Akshaya-tritiya which is being celebrated on 21st April this year is an important day in Vedic culture. ‘Akshaya’ means that which has no ending or no impediment and ‘Tritiya’ refers to the third day after the new moon in the month of Vaishakh, which has the specialty that any vrata (penance) that is undertaken during…
Appearance of Gadadhara Pandit
The dark moon night of the month of Vaisakha is the time when Sri Gadadhara pandit appeared and also left the world. In the Gaur-ganoddesa-dipika, it is described that that person who in Vraja was the daughter of Sri Vrsabhanu Raja, namely Srimati Radharani, is now celebrated as Sri Gadadhara Pandita. Srila Gadadhara Pandit`s munificent and…
Lord Nityananda
Lord Nityananda Adapted from “Sri Pancha-tattva: The Five Features of God,” by Satyaraja Dasa (Steven J. Rosen) Nityananda Prabhu appeared in the village of Ekachakra, in West Bengal, India, around 1474. In the Caitanya Caritamrita and other scriptures He is declared to be the avatar of Lord Balarama, the direct expansion of the Supreme Personality…
Appearance of Sri Advaita Acharya
The foremost of all the Vaishnavas who reside at Navadwip is Sri Advaita Acarya, whose virtuous presence has made all the worlds blessed. He is the most preeminent preceptor in all fields including knowledge, renunciation and devotion. In explaining Krsna-bhakti he is like unto Lord Shankara (Shiva) himself, and whatever scriptures that exist within the…
Wish you all a very happy Krishna Conscious New Year !
A very happy New Year to all of you! This celebration marks the end of the present year and entrance to the following one – our entrance to a new cycle of time. Time is like a river, continuously flowing and we all are floating in its current. In this way time takes us through…
Meditations on Srila Jiva Goswami
Today is the auspicious disappearance day of Srila Jiva Gosvami. He is the youngest of the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana, who are honored as genuine representatives of the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Jiva Goswami was trained by Srila Rupa and Srila Sanatana Goswami. Srila Thakur Bhakti Vinod Thakur says “There was no philosopher…
Gita Jayanti
Today is Gita Jayanti, this is the day on which Lord Sri Krishna spoke Bhagavad Gita to His dear devotee Arjuna on the battle field of Kurukshetra, situated in Haryana state in India over 5000 years ago. The Bhagavad-gita is universally renowned as the jewel of India’s spiritual wisdom. The Gita’s seven hundred concise verses…
Significance of Dussehra
Today being Vijaya Dashmi or Dussehra is a very special meditation as well as celebration. The great sages have established these festivals according to historical pastimes of the Lord and his devotees. Vijaya Dashmi is historical and symbolic simultaneously. Historically, it is actually on this day that the Supreme Personality of Godhead who had descended…
Appearance day of Sripad Madhvacharya
Shri Madhvacharya appeared in 1238 A.D. near Udupi, Karnataka in South India. He was considered an incarnation of Vayu (wind god). He had an unusually strong physique and extraordinary intellectual power. Once a fierce Bengali tiger attacked Madhvacharya’s sannyasa disciple, Satya Tirtha. Madhvacharya wrestled the tiger and sent him away with his tail between his…
Disappearance of Namacharya Srila Haridasa Thakura
Srila Haridasa Thakur was a contemporary of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, known for his constant chanting of the name of Krishna. Mahaprabhu called Haridasa the namacharya, the living example of how to chant the holy names. Though Haridasa was born in a Muslim family, Lord Chaitanya and His devotees respected him as better than the best of brahmanas (Vedic priests). He would…
Appearance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914) was a pioneering spiritual leader, a magistrate working in colonial India under British rule, a prolific preacher, writer, and poet. One of his sons was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, a highly influential spiritual leader in his own right, and the spiritual master of the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, Srila Prabhupada….
Radhashtami – Srimati Radharani’s Appearance
Srimati Radharani is the eternal consort of Lord Krishna. Five thousand years ago, when Lord Krishna came to this planet to perform His pastimes, Srimati Radharani also appeared. This year we celebrate her appearance on September 15. This special day is known as Radhashtami. The following is adapted from a lecture by His Holiness Varshana…
Mayapur Institute 