What Will I Carry With Me Into the New Year?
by Rukmini Walker
A friend and god-sister of mine, Urmila Devi, recently gave me a generous gift of an Amazon kindle. It’s been so useful, while traveling so much, instead of traveling with my usual overweight load of precious books.
The other day, she was giving me a (second) lesson on how to use it. I confessed to her that I have a mental block against technology. She told me firmly that she would give me the kindle lesson, only if I promised to never again say that I have a mental block against technology. I promised her that.
We all have stories about ourselves that become part of our identity, part of how we self-identify. For example, I’m not good at technology, or I’ve been abused, or I've been betrayed… These stories don’t just go away, or have to continue - but they don’t have to be a part of who I am.
If I continue to self-identify in these ways, then I will keep replaying their messages, keep reliving the past, and keep continuing these toxic patterns. And I will have no sense of my own reality without them.
What’s the new pattern I’d like to carry with me into the new year? What’s my intention of a new reality for 2020 and beyond?
Here’s one I’m putting forward for the new year:
I take each step forward each day, in service, in balance and in joyful gratefulness!
What about you? What will you carry forward into the new year? What will you leave behind?
All the best to you in the coming year,
Rukmini Walker
Hare Krsna from India!
~ by Krsnanandini Devi Dasi ~
Hare Krsna! Just sharing a little Christmas thought from India:
Most people know that Lord Jesus Christ did not appear on December 25. Because intelligent, thoughtful people have researched and given historical evidence to that fact. Most people know there is no Santa Claus who comes down a chimney leaving much desired toys, games, clothes and other gifts. Still, in spite of this knowledge, a lot of intelligent, thoughtful people participate in Christmas gift-giving. Why? Because fundamentally we like to give and receive gifts—it’s actually two of the six kinds loving exchanges between people who care about each other.
One of our foremost spiritual teachers, Srila Rupa Goswami lists six kinds of loving exchanges between devotees (or servants of God):
1. Giving gifts with thoughtfulness and care2. Receiving gifts with appreciation3. Offering food with love4. Accepting food with love and gratitude5. Sharing the confidential desires of your heart6. Hearing confidentially and respectfully, honoring confidences
Christmas season, then, gives people a pretext to do what we should be doing all the time. Showing our love by giving. Showing our love by gratefully receiving. And this doesn’t have to be, should never be the over -commercialized event that it has become—where people spend too much for gifts, go in serious debt and forget the purpose of the season.
Something else we should consider: If we are actually trying to honor the great servant of God, Lord Jesus Christ, we should figure out what gift we can offer to him this season. We know he wasn’t materialistic, so what gift can we give? What about the gift of respecting the sacrifice he made of his life and do something -- if only one thing -- that he asked of us — like being a peacemaker.
That would be such a blessed gift!And you would truly be called a child of God.He said so himself.
Krishnanandini Devi Dasi was brought to Krsna consciousness by her mother as a young teenager along with her other siblings. Her mother was a simple woman and a devout Christian who deeply resonated with the Bhakti perspectives given by Srila Prabhupada in his writings. But when she came to the local temple along with her children, ready to join the community there, she faced bigotry and racism. She was treated as a troublemaker and was turned away.She took her children and put them in the car. She didn't know where to turn, but somehow by the grace of God she was given the intuition to drive all the way to Dallas, Texas. When they arrived there, to their surprise, Srila Prabhupada himself was there visiting. She explained her situation to the temple president there, that she and her children were not welcome at the temple in their hometown of Cleveland. Srila Prabhupada out of his great compassion, that very day gave initiation to her and her children as well. I've always called Krishnanandini's Mom the 'Rosa Parks of ISKCON'.
Walking the World
by Rukmini Walker
Be an invisible guide, like the scent of roses that shows where the inner garden is. ~ Rumi
To travel through the world in a mood of detachment carrying within ourselves the inner knowledge and identity that, I am spirit. I am not of this world. My home is elsewhere. I belong to Krsna.
When we travel, sometimes we stay in a place that’s comfortable, sometimes not so much. Sometimes the bed is too hard or too soft, or the water in the shower doesn’t really get hot. Or the toilet, well, the toilet can be another whole story…
But what is my purpose? Have I come here to learn and to give? How can I be of service to this place and to the people here?
Flying through most airports in the world these days, one needs to walk through at least an acre of Duty Free shops selling every brand of liquor, cigarettes, perfume and chocolate. Will a simple ordinary person think, ‘What’s wrong with me that I think I don’t want or need these things? Maybe I need to try these things that seem to make so many people happy…’
But what is my purpose in this world? Am I meant to be a commodity to be bought and sold by the manipulations of others? Have I come to this world to exploit and be exploited by others? Or can I live and walk this world with detachment, knowing that I am meant for a much higher life, that my identity is way beyond this world, in a relationship of love and service to the eternal beloved Lord of my heart?
Can I walk the world in grace, in anonymous humility, offering myself to selflessly give, as an invisible guide, like the scent of roses?
All the best,
Rukmini
Contagious Compassion?
~by Rukmini Walker
During the month of December, as the weather turns chilly, we can almost feel a sort of warming of the heart. People in the West feel a generosity of Christmas spirit, and people in India think of Gita Jayanti, the time when the Bhagavad Gita was spoken.
If your life has been blessed, or changed for the better by a gift of spiritual knowledge, consider paying it forward during this magical time when people’s hearts are a bit more open than usual.
Sharing compassion has a domino effect - others will want to share it too. Gratefulness for a gift, impels us to share it as well.
Lord Caitanya garlanded the whole world with the Holy Name of Krsna, strung on a thread of Prema Bhakti (pure devotional love). How can I help Him? How can I also serve?
All the best for you in this season of joy,
Rukmini Walker
Why We Hide
~by Rambhoru Brinkmann
“Human beings above all, are relational creatures. They seek connection and they experience anxiety, terror, and depression when isolated.” (Jean Baker Miller).
Central to Relational Cultural Theory is the notion that despite our yearning for deep, meaningful, growth-fostering relationships, we develop behaviors that push people away, sabotaging the very interpersonal connections we desire. Although “we desperately seek and desire profound connections, we are terrified of being rejected and isolated” (Miller). And so, we withhold essential parts of ourselves that we have learned to view as “unacceptable”, “bad”, or “shameful,” e.g., our thoughts, needs, desires, and emotions, etc. In an attempt to keep these unacceptable parts of ourselves hidden from others, we develop “strategies of disconnection”. Although we want to connect with others and be seen and heard, we are unable to reveal large aspects of ourselves in order to protect us from rejection. This fear of rejection prevents us from acquiring the interpersonal connection with others that we so desperately yearn for.Srila Prabhupada explains that although “the human being is a social animal,” s/he is not honest due to being very much embarrassed by the material nature. (SB 3.12.28 purport & SB 6.1.15). Moreover, the people of the world are embarrassed by all kinds of material anxieties due to trying to protect their bodies and minds under the influence of notions such as “my” and “mine”. As long as people “do not take shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet, they will always be filled with such anxieties.” (SB 3.9.6).As mentioned above, the means of overcoming the “relational paradox” through Bhakti is unconditional love for God who resides in the heart of all living beings. “For one who has unflinching devotional faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is engaged in His service, all good qualities become manifest in his/her person.” (SB 5.18.12).Lord Chaitanya perfectly exemplified how to transparently disclose our so-called “shameful” hidden parts and stop pretending to be more than who we are when He said;
“I feel shameful to disclose the activities of My heart. Nonetheless, I shall be done with all formalities and speak form the heart. Please hear. My dear friends, I have not the slightest tinge of love of Godhead within My heart. Whatever I do is actually an exhibition of pseudo love of Godhead. (CC 2.44-2.46).
In today’s culture we are often praised for having a “stiff upper lip” when it comes to feeling vulnerable. We believe that to bare our hearts unnecessarily invites hurt and humiliation. In fact, the opposite is true. Vulnerability is really about the willingness to truly be ourselves – to expose our tender side that is not hidden behind our defenses. And when we let our defenses down, it is an invitation for others to do the same. Authentic love can be cultivated “when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection” (Brene’ Brown).
Rambhoru Brinkmann, M.Div., MS, BCCACPE Certified EducatorEmotions are Information
~by Rambhoru Brinkmann
“Being a truly well and self-satisfied individual rests on the ability to understand the information that emotions give you and be able to skillfully utilize and respond to that information…Emotions are not negative or extraneous, but rather an important aspect of being human.” (Hannah Curtis, LCSW)
Sometimes, in the interests of spiritual development, practitioners avoid, suppress, or disconnect from their feelings viewing them as taboo. They may even be self-critical or judgmental of themselves or others for having “negative” emotions. The trouble with these attitudes is that they prevent us from perceiving the valuable information our emotions carry with them.Our emotions help us know whether we can trust our environment or other people. They help us discern our personal nature, inclinations and preferences. They can rouse us into action, inspire us to pause to reflect or get us to notice a potential problem and resolve it before it manifests.Emotional cognizance or awareness means to be able to identify what we are feeling in any given moment. For example, when we start a sentence with “I feel….” and there’s no feeling word in the sentence, pause and become curious. What is the feeling word that captures the essence of your experience? Then ask, “What does my feeling mean? Is it inviting me to change my behavior or attitude in some way?”One of the qualities of the Supreme Lord is that He is All-cognizant. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “cognizance” as “knowledge, awareness or noticing”.Srila Prabhupada explains, “We are also cognizant (aware), and God is also cognizant (aware)... He is also a person. I am also a person.” (purport, BG, 3.17). As individual persons we each have our unique natures and preferences. Being truly aware of ourselves requires us to be able to grasp the information our emotions bring and to skillfully respond to that information in ways that transform our attitude and behavior to align with our essential spiritual nature; sat (eternal), chit (knowledge or awareness) and ananda (bliss or joy). When we keep in view our goal of loving the Lord unconditionally within the hearts of all living beings, we can utilize the information provided by our emotions to guide our transformation towards realizing our true Selves. Self-Realization literally means the “fulfillment of oneself by the possibilities of one’s character or personality” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). To that end, “The mind should be fixed in the self. We are self, and Kṛṣṇa is also Self.” (BG 6.25-29-purport). The closer we align with our essential spiritual nature, the more we will experience ourselves as whole and undivided. That’s called integrity.
Rambhoru Brinkmann, M.Div., MS, BCCACPE Certified EducatorRethinking the Holidays
As we approach yet another holiday season in the United States, I invite readers to consider a new approach to celebration and the creation and perpetuation of family traditions. Currently cultural norms dictate celebrating by engaging in excess, extravagance and often glutinous behaviors. While these traditions may be wrapped up with feelings of honor and respect for past generations, with childhood memories and sometimes even offerings to the Divine, the result of such actions on the body only has one outcome- they contribute to imbalance and ultimately sow the seeds of disease.I would like to offer some thoughts and suggestions to change the way we hold these festivals and celebrations, not by taking away the sweetest part of them - the sharing food and gifts with loved ones - but by making them even more sweet with an additional offering of compassion and respect for body, mind and spirit.I was never very big on overeating at the holidays or using any one such day in particular as an excuse to indulge. I did, however, grow up in families where it was typical to make, serve and eat an enormous amount of food in one sitting and over the course of the day. These holidays and festivities were looked forward to, cherished, and enjoyed, until after the meal when inevitably people would be full to the point of physical discomfort, exhausted, and sometimes even ill. Often, relatives would encourage me to eat more or take seconds. “Manga! Manga!” would be heard throughout the day. When you would comply with this request to eat more, it was seen as affectionate and loyal. If you choose to refuse, it was seen as an insult, and I often felt isolated when I would do so.When I was fourteen I became a vegetarian, and much of the food I ate previously was not part of my diet anymore, so that when I attended family gatherings, I chose to abstain from many of the dishes because they either contained meat or were prepared with animal products. This further contributed to my feelings of isolation, as well as made me feel like I was odd and unaccepted for not wanting to partake in the eating of animals.Then, as an older teen, I joined a spiritual community where vegetarian food is actually a central part of worship. It was a big attraction for me, of course, and every gathering culminated with a delicious feast of many preparations, and again, I was faced with regular opportunities to eat more than I needed.By my early 20s I had gained enough weight to be considered obese, and my mother, realizing I was headed down a road that she herself had gone, decided to help me early on and buy me a membership to weight watchers. I had success on the diet, which to me was just learning awareness around how much food I ate and adding more regular activity. Within a year I had reached a healthy weight, and have been able to maintain it, for the most part, ever since.Even within the weight watchers program and mentality celebrations and overeating were still accepted, and people regularly talked about how they would step away from their healthy habits to indulge or cheat at those times. All one had to do was to get back on the program after the fact and try and undo the damage that had been done. I, also, had this mindset, so continued to have periods of overeating. It was not until my mid-thirties when I discovered that by doing so I wasn’t only contributing to short term and potential long term weight gain and the possibility of a food hangover, I was actually contributing to dis-ease in my body.According to Ayurveda, the body can only digest a certain amount of food, and once that food is ingested, it needs to complete the digestive process before it can go on to nourish the tissues and systems of the body. If that process is disrupted, the result is malnourishment at the minimum, but also the creation of toxins that can build up and cause disease in the body.I also learned about something we call “the first burp”, a subtle burp the body gives you to signal that it has had enough, and about eating habits that would assist the digestive process rather than interrupt it. All of the teachers of Ayurveda I have encountered put a great deal of emphasis on these eating practices as being key to maintaining good health and preventing disease.That leads me rethinking the holidays. In previous years, I would collect my kid’s Halloween candy after allowing them a few pieces so that they wouldn’t have too much sugar, only to enjoy the rest of it myself as a treat throughout the following weeks. Now, I still collect most of the candy, but now instead of keeping it as a stash for myself, I give it away to an organization or donate it to local collections. For the kids, the fun is in going out with friends and dressing up. They couldn’t really care less about the candy.At Thanksgivings in the past I would always eat a big meal of whatever preparations were available at relatives houses or gatherings. Now, my family and I prepare a special meal of some of our favorite healthy foods, arrange the table beautifully, sit down together and eat with gratitude. We eat the same amount that we would on any other day, but we take extra time to prepare the meal together, say prayers of offering and thanks, and sometimes to share it with friends.A typical meal at my home around Thanksgiving will have carrot ginger soup, homemade bread, vegetarian stuffing, roasted vegetables and sometimes a dessert with apples or pumpkin. It might only take a spoon full of each to create a full meal, but that is ok. Having a small amount makes it cherished and appreciated all the more.During Christmas, usually I celebrate with more extended family, and will eat with relatives and friends, but it is not about the food for me. It is about coming together with people I rarely see, sharing stories and making memories, all the while nourishing the body in a way that will facilitate my staying healthy and strong in order that I might celebrate many more.I don’t drink alcohol, but this is another way that one can honor and celebrate the holidays in a way that doesn’t have negative consequences for body, mind and spirit. Alcohol of any kind, even a glass or red wine, will contribute to imbalance and digestive upset. Better to leave the alcohol out, and in doing so support wellness, and be fully present in the jubilations rather than dulled by intoxication. I know this isn’t the way of western culture, and it often can mean being feeling left out of the crowd, but in the end, the person who abstains and respects and honors their body through the holidays will reap the benefits - not only on that day, but on all of the days and weeks that follow.I invite you to take pause and meditate on the real treasures the holidays have to offer, whether or not they are the holidays coming up in the United States, or holidays you celebrate in your own country or tradition. Consider ways in which that treasure can be experienced in a way that allows you to create wellness in yourself, without taking out the sweetness that exists in the sharing and honoring of food together as a family, as a community, or anywhere.
ABOUT LISA
Six Exchanges of Love
Krishnanandini is a dear god-sister who grew up in the tough neighborhoods of Cleveland, Ohio. Now she is in Vrndavan receiving Ayurvedic treatment for advanced cancer, and HH Radhanatha Swami Maharaj came to visit her. Below, Mother Krishnanandini shares a very important insight on "six exchanges of love". Please keep her in your prayers! All the best, Rukmini Walker
~by Krishnanandini
Hare Krsna!Yesterday, On Gopastami, my dear godbrother, Radhnatha Swami came to pay a visit. He spent some quality time with us, my son, Mohan-Madhuri and I. We shared pastimes, laughed and reminisced about some of our past Cleveland experiences with Bhaktirtha Swami and Kamagiri devi dasi and others like the “Lord Have Mercy Festival” that we (the Cleveland Nama Hatta Program) held annually for 10 years, bringing servants of God together for a day of gratitude for the mercy of the sweet Lord. In the festivals, that gratitude was expressed artistically through music, dance, poetry, chess competitions, brief but powerful workshops, wonderful association and prasadam feasting.
And Maharaja heard, with gentle compassion, about my journey with the cancer diagnosis and the intense Ayur-Vedic health treatment I am undergoing here in the holy and blessed land of Vrndavan. We gave Maharaja a couple of small gifts and he, in addition to giving the gift of his time, gave a profound blessing: “Be happy to be in Vrndavan,” he told me. Overall, the visit was touching and reinforced the value of loving exchanges between devotees. After he left I was appreciating how this very busy spiritual teacher took the time to show concern and care for his godsister. And I remembered how when another god-brother, HH Bhaktitirtha Swami was departing this world, Radhanatha Swami had dropped everything to come and spend weeks with Bhaktitirtha Swami, making that a beautiful example of prioritizing support for devotees who are undergoing intense life experiences.As servants of God, being personal and interacting with affection is sometimes made a secondary or not very important activity. But when we actually understand that the Supreme Lord is a person, The unequalled, unrivalled, eternal, all-knowing person, we can appreciate that personal dealings between the Lord and His servants and between the servants of the Lord themselves -- are actually the highest expression of love and spiritual realization. For this reason, one of the greatest acharyas (spiritual teachers who lead by example) in our line, Srila Rupa Goswami, identified six kinds of loving exchanges between devotees of the sweet Lord:
- Giving gifts with affection and thoughtfulness
- Accepting gifts with appreciation
- Sharing food prepared and offered with love
- Accepting food with love and gratitude
- Revealing one’s mind in confidence
- Hearing and honoring what has been shared in confidence
Every sincere servant of the Lord should periodically take inventory and see just how much he or she is partaking of these six loving exchanges between one devotee and another. On a daily basis, we should have some loving exchanges with other servants of God. This is most pleasing to the Lord and makes our own hearts engladdened.
Krishnanandini Devi Dasi was brought to Krsna consciousness by her mother as a young teenager along with her other siblings. Her mother was a simple woman and a devout Christian who deeply resonated with the Bhakti perspectives given by Srila Prabhupada in his writings. But when she came to the local temple along with her children, ready to join the community there, she faced bigotry and racism. She was treated as a troublemaker and was turned away.She took her children and put them in the car. She didn't know where to turn, but somehow by the grace of God she was given the intuition to drive all the way to Dallas, Texas. When they arrived there, to their surprise, Srila Prabhupada himself was there visiting. She explained her situation to the temple president there, that she and her children were not welcome at the temple in their hometown of Cleveland. Srila Prabhupada out of his great compassion, that very day gave initiation to her and her children as well. I've always called Krishnanandini's Mom the 'Rosa Parks of ISKCON'.
A Weed is a Flower in the Wrong Pot
by Rukmini Walker
~Part 2 of a series on Gardening of the Soul~
Click here to listen to the audio recording of this blog, read by the author:[audio m4a="http://www.urbandevi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AUDIO-2019-10-20-16-19-18.m4a"][/audio]
Blog text begins here.....
To cultivate bhakti, is to cultivate the inner garden of your heart. This cultivation is compared to a tender, wish - fulfilling creeper - a vine that leans in, to wind around our Source, Sri Krsna, the tree of all life.
What does it mean to cultivate a sustainable internal garden in your heart? What qualities are you trying to harvest to grow in your heart?
A connected leaf is green, is full of chlorophyll, but one disconnected from the branch turns brown and dry.
A fruit that’s fallen to the ground, being disconnected from its source of life, shrivels and dries up.
When we are separated from our Source, when we are isolated, we feel existential loneliness and often alienation.
In Bhakti, we use the metaphor of planting a seed of devotion within our heart. The tender creeper of devotion is described as a wish - fulfilling creeper that grows in the field of our hearts. It’s a vine, it leans in - on what?
Sri Radha, the sacred feminine, is the vine that wraps around the Tree of Life, Sri Krsna, the original divine masculine…
Bhakti Devi, the goddess of devotion, is expanded from Sri Radha…
In Bhakti, our hearts are meant to bloom, to fructify in joy into delicious tasty fruits and fragrant flowers — the cultivation of Bhakti is the greening or awakening of the soul.
Giving pleasure to our Source, Sri Krsna, but also feeling the pleasure of that connectedness, and interconnectedness to all other living beings, experiencing that joy ourselves.
When we are separated from our Source, when we are isolated, we feel existential loneliness and often alienation.
According to the Bhakti tradition, as jiva souls, eternal sparks or parts, we lean in… we are the leaves and flowers of that Bhakti creeper of devotion, that lovingly wraps around our Source, the tree of life, Who is Sri Krsna.
What does it mean to cultivate a sustainable internal garden in our hearts?
First of all, let’s look at weeds. A weed is a flower in the wrong pot. If you are trying to grow zucchini, then something else in that zucchini patch is a weed. What is your ultimate goal?
What qualities are you trying to grow in your heart? What is your ultimate goal?
If we want a successful harvest, best to begin with a clear vision of the end in mind.
If I’m trying to grow zucchini, then if something else is growing there, I may want to pull it up as a weed… but it might have value in a different place, a different season, a different time - a different context…
Remember the story of the Ugly Duckling? She was a misfit. She was being judged as ugly. But actually, she was a swan. She was meant for a much higher life, a higher destiny that others couldn’t see.
What are you hoping to grow in your heart?
Do you have a purpose that others may not see? Is it love, compassion? Selfless service to Lord Krsna?
Do you aspire to be the change you wish to see in the world? Are you wishing for more authentic relationships?
Do you want to teach, maybe teach yoga? Do you seek realizations in knowledge?
But if you don’t know, maybe just by the practice of cultivating this garden of the heart - you’ll get a sweet surprise!
Even on the high path of Bhakti our ultimate goals may vary…What inspires me - even in the realm of devotion - might be very different from what inspires you…
Each of us is as unique as a snowflake. We are all individuals, with our own sacred individuality…
As seeds, we have different potentials, different gifts, different capabilities in our hearts.
But all of our many thirsts can be quenched by the sweet taste of the fruits of Bhakti.
Like pebbles thrown into the center of a garden pond create harmonious concentric circles generating outward.
Being centered on the actual center of all existence, we can find harmony in the many circles of our lives that generate out from that center.
As we look off into the future of our lives, as we look off at the distant horizon - we can aspire to see the material and spiritual tracks of our lives coming together and meeting at the horizon like two sides of a railroad track. Harmonized at the horizon. Harmonized in Bhakti.
All the best,
Rukmini Walker
Why Does Srimati Radharani Give Us Darshan Of Her Divine Lotus Feet On Gopastami?
~Pastimes from Vrindavan~
Today Special Gopastami Darshan of Radharani’s Lotus Feet!
WHY DOES SRIMATI RADHARANI GIVE US DARSAN OF HER DIVINE LOTUS FEET ON GOPASTAMI?
The eighth day of Kartika’s bright fortnight marks an important day in Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes, his initiation as a full-fledged cow-herder. This day, known as Gopastami, is the day Krishna graduated from spending his days herding calves to herding the cows. Srila Jiva Goswami’s Gopala Campu describes the occasion of Krishna’s initiation as a cow-herder, marking his passage from boyhood to youth.On this day, many temples in Vrindavana, and now throughout the world, show the Deity form of Srimati Radharani with her lotus feet visible. On all other days of the year, Radharani, the supremely chaste Goddess of devotion to Krishna, keeps her feet covered. So how is it that she shows her lotus feet on this one day of the year? She does so almost inadvertently, by indirection, disguised as Krishna’s bosom friend Subala.Among all of Krishna’s friends, Subala is perhaps the most intimate. He is the leader of the priyanarma sakhas, who act as accomplices in Krishna’s loving dealings with Radharani and the other cowherd girls of Vraja. Subala has a very fair complexion, like Radharani’s; in fact, his countenance very closely resembles Radharani’s.One day Krishna felt so deeply the pangs of love for Radha that he was inconsolable in his separation from her. He called his dear friend Subala and said, “I can’t stand being away from Radha. You have to get her and bring her here to me!”Subala, perplexed, replied, “How can I bring her out to the forest in broad daylight?” Radharani was kept from meeting with Krishna by vigilant elders, especially Jatila, the mother of her so-called husband. Jatila kept a close watch on Radharani day and night, and Subala worried about how he would be able to manage to spirit her away from her home.
Krishna was insistent: “You’ll figure it out. You have to manage it somehow or other!” Determined to satisfy his friend, Subala hatched a plan. He approached Radha’s home with one of his calves under his arm. As he got near the house, he set the calf down on the ground and gave its tail a quick twist, so it would run off. Then he approached Radha’s home.Ever watchful and ever suspicious, Jatila called to Subala: “Say, what are you doing here? You’re that boy who is always hanging out with that rascal Krishna. You boys are undoubtedly up to no good. You get out of here right now!”“No, no—you’re mistaken, dear mother,” Subala protested. “I’ve lost one of my calves. His mother is causing quite a stir, moaning in separation from her baby, and I just want to bring him back, like a good cowherd.”Jatila, despite her suspicion, was persuaded. “Well, I don’t see you your calf could find its way all the way here from Nandagram, but have a look anyway. You’ll see that he’s not here.”Subala took advantage of the situation, went into Radharani’s home, and told her the situation. They exchanged clothes, and, while Subala remained in Radha’s room disguised as her, she, dressed in Subala’s clothes, took the small calf in her arms and headed for the forest, nodding farewell to the unsuspecting Jatila and smiling to herself in anticipation of meting Krishna.She approached Krishna at the appointed rendezvous. She looked so much like Subala that Krishna didn’t recognize her and feared that Subala had failed in his mission.At last, when Radharani saw Krishna, She approached Him in the garb of Subala. Krishna was mad. He could not detect that Radharani had come, but mistook Her for Subala. He said, “Oh, Subala, you have come back without Radharani! Couldn’t you bring Her?”Radharani began cutting jokes: “No”, She said, “lt was impossible for me to bring Her in the daytime.”Krishna said, “Then what am I to do? I can’t tolerate My life any longer.”Radharani said, “If You say so, I can go to Candravali and bring her.”“No, no,” Krishna said, “Curd cannot satisfy the thirst for milk. It is not possible!” Krishna was faint with disappointment.Then Radharani embraced Him, saying, “My Lord, can’t You recognize Your maidservant? You failed to recognize Me!” Then Krishna was again full of joy.[perfectpullquote align="full" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""]We may understand, then, that the rare opportunity to see Srimati Radharani’s lotus feet is due to a sort of trick and is connected with an intimate pastime that is certainly difficult for ordinary people to fathom. We may be able to appreciate this to the extent that we have taken shelter of the process of bhakti as taught by our spiritual masters coming in the line of disciplic succession, the guru parampara. During the month of Kartika, known as Radha’s own month, devotees pray to her for greater devotion to Krishna. This month affords a special occasion each day to gain the favor of Bhakti Devi, Radharani, by deepening our commitment to the processes of devotional service such as hearing, chanting, and remembering the glories of Krishna’s divine names, beauty, character, and pastimes. As the end of the month approaches, Radharani’s accepting Subala vesa is one of the sweetest such occasions.[/perfectpullquote]
Govardhan Shelter
nija-nikata-nivasam dehi govardhana tvam “O Govardhan, please give me shelter near you.”
~ Srila Raghunath Das Goswami
“Those who want to love God adopt the same spirit of one-pointed determination as the dualists and the same mood of utter humility and meekness, a necessary attitude for them to overcome the gulf separating a tiny soul from God almighty. But they also combine it with the contemplative calmness which comes from an intuitive feeling of eternal closeness to the Absolute Truth. That’s how a tearful prayer full of devotion blends with the tranquility and calmness of meditation and transforms into a sweet kirtana.The waves of this kirtana rise above the pasturing fields of Vraja, scale the small rocky hill known as Govardhan that is stretched out as the tilak marking of Vraja, and ascend high into the sky, trying to reach its snowy peaks and steep slopes hidden in the clouds, where, some say, the horses of the Sun God are pasturing.The ambrosial sounds of that kirtana rise to the very top of Giriraj from where a small cowherd boy with a staff, a bamboo flute and a horn is proudly observing his domain. He is the king of this boundless land of love, where every blade of grass is known to him. From the top of the hill he’s watching over the cows that graze in the meadow below; they are ready to forget their grass and come running if he calls them. He sees peacocks dancing just for him, and deer craving for the sound of his flute. On the same meadow he sees his faithful friends, with Balaram ahead. They all roll around in the emerald green grass, chase birds and giggle whilst searching for their friend who escaped from them.His watchful sight traces mother Yasoda in Nandagram. She is fussing around the stove preparing his dinner while a countless number of maidservants help her. He suddenly sees a flock of young cowherd girls on the other side of the hill. Stealthily they are glancing around while going to the place of their secret meeting. Chandravali’s bashful beauty shines among them. He sees all this, and his heart halts, filled with love and happiness.But his thirsty eyes are still searching for someone else. What more does he need? Is all this love and happiness not enough for him? No, it is not! And therefore he calls loudly from the top of Govardhan, Aniyora! Aniyora! - “It’s not enough, I need more! I need more!” ~ HH Bhakti Vijnana Goswami
Happy Govardhan Puja today!
All the best,
Rukmini Walker
The Price of a Ticket Back Home ~ Humility
The month of Kartik which is dedicated to Srimati Radharani began on October 14. Here are some priceless meditations from the publication "The Price of a Ticket Back Home" to inspire you for this special month from my dear friend and sister Srimati and the Iskcon team who live in Sri Vrndavan Dham. ~ Rukmini Walker
“.. at this point, perhaps we need to remind ourselves that Krsna is more interested in our mood than our achievements. So what should be our mood during this sacred month, if our goal is Krsna-prema? Krsna, in His form of Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu, gives us a very clear and strong clue:
trnad api su-nicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina mana-dena
kirtaniya sada hari
[perfectpullquote align="full" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""]'One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord'.— Siksastaka 3[/perfectpullquote]
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Loving devotional service is far different from disciplines such as karma, jnana, and yoga. At every stage it is decorated by indifference to them, and its root is dainya, utter humility. When one allows secondary means and goals to become prominent, one deviates from bhakti. The most essential support — and a candidate for pure bhakti must always take help from it — is utter humility.
An intelligent person should carefully cultivate speech, behavior, and thinking that fix him in utter humility, and anything that stands in the way of it he/she should avoid.
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Inspiration for a Successful Kartik
[perfectpullquote align="full" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""]"This valuable human form of life is rarely achieved by the conditioned souls and even rarer is the opportunity to observe the vow of Kärttika, which is very dear to Lord Hari." -- Excerpt from the Sri Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa of Srila Sanatana Gosvamī; HBV 16.1 [/perfectpullquote]
A Poet on Faith
Anna is a dear sister on the Bhakti path. Here is an inspiration from her...~ Rukmini Walker
By Anna Cooperberg
I was meandering around Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia when I came upon a man seated behind on a small stool behind a tiny rickety table. On the table was a typewriter. “Pick a topic, get a poem,” the sign said. Intrigued, I walked over. “You can write a poem about anything?” I asked. "Anything you want," he responded. I thought for a moment. “Faith. Write a poem about faith.” Immediately, he started typing. Clickety clack--you know how those old typewriters sound. I was strangely nervous to read the final product. Would the poem be any good? After a short while—and without pause—the poet removed a small piece of paper from the typewriter and presented it to me with a flourish.Wallace Stevens wrote that “the poet is the priest of the invisible.” Poetry is so considered; it packs so much into just a few words. And that's what makes it beautiful. It means different things to different people, because there is room for personal interpretation.That park poet, Marshall James Kavanaugh (known as the Dream Poet for Hire), truly captured the invisible. Take a read, and see what this poem, written with wisdom and tact, means to you.
Who is the Gardener?
by Rukmini Walker
Part One
Behold! We are not an earthly, but a heavenly plant! -Plato
For those of you who were not able to join us at last month’s Urban Devi Nature Retreat in Upstate New York, I thought to share the workshop I presented there, but in a few installments.
Wisdom books of the Bhakti tradition explain that the rare heirloom seeds of Bhakti, or devotional service are handed down by the combined grace of God, Krsna, and the holy sadhus or gurus on the path.
The metaphor then grows - our tender beginning Bhakti is compared to a tiny new creeper, a vine that needs to lean in on something. It leans in on that original tree of life, Sri Krsna. The original vine that lovingly winds around it is Sri Radha, the sacred feminine. She is the origin of Bhakti Devi, the goddess of devotion. On that sacred vine that leans in and wraps herself around the tree of life, our tiny vine can also grow to assist her and one day bloom with fragrant flowers and delicious fruits of loving exchanges in relationships of service (rasa) to the all attractive Sri Krsna and Sri Radha.
But Who is the original gardener Who will grow and distribute the succulent fruits of this creeper of love and devotion?
This gardener is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the combined form of Sri Krsna and Sri Radha. God is one, but in order to enjoy pleasure pastimes, He has eternally separated Himself into two as Radha and Krsna. Then, in order to try to understand the love of Sri Radha for Krsna, He has again become one as Sri Caitanya - overwhelmed with the loving mood and golden complexion of Sri Radha for Krsna.
Caitanya Caritamrita explains:
[perfectpullquote align="full" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""] “Lord Caitanya (the combined form of Radha and Krsna) brought the wish-fulfilling tree of Bhakti, devotional service, to the earth and became its gardener. He sowed the seed and sprinkled upon it the water of His will. The fruits ripened and became sweet and nectarean. The gardener, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, distributed them without asking any price. All the wealth in the three worlds (upper, middle and lower planets) cannot equal the value of one such nectarean fruit of devotional service. The transcendental gardener, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, distributed handful after handful of fruit in all directions, and when the poor hungry people ate the fruit, the gardener smiled with great pleasure, and said: ‘I am only one gardener. How many places can I go? How many fruits can I pick and distribute? It would certainly be a laborious task to pick the fruits and distribute them alone, and still I suspect the some would receive them and others would not. I am merely a gardener. I have neither a kingdom nor very great riches. I simply have some fruits and flowers…’ The fruit of love of God is so tasteful that wherever a devotee distributes it, those who relish the fruit, anywhere in the world, immediately become intoxicated.”
(Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, Ch. 9) [/perfectpullquote]
(To be continued…)
All the best,
Rukmini Walker
Impressions ~ Urban Devi Nature Retreat, Huguenot, New York
~by Rukmini Walker
Last weekend we held an Urban Devi Nature Retreat in upstate New York. It was held at a thousand-acre retreat center on the bank of a lake. We gathered and sang kirtan by a bonfire at the lake each night, and we met inside by the fire in the lodge each morning. I led a workshop and guided meditations on Cultivating the Garden of the Heart.
Afternoons were spent boating on the lake, journaling, dreaming, sharing and doing restorative yoga, led by Lucero. Delicious prasadam meals were lovingly cooked and offered by the mother-daughter team of Elaine and Champaka-lata.It was a deepening, rejuvenating gathering of heart-opened women on the path of Bhakti. Some were new to the path, some more seasoned, but, I think, all of us left with a refreshed perspective on our lives in the cities where we live.Komala Kumari gave us a Bharata Natyam dance class where she taught us how these dancers offer respect to the earth before they dance. She also taught us the facial expressions (abhinaya) and hand gestures (mudras) that express the story and moods of the dance.Kumari also shared with us this beautiful recording of the Sanskrit verse (shlokam) she performed and taught us. Scroll down to the end of this blog to find the link to the recording and the English translation. Please listen to it and be transported to the divine realm of loving Krsna!
Also below is a recording of a song uplifting the gifts of women that Lucero shared with us and we all sang together, along with many photos of our time there together.Thanks to all of you who came and opened your hearts so wide.If you weren't able to make it this time, please plan to join us next September!All the best,Rukmini Walker
Here is a recording of the Sanskrit shlokam that Kumari shared with us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri6Y7BFJIwU
Here is the shlokam in Sanskrit followed by the meaning:
Kastuurii-Tilakam Lalaatta-Pattale Vakssah-Sthale Kaustubham Naasa-Agre Nava-Mauktikam Karatale Vennum Kare Kangkannam | Sarva-Angge Haricandanam Sulalitam Kanntthe Ca Muktaavalim Gopa-Strii Parivessttito Vijayate Gopaala Cuuddaamannih ||
Meaning:1: Salutations to Gopala Who is adorned with the Sacred Marks of Kasturi (Musk) on His Forehead and Kaustubha Jewel on His Chest,2: His Nose is decorated with a Shining Pearl, the Palms of His Hands are gently holding a Flute, the Hands themselves are beautifully decorated with Bracelets,3: His Whole Body is Smeared with Sandal Paste, as if Playfully anointed, and His Neck is decorated with a Necklace of Pearls,4: Surrounded by the Cowherd Woman, Gopala is Shining in their middle in Celebration like a Jewel on the Head.
Here is the Women's song: https://youtu.be/_FVKUMAKtmg
And some photos of our time together:
Russian Reflections
Indradyumna Swami led ecstatic kirtan at the Sadhu Sanga Festival in Russia near the Black Sea last week, where six thousand devotees danced, chanted and heard with absorption the sweetness of the Holy Name!! Click on the video below to experience the ecstasy!
[video width="848" height="480" mp4="http://www.urbandevi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/VIDEO-2019-09-15-19-16-43.mp4"][/video]
Sept. 15th, 2019
by Rukmini Walker
"Truth can walk the world unarmed." ~ A Bedouin proverb
My husband and I returned from Russia a few days ago after a visit of about two weeks. At a Sadhu Sanga Festival near the Black Sea, six thousand devotees danced, chanted and heard with absorption the sweetness of the Holy Name, along with a discussion each morning of the beautiful Srimad (Srimad means beautiful) Bhagavatam.
At the top of this blog is a link to a short clip of a beautiful kirtan accompanied by the mesmerized kirtan dancers. We danced and lifted our arms in kirtan with inspired devotees from faraway places whose names I’ve only heard in storybooks - the Ural Mountains, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Kazakhstan and Siberia. Repressive governments of the past were not able to prohibit the Holy Name of Krsna from slipping through porous borders and fiercely guarded checkpoints.
The innumerable Holy Names of God exist in every culture, in every religion, and pass through state lines where no such faith is allowed - appearing just to give solace to every crying human heart.
[perfectpullquote align="full" cite="" link="" color="" class="" size=""]‘Desiring to bless all living beings, this sweet name of Krsna has descended to this material universe and shines like the sun in the sky of the heart, destroying the darkness of ignorance.’ ~ Bhaktivinoda Thakur [/perfectpullquote]
Wherever we may live in this world, our national identities are fleeting and temporary. Drink deeply of the sweet nectar of the many Holy Names of God!
A truth beyond all that is unreal.
All the best,
Rukmini Walker
Plenitud ~ a cOMmunity project helping people in Puerto Rico
See their beautiful website: http://www.plenitudpr.org/welcomeIf you feel inclined to assistant them with a donation, please do.If you're on the Island and would like to visit with them, call them and sit it up; their hospitality is deeply heart-centered.And if you can put them in your prayers, I urge you to gift them in that manner.Thank you.Namaste,Rev. Dr. José M. Román ReTreat Yourself!
Elizabeth is a communications consultant who is active with her Episcopal Church here in Washington, DC. She also loves kirtan, the call and response chanting of the many holy names of God in our Bhakti tradition. Actually, the Biblical instruction to make a joyful noise unto the Lord transcends all religious boundaries. Here's what Elizabeth has to say about her multicultural experience on retreat. ~ All the best, Rukmini Walker
I might be a retreat junkie. I’ve been on two already this summer. At home, my prayer life is at best irregular. Getting some time away from distraction, to read and learn and reflect, is sustenance.
In June, I attended a women’s retreat at Shrine Mont, which belongs to the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. The vibe there is part summer camp, part genteel old resort, with rocking chair-filled porches and honeysuckle vines everywhere. The brilliant author/professor/priest Lauren Winner gave engaging talks throughout the weekend on by her latest work, “Wearing God.” In the weeks since, I've thought often of Winner’s illuminating exploration of the wealth of figurative language in the Bible, and of fellow retreatants who’ve been coming to Shrine Mont for decades.A few weeks later, I joined my yoga teacher and some other students from her studio at a Hare Krishna ashram in West Virginia.
I’ve long admired the Krishna devotees’ full-hearted and full-throated worship, and as I rode the rise and fall of the energy in the temple, I felt Christ’s presence, even there. I participated in maybe one-third of the 24 nonstop hours of chanting, but sleeping in a room just off the temple I couldn’t help absorbing many more. On the way home, I stopped at Sheetz for gas and coffee, and could have sworn I heard the Krishna mantra playing on the mini-mart sound system.Neither of these retreats was silent (the Krishna one was quite the opposite), but I do love a good silent weekend. It’s sort of a relief not to have to make small talk with strangers, letting your soul decide for itself what it wants to do through meals and strolls and journaling. One of the best places to try that is Holy Cross Monastery on the Hudson River in New York.
You don’t even have to leave town for a retreat! Twice, I’ve done the “Retreats in Daily Life” organized by Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Georgetown. Over a week, you engage in daily Ignatian-style reflections on assigned Scripture passages, and meet with a spiritual director. Both times I’ve been surprised by insights into my spiritual identity.If you haven’t gone on retreat, think about trying it. And if you have, I want to hear about it!
Elizabeth Terry is a communications consultant based in Washington, DC. She is a parishioner at All Souls Episcopal Church in Washington.
Initiation
by Rukmiṇī Walker
On August 15, 1968, in Montreal, I was initiated at the age of 16-an unqualified person meeting such a great and unprecedented saint as Srila Prabhupada. At the same time, the six pioneers from San Francisco, on their way to London received their Gayatri mantra, or second initiation.To listen to the transcript of my initiation, please click on this link: https://prabhupadavani.org/transcriptions/initiation-rukmiṇī-dāsī/Written transcript begins here:[Yamunā starts kīrtana with "Hare Kṛṣṇa."Prabhupāda: Vandanam. Vandanam. Vandanam.Yamunā: What?Prabhupāda: Vandanam Prayer?Yamunā: [indistinct]Prabhupāda: Yes.Yamunā: [indistinct][Prabhupāda leads devotees in Vande 'ham].
vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś caśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvamsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]
Chant.[Yamunā starts leading Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana. Prabhupāda chants prayers to the six Gosvāmīs by himself][13:37]Prabhupāda:
kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhīdhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau
You can get up. Can anyone follow on the harmonium, this? Mukunda, you can follow. [sings]
kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhīdhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitauśrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakauvande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau[Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 1]
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are always engaged in chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and dancing. They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle and with the ruffians, because they are not envious of anyone. Whatever they do, they are all-pleasing to everyone, and they are fully blessed by Lord Caitanya. Thus they are engaged in missionary activities meant to deliver all the conditioned souls in the material universe.]
[repeats song] [Prabhupāda continues playing karatālas while speaking]This, today, a devotee is being initiated, so we are praying to the lotus feet of the six Gosvāmīs, who inaugurated this movement under the instruction of Lord Śrī Caitanya. Who are they? Śrī rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.Just try to chant these six names.[sings] Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.Repeat. [devotees chant]Again. [devotees chant twice more]Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. Rūpa, sanātana, two, vande rūpa-sanātanau; raghu-yugau. There were two Raghunāthas. One Raghunātha Bhaṭṭācārya and one Raghunātha dāsa. Two Raghunāthas, and Rūpa, Sanātana.Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. [repeats with devotees]Repeat. [devotees chant twice more]So what was their business? Kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau: always engaged in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana.Hare Kṛṣṇa means kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. Nartana means dancing. So chanting and dancing. That was their business.[sings]Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. And kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, whenever one is merged in kṛṣṇa-kīrtana,that means he is merged into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. That should be the test. As soon as "Kṛṣṇa," this sound is vibrated, one immediately becomes merged into the ocean of love. That is the sign of pure devotion. Immediately. So these Gosvāmīs, they... Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. They merged immediately into the ocean of love of God.[sings]
Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī,dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau.
And these Gosvāmīs were dear both to the devotees and nondevotees. Not that they were simply liked by the devotees, but nondevotees also liked them. That was their position. A devotee's position is ajāta-śatru: he has no enemy. He has no enemy. Ajāta-śatru. Nirmatsara. Nirmatsara means because they are not envious. A devotee is always open to everyone.There is no question of discrimination, that "This person should be allowed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and this person should not be allowed." No. In the material platform there is difference: high, low, man, woman, this or that. But in the spiritual platform there is no such difference. Therefore they were nonenvious, nirmatsara, and because they were nonenvious, pūjitau. Pūjitau means they are worshipable.A person should be worshipable because he's nonenvious. Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau: such kind of position can be attained by one who has acquired the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantāra. And such person can deliver the suffering humanity from this material contamination. Therefore we offer our respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, Rūpa, Sanātana, two Raghunātha, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī.[sings, with devotees singing]Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.Repeat.
Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.
nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakaulokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākaraurādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikauvande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who are very expert in scrutinizingly studying all the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. Thus they are honored all over the three worlds and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopīs and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.]
[Prabhupāda continues playing karatālas while speaking]Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau: they were expert in scrutinizingly studying all the scriptures. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau. Nipuṇau means expert. Why? Sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau: to establish real religion in the world. Real religion. Just yesterday we have received one letter from Mr. Renovich, Vancouver. He says that the Canadians, they want real religion. That's very good, encouraging. Anyone, if he is anxious to have real religion, for him this is the best thing, this kṛṣṇa-kīrtana-gāna-nartana. So without religion, human society is nothing but animal society. It is simply polished animalism.So these Gosvāmīs, they made so many books to guide us. You have read Rūpa Gosvāmī's Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. That is the first direction in the line. So they always worked very hard, day and night. Their business was writing books or chanting and dancing. And other necessities—eating, sleeping, mating and fearing—they practically abolished. There was no question of mating; there was no question of fearing. And sleeping, they used to sleep utmost one and a half hour daily in twenty-four hours. And eating, that is also practically nil. When they felt hungry they would go to some householder's home and beg one cāpāṭi or two cāpāṭis. That's all. Finished.So nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Why? Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. The mission of saintly person is simply to think how this suffering humanity will become happy by spiritual consciousness. That is their business. They are not for exploiting. The whole material world is trying... One man is trying to exploit another; one nation is trying to exploit another nation; one society is trying to... This is struggle for existence. They have invented this law that "Might is right." You struggle, and if you are powerful... Just like there is now a struggle between Russia and America, or China and America. This is going on.So everyone is suffering. The struggle for existence means a condition of suffering. And these saintly persons, devotees of Kṛṣṇa—not only devotees of Kṛṣṇa, any devotee of God—they are..., their business is to see how people become happy. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. Therefore, tribhuvane mānyau: the devotees are worshiped not only in this planet but in other planets also—wherever they will go.There is a nice verse in Cāṇakya Paṇḍita: vidvatvāṁ ca nṛpatyāṁ ca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana. He says that a rich man and a learned man cannot be compared. There is no comparison. Why? Because sva-deśe pūjyate rājan vidvān sarvatra pūjyate: a rich man may be honored in his own country, but a learned man, a devotee of God, he will be honored wherever he goes.Sva-deśe pūjyate rājan vidvān sarvatra pūjyate. So this is the position of devotee. Therefore a devotee, wherever he goes he'll be honored. Therefore a devotee has no distinction whether it is heaven or hell, because Kṛṣṇa is with him either in heaven or hell. So where there is Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of hell; it is Vaikuṇṭha.Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he did not enter Jagannātha temple at Purī. He thought himself that "I am born in Muhammadan family. These Hindus, they're against any Muhammadans entering the temple. Why shall I go and disturb them? I shall chant here." So Jagannātha Himself was coming daily to him.This is the power of devotee. He hasn't got to go to Jagannātha, but Jagannātha comes to see Him. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to come daily to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. When He was going to take bath in the sea, so He would first of all enter Haridāsa's cottage: "Haridāsa, what you are doing?" "Yes, my Lord. Please come." So this is the position of devotee. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā [SB 11.19.21].
[Firm faith in the blissful narration of My pastimes, constant chanting of My glories, unwavering attachment to ceremonial worship of Me, praising Me through beautiful hymns, great respect for My devotional service, offering obeisances with the entire body, performing first-class worship of My devotees, consciousness of Me in all living entities, offering of ordinary, bodily activities in My devotional service, use of words to describe My qualities, offering the mind to Me, rejection of all material desires, giving up wealth for My devotional service, renouncing material sense gratification and happiness, and performing all desirable activities such as charity, sacrifice, chanting, vows and austerities with the purpose of achieving Me—these constitute actual religious principles, by which those human beings who have actually surrendered themselves to Me automatically develop love for Me. What other purpose or goal could remain for My devotee?]
If somebody worships a devotee, that worshipment is more valuable than worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says like that.So this is a process... Vaiṣṇava process is paramparā process. So today this nice girl is going to be initiated. She must learn this science, this very nice science, and you all Godbrothers and sisters will help her. Anyone who is trying to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, he should be given or she should be given all kinds of facilities. You'll be glad to learn that our Hayagrīva Brahmacārī, he is taking one land in New [sic] Virginia, 136 acres of land. So I've advised him to develop it into New Vrindaban.So I have got today his letter, the document he is preparing through the lawyer. So it is also a nice project. If by Kṛṣṇa's desire we can develop a center just exactly prototype of Vṛndāvana, it will be very nice. Those American boys and girls who cannot go so long distance, 14,000 miles, they will have facility. So Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facilities. Simply we have to be very sincere, and everything will be done nicely.So let us begin our today's business. So you come forward. Yes. Take little water, one glass and spoon. This is too big. All right, take it. You know how to do it? Take little water—one, two, three, then four. Do it like that.[to other devotees:] You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.[devotees chant japa][Prabhupāda leads devotees in chanting oṁ apavitraḥ prayer three times]
nama apavitraḥ pavitro vāsarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vāyaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁsa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ
śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu
[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]
Now again do that. That door is closed? Three times. Again chant.[leads devotees in chanting oṁ apavitraḥ]
nama apavitraḥ pavitro vāsarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vāyaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁsa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ
śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇuDo it again: one, two, three.
nama apavitraḥ pavitro vāsarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vāyaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁsa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ
śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇuThe purport of this mantra is that if anyone is impure, apavitraḥ... Pavitraḥ means pure. Anyone, either he is pure or impure, it doesn't matter. Apavitraḥ pavitraḥ vā sarvāvasthām. In any condition of life, it doesn't matter. Pure or impure; there are two conditions. Someone is impure, someone is pure. So either way, namo apavitraḥ pavitro, sarvāvasthām, in any condition, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam: anyone who remembers puṇḍarīkākṣam, means Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa...Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa, that person, bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ, he immediately becomes cleansed inside and outside. Śuciḥ, śuciḥ means clean or śuciḥ means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means clean. You have got all threads, so you should always prove that you are always clean. Bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. So this is remembering Viṣṇu.So simply by remembering Viṣṇu, if one becomes clean inside and outside, so by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, how much purified he is becoming in every moment or every second. It is so nice. There is no question if we always keep ourselves chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, so there is no chance of being contaminated by the influence of māyā. It is so nice.Now you chant, I'll say, you repeat.[chants prayers for fire sacrifice, devotees respond]
vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś caśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvamsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]
nama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāyabhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-taleśrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]
śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhayekṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.]
mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida-śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
namas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇerūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtayevipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]
namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāminegaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
gaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥvaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]
vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva capatitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]
namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya tekṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]
pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakambhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam
[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]
he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pategopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te
[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]
jayatāṁ, suratau, paṅgor, mama, manda, mater, gatemat, sarvasva, padām, bhojau, rādhā, madana, mohanau[Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma]
[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]
dīvyad, vṛnda, araṇya, kalpa, drumādhaḥśrīmad, ratna, agāra, siṁha, asana-sthauśrī śrī, rādhā, śrīla, govinda, devaupreṣṭhā, devī, sevya, mānau, smarāmi
[Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma]
[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.]
śrīmam, rāsa, rasa, arambhī, vaṁśī, vaṭa, taṭa, sthitaḥkarṣan, veṇu, svanair, gopīr, gopī, nāthaḥ, śriye, astu, naḥ
[Prayojanādhideva Praṇāma]
[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]
tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarivṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye
[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare harehare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
[O Śrīmāti Rādhārāṇī (the divine energy of the Lord Kṛṣṇa), O all-attractive reservoir of pleasure, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your loving devotional service.]
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare harehare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare harehare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
Thank you. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Right hand, not left hand. Keep forward your right hand. Yes.[Prabhupāda and devotees chant japa]So you have seen how I'm chanting? You'll begin from this bigger one—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—then take another; in this way, come to this end, again begin from here, come to this end. In this way, chant sixteen rounds at least. At least. So...[break] ...principles of restriction. The more you follow the restriction, the more you become advanced. These things are required. And you try to avoid ten kinds of offenses.[aside:] That offenses? The paper is not there? The ten kinds of offenses.Guest: Easy Journey to Other Planets. Shall I get that?Prabhupāda: Other planets? Offenses. Ten kinds of offenses to be avoided. You have got that?Haṁsadūta: We will give her a list.Prabhupāda: All right. So the first offense is satāṁ-nindā: no devotee shall be blasphemed. Satāṁ-nindaṁ śruti-śāstra-nindanam: no scriptures should be defiled. Satāṁ-nindaṁ śruti-śāstra-nindanam tathārtha-vādo hari-nāmni kalpanam: and never make any interpretation. Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, somebody may make interpretation. There is no interpretation. The direct meaning is that we are praying Kṛṣṇa and His energy to accept me in the society of His service. This is the simple... There is no other interpretation. Or artha-vādaḥ.And sāmya-śubha-kriyā-pramādaḥ: one should not accept chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa with some..., something śubha-kriyā. Just like generally the materialist persons, they go to churches or temple just to become purified of their sinful activities. Just like in Christian religion it is the custom... What is called?Devotee: Confession.Prabhupāda: Ah. Confession. So we should not [be] like that. It is not confession. Confession means I confess that I have done this sinful act, and as soon as I come out from the church I do it again. No. We should know that all sinful activities are washed off by chanting, but that does not mean we shall commit it again. Whatever we have done, that is washed off. Now we should be careful.And that four principles—no illicit sex life, no, I mean to say, meat-eating, and no gambling, no intoxication—you try and follow. You must follow. As you are taking this mantra, you must now follow. Whatever is done is done, finished. And we, we allow marriage. So there is no restriction. One can marry. But no illicit sex. So these four principles should be followed, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be pleased. Be more beautiful within and without. You are beautiful girl, so... You are all beautiful. So become beautiful within also. Kṛṣṇa will accept.Kṛṣṇa can accept any number of beautiful girls. [laughs] Unlimitedly. Just see. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam [Bs. 5.29].
[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of lakṣmīs or gopīs.]
Lakṣmī. The beautiful girls are called that goddess of fortune. Actually, woman is considered as goddess of fortune, representative of goddess of fortune. We are misusing for sense gratification. No. They should be respected as goddess of fortune. If one man has got nice wife, actually he has got goddess of fortune. That is astrological calculation. A man is considered to be fortunate in three ways. If he has got good wife, then he is fortunate. If he has got good son, then he is fortunate. And if he has got plenty money, he is fortunate. So these three standards of fortune, out of which, one who has got good wife, he is the most fortunate.So our Society will try to make good wives so that the boys, all boys, should..., can think himself always fortunate. If one has got good wife, any place, doesn't matter. Either under... Just like Lord Śiva, he was living underneath the tree. There is no shelter, but he had the good wife, Pārvatī, so he was happy. So whenever you like, we shall select any brahmacārī. But don't have illicit sex. Marriage is allowed. I take personally care of marriage. I want this society must be cleansed. Without being cleansed, nobody can advance in spiritual consciousness. So what is your name?Devotee: Wendy.Prabhupāda: Your present name? What is that?Devotees: Wendy. Wendy.Prabhupāda: Wendy. So is there any name Rukmiṇī in our list?Devotees: Oh! [laughs]Prabhupāda: So you may be called Rukmiṇī devī. And some day you may be kidnapped by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa kidnapped Rukmiṇī. Rukmiṇī was very beautiful, qualified, Lakṣmī. So his [her] father liked that Rukmiṇī should be given to Kṛṣṇa. And his [her] brother liked that she should be handed over to another boy. So Rukmiṇī sent one letter to Kṛṣṇa, that "Although I've not seen You, but I've heard of Your activities. So I am attached to You. Now some nonsense is coming to marry me."[break] Just see how nice it is. [laughs]And we eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda, we enjoy the Kṛṣṇa. What is this nonsense, ahaṁ brahman, Brahman? "I am stone." What is the difference? If somebody thinks, "I am stone," and if somebody says, "I am Brahman. I am void," so what is the difference between stone and void? The same thing. Why should we become stone and wood? We should..., we shall reciprocate loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa.Mādhavī-latā? How many pictures you have done? You have seen Mādhavī-latā's picture? That picture is painted by Mādhavī-latā.Lady devotee: Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa?Prabhupāda: Yes, she is good painter. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. We have stopped. Yes, always chant. Chant loudly.[break] fire sacrifice continues]
nama apavitraḥ pavitro vāsarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vāyaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁsa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ
śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu
[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]
nama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāyabhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]
vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś caśrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvamsādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁśrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]
nama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāyabhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]
śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhayekṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.
namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtayevipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]
namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāminegaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
gaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥvaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]
vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva capatitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]
namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya tekṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]
pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakambhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]
he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pategopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]
jayatāṁ, suratau, paṅgor, mama, manda, mater, gatemat, sarvasva, padām, bhojau, rādhā, madana, mohanau[Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma]
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]
dīvyad, vṛnda, araṇya, kalpa, drumādhaḥśrīmad, ratna, agāra, siṁha, asana-sthauśrī śrī, rādhā, śrīla, govinda, devaupreṣṭhā, devī, sevya, mānau, smarāmi[Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma]
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.]
śrīmān, rāsa, rasa, arambhī, vaṁśī, vaṭa, taṭa, sthitaḥkarṣan, veṇu, svanair, gopīr, gopī, nāthaḥ, śriye, astu, naḥ[Prayojanādhideva Praṇāma]
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]
tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarivṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]
Now, you take this. Stand up.[fire sacrifice continues]
nama oṁ, brahmaṇya, devāyago, brāhmaṇa, hitāya cajagad, dhitāya, kṛṣṇāyagovindāya, namo, namaḥ
[Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65]
[I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Absolute Truth, Krishna, who is the well-wisher of the cows and the brahmanas as well as the living entities in general. I offer my repeated obeisances to Govinda [Krishna], who is the pleasure reservoir for all the senses.]
hare kṛṣṇa hare [break] All bow down. [devotees offer obeisances]Now chant. "Govinda Jaya Jaya." Chant.Chant and dance.[77:07][Prabhupāda leads kīrtana] [prema-dhvanī] [break]Lady devotee: Will you always be our spiritual master?Prabhupāda: I don't follow. What do you say?Lady devotee: Will you be our spiritual master for eternity?Prabhupāda: I think so. [laughs] Whatever we do here, it is for eternity, because it is not on the material stages. It is all on the spiritual platform. There is a song by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, cakhu-dān dilo yei janme janme pitā sei [Śrī Guru-vandanā]:[He who has given us the gift of transcendental vision is our lord, birth after birth. It is by his mercy that divine knowledge is revealed within our hearts, bestowing pure love for Kṛṣṇa and destroying ignorance. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.]"One who has opened the eyes, he is, birth after birth, he is my father."Lady devotee: Oh, that is... Hare Kṛṣṇa.Prabhupāda: Cakhu-dān dilo yei. Cakhu-dān means one who has opened the eyes, that is spiritual master. Janme janme pitā sei. Janme janme means birth after birth, he is my father. All right, distribute prasādam. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.Oh, the whole thing? [laughs] All right. Give it.[devotees chanting japa][break] You are not taking?Devotee: I have.Prabhupāda: Take more. Oh, where is Mādhavī-latā? Why you are in the back side? Come on, take more. Come here. You are not taking more?Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare/ Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.Yes.Yamunā: Rukmiṇī devī gave that to you.Prabhupāda: Oh. Very good. What is this?Yamunā: It's a shawl for around your neck in the cold weather.Prabhupāda: Oh.Yamunā: She made it.Prabhupāda: Very good. Very nice. Thank you.Yamunā: I'll give it to Govinda dāsī.Prabhupāda: Yes. Govinda now... [break] [end]
Vyasa Puja
by Rukmini Walker
Saturday, August 24th, the day following Sri Krsna Janmastami (the Appearance Day of Lord Sri Krsna) is the Appearance Day of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, my spiritual master.
Vyasa Puja Offering, 2019
namah om vishnupadaya krsnapresthaya bhutale
srimate bhaktivedanta swamin iti namine
namaste saraswate deve gaura vani pracarine
nirvisesa sunyavadi pascatya desatarine
My Dear Srila Prabhupada,
We once heard that a wise astrologer saw a photo of you and said, “He can build a house in which the whole world can live”.
But what does that mean, really, ‘a house in which the whole world can live’?
In 1944, in the midst of the harsh reality of world war, you explained your vision for that house in the first issue of your Back to Godhead magazine.
In that first article, you wrote:
"Politically India may ask all so-called foreigners to quit the shores of India, but spiritually she did never ask anybody to do so, nor will she do so even now. She will rather invite all the so-called foreigners to come and exploit the spiritual resources of India’s advancement, and this transcendental exploitation will not only enhance the glory of India but will also enrich the glory of the whole world for unity, faith and humanity."
As Lord Krsna lovingly lifted the Govardhan Hill as an umbrella of protection for the residents of Vrndavan, in the same way you lovingly built a house to give protection and shelter for us from the storms of Kali Yuga.
This house you built has a veranda facing out to the world. You stand on that veranda, looking out at the suffering of the people of the world. When you sometimes see that some are being excluded, with a tear in your eye, you call out, “ Bring them in, bring them in!” Or you exclaim with compassion, “Let no-one go hungry within a ten mile radius of this house!”
As you face out to the suffering world, your glance benedicts everyone it touches, creating what you call, “imperceptible auspiciousness” as you bless all directions with the Holy Name of Lord Krsna.
At its center, this house has a courtyard, with an overflowing fountain of gratitude to the Source of all life, Sri Sri Radha Krsna. They are the owners of this house, which you built for Their pleasure: Their worship is celebrated by every member of the household.
The veranda of this house has four pillars: mercy, austerity, truth and purity. These pillars uplift us to sattva guna, the place where we access the joy of spiritual and secret knowledge (raja vidya, raja guhya), giving us direct perception of the self by realization.
The interior pillars in the courtyard are five:
To cherish the sanga of all sadhus…
To chant the holy name in humility, love and attention…
To hear and chant the beautiful Bhagavatam, enriched with your emotional ecstacies…
To revere the loving seva of the Deities of Lord Gauranga and Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar…
And to imbibe the mood of living in such a holy dham.
In this house, there is an ambience of six loving exchanges (dadati pratigrnati) that sustain us and give us strength. Only in this mood can we authentically relish and share what you’ve given us.
This house must retain its strong, impenetrable foundation. We must be always vigilant to maintain the deep and wide foundation that you created - the principle of unity in diversity, connecting with all living beings of the world.
In this house the whole world can live. We are a joint family, a joint culture, where all voices are honored. We honor the elders, the voices of past tradition, who also need to see the bright faces of possibility in the youth. And the youth, who are the voices of the future, need to hear the discernment of experience and wisdom in the voices of the elders.
In this way, we build on our shared strengths; rather than allowing the foundation of the house to crack, due to the seepage or flooding of cynicism, small-mindedness or sectarianism.
You built this house with strong timbers of whatever is favorable to Bhakti, and you reject the worm-eaten planks of antiquated ideas that are unfavorable to Bhakti.
Your house rejects cheating religion, which is like inferior marble that’s full of holes, and filled with wax. In the fire of ordeal, that wax would melt, leaving us to cry for what is real, sincere, and sustainable.
Your Guru Maharaj built a marble palace to establish his mission at Bagh Bazaar in Kolkata. When his disciples began vying for the better rooms that faced the Ganges, he became disheartened. Yet sometimes he indicated that one day you would be the one to expand his mission beyond all borders.
We too must always remember that we are mere servants in your house. We must keep before us your intention in building such a house.
As you foretold in 1944, you built this house, inviting the world to, “come and exploit the spiritual resources of India’s advancement, and this transcendental exploitation will not only enhance the glory of India but will also enrich the glory of the whole world for unity, faith, and humanity.”
Thank you, Srila Prabhupada, for the blessing to live and serve in your house, and, following in your footsteps, to always welcome others to join us.
Your eternal daughter,
Rukmini Devi Dasi
**To listen to the audio recording of this blog, please click on the arrow in the audio player below.**
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