“Save Earth Now!”

by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami

For as long as there has been civilization on this planet, human beings have been abusing the earth. Thinking themselves lords over all they survey, they have taken without restriction whatever they desire for sense gratification, without considering that in the future there may be nothing left. Whole species have been killed, rivers and seas ruined, and the air polluted with poisonous waste. It seems only a matter of time before mankind destroys its habitat and that of all other creatures.

Sri Ishopanishad describes man’s proper relationship to the earth: “Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.” Clearly, this philosophy must be applied not only to individuals but also to governments. In the purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada says that there can be no peace if countries claim proprietorship over the resources of nature. “If they do not recognize the proprietorship of the Supreme Lord, all the property they claim as their own is stolen. Consequently, they are liable to punishment by the laws of nature.” The possible agents of punishment are innumerable. The earth can be destroyed by nuclear bombs, or slowly choked to death by fumes.


The earth, which is God’s energy, supplies all creatures, each taking from it according to his particular body. But among the species, human beings have a responsibility toward the earth. Man is the big brother of all other creatures. As it states in the Bible, man has “dominion” over all the animals. Although many persons take this to mean that they can kill other species, a devotee of Krishna understands that “dominion” means that man has the responsibility to protect all life on earth and to allow the different creatures to take from the earth what they need. If everyone takes only what is needed, this will guarantee the proper relationship between the planet and those who dwell on it. By Lord Krishna’s grace, there is enough for everyone, but when there is misuse and the balance is disturbed, everyone’s life is endangered.

We can find few modern examples of peoples who live in a healthy relationship with the earth. Native Americans, as they lived prior to the invasion of the white man, are among those who maintained a sane relationship with nature. They did not consider themselves proprietors of the land, for they believed that the land belonged to the Great Spirit, who provided it for their use. They were religious and believed that all things in nature were regulated by gods. Their religion was primitive in the sense that they prayed for material things, such as rain. A relationship with God based on personal maintenance is not the highest form of religion. But at least the native Americans lived in harmony with their environment, in a God conscious way.

Mother Earth Day

by Manorama Dasa

Devotees of Krishna respect the Earth as the energy of God and as one of our mothers. By the will of God she provides the materials our bodies are made of, as well as food and shelter to maintain them. The clothes we wear, the buildings we inhabit, and the computers we use to read this article are all manufactured from her elements.

The sacred Vedas describe our interdependent relationship. If we live in harmony with our mother, take only as much as we need for our subsistence, and use whatever she provides in our Father's service, peace and prosperity increase. However, when we exploit the earth, plundering her resources for ungodly purposes, we become thieves, liable to be punished. She withholds her bounty. Natural disasters, wars and catastrophes increase, resulting in scarcity of food and suffering.

Humanitarian relief efforts and charitable causes ("save the rain forest," for example) address the symptoms of the Earth's problems. Such efforts do little to reduce the underlying greed and envy that cause human beings to exploit one another and the Earth, resulting in one nation living in prosperity at the expense (and pollution) of another.

Therefore saintly persons advise that the best recourse to save our planet from disaster is to revive God consciousness, Krishna consciousness among the people. Krishna consciousness means to become aware that everything produced by the Earth is God's energy; it belongs to God and should be used in His service. We're all interconnected as brothers and sisters and have responsibilities to one another, Mother Earth and Father God. Krishna consciousness means that all creatures - human beings, animals, trees, plants, rivers, mountains, and oceans - are God's creatures, are sacred, and deserve our care and respect.

Benefits of following Karttika

with Chaturatma Dasa

What Personal Benefits Have You Experienced From Following Karttik Vows

Lives of the Vaishnava Acharyas host Chaturatma Dasa tells us some of the benefits he's experienced from his yearly practice of taking vows during the month of Karttika (October-November).

Karttika and the family

with Chaturatma Dasa

How Does Your Family React To Your Practice Of Austerities

Lives of the Vaishnava Acharyas host Chaturatma Dasa tells a little about how his family reacts to his practice of following the month of Damodar or Karttika.

The half-man, half lion incarnation: appearance day of Nrsimhadeva

Nrsimhadeva (nri-SING-ha-deva) appeared during a previous age, hundreds of thousands of years ago, especially to save His young devotee Prahlad (pra-LAHD) Maharaja from the abuse of his father Hiranyakashipu (hi-rahn-ya-KAH-shi-pu).

The despotic king Hiranyakashipu had performed frightening austerities to gain the benediction that he would be protected from death in almost unlimited ways. Because he was so wicked, however, especially in his treatment of the Lord's devotees, Krishna personally came and killed Hiranyakashipu in a way no one could have imagined.

Here are some suggestions for how you can observe the appearance day of Lord Nrsimhadeva (this year occurring on May 5th of the Mayapura Vaishnava calendar).

What inspired you to start chanting the Hare Krishna mantra? #3

with Hari-Kirtana Das

Why Did You Start Chanting The Hare Krishna Mantra

Yoga instructor and writer Hari-kirtana das tells how the Hare Krishna mantra was the only mantra left that he hadn't tried chanting, and why it's the main meditation he still does many years later.

Observing Karttika

A special month for increasing devotional service to Krishna.

with Chaturatma Dasa

What Karttika Practices Did Srila Prabhupada Establish ?

Observing Karttika Chaturatma Dasa

What Personal Benefit sHave You Experienced From Following Karttiak Vows

How Does Your Family React To Your Practice Of Austerities During Karttika

Arent There Rewards For Observing Karttika Properly And Punishments For Not Doing So ?

Any Advice For The Aspiring Karttika Enthusiast ?

We interviewed Lives of the Vaishnava Acharyas host Chaturatma Dasa to hear his experience of yearly taking vows to observe the month of Karttika, which in the Vaishnava tradition carries with it great spiritual benefits. He discusses the origin of this tradition, its roots in scripture, and discusses the many benefits anyone can achieve from observing certain practices each year during October and November, the month of Damodara or Karttika.

Sri Radhika Stava

with Mitrasena Dasa and Ekendra Dasa

by Rupa Goswami

This kirtan was recorded at Prabhupada Village, North Carolina, USA in June 2011.

This popular song is traditionally sung at the very least once a year, on the appearance day of Srimati Radharani, the personified internal potency of Krishna. In certain places, such as Vrindavan, this is sung every moment of every day of every year.

Vamanadeva

Krishna's dwarf incarnation

Vedic history tells of an incident many hundreds of thousands of years ago, during a period of conflict between the Devas and Danavas (universal governing forces and anti-government atheists), when the Danavas came to power, sending the legitimate royal families into hiding. The Devas prayed to Lord Vishnu, the maintainer of the universe, to help them regain their rightful properties and administrative posts.

The Lord then appeared as a dwarf, the extraordinarily beautiful miniature child brahmana Vamanadeva. In this disguise, the all-powerful Supreme Personality of Godhead approached Bali Maharaja, king of the Danavas.

Bali could understand that Vamanadeva was a higher being, from His uncommon attractiveness and effulgence. The king was prepared to grant Him anything He asked for. On the pretense of begging, Vamanadeva asked Bali for a seemingly insignificant piece of real estate – three paces of land – to which Bali agreed, despite protests from his guru.

Vamanadeva then assumed a gigantic form that covered the universe. With His first step, he reached to the heavenly planets, and with His second, He reached the limit of the universe. It appeared that Bali was unable to fulfill his promise, since he had promised Vamanadeva three steps, so he humbly asked the Lord to place His remaining step on his head.

The Life of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur

compiled by Manu Dasa

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (1838-1914) is a prominent preceptor acharya in our succession of spiritual masters and disciples coming from Lord Krishna. He was a pioneering spiritual leader, a householder, a magistrate working in colonial India under the British rule, a prolific preacher, writer, and poet. He wrote volumes of books reintroducing the pure teachings of Lord Chaitanya at a time when those teachings had practically become lost. He composed hundreds of devotional songs glorifying Krishna to uplift the consciousness of the suffering people of this world. He corresponded with philosophers, theologians, leaders, scholars, and professors of his time and sent books, including The Life and Precepts of Lord Chaitanya, to university libraries in foreign countries, planting the seeds for a worldwide movement of Krishna consciousness. Bhaktivinoda Thakura discovered and excavated the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya. Along with his devoted wife, Bhagavati Devi, he raised ten children, including the illustrious Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, who would become a great spiritual leader in his own time and the spiritual master of ISKCON's founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Above all, Bhaktivinoda Thakura taught devotion to Krishna by his personal example. His life story, excerpted below, demonstrates a tremendous amount of courage, character, and perseverance in the face of many difficulties and gives hope to those of us who may be wondering just how to find the time to serve Lord Sri Krishna, His holy names, and His devotees in our ever so busy lives.

In many ways, aspiring devotees of Krishna today owe a significant debt to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura for charting the course and laying the foundation for the modern-day Krishna consciousness movement.

Once, as he looked out from his window across the river towards the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Bhaktivinoda Thakura had a vision that people from all nations would soon come together there in harmony through the blissful chanting of the holy names of Krishna, sankirtan.

His great-grand-disciple, Srila Prabhupada, who humbly and fearlessly spread Krishna consciousness to the far corners of the world, thought it significant that he was born in 1896, the year the Thakura sent copies of The Life and Precepts of Lord Chaitanya to universities across the oceans.

Krishna appears in mysterious ways:

The appearance anniversary of Sri Sri Radha-ramana, Madhavendra Puri & Srinivasa Acharya.

Madhavendra Puri was the spiritual master of Ishvara Puri - the spiritual master of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Madhavendra Puri established the worship of the Gopala Deity, who is today worshiped as Srinathaji. Advaita Acharya was also a disciple of Madhavendra Puri. It was Madhavendra Puri who introduced the conception of madhurya-bhava (conjugal love) into the sampradaya (bhakti tradition). In this conception, the worship of Radha and Krishna in separation represents the highest level of devotional service. Madhavendra Puri's samadhi (shrine) is in Remuna, Orissa.

Srinivas Acharya was a member of the party that first brought the books of the six Goswamis from Vrindavana to Bengal and Orissa. He converted King Birahambira to the Vaishnava religion and helped organized the first Gaura Purnima festival, celebrating the birth anniversary of Lord Chaitanya, in Kheturi Gram.

Sri Sri Radha Raman is a self-manifesting (not carved) Deity of Krishna Who was worshiped by Gopal Bhatta Goswami, one of the prominent followers of Lord Chaitanya. He is still worshiped today in Vrindavan, India.