"The sruti says that food is Brahman; food is rasa. Feeding people with this in mind will make the giver one with Brahman as well. It will enable all those involved to taste rasa--dynamic love of God."

Q. Devotees are known for distributing delicious vegetarian food offered to Krishna with little or no charge to the public. In the West they have been doing this at their temples as well as at music festivals and other popular events for almost fifty years. Interestingly, Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs relates how during his college years the late Apple co-founder regularly walked to the Krishna center in Portland, Oregon to chant, dance, and enjoy the free feast being served there. Lecturing at Stanford University, Jobs told students, "I would walk the seven miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it."

In India, along with prasadam distribution at temples and events, devotees work with government agencies in distr

LYRICS:

(1)
nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala
je chāyāy jagata jurāy
heno nitāi bine bhāi, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi
dṛḍha kori' dharo nitāir pāy

(2)
se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r
sei paśu boro durācār
nitāi nā bolilo mukhe, majilo saḿsāra-sukhe
vidyā-kule ki koribe tār

(3)
ahańkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā
asatyere satya kori māni
nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khāni

(4)
nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāhāra sevaka nitya
nitāi-pada sadā koro āśa
narottama boro dukhī, nitāi more koro sukhī
rākho rāńgā-caraṇera pāśa

TRANSLATION

1) The lotus feet of Lord Nityananda are a shelter where one will get the soothing moonlight not only of one, but of millions of moons. If the world wants to have real peace, it should take shelter of Lord Nityananda. Unless one takes shelter under the shade of the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, it will be very difficult for him to approach Radha-Krsna. If one actually wants to enter into the dancing party of Ra

By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra regularly and following the regulative principles, one becomes qualified to be initiated as a brāhmaṇa, because unless one is a qualified brāhmaṇa he cannot be allowed to worship Lord Viṣṇu. This is called yājñika janma. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, unless one is twice initiated—first by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and second by the Gāyatrī mantra—he is not allowed to enter the kitchen or Deity room to execute duties.  

Lord Nityānanda Prabhu's Āvirbhāva Appearance Day
Nitāi-Pada-Kamala Purport
—
Los Angeles, January 31, 1969
Prabhupāda: (sings)
nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala,
je chāyāy jagata jurāy
heno nitāi bine bhāi, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi,
dṛḍha kori' dharo nitāir pāy
se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r,
sei paśu boro durācār
nitāi nā bolilo mukhe, majilo saṁsāra-sukhe,
vidyā-kule ki koribe tār
ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā,
asatyere satya kori māni
nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe,
dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khāni
nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāṅhāra sevaka nitya,
nitāi-pada sadā koro āśā
narottama boro dukhī, nitāi more koro sukhī,
rākho rāṅgā-caraṇera pāśa
Nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala, je chāyāy jagata jurāy. This is a song by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava-sampradāya. He has written many songs about the Vaiṣṇava philosophy, and they are approved as completely corresponding with Vedic instructions. So here Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing

It is important to listen the maha mantra hare krsna properly at brahma muhurta time, to not let all this rubbish to come in our safe clean krsna consciousness aura, which can open the channels of spiritual energy when is rightly situated in the costant service to the lotus feet of SRILA PRABHUPADA.

Because only a saktya avesha avatara has the power to rescue us, not bcs or gkg , anyway things will improve for everyone through the factor of time, when is properly engaged in the seva of SRILA PRABHUPADA. All the misunderstanding  take place due to impurity but the vani seva of SRILA PRABHUPADA is so strong that anyone can get a very fast purification only by remembering HIS vani seva.  In this way we should do more spiritual progress by keeping using the factor time in the service,

Of course it require a lot of patience, determination, and enthusiasm, says SRILA RUPA GOSVAMI in the upadesamrta. But a lava matra(moment)  in suddha nama is enough to deliver even the most degraded and depr

Q. Your Grace, how does one attain Krsna consciousness?

Srila Prabhupada: There are several stages in attainment of Krsna consciousness. The first stage is faith, or inquisitiveness just as you have come to me now, this is the first stage. Due to some inquisitiveness or some faith in the people who are teaching Krsna consciousness, who have said that it is very helpful, one comes to the first stage. One should be inquisitive and have a little faith, or a little respect for Krsna consciousness: "It is very nice. They are speaking and working." This is the first stage.

If you find that Krsna consciousness is interesting, then the second stage is to associate with us, to understand more. We have class in the morning daily, but for the public, we are holding classes in the evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at our temple, discussing this book, holding kirtana, distributing prasadam. There is no labor you simply come and hear songs, dance, take offered food, hear philosophy and think, and then yo

Herein Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura establishes the ritvik process for us all. His Guru Maharajah Srila Gaura Kishora dasa babaji had already passed on some years before this occurred ,as follows;

"When he gave himself  'tridandi sannyasa' (or more correctly, had taken 'sannyasa' from a picture of Gaura Kishora dasa Babaji Maharaj), this was a shock to even his supporters, including disciples of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura."

- excerpt from Gaudiya Histories

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So, to those envious GBCists  who try to say that Srila Prabhupada cannot accept disciples now that he is "dead and gone", we say a Vaisnava never dies. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarswati, the lion guru, established this 100% by taking sannyasa by ritvik process. It is unbelievable that some say there is no precedence, when our own grandfather spiritual master set the perfect example for us all. 

Today is the most auspicious Bhismastami, the eighth day of the waxing moon in the month of Magha, when Bhismadeva, a pure devotee of Krishna, the great grandfather of the Pandavas, an undefeated military general, a life-long celibate and one with the ability to choose the moment of leaving his body, was born. He is most famous for his fierce vow of celibacy and his teachings of dharma to Maharaja Yudhisthira, at the conclusion of which he declared that to recite the glories of Lord Visnu was the topmost of all religious duties. He equalled the invincible Parasurama in battle and thus pleased him.

Duryodhana, in the confidence of Bhismadeva's presence in his army during the legendary war of Mahabharata, says in the Bhagavad-gita:

aparyaptam tad asmakam balam bhismabhiraksitam
paryaptam tv idam etesam balam bhimabhiraksitam

"Our strength is immeasurable as it is protected by the unconquerable Bhisma, while the Panadvas' strength is limited, as it is protected by a lesser general as Bhima."

Kumbha Mela, the world’s largest gathering—religious or otherwise—is now in progress at Tirtharaja Prayaga where is it observed every twelve years. However, there are other Kumbha Melas that are organized at three other major tirtha-bhumis. The Puranas describe when and where these are held according planetary movements as Abhaya Mudra Dasi explains in detail ...

Planets of the Kumbha Mela

Stars of the Ocean of Nectar

Abhaya Mudra Dasi

Devotees of ISKCON join the throng of pilgrims to perform puja to the Triveni during Kumbha Mela

As described in the 8th canto of Shrimad Bhagavatam, long, long ago at the beginning of creation the demigods and demons cajoled the king of snakes Vasuki to act as their rope in order to churn the Ocean of Milk. With the object in mind of extracting the nectar of immortality from the ocean, they set about churning. As all devotees know, once the nectar manifested Lord Vishnu appeared and personally supervised the task of distribution to insure

Oh mind! Please remember the lotus feet of Sri Advaita Acarya which are decorated with the following auspicious markings:

A conch-shell, a triangle, a cow hoof and a fish are on the left foot and a barleycorn, a rope, a disc and an upper line are on the right foot.

At the root of the toe of the right lotus foot of Bhagavan Sri Advaita Acarya are the imprints of a barleycorn which is the embodiment of opulence for the sustenance and maintenance of the devotees. Below that is a chakra which smashes the mountainous sins of the devotees. Then there is an upper line which begins from the root of the big toe and fore toe and a rope starting from the root of the little toe with the fourth, binding the innermost chambers of the devotees hearts.

Please remember the left lotus foot of Sri Advaita Acarya which is decorated with the following auspicious markings:

At the root of the big toe is a conch-shell which is the embodiment of all branches of science and education. Below the middle toe i

TEXT 58
TEXT
āratira kāle dui prabhu bolāila
prabhu-saṅge sabe āsi’ ārati dekhila
SYNONYMS
āratira kāle—during the time of ārati; dui prabhu—Lord Nityānanda and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; bolāila—He called; prabhu-saṅge—with the Lords; sabe—all other people; āsi’—coming there; ārati—the ārati ceremony; dekhila—observed.
TRANSLATION
It is the system, after offering food, to perform bhoga-ārati. Advaita Prabhu asked the two brothers, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu, to come see the ārati. The two Lords and all others present went to see the ārati ceremony.
Madhya 3.59
TEXT 59
TEXT
ārati kariyā kṛṣṇe karā’la śayana
ācārya āsi’ prabhure tabe kailā nivedana
SYNONYMS
ārati kariyā—after finishing the ārati; kṛṣṇe—Lord Kṛṣṇa; karā’la—made to do; śayana—lying down to rest; ācārya—Advaita Ācārya; āsi’—coming; prabhure—unto Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu; tabe—then; kailā—made; nivedana—submission.
TRANSLATION
After ārati was performed for the Deities in the temple, Lord Kṛṣṇa was made to lie down to rest

Ādi 6.61
TEXT 61
TEXT
karmabhir bhrāmyamāṇānāṁ
yatra kvāpīśvarecchayā
maṅgalācaritair dānai
ratir naḥ kṛṣṇa īśvare
SYNONYMS
karmabhiḥ—by the activities; bhrāmyamāṇānām—of those wandering within the material universe; yatra—wherever; kva api—anywhere; īśvara-icchayā—by the supreme will of the Personality of Godhead; maṅgala-ācaritaiḥ—by auspicious activities; dānaiḥ—like charity and philanthropy; ratiḥ—the attraction; naḥ—our; kṛṣṇe—in Kṛṣṇa; īśvare—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
“Wherever we wander in the material universe under the influence of karma by the will of the Lord, may our auspicious activities cause our attraction to Lord Kṛṣṇa to increase.”
PURPORT
These verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.47.66–67) were spoken by the denizens of Vṛndāvana, headed by Mahārāja Nanda and his associates, to Uddhava, who had come from Mathurā.
Ādi 6.62
TEXT 62
TEXT
śrīdāmādi vraje yata sakhāra nicaya
aiśvarya-jñāna-hīna, kevala-sakhya-maya
SYNONYMS
śrīdāmā-ādi—Kṛṣṇa’s friends, headed by Śrīdāmā; v

Chapter 6:
The Glories of Śrī Advaita Ācārya
The truth of Advaita Ācārya has been described in two verses. It is said that material nature has two features, namely the material cause and the efficient cause. The efficient causal activities are caused by Mahā-Viṣṇu, and the material causal activities are caused by another form of Mahā-Viṣṇu, known as Advaita. That Advaita, the superintendent of the cosmic manifestation, has descended in the form of Advaita Ācārya to associate with Lord Caitanya. When He is addressed as the servitor of Lord Caitanya, His glories are magnified because unless one is invigorated by this mentality of servitorship one cannot understand the mellows derived from devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa.
Ādi 6.1
TEXT 1
TEXT
vande taṁ śrīmad-advaitā-
cāryam adbhuta-ceṣṭitam
yasya prasādād ajño ’pi
tat-svarūpaṁ nirūpayet
SYNONYMS
vande—I offer my respectful obeisances; tam—unto Him; śrīmat—with all opulences; advaita-ācāryam—Śrī Advaita Ācārya; adbhuta-ceṣṭitam—whose a