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Indira Ekadasi – 21 Sep,2022
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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The Voyage of Compassion: Srila Prabhupada Reaches the Shores of America
The arduous sea journey of Srila Prabhupada to fulfil the order of his spiritual master of spreading Krishna Consciousness in the western world was a great austerity for the exalted Acharya. The heavy seas and gigantic waves caused immense discomfort to Srila Prabhupada. On the thirteenth and fourteenth days of that voyage, as the ship plied over the Arabian sea, he underwent two heart attacks experiencing sharp pain in his chest. At his age, to tolerate such agony was virtually impossible. Yet, his unshakable faith in Lord Krishna helped him sail through the crisis. After 14 days, when the Jaladuta entered the Atlantic Ocean, they found it unusually calm. It…
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Acceptance of Sannyasa by Srila Prabhupada
One night, Abhay had an unusual dream. Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta appeared before him, beckoning. He was asking Abhay to leave home and take sannyasa. Abhay awoke in an intensely emotional state, “How horrible!” He thought. He knew it was not an ordinary dream, yet the request seemed so difficult and unlikely. Take sannyasa! At least it was not something he could do immediately. Now he had to improve the business, and with the profits he would print books. He went on with his duties, but remained shaken by the dream. In 1948, Abhay closed his Lucknow factory. He had fallen behind in employees’ salaries, and since 1946 he had been paying…
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Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur: Ideal Time Management
A living being is eternal by his very constitution. He gets stuck in the cycle of birth and death due to his contact with the material energy. Freed from such material energy, a living entity is liberated and is eligible to return home, back to Godhead. Those who want to live forever without changing their material bodies should not waste valuable time with topics other than those relating to Lord Krishna and His devotees. One second of human life wasted in the vain research of planning for happiness in the material world can never be replaced, by even spending millions of gold coins. Therefore, the transcendentalist desiring freedom from the…
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Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Dream
In 1885, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote, “Lord Chaitanya did not advent Himself to liberate only a few men in India. Rather, His main objective was to emancipate all living entities of all countries throughout the entire universe and preach the eternal dharma. Lord Chaitanya states in Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, ‘In every town, country, and village My name will be sung.’ There is no doubt that this unquestionable order will come to pass. . . . Although there is still no pure society of Vaishnavas, Lord Chaitanya’s prophetic words will in a few days come true . . . “Very soon the unparalleled path of hari-nama-sankirtana will be propagated all over…
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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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Yogini Ekadashi – 24 June, 2022
The glories of Ashada-Krishna Ekadashi, or Yogini Ekadashi, are found in the Brahma-vaivarta Purana in a conversation between Maharaja Yudhishthira and Lord Krishna. Yudhishthira’s Question Yudhisthira Maharaj asked Lord Krishna, “O Supreme Lord, I have heard the glories of Nirjala Ekadashi that occur during the bright fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (May – June). Would you kindly now tell me of the Ekadashi that falls in the dark fortnight of the month of Ashada (June – July) O Madhusudana?” Lord Krishna Replies The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, replied, “O king, I shall certainly relate to you of this, the best day of fasting. It is the Ekadashi that occurs…
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Pandava Nirjala Ekadashi – 11 June, 2022
Narration from the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana Jyeshtha Shukla Ekadashi Ekadashi is an important day in the lives of devotees of Lord Krishna. It’s a day of austerities and intensified devotional practices. These recommended days of fasting are meant for learning to transcend the bodily needs, especially food, and fix one’s consciousness on one’s constitutional position as a loving servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Of all Ekadashis, the Jyestha Shukla Ekadashi, which falls in the hottest time of the year called Grishma ritu, is hardest for observing austerities. The summer is at its peak in the northern hemisphere and water is essential. On this Ekadashi one is supposed to…
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Panihati Chida Dahi Utsav – Raghunath Dasa Goswami takes shelter of Sri Nityananda Prabhu
Sri Raghunath Dasa Goswami is one of the six primary disciples of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was the only son of a wealthy land owner. The wealth and opulence enjoyed by his family is compared to that of king Indra. Yet, RaghunathaDasa showed detatchment to worldly life right from an early age. Raghunatha’s detachment from worldly life and attachment to Lord Chaitanya Blessed by Namacharya, Haridasa Thakura and Lord Chaitanya, the young Raghunatha became very eager to join Sri Mahaprabhu in Puri and serve Him. He felt intense separation from the Lord. He tried to run away to Puri several times. This alarmed his family who placed a guard around…
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Rukmini Dwadashi- 13 May, 2022
The Shukla paksha Dwadashi tithi, in the auspicious month of Vaishakh, is the holy appearance day of Srimati Rukmini Devi, the eternal consort of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the foremost among Lord Krisna’s 16,108 wives in Sri Dwarika Dham. Here Lord Krishna performs His eternal pastimes as Dwarakadheesh. Just as Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, Rukmini is the supreme goddess of fortune, Maha-Laksmi. According to the authority of Caitanya-caritamrta, the expansion of Krsna and Srimati Radharani is simultaneous; Krsna expands Himself into various Visnu-tattva forms, and Srimati Radharani expands Herself into various Sakti-tattva forms by Her internal potency, as multi-forms of the goddess of fortune. Srimati…
