Overcoming Obstacles

bhakti utsahit das: hare krishna prabhu !

bhakta sanga prarthi das: hare krishna prabhu ! I was just looking for some devotee association.

bud: oh! jai! you are so pure that you always seek devotee association.

bspd: Krishna bada dayamaya, Krishna is very merciful. He fulfilled my desire by sending you.

bud: How is sadhana going on ?

bspd: Goes up & down. My situation is precarious as I have no devotee association. :(

bud: oh! That is a reason for concern. Indeed devotee association helps us keep determined.

bspd: Yes! Had I had devotee association, I would have been up there in my sadhna chart.

bud: Jai! I am sure Krishna will inspire you. Do you read Srila Prabhupada books regularly?

bspd: Prabhu keeps fluctuating as I have no devotee association.

bud: But I heard there is a temple in your city and lot of devotee association is available

bspd: It's too far. Moreover I don't have devotee association to keep me enthused and accompany me.

bud: Hmmm... You may read Srila Prabhupada buks at home & hear lectures. These activities give a lot of enthusiasm.

bspd: But prabhu, you know naa... without devotee association it is so difficult to continue these things. I wish I had devotee association. I would be diving deep in the ocean of bhakti.

bud: I have heard from senior vaishnavas that when one gets devotee association,one should safely assume, Krishna is pleased.

bspd: What do you mean? Krishna is not pleased with me...?

bud: Not like that. But you can please him more by chanting more.Like. How many rounds are you chanting?

bspd: What to say? No devotee associaiton naa....

bud (fearing the worst): Prabhu, pls do not avoid the question. Pls tell me honestly.

bspd: Zero. :(

bud: Oh!

................

This is a real conversation that happened between two devotees. Bhakta Sanga Prarthi Das' dependence on devotee association may be very heartening at the surface, but deep down the mite of pride is at work. The pride of being perfect, but not able to act perfectly due to circumstances (external) caused by Krishna.

To be fair, Bhakta Sanga Prabhu is quite new to this process of devotional service and this fault can be accorded to his innocense rather than any demoniac intentional desire to ignore Krishna's mercy.

A particular situation forced me into contemplation and I realised myself stuck in the same web. May be a different set of complexities. But nonetheless somewhere in the little corner of my heart I was hoping for Krishna to work, without putting the much needed effort myself. Guilty as charged. Perhaps even now I am not completely rid of that sentiment.

For ease of my own understanding I thought that the first step to overcome any obstacle is:

1. ACCEPT

Accepting our fallen position. Accepting that our heart is full of anarthas, pride of being a high class devotee being the foremost. Accepting that it is our own doing that we have landed in this position, where progressing in spiritual life is a big challenge.

2. ACKNOWLEDGE

The extent of Krishna's mercy is unlimited. Understanding that Krishna has been causelessly merciful on us. That he has given us all the instruments to come out of our quagmire - Srila Prabhupada's shelter (Guru Maharaja's shelter), Srila Prabhupada books & devotee association. The weapons are enough to wage a war against our enemies.

The Sri Shikshashtakam v2 perfectly describes this sentiment.

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis

tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ

etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi

durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgah

O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Krishna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by chanting Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.

The verse says that Krishna has left no stone unturned to facilitate our success. That it is our own Misfortune that we are not able to encash on Krishna's freely available mercy. This Acceptance & Acknowledgement naturally leads to HUMILITY. A natural progression to the above verse in Shikshashtakam that emulates Humility

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā harih

One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.

This is the humility that Great vaishnava Acharyas are also reflecting in their Songs. These songs are full of transcendental sentiments of utter humility. Especially Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur's songs. Such as

Gopinath mama nivedan suno, ami visayi durjana...

Amar jivan sada paperata, nahi ko punyera lesha....

and others.

This very humility leads us to kirtaniya sada harih..incessant chanting of the holy names of Lord Hari.

But Acharyas do not leave it at this. They recommend us something. What is that ? Rupa Goswami's Nectar of Instruction verse 3. lists the six items which help us advance in Krishna Consciousness. This includes the final step we can take to overcome the obstacles.

3. ACT

utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt

tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt

sańga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥ

ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati

There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles (such as śravaṇaḿ kīrtanaḿ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam [SB 7.5.23] — hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa), (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.

Again Bhakti Vinoda Thakur's Sarnagati teaches us the six limbs of Surrender are as important:

atyanta durlabha prema koribare dana

sikhaya saranagati bhakatera prana

dainya, atma-nivedana, goptrtve varana

'avasya raksibe krsna - visvasa, palana

 bhakti-anukula-matra karyera svikara

bhakti-pratkula-bhava varjanangikara

sad-anga saranagati hoibe jahara

tahara prarthana sune sri-nanda-kumara

"In order to freely distribute the gift of ecstatic love of God, which is very difficult to obtain, He taught the path of saranagati, devotional surrender to the Supreme Lord. This saranagati is the indispensable necessity of the true devotees.

"The six ways of surrender through saranagati are humility, dedication of the self, acceptance of the Lord as one's maintainer, the consciousness that Krishna will surely protect me, execution of only those acts favorable to pure devotion, and renunciation of conduct adverse to pure devotion.

"Sri Nanda Kumar, the youthful son of Nanda Maharaja, hears the prayers of anyone who takes refuge in Him by this six fold practice of surrender.

So Let us Act as per the instructions of the Spiritual Master, Acharyas, Devotees and try our best, simultaneously accepting our precarious condition & acknoldging Krishna's unending mercy. The Prince of Vrindavan, the son of Nanda maharaja, will surely send a smiling glance towards us.

Back 2 Blogging

After a hiatus of almost 2 years, I am planning to start blogging again. Due to multiple reasons, the desire to blog had subsided. But now Krishna is again inspiring me to write.

Begging blessings from Vaishnavas, Guru & Krishna to be free from pretense, pride, malice & hatred and only write as an expression of my gratitude towards Krishna & his devotees.

Guru Maharaja's Lecture

This post was sitting in my drafts for over 2 years. Perhaps, I had uploaded the pics and was wanting to write a few lines about the lecture Guru Maharaja had given when these pics were taken. One pic reminds me that it was in December about Bhagavad Gita Marathon as he is seen handing out the sponsored Gitas to one of the Temple Visitors.

Glories of Kartik

“One of the most important of these ceremonial functions is called Urja-vrata. Urja-vrata is observed in the month of Karttika (October-November); especially in Vrndavana, there is a specific program for temple worship of the Lord in His Damodara form. “Damodara” refers to Krsna’s being bound with rope by His mother, Yasoda. It is said that just as Lord Damodara is very dear to His devotees, so the month known as Damodara or Karttika is also very dear to them.

“The execution of devotional service during Urja-vrata in the month of Karttika is especially recommended to be performed at Mathura. This system is still followed by many devotees. They go to Mathura or Vrndavana and stay there during the month of Karttika specifically to perform devotional services during this period. In the Padma Purana it is said, “The Lord may offer liberation or material happiness to a devotee, but after some devotional service has been executed, particularly in Mathura during the month of Karttika, the devotees want only to attain pure devotional service unto the Lord.” The purport is that the Lord does not award devotional service to ordinary persons who are not serious about it. But even such unserious persons who execute devotional service according to the regulative principles during the month of Karttika, and within the jurisdiction of Mathura in India, are very easily awarded the Lord’s personal service.” (Srila Prabhupada in NOD chap. 12)

durlabho bhakti-yogo me mama vasya-vidhayakah

karttike mathurayam ca vratenanena labhyate

“Pure devotional service to Me which, because it places Me under My devotee’s dominion, is very difficult to attain, is easily attained by following this vow in Mathura during Karttika.”

“To they who worship Krishna in Vrindavan, the Lord gives them their original spiritual forms. The perfect atonement to purify the sins of a lifetime is to worship Lord Damodara in Vrindavan during Kartik. The month of Kartik spent in Vrindavan brings the supreme destination.” -Srila Rupa Goswami, Mathura Mahatyam

“In the month of Kartik, which is very dear to Sri Hari, one who bathes early in the morning attains the merit of bathing in all places of pilgrimage. Anybody who offers the Lord a ghee lamp in the month of Kartik, O brahmana, becomes free from all kinds of sins, such as killing a brahmana, and he goes to the abode of Lord Hari.” (Brahma Khanda).

As Satya-yuga is the best of yugas, as the Vedas are the best of scriptures, as Ganga is the best of rivers, so Karttika is the best of months, the most dear to Lord Krsna - Skanda Purana

“Suta Goswami says, “If anyone fasts and observes the Kartik-vrata according to the rules and regulations, the Yamadutas, the messengers of Yamaraja, run away from him, just as an elephant runs away by seeing a lion. This dear fast [vrata] of Lord Vishnu is even better than performing one hundred great sacrifices that would take him to heaven because the person who observes the Kartik-vrata goes to the spiritual world.” (Padma Purana)

“Although one can easily reach Mathura [Vraja Mandala] on this earth, and although Kartik month is easily observable, and although in the month of Kartik all of the places of pilgrimage, oceans, rivers, and lakes come to the Mathura area, still, those human beings who are foolish and suffering in the ocean of material existence do not take advantage of it.” (Padma Purana)

Kartik is the best, the purest of purifiers, and most glorious of all months. Kartik month is particularly dear to Lord Sri Krsna. This month is full of bhakta vatsalya. Any vrata, even the smallest, will yield huge results. The effect of performing a Kartik Vrata lasts for one hundred lifetimes, whereas ordinary vratas only last for one lifetime! Srimati Radhika is the presiding deity of the holy month of Kartik. Rupa Goswami and others refer to Radharani as Kartik Devi; in other words, Radhika is the goddess or presiding Deity of the Kartik Vrata. - Padma Purana. : quoted by Srila Sanatana Goswami in his Hari-Bhakti Vilasa

Specifically in the month of Damodara, one should daily worship Lord Damodara and take bath early in the morning, give charity and follow a fasting vow. This is the duty of Vaisnavas. - (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/3 from SKANDA PURANA)

Oh son Narada, those brahmanas who do not give charity in the month of Karttika, perform sacrifice, chant japa and fast for Lord Hari are the lowest of mankind. - (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/25 from SKANDA PURANA)

There is no other month equal to Karttika and there is no other yuga equal to Krta-yuga. There is no other scripture equal to Vedas. There is no other place of pilgrimage equal to Ganges, therefore, the month of Karttika is very dear to the Vaisnavas (people dedicated to Visnu). - (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/39,40 from SKANDA PURANA)

Oh great sage, after giving up all varieties of religious functions, one should follow Karttika fast and listen to the narrations of Lord Sri Hari before His Deity form. - (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/76 from SKANDA PURANA Lord Brahma speaks to Narada Muni)

One rat (female mouse) had once burnt a ghee lamp which was offered by someone else on Ekadasi day. By doing so, she achieved a rarely achievable human form and at last attained the topmost destination. - (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/129 from SKANDA PURANA)

Most auspicious month of the year.......

The auspicious Month of Kartik, more popular as the Month of Damodara, is here once again heralding the spiritually enlivening ‘Festival of Lights’.

Mother Yasoda bound little mischievous Krishna with ropes to the grinding mortar for having stolen butter and thus He came to be known as Damodara. The significance is in that the Lord of the Universe can be bound only by the rope of pure love.

The Kartik Month is the period when the enchantingly beautiful child Krishna starts playing this sweet pastime of stealing butter.

During thus Damodara month, devotees will get the opportunity to personally offer Arati to Lord Damodara with ghee lamps and sing the very enchanting ‘Damorashtakam’, to receive the special mercy of the Lord.

"In the month of Kartika one should worship Lord Damodara and daily recite the prayer known as Damodarashtaka, which has been spoken by the sage Satyavrata and which attracts Lord Damodara."

(Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa 2.16.198)

Janmashtmi 2010 @ ISKCON, East of Kailash, Delhi

2 September 2010

Mangala Darsan

Sringaar Darshan

Abhiseka

Home Altar @ Janmashmi

The pics are not very clear. Altar decorated by HG Ajatshatru Prabhu and HG Madhurya Kadambini Devi Dasi.
Lord's dress kindly gifted by HG Avyanga prabhu.
 

Radha Parthasarathi Jhulan Yatra

Following are the pics of each day of the 5-day long Jhulan Yatra celebrated in Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir, ISKCON Delhi.

Golden Times

Guru Maharaja with Srila Prabhupada

Came across this picture in Facebook. A glimpse of the older times, the golden times.

Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi's Swing Pastimes

20 Aug 2010

Yes! For the first time in history of Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir, Their Lordships chose to sit down on a swing for the pleasure of their devotees.

It was an unbelievable sight for the non-believers and a pleasing and awe-inspiring sight for the devotees when their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi appeared to give audience to the eagerly awaiting devotees. The two were nicely sitting on an installed swing. And I am not talking about the Utsava deities but the Acala Sri Vigrahas of the Lord and his Consort.

more pictures soon.....

ISKCON Incorporation Day - 44th Anniversary

Today, ISKCON has branches all over the world.

Millions of lives have been transformed by the Hare Krishna mantra and the philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita; thanks to the vision of Srila Prabhupada and the efforts of his sincere followers. But in 1966, no one (except Prabhupada himself) could foresee how this society could ever manifest on such a scale.

Excerpts from Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta

“We shall call our society ISKCON." Prabhupada had laughed playfully when he first coined the acronym.

He had initiated the legal work of incorporation that spring, while still living on the Bowery. But even before its legal beginning, he had been talking about his “International Society for Krishna Consciousness," and so it had appeared in letters to India and in The Village Voice. A friend had suggested a title that would sound more familiar to Westerners, “International Society for God Consciousness," but Prabhupada had insisted: “Krishna Consciousness." “God" was a vague term, whereas “Krishna" was exact and scientific; “God consciousness" was spiritually weaker, less personal. And if Westerners didn't know that Krsna was God, then the International Society for Krishna Consciousness would tell them, by spreading His glories “in every town and village."

Similarly, the place of worship, 26 Second Avenue, was not a New York storefront, a former curiosity shop. It was a small place, but it had now been spiritualized. The storefront and the apartment were now a transcendental haven.

Plain, small, and impoverished as it was, Prabhupada regarded the storefront as “a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the Personality of Krsna” It was a world headquarters, a publishing house. a sacred place of pilgrimage, and a center from which an army of devotees could issue forth and chant the holy names of God in all the streets in the world.

“Society at large” could come here; the whole world could take shelter here, regardless of race or religion.

IYF Delhi blog online

Yes! IYF Delhi blog is now active. Here you can get to know everything about IYF Delhi, its offerings, activities, members etc.

Check out the pages which detail the IYF activities and also give information about BACES.

Click the pic to visit the blog or go to http://delhiiyf.blogspot.com/

Altar Inaugration at Home

On the auspicious ocassion of Sri Sita Devi Appearance day, my long time desire got fulfilled. We finally got a custom made altar with just about everything that i ever wanted in the altar.

A lot of input from Avyanga prabhu and Apurva Gopal prabhu and coaxing from Sri Sacinandan prabhu(Pune temple) led to this joyous ocassion.

Since it was a saturday and we had the namahatta program also, we invited HG Padmapuri prabhu for delivering lecture and leading kirtan.

The credit for decoration that you see in the pictures below to Avyanga Prabhu.

Chandan Yatra in ISKCON Delhi

Posted on May 1, 2010

It's been long since I posted on my blog. So here we go with the pics of their Lordships smeared with sandalwood paste to cool their bodies in the simmering heat of the north India. The chandan yatra is a 21-day festival which is celebrated across all ISKCON centres, Gaudiya Mathas and Sri Jagannath Puri Temple.

This festival begins on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya. On this day, whatever we do becomes akshaya (inexhaustible). HH Bhakti Vishramb Madhav Maharaja gave a sweet lecture on this day in ISKON, East of kailash, where he explained the significance of inexhaustible nature of dovetailing everything in Krishna's service. He also told that we should grind tulasi bark along with sandalwood and then it would give real pleasure to Krishna.

I remember one statement which really made an impact:

"You offer Tulasi devi to Krishna, and mercifully, she will offer you in krishna's service"

 It's so easy. All Glories to Tulasi Devi, the dearmost devotee of Krishna.

Here are the pics from East of Kailash and Punjabi bagh temple on the day of Akshay tritiya.

Thanks to Kovid prabhu for contributing these pictures.

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H.G. Sri Kesava Prabhu

Sri Keshava Prabhu
Present Location: IYF Vrindavan

I met Prabhuji in Pune on my first visit to Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari Mandir. Got myself enrolled in his Bhakti Vriksha Program. There I met other devotees also such as Ravindra Caitanya (Rohit) Prabhu, Rakesh Kesari prabhu, Alok Pr, Prashant Pr, Deepesh Pr and others.

Soon after 2 months just before Janmashtmi, 2006 Prabhuji left Pune to serve in Vrindavan as a Pujari near his Spiritual Master - his Holiness Radha Govind Swami Maharaja. At this time, the reins of our group were now handled jointly by HG Jaya Nitai Pr and Jugal kishor Pr.

Everytime thereon when I used to go to Vrindavan, I used to meet him. And being so sweet he is, always used to give me some mahaprasad directly from altar, Breakfast Prasadam coupons, maha garlands amongst other things.

Prabhuji then went on to become Temple Commander to Congregation Preaching in Agra. Latest update: Back to youth preaching in Mathura colleges.

Whenever he meets me, asks me about my spiritual life upkeep, sadhna and if I am in regular contact with my counsellor.

Sri Kesava Prabhu is one of the sweetest devotee I have ever met.

Lord Chaitanya's moon is rising!!! I personally witnessed it....

On April 24th, a dream close to my heart came true. I had been having this desire ever since I had started going to ISKCON. It was to see devotees leading a nice ecstatic kirtan in my colony and imbuing everyone with great bliss of hearing and chanting the beautiful names of Lord Hari. Frankly, it was just a desire that I kept close to my heart, but never ever practically did anything to make it come true. But Lord is so merciful. Being inside my heart in his paramatma form, he knew my desire and mercifully reciprocated by fulfilling it. Who can be more kind than Krishna? Who in this world can be more compassionate to a fallen person like me except the supreme personality of Godhead Krishna. Though I had no qualification, yet he lovingly without considering much, like a loving parent chose to satisfy me. It was an occassion of great joy for me. Finally the moon of Lord Chaitanya has risen in the colony I live. The pastimes have begun.......Now we will wait an watch, the miracles manifesting, the mercy of Lord Caitanya overflowing and flooding the people, the saving of people from the most miserable and hellish conditioned life. It will all come true...Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself predicted that his name will be spread all over the planet. In every town and every village, his name will be chanted. I pray that by mercy of my Spiritual master I get an opportunity to be an instrument in this preaching movement.

Harinama Diksha

Srila Prabhupada writes in BG 13.8-12, Purport:
Simplicity means that without diplomacy one should be so straightforward that he can disclose the real truth even to an enemy. As for acceptance of the spiritual master, that is essential, because without the instruction of a bonafide spiritual master one cannot progress in the spiritual science. One should approach the spiritual master with all humility and offer him all services so that he will be pleased to bestow his blessings upon the disciple. Because a bonafide spiritual master is a representative of Krsna, if he bestows any blessings upon his disciple, that will make the disciple immediately advanced without the disciple's following the regulative principles. Or, the regulative principles will be easier for one who has served the spiritual master without reservation.

March 27, 2010 is going to be the most important day of my life. (It should, right?) On this most auspicious day, my spiritual life started as a very dear devotee of the Lord, His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami kindly accepted me as his disciple. He gave me the spiritual name: Satsvarupa Shyam Das.

Both my mother and father also got initiated and their names are His Grace Ajatshatru Das and Her Grace Madhurya Kadambini Devi Dasi.

Initiation ceremony started at 9:00 AM in the morning where all he candidates sat around the sacrificial kundas in the courtyard, right in front of temple hall. The are was beautifully decorated with fruits and flowers by the pujari department devotees. We were all given Harinama Chadars and a new Tulasi neck beads. Guru Maharaja arrived and took his seat and then gave a lecture on 10 offences against holy names. he made it clear that our advancement in spiritual life will not be dependent on our spiritual names but rather our dedication in following the principles of devotional service.

Maharaja first gave initiation to the temple residents and then the prabhus, and lastly matajis. In all he initiated around 200 devotees from New Delhi, NOIDA, Gurgaon and faridabad congregation and many IYF devotees.

Each devotee after paying obeisances to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Guru Maharaja took vows of following 4 regulative principles, chanting 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamanra daily and 25 rounds on Ekadasi and other auspicous days. Also Maharaja asked us to read Srila Prabhupada books daily and take regular association of devotees. He then gave the beads and also awarded a new spiritual name to the disciple.

After this procedure was completed, HG Jaya Mukunda recited the invocatory hyms and started the fire sacrifice. this went on for half an hour. Then all newly initiated devotees circumambulaed the area 7 times.

Personally it was a very humbling experience. It was like a dream that had come true. The only thing I remember is when I was vowing before Guru maharaja and other senior Vaishnavas. After that it is all blank. Don't remember when Maharaja gave me the beads and the name. 

Phew! Finally i now have some hope of getting saved. That is if I now strictly follow the instructions my spiritual master gave me. I request all of you who are reading this to give me your blessings and pray to Krishna so that I get strength to satisfy my spiritual master, which is the key to success in spiritual life.

Names of some of he IYF devotees are now as follows:

Sahil Prabhu:            Sacinandan Nimai Das

Jogesh Prabhu:          Jayadev Gauranga Das

Milan Prabhu:            Parampara Prana Das

Gaurav Anand Pr:      Gadadhar Pran Das

Dharmender Pr(Fbd):  Devahuti Suta Das