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All about Kartika Month, 2021
Among all the months Kartika is the holiest month and is celebrated by devotees of Lord Krishna every year. It occurs during October-November and is the last month out of the four-month period called Chaturmasya. This year it falls from 20th Oct to 19 Nov, 2021. Damodara-lila It is a month-long festival commemorating Damodara-lila, the sweet pastime of baby Krishna stealing butter and consequently being tied to a mortar by His dear mother Yashoda.In Sanskrit, “dama” means rope and “udara” means belly. Damodara refers to Krishna who was bound with a rope by His mother Yashoda. This month commemorates how mother Yashoda was able to bind the Supreme Personality of…
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Lord Ramachandra: The Quintessential Leader
yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate “Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.” Bhagavad Gita (3.21) Great persons who make a powerful impact on people’s lives are emulated by the masses. The late president of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam was an admired leader. He had wonderful qualities that attracted children and students to him wherever he went. He inspired everyone by his words, actions and qualities. Whatever standards such leaders establish, the rest of the people follow. Knowing that the living example…
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Indira Ekadasi – 2 Oct,2021
Indira Ekadashi occurs during the dark fortnight (krishna paksha) of the month of Aswina (September-October). The glory of Indira Ekadashi is related in the Brahmavaivarta Purana. There Lord Krishna extols the Ekadashi to Yudhisthira by narrating the story of a devotee King named Indrasena. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna said, “If a person fasts on the holy Indira Ekadashi, all his sins are eradicated and his forefathers who may have fallen into hell obtain liberation. O best of kings, merely hearing about this sacred Ekadashi delivers the great merit of performing a horse sacrifice. King Indrasena “In the Satya-yuga there lived a powerful king named Indrasena, who…
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Śrī Vāmana Dvādasi: Appearance of Lord Vāmanadeva
Lord Vamanadeva’s appearance day is celebrated as Sri Vamana Dvadasi.
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Haridasa Thakura: Inspiring Chanter
Haridasa Thakur (born 1451) was a prominent Vaishnava Acharya of the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya known for being a great preacher who served Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in establishing His Sankirtana movement. Born into a Muslim family, He was an ardent devotee of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was a contemporary of Srila Advaita Acharya and used to associate with him at Shantipura intimately. His integrity and unflinching faith in the face of extreme adversity are extolled in Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya lila. He is primarily famous for his dedication to constantly chanting the names of Lord Krishna. Haridasa Thakura and Advaita Acharya, two senior and well-respected religious personalities of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in…
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Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura- The seventh goswami
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914) is a prominent preceptor acharya in our succession of spiritual masters and disciples coming from Lord Krishna. He was a pioneering spiritual leader, a householder, a magistrate working in colonial India under the British rule, a prolific preacher, writer, and poet. Honoured as the “Seventh Gosvami”, he wrote volumes of books reintroducing the pure teachings of Lord Chaitanya at a time when those teachings had practically become lost. He composed hundreds of devotional songs glorifying Krishna to uplift the consciousness of the suffering people of this world. He corresponded with philosophers, theologians, leaders, scholars, and professors of his time and sent books, including The Life and…
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Acceptance of Sannyasa by Srila Prabhupada
Srila Prabhupada is widely regarded as the foremost Vedic scholar, a cultural ambassador, a prolific author and a spiritual teacher of the modern era. He is especially respected as the world’s most prominent contemporary authority on bhakti-yoga, devotional service to the Supreme Lord Krishna, as taught by the ancient Vedic writings of India. SrilaPrabhupada translated and commented in over eighty volumes of books, including the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, a concise handbook for understanding the purpose and goal of human life and the multi-volume Srimad-Bhagavatam, an epic biography of Lord Krishna, His incarnations, and His many devotees throughout the history of the universe. His books are translated into more than…
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Parsva Ekadashi – 17 Sep 2021
Sri Yudhishthira Maharaja asked Lord Sri Krishna, “What is the name of that Ekadashi that occurs during the light fortnight (shukla paksha) of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September “Hrishikesha masa”) ? Who is the worshipable Deity for this Ekadashi, and what merit does one attain in observing it? Kindly reveal all of this to me my Lord.” The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna addressed His devoted Yudhishthira as follows, “This Ekadashi, Oh Yudhishthira, is called Vamana Ekadashi, and it bestows upon those who observe it both great merit and ultimate liberation from material bondage. Therefore, because it removes all one’s sinful reactions, it is also called Jayanti Ekadashi.…
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Srimati Radharani’s unique position
Srimati Radharani’s Appearance “On the Ashtami tithi of Gaura paksha, in the month of Bhadra, King Vrishabhanu came to the Yamuna river to bathe and found himself engulfed in a golden aura of pure love. It was emanating from a lotus, which had a baby girl in its whorl. The King picked up the beautiful girl and decided to raise her as his own daughter. When the king returned to the palace with the baby, Queen Kirtida was delighted doubted if she were blind as she did not open her eyes. “Lord Krishna’s mother, Yashoda, heard that her best friend Kirtida had a baby, so she came to visit along…
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Śrī Śrī Rādhā-kripa-kaṭākṣa-stava-rāja
The PRAYER FOR THE MERCIFUL SIDELONG GLANCE OF SRI RADHA (An Appeal to Śīmatī Rādhāraṇi from the Ūrdhvāmnāya-tantra)Spoken by Lord Śiva to Parvati Translated by Kuśakratha dāsa श्री राधा-कृपा-कटाक्ष-स्तव-राजŚrī Rādhā-kṛpā-kaṭākṣa-stava-rāja Text 1मुनीन्द्र–वृन्द–वन्दिते त्रिलोक–शोक–हारिणिप्रसन्न-वक्त्र-पण्कजे निकुञ्ज-भू-विलासिनिव्रजेन्द्र–भानु–नन्दिनि व्रजेन्द्र–सूनु–संगतेकदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥१॥ munīndra-vṛnda-vandite triloka-śoka-hāriṇiprasanna-vaktra-paṇkaje nikuñja-bhū-vilāsinivrajendra-bhānu-nandini vrajendra-sūnu-saṅgatekadā kariṣyasīha māṁ kṛpā-kaṭākṣa-bhājanam ||1|| O goddess worshiped by the kings of sages, O goddess who remove the sufferings of the three worlds, O goddess whose face is a blossoming lotus, O goddess who enjoy pastimes in the forest, O daughter of Vrishhabhanu, O companion of Vraja’s prince, when will You cast Your merciful sidelong glance upon me? Text 2अशोक–वृक्ष–वल्लरी वितान–मण्डप–स्थितेप्रवालबाल–पल्लव प्रभारुणांघ्रि–कोमले ।वराभयस्फुरत्करे प्रभूतसम्पदालयेकदा करिष्यसीह मां कृपाकटाक्ष–भाजनम् ॥२॥…
