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Personalities mentioned in the Mahabharata

2012-01-29T10:23:00.000-08:00

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One of the greatest literary contributions the world has ever known came from the memory Vyasa. Vyasa was not completely satisfied when he completed the Mahabharata so he went on to present the Srimad Bhagavatam.

One reason of his sadness was Sri Krishna's most intimated devotees and their pure devotional service ( Prema Bhakti ) remained obscured.

When the earth became overwhelmed with demonic persons, she could not bare it any longer. She went to The Creator of the worlds (Lord Brahma) and pleaded her case. They then went to the Supreme lord and were told that he would descend on earth in his original two armed form as Sri Krishna to eliminated the burden of the earth. At the Supreme lord's request the controlling Deities (Demigods) appeared on earth in different royal families. Sinful persons had already spread in large numbers through out the earth.

What follows is a list of personalities mentioned in both Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagavatam. Some are Demigods (Divine Personalities) and some are Demons (Sinful personalities).

Both Groups had Mystic abilities and battled each other on this very planet. Srila Vyasa tells a story related to each one of the following characters.

The story of Abhimanyu
The story of Ahilawata
The story of Amba
The story of Ambalika
The story of Ambika
The story of Arjuna
The story of Ashwatthama
The story of Babruvahana
The story of Barbarika
The story of Bhima
The Story of Bhishma
The story of Chitrangada
The story of Chitrangadaa (wife of Arjuna)
The story of Dhristadyumna
The story of Dhritarashtra
The story of Draupadi
The story of Drona (Dronacharya)
The story of Duhsala
The story of Duryodhana
The story of Dushasana
The story of Ekalavya
The story of Gandhari
The story of Ghatotkacha
The story of Hidimbi
The story of Iravan
The story of Janamejaya
The story of Jarasandha
The story of Karna
The story of Kripa
The story of Kritavarma
The story of Kunti
The story of Madri
The story of Nakula
The story of Pandu, father of Pandavas
The story of Parikshit
The story of Sahadeva
The story of Sanjaya
The story of Satyaki (Yuyudhana)
The story of Satyavati
The story of Shakuni
The story of Shalya
The story of Shantanu
The story of Shikandi
The story of Subhadra
The story of Uloochi (or Uloopi)
The story of Uttara (wife of Abimanyu)
The story of Vichitravirya
The story of Vidura
The story of Virata
The story of Yudhisthira (Dharmaraja)
The story of Yuyutsu

The fact is

2011-11-13T10:35:00.001-08:00

The fact is that my native land is a prey to barbarism, that in it men's only God is their belly, that they live only for the present, and that the richer a man is the holier he is held to be.

-Saint Jerome

Lord krishna told him

2011-11-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

Meenakshi Sinha, Bharatpur, : He stumbles and stoops, trying to get his footing right. But when he greets the audience, his voice is thunderous – “Hare Krishna Hare Ram, sabko meri Ram Ram.”

At 108 years, Nemi Baba is the oldest active Rajasthani folk musician. He plays the algoza, a wind instrument that resembles a pair of wooden flutes. With three fingers on each side of the flute and by breathing rapidly into it, the instrument emits a bouncing, swinging rhythm.

Though speculations about his age abound, Nemi, who seems to have no real idea about it, claims he’s been playing the algoza for 110 years. “He believes it. His sons believe it,” says Divya Bhatia, director of Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF). “Whatever be his age, for me the artist, the man and the legend are more important. There’s something deeply spiritual about Nemi’s attitude to life.”

When the wrestler-turned-baba was recently introduced at the RIFF at Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, he debated for a long time whether to sit or stand even as the audience waited patiently. Then he dropped a bombshell. This would be his last performance here, he said, adding it was because Lord Krishna told him so.

Nemi has a quirky side – he barely smiles but laughs a lot, pounding his chest as if to show that the wrestler in him is still alive. He’s so connected with Krishna that he makes everyone recite a bhajan: “Hare Krishna Hare Ram/teri gele zharu Ram/hamare ghar aao Ram (Dear lord, I’m sweeping my house clean in your name. Do visit my abode).” He claims that regular recitation of it will ward off jealous neighbours.

Krishna could not have had a more devout disciple. At 45 years, Nemi started the parikrama of Braj chaurasi kos from Deeg. This circular journey of some 260km would cover the birthplace of Krishna and touch the districts of Kosi, Nandgram, Barsana, Hodal, Basna, Mathura and Govardhan. “I would complete the journey in six days,” he says. He continued the tradition for 24 years before his health forced him to drop out.

Ask him where he learnt to play the algoza and he recalls Krishna’s raas leela as if he was party to it. “Just like Krishna played the flute among the gopis and his cows, I, too, wandered with my buffalos near the village pond when I was 14 or 15. It was there that I carved the algoza from the trunk of the andara plant (a hollow plant like the bamboo) and have been playing it since.”

The musician, who comes from the Jat stronghold of Bedham in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, gave up his family and all worldly possessions when he was 55. Since then, he has been living in a small Radha Krishna temple, where he plays the algoza to his lord. He believes he sees the lord in every member of his audience.

While he wandered in the forests and slept in the temple, his wife would visit him to provide food and clothing and to pray together. One day, when she didn’t turn up, he went looking for her at home. She was unwell and resting. Seeing him, she reprimanded him for leaving his prayers incomplete and sent him back. When he returned, she had passed away.

Ask him how he feels today without her and he puts a brave front, but that’s only initially. Biyah kar diyo usne, bida kar diyo. Woh toh kushi kushi gayee apne ghar (“I got her married to the lord and bid her farewell. She went away happily.”) Prod further and he becomes listless. “Don’t ask, sister, how I feel,” he says, adding that he misses the kirtans with his wife. He has two sons and four grandsons.

His longevity could perhaps be attributed to his rich diet. As a wrestler, he would have 7-8 litres of milk daily and 15 litres of pure ghee in a week. Today, he prefers two litres of milk everyday and a meal of chapattis and vegetables. Nand Kishore, his grandon, explains helpfully that Nemi’s generation hardly consumed vegetables . “Most of their food was made up of milk, ghee and sweets.”

Nemi must have eaten well. It still shows, especially when he plays the algoza.

Jai Sri Radhe

2011-09-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

Srimati Radharani

CC Adi lila 4.87:

"krsna vancha purti rupa kare aradhane ataeva radhika nama purane vakhane"

Her worship (aradhana) consists of fulfilling the desires of Lord Krsna. Therefore the Puranas call Her Radhika.

His Divine Grace, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prahbupada, on Radhastami, September 18, 1969, in London spoke the following:

"So what is the position of Srimati Radharani? We should try to understand this day and offer our obeisances to Radharani. Radhe vrndavanesvari.

tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari
vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

Our business is "Radharani, You are so dear to Krsna. So we offer our respectful obeisances unto You."

tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari
vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye

Radharani is hari-priya, very dear to Krsna. So if we approach Krsna through Radharani, through the mercy of Radharani, then it becomes very easy. If Radharani recommends that "This devotee is very nice," then Krsna immediately accepts, however fool I may be. Because it is recommended by Radharani, Krsna accepts. Therefore in Vrndavana you'll find all the devotees, they're chanting more Radharani's name than Krsna's. Wherever you'll go, you'll find the devotees are addressing, "Jaya Radhe." You'll find still in Vrndavana. They are glorifying Radharani. They're more interested, worshiping Radharani. Because however fallen I may be, if some way or other I can please Radharani, then it is very easy for me to understand Krsna. Otherwise, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye yatatam api siddhanam kascid vetti mam tattvatah (Bg. 7.3)

If you go by the speculative process to understand Krsna, it will take many, many lives. But if you take devotional service, just try to please Radharani, and Krsna will be gotten very easily. Because Radharani can deliver Krsna. She is so great devotee, the emblem of maha-bhagavata. Even Krsna cannot understand what is Radharani's quality. Even Krsna, although He says vedaham samatitani, "I know everything," still, He fails to understand Radharani. Radharani is so great. He says that... Actually, Krsna knows everything. In order to understand Radharani, Krsna accepted the position of Radharani. Krsna wanted to understand the potency of Radharani. Krsna thought that "I am full. I am complete in every respect, but still, I want to understand Radharani. Why?" This propensity made Krsna obliged to accept the propensities of Radharani, to understand Krsna, Himself.

These are, of course, very transcendental, great science. One who is advanced in Krsna consciousness and well conversant with the sastras, they can understand. But still, we can discuss from the sastra. When Krsna wanted to understand Himself, He took the tendency of Srimati Radharani. And that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna, but He has accepted the propensities of Radharani. As Radharani is always in feelings of separation of Krsna, similarly, in the position of Radharani, Lord Caitanya was feeling separation of Krsna. That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya, feelings of separation, not meeting. The process of devotional service taught by Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His disciplic succession is how to feel separation from Krsna. That is Radharani's position, always feeling the separation. "

The 25 qualities of Srimati Radharani by which She captures Krsna:

1) She is sweetness personified.

2) She is a fresh young girl.

3) Her eyes are always moving.

4) She is always brightly smiling.

5) She possesses all auspicious marks on Her body.

6) She can agitate Krsna by the flavor of Her person.

7) She is expert in the art of singing.

8) She can speak very nicely and sweetly.

9) She is expert in presenting feminine attractions.

10) She is modest and gentle.

11) She is always very merciful.

12) She is transcendentally cunning.

13) She knows how to dress nicely.

14) She is always shy.

15) She is always respectful.

16) She is always patient.

17) She is very grave.

18) She is enjoyed by Krsna.

19) She is always situated on the highest devotional platform.

20) She is the abode of love of the residents of Gokula.

21) She can give shelter to all kinds of devotees.

22) She is always affectionate to superiors and inferiors.

23) She is the greatest amongst Krsna's girlfriends.

24) She is obliged by the dealings of Her associates.

25) She always keeps Krsna under Her control.

On pg 175 in "Nectar of Devotion," Srila Prabhupada writes, "A person who is unable to bear another's distress is called compassionate...Actually, because Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is very difficult to approach Him. But the devotees, taking advantage of His compassionate nature, which is represented by Radharani, always pray to Radharani for Krsna's compassion."

Distributing Ecstacy

2011-09-11T13:06:00.001-07:00

Sri Radhika (Hladini Shakti) and Sri Krishna

The very nature of Krishna has been described as "Ecstasy Himself." He is tasting the innate ecstasy of Himself. He knows His ecstasy and He feels it, but to distribute that innate ecstasy outside, a particular potency is indispensable, and that is known as hladini. The gist of hladini-shakti, or Krishna's internal ecstasy potency, is Radhika, who is drawing the innermost rasa, the ecstasy of the highest order, extracting it from within and distributing it outside.

Meeting of the Gods and Sages

2011-08-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

My Sweet Lord is Angry

2011-07-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

Love and delight

2011-06-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

The bhagavata (10th canto) dwells in a rapture of tenderness upon the God-babe, and upon the wanton play of the lovely child who is delightful in his naughtiness and marvellous in his occasional displays of superhuman power; it figures him as an ideal of boyish beauty, decked with jewels and crested with peacock's feathers, wandering through the flowering forests of Vraja, dancing and playing on his flute melodies that fill the souls of all that hear them with an irresistible passion of love and delight; it revels in tales of how the precocious boy made wanton sport with the herdswomen of Vraja, and how the magic of his fluting drew them to the dance in which they were united to him in a rapture of love.

Its Not all that sweet

2011-06-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

A cross-cultural analysis published in the British Journal of Psychiatry found a strong correlation between refined sugar consumption and mental illness. Researchers found that a high national intake of refined sugar predicted a higher incidence of schizophrenia and depression. Research published in Neuroscience in 2002 found a high fat, high sugar diet reduces a key growth hormone in the brain necessary for memory and learning. Research into the correlation between diet and mental illness is finally expanding. This new research is shedding much needed light on the reality that diet does play a role in the incidence of mental illness.

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The most provocative finding in the cross-cultural analysis was the consistent connection between refined sugar intake and worse outcomes for schizophrenia and increased prevalence of depression. Researchers also found that consumption of pulses or whole grains and high consumption of starchy root vegetables were linked to a lower prevalence of schizophrenia and depression. The connection between dietary habits and mental illness was not seen with healthy carbohydrate consumption but strongly correlated with refined sugar consumption. Sugar consumption causes a cascade of physiological effects that may explain the increased prevalence of mental illness.

Refined sugar consumption suppresses brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF, an important growth hormone in the brain. This growth hormone is extremely important for the health of neurons in the brain. BDNF triggers new connections between neurons in the brain which is crucial for memory function. Studies have shown low BDNF levels in patients with depression and schizophrenia. The consumption of refined sugar has the potential to exacerbate depression and schizophrenia by contributing to low BDNF levels.

Refined sugar is notorious for causing increased inflammation in the body. Regular consumption of refined sugar can lead to chronic inflammation which can disrupt immune system functioning. Chronic inflammation is implicated in arthritis, some forms of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease among many other illnesses. Chronic inflammation has also been linked to a higher risk of depression and schizophrenia. Psychologists who have become aware of the recent research on sugar and mental illness have begun recommending sugar free diets to patients.

Dr. IIardi, associate professor of psychology at the University of Kansas, stated that he has encouraged depressed patients to remove refined sugar and refined foods from their diets. Patients who were willing to comply to these recommendations reported significant improvements in mental clarity, mood and energy. Research and patient experiences indicate that a diet high in whole grains and low in refined foods and sugar can provide significant improvement in mental health, clarity and reduced risk of mental illness.

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Learn more:http://www.NaturalNews.com/032689_sugar_mental_illness....

Bonified person can teach

2011-06-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

In his lecture from London, August 10, 1971, Srila Prabhupada mentions the following (paraphrased) points, among others:

The question raised by the sages at Naimisaranya was, "After departure of Krsna, unto whom the charge of religious principle depended?"

Suta Gosvami is a disciple of Sukadeva Gosvami. It is the etiquette, before speaking anything, the disciple should first of all offer respect to the spiritual master.

Offering respect to the spiritual master means to remember some of his activities. namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine (Prabhupada Pranama Mantra). He is preaching the message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and he's a disciple of Sarasvati Thakura. You should pronounce it sarasvate, not sarasvati.

Lord Caitanya's message is that you go and speak everyone about Krsna and Krsna's message. This is called parampara system.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as disciple of Isvara Puri, is preaching Krsna consciousness. Similarly, in the disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya, the Gosvamis -- Sri Rupa, Sanatana, Bhatta Raghunatha, Sri Jiva, Gopala-bhatta, Dasa Raghunatha. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. (Sri Sri Sad-goswamy-astaka)

We begin from our first disciplic succession. Vande 'ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam. (Mangalacarana)"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my guru, spiritual master." And then, his guru, his guru, his guru, they're all Vaisnavas.

Then we offer respect to Sri Rupa Gosvami. Rupa Gosvami. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. (Sri Sri Sad-goswamy-astaka) All six Gosvamins.

Sagraja. Agraja means elder brother. Sanatana Gosvami was the elder brother of Rupa Gosvami, and Rupa Gosvami accepted him as his spiritual master.

Sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam. (Mangalacarana)Associated by Raghunatha. There are two Raghunathas: Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami. Sa-jivam, with Jiva Gosvami.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu's status: sadvaitam savadhutam. (Mangalacarana) First of all, Advaita Gosani, then Nityananda Mahaprabhu, Prabhu.

Mahaprabhu is applicable only to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Others, all prabhus. Ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya. (Cc. Adi 5.142)Krsna, and He has got innumerable servants.

The spiritual master who has got many prabhus to abide by his order, he is addressed as Prabhupada.

sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krsna-caitanya-devam. (Mangalacarana) After offering all these obeisances to Gosvamis, to guru, and Advaita, Nityananda, then you come to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Then Sri Radha. Not Krsna directly. Sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca. (Mangalacarana) Radha-Krsna means they are always associated by the gopis, of whom Lalita-Visakha are the chief out of the asta-sakhis.

This is the parampara system. mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. (Cc. Madhya 17.186)We have to accept the path of the authorities. Here is authority, Suta Gosvami. He is offering his respect to his spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami.

You can[not] say simply "I offer my respectful obeisances to my spiritual master." No. You must describe his activities. What is the activity of spiritual master? samsara-davanala-lidha-loka. (Samsara Prayers) Otherwise, everyone will become spiritual master.

The quality, the activity will support the bona fide spiritual master. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. (Bg 4.13)Action is that he is to deliver his disciple from the blazing fire of this material existence.

This material world is always blazing, always a problem. Nobody can deny it. Nobody goes to set fire. But by accident, by manipulation, fire takes place. In this material world, everyone is trying to be peaceful, happy, tranquil. No. There must be fire. Therefore this material existence is called samsara-davanala-lidha-loka. (Samsara Prayers)

This fire can be extinguished only if there is cloud upon it--if there is rain. You cannot send fire brigade. The fire of this material world can be extinguished through the exigency of spiritual master, because he has received the mercy cloud, from the ocean of mercy, Krsna, and he pours it over this samsara-davanala.

Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. (SB 7.5.31)The so-called rascal leaders, they are making plan, lifelong. The United Nations making plan to stop war, fighting. They cannot do it. It is not possible. You have to take mercy from Krsna.

The demons, they don't care for Krsna. They think, "I am God. I shall do it." Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah. (Bg 7.15) Because they are naradhama, lowest of the mankind. Asuram bhavam asritah. na mam duskrtino mudhah. (Bg 7.15)

Asuric bhava means denying the existence of God. There are two kinds of men: asura and devata. Those who are accepting the authority of the Supreme Lord are called devata. Those who are denying the existence of God... such demons are prevalent everywhere.

The demons write, on the note, "We Trust In God," but practically does nothing. That is also another edition of demons: under the garb of believing in God, doing all nonsense.

na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah. (Bg 7.15) Human life is meant for understanding what is God, what is my relationship with Him. God is great, I am very small. The rascal says, "No, I am God." God is not so cheap.

yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah. (BS 5.48) Simply by the breathing of Maha-Visnu, innumerable universes are coming and going. That is God. na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah. (Bg 7.15)

How to become devotee? adau gurvasrayam. (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu) One has to seek out a bona fide spiritual master. Just like Suta Gosvami has become disciple of a bona fide spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami.

Sukadeva Gosvami was liberated. He remained within the womb of his mother for sixteen years because he was conscious that, "As soon as I get out of the womb, I'll be immediately captured by maya. So let me become little strong."

Prahlada Maharaja learned all about God consciousness from within the womb, as Narada Muni was teaching Prahlada's mother.

It is the business of saintly person, whoever comes to him, he would give him instruction about spiritual knowledge.

Prahlad's mother, less intelligent woman, but Prahlada took all the instruction and became a perfect devotee.

Prahlad's friends inquired, "My dear Prahlada, you are the son of a king and you do not go outside your palace, and we are sent here in this school, teaching. Our teacher is the same. How you have learned all these nice things?" He said, "My dear friends, these nice things I learned from Narada, the same spiritual master. The instruction was actually meant for my mother, but being woman, she has forgotten."

striyah sudras tatha vaisyas te 'pi yanti param gatim. (Bg 9.32) By Krsna's mercy, even if she's woman. mam hi partha vyapasritya (Bg 9.32) -- "It doesn't matter whether he is woman or sudra or a vaisya. If he takes shelter of My lotus feet, according to the regulative principle, they also go back to home, back to Godhead." kim punar brahmanah punya bhakta rajarsayas tatha (Bg 9.33), what to speak of the persons who are born in brahmana family and those who are devotee.

If you want to get relief from this temporary world and the distresses within this world, then bhajasva mam: "Just become a devotee of Me."

Sukadeva Gosvami purposefully remained within the womb of his mother for sixteen years, and as soon as he got out, immediately he left home. Immediately. Anupeta.

According to Vedic system there is upanayana, upetam. Upa means near, and nayana means bringing. When the spiritual master brings the disciples nearer by giving him gayatri-mantra, that is called upanayana-samskara.

Sukadeva Gosvami did not take any such samskara. He learned from his father within the womb of his mother, and as he became perfectly in knowledge, liberated soul, immediately he got out of the womb of his mother and immediately started for the forest. Naked, he was going on.

His father became very much aggrieved: "Oh, my son is born and he's going immediately!" Son didn't care. Went away. putreti tan-mayataya taravo 'bhineduh. (Bhagavat Purana) Because the father was so aggrieved, the trees replied. There was vibration, echoes.

tam sarva-bhuta-hrdayam munim anato 'smi: (SB 1.2.2) "I am offering my respectful obeisances unto the great sage, Sukadeva Gosvami, whose activities is like that. Immediately coming out of the womb of his mother he left home without being, undergoing any samskara."

Samskara is required who is impure. We should not imitate, not that as soon as we get out of the womb of mother we can walk. No. It is special. It is special. Therefore everything is special.

Even without taking any initiation. He was initiated by his father, Vyasadeva.

Suta Gosvami is describing the wonderful activities of his spiritual master and offering obeisances. Tam munim anato 'smi: (SB 1.2.2) "That great sage, anato 'smi, I humbly bow down on his lotus feet."

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

Gravity of import

2011-06-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

"In former days, having placed the four Vedas on one side and the Bharata on the other, these were weighed in the balance by the celestials assembled for that purpose. And as the latter weighed heavier than the four Vedas with their mysteries, from that period it hath been called in the world Mahabharata (the great Bharata). Being esteemed superior both in substance and gravity of import it is denominated Mahabharata on account of such substance and gravity of import. He that knoweth its meaning is saved from all his sins.

You and I

2011-06-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

The soul is never born and he never dies, nor does he repeatedly come into being and undergo expansion, because he is unborn and eternal. He is inexhaustible ever-youthful yet ancient. Although the body is subject to birth and death, the soul in indestructible. Sri Krishna

Narasimhadev Ki Jai

2011-06-01T07:21:00.001-07:00

Dancing the night away

2011-05-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Sri Sri Radha Krishna
dancing in the groves of Vrindavan.

2011-04-17T13:47:00.001-07:00

Krishna's vision can only be attained through the medium of the ear as one hears Hari-katha from pure Vaishnavas, there is no other way.

Srila Saraswati Thakur

A Full Moon

2011-03-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

On the 19th of March 2011 the moon was very close to the earth and full. Closer than it has been in twenty years. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared on a full moon a little over 500 years ago on this date. It was predicted in the scriptures that he would distribute the Holy Names of the lord to everyone regardless of caste, religion, race etc. In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy where in the majority of people have lost their way due to being misguided by crooked leadership, can easily approach the Supreme Lord by his name and be freed from all material contamination enabling one to perfect his human form of life.

So at the request of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his representatives we humbly ask whom ever may read this article to please chant these holy names.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna - Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama - Rama Rama Hare Hare

Invisible Piper

2011-02-26T13:26:00.000-08:00

We all know Albert Einstein in his attempt to understand the creation studied the Gita upanisad (Bhagavad-Gita). He has quoted portions of the Gita on many occasions. When reading this I immediately thought of Sri Krishna. The picture he paints by his words is very clear.

Albert Einstein: "Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for insects as well as for the stars. Human beings,vegetables or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper."

Sri Krishna .... Bhagavad Gita 9.7-12

sarva-bhutani kaunteya
prakritim yanti mamikam
kalpa-ksaye punas tani
kalpadau visrjamy aham

"O son of Kunti, at the end of the millennium all material manifestations enter into My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My potency, I create them again."

prakritim svam avastabhya
visrijami punah punah
bhuta-gramam imam krtsnam
avasam prakriter vasat

"The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end."

na ca mam tani karmani
nibadhnanti dhananjaya
udasina-vad asinam
asaktam tesu karmasu

"O Dhananjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached from all these material activities, seated as though neutral."

mayadhyaksena prakritih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate

"This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again."

avajananti mam mudha
manusim tanum asritam
param bhavam ajananto
mama bhuta-maheshvaram

"Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be."

moghasa mogha-karmano
mogha-jnana vicetasah
rakshasim asurim caiva
prakritim mohinim sritah

"Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated."

Gnaw away the knot

2011-02-25T12:41:00.001-08:00

Utilize Every Moment to Attain
True Well-beingby Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada

Sri Bhagavan has said: “A truly intelligent person should shun evil company but seek the association of holy saints who, with their instructions, gnaw away the knot of our mind’s worldly attachments” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.26.26). This means that for our true well-being we should always accept the guidance of the true guru and not be misled by pseudo gurus. The guru never accepts preya-pantha, the path to pleasure, for he is a follower of sreya-pantha, the path to true well-being. And he instructs his disciples and others to walk along this real path as his own true guru instructed him.

If a disciple asks the guru for permission to drink alcohol, the guru is sure to disapprove and never grant it. When the guru does not indulge the disciple in his prayer for the cravings of his mind, he might dismiss the guru. Such disciples accept only those gurus who are ready to supply fuel to their desire to indulge in sense enjoyment. These days, accepting a guru has become a fashion meant not for the disciple’s true well-being, but for getting one’s sensual pleasures approved of. Like selecting a barber or washer-man, such appointments only satisfy social or family customs.

As soon as Truth is ascertained, it should be ardently put into practice then and there. Since the span of our life is very short, we should not misspend even a moment of what still remains of it in attending to worldly affairs. Rather, we should utilize it to perform our service to Sri Hari. King Khatwanga attained his highest good by engaging in Lord Hari’s service for but one muhurta (forty-eight minutes) and Ajamila by serving Him just at the time of death. The following anecdote illustrates this point:

Sivananda Bhattacharya – by faith a Sakta, or worshipper of goddess Kali, or Durga – sent his son Rama-krsna to purchase some sacrificial animals like goats and buffalos and other necessary articles for the upcoming festival of Durga-puja. When Rama-krsna was returning home after purchasing them, he met Srila Narottama Thakura, a holy saint of the highest order. After Srila Narottama Thakura talked with the youth instructively, the youth’s mind was changed altogether. He let the animals go in order to obtain initiation from the Thakura, and went home empty-handed.

Sivananda was waiting expectantly for his son to return with the goats, buffalos and other articles for Devi-worship. Seeing that he returned without them, he anxiously asked about them. Sri Rama-krsna replied that he had been blessed to have gotten the grace of the illustrious Vaisnava, Srila Narottama. Upon hearing this, his father flared up with excessive wrath and called him a disgrace to the family for accepting a guru who had not taken birth in a brahmana family.

Rama-krsna was fortunate enough that upon hearing the Truth from the mouth of the Thakura Mahasaya he was roused from the worldly mire and at once gave up the duties of this world as deplorable and insignificant in order to engage in the service of Hari.

Since we cannot rely on even the duration of a breath, for it may be our last, we should utilise even this moment for attaining our true well-being. For this end, we should not listen to anyone of this world who might give us contrary advice. In the Srimad Bhagavatam (5.5.18) Sri Rsabhadeva teaches us that “We are encompassed by death, and whoever does not deliver us from it cannot be obeyed as our well-wisher, even if he is a guru (like Sukracarya to Bali), a near relative (like Ravana to Vibhishana), a father (like Hiranyakasipu to Prahlada), a mother (like Kaikeyi to Bharata), a demigod (like Indra to Nanda), or a husband (like the yajnika-brahmanas whose wives were devoted to Sri Krsna). Such was the case with Sri Rama-krsna Bhattacharya, who wisely courted his father’s certain displeasure to secure his true well-being.

5000 yrs ago in Dwaraka City

2011-02-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

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Just a few notes from Srimad Bhagwatam: During the time Krishna was living with his queens in Dwaraka City, he had 16,108 wife's and had children with all of them. They were referred to as the Yadu dynasty. The Yadu Dynasty consisted of 101 clans. The education of the Yadu's required 38,800,00 Acharyas. All the residents even while eating, living, working, cooking, training, etc. were always absorbed in loving thoughts of Sri Krishna.

The population was very large. Sukadev Goswami heard from reliable sources that after Krishna killed Kamsa the son of Urgasena, Ugrasena was then installed as King and was surrounded by 10 quadrillion soldiers who acted as his body guards.

Krishna's Palace "Dwaraka City Discovered"

2011-02-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

Sita sings the blues

2011-01-23T12:09:00.001-08:00

2011-01-14T18:07:00.000-08:00

The Ten Symptoms of the Non-Envious

- by
Sacinandana Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur

1- He who is fre from envy, by his very nature, never criticizes sadhus (saints)

2- He does not consider Demigods to be independent lords, for his intelligence is absorbed only by Sri Krishna, yet he does not disregard them.

3-He has faith (sraddha) in Sri Guru and all other superior devotees as befits each of them.

4-He offers respect to the bhakti scriptures like Sruti.

5-Abandoning meaningless arguments, he apprehends how the Holy Name is the topmost, meaningful attainment (paramartha), a perception rooted in perfect conviction that the Holy Name (nama) and its owner (nami) are one and the same.

6-He never engages in wickedness while depending on the protection of the Holy Name.

7-He does not conseder the auspiciosness of ordinary piety - such a societal dharma, religios vows (vrata) or renunciation - to be comparable in any way to chanting the Holy Names.

8-He tries to inculcate faith in the faithless, but never grants them the Holy Name until that faith has awakened.

9-He believes completely in the glories of the Holy Name as described in the scriptures.

10-And he is devoid of any sense of "I" and "mine" in relation to mundanity.

Oh readers!, Non-enviousness alone is liberation for the living being, and envy his only bondage. In Sri Caitanya Caritamrta it has therefore been said:

caitanya-carita suna sraddha-bhakti kari
matsarya chadiya mukhe bala hari hari

Sri Caitanya -Caritamrta (Madhya - Lila 9.361)

Endowed with full faith and devotion, listen to the lifework of Sri Caitanya... Cast aside envy and let your mouth sing, Hari, Hari!

Which policy will be more fruitful.

2010-12-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

In 1927 perhaps, there was a big solar eclipse. At that time, the Kuruksetra matha was newly started and I was the matha commander there. Prabhupada Srila Saraswati Thakura came there and arranged a spiritual exhibition that depicted how Dvaraka Krishna and the gopis met. At that time, I first heard from our Guru Maharaj why on solar and lunar eclipses, especially the solar eclipse, people come in lakhs and crores to a holy place and take bath.

I remember his explanation: The planets come in a particular line at that time, and there is some fear that by increased attraction they may clash and everything may be finished—pulverized by that clash. With this apprehension of a natural disaster, the people try to utilize their time in the best way possible by coming to a holy place, bathing there, chanting Harinama, and concentrating their spiritual activity in what may be their last moments. According to their religious beliefs, they may chant certain prayers or engage in nama-sankirtana.So when the general apprehension of destruction comes, whether individual or collective, we shall try our best to utilize our time with the high conception, within divinity. That is very good. It is also admirable when the apprehension of danger is acute and yet one runs there to perform relief work—that is laudable. Circumstances may vary, and how far the intention is correct in a particular case is to be judged.When I was in Madras, one man came to me and preached about the Ram Krishna Mission’s activities. He challenged, “You want to deliver the people, but they are dying of famine and disease. You do not go to help them, but if they die, to whom will you preach? So relief work is necessary. First give them food, medicine, and good health. After that you can give them inspiration about God. This process is good. But if they die then who will you help in a spiritual way?

”My reply to him was: “If there is a famine in the country, and I have some food that I am distributing to thousands who are flocking around me, but someone runs away, what should I do? Should I continue distributing food to those who are nearby or, stopping that, should I run after the man who ran away to catch him and give some food to him?” I asked him in this way.Similarly, people are indeed dying, but there are also those who surround me and are ready to take what I have to give them. Why should I interrupt the important function of distribution to chase the fleeing person? I will lose my time by running and leaving the distribution. So many living persons are coming, so why should I be partial only to the dying? There are already hundreds and thousands around me. So it must be judged as to which policy will be more fruitful.

Of course if there are so many attendants to look after those who are crowded here, then it may be considered that I can go the chase the others and give them nourishment, otherwise there is no need to lose time running or traveling.Our aim will be to engage ourselves always in this distribution. Again, distribution may not be the only work. Some are seen to distribute, some are supplying, and others are cooking. Different functions are necessary to save the people.

Some disasters are acute and some minor, but disasters are always occurring. It is not only limited to the human beings, but so many plants and animals and others are also in need of receiving such vibration that comes from the divine realm.

When Mahaprabhu went through the Jharikhanda forest, even lions, elephants, and deer received benefit from his nama-sankirtana. We shall always emanate that divine energy. We shall try to invite and distribute, as a mediator to draw and distribute. Therefore we shall engage ourselves in the most intensified duty of serving as a mediator. This is the primary thing. “May I be deeply engaged in drawing from the upper layer, and emanate that towards the environment.” That sort of high ideal is necessary. - Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj-

Any Person

2010-11-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

"View of Mathura on the River Yamuna"
by Thomas and William Daniell, c. 1803

In the Nectar of Devotion(Summery Study of the Bhakti RasAmrta Sindhu), Chapter 12, A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami describes the glories of residing in Mathura:

"In the Varaha Purana there is a statement praising the residential quarters of Mathura. Lord Varaha tells the men of earth, "Any person who becomes attracted to places other than Mathura will certainly be captivated by the illusory energy." In the Brahmanda Purana it is said that all the results of traveling on all the pilgrimages within the three worlds can be achieved simply by touching the holy land of Mathura. In many sastras (scriptures) it is said that simply by hearing, remembering, glorifying, desiring, seeing or touching the land of Mathura, one can achieve all desires.

....In the Padma Purana there is a statement about the importance of living at holy places like Mathura or Dvaraka. It is stated there, "To travel to different places of pilgrimage means to attain emancipation from material bondage. This emancipation, however, is not the highest perfectional stage. After attaining this liberated stage, one has to become engaged in devotional service to the Lord. After attainment of the brahma-bhuta [liberation] stage, one can further advance to engagement in devotional service. So this attainment of transcendental loving devotional service to the Lord is the goal of life, and it can be achieved very easily for one who lives in Mathura-mandala even for a few seconds.

It is further said, "Who is that person who will not agree to worship the land of Mathura? Mathura can deliver all the desires and ambitions of the fruitive workers and of the salvationists, who desire to become one with the Supreme Brahman. Certainly Mathura will deliver the desires of the devotees, who simply aspire to be engaged in the devotional service of the Lord." In the Vedic literature it is also stated, "How wonderful it is that simply by residing in Mathura even for one day, one can achieve a transcendental loving attitude toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead! This land of Mathura must be more glorious than Vaikuntha-dhama, the kingdom of God!"

Veggies,fruit,nuts are good for you, meat Kills

2010-10-31T15:09:00.001-07:00

Supernatural Weapons

2010-10-31T14:35:00.000-07:00

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Even though the following article is not directly related to pure devotional service to the lord ,it is interesting to read. Not a blade of grass move s without the sanction of the Lord. - AJD

Transcendental Supernatural Weapons

The astras are transcendental, supernatural weapons created by the Lord, and presided over by a specific Deity. In order to summon or use an astra, one must have the required knowledge, i.e., the specific mantra that will arm, direct, and disarm the astra. The presiding deity, once properly invoked, endows the weapon, making it essentially impossible for foes to counter its potency through regular means.

As described in sastra, specific conditions existed involving the usage of various astras, and the violation of proper protocol could be fatal. Because of the power involved, the knowledge involving use of an astra was passed from guru to disciple by word of mouth alone, and only the most qualified students were made privy to the information. Certain astras had to be handed down directly from the presiding deity himself, as having knowledge of the mantras alone was insufficient.

The importance of astras is described in particular detail in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, which describes their use in epic battles. Various pastimes describe the use of astras by archers such as Rama, Arjuna, and Bhisma. They generally invoked the astras into arrows, although they could potentially be used with anything. For example, Ashwatthama invoked an astra using a blade of grass as his weapon.

One of the most famous astras is Pashupatastra, being the inconceivably potent and highly destructive personal weapon of Lord Siva. He discharged Pashupatastra by means of his mind, eyes, words, or bow. Never to be used against lesser enemies or by lesser warriors, the Pashupata is capable of destroying creation and vanquishing all beings.

In Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagavatam we also read about the foremost astra, Sri Brahmastra, which will be discussed in tomorrow's segment.

Following are the primary astras mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata (Astra, Presiding Deity, Weapon's Effect):
Aindra astra:
Presiding Deity: Indra, the god of weather
Weapon's Effect: Would bring about a shower of arrows from the sky.

Agneya astra:
Presiding Deity: Agni, the god of fire
Weapon's Effect: The weapon discharged would emit flames inextinguishable through normal means.

Varuna astra:
Presiding Deity: Varuna, the god of water
Weapon's Effect: The weapon discharged would release torrential volumes of water. This weapon is commonly mentioned as used to counter the Agneyastra.

Naga astra:
Presiding Deity: The Nagas
Weapon's Effect: The weapon would have an un-erring aim and take on the form of a snake, proving deadly upon impact.

Naga paasha:
Presiding Deity: The Nagas
Weapon's Effect: Upon impact, this weapon would bind the target in coils of living venomous snakes. In the Ramayana, it was used against Lord Rama and Lakshmana by Indrajit.

Vayu astra:
Presiding Deity: Vayu, the god of wind
Weapon's Effect: Bring about a gale capable of lifting armies off the ground.

Surya astra:
Presiding Deity: Surya, the sun god
Weapon's Effect: Create a dazzling light that would dispel any darkness about.

Vajra astra:
Presiding Deity: Indra
Weapon's Effect: Target would be struck with bolts of lightning (vajra referring to Indra's thunderbolt).

Mohini astra:
Presiding Deity: Mohini, Visnu avatar
Weapon's Effect: Dispel any form of maya or sorcery in the vicinity.

Twashtar astra:
Presiding Deity: Twashtri, the heavenly builder
Weapon's Effect: When used against a group of opponents (such as an army), would cause them to mistake each other for enemies and fight each other.

Sammohana/ Pramohana astra:
Presiding Deity:
Weapon's Effect: Would cause entire hosts/armies to collapse in a trance.

Parvata astra:
Presiding Deity:
Weapon's Effect: Would cause a Parvata/mountain to fall on the target from the skies.

Brahmaastra:
Presiding Deity: Brahma, the Creator
Weapon's Effect: Would destroy entire hosts at once. Could also counter most other astras.

Brahmasirsha astra:
Presiding Deity: Brahma, the Creator
Weapon's Effect: Capable of killing devas. Was used by Ashwatthama on Parikshit.

Narayana astra:
Presiding Deity: Visnu, the Preserver
Weapon's Effect: Would create showers of arrows and discs. The astra's power would increase with the resistance offered to it. This weapon had to be obtained from Vishnu directly, and could be used only once.

Vaishnava astra:
Presiding Deity: Visnu, the Preserver
Weapon's Effect: Would destroy target completely, irrespective of target's nature. Infallible. This weapon had to be obtained from Vishnu directly.

Pashupata astra:
Presiding Deity: Shiva, the Destroyer
Weapon's Effect: Would destroy target completely, irrespective of target's nature. Infallible. This weapon had to be obtained from Shiva directly.

The Brahmastra:

As described in the sastra, a Brahmastra is an astra, or celestial weapon created by Lord Brahma. It is sometimes known as the Brahma Astra (astra referring to 'missile weapon'). As described in a number of the Puranas, Brahmastra is considered to be the very deadliest of weapons. When a Brahmastra is discharged, neither a counterattack nor a defense of any kind can stop it.

The Brahmastra never misses its mark and must be used with very specific intent against an enemy, whether an individual or army, as the target will face complete annihilation. Brahmastra is said to be obtained by meditating on Lord Brahma, and can be used only once in a lifetime. The user would have to display immense amounts of mental concentration in order to get sanction to arm and use the weapon. Since Brahma is the Creator in Sanatana Dharma, it is understood that Brahmastra was created by him for the purpose of upholding Dharma and Satya.

According to sastra, the Brahmastra is invoked by a key mantra that is bestowed upon the user when he is given the weapon. By properly chanting the mantra, the user can call upon the weapon and deploy it with annhiliative force against his adversary.

The Brahmastra also causes severe environmental damage. The land where the weapon is used becomes barren for eons, and all life in and around that area ceases to exist. Women and men become infertile. There is severe decrease in rainfall and the land develops cracks, like in a drought.

There are numerous descriptions of weapons created by various demigods, such as the astras and presiding deities mentioned in part one of this review: Agneyastra, Brahmastra, Chakram, Garudastra, Kaumodaki, Narayanastra, Pashupata, Shiva Dhanush, Sudarshana Chakra, Trishul, Vaishnavastra, Varunastra, and Vayavastra. Among them, the Brahmastra is considered to be the most powerful of all.

There are numerous instances found within the Vedic scriptures wherein the Brahmastra is used, or its use is threatened. For example, there is the confrontation of Arjuna and Ashwatthama in Mahabharata, where Arjuna retracts his weapon as ordered, but Ashwatthama, unable to do so, instead sends it to attack Arjuna's unborn grandson, Parikshit, who is subsequently saved by Krishna. Ashwatthama did not have his bow and arrow near him when he was confronted by Arjuna, so he took a piece of grass and after silently invoking the mantra, he threw the straw at Arjuna, and it carried the power of the Brahmastra.

Similarly in the Ramayana, passages describe how the Brahmastra was used by Rama as the final blow against the rakshasa Ravana, during their battle in Lanka.

In the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana the following descriptions are given:

Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.30: "When the rays of the two brahmastras combined, a great circle of fire, like the disc of the sun, covered all outer space and the whole firmament of planets."

Purport by Srila Prabhupada: "The heat created by the flash of a brahmastra resembles the fire exhibited in the sun globe at the time of cosmic annihilation. The radiation of atomic energy is very insignificant in comparison to the heat produced by a brahmastra. The atomic bomb explosion can at utmost blow up one globe, but the heat produced by the brahmastra can destroy the whole cosmic situation. The comparison is therefore made to the heat at the time of annihilation."

Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.32: "Thus seeing the disturbance of the general populace and the imminent destruction of the planets, Arjuna at once retracted both brahmastra weapons, as Lord Sri Krishna desired."

Purport by Srila Prabhupada: "The theory that the modern atomic bomb explosions can annihilate the world is childish imagination. First of all, the atomic energy is not powerful enough to destroy the world. And secondly, ultimately it all rests on the supreme will of the Supreme Lord because without His will or sanction nothing can be built up or destroyed. It is foolish also to think that natural laws are ultimately powerful. Material nature’s law works under the direction of the Lord, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. The Lord says there that natural laws work under His supervision. The world can be destroyed only by the will of the Lord and not by the whims of tiny politicians. Lord Sri Krishna desired that the weapons released by both Drauni and Arjuna be withdrawn, and it was carried out by Arjuna at once. Similarly, there are many agents of the all-powerful Lord, and by His will only can one execute what He desires."

Love Personified

2010-10-31T13:11:00.001-07:00

Focus in this way

2010-07-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

Concentrating with all ones ability on the form of lord Krishna , whose eyes are handsome like lotus flowers, whose complexion resembles the color of a monsoon cloud, whose garments sparkle and are effulgent, who has two arms, who is the origin of all transcendental knowledge, around whose neck is a garland made of aromatic forest flowers, who is the supreme controller, who is surrounded by unlimited gopas, gopis, and surabhi cows, who is sometimes seen resting under a sura-druma tree, who is decorated with splendid ornaments, who stands in the middle of a red lotus flower, and who is served by breezes that have touched the lovely Yamuna, a person who can focus his attention in this way becomes free from repeated birth and death.

Sri Gopal Tapani Upanishad

Then and Now

2010-06-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

Janmasthami Parade, Mathura India, 1950

The Ear

2010-05-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Simply giving an Aural reception to this Vedic Literature the feelings for loving Devotional service of the Lord Krishna the the Supreme-Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once for extinguishing the fire of lamentation and fearfulness.

Text 7, Chapter 7, Canto 1, Srinad Bhagwatam

Commentary by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami

There are various senses of the living being of which the Ear is the most effective. This sense works even when a man is deep asleep. One can protect himself from the hands of enemy while awaken but while asleep one is protected by the Ear only. As such particular importance of the organ for hearing is mentioned here in the attaining of the highest perfection of life namely to get free from three material pangs. Everyone is full of lamentation at every moment, he is after the mirage of illusory things and is always afraid of his supposed enemy. These are the primary symptoms of material diseases. And is it definitely suggested herein that simply by hearing the message of Srimad Bhawatam one gets attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna and as soon as this is effected the symptoms of the material diseases disappear. Srila Vyasadev saw the all perfect Personality of Godhead and in this statement the All Perfect Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna is clearly confirmed.

The etymological order

2010-05-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

The ultimate result of devotional service is to develop genuine love for the Supreme Personality. Love is a word which is strictly used in relation with men and woman. That is the etymological order in the English language. And therefore love is the only word that can be properly used in relation with Lord Krishna and the living entities. The living entities are mentioned as Prakriti in the Bhagwat Geeta and in Sanskrit. Prakriti is a feminine object. The Lord is always described as the Parama Purusa or the Supreme Male Personality. As such the affection between the Lord and the living entities are of exactly like the male and female. Therefore the word Love of Godhead by the living entities is quite appropriate.

A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami ,First edition Srimad Bhagwatam , Canto 1.6.7

Note: Etymology is the history of a linguistic form (as a word) shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its cognates in other languages, or by tracing it and its cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language. Merriam-Webster

Human Ocular Extramission

2010-05-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

When reading the below article (The Human Stare)I felt great satisfaction in knowing that a Pure Devotee of Godhead, 'simply by his glance' can affect us in such away that our entire life has been benefited. I remember A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami would often glance in my direction,(acknowledging my humble existence) and would fill me with great transcendental bliss. His glance was very powerful. He touched the heart and soul of not only me but everyone he came in contact with. Bhagwat Gita explains what these type of sages (Saints-Transcendentalists-Pure Devotees) see as they traverse the globe.

Note: Following this Gita reference is the original article "The Human Stare".

Chapter 5. Karma-yoga--Action in Krsna Consciousness

The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].

PURPORT

A Krsna conscious person does not make any distinction between species or castes. The brahmana and the outcaste may be different from the social point of view, or a dog, a cow, or an elephant may be different from the point of view of species, but these differences of body are meaningless from the viewpoint of a learned transcendentalist. This is due to their relationship to the Supreme, for the Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion as Paramatma, is present in everyone's heart. Such an understanding of the Supreme is real knowledge. As far as the bodies are concerned in different castes or different species of life, the Lord is equally kind to everyone because He treats every living being as a friend yet maintains Himself as Paramatma regardless of the circumstances of the living entities. The Lord as Paramatma is present both in the outcaste and in the brahmana, although the body of a brahmana and that of an outcaste are not the same. The bodies are material productions of different modes of material nature, but the soul and the Supersoul within the body are of the same spiritual quality. The similarity in the quality of the soul and the Supersoul, however, does not make them equal in quantity, for the individual soul is present only in that particular body whereas the Paramatma is present in each and every body. A Krsna conscious person has full knowledge of this, and therefore he is truly learned and has equal vision. The similar characteristics of the soul and Supersoul are that they are both conscious, eternal and blissful. But the difference is that the individual soul is conscious within the limited jurisdiction of the body, whereas the Supersoul is conscious of all bodies. The Supersoul is present in all bodies without distinction.

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The Human Stare

Psychiatrist and author Colin A. Ross, M.D., has published experimental data that supports his scientific hypothesis that the eyes emit energy that can be captured and measured. Dr. Ross' paper, "The Electrophysiological Basis of Evil Eye Belief," is published in the current issue of Anthropology of Consciousness, a journal of the American Anthropological Association. The full paper is available here.

Although nearly everyone has experienced the sense of being stared at only to find that a person or animal really was looking, Western science has long rejected that the human eye can emit any form of energy. Dr. Ross says his findings move "human ocular extramission," which he also refers to as an "eyebeam," from the realm of superstition to science.

"We used our patent pending Electromagnetic Beam Detection System, which includes modified EEG neurofeedback equipment, to prove that the human eye emits an electromagnetic signal that can be measured scientifically," said Dr. Ross. "I hope that future experiments will determine why energy emitted from the eye is so strong and whether it can be harnessed through focused attention."

Dr. Ross has been researching a new science and medicine focused on the human body's electromagnetic field, which he detailed in his 2009 book, Human Energy Fields (ISBN-13: 978-0-9821851-0-0).

Dr. Ross previously made headlines by applying to the $1 Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge administered by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF). Although Dr. Ross can prove that his eyebeam can make a tone sound out of a computer, JREF insists that no energy can be emitted from the eyes and mocked Dr. Ross with its Pigasus Award. JREF has not responded to Dr. Ross' test protocol.

Dr. Ross is the author of 140 papers in professional journals and 23 books. He has lectured widely in North America, Europe, China, New Zealand and Australia, has reviewed for many different psychiatry journals, and received a number of research grants. His writing also includes short stories, poems, aphorisms, plays and essays on a wide range of topics.

For more information about Dr. Ross and the Colin A. Ross Institute for Psychological Trauma, visit www.rossinst.com.

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April 15 to May 13, 2010

2010-04-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

The month mentioned in the Vedic calendar, Purushottam (Adhik Mas), is very similar to what is known as a blue moon in the West. We have all of heard the expression; " once in a blue Moon". It appears every so often and a good astrologer can easily pin point the exact time Purushottam will appear.

The following are two articles elaborating on this Glorious month . - AJD

Article # 1
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

Purusottam, the extra month

This year, 2010, the Vedic calendar has thirteen months instead of twelve. This extra month runs from 15th April to 14th May inclusive, thus splitting the month of Madhusudan into two. In this regard the following article was written by Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. It was first published in Bengali as the Editorial to the 'Sri Gaudiya Darshan' magazine of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip, of 16th September 1955. The following translation is by Sripad B.P. Tirtha Maharaj, the principal sannyasi of our Kailkhali, Calcutta, Temple.

The Month Of Sri Purusottam

This year there is an extra month, Purusottam Month. It gives a more favourable opportunity for Krishna-Seva and it is a particularly favourable opportunity for the fortunate jivas. Purusottam Month has all good qualities, just like Bhagavan Purusottam, Himself, and is considered the crown of all months. Even the most holy months such as Vaisak Month, cannot be compared with this Purusottam Month. Bhagavan, the Lord Himself, has mercifully accepted this month and given it all His power. We know such things by reading Sri Brihannaradiya Purana.

The materialistic smarta-sampradaya by their karmik standard of judgement avoid performing rituals during this month and they avoid anything considered materially auspicious. By their calculation this extra month is materially barren or gloomy.

In Srimad Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that if we do karma properly then we gain some capacity to enter within jnana.

sarvam karmakhilam partha
jnane parisamapyate

But the fruit of that knowledge, the knower and the known are all nirvisesa, or similar to mukti.

By doing holy activities we may be able to attain heaven, but after finishing that good reaction, we return to this world known as Martya-loka the plain of death. In this way those who aspire for material things have to undergo reactions to their actions.

The devotees of Krishna, however, are worshipers of "kirttaniyah sada harih." Their process of worshiping is given in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta:

nijabhista krsna-prestha pacheta' lagiya
nirantara seva kare antarmana hana

They are twenty-four hours per day engaged for the Service of the Lord, for they do not have a moment for their own sense enjoyment. They cannot tolerate those who are against doing Seva, especially those who want some result in this world. When they see these types of jivas they dislike them more than hell. We can see many Scriptural examples of this.

Similarly the worshipers of svaguna, the plane within the modes of nature, always show their objection to those who are worshipers of the nirguna — the realm above the modes of nature. There is no lack of Scriptural examples here also.

The smartas, those under the rules of mundane nature, their material duties are already scheduled within the regular twelve months so they dismiss this extra month. However those who continually spend their time in worship and service of the Lord give much attention to this month. They know fruitive activity is a cause of material bondage. However those who desire material results from fruitive activity consider this month to be barren, to be materially unhealthy. Such persons dismiss this month, therefore this extra month feels it is rejected so it feels the necessity to surrender to its Master. The Lord always gives much protection to the surrendered, so He gives all His own wealth and property to this month and in this way it takes on His properties and becomes like Him. Therefore the Lord gave His own Name, Purusottam, making this extra month the king of all months. He Himself glorified this month and gave it to the hand of His most dear devotees whom He loves as Himself. The devotees serve the Lord Goloka Bihari Purusottam very happily in this Purusottam Month, the month when the materialists are very silent in their activities.

Bengali article of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj,
translated by Sripad B.P. Tirtha Maharaj.

Article # 2

Krishna is very kind because He always presents different ways for us to advance in spiritual life. A nice opportunity is coming up from April 15 to May 13, 2010: the month of Purushottama Adhik Mas. To help the lunar months coincide with the solar year, an extra month, called Purushottama Adhik Mas, is inserted every 30 months, every 2 ½ years. Adhik means extra and mas means month. During Purushottama Adhik Mas certain activities should be avoided such as marriages, signing contracts, beginning new construction, griha pravesham (house warming), etc.

The origin of Purushottam Adhik Mas is explained in the Padma Purana. Every month has a presiding deity, but Adhik Mas was rejected by all the deities: it was thought to be inauspicious because there is no sankranti during this month, meaning that the Sun does not enter any new sign. So originally it was known as Mal Mas (meaning wasted month). Feeling dejected by this, the personified Adhik Mas traveled to Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha for advice. With heartfelt prayers she requested to be delivered from this inauspicious state. Lord Vishnu blessed her, and sent her to Goloka to meet Lord Krishna, who blessed her with the boon, “I bless you as My own month. Whatever good deeds are done during your reign will outshine works done during all the other months. Works done with devotion during Adhik Mas will amass such great fruits that even the doors to Goloka will open for the devotee. Among all months, you shall reign as the supreme and shall be known by My own name, Purushottama Mas."The Lord then added, “I will forgive all the sins of those who perform penance in Purushottama Adhik Mas.”

Devotional service to be performed:

* Worship Lord Krishna by chanting His holy names: Japa.
* Bathe in a holy river
* Give in charity to a self realized sage or a qualified Brahmin.

Purushottama Adhik Mas is known as Lord Krishna’s month, just as Kartika is Srimati Radharani’s month. Devotees look forward to passing this month in devotion to the Lord, because bhakti is the surest means to salvation in this terrible age of Kali-yuga. The days should be devoted to listening to Krishna katha. Those observing extra devotion, bhakti, during this month gain extra blessings from Lord Krishna, and their sins are washed away. -- Gopal dasi

He never compromised .

2010-04-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

At a time when the Vietnam War was raging on and the Peace Movement was growing, Srila Prabhupada arrived in America and presented Bhagavad-gita As It Is, a scripture in which Krishna chastises Arjuna for being a pacifist, and tells him to get onto the battlefield and kill.

At the height of the Civil Rights movement and a time when feminism was on the rise, Srila Prabhupada came to teach that spiritually we are all equal, but on the bodily platform it just isn't so.

When an entire generation was turning into bohemian hedonists with slogans like, "If it feels good, do it" and "Turn on, tune in, drop out" and the battle cry, "Sex, drugs and rock n' roll"... Srila Prabhupada introduced bhakti-yoga, a discipline that required followers to give up sex, intoxication, meat eating and gambling.

When growing long hair was so in that the musical "Hair" became a nationwide sensation, Srila Prabhupada instructed his followers to shave their heads.

When other swamis, yogis and gurus were coming from India to the West preaching peace and love and we are all one... Srila Prabhupada called them cheaters, rascals and crows.

When the book "I'm OK, You're OK" came out, Srila Prabhupada remarked, "We say that we are ok, you are not ok."

To say the least, Srila Prabhupada's message was a hard sell given the time, place and circumstances. He was even warned that if he tried to impose such rules and regulations onto Westerners, nobody would listen; no one would take him seriously.

Srila Prabhupada saw through all the superficiality and more than anything else, he saw that we were dissatisfied. We were unhappy. We wanted change. All the experimenting with communes, drugs and sex and all the protesting and rebelling was due to deep feelings of frustration and hopelessness. He told us that we were intelligent to want something better... to want happiness and peace... but we didn't know how to achieve it. He said, "I have come to give you the positive alternative."

Srila Prabhupada never compromised. He was innovative and creative and made some adjustments to accommodate and achieve success in the matter of teaching Krishna consciousness... but he never compromised. He didn't have to. His genuine purity, compassion and love was the force behind the message, which attracted all of us like iron filings to a magnet. We gladly let him turn us hippies into happies... with (as he would describe) shining faces.

Yes, Prabhupada's message was a hard sell and he came alone to a strange, hostile environment to distribute it, as ordered by his guru maharaja. Against all odds he captured our hearts and minds, without ever compromising.

All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga!

By Svarup das

A lot of Bull

2010-04-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

This majestic looking bull circumambulated India from the Himalayas to Kunyakumari (the southern tip) 4 or 5 times.. He pulled a cart with the murtis of Gour Nitai. Oh and by the way , he is now retired living in Vrindaban and goes by the name "Krishna".

That's a rope

2010-03-31T17:01:00.000-07:00

"If the guru says, that's a rope, pick it up".....and the disciple says back to Sri guru," gurudev, that is not a rope lying on the ground, it is a snake, and its bite could hurt you or I very much"...truly the guru would be so appreciative . He would be so happy that he had a disciple who understood his heart.....a disciple who was willing to take the risk of not following blindly, to be able to consider, with deepest repsect, what is in my gurus best interest. - Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaj

Temple of my heart

2010-03-29T15:37:00.001-07:00

Mama Mana Mandire

By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

mama mana mandire raha nisi-din
krishna murari sri krishna murari

O Krishna Murari, day and night You dwell in the temple of my heart, Sri Krishna Murari.

bhakti priti mala candana
tumi nio he nio cita-nandana

Devotion, love, flower garlands, and sandalwood; please accept,
O please accept them, delighter of my heart!

jivana marana tava puja nivedana
sundara he mana-hari

In life or in death I worship You with these offerings, beautiful one,
O enchanter of the heart!

eso nanda-kumar ara nanda-kumar
habe prema-pradipe arati tomar

Come, son of Nanda Baba! O son of Nanda Baba,
I will offer You an arati ceremony with the lamplight of my love.

nayana yamuna jhare anibara
tomara virahe giridhari

In Your separation, the waters of the Yamuna River flow incessantly from my eyes,
O holder of Govardhan Hill!

vandana gane tava bajuka jivana
krishna murari sri krishna murari

May I pass my life absorbed only in singing Your praises,
O Krishna Murari, Sri Krishna Murari!

Become free

2010-03-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

"In this material world someone is enjoying and someone is not enjoying, but actually everyone is suffering, although some people think that they are enjoying, whereas others realize that they are suffering. Actually everyone is suffering.

Who in this material world does not suffer disease?
Who does not suffer from old age?
Who does not die?
No one wants to grow old or suffer from disease, but everyone must do so. Where then is the enjoyment?

This enjoyment is all nonsense because within this material world there is no enjoyment. It is simply our imagination. One should not think, "This is enjoyment, and this is suffering." Everything is suffering! Therefore, it is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, The principles of eating, sleeping, mating and defending will always exist, but they will exist in different standards.

For example, the Americans have taken birth in America as a result of pious activities performed in previous lifetimes. In India the people are poverty-stricken and are suffering, but although the Americans are eating very nicely buttered bread and the Indians are eating without butter, they are both eating nevertheless. The fact that India is poverty-stricken has not caused the whole population to die for want of food.

The four principal bodily demands--eating, sleeping, mating and defending--can be satisfied under any circumstances, whether one is born in an impious condition or in a pious condition. The problem, however, is how to become free from the four principles of birth, death, old age and disease.

Excerpt from the book "Easy Journey to other planets" by ACBSP

He will be given samadhi

2010-03-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

At about 4:30am today, 27 March 2010, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj passed away from our vision by his own sweet will and surrounded by sannyasis and servitors chanting softly. His holy form was presently taken with a convoy of vehicles from our Dum Dum Park Temple, Kolkata, to Nabadwip where this afternoon he will be given samadhi close to the Samadhi Mandir of his beloved Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj.

2pm Nabadwip: Srila Gurudev's holy body was brought before the Deities here at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Accompanied by continuous kirttan, devotees garlanded His Divine Grace and offered flowers and prayers. Bathing took place just now on the plinth of the 'Temple of Union in Separation' where chanting continues. SCSM

.................................

All Glory to
Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
.............................................................

Note:

As everyone knows, Srila Govinda Maharaj was very affectionate toward His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj. Prabhupad was also very affection toward him as well. When Govinda Maharaj was young Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami sent him to A.C Bhaktivedanta to study Bhagavad Gita. Prabhupad would practice giving English classes in front of him. When Prabhupad came to the west he asked Govinda Maharaj to join him but he refused becase of his direct SEVA to Srila Sridhar Maharaj. Prabhupad said he would make him the President of Iskcon but he refused. The relationship between Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev Goswami, A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami and Govinda Maharaj was very intimate.

His devotion toward his Guru Maharaj, Sri Caitanya, Sri Radha Krishna and all the devotees was very intense. He nourished all the devotees with sweet Hari Katha. A pure heart regardless of what camp could at once experience his pure devotion.

Let me now fold my hands, bowing my head toward the great stalwart devotee of the lord. Like in the previous post, the attention of a pure hearted soul is immediately drawn toward Krishna when he calls.

..... Radhe Radhe ..... Gaur Hari Bol ...... Hare Krishna

Ajd

Run to Him

2010-03-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

Krishna's pet cows

When Sri Krishna herds his cows he will call each and every one by name. Upon hearing Krishna's sweet voice they immediately feel great affection and happily run to him.

Like a stunted ignorant

2010-03-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

Katham alakshitah pouroih sampraptah kurujangalan
unmatta muka jada bat vicharan gojasahvaye

Translation

His (Vyasdev's) son was a great devotee equi-balanced monist and was always fixed up by his mind in monism. He was transcendental to the mundane activities without being exposed like a stunted ignorant.

Commentary by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami

Shrila Sukadeva Goswami was a liberated soul and as such he remained always alert not to be trapped by the illusory energy. In the Bhagwat Geeta this alertness of the liberated soul is very lucidly explained. The liberated soul and the conditioned souls have different engagements. The liberated soul is always engaged in the progressive path of spiritual attainment which is something like a dream for the condition soul. The conditioned soul cannot imagine what may be actually the engagement of the liberated soul. While the condition soul thus dreams about spiritual engagements the liberated soul is awake. Similarly the engagement of a conditioned soul appears to be a dream for the liberated soul. Apparently a conditioned soul and a liberated soul may seem to be on the same platform but factually they are differently engaged and their attention is always alert either in the matter of sense enjoyment or in the matter of self realization respectfully. The conditioned soul is completely indifferent in the details of the matter. How they are so different is explained as follows.

Srimad Bhawatam 1.4.4

Daughter of the Sun God

2010-03-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Sri Yamuna Devi

The rivers Ganga and Yamuna along with the now dried Saraswati, are the most sacred rivers in all of India. The Yamuna, according to the legends, is the daughter of the Sun God, Surya and the sister of Yama, the God of Death. The Goddess is believed to have come down from the heavens to sanctify the world. As she first came to rest on the peaks of the mountain Kalinda (in the Himalayas), she is also referred to as Kalindini. According to ancient beliefs it is said that those who take a dip in the holy waters of the river will not fear death.

A bath in Yamuna river is said to be one hundred times more purifying than a bath in the Ganges, because the Ganges was once touched by the feet of Lord Vishnu, it was the Yamuna where Lord Krishna Himself played and swam with His cowherd boyfriends and with the beautiful gopi damsels of Vraja.

Post and Personality

2010-03-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

Lord Shiva and Parvati
traveling on the back of Nandi.

Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar dev Goswami .... seated far left
Srila A.C Bhativedanta Swami Maharaj ... seated far right
This conversation that took place at the Sree Caitanya Sarasvat Math and was in relation to the Identity
of Lord Shiva i.e the post and personality.Following are one thousand names of Lord Shiva
from the Shiva purana.

Siva, Hara, Mrida, Rudra, Pushkara, Pushpalochana, Arthigamya, Sadachara, Sharva, Shambhu, Maheshvara, Chandrapida, Chandramouli, Vishva, Vishvamareshvara, Vedantasarasandoha, Kapali, Nilalohita, Dhyanadhara, Aparicchedya, Gauribharata, Ganeshvara, Ashtamurti, Vishvamurti, Trivargasvargasadhana, Jnanagamya, Dridaprajna, Devadeva, Trilochana, Vamadeva, Mahadeva, Patu, Parivrida, Drida, Vishvarupa, Virupaksha, Vagisha, Shuchisattama, Sarvapramanasamvadi, Vrishanka, Vrishavahana, Isha, Pinaki, Khatvanga, Chitravesha, Chirantana, Tamohara, Mahayogi, Gupta, Brahma, Dhurjati, Kalakala, Krittivasah, Subhaga, Pranavatmaka, Unnadhra, Purusha, Jushya, Durvasa, Purashasana, Divyayudha, Skandaguru, Parameshthi, Paratpara, Anadimadhyanidhana, Girisha, Girijadhava, Kuverabandhu, Shrikantha, Lokavarnottama, Mridu, Samadhivedya, Kodandi, Nilakantha, Parashvadhi, Vishalaksha, Mrigavyadha, Suresha, Suryatapana, Dharmadhama, Kshamakshetra, Bhagavana, Bhaganetrabhida, Ugra, Pashupati, Tarkshya, Priyabhakta, Parantapa, Datta, Dayakara, Daksha, Karmandi, Kamashasana, Shmashananilaya, Suksha, Shmashanastha, Maheshvara, Lokakarta, Mrigapati, Mahakarta, Mahaushadhi, Uttara, Gopati, Gopta, Jnanagamya, Puratana, Niti, Suniti, Shuddhatma, Soma, Somarata, Sukhi, Somapa, Amritapa, Sunya, Mahatejah, Mahadyuti, Tejomaya, Amritamaya, Annamaya, Sudhapati, Ajatashatru, Aloka, Sambhavya, Havyavahana, Lokakara, Vedakara, Sutrakara, Sanatana, Maharishi, Kapilacharya, Vishvadipti, Vilochana, Pinakapani, Bhudeva, Svastida, Svastikrita, Sudhi, Dhatridhama, Dhamakara, Sarvaga, Sarvagochara, Brahmasrika, Vishvasrika, Sarga, Karnikara, Priya, Kavi, Shakha, Vishakha, Goshakha, Siva, Bhishaka, Anuttama, Gangaplavodaka, Bhavya, Pushkala, Sthapati, Sthira, Vijitatma, Vishayatma, Bhutavahana, Sarathi, Sagana, Ganakaya, Sukirti, Chinnasamshaya, Kamadeva, Kamapala, Bhasmoddhulita-vigraha, Bhasmapriya, Bhasmashayi, Kami, Kanta, Kritagama, Samavarta, Nivritatma, Dharmapunja, Sadashiva, Akalmasha, Chaturvahu, Durvasa, Durasada, Durlabha, Durgama, Durga, Sarvayudhavisharada, Adhyatmayoganilaya, Sutantu, Tantuvardhana, Shubhanga, Lokasaranga, Jagadisha, Janardana, Bhasmashuddhikara, Meru, Ojasvi, Shuddhavigraha, Asadhya, Sadhusadhya, Bhrityamarkatarupadhrika, Hiranyareta, Purana, Ripujivahara, Bala, Mahahrada, Mahagarta, Vyali, Siddhavrindaravandita, Vyaghracharmambara, Mahabhuta, Mahanidhi, Amritasha, Amritavapu, Panchajanya, Prabhanjana, Panchavimshatitattvastha, Parijata, Paravara, Sulabha, Suvrata, Shura, Brahmavedanidhi, Nidhi, Varnashramaguru, Varni, Shatrujita, Shatrutapana, Ashrama, Kshapana, Kshama, Jnanavana, Achaleshvara, Pramanabhuta, Durjneya, Suparna, Vayuvahana, Dhanurdhara, Dhanurveda, Gunarishi, Gunakara, Satyasatyapara, Dina, Dharmaga, Ananda, Dharmasadhana, Anantadrishti, Danda, Damayita, Dama, Abhivadya, Mahamaya, Vishvakarma, Visharada, Vitaraga, Vinitatma, Tapasvi, Bhutabhavana, Unmattavesha, Pracchanna, Jitakama, Ajitapriya, Kalyanaprakriti, Kalpa, Sarvalokaprajapati, Tarasvi, Tavaka, Dhimana, Pradhanaprabhu, Avyaya, Lokapala, Antarhitatma, Kalpadi, Kamalakshana, Vedashastrarthatattvajna, Aniyama, Niyatashraya, Chandra, Surya, Shani, Ketu, Varanga, Vidrumacchavi, Bhaktivashya, Anagha, Parabrahmamrigavanarpana, Adri, Adryalaya, Kanta, Paramatma, Jagadguru, Sarvakarmalaya, Tushta, Mangalya, Mangalavrita, Mahatapa, Drighatapa, Sthavishtha, Sthavira, Dhruva, Aha, Samvatsara, Vyapti, Pramana, Paramatapa, Samvatsarakara, Mantrapratyayakara, Sarvadarshana, Aja, Sarveshvara, Siddha, Mahareta, Mahabala, Yogi, Yogya, Siddhi, Mahateja, Sarvadi, Agraha, Vasu, Vasumana, Satya, Sarvapapahara, Sukirti, Shobhana, Shrimana, Avanmanasagochara, Amritashashvata, Shanta, Vanahasta, Pratapavana, Kamandalundhara, Dhanvi, Vedanga, Vedavita, Muni, Bhrajishnu, Bhojana, Bhokta, Lokanatha, Duradhara, Atindriya, Mahamaya, Sarvavasa, Chatushpatha, Kalayogi, Mahanada, Mahatsaha, Mahabala, Mahabuddhi, Mahavirya, Bhutachari, Purandara, Nishachara, Pretachari, Mahashakti, Mahadyuti, Ahirdeshyavapu, Shrimana, Sarvacharyamanogati, Vahushruta, Niyatatma, Dhruva, Adhruva, Sarvashaska, Ojastejodyutidhara, Nartaka, Nrityapriya, Nrityanitya, Prakashatma, Prakashaka, Spashtakshara, Budha, Mantra, Samana, Sarasamplava, Yugadikrida, Yugavarta, Gambhira, Vrishavahana, Ishta, Vishishta, Shishteshta, Shalabha, Sharabha, Dhanu, Tirtharupa, Tirthanama, Tirthadrishya, Stuta, Arthada, Apamnidhi, Adhishthana, Vijaya, Jayakalavita, Pratishthita, Pramanajna, Hiranyakavacha, Hari, Vimlochana, Suragana, Vidyesha, Vindusamshraya, Balarupa, Vikarta, Balaunmatta, Gahana, Guha, Karana, Karta, Sarvabandhavimochana, Vyavasaya, Vyavasthana, Sthanada, Jagadadija, Garuda, Lalita, Abheda, Bhavatmatmasamsthita, Vireshvara, Virabhadra, Virasanavidhi, Virata, Virachudamani, Vetta, Tivrananda, Nadidhara, Ajnadhara, Trishuli, Shipivishta, Sivalaya, Balakhilya, Mahachapa, Tigmamshu, Badhira, Khaga, Adhirama, Susharana, Subrahmanya, Sudhapati, Maghavana, Kushika, Gaumana, Virama, Sarvasadhana, Lalataksha, Vishvadeha, Sara, Samsarachakrabhrita, Amoghadanda, Madhyastha, Hiranya, Brahmavarchasi, Paramartha, Para, Mayi, Shambara, Vyaghralochana, Ruchi, Virinchi, Svarbandhu, Vachaspati, Aharpati, Ravi, Virochana, Skanda, Shasta, Vaivasvata, Yama, Yukti, Unnatakirti, Sanuraga, Paranjaya, Kailashadhipati, Kanta, Savita, Ravilochana, Vidvattama, Vitabhaya, Vishvabharata, Anivarita, Nitya, Niyatakalyana, Punyashravanakirtana, Durashrava, Vishvasaha, Dhyeya, Duhsvapnanashana, Uttarana, Dushkritiha, Vijneya, Duhsaha, Bhava, Anadi, Bhurbhuvakshi, Kiriti, Ruchirangada, Janana, Janajanmadi, Pritimana, Nitimana, Dhava, Vasishtha, Kashyapa, Bhanu, Bhima, Bhimaparakrama, Pranava, Satpatchachara, Mahakasha, Mahaghana, Janmadhipa, Mahadeva, Sakalagamaparaga, Tattva, Tattavit, Ekatma, Vibhu, Vishvavibhushana, Rishi, Brahmana, Aishvaryajanmamrityujaratiga, Panchayajnasamutpatti, Vishvesha, Vimalodaya, Atmayoni, Anadyanta, Vatsala, Bhaktalokadhrika, Gayatrivallabha, Pramshu, Vishvavasa, Prabhakara, Shishu, Girirata, Samrata, Sushena, Surashatruha, Amogha, Arishtanemi, Kumuda, Vigatajvara, Svayamjyoti, Tanujyoti, Achanchala, Atmajyoti, Pingala, Kapilashmashru, Bhalanetra, Trayitanu, Jnanaskandamahaniti, Vishvutpatti, Upaplava, Bhaga, Vivasvana, Aditya, Yogapara, Divaspati, Kalyanagunanama, Papaha, Punyadarshana, Udarakirti, Udyogi, Sadyogi, Sadasanmaya, Nakshatramali, Nakesha, Svadhishthanapadashraya, Pavitra, Papahari, Manipura, Nabhogati, Hrit, Pundarikasina, Shatru, Shranta, Vrishakapi, Ushna, Grihapati, Krishna, Paramartha, Anarthanashana, Adharmashatru, Ajneya, Purohita, Purushrita, Brahmagarbha, Vrihadgarbha, Dharmadhenu, Dhanagama, Jagaddhitaishi, Sugata, Kumara, Kushalagama, Hiranyavarna, Jyotishmana, Nanabhutarata, Dhvani, Araga, Niyamadhyaksha, Vishvamitra, Dhaneshvara, Brahmajyoti, Vasudhama, Mahajyotianuttama, Matamaha, Matarishva, Nabhasvana, Nagaharadhrika, Pulastya, Pulaha, Agastya, Jatukarnya, Parashara, Niravarananirvara, Vairanchya, Vishtarashrava, Atmabhu, Aniruddha, Atri, Jnanamurti, Mahayasha, Lokaviragrani, Vira, Chanda, Satyaparakrama, Vyalakalpa, Mahakalpa, Kalpavriksha, Kaladhara, Alankarishnu, Achala, Ruchishnu, Vikramonnata, Ayuhshabdapati, Vegi, Plavana, Shikhisarathi, Asamsrishta, Atithi, Shatrupreamathi, Padapashana, Vasushrava, Pratapa, Havyavaha, Vishvabhojana, Japaya, Jaradishamana, Lohitatma, Tanunapata, Vrihadashva, Nabhoyoni, Supratika, Tamasraha, Nidagha, Tapana, Megha, Svaksha, Parapuranjaya, Sukhanila, Sunishpanna, Surabhi, Shishiratmaka, Vasanta, Madhava, Grishma, Nabhasya, Vijavahana, Angira, Guru, Atreya, Vimala, Vishvavahana, Pavana, Sumati, Vidvana, Travidya, Naravahana, Manobuddhi, Ahamkara, Kshetrajna, Kshetrapalaka, Jamadagni, Balanidhi, Vigala, Vishvagalava, Aghora, Anuttara, Yajna, Shreya, Nihshreyahpatha, Shaila, Gaganakundabha, Danavari, Arindama, Rajanijanaka, Charuvishaiya, Lokakalpadhrika, Chaturveda, Chaturbhava, Chatura, Chaturapriya, Amlaya, Samamlaya, Tirthavedashivalaya, Vahurupa, Maharupa, Sarvarupa, Charachara, Nyayanirmayaka, Nyayi, Nyayagamya, Nirantara, Sahasramariddha, Devendra, Sarvashastraprabhanjana, Munda, Virupa, Vikranta, Dandi, Danta, Gunottama, Pingalaksha, Janadhyaksha, Nilagriva, Niramaya, Sahasravahu, Sarvesha, Sharanya, Sarvalokadhrika, Padmasana, Paramjyoti, Parampara, Paramsala, Padmagarbha, Mahagarbha, Vishvagarbha, Vichakshana, Characharajna, Varada, Varesha, Mahabala, Devasuraguru, Deva, Devasuramahashraya, Devadideva, Devagni, Devagnisukhada, Prabhu, Devasureshvara, Divya, Devasuramaheshvara, Devadevamaya, Achintya, Devadevatmasambhava, Sadyoni, Asuravyaghra, Devasimha, Divakara, Vibudhagravara, Shreshtha, Sarvadevottamottama, Sivajnanarata, Shrimana, Shikhi-shriparvatapriya, Vajrahasta, Siddhakhadgi, Narasimhanipatana, Brahmachari, Lokachari, Dharmachari, Dhanadhipa, Nandi, Nandishvara, Ananta, Nagnavratadhara, Shuchi, Lingadhyaksha, Suradhyaksha, Yogadhyaksha, Yugavaha, Svadharma, Svargata, Svargakhara, Svaramayasvana, Vanadhyaksha, Vijakarta, Dharmakrita, Dharmasambhava, Dambha, Alobha, Arthavita, Shambhu, Sarvabhutamaheshvara, Shmashananilaya, Tryksha, Setu, Apratimakriti, Lokottaras-putaloka, Trymbaka, Nagabhushana, Andhakari, Makhadveshi, Vishnukandharapatana, Hinadosha, Akshayaguna, Dakshari, Pushadantabhit, Dhurjati, Khandaparashu, Sakala, Nishkala, Anagha, Akala, Sakaladhara, Pandurabha, Mrida, Nata, Purna, Purayita, Punya, Sukumara, Sulochana, Samagayapriya, Akrura, Punyakirti, Anamaya, Manojava, Tirthakara, Jatila, Jiviteshvara, Jivitantakara, Nitya, Vasureta, Vasuprada, Sadgati, Satkriti, Siddhi, Sajjati, Kalakantaka, Kaladhara, Mahakala, Bhutasatyaparayana, Lokalavanyakarta, Lokottarasukhalaya, Chandrasanjivana, Shasta, Lokaguda, Mahadhipa, Lokabandhu, Lokanatha, Kritajna, Krittibhushana, Anapaya, Akshara, Kantha, Sarvashastrabhudvara, Tejomaya, Dyutidhara, Lokagrani, Anu, Shuchismita, Prasamnyatma, Durjjeya, Duratikrama, Jyotirmaya, Jagannatha, Nirakara, Jaleshvara, Tumbavina, Mahakopa, Vishoka, Shokanashana, Trilokapa, Trilokesha, Sarvashuddhi, Adhokshaja, Avyaktalakshana, Deva, Vyaktavyakta, Vishampati, Varashila, Varaguna, Saramanadhana, Maya, Brahma, Vishnu, Prajapati, Hamsa, Hamsagati, Vaya, Vedha, Vidhata, Dhata, Srashta, Harta, Chaturmukha, Kailasashikharavasi, Sarvavasi, Sadagati, Hiranyagarbha, Druhina, Bhutapala, Bhupati, Sadyogi, Yogavit, Yogi, Varada, Brahmanapriya, Devapriya, Devanatha, Devajna, Devachintaka, Vishamaksha, Vishalaksha, Vrishada, Vrishavardhana, Nirmama, Nirahamkara, Nirmoha, Nirupadrava, Darpaha, Darpada, Dripta, Sarvabhutaparivartaka, Sahasrajit, Sahasrarchi, Prabhava, Snigddhaprakritidakshina, Bhutabhavyabhavannatha, Bhutinashana, Artha, Anartha, Mahakosha, Parakaiyaikapandita, Nishkantaka, Kritananda, Nirvyaja, Vyajamardana, Sattvavana, Sattvika, Satyakirti, Snehakritagama, Akampita, Gunagrahi, Naikatma, Naikakarmakrita, Suprita, Sumukha, Suksha, Sukara, Dakshinanila, Nandiskandhadhara, Dhurya, Prakata, Pritivardhana, Aparajita, Sarvasattva, Govinda, Adhrita, Sattvavahana, Svadhrita, Siddha, Putamurti, Yashodhana, Varahabhringadhrika, Bhringi, Balavana, Ekanayaka, Shrutiprakasha, Shrutimana, Ekabandhu, Anekakrita, Shrivatsalashivarambha, Shantabhadra, Sama, Yasha, Bhushaya, Bhushana, Bhuti, Bhutakrita, Bhutabhavana, Akampa, Bhaktikaya, Kalaha, Nilalohita, Satyavrata, Mahatyagi, Nityashantiparayana, Pararthavritti, Vibikshu, Visharada, Shubhada, Shubhakarta, Shubhanama, Shubha, Anarthita, Aguna, Sakshi, Akarta.

Honor Thy Mother and Father

2010-03-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

“How can we worship our deities, who are not manifest before us, if we neglect the worship of our parents, who stand right before our very eyes?”

(Lord Rama speaking to Sita Devi,
Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, Sec 30)

a clean heart

2010-03-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

"Without the atmosphere of a clean heart and a surrendered mood of prayer and devotion the, divine vibration form of the Holy Name will not be attracted to manifest Himself." - Srila Govinda Maharaj

purification of skin disease

2010-03-05T17:00:00.001-08:00

This following example came to mind when reading Bhakta das's article (Fall or Not?). I too was present on many occasions when the origin of the soul questions were put before Srila Prabhupad and can attest to the fact that Prabhupad would in most conversations redirect the audience toward the subject of "purification of skin disease" focusing on the importance of chanting the holy name and pure devotional service.

Suppose I were walking down the street and was shot by an arrow and started to bleed profusely. Would I debate as to whom the maker of the arrow was or should I be more interested in seeking medical attention? If I survived I should definitely avoid the dangerous path I previously had traveled.

Asking about the manufacturer of the arrow or as to what kind of wood was used is not really necessary for ones survival. A sane man should accept the fact that he is bleeding and requires immediate medical attention knowing perfectly well that at one time he was healthy and by some faith (in the medical practitioner and the process prescribed ) he can regain his vitality.

well-wisher

2010-03-02T13:21:00.000-08:00

namo brahmanya-devaya

go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-hitaya krishnaya
govindaya namo namah

"I offer my respectful obeisance’s unto Sri Krishna, who is worshipped by all the demigods and the highly learned brahmanas. He especially favors his devotees and his cows and is the well-wisher of the entire universe. Let me offer my repeated obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, known as Govinda.” (Vishnu Purana 1.19.65)

Following the fast

2010-03-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

The Festival of Jagannath Mishra is an observance of the Jata karma samskara for baby Nimai (Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu). Following the fast for Gaura Purnima, which is broken upon the rising of the moon, the next day is held for feasting. On Jagannath Mishra festival day, the devotees meditate upon the Jata karman ceremony. The festival is also known as Anandotsava amongst the gaudiya devotees.

Srila Jagannath Mishra

Jagannath Mishra was born in the village of South Dhaka in Sylhet (Sylhet). His grandfather, Madhu Mishra, had four sons: Upendra, Rangada, Kirtida, and Kirtivasa. His father and mother, Upendra Mishra and Kalavati, had seven sons: Kamsari, Paramananda, Padmanabha, Sarveshvara, Jagannath Mishra, Janardana and Trailokyanath. (Prema-vilasa, 24). According to the Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika, Upendra was Krishna's grandfather, the cowherd Parjanya, while Jagannath was Nanda Maharaj in Krishna's Vraja pastimes (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 37). Nanda or Jagannath were, in Krishna's various appearances, Kashyapa, Dasharath, Sutapa and Vasudeva.

pura yashoda-vrajarajanandau
vrindavane premarasakarau yau
shaci-Jagannath-purandarabhidhau
babhuvatus tau na ca samshayo'tra

amu avishatam eva devavaditikashyapau
shrikaushalya-dasharathau tatha shriprishni-tatpati

The king of Vraja has become Chaitanya's father, Jagannath; the queen of Vraja is his mother Sachi. The son of Nanda is Chaitanya Gosai, and Baladeva is his brother Nityananda.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.17.294-295).

The birth of Mahaprabhu

In the Chaitanya Charitamrita, it is also stated that Jagannath Mishra was also known by his title Purandara, which is an epithet of Indra. His wife's name was Sachidevi. Sachi's father was Nilambara Cakravarti.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi, 13.59-60)

At first, eight baby girls were born to Jagannath and Sachi, but each of them died at birth. Jagannath then performed a special ceremony to have a son, and not long afterward a boy, Vishvarupa, was born. Vishvarupa is a manifestation of Baladeva and belongs to the same ontological category that is named Sankarshan in the spiritual world. At the age of 12, Vishvarupa took sannyasa, adopting the name Shankararanya. He died in the year 1509 in Pandharpur, in the Solapur district of Maharashtra.

Jagannath Mishra and Sachidevi are eternally liberated companions of Krishna; thus, it is clear that their heart and body are made of pure goodness or the shuddha-sattva. Another name for pure goodness is vasudeva. Krishna is named Vasudeva because he takes pleasure in the spiritual nature and makes his appearance through pure goodness or vasudeva.

In 1486, at sundown on the full moon day of the month of Phalguna, at the auspicious moment of a lunar eclipse, in the midst of an ecstatic hubbub made by the townspeople filling the sky with the joyful sound of Hari! and Krishna!, the women making their uludhvani, and the gods playing on their divine instruments, Gauranga Mahaprabhu accepted Jagannath Mishra and Sachidevi as his father and mother and appeared in the holy dham of Sri Mayapur. It is said that witches, evil female spirits and other powerful demonic specters cannot go near a neem tree. Out of their feelings of maternal love, Sachi and the other women named him Nimai in order that he be protected from any inauspiciousness. Later, when Nimai took the renounced order of life, he was given the name Sri Krishna Chaitanya. Some of the other names by which he is known are Vishvambhara, Nabadwipa-chandra, Gaurahari, Gauranga and Mahaprabhu.

When Sachi and Jagannath saw their child's face, they forgot themselves in their excitement. Nilambara Chakravarti was a great astrologer and when he examined the constellations at the baby's birth, he divined that he was to be a king among kings, that he was to possess all virtues, indeed that he was Narayan himself. Jagannath and his entire household were immersed in the ocean of ecstasy upon hearing these predictions. This ocean only increased in fullness as the baby Nimai began to display his childhood pastimes. Whenever Nimai cried, the adults would sing the Holy Names in order to pacify him. When he was only four months old, he started throwing various household articles about, but would only do this until he saw his mother when would lie down and start to cry. Sachi would sing the Holy Names to stop Nimai from crying, and only when he had stopped would she notice the disorder into which the child had put the room. Never suspecting him, she though that it must be some evil spirit whose efforts to harm the baby had failed due to the protective incantations she was always making over him.

When the time came for Nimai's name-giving ceremony, Nilambara Chakravarti and other learned men in the community called him Vishvambhara, which is thus his principal name, while the women gave him the name Nimai. This latter name was given because neem leaves have a bitter taste and are said to keep death away, and they wished to bless Nimai with a long life. The name-giving ceremony is also the occasion when a child's tastes and tendencies are tested. Jagannath placed rice, puffed rice, gold, silver and a manuscript of the Srimad Bhagavatam before the child, who ignored everything to reach out for the Bhagavatam. All were delighted by Nimai's choice. The philosophers amongst them began to say, "Nimai will be a great scholar." In fact, Nimai wished to show, even at this young age, that the Bhagavatam is the supreme authority in spiritual matters. This is the teaching hidden within this lila.

Nimai's childhood

As Nimai grew, he began to crawl, giving pleasure to his mother and father and all their neighbors. One day, the child saw the god Sesha in the form of a cobra in the garden. He played with him for a while in the mood of a golden Narayan, and then, like Narayan, he curled up on the coiled snake and fell asleep. When Jagannath Mishra came upon the scene, he feared the worst for the child and started to shout and cry, frightening the beast that slithered away. Nevertheless, Sachi and Jagannath had seen the wondrous form that the child had displayed and became convinced that he was a divine personality.

The neighborhood women found that whenever they loudly chanted the names of the Lord, Nimai would stop crying and start dancing in ecstasy, even rolling about in the dust. So every morning they would surround him and sing the Holy Names. Whether they knew him or not, people would be attracted by his beautiful appearance and would affectionately give him sandesha sweets or bananas. Nimai would take all these sweets and fruits and give them as prasad to the women who sang for him.

When Nimai was able to walk, he would go into the neighbors' houses and take milk and rice, and if he found nothing to eat, he would break various household items. This naughty behavior is a source of delight for his devotees. On one occasion, as Nimai was playing in front of Jagannath Mishra's house, two thieves saw that he was wearing valuable ornaments and became greedy. They charmed the child by offering him a ride on their shoulders and then started to carry him away. However, they were bewildered by Vishnu's illusory power and shortly they found themselves back in front of Nimai's own home. Frightened by this unexpected turn of events, the two rascals ran away. Meanwhile, Jagannath had been searching anxiously for Nimai. When he saw that his child had returned, he held him tightly to his heart and felt as though his life had also been returned to him.

One day, Jagannath Mishra asked Nimai to bring him a book from inside the house. When Nimai ran to fetch it, Sachi was surprised to hear the wondrous jingling of ankle bells. After Nimai had given his father the book and gone off to play, Sachi was amazed to see that his footprints held the auspicious signs of the flag, the lightning bolt, the elephant rod and the banner. Under the influence of their parental love, Jagannath and Sachi were not able to accept that these were Nimai's footprints, but took them rather to be the traces of Damodar, their household Shalagrama-shila deity and so they did a special ceremony for him, bathing him, peforming the puja and offering food.

On another day, a Brahmin pilgrim passed through Nabadwip with his deity of the baby Krishna. Jagannath offered him a place to his puja as well as food to cook for an offering. When the pilgrim had finished cooking, he sat down to offer the bhoga to his deity. But as soon as he started meditation on his mantra, Nimai came and began eating the offering. The Brahmin saw this and started to shout in distress. Jagannath Mishra was extremely disturbed by the incident and the Brahmin had to intercede to stop him from giving the child a spanking.

Although the Brahmin did not want to cook again, Jagannath begged him to do so. Before he recommenced preparing the offering. Jagannath took Nimai to a neighbor's house so that he would not do any more mischief. Once again, however, when the Brahmin sat down to meditate on his Bala Gopal mantra to make his offering, Gaura Gopal appeared out of nowhere and started to enjoy the foodstuffs. The Brahmin again began to shout in frustration, "It's been ruined. It's been ruined!" Jagannath was devastated a second time and again wished to punish the child, only to be stopped by his guest. The Brahmin said, "He's only a child and doesn't understand anything. It's not his fault. It seems that it is not my destiny to eat today."

This time, Nimai's older brother Vishvarupa begged the Brahmin to try a third time, and so finally, on his insistence, he began to cook again. This time it was quite late at night and Nimai was fast asleep in his room so no one suspected any trouble. The Brahmin waited until the entire household had gone to bed before making his offering, but once again, contrary to all expectation, Gaura Gopal came to consume it. This time, however, he gave the Brahmin a vision of an astonishing eight-armed form, holding not only the conch, discus, mace and lotus in four of his hands, but a lump of butter from which he was taking pieces and a flute which he was playing with the others. When he saw this wonderful vision, the Brahmin fainted.

Mahaprabhu told him not to reveal this lila to anyone. But from then on, the Brahmin remained in Nabadwip and though he engaged in his daily activities as was his wont, would return each evening to Nimai's house to behold his worshipable lord. Nimai told him, "You have been my servant for many, many births. This very same lila also took place at Nanda's house in Gokula."

Nimai's education

Jagannath Mishra completed the three rituals (samskaras) in which the child's ears are pierced, his hair is shorn and his education is begun. It took Nimai only three days to learn the entire alphabet and he started to read and write all of Krishna's names.

The little Gaura Gopal would often ask his parents to bring him birds, even the stars or the moon, and would cry if they could not do so. When they chanted the Holy Names, he would stop crying, otherwise there was no way to quiet him. One day, however, though they repeatedly sang the names of Hari, the child's tears did not stop flowing. When pressed to tell why he was crying so insistently, Nimai said that though it was Ekadasi, he wanted to eat the offerings which the Brahmins Jagadisa and Hiranya had made to their Vishnu deity. Jagannath was astonished to hear this unusual request, but went to the house of his two friends. He told them the whole story, and they were delighted to give him the offering. When Jagannath brought the prasad home and gave it to Nimai, he finally stopped crying.

Nimai continued his naughty behavior and the males in the community reported it to his father while the girls and women would complain to Sachi. Though Jagannath would be angry and want to punish his child, he would be quite astonished to see him completely calm and free from any guilty demeanor. Both his parents wondered, "Who is this child? Has Krishna secretly appeared here as our son?"

Vishvambhara's older brother Vishvarupa had been indifferent to material life since his childhood. After studying at Advaita Acharya's school, or tol, he came to understand that the ultimate conclusion of the scriptures was devotion to Krishna. When he was twelve years old, his parents started making arrangements for his marriage, he left home and took sannyasa, taking the name Shankararanya. This event traumatized Sachi and Jagannath, who were greatly pained by their separation from their oldest son. Jagannath was afraid that Nimai too would become indifferent to family life through studying the scriptures, so he stopped his education. Rather that the boy should remain a fool at home than become a scholar only to leave the household! But after this, Nimai started to misbehave again. One day, he went to a place where used and contaminated pottery was thrown and sat down. When Sachi saw this she became angry and told him several times to leave the dirty spot. Nimai answered her in the spirit of the divine philosopher Dattatreya, "How can a fool tell the difference between that which is pure and that which is not? How can the pots that have been used to cook for Vishnu possibly be contaminated? What is more, how can any place be impure if I am there? Ideas of purity and impurity from the karma-kanda have no place in devotion to the Lord. It is just the imagination of people who know nothing but the material world."

Seeing that the boy would in no way heed her order to leave the unclean spot, Sachi finally dragged him away and made him bathe and herself took a bath. After this she and other members of the community approached Jagannath and entreated him to allow Nimai to resume his studies, which he did.

Some time after this, Nimai's sacred thread ceremony was held, after which Nimai went out to beg, just as Vamana did. Afterward, Jagannath entrusted him to Ganga Das Pandit, who is none other than the same Sandipani Muni who taught Krishna. Ganga Das Pandit was overjoyed to accept the handsome and virtuous boy Nimai as his student. Nimai would ask him and his fellow students trick questions based on Nyaya and the ensuing arguments would be a source of amazement to everyone.

Jagannath was pleased to see his son take up a disciplined life in which he would bathe daily in the Ganges, perform puja to Vishnu strictly according to the regulations, and offer water to the sacred tulasi plant before finally taking prasad. Nimai would then go to a place where he could be undisturbed and would study alone. Jagannath prayed to Krishna for Nimai's continued welfare, but at the same time was always afraid that he would come to understand the emptiness of the cycle of samsara and eventually leave home. One day, he had a dream in which he saw Mahaprabhu's beautiful form as a sannyasi, performing sankirtan while surrounded by his devotees, dancing, singing, laughing, crying. After this he came to believe that it was inevitable that Nimai would one day leave home. Sachi Devi tried to convince him that because he had become so attached to his studies, he would never leave home, but she could not convince him. Jagannath disappeared before Nimai became a sannyasi. On the death of his father, Gaurasundara lamented just like Ramachandra did upon hearing of the death of Dasharath, but at the same time consoled his heartbroken mother.

"Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates" by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj

2010-02-28T09:31:00.000-08:00

"If I am sincere in my search for God, then God will also come to me from his side, and where we meet, he should be considered Guru."

- Bhakti Rakshak Srila Sridhar dev goswami -

Krishna's assertion

2010-02-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

What right does Krishna have to mandate authority over Radha? Isn't Radha the real queen of Vrindavan the Sovereign ruler of the land ?

To defuse Krishna's avouchment, the sakhis tell the story of how Radha was crowned queen of Vrindavan in the presence of all the holy rivers and goddesses in heaven.

Madhava-mahotsava ...Jiva Goswami

The gatekeeper

2010-02-25T10:29:00.000-08:00

Paurnamasi Devi is the gatekeeper of Seva Kunj.

When in Vrndavan while walking towards Loi Bazaar from Radha-Damodar mandir, take a right down seva kunj gali. The temple dedicated to "Annapurna...Paurnamasi Devi" will be on your left. Visit the temple and recieve the glance of Sri Krsna's dear Yoga Maya.

Annointed - ( Seva kunja,Vrndavan )

2010-02-24T13:27:00.001-08:00

500+ year old deity of Paurnamasi

(Yogamaya Devi)

annointed with jasmine oil
just before abhishek

Sri Krishna is Bhagavan, full in all opulences, yet upon seeing those autumn nights, perfumed by unseasonably blossomed jasmine flowers, He turned His mind toward loving affairs. To fulfill His purposes He took shelter of His Yogamaya.

I bow my head down to Sri Paurnamasi, who is worshiped by the entire universe for her compassion and venerated by the people of Vrindavan, for she is wise in the ways of using her powers to increase Radha and Krishna’s enjoyment of loving exchanges. (Paurnamasi pranam mantra)

Graffiti @ Radha Kund

2010-02-24T13:08:00.000-08:00

Graffiti (singular: graffito; the plural is used as a mass noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property. Graffiti is any type of public markings that may appear in the forms of simple written words to elaborate wall paintings. Graffiti has existed since ancient times.

Vasant Panchami

2010-02-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

Sri Radha Syamasundar are seen here dressed and decorated nicely by the devotees at the time of the VASANT PANCHAMI festival. This festival is held during January \ February and marks the first day of spring. (2010)

light of one candle

2010-02-15T13:41:00.000-08:00

Brahma samhita Chapter 5 Text 36

The light of one candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various manifestations.

PURPORT

The presiding Deities of Hari-dhama, viz., Hari, Narayana, Visnu, etc., the subjective portions of Krsna, are being described.

The majestic manifestation of Krsna is Narayana, Lord of Vaikuntha, whose subjective portion is Karanodakasayi Visnu, the prime cause, whose portion is Garbhodakasayi.

Ksirodakasayi is again the subjective portion of Garbhodakasayi Visnu.

The word "Visnu" indicates all-pervading, omnipresent and omniscient personality.

In this sloka the activities of the subjective portions of the Divinity are enunciated by the specification of the nature of Ksirodakasayi Visnu. The personality of Visnu, the embodied form of the manifestive quality (sattva-guna) is quite distinct from that of Sambhu who is adulterated with mundane qualities.

Visnu's subjective personality is on a level with that of Govinda. Both consist of the unadulterated substantive principle. Visnu in the form of the manifest causal principle is identical with Govinda as regards quality. The manifestive quality (sattva-guna) that is found to exist in the triple mundane quality, is an adulterated entity. being alloyed with the qualities of mundane activity and inertia.

Brahma is the dislocated portion of the Divinity. manifested in the principle of mundane action, endowed with the functional nature of His subjective portion; and Sambhu is the dislocated portion of the Divinity manifested in the principle of mundane inertia possessing similarly the functional nature of His subjective portion.

The reason for their being dislocated portions is that the two principles of mundane action and inertia being altogether wanting in the spiritual essence any entities, that are manifested in them, are located at a great distance from the Divinity Himself or His facsimiles.

Although the mundane manifestive quality is of the adulterated kind, Visnu, the manifestation of the Divinity in the mundane manifestive quality. makes His appearance in the unadulterated manifestive principle which is a constituent of the mundane manifestive quality. Hence Visnu is the full subjective portion and belongs to the category of the superior isvaras. He is the Lord of the deluding potency and not alloyed with her. Visnu is the agent of Govinda's own subjective nature in the form of the prime cause. All the majestic attributes of Govinda, aggregating sixty in number, are fully present in His majestic manifestation, Narayana. Brahma and Siva are entities adulterated with mundane qualities. Though Visnu is also divine appearance in mundane quality (guna-avatara), still He is not adulterated.

The appearance of Narayana in the form of Maha-Visnu, the appearance of Maha-Visnu in the form of Garbhodakasayi and the appearance of Visnu in the form of Ksirodakasayi, are examples of the ubiquitous function of the Divinity. Visnu is Godhead Himself, and the two other guna-avataras and all the other gods are entities possessing authority in subordination to Him.

From the subjective majestic manifestation of the supreme self-luminous Govinda emanate Karanodakasayi, Garbhodakasayi, Ksirodakasayi and all other derivative subjective divine descents (avataras) such as Rama, etc., analogous to communicated light appearing in different candles, shining by the operation of the spiritual potency of Govinda.

Lord Brahma is two types

2010-02-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

Brahma Samhita Chapter 5 Text 49

bhasvan yathasma-sakalesu nijesu tejah
sviyam kiyat prakatayaty api tadvad atra
brahma ya esa jagad-anda-vidhana-karta
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

SYNONYMS

bhasvan--the illuminating sun; yatha--as; asma-sakalesu--in various types of precious stones; nijesu--his own; tejah--brilliance; sviyam--his own; kiyat--to some extent; prakatayati--manifests; api--also; tadvat--similarly; atra--here; brahma--Lord Brahma; yah--who; esah--he; jagat-anda-vidhana-karta--the chief of the universe; govindam--Govinda; adi-purusam--the original person; tam--Him; aham--I; bhajami--worship.

TRANSLATION

I adore the primeval Lord Govinda from whom the separated subjective portion Brahma receives his power for the regulation of the mundane world, just as the sun manifests some portion of his own light in all the effulgent gems that bear the names of suryakanta, etc.

PURPORT

Brahma is two types: in certain kalpas when the potency of the Supreme Lord infuses Himself in an eligible jiva, the latter acts in the office of Brahma and creates the universe. In those kalpas when no eligible jiva is available, after the Brahma of the previous kalpa is liberated, Krsna, by the process of allotment of His own potency. creates the Brahma who has the nature of the avatara (descent) of the Divinity in the active mundane principle (rajo-guna). By principle Brahma is superior to ordinary jivas but is not the direct Divinity. The divine nature is present in a greater measure in Sambhu than in Brahma. The fundamental significance of the above is that the aggregate of fifty attributes, belonging to the jiva, are present in a fuller measure in Brahma who possesses, in a lesser degree, five more attributes which are not found in jivas. But in Sambhu both the fifty attributes of jivas as also the five additional attributes found in Brahma are present in even greater measure than in Brahma.

Poor boy

2010-02-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

The goal of the eyes is to see someone like you; the goal of the skin is to embrace the body of one such as you. The goal of the tongue is to sing the glories of one such as you, for great devotees of the Lord are rare in this world.

( Hari Bhakti Vilas )

This verse is spoken by the Earth Goddess to Prahlada Maharaj. She had just finished catching him when Hiranyakashipu had the poor boy thrown off the palace roof.

Bharat Varsa\Mahabharat period

2010-02-10T13:47:00.000-08:00

Bharat Varsa 3200 B.C.

2010-02-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

******

Men with a poor fund of knowledge accept history of the world since the time of Buddha or since 600 BC and prior to this period all histories mentioned in the scriptures are calculated by them as imaginary stories. That is not a fact. All the stories mentioned in the Purāṇas and Mahābhārata etc. are actual history not only of this planet but also of the other millions of planets within the universe. Some times the history of planets beyond this world appear to such men of poor fund of knowledge, as some thing nonbelievable. But they do not know that different planets are not equal in all respects and as such some of the historical facts derived from other planets do not correspond with the experience of this planet. Considering the different situation of different planets as also time and circumstances, there is nothing wonderful in the stories of the Purāṇas, nor are they imaginary. We should always remember the maxim that one man's food is another man's poison. We should not therefore reject the stories and histories of the Purāṇas as imaginary. The great ṛṣis like Vyāsa had no business to put some imaginary stories in His literatures.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam such selected historical facts taken out from the histories of different planets have been depicted. It is therefore accepted by all the spiritual authorities as the Mahā-Purāṇa. Special significance of these histories is that they are all connected with activities of the Lord in a different time and atmosphere. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the topmost personality of all the self-realized souls and he accepted as subject matter of studies from his father Vyāsadeva. Śrīla Vyāsadeva is the great authority and the subject matter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam being equally important, he delivered the message first to his great son Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī. It is compared with the cream of the milk. Vedic literatures are like the Milk Ocean of knowledge. Cream or butter is the most palatable essence of milk and so also is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as it contains all palatable, instructive and authentic versions from different activities of the Lord and His devotees.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.41, 1st printing in 1962,
commentary by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami

Mundane wranglers

2010-02-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

When Srila Vyasa Dev was compiling the Vedas he was confronted with some dissatisfaction of mind. Just at that moment he was visited by his Spiritual Master Jagat Guru Srila Narada Muni who advised him in many ways as to what to write that would benefit souls who are searching for enlightenment in the coming age. The following commentary is found in the Original Srimad Bhagwatam (1.6.11) translated from Sanskrit to English by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami.

Man's activities in the fields of agriculture, mining, farming, industries, gardening all were on the same scale, as they are now, even previous to the present creation and the same activities will remain as they are even in the next creation. After many hundreds of crores of years one creation is annihilated and after many hundreds of crores of years another creation is started by the law of nature and the history of the universe repeats itself practically on the same level but the mundane wranglers waste time in the matter of archaeological excavations without any search into the vital necessities of life. Śrī Nārada Muni, even though he was a mere child, after getting an impetus of spiritual renaissance did not waste time for a single moment in the matter of economic development although he passed on through the societies of towns and villages, mines and industries but continually went on for progressive spiritual emancipation. Śrīmad-Bhāgwatam is nothing but another repeating of history which happened some hundreds of crores of years before. As it is said herein before that in the Srimad Bhagwatam only the most important factors of history, historical narration are picked up so it is recorded in this transcendental piece of literature.

* 1 Crore equals 10 million

* Srimad Bhagwatam is the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic Knowledge.

Sreemad Bhakti Siddhanta Goswami

2010-02-01T08:08:00.000-08:00

The Appearance Day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati is observed on February 1st. This glorification is from HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada's 'Back To Godhead', Volume 1, Part 9, March 1952.

Om Vishnupada Sree Sreemad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami appeared in this mortal world in the year in February on as the third son of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur known as Late Kedarnath Dutt in His early householder life. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati was known as Bimala Prasad Dutt in His early life and from His very boyhood, inspired by His devotee father, lived a strict pious and religious life. One instance in His early life will prove how much He was rigid in His principle of religious way of life. The instance may be cited here as a matter of course. Srila Kedar Nath Dutta as an ideal Grihastha used to worship Sree Sree Radha Govinda Vigraha at his house. As such one day he purchased some good quality mangoes for the deity when Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati was a mere child. The child Bimala Prasad pretending the childish nature ate up the mangoes without the knowledge of His father. The father when he came to know that the mangoes purchased for offering to the deities at his house were swallowed up by his child Bimala Prasad, he mildly rebuked Him and warned Him also not to commit the mistake in future. The child Bimala Prasad took up this matter very seriously and as the proverb goes that child is the father of future men, so He proved Himself then as the future Acharya of the human community.

From that day forward till His departure from this mortal world He remembered that mistake which He had committed in His early life and as a matter of self imposed punishment He never touched mangoes of any kind for His eating purpose. In His later life He was so many times requested by His thousands and thousands disciples to accept mangoes but He always reminded of His childish so called mistake and always quoted the instruction from the Ishopanishad that everything belongs to the Almighty God. No body therefore accept anything in this world unless the same has first been offered to Him (Almighty God).

Another instance of His early life may be stated here that when Bimala Prasad was on the lap of his beloved mother His father Late Kedar Nath Dutta was posted as Magistrate of Puri. The Car festival of Sree Sree Jagannathji took place at that time. The house was situated just near the main road through which the Car used to pass. So when the Car was moving it stopped all of a sudden in front of the house where Sri Bimala Prasad was on the lap of His mother. The Car of Jagannath stopped and did not move with utmost endeavour of the pulling devotees. The mother of Bimala Prasad took this opportunity and was helped to get up on the Car for Darshan of the Deity with her saintly son. The baby Bimala Prasad was then thrown on the holy feet of Sree Sree Jagannathji and at once the baby was blessed by the God as some flowers fell down on the baby from the hands of the Deity. After this incidence the Car began to move and every intelligent person present there could understand that the child Bimala Prasad was not an ordinary one.

There are many such small but very significant instances from His very childhood which indicated Bimala Prasad to be a future great personality and it so happened that in His later age He became the most powerful Acharya in the line of Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya in the disciplic succession from the Madhyacharya who was in the line of Brahma Sampradaya coming down Brahma the Creator of this Universe. There are four Sattawata or transcendental spiritual Acharya Sampradayas or fundamental schools of Theism such as the Brahma Sampradaya beginning from Brahma after His initiation from the Personality of Godhead; the Rudra Sampradaya beginning from Sankara or Mahadeva; the Shree Sampradaya beginning from Sreemati Luxmi Devi the Eternal Consort of Shree Narayana and the Kumar Sampradaya beginning from the Kumar namely Sanak Sanat Kumars. Sree Madhyacharya belonged to Brahma Sampradaya, Sree Ramanuja to the Sree Sampradaya, Sree Vishnuswami to the Rudra Sampradaya and Sree Nimbarka belonged to Kumar Sampradaya. All these four Acharyas are bonafide preachers of the pure transcendental philosophy dealing with the problems of the world, the living entities and the Almighty God who is the Father of the creation as well as the living entities who are falsely trying to dominate over the creation and the controlling energy known as the material Nature.

Sree Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj happened to be the tenth generation in the line of disciplic succession from Lord Chaitanya who accepted Srila Iswar Puri as His spiritual Master. Srila Madhabendra Puri was the spiritual Master of Srila Iswar Puri and He (Sri Madhabendra Puri) belonged to be in the disciplic succession from Madhyacharya who was direct disciple of Sree Vyasdeva. The Spiritual Master of Srila Vyasdeva was Srila Narada Muni who was directly initiated by Brahma the originator of the Brahma Sampradaya and therefore my spiritual Master Sree Sreemad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj belonged to the transcendental spiritual school of philosophy of the Brahma Sampradaya linking Brahma to Vyasdeva; from Him to Madhyacharya, from Madhyacharya to Lord Chaitanya and from Lord Chaitanya to Himself in a systematic principle of disciplic succession as stated in the Bhagwat Geeta.

Ebam Parampara Paraptam etc.

As a bonafide Acharya of the Brahma-Madhya-Gaudiya Sampradaya the mission of Sree Sreemad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami was to re-establish the pure form of theism as propounded by Lord Chaitanya in the line of His predecessors. Lord Chaitanya preached only the teachings of Bhagwat Geeta in the most practical way to suit the present environment created by the dark age of quarrel and fight. In the latter-age calculated to be two hundred years before the advent of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj many pseudo-spiritualistic parties in the name of Lord Chaitanya grew up like mushrooms to exploit the noble sentiment of spiritualism of the innocent people of Earth. Such pseudo-spiritualistic parties deviated poles asunder from the preaching of Lord Chaitanya because they were unfit to undergo the disciplic regulations and as such they had mitigated a via-media principle of rotten materialistic idea with pure spiritualism.

They misunderstood the highest form of worship contemplated by the Gopies of Brindaban in the transcendental loving pastimes of Lord Shree Krishna and misidentified the spiritual process with a materialistic idea of erotic principle. As such the highest principle Rashlila stated in the Bhagwat to be understood and relished at the stage of the Paramhansas was made a plaything by such pseudo parties are known as the Oal, Baoul, Nera, Karta Bhaja, Sain, Darbesi Sakhi-vekhi, Sahajia, Caste Goswamins, Caste Brahmins and so on. These pseudo parties passed as the disciples of Lord Chaitanya with their cheap nefarious activities and of all the above parties the Sahajias and the Caste Goswamins became the most obstinate obstructors to the onward progress of the universal movement of Lord Chaitanya.

The Philosophy of Lord Chaitanya was that God is One without a second. He is known as Shree Krishna but His incarnations such as Rama Nrisingha are all identical with Him. The living entities or Jivas are qualitatively one with Godhead but quantitatively they are innumerable but eternal servitors of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The present materialistic activities of the Jivas are to be understood as the acts of Maya or illusion and therefore they are all waste of energy of the human being. The energy of the human being as also of other living being should therefore be directed under the bonafide regulations of the Acharya so the line of Lord Chaitanya and as such He vehemently protested against the principles of those pseudo transcendentalists now passed in the name of Lord Chaitanya.

Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode initiated the reformatory movement by literary contributions while he was still engaged as a high Government Officer. During his householder life and serving as a Magistrate he wrote books of various descriptions in Bengali, English, Sanskrit & etc. to present an actual picture of pure devotional activities of Lord Chaitanya. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj got inspiration from his very Childhood all about Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode's movement. As a matter of fact out of all his other son's Srila Saraswati Thakur practically worked as the private secretary of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur as such Bhaktivinode Thakur gave Him (Srila Saraswati Thakur) the transcendental Power of Attorney to espouse the cause of Lord Chaitanya and so after Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur's departure—Srila Saraswati Thakur took up reins of that reformatory movement.

The first and foremost task of Srila Saraswati Thakur was to excavate the holy birth-place of Lord Chaitanya at Sreedham Mayapur in the district of Nadia in West Bengal. To substantiate this preliminary act of His great future movement Srila Saraswati Thakur had to face tremendous difficulties offered by the caste goswamins at Nabadwip—because they apprehended a lawyer in that initial movement. The caste goswamins were exploiting and still are exploiting the religious sentiments of the common people in the name of Lord Chaitanya and presented themselves as so called relative and descendants of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda. Factually Lord Chaitanya or for the matter of that Lord Nityananda accepted nobody as their relative or kinsmen who were not devotee of the Lord. On the contrary Lord Chaitanya accepted Thakur Haridas, who happened to come out of a Mohammedan family, as the Namacharya or the most powerful authority for preaching the samkirtan movement which Lord Chaitanya inaugurated so arduously.

Lord Chaitanya, as it is stated in the Bhagwat Geeta or in other authentic scriptures, wanted to re-establish the Vaishnava Dharma on the real basis of spiritualism. He never deprecated the natural caste system but neither He approved of the birth-right caste system, which has degenerated into slut of anachronism. Lord Chaitanya opined that anyone who is well conversant with the philosophy of the Absolute Truth Shree Krishna, never mind what he is either a born Brahmin or Sudra or in the Ashram of a Sanyasi or Grihastha, is perfectly competent to act in the role of Spiritual Master. And He practically demonstrated this fact during His preaching work.

The caste goswamins assisted by the other pseudo-transcendentalists made a clique to check up the universal movement of Lord Chaitanya and made a business of dispatching those foolish followers to the kingdom heaven after having drawing a lumpsum amount for this priestcraft hooliganism.

Sree Sreemad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj wanted to check up this pseudo-spiritualistic activities of the so-called followers of Lord Chaitanya and present the actual thing for acceptance by the general public religionists and modern philosophers for a critical study of the sublime gift of Lord Chaitanya. It is the honest belief of Srila Saraswati Thakur that people in general, modern philosophers and thinkers as also the religionists will be struck with wonder when they seriously make a study of the gift of Lord Chaitanya.

What was thought by modern leaders like Gandhi and Rabindranath was long long before thought by Lord Chaitanya not as a public leader of political aspiration but as the Father of all living entities. The movement of Lord Chaitanya is generally known as the Samkirtan movement which is a transcendental process of self-realisation by removing the dust of materialism on the mirror of human intelligence. The present problem confronting the human civilization is due to lack of a proper introspection of the goal of human knowledge.

Scientifically speaking,

2010-01-31T09:07:00.001-08:00

Near-Death Experiences Convince Doctor of Afterlife

By Laura Fitzpatrick for Time.com on 22 Jan 2010

Is there life after death? Theologians can debate all they want, but radiation oncologist Dr. Jeffrey Long says if you look at the scientific evidence, the answer is unequivocally yes. Drawing on a decade's worth of research on near-death experiences — work that includes cataloguing the stories of some 1,600 people who have gone through them — he makes the case for that controversial conclusion in a new book, Evidence of the Afterlife. Medicine, Long says, cannot account for the consistencies in the accounts reported by people all over the world. He talked to TIME about the nature of near-death experience, the intersection between religion and science and the Oprah effect.

Medically speaking, what is a near-death experience?

A near-death experience has two components. The person has to be near death, which means physically compromised so severely that permanent death would occur if they did not improve: they're unconscious, or often clinically dead, with an absence of heartbeat and breathing. The second component [is that] at the time they're having a close brush with death, they have an experience. [It is] generally lucid [and] highly organized.

How do you respond to skeptics who say there must be some biological or physiological basis for that kind of experience, which you say in the book is medically inexplicable?

There have been over 20 alternative, skeptical "explanations" for near-death experience. The reason is very clear: no one or several skeptical explanations make sense, even to the skeptics themselves. Or [else ]there wouldn't be so many.

You say there's less skepticism about near-death experiences than there used to be, as well as more awareness. Why is that?

Literally hundreds of scholarly articles have been written over the last 35 years about near-death experience. In addition to that, the media continues to present [evidence of] near-death experience. Hundreds of thousands of pages a month are read on our website, NDERF.org.

In the book you say that some critics argue that there's an "Oprah effect": that a lot of people who have had near-death experiences have heard about them elsewhere first. How do you account for that in your research?

We post to the website the near-death experience exactly as it was shared with us. Given the fact that every month 300,000 pages are read [by] over 40,000 unique visitors from all around the world, the chances of a copycat account from any media source not being picked up by any one of those people is exceedingly remote. Our quality-assurance check is the enormous visibility and the enormous number of visitors.

You say this research has affected you a lot on a personal level. How?

I'm a physician who fights cancer. In spite of our best efforts, not everybody is going to be cured. My absolute understanding that there is an afterlife for all of us — and a wonderful afterlife — helps me face cancer, this terribly frightening and threatening disease, with more courage than I've ever faced it with before. I can be a better physician for my patients.

You say we can draw on near-death experiences to reach conclusions about life after actual death. But is that comparing apples and oranges?

Scientifically speaking, interviewing people that have permanently died is challenging. Obviously, given that impossibility, we have to do the next best thing. If these people have no brain function, like you have in a cardiac arrest, I think that is the best, closest model we're going to have to study whether or not conscious experience can occur apart from the physical brain. The research shows the overwhelming answer is absolutely yes.

You raise the idea that your work could have profound implications for religion. But is whether there is life after death really a scientific question, or a theological one?

I think we have an interesting blend. [This research] directly addresses what religions have been telling us for millenniums to accept on faith: that there is an afterlife, that there is some order and purpose to this universe, that there's some reason and purpose for us being here in earthly life. We're finding verification, if you will, for what so many religions have been saying. It's an important step toward bringing science and religion together.

Is there any aspect of human experience that you don't think science can touch?

Oh, absolutely. What happens after permanent death — after we're no longer able to interview people — is an absolute. To that extent, the work I do may always require some element of faith. But by the time you look at [the] evidence, the amount of faith you need to have [to believe in] life after death is substantially reduced.

Kirtan

2010-01-28T08:06:00.002-08:00

heno nitai bine bhai,
radha krishna paite nai.
drdha kori dharo nitaier pai.

Mahaprabhu was engaged in high deliberations and ecstatic moods with Svarupa Damodhara and Ramananda Ray, Nityananda was having kirtan everywhere.

At the critical hour

2010-01-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

GOVINDA

--------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Śrīpāda Śańkarācārya

who preached Māyāvāda philosophy stressing on the impersonal feature of the Absolute,---did also at last recommend that one must take the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa without any hope of gain from debating society. Indirectly Śrīpād Śańkarācārya admitted that what he had preached in the flowery grammatical interpretations of the Vedānta-sūtra cannot help one seriously at the time of death. At the critical hour of death one must recite the name of Govinda as is the recommendation of all great transcendentalists.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī had long stated the same truth that at the end one must remember Nārāyaṇa and that is the essence of all spiritual activities. In pursuance of this eternal truth Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was heard by the emperor Parīkṣit, and it was recited by equally able recitor Śukadeva Gosvāmī. And both the speaker and the receiver of the messages of Bhāgavatam, were duly delivered by the same one medium.

This commentary by ACBSP can be read in the first english edition of Srimad Bhagavatam, printed in 1962.

As it was and should remain !

2010-01-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

Sri Vrindavan Dham

Sri Vrindavan should be understood in terms of Madhurya (sweet and simple village life), not Aishwarya (awe and reverence). Ideas like Krishna Disney world, 100-foot Vishnu statues, Durga riding a lion, and other tactless compromises with materialism should be opposed at all costs by all sincere devotees. Any malls or commercial centers catering exclusively to materialistic attitudes should be kept on the outskirts of the town. Attempts at creating and developing green public spaces like Seva Kunj and Nidhivan, etc., the Parikrama Marg and cleaning the Yamuna and the Dham should be encouraged.

Inform all devotees

2010-01-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

VAsu-dev Krishna is shown here absorbed in Yoga Nidra, just prior to his departure from this planet. His mission is now complete and a hunter will soon launch an arrow ending Krishna's manifest pastimes.One thing you may inform all devotees that Maya cannot touch a pure devotee: When you find a devotee is supposed in difficulty it is not the work of Maya but it is the work of the Lord by His Personal internal energy. The Pandava's tribulation in so many ways, Lord Ramacandra's departure to the forest, His wife the Goddess of Fortune's being kidnapped by Ravana, Lord Krishna's death being caused by the arrow of a hunter, Thakura Haridasa's being caned in 22 market or Lord Jesus Christ being crucified are all acts of the Lord personally. We cannot always understand the intricacies of such incidences. Sometimes they are enacted to bewilder persons who are demons.

We should only try to understand everything from the standard of devotional service. It is stated clearly in the B.G. that any one who is cent per cent engaged in the service of the Lord is transcendentally situated and the influence of Maya has no more any action on such body. The Lord and His pure devotees are always beyond the range of Maya's action. Even though they appear like action of Maya, we should understand their action of Yogamaya or the internal potency of the Lord.

Your ever well wisher
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

They would play Football

2010-01-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

Sometimes Krishna and Balarama would play on Their flutes, sometimes They would throw ropes and stones devised for getting fruits from the trees, sometimes They would throw only stones, and sometimes, Their ankle bells tinkling, They would play football with fruits like bael and amalaki. Sometimes They would cover Themselves with blankets and imitate cows and bulls and fight with one another, roaring loudly, and sometimes They would imitate the voices of the animals. In this way They enjoyed sporting, exactly like two ordinary human children.

SB 10.11.40-41

Jai Sri Krsna

2010-01-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

Sri Madana Mohana Temple

Madana-Mohan Temple

Here is what was then the new Madana-Mohan Temple, built by Sri Nanda Kumar Bose of Bengal in the early nineteenth century, at the bottom of the hill, where the Deity of Madana-Mohan is now being worshiped. Worship was moved to this new temple because the Muslims contaminated the old temple. This temple contains the pratibhu-murtis of the original Deities. It is considered that there is no difference in potency between the original Deity and the pratibhu-murti.

Interior of the Madana Mohana temple, a watercolor by Seeta Ram, c.1814-15

Directions: This temple is just off the Vrindavana parikrama path, about a half kilometre from Kaliya Ghata. It is between the Krishna Balarama Mandir and Loi Bazaar. It has a large ancient red tower and is on a hill, so it really stands out. To get to this temple you have to climb up a good-sized stairway. Besides the stairway from the road in front of the temple, there is also a stairway that leads from the parikrama path to the back-side of this temple.

Krishna is - - - -

2009-12-29T08:13:00.000-08:00

Peek into the 10th Canto of

Srimad BhagavatamKrishna is possessed of an unlimited intellect (84.22)

Krishna is inaccessible to sensuous knowledge (16.46).

Krishna is the Lord of the infinity of worlds (69.17).

Krishna wields the power of creating the unlimited (87.28).

Krishna carries the impress of limitless power (87.14).

Krishna is possessed of inconceivable potency (10 .29).

Krishna is unborn (59.28, 74.21).

Krishna solves all heterogeneous views (74.24).

Krishna is vanquished by exclusive devotion (14.3).

Krishna is the Inner Guide (l.17)·

Krishna is the Withholder of the energy of the wicked (60.19) .

Krishna is the Giver of salvation to jivas that are free from vanity (86.48).

Krishna ordains the worldly course of conceited jivas (86.48).

Krishna is Primal God (Deva) (40.1).

Krishna is Primal Person (Purusha) (63.38).

Krishna is an overwhelming flood of bliss (83.4).

Krishna possesses fulfilled desire (47.46).

Krishna is self-delighted (60.20).

Krishna is the opponent of the sensuous (60.35).

Krishna is sung by the best of hymns (86.23).

Krishna is the dispeller of the night of pseudo-religion. (14.40).

Krishna is devoid of increase and decrease (48.26).

Krishna is efficient and material cause (10.29).

Krishna is the only Truth (14.23).

Krishna is the Awarder of the fruit of work (49.29).

Krishna is not subject to the consequences of work (84.17).

Krishna is the Seer of cause and effect (38.12).

Krishna is the Person who is time (1.7).

Krishna is Time’s Own Self (70.26).

Krishna is even the Time of time (56.27).

Krishna is Present in the heart of every animate entity, like fire inside wood (46.36)

Krishna is Grateful (48.26).

Krishna is the Augmentor (like the Full Moon) of the ocean of earth, gods, twice-born and animals (14.40).

Krishna is the Tormentor of cannibalistic persons (14.40).

Krishna is the Destroyer of the pride of the arrogant (60.19).

Krishna is the Root-Cause of the origin, etc., of the world (14.23)

Krishna is the Cause of the world (40.1).

Krishna is the Creator of the world (70.38).

Krishna is appears as if possessed of a body like that of mundane entities for the good of the world (14.55).

Krishna is the Guru (centre of gravity) of the world (80.44).

Krishna is the Refuge (Ashraya ) of jivas (individual souls) who are afraid of birth and death (49.12).

Krishna is devoid of birth (46.38).

Krishna is equally the Internal Guide, Cause and Director of jivas (87.30)

Krishna is the Destroyer of the miseries of persons who enjoy themselves in meditating upon Him (58.10).

Krishna is of the fourth dimension and self-manifest (66.38)

Krishna is Worthy of being gifted (741.24) .

Krishna is the Punisher of the wicked (69.17).

Krishna is the God of gods (80.44).

Krishna is rarely cognizable by the gods (48.27).

Krishna is unconcerned about body, house, etc. (60.20).

Krishna is the Supreme Ruler of the greatest gods (738).

Krishna is the Exponent of Religion (69.40).

Krishna is the Eternal Son of Nanda (14.1).

Krishna is Visible to man with great difficulty (71.23).

Krishna’s Presence mocks the world of man (70.40).

Krishna is the Object of palatable drink of the human eye (71.33).

Krishna is lnternal Guide of all (31.4).

Krishna is Worthy of the worship of all the worlds (69.15).

Krishna accommodates all the worlds (59.30).

Krishna is the Maniifestor of all light (63.34).

Krishna is unstinted in giving Himself away to one who recollects Him. (80.11)

Krishna is the efficient Cause (87.50).

Krishna, although devoid of all mundane quality, assumes mundane qualities by His Inconceivable Power for the purposes creation, etc. (46.40).

Krishna is not subject to change (64.29).

Krishna is not capable of discrimination, by reason of void of any extraneous covering (87.29).

Krishna is the Giver of Himself to those who covet nothing (86.33).

Krishna loves those who covet nothing (60.14).

Krishna does no work (60.20).

Krishna is the Human, Hidden, Primal Person (Purusha) (44.13).

Krishna is Present in the hearts of jivas like the five elements (82.45).

Krishna is the Supreme Sorcerer (70.37).

Krishna is Supreme Godhead and the Internal Guide of all (56.27).

Krishna is the Crest-jewel of those whose praises are sung by the sacred lore (71.30).

Krishna is Primal Person and Ever-existing (14.23).

Krishna is the Highest among the Objects of worship (74.19).

Krishna is the Healer of the miseries of the submissive (73.16).

Krishna is the Destroyer of the sins of the submissive (31.7).

Krishna is the Destroyer of the distress of the submissive (73.8).
Krishna is the Residue after the Cataclysm (87.15).

Krishna is devoid of touch with mundane senses (87.28).

Krishna is the Soul and Friend of all animate entities (29.32).

Krishna is devoid of distinction appertaining to an alien (63.38,44).

Krishna is Inconceivable by His Nature (70.38).

Krishna is the Master of the Universe (70.37).

Krishna is the Nourisher of the Unierse (85.5).

Krishna is the Sun that cheers the lotus of the kindred of the Vrishnis (14.40)

Krishna is God worshipped by the Brahmanas (69.15).

Krishna is Foremost of the Brahmanas (84.20).

Krishna is the Originator of Brahma (40.1).

Krishna is the Worshipped of Brahma (31.13).

Krishna loves His devotees (48.26).

Krishna wears Forms in accordance with the wishes of His devotees (59.25)

Krishna is etertnally Present in Mathura (1.28) .

Krishna is devoid of the. sense of kinship and regards all in the same way (46.37).

Krishna is beyond all Measuring Potency (Maya) (63.26)

Krishna is subdued by the love of Judhisthira (72.10).

Krishna is concealed by the screen of Maya from the sight of the people 84.23).

Krishna does not follow the ways of the world (60.36).

Krishna is the Destroyer of the fear of the mundane sojourn of the submissive. (85.19).

Krishna is the Womb of the Scriptures. (16.44, 80.45, 84.20).

Krishna is Sree Guru’s Own Self (80.33).

Krishna is devoid of hankering for wife, offspring, etc. (60.20).

Krishna is of the Ordainer of the worldly sojourn and of the summon bonum (1.7).

Krishna is the friend of the good (69.17).

Krishna is devoid of discrimination as of kinship (63.38, 44).

Krishna is Existence (56.27).

Krishna possesses true desires (80.44).

Krishna is the True Entity (87.17).

Krishna is True of speech (48.26).

Krishna is True of resolve (37.12).

Krishna sees with an equal Eye (16.33).

Krishna is the Cause of all causes (14.56-57, 63.38, 87.16).

Krishna is the Originator of all (59.28).

Krishna is the Soul’s own self of all jivas (individual souls) (14.55).

Krishna is Omniscient (16.48).

Krishna is All-seeing (38.18).

Krishna is the Embodiment of all gods (74.19, 86.54).

Krishna is the Seer of all (16.48).

Krishna is the Lord of all (37.23).

Krishna is the Stay (Ashraya) of all entities (82.46).

Krishna is All-pervasive and Eternal (9.13).

Krishna is the Soul of all elements (86.31).

Krishna is the Knower of the minds of all elements (81.1).

Krishna is the soul’s self of all elements (74.24).

Krishna is the lnner Soul of all elements (37.11).

Krishna is the Internal Guide of all elements (47.29)

Krishna is the Cause of the origin of all elements (64.29).

Krishna is the Limit of all good (84.21).

Krishna is Omnipotent (37.12).

Krishna is the Lord of Lakshmi, the Presiding Deity of all riches (47.46).

Krishna is the Internal Guide of all (63138, 7216).

Krishna is the Stay (Ashraya) of all (40.15).

Krishna is Witness and Seer of Self (86.31).

Krishna is the Refuge of the good (80.9).

Krishna is most difficult to serve (88.11).

Krishna is the Friend of one’s heart (48.26).

Krishna is the Withholder of Creation (82.45).

Krishna is Withholder, Creator and Preserver (63.44).

Master of the functions of creation, etc. (16.49, 37.12).

Krishna is devoid of distinction as of kinship (74.21).

Krishna is devoid of distinction as between kin and alien (72.6).

Krishna indwells the Universe created by Himself (48.19).

Krishna is satisfied by the taste of His Self-Delight (72.6).

Krishna is the Destroyer of the worldly sojourn of His devotees (60.43).

Krishna is the Wearer of body according to His Wish (1.7).

SIDDHANTA SARASWATI.
24th Nov., 1932.

Sree Krishna-Chaitanya Math
Brindaban, Muttra

Note: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta advised his students to preach the movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the English speaking world. "Krishna is" was to be used as a guideline in that preaching work. Our Srila Prabhupad ( A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami ) inculded all the above in his wonderful presentation of his summery study of the 10th Canto titled "KRSNA the Supreme Personality of Godhead". -AJD

Gitar Gan

2009-12-22T08:09:00.000-08:00

Sri Guru Vandana Kori
By
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

(Written in Bengali)

(1)
sri-guru-vandana kori', tanhara carana dhori,
sri-bhaktisiddhanta prabhupada
ara jata siksa-guru, sabe vañca-kalpa-taru,
krpa koro ghucuka visada

(2)
rupa-sanatana prabhu, gaudiya-acarya vibhu,
ara sei bhatta-raghunatha
sri-jiva-gopala-bhatta, vrndavana je samghatta,
mile prabhu dasa raghunatha

(3)
gosvami prabhura gana, asraya sei sri-carana,
anya mora kichu asa nai
tanra madhye je sri-jiva, ujjvala acarya-dipa,
diyachena caranete thai

(4)
ami se durmati ati,visaya-bhogete mati,
krpa kori' anilo taniya
murkha mui nica ati, sri-siddhanta saraswati
krpa-vari dilo se siñciya

(5)
patita pavana prabhu, nityananda-gaura vibhu,
sri-advaita krpa-paravara
srivasadi-gadadhara, krpa koro e kinkara,
bhujhilama tava krpa sara

TRANSLATION

1) Touching the lotus feet of my spiritual teacher Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, I offer my respectful obeisances and orations to him, as well as the instructions of my spiritual masters, who are desire-trees.
2) Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami are the acaryas between all the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. With them, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami and Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami formed in assembly and were intimate associates in Sri Vrindavana dhama.
3) I do not long for anything thing more than the exclusive protection and refuge of the lotus feet these Gosvamis. Between all acaryas, Srila Jiva Gosvami stands out as a shining torch of knowledge. He has shoown me much mercy when giving me residence next to his lotus. (In the temple of Radha-Damodara)
4) I am a person of very evil and injurious mentality because I am always engrossed in the allowance of the senses with the aim of material benefit, although this is the condition of my mind, by the mercy of my Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati who is so is kind with me by removing the darkness of this maya. I am simply a fool and I am extremely fallen and of low birth, but even so my Guru Maharaja has kindness to sprinkle on my heart the rain of his divine compassion.
5) Oh lifter of the fallen souls, Oh Lord! Oh omniscient Lords Nityananda and Goura! Oh Advaita Prabhu, the ocean of mercy, Oh Srivasa and Gadadhara, heads of the disciplic succession! Please show mercy to this servant. I wish to understand that Their mercy, alone, is solely the real essence of life.

2009-12-20T16:18:00.000-08:00

About the Holy Name, It is said:

2009-12-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Maha Mantra

In Jnanamrita Sara, a scripture belonging to the Pancaratrika corpus of literature, the following statements are found:

“Located next to him (the guru), the disciple should hear the sixteen names of Hari from his mouth, thus taking shelter of the mantra which protects from inauspiciousness and causes auspiciousness for the three worlds.”

In the Brahma Yamala, belonging to the tantrika corpus of literature, the following statement is found:

“Without Hari, there is no way to eradicate the sins of the age of Kali, and therefore it is essential that Hari-nama should be manifest in all the worlds. In this way the entire world can be delivered from the great sins of the age of Kali. First one should twice chant ‘Hare Krsna’, then twice ‘Krsna, then twice ‘Hare’, then twice ‘Hare Rama’, and in the end, O Maha-Devi, one should chant ‘Rama’ twice, and then ‘Hare Hare’. In this way one should pronounce Krsna’s Hari-nama maha-mantra, which destroys all sins.”

In the Radha Tantra, the following discussion is found:

“Hear me, O mother Mahamaya, seed of the universe personified, mistress of the gods! Please explain the sequence of Hari-nama.”

“O best of sons! ‘Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’, these thirty-two syllables and sixteen names are always the names for the age of Kali. This mantra should be first heard by all human beings.”

A giant among men

2009-12-15T18:33:00.000-08:00

If this is a Hoax, someone sure went to a lot of trouble and has way to much free time on their hands. Then again it could be possible. -AJD

2009-12-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

Love and Sorrow
Animals have feelings too !
BY: Mark

Swallows

In the picture above, this Swallow's mate is injured and the condition is fatal. She was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.

Here he brought her food and attended to her with love and compassion.

He brought her food again, but was shocked to find her dead. He tried to move her... a rarely seen effort for swallows!

Aware that his mate is dead and will never come back to him again, he cries.

He stood beside her, saddened by her death.

Aware that she would never return to him, he stood beside her body in sorrow.

Millions of people cried after seeing these pictures in America and Europe, and even in India. It is said that the photographer sold these pictures for a nominal fee to the most famous newspaper in France. All copies of that newspaper were sold out on the day these pictures were published. And many people think animals don't have a brain or feelings?????

Sitting in a Temple

2009-12-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

Today I was sitting in a temple (dedicated to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu) reflecting on a few minuscule thoughts scribbled in my notepad so many years ago.

The first was the word Upanishad.
Upanishad means: Enlightenment that comes to a disciple by sitting at the feet of an enlightened being.

It is absolutely necessary to sit at the feet of an enlightened being if you truly desire enlightenment and not only listen to the sound coming from the Guru's mouth but to experience his Divine Grace. Sometimes the arraignment of words or language may not be understood logically, but that is not so important. The important thing is to hear and feel the transcendental presents of a realized soul. After sometime the entangled mind will be liberated enough that whatever the Guru has said will begin to make absolute sense. A transformation of consciousness will automatically take place. There is a nice example used by many Jagat Guru's from the past that goes something like this; "An aspiring devotee should never touch stool because stool is very impure and nasty". Later on during the same discourse it was said, "stool of a Cow is pure". This creates an apparent contradiction and may confuse a person who doesn't know the subtle teaching embedded in the example.

Let me try and explain.

We all have experience that stool is the waist by-product of a body, it contains bacteria, germs, poison and a very foul order, and these impurities can cause disease and even death. The stool of a Cow however has antiseptic qualities and can be used in many ways that benefit human society. From the stool of a Cow one can make incense, fire logs, fuel for cooking, mosquito repellent etc. The contradiction goes away and the logical brain can then digest the example and go forward. Logic was not really necessary if one had faith in the Guru but logic is now serving as an assistant to the neophyte devotee. On many levels the enlightened being is distributing his Grace and depending on our own level we benefit, some more than others.

On the other side of the coin, if you sit with and hear from a non-sense man you will become non-sense. If you associate with a womanizer you will become lusty and exploitative. If you associate with a criminal you will most likely become a criminal. That is why the most important principle when desiring enlightenment is to sit at the feet and absorb the enlightened energy of a self realized devotee of the lord.

The 2nd thought was:
Freedom can not be forced upon us.

If I were forced to become enlightened it would be bondage. Sri Krsna allows enlightened beings to broadcast his glories far and wide because they want to. They feel something in the core of their hearts that drives them. Call it compassion, mercy, love, devotion, whatever the label; if they were forced it will sooner or later become a burden and a source of misery for them. As students sitting at the feet of our Guru Maharaj, we went everywhere inviting people to come and sit with us, take the mercy of this enlightened being. Some came and many did not, our duty was to invite everyone we came in contact with to take advantage of this human life, sit with us and together associate with an enlightened being who was in our midst. No qualification required, just come visit and associate, chant the holy name and be happy.

There will always be enlightened beings (Jagat Gurus) roaming the earth and it is the duty of the seeker to find them and associate with them. Now that you are in a human body take advantage of it and don't waste your valuable life like the cats and dogs.

The 3rd thought took me back to when I was about 11 years old:

I was at a friend's house and was sitting in a lotus position next to the family swimming pool. Near the edge of the pool was a green lawn leading toward the side of the house near a cement walkway. I was facing the pool with my eyes closed feeling the warmth of the sun on my face and body when all of a sudden I heard what sounded like large stone boulders hitting the ground and simultaneously I could hear hundreds of individual screams of pain and suffering. I quickly turned around and saw my friend walking on the grass crushing them. I realized at that moment that the blades of grass had consciousness and felt pain. I never said anything about this to anyone. When I met My Gurudev (9 yrs later) he said in a talk as I was sitting at his feet, that "each and every blade of grass is an individual being and does not move unless sanctioned by the supreme lord. Life (consciousness) is in the body; the body is a covering of the spirit soul. In the material world there are 8,400,000 types of bodies. Consciousness is everywhere within and with-out the human body".

Bits and Pieces.
AJD

The illusory Material Energy

2009-12-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

* * * * * * * *

Real knowledge is revealed to a devotee only when he comes to the right conclusion about life by the grace of the Lord. Our creation of friends and enemies within this material world is something like dreaming at night. In dreams we create so many things out of various impressions in the subconscious mind, but all such creations are simply temporary and unreal. In the same way, although apparently we are awake in material life, because we have no information of the soul and the Supersoul, we create many friends and enemies simply out of imagination.

Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami says that within this material world or material consciousness, good and bad are the same. The distinction between good and bad is simply a mental concoction. The actual fact is that all living entities are sons of God, or by-products of His marginal energy. Because of our being contaminated by the modes of material nature, we distinguish one spiritual spark from another. That is also another kind of dreaming. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that those who are actually learned do not make any distinction between a learned scholar, a brahmana, an elephant, a dog and a candala. They do not see in terms of the external body; rather, they see the person as spirit soul. By higher understanding one can know that the material body is nothing but a combination of the five material elements. In that sense also the bodily construction of a human being and that of a demigod are one and the same. From the spiritual point of view we are all spiritual sparks, parts and parcels of the Supreme Spirit, God. Either materially or spiritually we are basically one, but we make friends and enemies as dictated by the illusory energy. Dhruva Maharaja therefore said, daivim mayam upasritya: the cause of his bewilderment was his association with the illusory, material energy. -ACBSP

Not visible to the mortal eye

2009-12-05T02:01:00.001-08:00

The first progenitor of mankind after his self realization recited in the language of the gods (sanskrit) many Slokas (verses), glorifying the supreme lord. This is but one Sloka from the 5th Chapter of the Brahma Samhita. - AJD

Sloka 38
premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti yam
syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

TRANSLATION

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Syamasundara, Krsna Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.

PURPORT

The Syamasundara form of Krsna is His inconceivable simultaneous personal and impersonal self-contradictory form. True devotees see that form in their purified hearts under the influence of devotional trance. The form Syama is not the blue color visible in the mundane world but is the transcendental variegated color affording eternal bliss, and is not visible to the mortal eye. On a consideration of the trance of Vyasadeva as in the sloka, bhakti-yogena manasi etc., it will be clear that the form of Sri Krsna is the full Personality of Godhead and can only be visible in the heart of a true devotee, which is the only true seat in the state of trance under the influence of devotion. When Krsna manifested Himself in Vraja, both the devotees and nondevotees saw Him with this very eye; but only the devotees cherished Him, eternally present in Vraja, as the priceless jewel of their heart. Nowadays also the devotees see Him in Vraja in their hearts, saturated with devotion although they do not see Him with their eyes. The eye of devotion is nothing but the eye of the pure unalloyed spiritual self of the jiva. The form of Krsna is visible to that eye in proportion to its purification by the practice of devotion. When the devotion of the neophyte reaches the stage of bhava-bhakti the pure eye of that devotee is tinged with the salve of love by the grace of Krsna, which enables him to see Krsna face to face. The phrase "in their hearts" means Krsna is visible in proportion as their hearts are purified by the practice of devotion. The sum and substance of this sloka is that the form of Krsna, who is Syamasundara, Natavara (Best Dancer), Muralidhara (Holder of the Flute) and Tribhanga (Triple-bending), is not a mental concoction but is transcendental, and is visible with the eye of the soul of the devotee under trance.

A Plethora of Literature

2009-12-01T00:23:00.001-08:00

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur's Literary Contribution

to the Gaudiya Vaisnava Community:

Srila Bhaktivinoda can be said to be one of greatest expounders of the philosophy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in modern times. Not only did he reestablish the dignity of Mahaprabhu’s teachings at a time when common people considered Vaishnavism to be immoral and backwards – he wrote a plethora of literature to show the sanctity and depth of the Acintya-bhedabheda philosophy of the Gaudiyas. Bhaktivinoda wrote almost 80 philosphical works. Two of his works deserve special mention: in 1893 Bhaktivinoda wrote ‘Tattva-viveka’ (A treatise on Realizations of Eternity, Knowledge and Bliss) a treatise which explores the fundamental aspects of various religions and philosophies, both eastern and western, in the light of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. Another important work of Bhaktivinoda was ‘Jaiva-dharma’ (the constitutional function of the soul)– a groundbreaking spiritual novel in which Bhaktivinoda reveals the development of the path of devotion to Krishna. Jaiva-dharma contains numerous dialogues on various spiritual topics. Many consider this book to be Bhaktivinoda’s greatest literary achievement.

A list of Bhaktivinoda’s works as well as the year they were published is as follows (this does not include the various essays that he penned for his periodical ‘Sajjana-toshani’):

1 Hari-katha: Topics of Lord Hari, 1850
2 Sumbha-Nisumbha-yuddha, 1851
3 Poriade, 1857-58.
4 Mathas of Orissa, 1860.
5 Vijana-grama, 1863.
6 Sannyasi, 1863.
7 Our Wants, 1863
8 Valide Rejistri, 1866.
9 Speech on Gautama, 1866
10 The Bhagavat: Its Philosophy, Its Ethics, and Its Theology, 1869
11 Garbha-stotra-vyakhya, 1870
12 Reflections, 1871
13 Thakura Haridasa, 1871
14 The Temple of Jagannatha at Puri, 1871
15 The Monasteries of Puri, 1871
16 The Personality of Godhead, 1871
17 A Beacon of Light, 1871
18 Saragrahi Vaisnava, 1871
19 To Love God, 1871
20 The Atibadis of Orissa, 1871
21 The Marriage System of Bengal, 1871
22 Vedantadhikarana-mala, 1872
23 Datta-kaustubham, 1874
24 Datta-vamsa-mala, 1876
25 Bauddha-vijaya-kavyam, 1878
26 Sri Krsna-samhita, 1880
27 Sri Sajjana-tosani, (monthly magazine) 1881
28 Kalyana-kalpataru, 1881
29 Review of Nitya-rupa-samsthapanam, 1883
30 Visva-Vaisnava-Kalpatari, 1885
31 Dasopanisad-curnika, 1886
32 Bhavavali (commentary), 1886
33 Rasika-Ranjana, (commentary on Bhagavad Gita) 1886
34 Sri Caitanya Siksamrta, 1886
35 Prema-pradipa, 1886
36 Published Sri Visnu-sahasra-nama, 1886
37 Manah-Siksa (translation and commentary), 1886
38 Sri Caitanya-Upanisad (commentary), 1887
39 Sri Krsna-vijaya (published), 1887
40 Vaisnava-siddhanta-mala, 1888
41 Sri Amnaya-sutram, 1890
42 Siddhanta-darpanam (Bengali translation), 1890
43 Sri Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya, 1890
44 Sri Godruma Kalpatari (essays on nama-hatta), 1891
45 Vidvad-ranjana (commentary on Bhagavad Gita), 1891
46 Sri Harinama, 1892
47 Sri Nama, 1892
48 Sri Nama-tattva-siksastaka, 1892
49 Sri Nama-mahima, 1892
50 Sri Nama-pracara, 1892
51 Sriman Mahaprabhura Siksa, 1892
52 Tattva-vivekah or Sri Saccidanandanubhutih, 1893
53 Saranagati, 1893
54 Gitavali, 1893
55 Gitamala, 1893
56 Soka-satana, 1893
57 Nama Bhajana, 1893
58 Tattva-sutram, 1894
59 Vedarka-didhiti (commentary on Sri Isopanisad), 1894
60 Tattva-muktavali or Mayavada-satadusani, (translated and published), 1894
61 Amrta-pravaha-bhasya (commentary on Caitanya caritamrta), 1895
62 Sri Gauranga-lila-smarana-mangala-stotram, 1896
63 Sri Ramanuja Upadesa, 1896
64 Jaiva-Dharma, 1896
65 Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts, 1896
66 Brahma-samhita (commentary), 1897
67 Sri Goloka-mahatmya (Bengali translation of Brhad Bhagavatamrta), 1898
68 Sri Krsna-karnamrtam, (translation), 1898
69 Piyusa-varsini-vrtti (commentary on Upadesamrta), 1898
70 Sri Bhajanamrtam (translation and commentary), 1899
71 Sri Navadvipa-bhava-taranga, 1899
72 The Hindu Idols, 1899
73 Sri Harinama-cintamani, 1900
74 Sri Bhagavata Arka-marici-mala, 1901
75 Sri Sankalpa-kalpadruma (Bengali translation), 1901
76 Sri Bhajana-rahasya, 1902
77 Sri Prema-vivarta (published), 1906
78 Svaniyama-dvadasakam, 1907

Servant of a tyrannical ritual

2009-11-29T01:17:00.001-08:00

The following article clearly describes a prerequisite in comprehension required for advancing in Spiritual life. Spiritual life means understanding the transcendental nature of the soul, our relationship with Krsna and obviously realizing the Personality of Godhead Himself. Human life is meant specifically for self realization and not for tickling the senses and falsely flattering one's false ego.

By refraining from animal slaughter and it's consumption, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex one is sure to make rapid spiritual progress. -AJD

Real Freedom
by Thomas Merton

"It should be accepted as a most elementary human and moral truth that no man can live a fully sane and decent life unless he is able to say 'no' on occasion to his natural bodily appetites. No man who simply eats and drinks whenever he feels like eating and drinking, who smokes whenever he feels the urge to light a cigarette, who gratifies his curiosity and sensuality whenever they are stimulated, can consider himself a free person. He has renounced his spiritual freedom and become the servant of bodily impulse. Therefore his mind and his will are not fully his own. They are under the power of his conditioning, his appetites.

And through the medium of his appetites, they are under the control of those who gratify his appetites. Just because he can buy one brand of whisky rather than another, this man deludes himself that he is making a choice; but the fact is that he is a devout servant of a tyrannical ritual. He must reverently buy the bottle, take it home, unwrap it, pour it out for his friends, watch TV, feel good, talk his silly uninhibited head off, get angry, shout, fight and go to bed in disgust with himself and the world. This becomes a kind of religious compulsion without which he cannot convince himself that he is really alive, really fulfilling his personality. Such a person is not merely sinning but is simply making an ass of himself, deluding himself that he is real when his compulsions have reduced him to a shadow of a genuine person."

The Great Mantra

2009-11-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

Krsna consciousness is a great mystery for many people. Some have spent a life searching and researching, analyzing every word of the Vedas, looking under every rock, tolerating the ups and downs-heat and cold- food-no food like the yogis and they still don't have a clue of the reality that is Krsna. Some have described it as love of God others have defined it as God Consciousness, Divine Love and of course the dull headed Atheist refer to it as Sentiment or Fanaticism. In any event it is stated in the Sri Isopanisad that one may travel at the speed of mind for hundreds and thousands of years and still not get a glimpse of the absolute reality.

When one gives up the egotistic idea that he can capture Krsna by his own intellectual effort or sensual discipline and admit from the core of his heart that Krsna is one's true benefactor and fully depend on him, by agreeing to be humble and serve the Divine Nama, Krsna being the most merciful will lovingly reveal himself to the devoted soul by the sound vibration produced from his representative (The Genuine Spiritual Master) .

Some have addressed Krsna as Allah, Jehovah, God and so on, all of which are based on local custom and language. The Name Krsna however when fully realized is understood to contain all the transcendental qualities that his other names attempt to describe.

Sabda brahma is present in the lord's holy name when heard from the lips of his pure devotees. Lord Caitanya has said that the supreme lord has invested all his transcendental potency's in the Maha Mantra, the Great Mantra of Deliverance. - AJD

Sabda-brahma

2009-11-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

It is said, that Brahma was created in the * Maha-kalpa as the incarnation of spiritual sound.

One who interprets the divine sound, or sabda-brahma, by his imperfect sense perception cannot be a real spiritual guru, because, in the absence of proper disciplinary training under the bona fide acarya, the interpreter is sure to differ from Vyasadeva (as the Mayavadis do). Srila Vyasadeva is the prime authority of Vedic revelation, and therefore such an irrelevant interpreter cannot be accepted as the guru, or acarya, howsoever equipped he may be with all the acquirement's of material knowledge.

As it is said in the Padma Purana:

“Unless you are initiated by a bona fide spiritual master in the disciplic succession, the mantra that you might have received is without any effect.”

On the other hand, one who has received the transcendental knowledge by aural reception from the bona fide preceptor in the disciplic chain, and who has sincere regard for the real acarya, must be enlightened with the revealed knowledge of the Vedas. This knowledge is permanently sealed to the cognitive approach of the empiricists.

As it is said in the Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.23):

“Only unto those great souls who simultaneously have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.”

Vedic evidence is called sabda-brahma. There are many things which are beyond the perception of our imperfect senses, yet the authoritative evidence of sound vibration is perfect. The Vedas are known as sabda-brahma because evidence taken from the Vedas constitutes the ultimate understanding. This is because sabda-brahma, or the Vedas, represents the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, the real essence of sabda-brahma is the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra.

* Maha-Kalpa: There are three different types of creation, called maha-kalpa, vikalpa and kalpa. In the maha-kalpa the Lord assumes the first purusa incarnation as Karanodakasayi Visnu with all the potencies of the mahat-tattva and the sixteen principles of creative matter and instruments. The creative instruments are eleven, the ingredients are five, and all of them are products of mahat, or materialistic ego. These creations by the Lord in His feature of Karanodakasayi Visnu are called maha-kalpa. The creation of Brahma and dispersion of the material ingredients are called vikalpa, and the creation by Brahma in each day of his life is called kalpa. Therefore each day of Brahma is called a kalpa, and there are thirty kalpas in terms of Brahma's days. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (8.17)

A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami

Bhakta George

2009-11-26T08:32:00.001-08:00

The First Thanksgiving Proclamation

November 26, 1789

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interposition's of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted' for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have show kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the third of October,
in the year of our Lord 1789.

(signed) G. Washington

Clones

2009-11-22T13:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Sir\Madam:

I will be happy to address you as my Prabhu when you display the qualities of a Prabhu. When you are able to see the soul in all bodies and refrain from bodily identification and the desire for self respect. When you can engage all your energies for the purpose of satisfying Sri Krsna in a spotless and pure fashion. When you are willing to be truthful and straightforward even if it hurts. Please place the spiritual interest of the innocent as your main concern, protect them by guiding them toward a genuine spiritual master. By taking a stand and exposing the rascals that have usurped our Divine Master’s Institution and watered down his teachings. At that time you will then be a true leader and not just a pawn in the hands of narrow minded , self interested, clones.

Pop your head out of the box, look around and see what is happening to Srila Prabhupads legacy.

Remember the love and compassion that Srila Prabhupad showed you ? Take a stand and by doing so you will deserve to be called Prabhu. Stand up for the truth. If you take the banner of Srila Prabhupad in your hands Mahaprabhu will do the rest. Don’t be afraid to speak the truth.

Burn into Ashes

2009-11-16T14:31:00.000-08:00

There are two verses in the Canakya Sloka as to how a family or an institution can be glorified or burned into ashes by one person.

Canakya Pandit says:

1. "If there is one tree in the forest producing nice aromatic flower, that one tree can glorify the whole forest by the fragrance of its flower".

Similarly,

2. "If there is one tree in whose cavity there is a little fire, that one tree can burn into ashes the whole forest".

So this simile is applicable anywhere. In a family if there is one good boy, he can glorify the whole family and similarly if there is one bad boy he can disgrace his entire family and destroy them. Similarly in this institution if there is a bad disciple he can burn the whole institution into ashes.

25 August, 1970
A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami

Note: We can all learn from the words of Canakya knowing that this applies even today in our families, temples, communities, countries, nations and throughout out the entire world. Citizens of the world should know what is a good citizen and educate those that don't know good from bad. Karmic reactions wait for know one -AJD

What is the use of education?

2009-11-11T18:44:00.000-08:00

Education is a method by which we can realise the Truth. There are many truths, History, Geography as is Mathematics. The content of truth is greatest in Mathematics. In others, there is an element of imagination. In Geography, we come across names like Asia, Africa, Madras, Ohio, etc. These names were given by humans. By imagination, we have given names "plateau" "valley", etc. By a process of gradual elimination of all that is imaginary, when we arrive at truth, that Truth is bound to be God. To think of Him with real devotion is the fruit of real education.

What is the use of education? Its first use is to develop humility (vinaya). In days past, the disciple who went to a guru was called "vineyan" meaning a person of humility which is the hall-mark of Instruction he received from his guru, the fruit of education. Education without humility is no education. Education is the same today as it was before, but methods have changed. The medicine is the same but if the diet has changed, the medicine becomes poison.

Unfortunately education has today become merely the means of livelihood. and false prestige . For true education, the student should go to a guru, remain humble and follow his advice.

Real education should help us realize that God is in fact a true reality. Real knowledge will fill our being with good qualities, through which one can realise the Truth, that is Krsna. Therefore, the goal of knowledge is understanding the Ultimate Truth. The first fruit of education must be humility and self control. Total surrender to the Lord is a means of learning our insignificance and the transcendent grace of the Lord.

If we engage an inquiry into the Atman (soul), at the end of it, it will be clear that Krsna is in our heart as the Supersoul. When that stage is reached all samskaras will gradually fall away. But, until then, we must engage in sadhana bhakti directing all our activities toward pleasing Guru and Krsna.

Those who are leaders of a group, society, or state should not neglect to established devotional customs and practices. For themselves they may not be in need of such ceremonies, for instance, their advancement in spirituality may not require them. But if they begin to neglect them, people for whom the rituals are really helpful, will also start neglecting them. This would be setting a bad example. In the words of the Bhagavad Gita, the wise should not unsettle the minds of those who are ignorant, and are attached to action: on the contrary, he should encourage them to perform what they should perform, by himself setting the example well and with diligence. It is the duty of leaders and those that are at the top to lead the people from where they are, and not to refrain from participation in devotional practice.

a fair-complexioned girl

2009-11-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

Sri Nikunjavidya

Lalita: Where is that enchanter Krishna?
Vrinda: In the temple of Gauri.
Lalita: What is He doing?
Vrinda: He is absorbed in Nikunjavidya.

The Three Girls: Friend, who is Nikunjavidya.?

Vrinda: (Laughing out loud) Aha! The ignorance of these girls! They don't even know about the very famous Nikunjavidya.!

The Three Girls: (Embarrassed) Friend, tell us. We really don't know.

Vrinda: O chaste girls, what cowherd girl in Gokula does not know my sister, the goddess of Bhandiravana forest?

Lalita: O Vrinda, please give us now advise that will make this calamity have a happy ending.

Vrinda: Friends, Nikunjavidya is a treasure-chest where the jewels of Krishna's most hidden secrets are kept. Let us go to her.

(They all walk toward the temple of Gauri).

Radhika: Vrinda, this is the temple of Gauri. Please enter, and, with a signal bring Nikunjavidya. outside.

Vrinda: (Raising her neck and looking, she says to herself:) In the doorway I see Krishna disguised as a fair-complexioned girl. (Openly) O friends, he is here alone, making an earring from a peacock feather.

The Three Girls: O liar, stop! Stop! Krishna's peacock Tandavika is in the courtyard.

Vrinda: O uncivilized girls, go and see for yourselves. What is the use of speculating?

Lalita: Clearly the peacock was overcome by sleepiness and did not notice when peacock-feather crowned Krishna left.

Radhika: Let us enter the temple and ask Nikunjavidya.

(Everyone enters)

(Radhika's mother in-law Jatila enters the stage)

Jatila: Padma affectionately told me: "O noble Jatila, you are very fortunate. Like Govardhana-gopa, your son will soon become the master of millions of cows, for today I saw Radha worshipping goddess Gauri at Gauri-tirtha". Now I shall go there and give blessing to Her. (Walking, she sees the doe Rangini in the courtyard. She happily says:) Well done, Padma! Well done! You do not speak lies. (Looking again, she becomes unhappy) Alas! Alas! Why is Krishna's peacock Tandavika now perched on the head of Gauri's lion? I shall go back and bring my son. (She exits running).

Radhika: (Aside) O friends, look at the extraordinary beauty of Gauri.

The two Gopi-friends: Oh! True! True! It is right that she is so beautiful for Krishna has placed both love and trust in her.

Radhika: Even though I have never seen her before I am still very eager to speak with her. (She becomes shy).

A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Sister Vrinda, is it not that Radha does recognize Me? Still, I have seen Her thousands of times.

Vrinda: (Aside) Amazing! This is truly the voice of a woman.
Radhika: Vrinda, I do not know why My heart feels such intense love for Nikunjavidya.

Vrinda: Friend, I know why. It is not surprising She has loved you for a long time.

Radhika: (Joyfully approaching) O Nikunjavidya, where is your Nikunjanagara (Lover who meets you in these forest groves?)

A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Friend, what person knows him?

Lalita: Friend Nikunjavidya, please don't joke like this. We are your friends.

A Voice From Behind the Scenes: O girl whose eyes are like autumn lotus flowers, without understanding the actual truth, how will You attain the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is like gold created by heating mercury in the fire.

Vrinda: (Aside) The smile on Nikunjavidya.'s cheek declares that she will be your messenger. O Radha, now You should soften her by anointing her with the excellent oil of Your love.

Radhika: O Nikunjavidya, why are you not bound to me as Vrinda is, with the bonds of love?

A Voice From Behind the Scenes: Making Your feet lotus flowers, Your thighs your plantain trees, Your arms lotus stems, Your face the moon, and understanding that these soft things cannot stand without a hard pillar to support them, the creator Brahma made Your heart a thunderbolt.

Radhika: Vrinda, look! Nikunjavidya. is affectionately smiling upon me. I shall go and meet her. (She exits).

Vrinda: O Nikunjavidya, O beloved of the beautiful girls of Gokula, Your heart is very hard. Even though this girl is your affectionate friend, still you do not please Her with an embrace.

Visakha: Radha is now talking with Nikunjavidya with the trust of love. Radha is extending the creepers of Her arms to embrace her.

A Voice From Behind the Scenes: O goddess of Bhandiravan, look! The time for going to Gokula is now approaching. Please bestow your mercy on us so we may meet Krishna in the arena of pastimes and enjoy with Him there.

Lalita: Vrinda, your sister is now embracing Radhika and kissing Her.

Visakha: (Anxious) I can see that your Nikunjavidya. is shameless. She is very eager to assume the role of a male, because she is now scratching Radha's breasts with her fingernails.

Vrinda: (With a smile) Friend, don't become angry. This is simply the pastime of great love.

(Entering and trembling).

Radhika: (Knitting Her eyebrows) Vrinda! Good! A good trick you have played on us!
Vrinda: (laughing) Friend, I don't understand. What do you mean?

The Two Gopi-friends: (With a smile) Vrinda, now you can understand what a charming girl Nikunjavidya. is.

(Jatila enters with her son Abhimanyu).

Jatila: Child Abhimanyu, look! In this courtyard are both Radha's pet doe Rangini and Krishna's peacock Tandavika.

Abhimanyu: Mother, you speak the truth. I saw Balarama enter Gokula village accompanied by the cows and cowherd boys, but without Krishna.

Jatila: Child, this overflowing stream of sweet fragrance announces the presence of that illicit couple.

Abhimanyu: Mother, today I shall no longer follow Paurnamasi's instructions. Now I shall take Radhika to Mathura City.

Jatila: Son, fortunately the temple has only one door. Let us stay by the door and eavesdrop on the conversation.

(They both do that).

(Krishna Enters)

Krishna: (With a smile:-) Radha, please do not request something that is so difficult to grant.

Radhika: (With a playful smile) O goddess, have mercy! Have mercy!

Abhimanyu: (Entering the temple) Aha! Outlaw! I have caught You red-handed!

Krishna: (Aside) Alas! Recognizing Abhimanyu from the sound of his voice, My beloved has become terrified and at once fainted, falling like a stick to the ground.

Jatila: (Struck with wonder, she points with her finger) O child, who is this fair-complexioned girl that illuminates this temple with her extraordinary beauty?

Abhimanyu: (Reflecting) Mother, Radha said "O goddess, have mercy! Have mercy!" and then She at once bowed down, falling like a stick to the ground. Clearly this girl is the goddess Gauri, the splendidly beautiful queen of Lord Siva, who has now appeared here.

Krishna: (He joyfully says to Himself) This disguise of a fair-complexioned girl has been very helpful to Me.

The Two gopi-friends: (With happiness) O best of the cowherd men, on your request we worshipped the goddess Gauri, and now the goddess herself has emerged from her statue.

Abhimanyu: Visakha, what difficult-to-attain object was Radha praying for at the feet of the goddess?

This is an excerpt from the play known as Vidagdha-Madhava
wriiten by Srila Rupa Goswami
Act Seven, Gauri-tirtha-vihara, Pastimes at Gauri-tirtha

2009-11-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

May cows stay in front of me;

may cows stay behind me;
may cows stay on both sides of me.

May I always reside in the midst of cows.

Hari Bhakti-vilas 16.252

Because of Him

2009-10-31T01:14:00.000-07:00

Om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

janmādy asya yato 'nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ
tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayah
̣tejo-vāri-mṛdāḿ yathā vinimayo yatra tri-sargo 'mṛṣā
dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaḿ satyaḿ paraḿ dhīmahi

TRANSLATION

O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.

Srimad Bhagawatam 1.1.1 Translation by ACBSP

Complete units

2009-10-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.

Invocation Mantra - Sri Isopanishad

Within You

2009-10-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

Lalita Said: O Krsna, All the Divine Avatars remain within You. We can clearly see the symptoms of these Avatars in your personality. You possess the restlessness of Matsya, the hardness of Kurma, Varaha's rescuing the earth, the sharp fingernails of Nrsimha, the fury of Parasurama, the power to crush Ravana of Ramacandra, the attachment for Varuni of Balarama, Buddha's wish to stop Animal sacrifices, and Kalki's pastime of yielding a raised sword. In this way Matsya and the other Avatars are all present within You.

Vidagdha Madhava text 37

Radha's effulgence

2009-10-25T12:08:00.001-07:00

Monday Oct 26 (India) 25th (US) is Gaura-astami. The Disappearance Day of Sri Gadadhara das Goswami, Srila Dhananjaya Pandit and Srila Srinivas Acharya Prabhu (As a result of coming in contact with the whip of Abhirama Thakura, Srinivas Acharya became filled with Sri Krishna prema). Sri Gopastami, Sri Gosthastami, Go-puja and Go-gras dan are also celebrated on this day.

Srila Gadadhara dasa

Srila Gadadhara dasa is considered to be a united form of Candrakanti, who is the effulgence of Srimati Radharani, and Purnananda, who is an expansion of Lord Balarama's dear friend.

Thus Srila Gadadhara dasa was one of the associates of both Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu.

Once while Srila Gadadhara dasa Prabhu was returning to Bengal from Jagannatha Puri with Nityananda Prabhu, he forgot himself and began talking very loudly as if he were a girl of Vrajabhumi selling yogurt, and Srila Nityananda Prabhu noted this.

Another time, while absorbed in the ecstasy of the gopis, he carried a jug filled with Ganges water on his head as if he were selling milk.

When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in the house of Raghava Pandita while going to Vrndavana, Gadadhara dasa went to see Him, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so glad that he put His foot on his head. When Gadadhara dasa Prabhu was present in Endiyadaha he established a Bala Gopal murti for worship .

Caitanya Bhagavat

Feeding Pomegranates to Suka

2009-10-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

Srila Sukadeva Gosvami was actually the dear parrot of Srimati Radhika – Sriyah Suka. Sriyah means ‘of Radhika’. One day, Srimati Radhika was feeding pomegranates to that parrot. She placed him on Her hand and told him, “O Suka, say ‘Krsna, Krsna, Krsna.’” The parrot repeated, in the same very sweet and melodious tune and voice as Srimati Radhika's: “Krsna, Krsna, Krsna”.

The parrot then flew away from Her and went to Krsna’s home in Nandagaon, which was situated nearby. There, Krsna was sitting with Madhu-mangala and they were talking about something. The green parrot sat on the branch of a tree that was fully laden with dark green leaves and began to speak like Srimati Radhika: “Krsna, Krsna, Krsna.” Krsna asked, “Where is the sound coming from? No one is here!”

He then saw that a very beautiful parrot was sitting on the tree. He very sweetly called to the parrot, “Come on, come on,” and the parrot at once came to sit on His hand.

Krsna asked him, “What are you saying again and again?”

The parrot said, “Krsna, Krsna, Krsna,” and added, “I am very, very unlucky. My Svamini (mistress) is Srimati Radhika. She held me on Her hand and gave me pomegranates, and She told me to repeat ‘Krsna, Krsna.’ She is very merciful. She loves me so much. Unfortunately, however, because I have the nature of a bird, I flew from there and I have come here.”

When Krsna heard this, He began to caress the parrot. He said, “Speak again.”

In the meantime, Lalita and Visakha arrived. They said, “O Krsna, this parrot belongs to Srimati Radhika. She cannot live without him. Please give him to us.”

Krsna replied, “You can call him, and if he comes to you, you can take him.”

They began to call the parrot, but he did not come. They told Krsna, “If any living entity comes to You, he will get Your affection and never go anywhere else. If Srimati Radhika comes and calls him, only then will he come; otherwise not.

“Without this parrot, my sakhi Radhika will not be able to remain alive. She is very upset.”

Krsna replied, “I will not give him to you. If he personally wants to go, he can go.”

Then Lalita and Visakha, who were very intelligent, went to Mother Yasoda and said, “Srimati Radhika’s parrot has come here. Our sakhi is very upset. Please take the bird and give him to us so that we can return him to Her.”

Mother Yasoda immediately said, “Sit here and wait, I will come back very soon.” She went to the place where Krsna was playing with the bird and said, “What nonsense are you doing? You are always playing with birds and animals. Come with me.” She took hold of Krsna’s hand and began to take Him home. “Your father is sitting and waiting for You to take bath and prasadam. You should go at once.”

Put Him Down

2009-10-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

The Origin of Govardhan Puja

In the western coast of India, in the island of Salmali, lived Dronachala, the king of the mountains. Once a sage by the name of Pulastya Muni, came to him to take his son Giriraja with him to Kashi (Varanasi). After offering some initial resistance, Giriraja, somehow agreed to go with him only on condition that he should not put him down on the earth along the way. If he did so, he would stay there forever.

When they were flying over Vraja bhumi, Giriraja increased his weight to the extent that Pulastya had no option but to put him down. Pulastya understood the mischief of Giriraja. He became furious and cursed him that he would decrease by one grain everyday. But then repenting on the curse that he gave to Giriraja, he assured him that he would be blessed in the Dvapara Yuga and everybody would start worshipping him at that time.

This happened in the Satya yuga. Brahmaji wished to create the Dvapara Yuga but because of the portentous phenomenon of Ravana, he had to create the Treta Yuga. In this yuga, Hanumanaji on the instructions of Lord Rama, came to take Giriraja for the cause of constructing a bridge on the ocean.

Giriraja at once agreed to go for the service of Lord Rama. But before they reached the bridge it was already complete so there was no need of additional stones. Giriraja was very disappointed not getting the opportunity to have the darshana of Lord Rama.

On knowing the sorrow of Giriraja, Lord Rama sent a message saying that, "...by the end of the Dvapara Yuga, the Original personality of godhead, Sri Krishna will appear and have his transcendental leelas on you and will also worship you with great affection. In the kaliyuga, the devotees shall attain numerous divine supernatural powers by simply worshipping you.''

In Sarasvata Kalpa, i.e. the end of the Dvapara Yuga, Bhagavan Sri Krishna stopped the worship of Indra and started the Govardhana Puja by doing it Himself. It was a wonderful sight. Being worshipped by Sri Krishna, Giriraja himself became like Sri Krishna. It was like He (Sri Krishna) was worshipping Himself. Since then all the six seasons resided permanently on Giriraja.

Besides this, the eight gates of the Asta Sakha's from where they entered nitya lila, are also on Govardhan hill. The Asta Sakha's, who reside on Govardhan hill are in different places, each of which were passionately attached to their respective Deities at those places.

Potency to arouse

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O learned devotees, I am by nature ignorant and low, yet even though it is through me that Vidagdha-Madhava has manifested, it is filled with sweet descriptions of the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.This dramatisation has the potency to arouse the true nature of Divine love? Although wood may be ignited by a low-class man, fire can nevertheless purify gold. Although I am very low by nature, this composition will cleanse the heart and minds of the golden devotees (rasikas) giving them great satisfaction.

Words to live by

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"IF we know something of the Scriptures then we can understand that through the service of Guru Maharaj and the Vaisnavas we will get everything - ecstasy, nectar, love, beauty - in the transcendental service world, and that is our life's goal."

- Srila Govinda Maharaj

~~ www.dharmakshetra.com / blog ~~

Personalities mentioned in the Mahabharata

The fact is

Lord krishna told him

Jai Sri Radhe

Distributing Ecstacy

Meeting of the Gods and Sages

My Sweet Lord is Angry

Love and delight

Its Not all that sweet

Bonified person can teach

Gravity of import

You and I

Narasimhadev Ki Jai

Dancing the night away

A Full Moon

Invisible Piper

Gnaw away the knot

5000 yrs ago in Dwaraka City

Krishna's Palace "Dwaraka City Discovered"

Sita sings the blues

The Ten Symptoms of the Non-Envious

Which policy will be more fruitful.

Any Person

Veggies,fruit,nuts are good for you, meat Kills

Supernatural Weapons

Love Personified

Focus in this way

Then and Now

The Ear

The etymological order

Human Ocular Extramission

April 15 to May 13, 2010

He never compromised .

A lot of Bull

That's a rope

Temple of my heart

Become free

He will be given samadhi

Run to Him

Like a stunted ignorant

Daughter of the Sun God

Post and Personality

Honor Thy Mother and Father

a clean heart

purification of skin disease

well-wisher

Following the fast

Krishna's assertion

The gatekeeper

Annointed - ( Seva kunja,Vrndavan )

Graffiti @ Radha Kund

Vasant Panchami

light of one candle

Lord Brahma is two types

Poor boy

Bharat Varsa\Mahabharat period

Mundane wranglers

Sreemad Bhakti Siddhanta Goswami

Scientifically speaking,

Near-Death Experiences Convince Doctor of Afterlife

Kirtan

At the critical hour

As it was and should remain !

Inform all devotees

They would play Football

Jai Sri Krsna

Krishna is - - - -

Gitar Gan

About the Holy Name, It is said:

A giant among men

Sitting in a Temple

The illusory Material Energy

Not visible to the mortal eye

A Plethora of Literature

Servant of a tyrannical ritual

The Great Mantra

Sabda-brahma

Bhakta George

The First Thanksgiving Proclamation

www.dharmakshetra.com / blog