08 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Festivals, Janmastami, KRSNA The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, appearance day of Lord Krishna, appearance of Krishna, demigods, Janmastami, Krishna, Krsna, Krsna The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Prayers by the Demigods, Vedas
…The appearance of Kṛṣṇa is the answer to all imaginative iconography of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone imagines the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to his mode of material nature. In the Brahmā-saṁhitā it is said that the Lord is the oldest person. Therefore a section of religionists imagine that God must be very old, and therefore they depict a form of the Lord like a very old man. But in the same Brahmā-saṁhitā, that is contradicted; although He is the oldest of all living entities, He has His eternal form as a fresh youth.
…”O dear Lord,” the demigods continued, “You are unborn; therefore we do not find any reason for Your appearance other than for Your pleasurable pastimes.” Although the reason for the appearance of the Lord is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (He descends just to give protection to the devotee and vanquish the nondevotee), actually He descends for His pleasure-meeting with the devotees, not really to vanquish the nondevotees. The nondevotees can be vanquished simply by material nature. “The action and reaction of the external enregy of material nature (creation, maintenance and annihilation) are being carried on automatically. But simply by taking shelter of Your holy name–because Your holy name and Your personality are nondifferent–the devotees are sufficiently protected.” The protection of the devotees and the annihilation of the nondevotees are actually not the business of the Supreme Personality of Godhead when He descends. They are just for His transcendental pleasure. There cannot be any other reason for His appearance.
Excerpts from; KRSNA, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Volume 1, Chapter 2
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07 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Krishna Consciousness, The Matchless Gift
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, affection, eternal, God, krsna consciousness, Learning to Love, learning to love God, love, loving relationship with Krishna, spirit soul, The Matchless Gift
click on image to slightly enlarge
…Since we as living entities are eternal, temporary activities are not our main concern. Our engagements should be eternal because we are eternal, and that eternal engagement is the rendering of service to Kṛṣṇa in love.
Love begins with this give and take. We give something to our lover, he gives something to us, and in this way love develops. When we create any loving transaction with any boy or girl, man or woman, we give and take. Thus Kṛṣṇa is teaching us how to give and take. Kṛṣṇa is begging us:
“Try to love Me. Learn how to love Me. Offer something to Me.”
“Sir,” we may say, “I have nothing to give You.”
“Oh, you cannot collect a piece of fruit, a flower, a leaf or a little water?”
“Oh yes, why not? Anyone can collect this.”
This then is the method of Kṛṣṇa consciousness which allows one to make friends with Kṛṣṇa. We can enter into any number of relationships with Kṛṣṇa. We can become a direct servant of Kṛṣṇa, or in the highest stages we can become Kṛṣṇa’s father, mother or lover. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to establish a loving relationship with all living entities. In actuality this relationship is already there because He is the supreme father and we are His parts and parcels. Because the son is part of the body of the father, the relationship between them cannot be broken; it may be forgotten for some time, but as soon as one recognizes his father or son, immediately affection develops. Similarly, we are eternally related to Kṛṣṇa, but at the present moment this relationship is simply forgotten or suppressed. Consequently we think that we have no relationship with Kṛṣṇa, but this is not a fact. Because we are integral with Him, because we are part and parcel of Him, our relationship with Him is eternal. That relationship simply has to be revived, and that revival is this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Krsna Consciousness, The Matchless Gift
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter 3
Learning to Love
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06 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Free Downloads, Free eBooks, Nectar of Instruction, The Nectar of Instruction, Upadesamrta
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Hare Krishna, neophyte devotees, pure devotee, Srila Rupa Goswami, The Nectar of Instruction, Upadesamrta, Vidagdha-madhava, Visvarupa=mahotsava
Click on link at bottom of post to download the entire “Nectar of Instruction” on pdf file.
The Nectar of Instruction
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Preface
The Krishna consciousness movement is conducted under the supervision of Srila Rupa Gosvami. The Gaudiya Vaisnavas, or Bengali Vaisnavas, are mostly
followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, of whom the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana are direct disciples. Therefore Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has sung:
rupa-raghunatha-pade ha-ibe akuti
kabe hama bujhaba se yugala-piriti
“When I am eager to understand the literature given by the Gosvamis, then I shall be able to understand the transcendental loving affairs of Radha and Krishna.”
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in order to bestow upon human society the benediction of the science of Krishna. The most exalted of all the activities of Lord Krishna are His pastimes of conjugal love with the gopis. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in the mood of Srimati Radharani, the best of the gopis. Therefore, to understand the mission of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and follow in His footsteps, one must very seriously follow in the footsteps of the six Gosvamis–Sri Rupa, Sanatana, Bhatta Raghunatha, Sri Jiva, Gopala Bhatta and Dasa Raghunatha.
Sri Rupa Gosvami was the leader of all the Gosvamis, and to guide our activities he gave us this Upadesamrta (The Nectar of Instruction) to follow. As Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left behind Him the eight verses known as Siksastaka, Rupa Gosvami gave us Upadesamrta so that we may become pure Vaisnavas.
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05 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Diksha, Guru & Disciple, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Siksa, Srila Prabhupada
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, diksha, disciple, GBC, initiator guru, instructor guru, siksa, spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, Sudarshan das
click on image to enlarge
Submitted by Sudarshan Das
“GBC must see that no one is taken away by maya. They should be instructor gurus. I am the initiator guru, and you should be instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title – you must actually come to this platform. This I want.
Aug.4 1975
Full letter More
05 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Festivals, Janmastami, Krishna
Tags: baby Krishna, Birth of Lord Krsna, Hare Krishna centers, Iskcon, Krishna, Krishna Janmastami, Krishna's appearance, Krishna's birth, Mother Yasoda, Rohini, Sri Krishna Janmastami
click on image to enlarge
Sri Krishna Janmastami is quickly approaching, and will be celebrated on August 9th, this year. For those of you who want to follow, it is recommended that you fast until Midnight. We would also encourage you to visit the nearest Hare Krishna Center and partake in the festivities.
Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Three
The Birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa
As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that His appearance, birth, and activities, are all transcendental, and one who understands them factually becomes immediately eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. The Lord’s appearance or birth is not like that of an ordinary man who is forced to accept a material body according to his past deeds. The Lord’s appearance is explained in the Second Chapter: He appears out of His own sweet pleasure. When the time was mature for the appearance of the Lord, the constellations became very auspicious. The astrological influence of the star known as Rohiṇī was also predominant because this star is considered to be very auspicious. Rohiṇī is under the direct supervision of Brahmā. According to the astrological conclusion, besides the proper situation of the stars, there are auspicious and inauspicious moments due to the different situations of the different planetary systems. At the time of Kṛṣṇa’s birth, the planetary systems were automatically adjusted so that everything became auspicious.
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05 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Lectures, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Brahma-nistham, disciple, guru, guru disciple, lectures by His Divine Grace, lectures on Srimad Bhagavatam, parampara system, prabhupada, proper guru, spiritual master, submissively hear
… Guru means heavy, heavy with knowledge…”who has heard from the paramparā system.” and “He is firmly fixed up in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Brahma-niṣṭham. He has no other business. This is two qualifications. He must have heard the Vedic knowledge through the disciplic succession. It does not require that he is very learned scholar. No. Simply he must hear from the authority.
Lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.4
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bombay, November 4, 1974
Nitāi: “Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: The most powerful sage Maitreya was a friend of Vyāsadeva. Thus being encouraged, Maitreya, pleased by Vidura’s inquiry about transcendental knowledge, spoke as follows.”
Prabhupada:
dvaipāyana-sakhas tv evaṁ
maitreyo bhagavāṁs tathā
prāhedaṁ viduraṁ prīta
ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ
[SB 3.25.4]
So this is the process of getting knowledge, to approach the proper person, guru, and submissively hear from him about transcendental knowledge. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. Don’t try to receive spiritual knowledge or transcendental knowledge very cheaply. Although it is very easy, there is no difficulty, but the process must be known. Just like any machine—we have got experience—just like sometimes our typewriter machine or this dictaphone does not work. So if we go to the proper person, who knows the work, he immediately tightens one screw or changes something; it works. The process we must know. So if I go to a pān-wala for repairing my machine, that will be not good. He does not know the process. He may know to…, how to make pān, biḍi; but doesn’t matter, he does not know how to repair a machine.
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05 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Krishna, Opulence of the Absolute, Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Srimati Radharani
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Aprakrta-madana, cupid, Krishna, Krsna, Mad. 8.139, Madana, Madana-mohana, Manmatha-madana, Nectar of Devotion, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
click on image to enlarge
“The very name Kṛṣṇa means that He attracts even Cupid. He is therefore attractive to everyone-male and female, moving and inert living entities. Indeed, Kṛṣṇa is known as the all-attractive one.
“Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated that devotional service attracts even Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone, but devotional service attracts Kṛṣṇa. The symbol of devotional service in the highest degree is Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa is called Madana-mohana, which means that He is so attractive that He can defeat the attraction of thousands of Cupids. But Rādhārāṇī is still more attractive, for She can even attract Kṛṣṇa. Therefore devotees call Her Madana-mohana-mohinī, the attractor of the attractor of Cupid. To perform devotional service means to follow in the footsteps of Rādhārāṇī…” (Nectar of Devotion Lecture, Nov. 11, 1972, Vrindavan)
…The name Madana refers to Cupid, but Kṛṣṇa is the spiritual Madana. His body is not material like the body of Cupid in this material universe. Kṛṣṇa’s body is all-spiritual-sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Therefore He is called Aprākṛta-madana. He is also known as Manmatha-madana, which means that He is attractive even to Cupid.
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03 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Prasadam, Vegetarian Cooking, Vegetarian Recipies, Vegetarianism
Tags: cookbook manuscript, cooking for Krsna, devotee cookbook, Hare Krishna recipes, Iskcon, Prasadam, prasadam pastimes, Revatinanda dasa, Srila Prabhupada, The Hare Krishna Movement, vegetarian cooking, vegetarian recipes, vegetarianism
Ran across this fine devotee cookbook on the Sampradaya Sun this morning, and thought we should share it with our readers. The recipes did in fact remind us of the early “love feasts”, and devotee diet in the early days of the Hare Krishna Movement. Very Nice!
1970’s Devotee Cookbook
BY: SUN STAFF
Aug 02, 2012 — CANADA (SUN) —
The following cookbook manuscript, which contains a wonderful collection of vintage Hare Krsna recipes, was handed to us several years ago by a devotee, who’d been carrying an old photocopy of it around for many years. While the manuscript doesn’t bear the author’s name, we’re told that it was likely compiled in the early 1970’s by Revatinanda dasa.
A bit of the text was illegible, but the manuscript is reproduced below. Obviously the cookbook was written while Srila Prabhupada was still physically present. Judging from the language and recipes, our best guess is that it’s circa 1972-73. The recipes will be pleasurably familiar to devotees who remember the wonderful prasadam pastimes in ISKCON temples during the ‘early days’.
Devotee Cookbook
“This is a very limited presentation of recipes for prasadam offerings that I have become practiced in preparing over the last few years. The ingredients and basic techniques used in the preparations are according to parampara tradition. Whether the details are as Srila Prabhupada would have exactly instructed, I do not know, but I have experienced on many occasions that He has been pleased by some of these exact preparations. Also I have experienced that devotees especially, and usually karmies (non-devotees) as well, are very much attracted by my preparations. For these reasons – to increase the attractiveness of our offerings to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, and to increase the satisfaction of both the devotees and karmies with the prasadam they take to purify their existence – I have prepared this small cook-book. It is simply an offering of one devotee’s experience in the matter of prasadam preparation.
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03 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Bhagavad-gita, Death and Dying, Practicing Krishna Consciousness at Home
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ananda, anta-kale ca mam eva, Arjuna, asat, Attaining the Supreme, Bg 8.5, chanting Hare Krishna, cit, death, He attains My nature, Krishna, Krishna's form, Krishna's names, material activities, nirananda, quits his body, remembering Me alone, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, sat
Next, one may raise the question of how one goes about approaching that abode of the Supreme Lord. Information of this is given in the Eighth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. It is said there:
And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kṛṣṇa and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.
…This instruction to Arjuna is very important for all men engaged in material activities. The Lord does not say that one should give up his prescribed duties or engagements. One can continue them and at the same time think of Kṛṣṇa by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This will free one from material contamination and engage the mind and intelligence in Kṛṣṇa. By chanting Kṛṣṇa’s names, one will be transferred to the supreme planet, Kṛṣṇaloka, without a doubt.
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02 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Bhagavad-gita, Spiritual Life, Spiritual World
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, abode of the Supreme Lord, Bg 15.6, brahmajoti, effulgence, Goloka Vrndavana, Krsnaloka, self-luminous, spiritual sky, Spiritual world, The Spiritual Abode, Vaikunthas
…The spiritual world, the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa-which is known as Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana-is described here. In the spiritual sky there is no need of sunshine, moonshine, fire or electricity, because all the planets are self-luminous. We have only one planet in this universe, the sun, which is self-luminous, but all the planets in the spiritual sky are self-luminous. The shining effulgence of all those planets (called Vaikuṇṭhas) constitutes the shining sky known as the brahmajyoti. Actually, the effulgence is emanating from the planet of Kṛṣṇa, Goloka Vṛndāvana. Part of that shining effulgence is covered by the mahat-tattva, the material world. Other than this, the major portion of that shining sky is full of spiritual planets, which are called Vaikuṇṭhas, chief of which is Goloka Vṛndāvana.
The abode of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fifteenth Chapter, sixth verse:
na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ
yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama
“That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. And anyone who reaches it never comes back to this material world.” (Bg. 15.6)
This verse gives a description of that eternal sky. Of course we have a material conception of the sky, and we think of it in relationship to the sun, moon, stars and so on, but in this verse the Lord states that in the eternal sky there is no need for the sun nor for the moon nor fire of any kind because the spiritual sky is already illuminated by the brahmajyoti, the rays emanating from the Supreme Lord. We are trying with difficulty to reach other planets, but it is not difficult to understand the abode of the Supreme Lord. This abode is referred to as Goloka. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is beautifully described: Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. The Lord resides eternally in His abode Goloka, yet He can be approached from this world, and to this end the Lord comes to manifest His real form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. When He manifests this form, there is no need for our imagining what He looks like. To discourage such imaginative speculation, He descends and exhibits Himself as He is, as Śyāmasundara. Unfortunately, the less intelligent deride Him because He comes as one of us and plays with us as a human being. But because of this we should not consider that the Lord is one of us. It is by His potency that He presents Himself in His real form before us and displays His pastimes, which are prototypes of those pastimes found in His abode.
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01 Aug 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Balarama, KRSNA The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Balarama, dvivida gorilla, Krishna and Balarama, Krishna book, Krsna The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Balarama, The Deliverance of Dvivida Gorilla
Today being the Appearance Day of Lord Balarama, we post this nice pastime of Lord Balarama delevering Dvivida gorilla.
…Dvivida was as powerful as 10,000 elephants. Sometimes he would go to the seashore, and with his powerful hands he would create so much disturbance in the sea that he would overflood the neighboring cities and villages. Often he would go to the hermitages of great saintly persons and sages and cause a great disturbance by smashing their beautiful gardens and orchards. Not only did he create disturbances in that way, but sometimes he would pass urine and stool on their sacred sacrificial arena. He would thus pollute the whole atmosphere.
While creating such great disturbance all over the country, sometimes he heard very sweet musical sounds from the Raivataka Mountain, and so he entered that mountainous region. There he saw that Lord Balarāma was present in the midst of many beautiful young girls, enjoying their company while engaged in singing and dancing. He became captivated by the beautiful features of Lord Balarāma’s body, each and every part of which was very beautiful, decorated as He was with a garland of lotus flowers. Similarly, all the young girls present, dressed and garlanded with flowers, exhibited much beauty. Lord Balarāma seemed to be fully intoxicated from drinking the vāruṇī beverage, and His eyes appeared to be rolling in a drunken state. Lord Balarāma appeared just like the king of the elephants in the midst of many she-elephants…
Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter 67
The Deliverance of Dvivida Gorilla
While Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak on the transcendental pastimes and characteristics of Lord Kṛṣṇa, King Parīkṣit, upon hearing him, became more and more enthusiastic and wanted to hear further. Śukadeva Gosvāmī next narrated the story of Dvivida, the gorilla who was killed by Lord Balarāma.
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31 Jul 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Festivals, Ratha-yatra
Tags: Balarama, bhajans, chanting Hare Krishna, dances, dramas, Festival on India, free sumptous feast, Krishna, Prasadam, Queens Ratha Yatra, Ratha Yatra parade, Sri Krishna Balarama
Sri Krishna Balarama 
Sri Krishna Balarama Ratha Yatra on Sunday, August 5, 2012!
The devotees of Queens invite all to come and celebrate our annual Ratha Yatra parade. It will begin at 1:00 pm sharp from the corner of Liberty Avenue and 123rd Street, and will continue all the way to our Mandir at 111-14 101 Avenue at 3:00 pm, followed by a Festival of India until 8:00 pm. Free sumptuous prasadam will be served all day long and we will have a full afternoon packed with dramas, dances, bhajans, devotional talks
and fun for the entire family.
Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir
111-14 101 Avenue
South Richmond Hill, New York 11419
website: http://www.krishnabalaramanyc.org
For more info, please contact:
Sunandana Das: 917-604-1085 ; sunandanadas@hotmail.com
Govinda: 347-480-5357
31 Jul 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Balarama, Festivals
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Aug. 1 2012, Balarama Jayanthi, Balarrama appearance day, India Heritage Foundation, Lord Balarama, Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir, Sunnyvale CA
click on image to inlarge
Balarama Jayanthi
Appearance of Lord Balarama
Aug. 1, 2012
Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir,
Serving the mission of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)
India Heritage Foundation
1235 Reamwood Avenue
Sunnyvale California 94089
United States
30 Jul 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Avatara, Back to Godhead Magazine, golden avatara, Krsna, Krsna-prema-pradaya te, namo maha-vadanyaya, Rupa Gosvami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
… When Rupa Gosvami, the principal disciple of Lord Caitanya, first saw Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he offered a nice prayer to Lord Caitanya. This prayer says, namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te/ krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah. “My dear Lord, You are the most munificent of all the incarnations.” Why? Krsna-prema-pradaya te: “You are directly giving love of God. You have no other purpose. Your process is so nice that one can immediately learn to love God. Therefore You are the most munificent of all incarnations. And it is not possible for any personality other than Krsna Himself to deliver this benediction; therefore I say that You are Krsna.” Krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne: “You are Krsna, but You have assumed the name Krsna Caitanya. I surrender unto You.”
Lord Caitanya: The Golden Avatara
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine Vol. 1, Number 39
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the golden avatara, appeared in India nearly 500 years ago. It is the custom in India that when a child is born, an astrologer is called for. When Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared 5,000 years ago, Gargamuni was called by His father, and he said, “This child formerly incarnated in five complexions, such as red and golden, and now He has appeared in blackish color.” Krsna’s color is described in the scriptures as blackish, just like a cloud. Lord Caitanya is understood to be Krsna appearing in golden complexion.
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29 Jul 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Rupa Goswami, Six Goswamis, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chanting Hare Krishna, holy name of Krsna, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Gosvami, six Gosvamis of Vrndavan, Srila Rupa Gosvami, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, The Hare Krishna Movement
Today we honor the disappearance day of Srila Rupa Goswami.
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter One
Teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, the younger brother of Sanātana Gosvāmī, went to Prayāga, the modern city of Allahabad, with his younger brother Vallabha. When the two brothers heard that Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was staying there, they both became very happy and went to see the Lord. At that time the Lord was on His way to visit the temple Bindumādhava. On the way to the temple, the Lord was chanting and dancing, and thousands of people were following Him. Some of these people were crying, and some were laughing. Some were dancing, and some were singing, and some were falling on the ground, offering obeisances to the Lord. In all cases, all of them were roaring the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. It is said that in spite of being at the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Yamunā, Prayāga was never flooded until the appearance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at which time the city was overflooded by love of Kṛṣṇa.
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29 Jul 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Bhagavad-gita, Opulence of the Absolute
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, all beautiful, beautiful existence, Bg 10.41-41, bhagavad-gita, fragmental manifestations of Krsna's opulence, glorious mighty creations, material world, Spiritual world, spring bu from a spark of My splendor, yad yad vibhutimat sattvam
Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Ten, Text 41-42
yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ
śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā
tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ
mama tejo ‘ṁśa-sambhavam
Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.
Purport
Any glorious or beautiful existence should be understood to be but a fragmental manifestation of Kṛṣṇa’s opulence, whether it be in the spiritual or material world. Anything extraordinarily opulent should be considered to represent Kṛṣṇa’s opulence.
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29 Jul 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in People, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, artists, Brahma, Candra, demigods, engineres, Indra, inventors, kings, leaders, learned scholars, politicians, powerful deities, scientists, Siva, Srimad Bhagavatam
…There are many powerful kings, leaders, learned scholars, scientists, artists, engineers, inventors, excavators, archaeologists, industrialists, politicians, economists, business magnates, and many more powerful deities or demigods like Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, Candra, Sūrya, Varuṇa and Marut, who are all protecting the interest of the universal affairs of maintenance, in different positions, and all of them are different powerful parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord.
The Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the father of all living entities, who are placed in different high and low positions according to their desires or aspirations. Some of them, as particularly mentioned above, are specifically endowed with powers by the will of the Lord. A sane person must know for certain that a living being, however powerful he may be, is neither absolute nor independent. All living beings must accept the origin of their specific power as mentioned in this verse. And if they act accordingly, then simply by discharging their respective occupational duties they can achieve the highest perfection of life, namely eternal life, complete knowledge and inexhaustible blessings.
As long as the powerful men of the world do not accept the origin of their respective powers, namely the Personality of Godhead, the actions of māyā (illusion) will continue to act. The actions of māyā are such that a powerful person, misled by the illusory, material energy, wrongly accepts himself as all in all and does not develop God consciousness. As such, the false sense of egoism (namely myself and mine) has become overly prominent in the world, and there is a hard struggle for existence in human society. The intelligent class of men, therefore, must admit the Lord as the ultimate source of all energies and thus pay tribute to the Lord for His good blessings. Simply by accepting the Lord as the supreme proprietor of everything, since He is actually so, one can achieve the highest perfection of life.
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28 Jul 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Shiva, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, autumn season, blossoming petals of the lotus flower, darkness in the heart, effulgence, Krishna's lotus feet, Lord Siva, lotus feet, pada, padma, SB 4.25.52, Shiva, Srimad Bhagavatam, yasya deve para bhaktir
click on image to slightly enlarge
My dear Lord, Your two lotus feet are so beautiful that they appear like two blossoming petals of the lotus flower which grows during the autumn season. Indeed, the nails of Your lotus feet emanate such a great effulgence that they immediately dissipate all the darkness in the heart of a conditioned soul. My dear Lord, kindly show me that form of Yours which always dissipates all kinds of darkness in the heart of a devotee. My dear Lord, You are the supreme spiritual master of everyone; therefore all conditioned souls covered with the darkness of ignorance can be enlightened by You as the spiritual master.
Srimad Bhagavatam
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Canto Four, Chapter 25, Verse 52
Chanting the Song Sung by Lord Siva
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