August | 2026 | The Hare Krishna Movement

Appearance Day of Lord Balarama

27 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: Balarama, hinduism, India, Lord Balarama, Lord Nityananda, Rama, religion, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, the-appearance-day-of-lord-balarama

Today marks the auspicious appearance of Lord Balaram. We honor it with a half day fast and followed by a nice vegetarian feast.

Lord Balarama is Krishna’s elder brother and His appearance day takes place on the full moon day (purnima), two weeks before Krishna Janmashtami. Krishna and Balarama were the darlings of Vrindavan/ Vraja. Together They would spend the day enjoying the company of the cowherd boys in the forests of Vraja. Their wonderful pastimes are related in the tenth canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, which Srila Prabhupada also translated as The Krishna Book. Lord Balarama is also considered the original spiritual master and His worship is therefore most important for Vaishnavas.

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, along with Balarāma, played like a human being, and so masked He performed many superhuman acts. (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto One, Chapter 1, Text 20)

Balarāma means guru-tattva. Balarāma represents guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. If we want to understand Caitanya Mahāprabhu, if we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then we must take shelter of Balarāma. Nāyam ātmā bala-hinena labhyaḥ. This bala-hinena labhyaḥ, this Vedic injunction, means “Without the mercy of Balarāma you cannot understand, you cannot realize your spiritual identification. So that Balarāma comes as Nityānanda Prabhu. Balarāma hailā nitāi. Therefore we must take shelter of Balarāma. (Lecture given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhuvaneśvara, February 2, 1977)

The Spiritual Potency of Chanting, Hearing or Remembering the Holy Name of the Supreme Lord

23 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, cc-madya-16-186, Chanting Hare Krishna, God, guru, Hare Krishna, Hare Krsna, Hare Rama, religion, sb-3-33-6, spiritual master, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam

Yesterday my wife read me this verse and purport from the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Cc. Madya-lila 16.186). It reminded me of the potency of the Holy Name of the Lord.

” ‘To say nothing of the spiritual advancement of persons who see the Supreme Person face to face, even a person born in a family of dog-eaters becomes immediately eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices if he once utters the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or chants about Him, hears about His pastimes, offers Him obeisances or even remembers Him.’ “

PURPORT

This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.33.6). According to this verse, it doesn’t matter what position a person holds. One may be the lowest of the low—a caṇḍāla, or dog-eater—but if he takes to chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, he is immediately eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices. This is especially true in this age of Kali.

harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa, 38.126)

A person born in a brāhmaṇa family cannot perform Vedic sacrifices until he is properly purified and has attained his sacred thread. However, according to this verse, it is understood that even a lowborn person can immediately perform sacrifices if he sincerely chants and hears the holy name of the Lord. Sometimes envious people ask how Europeans and Americans in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can become brāhmaṇas and perform sacrifices. They do not know that the Europeans and Americans have already been purified by chanting the holy name of the Lord—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is the proof. Śvādo ‘pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate. One may be born in a family of dog-eaters, but he can perform sacrifices simply by chanting the mahā-mantra.

Those who find fault in the Western Vaiṣṇavas should consider this statement from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the commentary on this verse by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. In this regard, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has stated that to become a brāhmaṇa, one has to wait for purification and undergo the sacred thread ceremony, but a chanter of the holy name does not have to wait for the sacred thread ceremony. We do not allow devotees to perform sacrifices until they are properly initiated in the sacred thread ceremony. Yet according to this verse, an offenseless chanter of the holy name is already fit to perform a fire ceremony, even though he is not doubly initiated by the sacred thread ceremony. This is the verdict given by Lord Kapiladeva in His instructions to His mother, Devahūti. It was Lord Kapiladeva who instructed Devahūti in pure Sāṅkhya philosophy.

And from the Srimad Bhagavatam full text and purport

Prabhupada’s Kitchari

19 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: cooking for Krishna, family, food, kitchari, kitri, Prasadam, recipe, recipes, srila-prabhupada-cooking, Vegetarian Cooking

We share this memory from Nara Narayan dasa, of Srila Prabhupada’s extraordinary cooking abilities. Also at bottom of post a nice recipe for Kitchari or as it is also referred to as Kitri.

Nara Narayan : Once, in the Los Angeles La Cienega temple, on the occasion of his spiritual master’s appearance day, Srila Prabhupada cooked a pot of kitchari. He said that kitchari was his spiritual master’s favorite dish.

Prabhupada cooked it using polished urad dahl, and it had a creamy consistency. There were thirty of us at that celebration, and there were many other dishes besides kitchari.

Since it was a holiday, everyone was in a jolly mood, talking and chatting, and we all got a dab of Prabhupada’s kitchari on our plates. By this time the kitchari was cold, and Prabhupada had already gone to his quarters. We popped the kitchari into our mouths, and all of sudden the conversation died out everywhere.

As soon as that prasadam touched our tongues we fell silent. We sat there in dead silence tasting grain after grain of it until it was all gone. Then we searched for stray grains on our plates. Then everybody began crawling towards the pot in the middle of the room where there was still a little bit left.

We were taking little pieces out of the pot. No one spoke a word until there was nothing left. Then we all went back and sat down in silence. Something about that prasadam was charged with what must have been Gopi-bhava. There was ecstasy involved in that prasadam. We were struck by it. Every exquisite feeling that Prabhupada had for his spiritual master was present, and we had a chance to experience that; we realized that Prabhupada had given us an extra special benediction he had allowed us to open the door a little and peek into what his world was like.

Reference: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint – Volume 1 by Siddhanta Dasa

Prabhupada Memories

The Ten Offenses to the Holy Name

18 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: Chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, hinduism, India, mantra meditation, religion, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, ten-offences

We often say “Chant and be Happy”, but there are offences to be considered. If we want to feel the full ecastscy derived from chanting the Holy names, we need to avoid them.

Remember that even if one feels they are being offensive, there is no need to stop chanting. By trying to chant sincerely and serving the spiritual master, we may be purified of our offenses and may be able to chant purely.

There are offenses to be considered while chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. Therefore simply by chanting Hare Krsna one does not become ecstatic. ( Cc. Adi-lila 8.24)

1) To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for propagating the holy name of the Lord.

2) To consider the names of demigods like Lord Shiva or Lord Brahma to be equal to or independent of the name of the Lord Vishnu.

3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master.

4) To blaspheme the vedic scriptures or scriptures in pursuance to the vedic version.

5) To consider the glories of chanting Hare Krishna to be an imagination.

6) To give some interpretations to the holy name of the Lord.

7) To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name.

8) To consider the chanting of Hare Krishna as one of the auspicious ritualistic activities which are offered in the Vedas as frutive activities (Karma kanda).

9) To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the holy name

10) To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy name and to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this matter. It is also an offense to be inattentive while chanting.

Every devotee who claims to be Vaishnava must guard against these offenses in order to quickly achieve the desired success Krishna Prema!!!

Six Questions Asked By the Sages of Naimisaranya

15 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, hinduism, India, philosophy, religion, sages of naimisaranya, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Sukadeva Goswami, Srimad Bhagavatam, Suta Goswami

The sages at Naimisaranya: Were an assembly of 88,000 spiritual teachers, led by the prominent sage Shaunaka Rishi. who gathered in the sacred Naimisaranya forest in modern-day Uttar Pradesh, India.

Once, in a holy place in the forest of Naimiṣāraṇya, great sages headed by the sage Śaunaka assembled to perform a great thousand-year sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Lord and His devotees. (SB 1.1.4 )

The Arrival of Suta Goswami: While conducting their rituals, the storyteller and sage Suta Goswami arrived at the assembly and was warmly welcomed and given a high seat of honor (Vyasasana).

O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls. (SB. 1. 1. 3 )

The Six Questions: Recognizing Suta Goswami’s pure character and deep scriptural knowledge, the sages asked him six fundamental questions regarding spiritual truth, which form the foundational framework of the

What is the absolute, ultimate benefit for all mankind?

What is the core essence hidden within all Vedic scriptures?

Why did the Supreme Lord take birth from Mother Devaki?

How do the secondary forms of the Lord (like Brahma and Rudra) create, maintain, and destroy the universe?

What are the complete activities and pastimes of Lord Hari’s various incarnations?

Where has true religion or spiritual shelter gone now that Lord Krishna has departed?

In the first chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavatam, the sages ask Suta Goswami six questions. These questions are not only asked for the sage’s own sake. They are concerned about the situation of people who will be living in the age of Kali, and they want to get from Suta Goswami some knowledge that can help them find their way out of all the darkness and illusion of this age.

( Note; These six questions are asked in chapter one, and the answers are given in chapters two and three. These chapters are thus intimately connected.)

Krishna’s Childhood Pastimes

12 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Bhagavad-gita 4.9.)

The above verse from the Bhagavad-gita is a very important instruction for aspiring devotees. Just hearing about Krishna, His appearance and activities is so beneficial to our advancement, and liberation, from this temporary material world.

The following verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam, describes some of Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan.

…There is no parallel to His childhood pastimes as exhibited at Vrajabhūmi, which are the prototypes of His eternal affairs in the original Kṛṣṇaloka described as the cintāmaṇi-dhāma in the Brahma-saṁhitā [Bs. 5.29]. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa descended Himself at Vrajabhūmi with all His transcendental entourage and paraphernalia. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore confirmed that no one is as fortunate as the residents of Vrajabhūmi, and specifically the cowherd girls, who dedicated their everything for the satisfaction of the Lord. His pastimes with Nanda and Yaśodā and His pastimes with the cowherd men and especially with the cowherd boys and the cows have caused Him to be known as Govinda. (from purport to SB 1.8.21)

Full Text and Purport

Study Guide

10 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized

Some time back I found this nice download of reference material and study guide for aspiring devotees. I printed it out, which took 80 pieces of paper, punched holes, and put it in a ring folder. It is arranged very professionally, and is broken down into eight basic areas of study.

1) Spiritual Master

2) Disciple

3) Deity Worship

4) Devotional Service

5) Chanting

6) Demigod Worship

7) Prasadam

8) General Information

For a free pdf download to view or save follow link; Harinam_Diksha_Reference_Material_for_Written_Test_new

The Hare Krishna Explosion

07 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized

June 14, 1969: New Vrindavan.

Hayagriva: We are entering Prabhupada’s fourth week at New Vrindavan. He is looking robust and is enjoying himself immensely. In the early morning, he walks down Aghasura Road to the spring and takes a little fresh water in his hand and sips it. He comments on everything: the birds, flowers, fence, pasture, buildings. Nothing is too insignificant to escape his attention. He even inquires about a stray dog.

Prabhupada: “Does he have a name?”

Hayagriva: “We call him Hare Rama,” I say.

Prabhupada: “And how’s that?”

Hayagriva: “Because he chants. He can’t say Hare Krishna, but he can say Hare Rama.”

When I coax Hare Rama by chanting “Hare Rama,” he responds, as always, by lowering his head between his paws and making a strange sound that very closely resembles “Hare Ramaramarama.”

“Oh, very good!” Prabhupada laughs. “Even the stray dogs are making nice progress here. That is the potency of a holy dham. In Vrindavan, you will see many dogs running loose in the streets, but when they die, they are liberated. That is a special benediction for those who have committed offenses in Vrindavan. They receive one life as a dog or hog in Vrindavan. Then liberation.”

Reference: The Hare Krishna Explosion – Hayagriva Dasa

English Translations

04 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, christianity, faith, God, pranams, prayers, songs of the vaisnava acharyas, Srila Prabhupada

Everyday when I offer my obeisances and prayers,I recite them in Sanskrit. However, I don’t dream in Sanskrit, and I don’t think in Sanskrit. I think or contemplate, meditate in English. So I often say the prayers or obeisances in English in my mind, while I recite the Sanskrit.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupalda, who is very dear to Lord Krsna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.

Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

“I offer me respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya, who is more magnanimous than any other incarnation, even Krsna Himself, because He is bestowing freely what no one else has ever given – pure love of Krsna”

“I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Absolute Truth, Krsna, who is the well-wisher of the cows and brahmanas, as well as the living entities in general. I offer my repeated obeisances to Govinda, who is the pleasure reservoir for all the senses”

I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.

O my dear Krsna, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdsmen and the lover of the gopis, especially Radharani. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You”.

“I offer my respects unto Srimati Radharani, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vrndavana. You are the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, and You are very dear to Lord Krsna”.

“All Glories to Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Lord Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Sri Gadadhara, Sri Srivas, and all the vaisnava devotes of the Lord“

“O Srimati Radharani, O all attractive reservoir of pleasure, Lord Sri Krsna, please engage me in your loving devotional service “

Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama
Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare

These are some of the prayers I ‘try’ to say daily, for the full prayers with the full Roman Transliteration please go to:

Pranams

https://theharekrishnamovement.org/category/prayers-verses/pranams

Books Are the Basis

03 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Uncategorized, Vaisesika das Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, Bhagavad-gita, Books by Srila Prabhupada, India, Iskcon, Krishna, religion, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada books, Srimad Bhagavatam, The Hare Krishna Movement, Vaisesika Dasa

The Following is an excerpt from “Our Family Business”

By His Grace Vaisesika Dasa,

In ISKCON we hear devotees say “Books are the basis.” Śrīla Prabhupāda himself used this phrase in a letter to Maṇḍali Bhadra Dāsa dated January 20, 1972: “My first concern is that my books shall be published and distributed profusely all over the world. Practically, books are the basis of our movement. Without them our preaching has no effect.” He uses it again in a letter to Tuṣṭa Kṛṣṇa Swami (January 9, 1976): “Books are the basis of our movement. Whatever appreciation we are getting on account of our books, it is because we are following the path chalked out by exalted devotees.”

So what does it mean that Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books are the foundation – the basis – of ISKCON? We can begin to understand by reading the letter Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote to Dāmodara Dāsa on December 3, 1971:

I’m especially pleased to hear that your distribution of our books and magazines has increased. Go on in this way, increasing more and more. Each time someone reads some solid information about Kṛṣṇa his life becomes changed in some way. These literatures are the solid ground upon which our preaching stands, so I want that they should be available to everyone, as many as possible. So please try for this.
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Happy Birthday

01 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Bhagavad-gita, consciousness, dani-harrison, jerry-garcia, mantra-rock-concert, philosophy, religion, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, The Grateful Dead

Well today is my birthday. 72 years ago on this day I was in a small baby’s body, but today I am in an old man’s body. But I’m still the same person, although it seems like I have lived many different lives, as a child, as a student, as a devotee, as a husband and father, grandfather, and retired woodworker. Lived and traveled to so many places, had so many different life experiences, and so it seems, I have lived many lives.

I am reminded of some of the famous important verses from the Bhagavad-gita:

As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change. (Bg 2.13)

For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain. (Bg 2.20)

Full texts and purports will follow at end of post, but I wanted to mention some well known persons who I share a birthday with.

On this day in 1978, Dhani Harrison appeared, who we all know as the son of George and Olivia Harrison, turns 48 today.

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And one of my favorite musicians Jerry Garcia was born on August 1, 1942, in San Francisco, California. He was the co-founder, lead guitarist, and vocalist of the Grateful Dead.

Jerry Garcia and Srila Prabhupada intersected through 1960’s counterculture, notably via the Grateful Dead playing at the 1967 Mantra-Rock concert. The Grateful Dead performed alongside Big Brother and the Holding Company and Allen Ginsberg at the historic San Francisco Avalon Ballroom benefit concert, which helped introduce A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami and the Hare Krishna Movement to the West coast.