there are five elements, as well as the moon, the sun, lightning and the stars. All of these are present in their original form in Brahmapura, the spiritual world. The difference between the two worlds is that in the spiritual world all the variegated affairs are pure, blissful and perfect, whereas in the material world everything is flawed, incomplete and the cause of happiness and distress.

To love is the fundamental nature of all beings in the spiritual world. Therefore, the poet Candi dasa says:

brahmanda vy apiya, achaye je jana,
keha na dekhaye tare
premera piriti, je jana janaye,
sei se paite pare
piriti piriti tinati akhara
pi ri ti trividha mata
bhajite bhajite nigudha haile
haibe eka-i mata

No one has seen that person who pervades the universe. Only one who knows what love is can attain Him. Piriti (love) has three letters and is of three kinds, but when it becomes condensed as a result of continuous bhajana, it will be of only one kind.

The transcendental sun, Sri Krishna, attracts the jivas to orbit Him, and this is eternal rasa

The transcendental enjoyer of Vrindavana, Sri Krishna, is the sun of the spiritual world. The souls there are His associates in His pastimes. Through the force of the attraction of His love, Krishna draws them towards Him. But, on account of their own independent motion, they try to remain distinct from Him. Hence, while the strong force of attraction drawing those souls near to that sun-like Krishna defeats their motion, that force nonetheless makes them orbit Him. This is Krishna’s eternal rasa.

In that rasa, His girlfriends who are part of His internal potency are very near to Him, and those who have attained perfection through their spiritual practice are somewhat further away. Krishna’s transcendental pastimes reveal the true nature of love.

Liberated souls are greatly attracted to Krishna

Does Krishna attract all souls? If so, why are all souls not favourably inclined towards Him? Krishna does attract all souls. However, souls are of two kinds: the bound and the liberated. Because liberated souls experience their love clearly and keep it alive. Krsna’s force of attraction naturally acts more effectively upon them.

The reason why bound souls are not attracted to Krsna

Souls in bondage are of two types. The pure love of those who are completely oblivious to Krsna is extremely distorted due to their association with matter. They know nothing but love for objects of enjoyment, and therefore engage in sense gratification day and night. Forgetting themselves, they remain engrossed in seeking mundane pleasures.

Moreover, on account of their esteem for mundane science, which promotes mundane enjoyment they remain absorbed in mundane worship. They continuously cheat themselves with statements like “the soul does not exist”, “deliberating upon the soul is illusory “, and “any attempt to develop the self is nothing but mental agony”. Some cheat themselves of the pleasure of the plane of the soul by engaging in various pious activities with the aim of attaining the happiness of Svarga.

When the bound souls develop discrimination, renunciation and faith, they become attracted to Krishna Among the souls in bondage, some develop discrimination and renunciation, and attain faith in the soul. On the strength of this faith, they experience to some degree the pure attractiveness of Sri Krishna, the sun of the spiritual world, and are also drawn towards Him. Although they are engaged in various mundane, scientific or pious activities, they enjoy Krishna’s association. Sri Candi dasa describes their moods:

kanu je jivana, jati pranadhana,
e duti nayanera tara
hiyara majhare, parana putali,
nimikhe nimikha hara (1)

tora kulavati, bhaja nija pati,
jara mane jeva laya
bhaviya dekhinu, syama-bandhu bine,
ara keha mora naya (2)

.ki ara bujhao, dharama-karama,
mana svatantri naya
kulavati haina, piriti-arati,
ara kara jani haya (3)

je mora karama, kapale achila,
vidhi milaila taya
tora kulavati, bhaja nija pati,
thaka ghare kula lai (4)

guru durajana, bale kuvacana,
se mora candana-cuya
syama anurage, e tanu becinu,
tila-tulasi diya (5)

padasi durjana, bale kuvacana,
na jaba se loka pada
candidase kaya, kanura piriti,
jati-kula sila chada (6)

Kanu is my life, my caste, my treasure and the pupils of my eyes. He is the beloved within my heart who, in the blink of an eye, is lost to my vision. (1)

You are women of respectable family. Serve your husbands. Do as you please. After some thought I see that I have no one but my lover Syama. (2)

What more can you tell me about dharma and karma? My mind is not independent. If I am indeed a virtuous woman, then who is that person I long to love? (3)

Brahma has made arrangements according to my karma and destiny. O virtuous women, serve your husbands and stay at home with your family. (4)

My wicked elders criticise me, but to me their criticism is like scented sandalwood paste. Out of my love for Syama, I have sold this body placing sesame seeds and a tulasi leaf on it. (5)

My wicked neighbours criticise me, but I will not go to their neighbourhood. Candi dasa says, “Love for Kanu rejects caste, family and character.” (6)

The nature of the souls who are unaware of their identity

The soul in this world has forgotten his own identity because he identifies with matter. He forms various relationships with various people and behaves towards them in various ways. He identifies himself with his subtle body, and has imagined a new body consisting of mind, intelligence and ego. Because of that relationship with his subtle body, he values psychology and material science, considering them his wealth, and consequently becomes deluded.

Moreover, on account of identifying himself with his gross body, consisting of the five elements, he thinks “I am a Bhattacarya” or “I am a gentleman”, and thus he lives a life of abandon. He is sometimes born and he sometimes dies. Sometimes he is unable to contain his joy, and sometimes he is stricken with grief. Glory to this transformation and glory to Maya’s games!

Sometimes the soul is born as a man and marries a woman, and sometimes he is born as a woman and marries a man and establishes for himself a large cycle of worldly concerns. When he enters that cycle he honours his superiors and takes care of his dependants. He fears the ruler, and he hates his enemies. He fears disgrace and criticism when he is born as a woman in a respectable family. He remains far from his true identity when he establishes these false relationships in this world. What a horrible condition the soul endures in such a self-imposed life! Considering the various established rules of this world as his master, he has completely forgotten his eternal master, Krishna.

Prior attraction, tryst and union with Krishna

At this point a particular mood may arise in relation to Krishna, expressed by Sriman Mahaprabhu in the following verse:

para-vyasanini nari vyagrapi griha-karmashu
tam evasvadayaty antar nava-sanga-rasayanam

Sri Caitanya-caritamrita (Madhya-lila 1.211)

An unchaste wife internally relishes newer and newer meetings with her lover even while engaged in her household chores.

This kind of prior attraction (purva-raga) develops in a soul bound to the rules of this world before pure love for Krishna awakens in him. Eventually this soul will go for a rendezvous and meet Krishna. Prior attraction appears by hearing about Krishna’s nature and qualities, seeing a picture of His transcendental form, remembering His attractiveness and hearing the sound of His flute. One in whom this prior attraction has appeared meets Krishna by the help of likeminded girlfriends. Gradually the mutual love between this soul and the supreme enjoyer Sri Krishna, who is the embodiment of eternity, knowledge and bliss, becomes deep.

Pure and impure love

Krishna’s transcendental pastimes in the spiritual world, Vraja, are eternal. The soul is a minute sentient particle, and is therefore eligible to participate in those pastimes. When the soul is in bondage, his transcendental identity appears in an illusory form as his subtle and gross bodies. Similarly, the pure love for Krishna that is found within that transcendental identity appears in an illusory form as love for mundane science or mundane objects. Therefore, bodily love or mental love are simply distortions of pure love for Bhagavan. They are not true love. But because the soul has mistaken his own identity he considers them to be real love. Actual love, however, is the love that exists between two souls.

True love

The Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad (4.5.6) states:

na va are patyuh kamaya patih priyo bhavati
atmanastu kamaya patih priyo bhavati. (ityupakramya)
na va are sarvasya kamaya sarvam
priyam bhavati atmanastu kamaya sarvam
priyam bhavati. atma va are drashtavyah srotavyo
mantavyo nididhyasitavyo maitraiyyatmani
khalu are drishte srute mate vijnata idam sarvam
viditam iti.

When Yajnavalkya’s wife Maitreyi became detached from both the gross and the subtle planes, she approached her husband and requested him to give her some instruction.

Yajnavalkya replied: “O Maitreyi, a wife does not in fact love her husband for his sake. Rather, in every instance she does so for her own sake. Similarly, a husband loves his wife only for his own interests. This so-called love for husband, son, wealth and so on, is simply deceit. By completely rejecting this dishonesty you should worship Bhagavan, the eternal object of love and the soul of all souls, and love Him solely for love’s own sake. Therefore, one who has become detached from the material world and the subtle body should look at, think of and inquire about that Soul who is the most beloved of the jivas. By that he will come to know everything.”

The import of this highly authoritative statement of the Vedas is that there is no love on the gross and subtle planes. Whatever semblance of love is found here is experienced only in relation to the soul. The pure soul is transcendental, and the love that exists between souls is pure love. Only that love is worthy of being searched after. Worldly love, or the love that exists between humans, is but a distortion of the soul’s love. The love that exists between souls is the only true love.

“Love Krishna” is the ultimate instruction

In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.55) it is stated:

krishnam enam avehi tvam
atmanam akhilatmanam

Sri Krishna, who possesses sixty-four excellent attributes, is the soul of all souls. The love that all souls have for Krishna is free from mundane designations and is superlative. Those who have written about psychology and the intricacies of love without knowing love’s true nature have simply wasted their time, despite all their reasoning, as if mixing ghee into ashes. Out of pride, such persons have simply endeavoured for fame. Rather than benefit the world, they have brought it great misfortune. Brothers! Stop listening to those people’s grandiloquent talk and develop pure attachment for the soul, thus making your soul’s nature shine by experiencing that love which is free from designations.

* The original word used is priti, translated as “love”.

Egoistic world

"The ahankara world is a very big world! It is not only ego; to say only 'ego' is not sufficient, but it is an expanding world. If we can detach ourselves from that egoistic world then immediately we can establish ourselves in the faithful plane, and after that we will have no problem."

- Srila Govinda Maharaj

The Vedic process gradually lifts the conditioned entity out of the darkness of ahankara, or false identification with the gross material body, and brings him to the platform of self-realization, or aham brahmasmi, “I am spirit soul. I am eternal.” One has to make further progress to discover that although one is eternal, there is a superior eternal entity, who is the Lord Himself within one’s own heart and within every atom in the material universe. Beyond this second phase of self-realization there is the third and final stage of perfection, which is realization of Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead(Sri Krsna), in His own abode. - ACBSP

Eighteen Divine Letters

Brahma Samhita

Chapter 5 Text 24

Then the goddess of learning Sarasvati, the divine consort of the Supreme Lord, said thus to Brahma who saw nothing but gloom in all directions, "O Brahma, this mantra, viz., klim krsnaya govindaya gopi-jana-vallabhaya svaha, will assuredly fulfill your heart's desire."

PURPORT

The mantra, consisting of the eighteen divine letters prefixed by the kama-bija, is alone superexcellent. It has a twofold aspect. One aspect is that it tends to make the pure soul run after all-attractive Sri Krsna, the Lord of Gokula and the divine milkmaids. This is the acme of the spiritual tendency of jivas. When the devotee is free from all sorts of mundane desires and willing to serve the Lord he attains the fruition of his heart's desire, viz., the love of Krsna. But in the case of the devotee who is not of unmixed aptitude this superexcellent mantra fulfills his heart's desire also. The transcendental kama-bija is inherent in the divine logos located in Goloka; and the kama-bija pervertedly reflected in the worldly affairs satisfies all sorts of desires of this mundane world.

Puri 09 Rathyatra

Jaganath Puri Temple
Home of Lord Jaganath
Lady Subhadra and Lord Balarama

Gundica Temple

Baladev

Subhadra

Jaganath

Rathyatra 2009
The Parade slowly travels down Grand Road
Puri , Orissa, India Staging area

Sri Krishna appears to his devotee as Shaligram Shila
just to accept his pure devotional service.

The Supreme Lord Krishna, the Paramount Lord of all creation and the ultimate goal of all beings should be the sole object of all endeavours and worship. The Supreme absolute ruler of all creation should never be forgotten or neglected. He is the highest reality, the Supreme glory, the ultimate destination, imperishable, eternal, the cause and the source of all that exists. Whose nama or name, rupa or transcendental form, lila or divine pastimes and dhama or eternal abode are sung and glorified throughout the Vedic scriptures. But who at the same time is beyond the scope of worldly knowledge. So all the demigods, humans and gods should never disregard Lord Krishna's words which precisely presents the ultimate truth and one should never disrespect His activities which concisely represents the ultimate reality. Yet because His eternal, transcendental body appears in human form the foolish and deluded of wretched conception look at the infallible Supreme Lord as a mere human being and fallible like themselves.

In the Harivamsa there is a passage where Shiva instructs some brahmin sages stating: O' devotees of the Supreme Lord Krishna who have realised the truth. He is the ultimate reality and propitiation unto Him is the ultimate austerity. As there is nothing higher or superior to Him one should always meditate upon Him with a controlled mind because He the best well wisher and the prime duty of human life to worship. He is eternal piety, the reward of all penance, the abode of all merit and the goal as well as the bestower of moksa or liberation from the material existence. It is to He alone that the knowers of the brahman the spiritual substratum pervading all existence and those who have achieved atma-tattva or realisation of the soul, pay homage too and eulogise proficiently. He is the sole destination prescribed in the Vedic scriptures so sought after by those even after attaining moksa. It is he whom the the scholars of Samkhya and Astanga glorify. The Vaisnavas declare him as the path and the goal for the knowers of the brahman. But there is no need O' devotees to ponder and deliberate further the purpose of existence is to realise Him only. Being amply endowed with the qualities of sattva guna the mode of goodness one should always meditate upon the Supreme Lord Krishna and His incarnations and expansions as authorised by Vedic scriptures as there is no higher god and no worthier goal.

Gaura Kisora

O my Gaura Kisora ! when will I see you standing within the garden grove ; both of you have a golden complexion , with beautiful curling hair , both dressed like dancing performers . Becoming stunned as I watch you , thief of my mind ! When will you mercifully reveal yourself to me within Godruma as your yugala form suddenly turns into the effulgent murti of Sri Radha-Madhava ! - Bhaktivinode Thakur

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Immersed in bliss, Gauranga dances madly and sometimes roars like a lion, while giving out love of God. The devotees, feeling just like men who have recovered their long-lost wealth, began worshiping the Lord with tears of happiness. As elephants jump into a lake to get relief from a forest fire, the devotees forgot their miseries by drowning in the nectar ocean of Krishna-prema. - Murari Gupta

Holy Goverdhan
Shila appears in Alter