Events for August 2022

Raghunandan Thakura was the son of the great devotee Mukunda Dasa.

Vamsidasa Babaji Maharaja was a paramahamsa devotee who sometimes lived in Navadvipa at the time of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

Shri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, “Oh Madhusudana, Oh killer of the Madhu demon, please be merciful to me and describe to me the Ekadashi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana (July-August).” The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, replied, “Yes, Oh king, I shall happily narrate its glories to you, for just by hearing about this sacred Ekadashi one attains the merit of performing a horse sacrifice.

The swing festival of Radha-Krsna. The Deities ride on an elaborately decorated swing.

Deities in the temples are swung on a swing. Some of the main temples that this festival is celebrated at are the Banke Bihari Temple and the Radha-Raman Temple in Vrindavana, the Dwarkadish temple in Mathura, and the Larily Lal Temple in Varsana.

In our Iskcon temples we observe for five days in accordance with Srila Prabhupada's instructions. So whether one observes for the four days or for the seven, or thirteen days, the same festival is put on for the pleasure of the Lord and His loving associates.

Gauridasa Pandita is considered the emblem of the most elevated devotional service in love of Godhead. He sacrificed everything for the service of Lord Nityananda. Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda personally appeared as Deity forms in his home.

Rupa Goswami is known as bhakti-rasacarya, the expert in the tastes of pure devotional service. He and his elder brother, Srila Sanatana Goswami, left high posts in the government of Nawab Hussein Shah to join Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Lord Balarama is the first personal expansion of Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All other incarnations expand from Him. In Lord Krsna’s pastimes, He plays as Krsna’s older brother. Together Krsna and Balarama enact many pastimes as cowherd boys in the land of Vrndavana.

Who is Lord Balarama?
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the fountainhead of all incarnations. Lord Balarama is His second body. They are both one and the same identity. They differ only in form. Balarama is the first bodily expansion of Krishna, and He assists in Lord Krishna's transcendental pastimes. He is the source of the entire spiritual world and is the adi-guru, the original spiritual master.

Second month: No yoghurt (if one requires it for health, it can be mixed with water)

Caturmasya stands for ‘four months’. It is the period between sayana and uttana ekadasis. The scriptures refer to this period as the duration of Lord Visnu’s sleep in this universe.

The main goal of observing Caturmasya is to decrease attachment to material things and to increase devotion to Krishna.

On this day in 1965, Srila Prabhupada left Calcutta aboard the steamship Jaladuta.

The Advent of Lord Krishna Once the world was overburdened by the unnecessary defense force of different kings, who were actually demons, but were posing themselves as the royal order. At that time, the whole world became perturbed, and the predominating deity of this earth, known as Bhumi, went to see Lord Brahma to tell of her calamities due to the demoniac kings. Bhumi assumed the shape of a cow and presented herself before Lord Brahma with tears in her eyes. She was bereaved and was weeping just to invoke the lord’s compassion. She related the calamitous position of the earth, and after hearing this, Lord Brahma became much aggrieved, and he at once started for the ocean of milk, where Lord Visnu resides. Lord Brahma was accompanied by all the demigods headed by Lord Siva, and Bhumi also followed. Arriving on the shore of the milk ocean, Lord Brahma began to pacify the Lord Visnu who formerly saved the earthly planet by assuming the transcendental form of a boar.

The festival observed by Nanda Maharaja, Lord Krsna’s father, to celebrate Lord Krsna’s appearance.

The Nandotsav – Birth ceremony of Lord Sri Krishna Taken from Srimad Bhagavatam 10th Canto, 5th Chapter, translated by H.D.G. Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

As described in this chapter, Nanda Maharaja very gorgeously performed the birth ceremony for his newborn child. Then he went to Kamsa to pay taxes due and met his intimate friend Vasudeva.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada appeared in a family of pure Gaudiya Vaisnavas in 1896 in Calcutta. From early childhood he showed signs of pure devotion to Lord Sri Krishna.

Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, “Oh JanArdana, protector of allliving entities, please tell me the name of the Ekadasi that occursduring the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September).”

The Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna, then replied, “Oh King, hear meattentively. The name of this sin-removing, sacred Ekadasi is Aja. Any personwho fasts completely on this day and worships Hrishikesha, the master of thesenses, becomes free of all reactions to his sins. Even one who simplyhears about this Ekadasi is freed from his past sins. Oh King, there is nobetter day than this in all the earthly and heavenly worlds. This is truewithout a doubt.

Sita Thakurani lived in Santipura as the eternal wife of Sri Advaita Acarya Prabhu. She was always absorbed in vatsalya-prema (paternal love) for Sri Gaurasundara. Just after Sri Caitanya’s appearance, Sita Thakurani came to Mayapur. She brought a basket full of dresses, ornaments, silken children’s clothes, jeweled necklaces, and tiger nails set in gold. To worship the golden baby she also brought auspicious articles such as fresh grass, tumeric, kum kum, sandalwood. The wonderful name “Nimai” was given to the Lord by Sita Thakurani.

Radharani is the pleasure potency of Krishna. Krishna is the Supreme Brahman. Just try to understand. Krishna is the Supreme Brahman. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan . So when param brahma wants to enjoy... That enjoying spirit is there in the param brahma. Otherwise we cannot have this enjoying spirit. Because we are part and parcel, therefore we have got that enjoying spirit; but that is materially contaminated. But the fact is there, because Krishna, He is enjoying, this enjoying spirit we have got also, but I do not know how to enjoy. We are trying to enjoy in the matter, in the dull matter. That is spiritual. So brahman, brahman sukhanubhutya.