Natural Disasters: Adhidaivka

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Kali-yuga, Krishna Consciousness, Uncategorized

Every time we turn on the News, look at a Newspaper or open up our Web browser, we are bombarded with news of natural disasters; forest fires,flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. Some people blame it on climate change or global warming, others say it is a result of to much sinful activity. But whatever the cause, it is clear we are all in danger, and are all susceptible to the threefold miseries; miseries caused by the mind and body, miseries caused by other living entities, and miseries caused by natural disasters.

The following post deals with the threefold miseries and a spiritual approach to understanding “What am I, and why am I suffering from the threefold miseries?”

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The Scent of Krsna’s Body

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna, Krsna, Lord Caitanya, Uncategorized

Scent of Krishna

…Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī expressed to Her gopī friends how She hankers for the transcendental scent of Kṛṣṇa’s body. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recited that same verse and made its meaning clear.

” ‘The scent of Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental body surpasses the aroma of musk and attracts the minds of all women. The eight lotuslike parts of His body distribute the fragrance of lotuses mixed with that of camphor. His body is anointed with aromatic substances like musk, camphor, sandalwood and aguru. O My dear friend, that Personality of Godhead, also known as the enchanter of Cupid, always increases the desire of My nostrils.’

“The scent of Kṛṣṇa’s body surpasses the fragrances of musk and the bluish lotus flower. Spreading throughout the fourteen worlds, it attracts everyone and makes the eyes of all women blind.

“My dear friend, the scent of Kṛṣṇa’s body enchants the entire world. It especially enters the nostrils of women and remains seated there. Thus it captures them and forcibly brings them to Kṛṣṇa.

“Kṛṣṇa’s eyes, navel and face, hands and feet are like eight lotus flowers on His body. From those eight lotuses emanates a fragrance like a mixture of camphor and lotus. That is the scent associated with His body.

“When sandalwood pulp with aguru, kuṅkuma and musk is mixed with camphor and spread on Kṛṣṇa’s body, it combines with Kṛṣṇa’s own original bodily perfume and seems to cover it.

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Letters by Srila Prabhupada

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Uncategorized

” As far as my blessing is concerned it does not require my physical presence. If you are chanting Hare Krishna there and following my instructions, reading the books, taking only Krsnaprasadam etc., then there is no question of your not receiving the blessings of Lord Caitanya whose mission I am humbly trying to push on.” (from letter to Bal Krishna June 30, 1974)

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Meditation and the Self Within

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Books by Srila Prabhupada, Mantra Meditation, The Science of Self Realization

The Science of Self Realization
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Meditation and the Self Within

excerpted from Chapter 5

Can meditation solve our everyday problems? Is there life after death? Can drugs help us achieve self-realization? During a visit to South Africa in 1976, Śrīla Prabhupāda answered these and other questions for interviewer Bill Faill of the Durban Natal Mercury.

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is a name for God that means “all-attractive.” Unless one is all-attractive he cannot be God. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means God consciousness. All of us are small particles of God, equal in quality with Him. Our position as living entities is like that of a small particle of gold in relation to a large quantity of gold.

Mr. Faill: Are we something like sparks in a fire?

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. Both the fire and the spark are fire, but one is big, and the other is very small. Unlike the relationship between the spark and the fire, however, our relationship with God is eternal, although at the present moment we have forgotten that relationship due to contact with the material energy. We are facing so many problems only because of this forgetfulness. If we can revive our original God consciousness, then we shall become happy. This is the sum and substance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is the best process by which to revive our original God consciousness. There are different processes of self-realization, but in the present age of Kali, people are very fallen, and they require the simple process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now they are thinking that so-called material advancement is the solution to their problems, but this is not a fact. The real solution is to get out of the material condition entirely by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Because God is eternal, we are also eternal, but in the material condition we are thinking, “I am this body,” and therefore we must repeatedly change from body to body. This is due to ignorance. Actually we are not our bodies but spiritual sparks, parts and parcels of God.

Mr. Faill: Then the body is just like a vehicle for the soul?

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Process of Surrender

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caitanya-caritamrta, Devotional Service, Uncategorized

This morning I was going through some files and came across this important verse from the Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 22, text 100 describing the process of surrender. I always liked this verse because it describes the simple process of surrender; namely accepting things favorable to devotional service, rejecting things that are unfavorable to devotional service, and developing the faith that Krishna will give protection.“

’The six divisions of surrender are the acceptance of those things favorable to devotional service, the rejection of unfavorable things, the conviction that Kṛṣṇa will give protection, the acceptance of the Lord as one’s guardian or master, full self-surrender and humility.

One who is fully surrendered is qualified with the six following characteristics. (1) The devotee has to accept everything that is favorable for the rendering of transcendental loving service to the Lord. (2) He must reject everything unfavorable to the Lord’s service. This is also called renunciation. (3) A devotee must be firmly convinced that Kṛṣṇa will give him protection. No one else can actually give one protection, and being firmly convinced of this is called faith. (from purport)

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Jaya Radha-Madhava

Posted on by under Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas, Uncategorized

I love all the “Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas“, particularly the ones written by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Śrīla Prabhupāda was also very fond of this song and sang it just before his lectures. We share it with you today.

Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava
by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

(jaya) rādhā-mādhava (jaya) kuñja-bihārī
(jaya) gopī-jana-vallabha (jaya) giri-vara-dhārī
(jaya) jaśodā-nandana, (jaya) braja-jana-rañjana,
(jaya) jāmuna-tīra-vana-cārī

Kṛṣṇa is the lover of Rādhā. He displays many amorous pastimes in the groves of Vṛndāvana, He is the lover of the cowherd maidens of Vraja, the holder of the great hill named Govardhana, the beloved son of mother Yaśodā, the delighter of the inhabitants of Vraja, and He wanders in the forests along the banks of the River Yamunā.

Śrīla Prabhupāda was very fond of this song and sang it just before his lectures. In Allahabad and Gorakhpur Śrīla Prabhupāda fell into a trance after singing the first two lines, and after some time he came back into external consciousness and said, “Now just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Śrīla Prabhupāda said that this song is “a picture of Vṛndāvana. Everything is there—Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Vṛndāvana, Govardhana, Yaśodā, and all the cowherd boys.

Appearance Day of Lord Nrsimadeva

Posted on by under Lord Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada Maharaja, Uncategorized

Prahlāda Mahārāja loudly chanted the holy name of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. May Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, roaring for His devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja, protect us from all fear of dangers created by stalwart leaders in all directions through poison, weapons, water, fire, air and so on. May the Lord cover their influence by His own transcendental influence. May Nṛsiṁhadeva protect us in all directions and in all corners, above, below, within and without.

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Om Namo Bhagavate Narasimhaya

Posted on by under A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Lord Nrsimhadeva

In honor of the appearance day of Lord Nrsimha, we are posting a beautiful verse and purport from the Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.8 glorifying the Lord and his devotees.

Om Namo Bhagavate Narasimhaya

oṁ namo bhagavate narasiṁhāya namas tejas-tejase āvir-āvirbhava
vajra-nakha vajra-daṁṣṭra karmāśayān randhaya randhaya tamo grasa
grasa oṁ svāhā; abhayam abhayam ātmani bhūyiṣṭhā oṁ kṣraum

TRANSLATION

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, the source of all power. O my Lord who possesses nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demonlike desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world.

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Disappearance Day of Jayananda das Brahmacari

Posted on by under Devotees, Guru & Disciple, Jayananda das, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Uncategorized

Today marks the disappearance day of my dear friend and Godbrother, Jayananda das. Srila Prabhupada wanted us to honor his memory. In a letter he wrote shortly after Jayananda’s passing, Srila wrote:

    Letter: Ramesvara  

     77-05-11.Ram       318337/530501

   Jayananda’s death is glorious. It is very good that he had stated, what is the use of such a useless body, better to give it up. He has left his body very wonderfully, and he has been transferred to Vaikuntha. I have already sent a condolence letter for publication in Back To Godhead. Everyone should follow the example of Jayananda. I am very proud that I had such a nice disciple.  If possible Jayananda’s picture should be hung in the ratha of Lord Jagannatha, and in all of our temples a day may be set aside for holding a festival in his honor, just as we do on the disappearance day of the other great Vaisnavas.

We should remember him and his service to Srila Prabhupada. He was an inspiration to all he met.

His Grace Pankajanghri Prabhu has Departed

Posted on by under Devotional Service, Pankajanghri das, Uncategorized

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of His Grace Pankajanghri Prabhu, the beloved Nrsimhadeva pujari, and twin brother of His Grace Jananivasa Prabhu. He died of Covid-19 complications in Mayapur, India.

HG Pankajanghri Prabhu has Departed

By the GBC Executive Committee

Dear Devotees,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

HG Pankajanghri Prabhu, ISKCON’s most beloved Nrsimhadeva pujari, has departed from this world in Sri Dham Mayapur.

Having joined ISKON in the footsteps of his twin brother, HG Jananivasa Prabhu, in 1973, the two brothers dedicated their lives to serving the Lordships of ISKCON’s International Headquarters in Lord Caitanya’s divine abode of Sri Mayapur.

Pankajanghri Prabhu served not only the Lord, but devotees worldwide, who would turn to him in their time of need, begging him to offer their hearts’ prayers at Lord Nrsimhadeva’s feet. Every devotee who has visited Mayapur Dham will hold fondly the image of Pankajanghri Prabhu standing on Nrsimhadeva’s altar, offering prayers and puja on behalf of the devotees, and in turn, offering the Lord’s mahaprasadam to the devotees.

Not many of us, however, were aware that in the background, Pankajanghri Prabhu was also managing the pujari department for many years, ensuring that the service to Their Lordships continues efficiently while expanding and deepening exponentially. We are all indebted to Pankajanghri Prabhu for the great inspiration we derive from the beautiful darshans and festivals that can be experienced only in Sri Dham Mayapur.

Pankajanghri Prabhu also graced the devotees with weekly classes on Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrita. He was a founding board member and inspiration for Mayapur Academy, an international school for brahminical training, where he taught the proper mood and method of deity worship to hundreds of students as instructed by Srila Prabhupada.

Along with fifty years of steadfast service as a pujari, manager, speaker, and educator, Pankanjanghri Prabhu was also a dear brother, uncle, and friend to both the Mayapur community and ISKCON worldwide. Today is a heartbreaking day especially for the generations of Mayapurvasis who grew up in the affectionate shelter of such a loving and playful uncle.

It is rare indeed to find a personality with the combination of such dedication, humility, joviality, and kindness. As Srila Prabhupada himself said in 1976, “The two brothers Pankajanghri and Jananivasa – there is no comparison.”

We join the worldwide family of Vaisanvas, especially HG Jananivasa Prabhu and the Mayapur community, in grieving the loss of a beloved godbrother and friend while simultaneously feeling gratitude for the mercy of Sri Nrsimhadeva, who kindly brought His dear servant home to Sri Dham Mayapur for a glorious departure befitting a dedicated devotee like Pankajanghri Prabhu.

Hare Krsna,