Every Town and Village
03 Jul 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition, Bhagavad-gita Picture Index, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Uncategorized Tags: 1972 original edition, A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, as it is, Bhagavad-gita, prabhupadagita.com, Srila Prabhupada
Some years ago I put the complete Original 1972 Bhagavad-gita “As It Is” by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami online. You can click on link prabhupada.gita to visit. I find it is a quick and easy site for reference to all your favorite chapters and slokas.
09 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Uncategorized Tags: ac-bhaktivedanta, Bramananda, Giriraja, Sri Nathaji, Sri Nathji, Srila Prabhupada, Tamal Krishna
“If Prabhupada wants me to drive faster, I will drive faster.”
A story told by Sri Nathji Prabhu
Sri Nathji: The twenty-eighth of September 1977 was a very sad day. At about 4:30 in the morning I got a phone call from Giriraj Swami. Crying, he said, “I want you to bring your big Dodge car.” I had a huge American car with a back seat long enough to lie down in.Giriraj Swami said, “Prabhupada wants to leave his body.” I said, “What?” I had never heard anybody say that someone “wanted to leave his body.”
“What do you mean, ‘Prabhupada wants to leave his body?’ Where does he want to leave his body?”
He said, “He wants to go to Vrindavan, and he’s leaving his body. He’s going away, and we have to take him to the train station.” By that time Prabhupada hadn’t eaten for nearly six months. He was living only on juice and charanamrita, and his body was depleted.
He had hardly any muscles, and his veins were pressing on his bones. It was very painful to see him. Here was the person with whom I had fought and argued.
Here was the person who was such a fine debater that he was like a lion. He could defeat anyone philosophically.
But that morning, when I saw how very thin Prabhupada was, it reminded me of Krishna’s description in the Bhagavad-gita of a person withdrawing himself like a tortoise withdraws himself within his shell.
So in Bombay, on the twenty-eighth of September 1977, Srila Prabhupada decided to leave, and for the first time I cleaned my car.
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07 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Radha Krishna, Uncategorized Tags: Brahmananda Prabhu, Krishna Consciousness, Krishna Radha, Radha Krishna, Radha Krishna Mudra, Srila Prabhupada
On this day in 2014 Brahmananda Prabhu posted this picture with explanation: “This pose or mudra of Radha Krishna is Srila Prabhupada’s favorite photo. He kept it as the main worshippable photo on the altar in his rooms at the LA temple. He said the pose was the perfect expression of Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy of Radha Krishna rasa.”
03 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Qualities of a Devotee, Uncategorized, Vaisnava Tags: 26 qualities, 26 qualities of a devotee, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, devotee, devotee qualities, Krishna, Krsna, Srila Prabhupada
Sometimes I ask myself, “are you making any spiritual advancement? Are you becoming free from lust anger and greed? And are you developing the qualities of a devotee?”. So, from time to time I like to look up the “qualities of a devotee”, and do a reality check.
Srila Prabhupada exhibits all the super excellent qualities of a devotee. He is the Acarya (one who teaches by example) and is exemplary in showing us how to develop the qualities of a devotee, in order to benefit all living beings and to serve Krsna.
The qualities of a devotee, twenty-six in number, are listed below:
1.) Kind to everyone, 2.) Does not quarrel with anyone, 3.) Fixed in the Absolute Truth, 4.) Equal to everyone, 5.) Faultless, 6.) Charitable, 7.) Mild, 8.) Clean, 9.) Simple, without material possession, 10.) Benevolent, 11.) Peaceful, 12.) Completely attached to Krsna, 13.) Has no material hankering, 14.) Meek, 15.) Steady, 16.) Self-controlled, 17.) Does not eat more than required, 18.) Sane, 19.) Respectful, 20.) Humble, 21.) Grave, 22.) Compassionate, 23.) Friendly, 24.) Poetic, 25.) Silent, 26.) Expert
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01 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Uncategorized, yugas Tags: A. C. Bhaktivdanta Swami Prabhupada, Balarama, Bhagavad-gita, buddha, incarnation of Krsna, Kalki, Krishna, Kurma, Matsu, Nrisimha, Parasurama, Rama, Vamana, Varaha
From upper left-hand corner: Lord Nrsimhadeva, the man-lion incarnation; Lord Vamana, the dwarf-brahmana incarnation; Lord Parasurama, the warrior incarnation; Lord Ramacandra; Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama; Lord Buddha; Lord Kalki, who destroys all demons at the end of the millennium; Lord Matsya, the fish incarnation; Lord Kurma, the tortoise incarnation; and Lord Varaha, the boar incarnation.
This morning my attention was drawn to the forth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita “As It Is” entitled Transcendental Knowledge. I just opened the book at random and this was the verse I saw…
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself. (Bg. 4.7)
In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium. (Bg. 4.8)
Lord Krsna appears in every millennium, in various incarnations, to annihilate the demons, protect the devotees and reestablish the principles of religion.
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28 May 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Hayagriva das, Uncategorized Tags: faith, Govinda dasi, Hare Krishna Movement, hayagriva das, hinduism, India, Krishna, New Vrindaban, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's Books
My wife shared this with me, it was a post on Facebook, put up by Govinda dasi. Although I have never personally met Hayagriva Prabhu, I have enjoyed reading his books and articles in Back to Godhead Magizine.
…Srila Prabhupada named him Hayagriva, and used to jokingly say that Hayagriva is like the horse incarnation, and is sent by Krishna to make my books very beautiful and eloquent in English language.
Hari Sauri: There was an emotional reunion this afternoon between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva Prabhu. Although he was one of Srila Prabhupada’s first disciples, he has been away from devotional service for some years. He has come now to finish the philosophy book project and to be with Prabhupada for some time. He walked slowly into Prabhupada’s room, his face flushed and his deep voice trembling. “It’s your old Hayagriva, Prabhupada,” he choked out, and fell sobbing to the floor in full length dandavats. Prabhupada sat behind his desk, silent, but clearly moved by the sight of his sometimes – wayward son.
When Hayagriva got up Prabhupada gave him a garland, and remarked to Radhaballabha Dasa and me how Hayagriva had been sent by Krishna to help him spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. In reply, Hayagriva said that he had never forgotten Prabhupada, not even for a day. Prabhupada was deeply affected by this and said that he also had never forgotten Hayagriva. “I was thinking, has Hayagriva gone away? I was thinking like that.” His voice broke and he was unable to speak for a few seconds. Although he tried to check his tears, still some trickled from the corners of his eyes. Then he tipped his head from side to side. “All right,” he said, and we all left.
Prabhupada has so much affection for his disciples – no one can estimate how much. It was very apparent that he never forgets any devotional service that has been rendered to him.
Reference: A Transcendental Diary Volume 2 – Hari Sauri Dasa
24 May 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Jayananda Thakur, Ratha-yatra, Uncategorized Tags: ac-bhaktivedanta, Back to Godhead Magazine, festival-of-india, India, Jayananda, Krishna, New York Rathayatra, Rathayatra, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada
We are planning to go to the New York City Ratha-yatra this year. It will be held on June 14. It has been 49 years since I last attended the Rathayatra in New York City. But that day is still fresh in my memory, for two main reasons. First is that Srila Prabhupada was there Riding on Lady Subadhra’s cart, and the second is I took my first initiation the next day, and was given the name Vyasasan das.
It was also memorable because my dear friend and God brother Jayananda das brahmacari, was there. The following is an interview with Jayananda published in the Back to Godhead Magazine Vol. 12, 6, 1977
.
Interview with Jayananda Prabhu
(Back to Godhead magazine, June 1977)
BTG: Jayananda, how did you first get involved in Krishna consciousness?
Jayananda: I heard Srila Prabhupada speaking in San Francisco, and somehow I knew he didn’t want to cheat me. So I just wanted to work for him.
BTG: And now for ten years you’ve worked on the Ratha-yatra carts.
Jayananda: Yes.
BTG: What were the first Ratha-yatras like?
Jayananda: The first year, 1967, we just rented a flatbed truck and started out in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. We decorated the truck with flowers and put the Deities on the back, and the girls passed out fruit. A good crowd walked along with us at the beginning, and when we turned off Haight Street a smaller group of maybe fifty people came with us and we went all the way to the beach.
The second year (1968) we made our own cart, with saffron silk canopies, small ones. And we had the parade through Golden Gate Park to the beach. By that time the San Francisco temple had grown a little—we had maybe 30 devotees—and about 100 people came with us through the park. The chanting was very nice that year.
Then in 1969 we built a much bigger cart, with a tall silk canopy, like the ones they build in Jagannath Puri in India. But in 1970 we worked for two months straight and built the three big carts, basically the same ones we use now. Also, we had all kinds of publicity—TV, billboards, posters. And Srila Prabhupada came to that Ratha-yatra. So a lot of people came, maybe 12,000 people. It was big—a tremendous success. We had a few mishaps, though. One cart broke down in the middle of the parade. And it was a bitter cold day. But even though it was so cold at the beach, thousands of people stayed there with us and ate a lot of Krsna prasad (spiritual food offered to Krishna). We brought 20 50-gallon barrels of prasad, and they ate it all.
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23 May 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chanting Hare Krishna, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Prasadam, Uncategorized Tags: Chanting Hare Krishna, chanting-dancing-and-feasting, dancing-in-kirtan, eating-krisna-prasadam, India, religion, spirituality
I was thinking how Srila Prabhupada always referred to the the process of Krishna Consciousness as Joyful. He mentioned this joyful process in his letters, we share some of them with you.
Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER: 1975 So. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, California 90034
DATE: July 15, 1969
My Dear Jadurany,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your recent letter, and I have noted the contents. Regarding Festivals in Boston, you may hold as many as possible. If you can hold such festivals daily, that is also nice. Our movement is for ananda, simply bliss, and the method of pushing this movement is chanting, dancing, feasting and philosophizing. So in our almanac there are many festivals in every month. I am enclosing some festivals which were already held in Los Angeles, and if you perform them, I will give you a long list of others. But don’t embarrass yourself at present with greater plans than you can handle. The more you get devotees the more you will be able to perform nice festivals.
I am glad that Boston is improving in so many ways. So far as painting is concerned, you can begin now. I have already advised you this in a note enclosed with Tape #14 of Krishna. So read the Krishna tape transcriptions and draw pictures as many as possible. Each picture should be very much attractive, colorful and nice so that people will appreciate these paintings also. Our standard size will be like TLC, and you can make the pictures accordingly. According to my idea the pictures should be proportionate to 81/2 x 11. The style of the book will be like TLC so far as paper, print and binding are concerned.
Please convey my blessings to Satsvarupa and the others. I hope this will meet you all in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
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22 May 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition, Meditation, Uncategorized Tags: ac-bhaktivedanta, always think of Me, become-my-devotee, Bhagavad-gita, faith, offer-homage-unto-me, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, worship-me
This morning I was reminded of something that I heard Srila Prabhupada say in a lecture. He was describing that Krishna Consciousness is very simple, you just need to do four things. Always think of Krishna, become His devotee, offer obeisances, and worship Him.
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam
ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ
mat-manāḥ—always thinking of Me; bhava—become; mat—My; bhaktaḥ—devotee; mat—My; yājī—worshiper; mām—unto Me; namaskuru—offer obeisances; mām—unto Me; eva—completely; eṣyasi—come; yuktvā evam—being absorbed; ātmānam—your soul; mat-parāyaṇaḥ—devoted to Me.
TRANSLATION
Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me. (Bhagavad-gita 9.34)
This verse is also repeated in the 16th Chapter:
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te
pratijāne priyo ’si me
man-manāḥ—thinking of Me; bhava—just become; mat-bhaktaḥ—My devotee; mat-yājī—My worshiper; mām—unto Me; namaskuru—offer your obeisances; mām—unto Me; eva—certainly; eṣyasi—come; satyam—truly; te—to you; pratijāne—I promise; prijaḥ—dear; asi—you are; me—My.
TRANSLATION
Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.
In this verse it is clearly indicated that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only means of being delivered from the clutches of this contaminated material world…Pure devotional service is the highest achievement of human society. (from purport)
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19 May 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Radha Krishna, Srimati Radharani, Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktiveanta Swami Prabhupada, Adi lila chapter 4, bliss, hladini, India, Krishna, Lord Krsna, pleasure potency, Radharani, religion, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, Srimati Radharani, supreme goddess
This morning there was this nagging voice that kept saying “read Adi-lila chapter 4, of the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta” I haven’t read from the Caitanya-caritamrta for a while because I was re-reading the Bhagavad-gita and Krsna Book and because it is summer, I am busy with work… But I responded to the nagging voice…and pulled Vol. 1 from the shelf. As I read I became more and more enlivened and the words jumped out at me…. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is the attraction for the all-attractive. What is attracting the All Attractive? Srimati Radharani!
And the other thing that jumped out at me was the word hlādinī. Here is another word for your vaishnava vocabulary. So today is a two part post from the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, describing the hladini energy, and the attractiveness of Srimati Radharani.
Lord Kṛṣṇa enchants the world, but Śrī Rādhā enchants even Him. Therefore She is the supreme goddess of all. (Adi 4.95)
Śrī Rādhā is the full power, and Lord Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of full power. The two are not different, as evidenced by the revealed scriptures. (Adi 4.96)
Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is as fully spiritual as Kṛṣṇa. No one should consider Her to be material. She is definitely not like the conditioned souls, who have material bodies, gross and subtle, covered by material senses. She is all-spiritual, and both Her body and mind are of the same spiritual embodiment. Because Her body is spiritual, Her senses are also spiritual. Thus Her body, mind and senses fully shine in love of Kṛṣṇa. She is the personified hlādinī-śakti (the pleasure-giving energy of the Lord’s internal potency), and therefore She is the only source of enjoyment for Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa cannot enjoy anything that is internally different from Him. Therefore Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa are identical. The sandhinī portion of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s internal potency has manifested the all-attractive form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the same internal potency, in the hlādinī feature, has presented Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is the attraction for the all-attractive. No one can match Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī in the transcendental pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (from purport Adi 4.71)
…All the desires of Lord Kṛṣṇa rest in Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. (from purport)
Some notes on the hlādinī potency
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14 May 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Radha Krishna, Transcendental Qualities of Radha Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, India, Krishna, Krsna, mercy-of-radharani, Radha, Radha Krishna, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, Srimati Radharani
The following are just a few of the many quotes from Srila Prabhupada which encourage us to approach Krishna through the mercy of Srimati Radharani, Krishna’s eternal consort. For those of us who feel that there is no hope of making spiritual progress in this lifetime, Srimati Radharani, Who is compassion personified, kindly comes to our rescue if we can humbly invoke Her divine blessings.
tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari
vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye
“I offer my respects to 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 Krishna.” (Sri Radha Pranama)
“I emphatically say to you, O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord Krishna only when Srimati Radharani becomes pleased with you.”(Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Krishna, September 13, 1965)
“Actually, because Krishna 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 Krishna’s compassion.” (Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 22)
“There is no comparison to Radharani’s beauty and the luster of Her transcendental body. The so-called beauty of the moon has fallen on the ground in the presence of Radharani’s beauty.” (From Vrindavana by Srila Narottama das Thakura)
“The beauty of Srimati Radharani’s eyes forcibly devours the beauty of newly grown blue lotus flowers, and the beauty of Her face surpasses that of an entire forest of fully blossomed lotuses. Her bodily luster seems to place even gold into a painful situation. Thus the wonderful, unprecedented beauty of Srimati Radharani is awakening in Vrindavana.” (Caitanya-caritamrita Antya 1.169)
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26 Apr 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Radha Krishna, Rasa's (relationships), Spiritual Life, Spiritual World, Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, conjugal love, devotional-service-in-conjugal-love, Krishna, Krsna, love, pure devotee, Radha, spirituality, Srimati Radharani, The Nectar of Devotion, travel
So we are finishing our series on the five types of relationships (rasa’s) with the Lord. Today we are exploring Devotional Service in Conjugal Love (Madhurya-rasa) as explained in chapter 44 of “The Nectar of Devotion”.
Because of the sensitive nature of this topic, we have posted the entire chapter from the the original 1970 edition of “The Nectar of Devotion”, by His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
A pure devotee’s attraction to Krsna in conjugal love is called devotional service in conjugal love. Although such conjugal feelings are not at all material, there is some similarity between this spiritual love and material activities. Therefore, persons who are interested only in material activities are unable to understand this spiritual conjugal love, and these devotional reciprocations appear very mysterious to them. Rupa Gosvāmī therefore describes conjugal love very briefly.
The impetuses of conjugal love are Krsna and His very dear consorts, such as Rādhārāṇī and Her immediate associates. Lord Krsnahas no rival: no one is equal to Him, and no one is greater than Him. His beauty is also without any rival, and because He excels all others in the pastimes of conjugal love, He is the original object of all conjugal love.
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24 Apr 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Rasa's (relationships), Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Bhagavad-gita, devotion-in-friendship, fraternal-devotion, Krishna, religion, sakhya-rasa, spirituality, The Nectar of Devotion
So we are continuing our series on the five types of relationships (rasa’s) with the Lord. Today we are exploring the Fraternal Devotional stage of Love of God (Sakhya-rasa) as explained in chapter 41 of “The Nectar of Devotion”. Also included in todays post are some select verses from the Bhagavad-gita describing Arjuna’s friendship with Krishna.
When a devotee is permanently situated in devotional service, and by different symptoms of ecstasy he has developed and matured a fraternal mellow or flavor in relationship with the Personality of Godhead, his feeling is called fraternal love of Godhead.
The impetus for such fraternal love of God is God Himself. When one is liberated and discovers his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, the Lord Himself becomes the impetus for increasing fraternal love. The eternal associates of the Lord in Vrindavan have described this as follows: “The Lord, Hari, whose bodily hue is like the indranīla jewel, whose smiling is as beautiful as the kunda flower, whose silk dress is as yellow as golden autumn foliage, whose chest is beautified with garlands of flowers and who is always playing upon His flute-this enemy of the Agha demon is always attracting our hearts by wandering about Vrindavan.”
There are similar statements of fraternal love expressed outside the jurisdiction of Vrindavan. When the sons of Pandu, headed by Mahārāj Yudhisthira, saw Krishna in His four handed form on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, holding His conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower, they completely forgot themselves and became merged in the ocean of nectarean happiness. This shows how the sons of Pandu-King Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva-were all caught up in fraternal love for Krishna.
From the Bhagavad-gita we are reminded of Arjuna’s friendship with Krishna.
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23 Apr 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Nectar of Devotion, Rasa's (relationships), Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Devotional Service, hinduism, India, Krishna, Krsna, Nectar of Devotion, religion, servitude, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada
So today we are exploring the Servitude stage of Love of God (Dasya-rasa) as explained in chapter 36 of “The Nectar of Devotion”.
Each soul, according to its constitutional nature, possesses a unique loving relationship with Krishna in one of five principal categories. When devotees return to the spiritual world, they engage in direct loving devotional service to Krishna in their particular rasa.
Devotees engaged in servitude are attached to Krishna in the affection of reverence. Some of the inhabitants of Gokula (Vrindavan) as exhibited on earth) are attached to Krishna on this platform of affection in reverence. The inhabitants of Vrindavan used to say, “Kṛṣṇa is always manifest before us with a complexion like a blackish cloud. He holds His wonderful flute in His lotus hands. He is dressed in yellow silks and bedecked with a peacock feather on His head. When Krishna walks near Govardhan Hill with these personal features, all the inhabitants of the heavenly planets, as well as the inhabitants of this earth, feel transcendental bliss and consider themselves the eternal servants of the Lord.”
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22 Apr 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Nectar of Devotion, Rasa's (relationships), Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, Bhagavad-gita, bhakti yoga, God, Krishna, Krsna, Nectar of Devotion, neutral-love-of-god, religion, santa-rasa, spirituality, yogis
Today we are exploring the Neutral stage of Love of God, (santa-rasa), as explained in chapter 35 of “The Nectar of Devotion”.
“When the yogi sees the eternal form of Visnu and appreciates the Lord’s beauty in awe and veneration, he is situated in the neutral stage of love of God.”
…Some great sages have attained this neutral position by practicing austerity, penance and meditation to control the senses. Such sages are generally called mystic yogīs, and in most cases they are inclined to appreciate the spiritual pleasure of the impersonal feature of the absolute truth. They are practically unaware of the transcendental pleasure derived from personal contact with the Supreme Godhead.
When some great saintly persons who had undergone penances and austerities saw the four-handed transcendental form of Visnu, they began to remark as follows: “This four-handed form of the Lord, manifested in a bluish color, is the reservoir of all pleasure and the center of our living force. Actually, when we see this eternal form of Visnu, we, along with many other paramahaṁsas, become immediately captivated by the beauty of the Lord.” This appreciation of Lord Visnu by saintly persons is an instance of situation in santa-rasa, or the neutral stage of devotional service. In the beginning, those who are aspiring for salvation try to get out of the material entanglement by performing painful austerities and penances, and ultimately they come to the impersonal status of spiritual realization. At this brahma-bhuta [SB 4.30.20] stage of liberation from the material entanglement, the symptoms, as explained in the Bhagavad-gita, are that one becomes joyous beyond any hankering or lamentation and gains a universal vision. When the devotee is situated in the santa-rasa, or neutral stage of devotional service, he appreciates the Visnu form of the Lord.
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21 Apr 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition, Devotional Service, Dharma, Rasa's (relationships), Uncategorized Tags: ac-bhaktivedanta-swami, bg-8-14, India, Krishna, Krishna Consciousness, prabhupada, religion, spirituality
This morning I was thinking about the different relationships one can have with the Lord. In “The Nectar of Devotion”, Srila Prabhupada describes the five primary kinds of devotional service-namely, neutrality, servitude, fraternity, parenthood and conjugal love. Over the course of the next five posts, I want to explore these five primary relationships.
But for today, I want to start with this nice verse from the Bhagavad-gita, where these five types of relationships are mentioned in purport.
For one who remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Pṛthā, because of his constant engagement in devotional service. (Bg 8.14)
…Bhakti-yoga is very simple and pure and easy to perform. One can begin by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is very merciful to those who engage in His service, and He helps in various ways that devotee who is fully surrendered to Him so he can understand Him as He is. The Lord gives such a devotee sufficient intelligence so that ultimately the devotee can attain Him in His spiritual kingdom.
…Generally, the bhakti-yogīs are engaged in five different ways: 1) śānta-bhakta, engaged in devotional service in neutrality; 2) dāsya-bhakta, engaged in devotional service as servant; 3) sākhya-bhakta, engaged as friend; 4) vātsalya-bhakta, engaged as parent; and 5) mādhurya-bhakta, engaged as conjugal lover of the Supreme Lord. (from purport)
Full text and purport
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14 Apr 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna Consciousness, Krsna Consciousness, KRSNA The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna's Beauty, Uncategorized Tags: ac-bhaktivedanta, Bhaktivedanta purports, feeling-of-seperation-from-krsna, gopis, India, Krishna, Krsna Book, Lord Caitanya, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, travel
…”Everyone and everything is attracted to Kṛṣṇa–that is the perfect description of Kṛṣṇa’s attraction. The example of the gopīs is very instructive to persons who are trying to be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One can very easily associate with Kṛṣṇa simply by remembering His transcendental pastimes. Everyone has a tendency to love someone. That Kṛṣṇa should be the object of love is the central point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By constantly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and remembering the transcendental pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, one can be fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and thus make his life sublime and fruitful.”
Kṛṣṇa, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vol. 1, Chapter 34
The Gopīs’ Feelings of Separation
The gopīs of Vṛndāvana were so attached to Kṛṣṇa that they were not satisfied simply with the rāsa dance at night. They wanted to associate with Him and enjoy His company during the daytime also. When Kṛṣṇa went to the forest with His cowherd boy friends and cows, the gopīs did not physically take part, but their hearts went with Him. And because their hearts went, they were able to enjoy His company through strong feelings of separation. To acquire this strong feeling of separation is the teaching of Lord Caitanya and His direct disciplic succession of Gosvāmīs. When we are not in physical contact with Kṛṣṇa, we can associate with Him like the gopīs, through feelings of separation. Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental form, qualities, pastimes, and entourage are all identical with Him. There are nine different kinds of devotional service. Devotional service to Kṛṣṇa in feelings of separation elevates the devotee to the highest perfectional level, to the level of the gopīs.
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11 Apr 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's Accomplishments, Srila Prabhupada's Arrival in the USA, Uncategorized Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta, estern-philosophy, Hare Krishna, India, Iskcon, Krishna, religion, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada
Srila Prabhupada
At various times people have called him a scholar, a philosopher, a cultural ambassador, a prolific author, a religious leader, a spiritual teacher, a social critic, and a holy man. In truth, he was all these things and more.
Over five hundred years ago, Lord Sri Krishna appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Navadvipa, a village in West Bengal. The purpose of His appearance was to inaugurate the Sankirtana Movement, the Yuga Dharma for this age of Kali. He declared that the chanting of His holy names would spread beyond the shores of India to every town and village in the world. He predicted that His commander-in-chief would appear to accomplish this mission.
Yes… Srila Prabhupada appeared to fulfill this prophecy.
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07 Apr 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ISKCON, Uncategorized, Vrindavan Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, gaur-niti, India, ISKCON Vrindavan, Krishna, Krishna Balarama, Krishna Balarama Mandir, Radha Krishna, spirituality, Srila Prabhupada, travel
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Well the Golden Jubilee at Krishna Balarama Mandir is over, and its time for many of us to return to their respective homes. The above photo are the Prabhupada disciples, sannayasi’s, and other participants, taken on the last day of festival. Many thanks to the management and festival organizers, as well as all the Vrindavan residents who helped make this a memorable occasion.
The Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir, situated in the Raman Reti area of Vrindavan, holds a special significance for the devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. This grand temple represents the fulfilled dream of Srila Prabhupada, Founder Acharya of ISKCON, who wished to construct a temple of unparalleled beauty for the worship of the transcendental brothers Krishna and Balaram in the same village where They played more than five thousand years ago. Srila Prabhupada directly oversaw all the aspects of design and construction and personally called the Lord to come and accept the worship of His devotees from around the world. He said, “Lord Balaram is the source of spiritual strength, and I have built this temple just to give strength to the devotees”.
Today, the Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir is a booming spiritual center. Every day of the week pilgrims flood in the gate in great numbers from all over the world. In fact, the large green government signs posted over the highway turn off to Vrindavan only give directions to two temples: Banke Bihari and ISKCON.
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06 Apr 2025 Leave a comment
in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ISKCON, Krishna, Krishna Consciousness, Krsna Consciousness, Uncategorized Tags: appearance day of Lord Ramacandra, ashtasakhi gopis, Krishna Balarama, Krishna Balarama Mandir, Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundara
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The Opening of Krishna Balarama Mandir 50 years ago
Today we are celebrating The Appearance day of Lord Ramachandra (Rama Navami), at the Krishna Balarama Mamdir, for the 50th Golden Jubille Grand Opening. It was 50 years ago today, this beautiful temple was opened.
It has been a very blissful morning thus far, with ecstatic kirtan, memories given by Senior devotees who were here with Srila Prabhupada for the opening, and a Big Surprise was seeing the Ashtasakhi Gopis, who joined Radha Shyamasundar on the altar for the first time.
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The Hare Krishna Movement 
