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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230703
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230704
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SUMMARY:Guru (Vyasa) Purnima 3rd July 2023
DESCRIPTION:The appearance anniversary of Srila Vyasadeva\, the compiler of the Vedic literature. \nThis event really is directed towards Srila Vyasadeva\, thus in some sampradayas they refer to Guru Purnima as Vyasa Purnima. Traditionally it is the day when the guru is worshipped. \nIn the book Festivals\, Fairs and Fasts of India (Shakti M Gupta. 1991. Clarion books. page 88-89.) It says: Guru Purnima “……is observed on the full moon day in the month of Ashadha in honour of the sage Vyasa\, by keeping a fast\, worshippig him for His blessings and to gain wisdom. Formerly on this day\, gurus who were the traditional teachers\, were honoured by their pupils. \nThe river Beas is believed to have been so named as Vyasa practiced penance on its banks and compiled the four Vedas\, the Mahabharat and the Eighteen Purana there. Since it is not possible for one man to have compiled so much in his life-time\, and oer a tim span of a hundred years\, it is believed that the name Vyasa must have been applied to many sages. Generally speaking\, the name Veda Vyasa is applied to Krishna Dwaipayana who was the son of Satyavati and the sage Parasa – this is before Satyavati married King Shantanu of Mahabharata fame.” \nSome Brief Information About Srila Vyasadeva.\n“When the second millenium (‘Dwarpa Yuga’) overlapped the third (‘Treta Yuga’)\, the great sage Srila Vyasadeva was born to Parasara Muni in the womb of Satyati\, the daughter of Vasu (the fisherman).”\n(Srimad Bhagavatam 1:4:14.). \nIn Srila Vyasa’s childhood he was called Krsna\, because of his dark complexion\, and because he was born on an island at the confluence of the Sati and Mati Rivers he was called Dwaipayana. After dividing the Vedas he got the name Veda Vyasa. There are some who say that Krsnadwaipayana Veda Vyasa took his birth at a place now known as Vyasa Goofer\, the cave of Srila Vyasa in present day Nepal\, on the road from Pokara to Kathmandu which was\, in days of yore\, part of the kingdom of King Janaka. There are local records that support this statement\, which say this was the ‘ashrama’ of Parasara Muni and at this place Srila Vyasa was conceived. They also lay claim that later Srila Vyasa came back to that ‘ashrama’ and stayed there for some time\, and this being why there is a small Deity of Him at the entrance of the cave. The Padma Purana however says that he was conceived on an island created by Parasara in the Yamuna river\, (Padmalocana Prabhu’s book entitled “Yamuna Devi\, The Personification Of Prema Bhakti”\, Page 24.)\, in connection with the place known as Soma Tirtha ghat. Some also say that the birth place was at Damauli.\nAnyway\, everyone at least agrees that the date of Srila Vyasa’s appearance was on the twelfth day of the light fortnight in the month of Vaisaka (April-May)\, called Vasant Dwadasi. \nThe following is the story that we just touched upon mentioning how Srila Vyasa came to make His appearance.\nOnce the hermit Parasara became attracted to a fisher girl of the name Matsya-Gandha who was found inside a fish. (The fish was actually a celestial maiden named Adrika who conceived two children by collecting the semen of the King of Chedi when his semen had fallen into the water of a river after seeing two animals engaged in coitus.) Parasara Muni asked the beautiful Matsya-Gandha\, so named because of her fishy aroma\, to take him in her boat from one side of the river to the other\, but the beauty of this damsel\, her bodily movements from the rowing\, aroused lusty desires in Parasara. When he sat close to her she moved away\, and asked him not to violate her chastity\, but Parasara Muni being already too far carried away\, created an artificial fog on the river and seduced her right there in the boat. He then created an island in the river and on that island the girl conceived a child in her womb. Parasara explained to her that even after the child was born she would remain a virgin and the son born to her would be a portion of Lord Visnu and would be famous throughout the three worlds. He would be a man of purity\, the spiritual master of the entire world\, and He would divide the Vedas.\nSrila Vyasa soon grew into everything that Parasara had described\, and had many disciples. \nLater in life it is recorded that Srila Vyasa returned to this island in the river and there compiled the Srimad Bhagavatam. Recorded is another instance when Srila Vyasa called for Ganesa (the elephant-headed ‘deva’) to write the Mahabharata as he related it to him. He did so on the condition that Srila Vyasa continually recited\, and Ganesa\, having perfectly understood the meaning\, wrote down the Mahabharata. The word “Vyasa” means one who describes elaborately. \n“The great sage\, Srila Vyasa who was fully equipped with knowledge\, could see through his transcendental vision the deterioration of everything material\, due to the influence of the age. He could also see that the faithless people in general would be reduced in duration of life and would be impatient due to lack of goodness. Then he contemplated for the welfare of men in all statuses and orders of life. He saw that the sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas were means by which people’s occupations could be purified\, and to simplify the process\, he divided the one Veda into four\, in order to expand them among men. The four divisions of the original sources of knowledge (the Vedas) were made separately\, but historical facts and authentic stories mentioned in the Puranas are called the fifth Veda.”(Srimad Bhagavatam 1:4:17-20.). \n“Thus the great sage Srila Vyasadeva\, who is very kind to the ignorant mass\, edited the Vedas so they might be assimilated by less intellectual men. Still he was not satisfied\, even though he was engaged in working for the total welfare of all people. Thus Srila Vyasa\, being dissatisfied in heart\, began to reflect within himself. ‘I have\, under strict disciplinary vows\, unpretentiously worshipped the Vedas\, the spiritual master and the altar of sacrifice. I also abided by the rulings and have shown the import of disciplic succession through the explanation of the Mahabharata\, by which even women\, shudras and others (friends of the twice born) can see the path of religion. I am feeling incomplete\, though myself I am fully equipped with everything required by the Vedas. This may be because I did not specifically point out the devotional service of the Lord\, which is dear both to perfect beings and to the infallible Lord’.” \n“Srila Narada Muni (who was another son of Prajapati Brahma) reached the cottage of Srila Krsna-dwaipayana Vyasa on the banks of the Sarasvati\, where Srila Vyasa was staying at that time\, just when Srila Vyasa was regretting his defects. At the auspicious arrival of Srila Narada\, Srila Vyasadeva got up respectfully and worshipped him\, giving him veneration equal to that given to Sri Brahmaji\, the creator. Srila Narada then said: ‘O Srila Vyasadeva\, your vision is completely perfect. Your good fame is spotless. You are firm in vow and situated in truthfulness\, and thus you can think of the pastimes of the Lord in trance for the liberation of the people in general from all material bondage. The people in general are naturally inclined to enjoy\, and you have encouraged them in that way in the name of religion. This is verily condemned and is quite unreasonable. Because they are guided under your instructions\, they will accept such activities in the name of religion and will hardly care for prohibitions.’ And so Narada Muni\, Srila Vyasadeva’s spiritual master\, instructed Srila Vyasa to compile the Maha-Bhagavat Purana (Srimad Bhagavatam) now in his maturity for the benefit of all mankind\, to which Srila Vyasadeva agreed. He presented the glories of Krsna and His many incarnations just after the departure of Lord Krsna from this world. (Excerpts from Srimad Bhagavatam 1:4:24-33.). \n“In this yuga the son of Parasara\, who is glorified as a part of Visnu and who is known as Dvaipayana\, the vanquisher of all enemies\, became Srila Vyasa. Urged by Brahma\, he undertook the task of classifying the Vedas. Srila Vyasa accepted four disciples to preserve and continue the Vedas. They were Jaimini who took care of the Sama Veda\, Sumantu – the Atharva Veda\, Vaisampayana – the Yajur Veda and Paila – the Rg Veda\, and for the Itihasa and Puranas – Lomaharsana.”(Sri Vayu Purana 60:10-16.).\nAccording to Vayu Purana it says\, “Previously there have been twenty-eight Vyasas\, but when the twenty-eighth appears\, Lord Visnu\, the most Glorious\, Great Father of the three worlds\, becomes Dvaipayana Vyasa. Then Lord Sri Krsna\, the best amongst the Yadus will be born of Vasudeva and will be known as Vasudeva. Then in due course I (Vayu) will come in the form of an ascetic and assuming the body of a religious student\, will surprise the world by means of the Lord’s ‘yoga maya’.” (Vayu Purana 23:206-208.) Actually\, this is Vayudeva announcing his appearance as Sripad Madhwacarya.(“The Life And Legacy of Ananda Tirtha Bhagavatpad – Madhwacarya\, by Jaya Tirtha Charan dasa.) \nNarayana Panditacarya has completed this seventh canto of Madhwa Vijay with a copulate of two verses called ‘Antya-Yugma’. These verses introduce one to the miniature Vaikuntha realm\, glorifying the killer of the Mura demon\, Lord Murari\, Krsna\, Who is adorned with shining golden ornaments encrusted with the best of all kinds of previous gems. Sripad Madhwacarya remembered that same Lord lying down on Ananta Sesa\, having His lotus feet embraced by the Goddess of Fortune\, Laxmi devi\, Who eternally remains with the Lord\, smiling sweetly. This is the same Lord Visnu Who\, for the ‘caturmasya’ (four months of the rainy season) takes rest\, lying for two months on one side and then two months on the other side of His lotus body. He is Narayana\, who according to Manu (Manu Smrti)\, Sri Narayana lives in the Naram ocean\, and Who is also the localised Paramatma seated within the hearts of all His separated tiny living entities. \nHigh in the Himalayan\, beyond where any mere mortal can go\, is to be found this Vaikuntha paradise. It is surrounded by ponds of full blown lotuses. The lotuses in these ponds are innumerable\, nay unlimited\, the most fragrant and indestructible. The sages and rshis who reside there make them into garlands for the Lord. Around these lakes are trees that constantly bear flowers\, blossoming\, sweet fragrant branches with fragrant flowers and fruits. These forest flowers adorn the captivating beauty of the Lord. \nSripad Madhwacarya could see all this from where he was standing looking to the north to the abode of Srila Vyasadeva. After his journey had neared it’s end\, and after crossing the Himalayas\, Sripad Madhwacarya could see quite clearly the ‘ashram’ of Vedavyasa surrounded by jujube trees. That place is definitely not of this world; the whole ‘ashram’ was effulgent. Though up in the Himalayas\, there was no biting cold or rain or snow. The trees and bushes there\, which are way above the normal ‘tree line’\, were none less than forests. As there was no unpleasant wind\, rain or cold\, also the sun was warm and comfortable. In the trees that touched the sky\, innumerable beautiful birds nested and sung. Under those shade trees all the renowned ‘brahmins’\, who were famous for performing huge sacrifices\, sat\, transfixed in meditation on the lotus feet of the Lord\, Who resides in that place. In the surrounding areas\, one could see pure white swans\, whose necks entwined with the stems of blue\, white and pink lotuses. \nMadhwa could recognise many great and famous Vaisnavas sitting around in the ashram of Srila Vyasadeva. When those pure Vaisnavas saw Sripad Madhwacarya approach the ‘ashram’\, they enquired as to who this saintly person was. “Marked with thirty two auspicious markings\, lotus eyed\, moon-like face\, long arms and a golden complexion\, no doubt this man enhances even Vaikuntha. There is no sign of exertion\, and his face shows that his mind is fearless.” “Is this person coming to this ‘ashram’ in the guise of a ‘sannyasi’\, the four faced Lord Brahma\, or is it Mukhyaprana?” \nMadhwa walked quickly due to his intense devotion. Seated under a jujube tree was Srila Vyasadeva. The ‘jujube’ tree was a representation of Lord Ananta Sesa\, with wide branches forming an umbrella which had jewels in the form of bright and fragrant flowers\, and hoods in the form of branches. It exactly resembled Lord Ananta Sesa with His hoods encrusted with jewels jutting out in all directions forming branch-like hoods. The branches of this tree support the six ‘sattvic’ Puranas\, the Upanishad’s\, and Mahabharata\, and fruits that are sweet and full of nectar that drive away all known miseries like birth\, death\, old age and disease. These fruits cannot be obtained by those who are not devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead\, Lord Visnu – Krsna and Their numerous forms. \nSripad Madhwacarya approached closely the sages\, who\, with matted locks of hair on their heads and various Vaisnava ’tilaka’ on their foreheads and bodies\, sat with clean white sacred threads draped over their left shoulders. They had all transcended lust\, anger\, greed\, false pride\, the pushing’s of the senses\, and thoughts of trying to enjoy in the material world separately from the supreme enjoyer\, Sri Krsna. All natural opulence was there. They were all adorned with garlands and saffron coloured sandalwood paste was auspiciously there on their bodies. \nOn a raised seat sat the preceptor of the three worlds\, the son of Satyavati\, Srila Krsna Dwaipayana Veda Vyasa. Sripad Madhwacarya had always been meditating on the Lord of his life\, his preceptor ‘guru’ within his heart seated on a white lotus. Now\, with brimming eyes\, wonder-struck as though he had just seen him for the very first time\, Madhwa drank the nectar of the vision of Vyasadeva through his eyes. \nMadhwa Vijay (7:18-59.)\, describes Vedavyasa as follows: Satyavati gave birth to that Vedavyasa after praying to Lord Brahma\, and Vyasa was conceived by the sage Parasara. Srila Vyasadeva\, who has an ocean of wonderful attributes\, is Lord Narayana Himself. Vyasadeva’s mind is compared to the milk ocean and his qualities of compassion and respect are like the Mandara mountain. By his churning appeared three mothers who were the three Vedas – Rg\, Yajur and Sama. By Vyasa the father and Veda the mother\, the demoniac qualities of Kali Yuga are checked. From Vyasadeva the white rayed cooling moon of the Puranas and the ‘parijata’ tree of the Mahabharata were given. Later\, born from it’s own nectar\, appeared the Brahmasutras\, and Srimad Bhagavatam. \nFrom the time of the Kuruksetra / Mahabharata war\, during which Vyasa bestowed his blessings on the Pandavas\, and even before this time\, Vyasa walked this earth to protect knowledge of the Vedas\, helping those devotees who have knowledge of that person who the Vedas are centred around. That is Lord Sri Krsna\, Who is known as ‘Vedanta Krt’\, the compiler of ‘Vedanta’\, and ‘Veda Vit’\, the knower of the Vedas. In Bhagavad-Gita 10:37.\, Krsna Himself says\, “Of sages I am Vyasa.” \nVyasa\, still living in Badrikasrama to this day for eternity with his pure devotees\, it says\, gave up this Kali Yuga for his Vaikuntha realm just as the sun gives up the sky for the coming of night. Vyasa is seated on an excellent blackish Krsna deer skin Madhwa recalls\, as he prostrated himself at the lotus feet of Vyasa. Taking the dust from Vyasadeva’s feet he placed the sacred dust upon his own head. Sripad Madhwacarya was in ecstasy\, standing offering respects to Vyasa\, the best of sages\, whose feet are adorned with the marks of the flag\, thunderbolt\, goad for driving elephants\, and lotus\, they are naturally auspiciously tinged with red and have the repute to be red due to evaporating any material desires that may come to the minds of Vyasadeva’s devotees. \nThe nails of those lotus feet gleam and remove darkness\, both of an internal nature by their purifying association and remembrance\, and externally by their bright lustre. If\, by material comparison of age one would think that the old hands of the sage Vyasa would be knotted\, no\, they are smooth and soft\, with long delicate fingers completely free from stress and diseases\, such as knots coming from arthritis. \nVyasadeva’s two knees\, which are large\, round and joined to his long shins\, are free from fault. These legs of Vyasa\, which are free from fault\, account for a basis of good conduct even to those who are inferior in knowledge and devotion. Srila Vyasadeva’s yoga-pattika waist band\, aid his firm sitting posture. The lotus waist of Vyasa maintains and fulfils all the devotees\, it is amazing that all the pure spiritual desires of the devotees are fulfilled by taking shelter at the waist of Vyasa. This waist is covered by a sacred Krsna deer skin\, hiding his deep and delicate navel. Vyasa’s broad chest and broad mind support the pure white sacred thread\, and Brahmasutras respectively. Madhwa Vijay (7:34.)\, states that it has been well substantiated by Vedavyasa that Caturmukha Brahma is the son of Garbhadaksayi Visnu\, being born from a lotus sprouting from the Lord’s lotus navel. This world has no equal or superior in all the three worlds. Brahma gave his ‘Kaustubhamani’\, gem to Vedavyasa and that acts like a victory flag hanging around the neck of Vyasa.\nThe story in brief follows that once when Prajapati Brahma was in the association of Vedavyasa and one thousand sages\, Srila Vyasa made a statement saying that he would always prove the superiority of Visnu Tattva at all times. The thousand sages took up the challenge and threw at Vedavyasa thousands of questio6ns simultaneously. Vyasadeva answered each question one by one perfectly all at the same time. Amazed at the victory of the literary incarnation of Lord Visnu\, Brahma presented the Kaustubha gem to Srila Vyasa.\nIn Srila Vyasadeva’s hands he holds a conchshell and a disc\, his hands are again soft pinkish red\, his arms are robust\, round and powerful. There is no comparison to the broadness of these limbs. By the tip of Vyasadeva’s right hand he bestows ‘divya jnana’ – transcendental knowledge to his devotees\, and with the same tip of the same hand removes the darkness borne of ignorance simultaneously just like thunder and lightning. His left hand is placed on his knee. By this ‘mudra’\, gesture all fear for the dangerous struggle for material existence is destroyed. Vyasadeva’s neck is marked with the three lines of a conchshell from which only ‘sabda brahman’ or transcendental sound vibration\, in the form of the main three Vedas and it’s limbs\, are coming. Seeing his moon-like face is the sweetest benediction to the eyes. Actually the moon-like face of the best of sages is compared to groups of full moons\, each being completely free form even the smallest blemish. Srila Vyasadeva’s lotus mouth and teeth are compared to a new row of pearls which shine forth from inside of a perfect ruby. These pearl-like teeth are seen decorated by a gentle smile surrounded by soft ruby red lips. To hear the speech of the literary incarnation of the Lord at once fills one’s heart with transcendental knowledge\, just as when the thousand wells in the form of sages became flooded with answers as the River Sarasvati replenishes the best of wells during the rainy season. \nAs Srila Vyasadeva approached Sripad Madhwacarya with a smile on his face\, his wide lotus eyes looked unblinking at him\, and Vyasa embraced the powerful Sripad Madhwacarya and picked him up off the floor\, clean as one would one’s small son. The powerful partial expansion of Mukhyaprana who previously played the mighty Hanuman and Bhima\, felt blessed as his ‘guru’\, Srila Vyasadeva\, lovingly embraced him\, and the sages smiled affectionately.\nSripad Madhwacarya prayed to his Lord after seeing the sprig of Tulasi leaf and ‘manjari’ tucked behind the right ear of Vyasa\, “Please don’t let me become jealous of this Tulasi sprig and garland of lotus flowers that adorn your body. They are supremely fortunate. Please don’t let them rob me of my position of being so close to you. Wherever I am\, always allow me to remain this close to you by always being absorbed in you.” \nSripad Madhwacarya could now fully appreciate standing there in the shadow of his ‘guru’\, that actually Srila Vyasadeva was looking after the welfare of the entire world. Just by a movement of his eyebrows everything was taking place. The creation\, maintenance and destruction of all the three worlds in fact is going on by his design. He is the same Visnu Tattva Lord who maintains as Gunavataras along with Lord Brahma\, the creator\, who was born from a lotus\, and Lord Shiva\, the destroyer of these material worlds. Coming in contact with the material mode of passion\, Prajapati creates under the direction of Lord Visnu. Lord Visnu Himself maintains the three worlds\, the unlimited universes\, in one form sleeping as Karanadakasayi Visnu\, in another form as Garbhadaksayi Visnu lying down on His serpent couch Anantasesa\, and as the localised form of Paramatma seated within the region of the heart of every living being as the witness. Effortlessly Lord Visnu is the Supreme Enjoyer\, and not a blade of grass moves without His knowing or sanction. \nsrsti-hetu yei murti prapance avatare\nsei isvara murti ‘avatara’ nama dhare\nmayatita paravyome savara avasthana\nvisve ‘avatari’ dhare ‘avatara’ nama \n“The ‘avatara’ of incarnation of Godhead\, descends from the kingdom of God for material manifestations. And the particular form of the Personality of Godhead who so descends is called an incarnation\, or ‘avatara’. Such incarnations are situated in the spiritual world\, the kingdom of God. When they descend to the material creation\, They assume the name ‘avatara’.”\nAs such\, there are various kinds of ‘avataras’\, such as ‘purusavataras’\, ‘gunavataras’\, ‘lilavataras’\, ‘shaktyaveshavataras’\, ‘manvantara-avataras’ and ‘yugavataras’ all appearing on schedule all over the universe. \neko devo nitya-lilanurakto bhakta vyapi hrdy antaratma \n“The one Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally engaged in many\, many transcendental forms in relationship with His unalloyed devotees.” \nSripad Madhwacarya again drank the nectar of seeing this ‘shaktyavesha avatara’ of Lord Visnu with a resplendent blue hue like that of the Indranila gem\, personally before him\, standing on a mountain resembling an emerald\, lush and green\, above the natural barrier of the Himalayas. Srila Vyasadeva was wearing tilak of ‘urdhva pundra’ on the twelve places of His body\, which are glorified throughout the Vedic literatures as being “Two straight lines of Lord Hari’s abode are drawn at the root of the nose and reach to the top of the forehead\, the space between which is Lord Vishnu’s abode\, and is more than a finger’s breadth between and slightly wider at the top. Each of these two straight lines is only the thickness of a grain of rice and the breadth of four fingers. That is the abode or temple of Lord Visnu. Sadaishiva and Brahma reside on either side of the central space and Laxmi stays with Narayan in the middle.” Seeing this and the red mark made of the ash of plantain flowers and turmeric mixed together resembling rubies\, between the two lines\, Madhwa relished again and again the sight of Vyasa.\n“My Lord\, I am so much blessed by seeing You\, Your red matted locks of hair and Your hue which resembles a new monsoon cloud\, full of depth\, with illumination like lightning. Oh my Lord\, though I have recorded many of Your auspicious features and qualities\, actually to describe You\, though counting incessantly the endless good qualities that are emanating from even the nail of the little toe of Your lotus feet\, such is my frustration. Though You are situated far beyond this material world and it’s covering\, by Your mercy You have allowed me to approach You. Completely transcending all known boundaries\, You have appeared to me and allowed me to come here to take ‘darshan’ of You\, just to fulfil the plan chalked out by You. In obeisances\, my body is bent in devotion to You. With folded hands I offer my humble prayers.”\nWith His loving outstretched arms\, Vedavyasa\, the son of Parasara Muni\, gently lifted Madhwa up from his prostrated obeisances and again\, with a smiling face\, embraced him. \nMadhva Vijay (8:5.). says that Madhwacarya belongs to a class of devotees calle Rju which are the best of the ‘devas’. These Rjus are even superior to the Rudras\, who\, by the grace of Vyasa\, were bestowed with knowledge of the Absolute. The Rjus are one hundred in number\, and after being given the post of Vayu\, they become eligible for the post of Brahma. All of the Rjus are equally great\, but they all are superior to Rudra and others. \nMadhwa Vijay (7:53.)\, notes that Vyasadeva and Sripad Madhwacarya – Visnu and Vayu – are here compared with the powerful current of the sister of Yamaraja\, Yamuna devi\, whose mighty but gentle waters join the water of a golden river. The mighty waters of the Yamuna are compared to the dark blue lustre of Vedavyasa\, while Sripad Madhwacarya is compared to a golden river who is being embraced by the dark blue waters of Vyasa. Previously these two great personalities embraced before. At that time they were dressed in royal clothing as Krsna and Bhimasena.\nAll the great sages in the assembly at Vyasadeva’s ‘ashram’ honoured Madhwa with great respect. Vyasadeva gave Madhwa a special seat of honour next to Himself and in a very warm way\, the two saviours of degradation of Vaisnava philosophy started to speak of Sripad Madhwacarya’s urgent mission. Sri Krsna Dwaipayana Vyasa and Sripad Madhwacarya discussed all kinds of Vedic literatures\, Vedas\, Mahabharata\, the ‘Sattvic Puranas’\, Brahma Sutras\, and the Pancaratras\, which are all very dear to Vaisnava. \nMadhwa Vijay (8:6.)\, agrees that Lord Narayana Himself directed Madhwa to come to the hermitage of Srila Vyasa.\nVedavyasa then took Sripad Madhwacarya to meet with the other form of the Lord residing there. Madhwa Vijay (8:7.)\, describes how the humble Purna Prajna Tirtha – Madhwa saw Lord Narayan\, the original person\, dressed in tree bark with a ‘munja’ grass belt. His effulgence that surround His beautiful matted locks is compared to being like the best of ‘yajnic’ fires\, pure\, bright and free from smoke. \nThat Lord\, Who is always Dhira (self controlled and sober)\, and Who is Atmarama (self satisfied)\, Who is Acyuta (infallible and free from the allurements of the sense objects)\, He is free from all defects\, yet with all these opulence’s is happy to reside in the hermitage as a recluse and perform penance. “O Adhoksaja Krsna\, Who is unobtainable to those of demerit\, now I stand before You. You are the same Lord of Brahma born of Your lotus navel. By Your potency of Abhimani You made the Mahatattva\, impregnated it by Your energy and placed there goodness\, passion and ignorance. Along with this He created Rudra from Brahma and the tattva of Ahamkara which is threefold – the Vaikarika – Deities\, the Taijasa – entities born of semen\, and the ‘tamasa’ – the five gross elements (earth\, eater\, fire\, air and sky). From this He made the ‘jagad anda’\, the cosmic egg in which reside the fourteen worlds. Lord Narayan\, You create\, maintain and destroy everything\, then effortlessly inhabit those fourteen worlds with varieties of entities – the demigods\, ‘gandharvas’ – servants of the ‘devas’\, humans\, demons who have such masters as Prajapati Brahma\, Mukhyaprana (Vayudeva)\, Garuda\, Rudra and Devendra. Those living entities are given\, according to their natures\, places of residence. There are the ‘uttama jivas’ or ‘nitya siddhas’\, Your pure devotees who only have thoughts for you. The ‘nitya samsarins’\, who wander in the cycle of birth and death\, are basically innocent\, but just foolishly follow their lusty desires. And the ‘tamoyogyas’\, who are hell bent\, mischievous\, wicked and best avoided\, for their destination is to practically stay in hell for time immemorial.” \nIn Sri Madhwa Vijay (8:14.)\, whilst standing directly in front of Srila Vyasadeva and Lord Narayana at Uttara Badri\, Sripad Madhwacarya pondered over the many forms that Lord Narayana had taken. This is the mystic potency of the Lord for He can be both in the past in one’s memory\, and present before one at the same instant\, in full. At any moment with all His retinue around Him acting out the pastimes\, of previous lilas in the eternally present. \nMadhwa realising this then prostrated himself at the lotus feet of Lord Narayana\, as in his mind went over the endless pastimes of the Lord. He was directly in the association of his ‘guru’ (Srila Vyasadeva)\, and now had the honour of seeing Lord Narayana face to face. Lord Narayana’s affection poured to the pure hearted Madhwa who was sitting\, looking and relishing. He was so honoured to sit near these two whilst offering respectful prostrations\, sitting and standing\, Madhwa dwelt on His Lords.
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230703
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230704
DTSTAMP:20260518T222934
CREATED:20230615T110419Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230704T114100Z
UID:29473-1688342400-1688428799@www.iskconpunjabibagh.com
SUMMARY:Disappearance Day of Sanatana Goswami 3rd July 2023
DESCRIPTION:Sanatana Goswami\, the elder brother of Srila Rupa Goswami\, was the seniormost among the six Goswamis of Vrndavana.
URL:https://www.iskconpunjabibagh.com/event/disappearance-day-of-sanatana-goswami-3rd-july-2023/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230703
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230704
DTSTAMP:20260518T222934
CREATED:20230615T110634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230704T114108Z
UID:29474-1688342400-1688428799@www.iskconpunjabibagh.com
SUMMARY:First Month of Caturmasya Begins 3rd July 2023
DESCRIPTION:First month: No leafy vegetables\, such as spinach\, salads of all types\, cabbages of all types\, kale\, leafy herbs like coriander\, mint\, parsley\, curry and powdered leafy herbs and teas. \nCaturmasya 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. \nThe main goal of observing Caturmasya is to decrease attachment to material things and to increase devotion to Krishna. \nSrila Prabhupada writes in Caitanya Caritamrta\, “Caturmasya should be observed by all sections of the population. It does not matter whether one is a grihasta or a sanyasi. The observation is obligatory to all ashramas.” He further explains how to observe the vow:  “This is not very difficult. In the month of Sravana one should not eat spinach (green leafy vegetables of the nature)\, in the month of Bhadra one should not eat yogurt (yogurt used as binding agent for cake is allowed)\, and in the month of Asvina one should not drink milk (milk sweets\, milk by-products are fine). One should not eat fish or other non-vegetarian food during the month of Kartik. Masura dal and urad dal being high in protein is also considered non-vegetarian.” Thus during caturmasya one should practice to give up all food intended for sense enjoyment. However\, maha-prasad\, though containing restricted item can be honoured! \nIt is stated in Hari Bhakti Vilasa 15/113 that ‘after properly praying to the Supreme Lord near Him\, one should properly take a vow to follow the proper rules and regulations and process of caturmasya to increase one’s devotion to Lord Sri Krishna.’
URL:https://www.iskconpunjabibagh.com/event/first-month-of-caturmasya-begins-3rd-july-2023/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230707
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230708
DTSTAMP:20260518T222934
CREATED:20230615T110906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230717T095816Z
UID:29479-1688688000-1688774399@www.iskconpunjabibagh.com
SUMMARY:Disappearance Day of Srila Gopala Bhatta Goswami 7th July 2023
DESCRIPTION:Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami appeared in Sri Rangam\, South India. Lord Caitanya once stayed four months in his home\, & converted the family to Gaudiya Vaisnavism. A mere boy at this time\, Gopala personally served the Lord.
URL:https://www.iskconpunjabibagh.com/event/disappearance-day-of-srila-gopala-bhatta-goswami-7th-july-2023/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230710
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230711
DTSTAMP:20260518T222934
CREATED:20230615T111040Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230717T095824Z
UID:29480-1688947200-1689033599@www.iskconpunjabibagh.com
SUMMARY:Disappearance Day of Srila Lokanatha Goswami 10th July 2023
DESCRIPTION:Lokanatha Goswami was a personal associate of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya ordered him and Bhugarbha Goswami to find the lost holy places of Vrndavana. Years later\, the six Goswamis came to Vrndavana and continued this work.
URL:https://www.iskconpunjabibagh.com/event/disappearance-day-of-srila-lokanatha-goswami-10th-july-2023/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230711
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230712
DTSTAMP:20260518T222934
CREATED:20230615T111241Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230717T095854Z
UID:29481-1689033600-1689119999@www.iskconpunjabibagh.com
SUMMARY:The Incorporation of ISKCON in New York 11th July 2023
DESCRIPTION:Srila Prabhupada founded ISKCON\, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness\, in 1966.
URL:https://www.iskconpunjabibagh.com/event/the-incorporation-of-iskcon-in-new-york-11th-july-2023/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230713
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230714
DTSTAMP:20260518T222934
CREATED:20230629T091232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230717T095901Z
UID:29690-1689206400-1689292799@www.iskconpunjabibagh.com
SUMMARY:Kamika Ekadashi 13th July 2023
DESCRIPTION:The saintly king Yudhisthira maharaj said\, “Oh Supreme Lord\, I have heard from You the glories of fasting on Deva-sayani Ekadashi\, which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Ashadha. Now I would like to hear from You the glories of the Ekadashi that occurs during the dark fortnight (krishna paksha) of the month of Shravana (July – August). Oh Govindadeva\, please be merciful to me and explain its glories. Oh Supreme Vasudeva\, I offer my most humble obeisances unto You.” \nThe Supreme Lord\, Shri Krishna\, replied\, “Oh King\, please listen attentively as I describe the auspicious influence of this Holy fast (vrata) day\, which removes all sins. Narada Muni once asked Lord Brahma about this same topic. ‘Oh regent of all beings\,’ said Naradji\, ‘Oh you who sit upon a water born lotus throne\, please tell me the names of the Ekadashi that occurs during the dark fortnight of the sacred month of Shravana. Please also tell me which Deity is to be worshipped on that Holy day\, the process one must follow to observe it\, and the merit it awards.’ \n“Lord Brahma replied\, ‘My dear son Narada\, for the benefit of all humanity I shall happily tell you everything you wish to know\, for just hearing the glories of the Kamika Ekadashi bestows merit equal to that obtained by one who performs a horse sacrifice. Certainly\, great merit is attained by one who worships\, and who also meditates on the lotus feet of the four-armed Lord Gadadhara\, who holds conchshell\, disc\, club and lotus in His hands and who is also known as Shridhara\, Hari\, Vishnu\, Madhava\, and MadhusUdana. And the blessings achieved by such a person / devotee\, who worships Lord Vishnu exclusively are far greater than those achieved by one who takes a sacred bath in the Ganges at Kashi (Varanasi)\, in the forest of NaimishAraNya\, or at Pushkara\, which is the only place on the planet where I am formally worshipped. \nBut one who observes this Kamika Ekadashi and also worships Lord Shri Krishna achieves greater merit than one who has darshana of Lord KedAranAtha in the HimAlayas\, or one who bathes at Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse\, or one who donates the whole Earth in charity\, including its forests and oceans\, or one who bathes in the Gandaki River (where the sacred Shaligrams are found) or the GodAvari River on a full moon (purnima) day that falls on a Monday when Leo (Simha) and Jupiter (Guru) are conjoined (conjunct). \n“Observing Kamika Ekadashi bestows the same merit as donating a milk-cow and her auspicious calf\, along with their feed. On this all auspicious day\, whosoever worships Lord Sri Shridhara-deva\, Vishnu\, is glorified by all the devas\, Gandharvas\, Pannagas\, and NAgas. \n“Those who are afraid of their past sins and completely immersed in sinful materialistic life should at least observe this best of Ekadashis according to their ability and thus attain liberation. This Ekadashi is the purest of all days and the most powerful for removing sins of the native. Oh Narada ji\, Lord Shri Hari Himself once said about this Ekadashi\, “One who fasts on Kamika Ekadashi attains much more merit than one who studies all the spiritual literatures.” \n“Anyone who fasts on this particular day remains awake throughout the night will never experience the anger of Yamaraja\, the king of death personified. It has been seen that whoever observes Kamika Ekadashi will not have to suffer future births\, and in the past too\, many Yogis of devotion who fasted on this day went to the spiritual world. One should therefore follow in their auspicious footsteps and strictly observe a fast on this most auspicious of Ekadashis. \n“Whosoever worships Lord Shri Hari with Tulasi leaves is freed from all implication of sin. Indeed\, he lives untouched by sin\, as the lotus leaf\, although in the water\, is untouched by it. Whosoever offers Lord Shri Hari but a single leaf from the sacred Tulasi tree (occillium basilcum sanctum) attains as much merit as one who gives away in charity two hundred grams of gold and eight hundred grams of silver. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is more pleased by one who offers Him a single Tulasi leaf than by one who worships Him with pearls\, rubies\, topaz\, diamonds\, lapis lazuli\, sapphires\, gomedA stones (gomaz)\, cat’s eye gems\, and coral. \nOne who offers Lord Keshava newly grown maNjari buds from the Tulasi plant gets rid of all the sins he has committed during this or any other lifetime. Indeed\, mere darshana of Tulasi on Kamika Ekadashi removes all sins\, and merely touching her and praying to her removes all kinds of disease. One who waters Tulasi devi need never fear the Lord of death\, Yamaraja. One who plants or transplants Tulasi on this days will eventually reside with Lord Shri Krishna in His own abode. To Srimati Tulasi devi\, who awards liberation in devotional service\, one should therefore daily offer one’s full obeisances. \n“Even Chitragupta\, Yamaraja’s secretary\, cannot calculate the merit obtained by one who offers Shrimati Tulasi-devi a perpetually burning ghee lamp. So dear is this sacred Ekadashi to the Supreme Personality of Godhead that all the forefathers of one who offers a bright ghee lamp to Lord Shri Krishna on this day ascend to the heavenly planets and drink the celestial nectar there. Whoever offers a ghee or sesame oil lamp to Shri Krishna on this day is freed from all his sins and enters the abode of Surya\, the Sun-god\, with a body as bright as ten million lamps. This Ekadashi is so powerful that if one who is unable to fast simply follows the practices as mentioned herein\, s/he is elevated to the heavenly planets\, along with all their forefathers. \n“Oh Maharaj Yudhisthira\,” Lord Shri Krishna concluded\, “…these were the words of prajapathi Brahma to his son Narada Muni concerning the incalculable glories of this Kamika Ekadashi\, which removes all sins. This sacred day nullifies even the sin of killing a Brahmana or the sin of killing an unborn child in the womb\, and it promotes one to the spiritual world by making one supremely meritorious.\nOne who kills the innocent\, i.e.\, a brahmin (Brahmana)\, a child in the womb\, a pious and spotless woman\, etc.\, and then later hears about the glories of Kamika Ekadashi will be relieved of the reaction to one’s sins. However\, one should NOT think beforehand that one can kill a Brahmin or other innocent folk and then go unpunished simply by hearing of this Ekadashi. Such knowing commission of sin is an abomination. \nWhosoever hears these glories of the Kamika Ekadashi with faith becomes free of all sins and returns home\, back to Godhead – Vishnu-loka\, Vaikuntha. \nThus ends the narration of the glories of the Shravana-krshna Ekadashi\, or Kamika Ekadashi\,\nfrom the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana.
URL:https://www.iskconpunjabibagh.com/event/kamika-ekadashi-13th-july-2023/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230729
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230730
DTSTAMP:20260518T222934
CREATED:20230629T091406Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230801T050826Z
UID:29691-1690588800-1690675199@www.iskconpunjabibagh.com
SUMMARY:Padmini Ekadashi 29th July 2023
DESCRIPTION:Sri Suta Goswami said\, “Yudhishthira Maharaja said\, Oh Janardana\, what is the name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight (shukla paksha) of the extra\, leap year month?\nHow does one observe it properly? Please narrate all this to me.” \n“The Supreme Personality of Godhead\, Lord Sri Krishna\, replied\, ‘Oh Pandava\, the meritorious Ekadasii that occurs during the light fortnight of the extra month of leap-year is called Padmini.\nIt is very auspicious. The fortunate soul who observes it with great determination and faith will return to My personal abode. This extra-month Ekadasi is as powerful as I am in nullifying sins. Even four-headed Lord Brahma cannot glorify it sufficiently. Long ago Lord Brahma told Narada about this liberating\, sin-removing Ekadasi.’ \n“Lotus-eyed Lord Krishna became very pleased by the enquiry of Yudhishthira and spoke to him the following pleasing words:\n‘Oh king\, please listen carefully as I narrate to you the process of fasting on Padmini Ekadasi\, which is rarely done even by great sages. “‘One should begin his fast on the Dashami\, the day before Ekadasi\, by not eating any Urad dahl\, chickpeas\, spinach\, honey\, or sea salt\, and also by not dining in homes of others or off bell-metal plates. These eight things should be avoided. One should eat only once on the Dashami\, sleep on the ground\, and remain celibate. On Ekadasi the devotee should rise early in the morning but should not brush his teeth. Then he should thoroughly bathe – in a place of pilgrimage\, if possible. While chanting sacred hymns from the Vedas\, he should smear his body with cow dung mixed with clay\, sesame-seed paste\, kusha grass\, and the powder of Amalaki fruits. Then the devotee should take another thorough bath\, after which he should chant the following prayers: “‘”Oh sacred clay\, you have been created by Lord Brahma\, purified by Kashyapa Muni\, and lifted by Lord Krishna in His form as Varaha\, the boar incarnation. Oh clay\, please purify my head\, eyes\, and other limbs. Oh clay\, I offer my obeisances unto you. Kindly purify me so I may worship the Supreme Lord\, Sri Hari. \n“Oh cow-dung\, you posses medicinal and antiseptic qualities because you have come directly from the stomach of our universal mother\, the cow. You can purify the entire planet Earth. Please accept my humble obeisances and purify me. \n“Oh Amalaki fruits\, please accept my humble obeisances. You have taken your birth from the saliva of Lord Brahma\, and thus by your very presence the entire planet is purified. Kindly cleanse and purify my bodily limbs. \n“Oh Supreme Lord Vishnu\, Oh God of the gods\, Oh master of the universe\, Oh holder of the conch\, disc\, club\, and lotus\, please allow me to bathe in all the holy places of pilgrimage.” \n‘Reciting these excellent prayers\, chanting mantras to Lord Varuna\, and meditating on all the places of pilgrimage located on the banks of the Ganges\, one should bathe in whatever body of water is at hand. Then\, Oh Yudhishthira\, the devotee should rub his body\, thus purifying his mouth\, back\, chest\, arms\, and waist as a prelude to worshipping the Supreme Lord\, who wears brilliant yellow garments and gives pleasure to all creatures. By so doing\, the devotee will destroy all his sins. Afterwards\, he should chant the sacred Gayatri mantra\, offer oblations to his forefathers\, and then enter a Vishnu temple to worship Lord Narayana\, the husband of the Goddess of Fortune\, Laxmi-devi. \nIf possible\, the devotee should then fashion Deities of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna or Shiva and Parvati out of gold and offer them nice devotional worship. He should fill a copper or clay pot with pure water mixed with scents\, and then he should cover the pot with a cloth lid and a gold or silver lid\, in this way preparing an Asana upon which the Radha-Krishna or Shiva-Parvati murthis may sit for worship. According to capacity\, the devotee should then worship these murtis with fragrant incense\, a bright ghee lamp\, and sandalwood paste along with camphor\, musk\, kumkum\, and other scents\, as well as selected aromatic flowers like white lotuses and other seasonal blooms\, and also very nicely prepared foods. On this special Ekadasi the devotees should dance and sing ecstatically before the Deity. He should avoid prajalpa (talking unnecessarily of ordinary\, mundane conversational topics) at all costs and should not talk to or touch low-born persons (untrained persons habituated to low acts) or a woman in her menstrual period\, or others so absorbed. On this day he should be especially careful to speak the truth and certainly not criticize anyone before the Deity of Lord Vishnu\, the brahmins\, or the spiritual master. Rather\, with other devotees he should be absorbed in listening to Vaishnavas read the glories of Lord Vishnu from the Puranas. One should not drink or even touch water to his lips on this Ekadasi\, and one who is unable to perform this austerity should drink only water or milk. Otherwise\, the fast is considered broken. One should remain awake that Ekadasi night\, singing and playing musical instruments for the transcendental pleasure of the Supreme Person. \nDuring the first quarter of the Ekadasi night the devotee should offer some coconut meat to his worshippable Deity (Isthadeva)\, during the second part he should offer soothing bel fruit\, during the third part an orange\,  and as the night draws to a close some betel nut. Remaining awake during the first part of the Ekadasi night bestows on the devotee/sadhaka the same merit as that gained by performing the Agnistoma-yajna. Staying awake during the second part of the night bestows the same merit as that gained by performing a Vajapeya-yajna. Stay awake during the third part gives one the same merit as that attained by performing an Ashvamedha-yajna. And one who remains awake throughout the night receives all of the above mentioned merit\, as well as the grand merit of having performed a Rajasurya-yajna. Thus there is no better fasting day in the year than Padmini Ekadasi. Nothing can compare to it as a giver of merit\, whether it be a fire sacrifice\, knowledge\, education\, or austerity. Indeed\, whoever observes this sacred Ekadasi fast receives all the merit attained by bathing in all the places of pilgrimage in the world. \nAfter remaining awake throughout the night\, the devotee should bathe at sunrise and then worship Me nicely. He should then feed a qualified brahmin and respectfully give him the Deity of Lord Keshava and the pot filled with pure scented water. This gift will guarantee the devotee success in this life and liberation in the hereafter. \n‘Oh sinless Yudhishthira\, as you have requested\, I have described the rules and regulations\, as well as the benefits\, regarding the Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the extra\, leap-year month. Fasting on this Padmini day bestows merit equal to that gained by fasting on all other Ekadasis. The Ekadasi that occurs during the dark part of the extra month\, which is known as Parama Ekadasi\, is as powerful at removing sin as this one\, Padmini. Now please listen to Me carefully as I narrate to you a fascinating account connected with this sacred day. Pulastya Muni once recited this history to Naradji. \nPulastya Muni once had occasion to rescue the ten headed demon Ravana from the prison of Kartaviry Arjuna\, and upon hearing of this event Narada Muni asked his friend\, “Oh greatest of sages\, since this Ravana defeated all the demigods\, including Lord Indradev\, how could Kartaviry Arjuna defeat Ravana\, who was so skilled in battle?” \nPulastya Muni replied\, “Oh great Narada\, during the Tretayuga\, Kartavirya (Kartaviry Arjuna’s father) took birth in the Haihaya dynasty. His capital city was Mahishmati\, and he had one thousand Queens\, whom he loved very dearly. None of them\, however\, was able to give him the son he wanted so badly. He performed sacrifices and worshipped the devas (demigods) and forefathers (pitris)\, but due to the curse of some sage he was unable to beget a son – and without a son\, a king cannot enjoy his kingdom\, just as a hungry man can never really enjoy his senses. \nKing Kartavirya carefully considered his plight and then decided to perform severe austerities to achieve his goal. Thus he donned a loincloth made of bark\, grew matted locks\, and turned over the reins of his kingdom to his ministers. One of his queens\, Padmini – who was born in the Ikshvaku dynasty\, who was the best of all women\, and who was the daughter of King Harishchandra – saw the king leaving. She felt that\, since she was a chaste wife\, her duty was to follow in the footsteps of her beloved husband. Removing all the regal ornaments from her beautiful body and donning but one piece of cloth\, she thus followed her husband into the forest. \nAt last Kartavirya reached the summit of Mount Gandhamadana\, where he performed severe austerities and penances for ten thousand years\, meditating and praying to Lord Gadadhara\, who wields a club. But still he did not get a son. Seeing her dear husband waste away to mere skin and bone\, Padmini thought of a solution to the problem. She went to the chaste Anasuya. With great reverence\, Padmini said\, ‘Oh great lady\, my dear husband\, Kartavirya\, has been performing austerities for the last ten thousand years\, but Lord Krishna (Keshava)\, who alone can remove one’s past sins and present difficulties\, has not yet become pleased with him. Oh most fortunate one\, please tell me a fast day we can observe and thus please the Supreme Lord with our devotion\, so much so that He will bless me with a nice son who will later rule the world as emperor.’ \nUpon hearing the appealing words of Padmini\, who was very chaste and deeply devoted to her husband\, the great Anasuya replied to her in a very cheerful mood: ‘Oh beautiful\, lotus-eyed lady\, usually there are twelve months in a year\, but after every thirty-two months an extra month is added\, and the two Ekadasis that occur during this month are called Padmini Ekadasi and Parama Ekadasi. They fall on the Dvadasis of the light and dark part of the month\, respectively. You should fast on these days and rema n awake throughout the night. If you do so\, the Supreme Personality of Godhead\, Sri Hari\, will bless you with a son.’ \nOh Narada\, in this way Anasuya\, the daughter of the sage Kardama Muni\, explained the potency of these special Ekadasis. Hearing this\, Padmini faithfully followed the instructions to fulfill her desire for a son. Padmini fasted completely\, even from water\, and remained awake all night\, chanting the glories of God and dancing in ecstasy. Lord Keshava thus became most pleased with her devotion and appeared before her\, riding on the back of the great Garuda. The Lord said\, ‘Oh beautiful one\, you have greatly pleased Me by fasting on the special Ekadasi of the extra month of Purushottama. Please ask Me for a benediction.’ \nHearing these sublime words from the overseer of the entire universe\, Padmini offered the Supreme Lord devotional prayers and asked Him for the boon her husband desired. Lord Keshava (Krishna) was moved to reply\, ‘Oh gentle lady\, I am very happy with you\, for there is no month dearer to Me than this\, and the Ekadasis that occur during this month are the most dear to Me of all Ekadasis. You have followed My devotee Anasuya’s instructions perfectly\, and therefore I shall do what will please you. You and your husband will have the desired son that you wish.’ \nThe Lord\, who removes the distress of the world\, then spoke to King Kartavirya: ‘Oh King\, please ask of Me any boon that will fulfill your heart’s desire\, for your dear wife has pleased Me greatly with her devotional fasting.’ The king was very happy to hear this. Naturally he asked for the son he had desired for so long: ‘Oh master of the universe\, Oh killer of the Madhu-demon\, kindly grant me a son who will never be conquered by the demigods\, human beings\, snakes\, demons\, or hobgoblins\, but whom only You can defeat.’ The Supreme Lord immediately replied\, ‘So be it!’ and disappeared. \nThe king became so very pleased with his wife and returned to his palace in her company. Padmini soon became pregnant\, and the mighty-armed Kartaviry Arjuna appeared as her son. He was the mightiest person in all the three worlds\, and thus even the ten-headed Ravana could not defeat him in battle. Except for Lord Narayana\, who holds a club\, a disc\, and other symbols in His hands no one could overcome him. By the merit that resulted from his mother’s strict and faithful observance of Padmini Ekadasi\, he could defeat even the dreaded Ravana. This is not at all surprising\, Oh Naradji\, for Kartaviry Arjuna was the fulfillment of the benediction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” With these words\, Pulastya Muni departed.’ \n“The Supreme Lord\, Sri Krishna\, concluded\, ‘Oh sinless Yudhishthira\, as you have enquired from Me\, I have explained to you the power of this special Ekadasi. Oh best of kings\, whoever observes this fast will surely attain to My personal abode. And similarly\, if you want all your desires fulfilled\, you should do likewise.’ \nHearing these words from the mouth of his beloved Keshava\, Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira) became filled with joy\, and when the time came he faithfully observed Padmini Ekadasi. Suta Goswami concluded\, “Oh sage Saunaka\, I have explained to you all about this meritorious Ekadasi. Anyone who devotedly fasts on the Ekadasis that occur during the extra\, leap-year months\, carefully following all the rules\, becomes glorious and happily goes back to Godhead. And one who merely hears or reads about these Ekadasis will also obtain great merit and ultimately enter the abode of Lord Sri Hari. \nThus ends the narration of the glories of Padmini Ekadasi\, the Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the extra\, leap-year month of Purushottama\, from the Skanda Purana.
URL:https://www.iskconpunjabibagh.com/event/padmini-ekadashi-29th-july-2023/
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