We are currently in Vrindavan, India, at the Krsna Balaram Mandir, with the most beautiful Radha Shyam. All the deities looked so gorgeous this morning, in their black outfits.
Have been doing the parikaram of the twelve forests of Vrindavan, and it has been amazing, and feel exceptional fortune, at being here, and experiencing so much devotional nectar.
I wish to share some from the Preface to the”Nectar of Devotion” By A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami:
The basic principle of the living condition is that we have a general propensity to love someone. No one can live without loving someone else. This propensity is present in every living being. Even an animal like a tiger has this loving propensity at least in a dormant stage, and it is certainly present in the human beings. The missing point, however, is where to repose our love so that everyone can become happy. At the present moment the human society teaches one to love his country or family or his personal self, but there is no information where to repose the loving propensity so that everyone can become happy. That missing point is Krsna, and The Nectar of Devotion teaches us how to stimulate our original love for Krsna and how to be situated in that position where we can enjoy our blissful life.
“I liked Prabhupada’s humbleness. I always liked his humility and his simplicity. The servant of the servant of the servant is really what it is, you know. None of us are God—just His servants. He just made me feel so comfortable. I always felt very relaxed with him, and I felt more like a friend. I felt that he was a good friend. Even though he was at the time seventy-nine years old, working practically all through the night, day after day, with very little sleep, he still didn’t come through to me as though he was a very highly educated intellectual being, because he had a sort of childlike simplicity. Which is great, fantastic. Even though he was the greatest Sanskrit scholar and a saint, I appreciated the fact that he never made me feel uncomfortable. In fact, he always went out of his way to make me feel comfortable. I always thought of him as sort of a lovely friend, really, and now he’s still a lovely friend.
“That was the thing about Prabhupada, you see. He didn’t just talk about loving Krishna and getting out of this place, but he was the perfect example. He talked about always chanting, and he was always chanting. I think that that in itself was perhaps the most encouraging thing for me. It was enough to make me try harder, to be just a little bit better. He was a perfect example of everything he preached.
We are currently in Vrindavan, India, doing the twelve day Parikrama of the forests of Vrindavan. We have visited many Holy sites, and have had Darshana with so beautiful deities, and gotten water sprinkled on us, from many sacred Kunds (ponds, bathing sites). It has been a wonderful trip thus far, although the traffic, and dust, has been rather exhausting. Hare Krishna! -V
The 12 principal forests of Vraja
The 12 principal forests of Vraja, where Krishna and Radha are said to have performed their divine pastimes, are Madhuvana, Talavana, Kumudavana, Bhulavana, Kamyavana, Khadiravana, Vrindavana, Bhadravana, Bhandiravana, Baelvana, Lohavana, and Madhavana.
Seven forests on the west side of the Yamuna River:
Madhuvana, Talavana, Kumudavana, Bahulavana, Kamyavana, Khadiravana, and Vrindavana.
Five forests on the east side of the Yamuna River:
Bhadravana, Bhandiravana, Baelvana, Lohavana, and Mahavana.
Significance:
These forests are considered sacred and are revered places of pilgrimage for devotees.
Remembering Jayananda by Vyasasan das __________________
There are some things about becoming a devotee I will never forget, for instance; receiving my first book, relishing my first plate of prasadam, seeing the deities in the temple for the first time, meeting Srila Prabhupada, Visnujhana Swami and Jayananda das bramachari.
The first time I meet Jayananda, was in 1975 in San Diego. I had been traveling with the RDTSKP for the last few months, since I joined. I was very much enjoying being a devotee, and traveling and putting on festivals, distributing prasadam, books and the Holy Name. By this time I had meet a number of Sannyasis; including Tamal Krsna Goswami, Gurudas Swami, Tripuari Swami, Vishnujana Swami, etc. and was very impressed by their character, and position.
One morning after Bhagavatam class we were all sitting down on the floor taking our breakfast. I was looking over at all the assembled sannyasis; there must have been seven of them eating together. They all had on nice orange clothing, and were eating off beautiful silver plates, and I was thinking, “Ya, that’s what I want. I want to be a Hare Krishna Sannyasa. Devotees will offer me respectful obeisances when they see me, and I will always get the best accommodations and best prasadam”. So I was thinking like this… when in walks in this guy in a greasy hooded sweatshirt, ripped doti, hands and face covered with dirt and grease, (it turns out he just changed the oil in 6 sankirtan vans), and he walks over to the prasadam table and starts filling a plate.
So I ask the devotee sitting next to me, “Who is that guy, is he supposed to be here?” I thought it was some bum wearing a dhoti. But the devotee replied; “Oh, that’s Jayananda Prabhu, he’s a really advanced devotee”. Well I was looking at Jayananda who was eagerly feasting on the morning prasadam, and I was looking over at the sannyasis who were carefully moving the prasadam around the silver plates, and I just wasn’t that sure?
Today we visited Radha Kund, as well as many other places of pilgrimage in Vraja; the district of Vrindavan. We were greatly surprised at how everything around Krishna Balarama Mandir, has grown and changed. So much construction, so many more people, and worst, so many motorized vehicile’s. I took some pictures of Radha Kund today, which I will share at bottom of post.
Rādhā-kuṇḍa
It is stated that a devotee will at once develope pure love of Kṛṣṇa in the wake of the gopīs if he once takes a bath in Rādhā-kuṇḍa.
We spent the last week at the Sri Sri Radha Madhava Temple in Mayapur. It was an incredible week! Bathing Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu on His Appearance Day, attending aroti at Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi, Guru-puja at temple, etc. but the take away for me was the Radha Madhava altar. To see Radha and Krishna surrounded by the beautiful Ashtasakhi’s (the 8 principle gopis) was a sight to behold. And I wanted to know more about these beautiful personality’s.
The list of Ashtasakhi include: Lalita, Vishaka, Champaklata, Chitra, Tungavidhya, Induleka, Rangadevi, and Sudevi. All of these eight prominent gopis are regarded to be an expansion of Radha, the chief consort of Krishna.
Srimati Radharani is considered the topmost devotee of Lord Krishna, His eternal consort, and the root of pure, selfless devotion, embodying the supreme devotional Bliss of seeking Krishna’s pleasure.
Probably because we leave for India today, and probably because we are going for the 50th Aniversity of the opening of the Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Temple in Vrindavan, but every morning I think about this Iconic picture of Srila Prabhupada offering the first Arotika to Krishna and Balarama.
We share with you some of thepastimes of the two transcendental brothers.
While Kṛṣṇa was engaged in tending the cows in the forest of Vṛndāvana or on Govardhana Hill, the gopīs in the village were always absorbed in thinking of Him and discussing His different pastimes. This is the perfect example of Kṛṣṇa consciousness: to somehow or other remain always engrossed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. The vivid example is always present in the behavior of the gopīs; therefore Lord Caitanya declared that no one can worship the Supreme Lord by any method which is better than the method of the gopīs. The gopīs were not born in very high brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya families; they were born in the families of vaiśyas, and not in big mercantile communities but in the families of cowherd men. They were not very well educated, although they heard all sorts of knowledge from the brāhmaṇas, the authorities of Vedic knowledge. The gopīs’ only purpose was to remain always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. (“The Gopīs Attracted by the Flute.”)
We are leaving for India next week. First stop Kolkota. We want to visit the birthplace of Srila Prabhupada, so I went to the webpage: Birthplace Temple and found this nice Biography which we share today with you.
A Short Biography of Srila Prabhupada
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada is the Founder-Acharya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) which brought a spiritual dimension to the lives of thousands of his followers. He was a rare personality who appeared on the earth and dedicated his life to spreading God consciousness all over the world.
The scriptures recommend the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krishna (Harinama sankirtan) as the devotional practice best suited for the present age for spiritual perfection. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who appeared over 500 years ago in West Bengal, India was the greatest exponent of this method. He predicted that His message will be carried to every town and village of this world by a powerful spiritual ambassador. The life and activities of Srila Prabhupada prove beyond doubt that he was the empowered personality who appeared to fulfil this prediction.
When His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada entered the port of New York City on September 17, 1965 few Americans took notice — but he was not merely another immigrant. He was on a mission to introduce the ancient teachings of Vedic India into mainstream America. Before Srila Prabhupada passed away on November 14, 1977 at the age of 81, his mission proved successful. He had founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and saw it grow into a worldwide confederation of more than 100 temples, ashrams and cultural centers.
I was thinking about it this morning, how in the Material world everything is temporary and limited, whereas is the Spiritual world everything is eternal and unlimited. For instance:
…In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that when Kṛṣṇa comes before Rādhārāṇī, She becomes so much engladdened by seeing the beauty of Kṛṣṇa that She becomes more beautiful, and as soon as Rādhārāṇī becomes beautiful, Kṛṣṇa becomes engladdened and He becomes more beautiful. So unlimitedly there is competition of becoming more beautiful. That is the state. Competition. Because in the spiritual world everything is unlimited. So unlimitedly both of them becoming more beautiful and both of them enjoying unlimitedly. ((Lecture on SB 1.2.8 New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972)
Yesterday was the Appearance Day of Lord Nityananda, but this morning I was still thinking about some of His pastimes. One was the story of the deliverance of Jagai and Madhai. Nityananda Prabhu reminded Lord Caitanya of His mission to deliver the hopelessly fallen souls of the age, of whom Jagai and Madhai were typical examples. Ninety-nine percent of the population of the age resemble these brothers, despite high birth and apparent respectability. We also include the story of the Lord Caitanya “Inspiring the Jungle Animals”to chant the holy names of the Lord.
The Special Kindness of Lord Caitanya
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, appeared in India in the fifteenth century. His mission was to freely distribute pure love of God to everyone without considering who was qualified or unqualified. He predicted that the whole world would one day hear the chanting of the Lord’s holy names. The first of the following two narratives is excerpted from Srila Prabhupada’s introduction to Srimad-Bhagavatam. The second taken from his English translation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, an extensive account of Lord Caitanya’s life and teachings.
This is such a beautiful song, it is a meditation in itself.
Krishna is very pleased when we call on Him by His Names, which are associated with His devotees, qualities and pastimes. This song by Bhaktivinoda Thakura is composed of the Nanes of Krsna in different aspects. (from the Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas)
Śrī Nāma-kīrtana Chanting of the Holy Names by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
yaśomatī-nandana–Lord Kṛṣṇa is the beloved son of mother Yaśodā; vraja-vara-nāgara–most beloved of the inhabitants of Vraja; gokularañjana–the attractor of the people of Gokula; kāna–(an intimate nickname); gopī-parāṇa-dhana–the wealth of the lives of the gopīs; madana-manohara–who can attract even the mind of Cupid; kāliyadamana-vidhāna–the chastiser of the Kāliya serpent.
Lord Kṛṣṇa is the beloved son of mother Yaśodā; the transcendental lover in the land of Vraja; the delight of Gokula; Kāna [a nickname of Kṛṣṇa]; the wealth of the lives of the gopīs. He steals the mind of even Cupid and punishes the Kāliya serpent.
amala harinām amiya-vilāsā vipina-purandara, navīna nāgara-bora, baṁśī-badana suvāsā
amala harinām–these pure holy names; amiya vilāsā–are full of sweet, nectarean pastimes; vipina-purandara–He is the monarch of the garden groves; navīna nāgara-bora–He is the best of youthful lovers; vaḿśīvadana–He is seen with His flute placed to His lips; suvāsā–He is an excellent dresser.
These pure, holy names of Lord Hari are full of sweet, nectarean pastimes. Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of the twelve forests of Vraja, He is ever-youthful and is the best of lovers. He is always playing on a flute, and He is an excellent dresser.
braja-jana-pālana–the protector of the inhabitants of Vraja; asura-kula-nāśana–the destroyer of demonic dynasties; nanda-godhana-rākhaoyālā– the keeper of Nanda Mahārāja’s valuable cows; govinda–the giver of pleasure to the cows; mādhava–the husband of the goddess of fortune; navanīta-taskara–the butter thief; sundara nanda-gopālā–the beautiful cowherd son of Nanda Mahārāja.
Kṛṣṇa is the protector of the inhabitants of Vraja; the destroyer of various demoniac dynasties; the keeper and tender of Nanda Mahārāja’s cows; the giver of pleasure to the cows, land, and spiritual senses; the husband of the goddess of fortune; the butter thief; and the beautiful cowherd boy of Nanda Mahārāja.
yāmuna-taṭa-cara–He wanders along the banks of the river Yamunā; gopī-vasana-hara–He steals the garments of the gopīs; rāsa-rasika–He delights in the mellows of the rāsa dance; kṛpāmoya–He is very merciful; śrī-rādhā-vallabha–the most beloved of Srīmatī Rādhāraṇī vṛndāvananaṭabara–the great dancer of Vṛndāvana; bhakativinod-āśraya–the shelter of Bhaktivinoda
Kṛṣṇa wanders along the banks of the River Yamunā. He stole the garments of the young damsels of Vraja who were bathing there. He delights in the mellows of the rāsa dance; He is very merciful; the lover and beloved of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; the great dancer of Vṛndāvana; and the shelter and only refuge of Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda.
So today we recognize the Disappearance day of Madhvacarya, who is in our line of Disciplic Succession dating back to Krsna. His philosophy and writings have distinguished him as one of India’s greatest spiritual teachers. He is the Acarya of the Madhva Sampradaya. So this following post by Chanchalapathi Prabhu is very timely.
“Srila Prabhupada is the Deliverer of all ISKCON Devotees”
By Chanchalapathi Dasa -ISKCON Bangalore
Recently I had the opportunity of interacting with a few scholars of Madhva sampradaya in Bangalore and Udupi. One of them was an elderly Sanskrit scholar, a seventy year old retired university professor, a respected teacher and follower of Madhva philosophy in Bangalore.
The discussion with him led to the subject of the theological differences between ISKCON Bangalore and ISKCON Mumbai.
…The process of meditation recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is not to fix one’s attention on something impersonal or void.
The process of meditation should begin from the lotus feet of the Lord and progress to His smiling face. The meditation should be concentrated upon the lotus feet, then the calves, then the thighs, and in this way higher and higher. The more the mind becomes fixed upon the different parts of the limbs, one after another, the more the intelligence becomes purified. (SB 2.2.13)
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Canto Two, Chapter 2, Text 13-14
Some years back I was reading from one book and the author was explaining how within each of us, we have the Keys to the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven, and we also have the Keys to the gates of Hell. It is our choice at every moment which we choose to use. Evolution can work both ways.
The Evolutionary Process
…All living entities within this material world are undergoing the cycle of birth and death according to the laws of nature. This struggle of birth and death in different species may be called the evolutionary process, but in the Western world it has been wrongly explained. Darwin’s theory of evolution from animal to man is incomplete because the theory does not present the reverse condition, namely evolution from man to animal.
Human life, which is obtained in the course of the evolutionary process, is a chance for elevation (svargāpavarga) or for degradation (tiraścām punar asya ca). If one uses this human form of life properly, he can elevate himself to the higher planetary systems, where material happiness is many thousands of times better than on this planet, or one may cultivate knowledge by which to become free from the evolutionary process and be reinstated in one’s original spiritual life. This is called apavarga, or liberation. (from purport to SB 7.13.25)
Sometimes I think if only I could take a picture with my mind, and recall it at any time, this would be one of the images I would like to hold on to. And of course one of Srila Prabhupada as well.
We share with you a song by Narottama Das Thakur entitled “Gaurangera Duti Pada”, with a purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
Gaurangera Duti Pada by Narottama Dasa Thakura
” Anyone who has accepted the two lotus feet of Lord Caitanya can understand the true essence of devotional service. If one is captivated by the pleasing pastimes of Lord Caitanya, the dirty things in his heart will all become cleansed.“
…Gauranga refers to Lord Caitanya, who has a fair complexion. One who has a fair complexion is called gaura, and since Lord Caitanya was very fair, just like molten gold, He was also named Gaurasundara. Narottama dasa Thakura says, gaurangera duti pada, jar dhana-sampada, se jane bhakati-rasa-sar. Anyone who has accepted the two lotus feet of Lord Caitanya can understand the true essence of devotional service. Devotional service is very difficult. It cannot be understood by any ordinary man. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, out of many thousands of persons who are trying to achieve the perfection of human life, only some actually become perfect and realize the self. And out of many thousands of such self-realized persons, only one can understand Krsna. Without understanding Krsna, how can one engage himself in the service of Krsna? Therefore, the devotional service of Krsna is not an ordinary thing. But fortunately, if one follows in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya (gaurangera duti pada) by following the path shown by Lord Caitanya-the process of simply chanting Hare Krsna-he can very easily understand what devotional service is. (from purport to the song “Gaurangera Duti Pada”)
Full song with Bengali Lyrics, English translation, and purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
I remember years ago when I was just a young new devotee, and we were asked to go out and distribute books, we were asked so many questions by people we met. One question I will never forget; “What does the mantra mean?” How to explain this to someone who has never heard of Krishna? So I replied; “O Lord please engage me in Your loving devotional service”. Even as a new devotee I knew there was more I could have said, but I left it at that.
But that basic question always stayed with me.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Another definition I discovered is;
Hare– Srimati Radharini (the divine energy of the Lord)
Krishna– The All Attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead
Rama– Name of Lord Krishna who is the reservoir of pleasure. (as in Radha-Ramana, the giver of pleasure to Srimati Radharani) The name Rama also means Lord Ramacandra, and Lord Balarama.
But for me, I like this verse I discovered in my reading;
“O Srimati Radharani, O All Attractive Reservoir of Pleasure, Lord Sri Krishna, please engage me in your loving devotional service”
Of late, there are some devotees I know, who are having difficulties in life; health issues, impoverishment, depression, etc. Sometimes I am asked for advice or support. I generally don’t like to give advice, as I consider myself fallen by nature. But thinking along these lines of ‘advice and support’ I did a search in Srila Prabhupada’s books to see how a devotee of the Lord deals with suffering. I have posted a couple of nice verses that deal with the Lords Mercy.
The mountains, although being struck by torrents of rain during the rainy season, are not shaken, just as those whose hearts are dedicated to the transcendental Personality of Godhead are never disturbed, even when harassed by great misfortune. (Light of the Bhagavata 12)
Because a person who is spiritually advanced accepts any adverse condition of life as the mercy of the Lord, he is completely eligible to enter into the spiritual kingdom. Even though a person takes to the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, he may sometimes become diseased, impoverished, or disappointed by life’s events. A true devotee of the Lord always considers these sufferings to be due to past sinful activities, and thus without becoming disturbed he patiently awaits the mercy of the Supreme Lord. Such devotees are compared to high mountains, which are never agitated in any way, even when struck by powerful torrents of rain in the rainy season. Rather, such devotees remain humble in spiritual enlightenment. Free from pride and envy, they easily gain the mercy of the Lord and go back home, back to Godhead.
Today I shall speak to you of the history of a boy devotee named Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was born in a family that was stubbornly atheistic. There are two kinds of men in this world: the demons and the demigods. What is the difference between them? The main difference is that the demigods, or godly persons, are devoted to the Supreme Lord, whereas the demons are atheistic. They do not believe in God because they are materialists. These two classes of men always exist in this world. At the present moment, due to the Age of Kali (Age of Quarrel), the number of demons has increased, but the classification has existed since the beginning of creation. The incident I am narrating to you occurred very, very long ago, a few million years after the time of creation.
Prahlāda Mahārāja was the son of the most atheistic person and the most materially powerful as well. Because the society was materialistic, this boy had no opportunity to glorify the Supreme Lord. The characteristic of a great soul is that he is very eager to broadcast glorification of the Supreme Lord. Lord Jesus Christ, for example, was very eager to broadcast the glorification of God, but demoniac people misunderstood him and crucified him.
One very important and enjoyable activity we can practice, is cooking and offering foodstuffs to Lord Krishna. The following are some instructions on cleanliness, ingredients, and prayers for offering. This is a nice way to practice Krishna Consciousness at home.
Prasadam How to Prepare and Offer Food
Food prepared for and offered to Krishna with love and devotion becomes completely spiritualized. Such food is called Krishna prasadam, which means “the mercy of Lord Krishna.”
Eating only food offered to Krishna is the perfection of vegetarianism. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna says that unless one eats only food that has been offered to Him in sacrifice, one will suffer the reactions of karma. He also states, “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, I will accept it.”
We can offer Krishna foods prepared from milk products, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and grains. Meat, fish and eggs are not offerable. And a few vegetarian items are also forbidden— garlic and onions, for example, which are in the mode of darkness. (Hing, or asafoetida, is a tasty substitute for them in cooking.) Nor can you offer Krishna coffee or tea.
In preparing food, cleanliness is the most important principle. Nothing impure should be offered to God, so keep your kitchen very clean. Always wash your hands thoroughly before entering the kitchen. While preparing food, do not taste it, for you are cooking the meal not for yourself but for the plea¬sure of Krishna. Arrange positions of the food on dinnerware kept especially for this purpose; no one but the Lord should eat from these dishes. The easiest way to offer food is simply to pray, “My dear Lord Krishna, please accept this food,” and to chant each of the following prayers three times while ringing a bell.
This is probably one of my most favorite songs from the “Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas” songbook. I try to sing it every day as part of my morning program. And I like to recite the English as well.
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, who were chanting very loudly everywhere in Vṛndāvana, shouting, “Queen of Vṛndāvana, Rādhārāṇī! O Lalita! O son of Nanda Mahārāja! Where are you all now? Are you just on the hill of Govardhana, or are you under the trees on the bank of the Yamunā? Where are you?” These were their moods in executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka Eight Prayers to the Six Gosvamis by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya
The Hare Krishna Movement 
