The Need for a Regulated Life

Satisfying our material needs within the bounds of scriptural rules guarantees peace and prosperity for the individual, the family, and society.

balam balavatam caham

kama-raga-vivarjitam

dharmaviruddho bhuteshu

kamo 'smi bharatarshabha

"I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna]."
-Bhagavad-gita 7.11

Krishna is explaining everything about how you can become Krishna conscious twenty-four hours a day. The one process recommended by Caitanya Mahaprabhu is kirtaniyah sada harih: "Always chant the glories of the Lord." And Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita (9.14),

satatam kirtayanto mam

yatantash ca dridha-vratah

namasyantash ca mam bhaktya

nitya-yukta upasate

"Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion." These are the symptoms of the mahatmas, the great souls. They are always engaged in chanting the holy name.

This is life. Human life is meant for this purpose. We require something to eat because we have this body. But when we use bodily necessities in excessive proportion, that is called kama, lust. Otherwise, to satisfy the bodily necessities is not kama. Therefore Krishna says, dharmaviruddho bhuteshu kamo 'smi bharatarshabha: "I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles." Religion means regulation. Everything has got regulation. In our ordinary life we must get a license to do certain things. Even a man who keeps a wine shop-that is not a good thing-must get a license and submit to regulations. Shastra, the Sanskrit word for "scripture," means regulation. It comes from the root shas, which means "ruling, controlling." Government rule is shasana, and shastra means "weapon."

Shastra is the regulative principles, the book of laws. You cannot violate the book of laws. You must keep yourself under regulative principles and act according to the shastra.

In the shastra it is stated jivo jivasya jivanam: "Every living entity is living by eating another living entity." That is nature. Srimad-Bhagavatam(1.13.47) says, "Those who have no hands are food for the animal with hands." Even in the form of a human being, those who are eating animals are also animals. Human beings are sahastanam, "with hands." Hastameans "hand," and sa means "with." And the animals are ahastani: they have no hands. They have only legs, four legs. So those who eat meat are animals, but with hands. That is the difference. Cows, goats, and lambs are animals. Dogs are animals, and there are dog-eaters. Sva-pacahmeans "dog-eaters." Devahuti, the mother of Lord Kapila, says that a person who chants Hare Krishna becomes glorious even if born in a family of dog-eaters. But animal-eaters are described as animals with two hands.

Other animals eat living entities without legs (apadani), like plants, trees, and grass. They have some kind of legs because they are standing, but they have no moving power. They are called pada-pa, which means they have legs for eating. We are eating with a mouth; they are eating with legs.

The shastras give a minute analytical study of the senses and power of the various living entities. For example, fish have the sense to detect an enemy two miles away. "Somebody's coming to eat me." These things are all described in the Bhagavatam. Frogs can be in samadhi, a trancelike state, for many, many years. So to attain samadhi through yogic principles is not a very great thing. Even in the animals you will find it. I read long, long ago that in a coalmine, while the workers were digging for coal, a frog came out from the coal and jumped and died. That means the frog was buried within the lump of coal for many, many thousands of years, and he was keeping samadhi.

The Wonderful Thing

These are not very extraordinary things, because, after all, the living entity is eternal, does not die. Na hanyate hanyamane sharire [Bhagavad-gita2.20]. If, by some process, the living entity lives for some extended period, that is not a very wonderful thing. The wonderful thing is stopping birth and death. That I am living, say, for fifty or a hundred years and another man is living for three hundred years-that is not a very wonderful thing.

If we want to make our life perfect, we must follow the regulative principles, like a good citizen who strictly follows the laws of the government. The first-class human being follows the laws of God. That's all. He's first-class. And those who are simply violating the laws of God are third-class, fourth-class, tenth-class. It will be explained a few verses later that those who are simply violating the laws of God are called dushkritinah, miscreants. There are so many classes of men, and Krishna is mentioning some of them. The dushkritinah, who are simply violating the laws of God, cannot come to Krishna consciousness, God consciousness. One must follow the rules and regulations, the shastra.

Shastra means that which gives you regulative life. The regulative principle for sex is that even with your wife you cannot have sex unless it is meant for progeny, for producing children-Krishna conscious children, not cats and dogs. That is dharmaviruddhah, not against religious principles. That is very nice. Unless one marries, how he can beget children who becomebrahmacaris? So if you produce brahmacaris, then you can produce hundreds of brahmacaris. That is allowed. But don't produce cats and dogs. That is dharmaviruddhah. Krishna says, "I am there."

Krishna is everything. Even in sexual intercourse Krishna is there. But how? Dharmaviruddhah: when it is not against the laws of shastra. In theshastra it is said that you can have sex after the menstrual period. But when your wife becomes pregnant, no more sex life. This is the injunction of the shastra. You cannot have sex for producing illegitimate children,varna-sankara. When the world becomes full of varna-sankara, unwanted children, the whole world becomes hell. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

I have seen, especially in the Western countries, that girls are not married but they have children. In this way varna-sankara increases, and the world becomes hellish. Why so much trouble now? Because the whole population is varna-sankara, and therefore there are no regulative principles.

If you follow regulative principles, there is no problem. The regulative principles are given by Krishna. Dharmam tu sakshad bhagavat-pranitam[Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.3.19]. He's giving. And He's saying, "I am sex life according to regulative principles." So there is Krishna consciousness even in begetting children, provided you follow the regulative principles.

Ramayana in New Dress

Fifty new paintings illustrate Valmiki's immortal tale of Lord Ramachandra's divine acts on this planet.

The new, abridged, edition of the Ramayana produced by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust features the art of Italian artist Parama Dasa, whose mastery of state-of-the-art computer software is evident in his extraordinary illustrations. The text of this edition of the Valmiki Ramayana was compiled by Purnaprajna Dasa and is based on the Gita Press edition. Here we present an excerpt from the book, along with samples of the art. The excerpt starts after the epic final battle, as Lord Ramachandra and His associates are about to leave Lanka for Ayodhya.

Vibhishana swiftly brought the Pushpaka chariot, the astounding vehicle that Ravana stole from Kuvera. It was built by Vishvakarma mostly from gold. Its seats were made of vaidurya-manis, gems that display different colors. The mental indications of its driver were enough to direct it anywhere.

Thus the fine chariot awaited Rama and Lakshmana's commands, and They felt astonished.

Before departing, Rama requested Vibhishana to give gold and jewels to all the monkey soldiers.

Mounting the Pushpaka chariot with Lakshmana and Sita, Rama addressed all those around Him: "There is no way I can repay you monkey warriors for your heroic fighting on My behalf. Your unflinching devotional service will always serve as an inspiration to future devotees. Your glories will shine forever. Now please return to Kishkindha and live happily under Sugriva, your king.

"Dear Vibhishana, immediately begin governing Lanka, for the citizens are bereft of their king."

Standing before Rama with joined palms, Sugriva and Vibhishana pleaded, "O Lord, please allow us to accompany You to Ayodhya-we shall return home after seeing Your coronation."

Rama replied, "There is nothing that would please Me more than returning to Ayodhya with all My dear friends. Please mount the Pushpaka chariot, and let all the other monkeys and Rakshasa heroes also enter."

After everyone was comfortably seated, the Pushpaka chariot majestically lifted off.

The monkeys, bears, and Rakshasas were enjoying the flight, while Rama pointed out all the sights to Sita.

Rama said, "See the great battlefield where all the heroic Rakshasas died for Your sake. Over there is Nalasetu, the bridge we built to cross the ocean. There, on the far shore, is Setubandha, where the construction of the bridge began. From now on, Setubandha will be a sacred place, capable of washing away all one's sinful reactions."

When Rama pointed to Kishkindha, Sita said, "I would be pleased if I could return to Ayodhya with all the monkey chiefs' wives."

Rama granted Sita's wish, and after halting the chariot, He instructed Sugriva and others to go and invite their wives. Once everyone was seated, the journey continued.

Rama said, "Look, there is Mount Rishyamuka, where I met Sugriva, and nearby you can see heavenly Pampa Lake, which is full of blue lotuses. Further on, You can see the river Godavari, and, on its shore, Agastya Rishi's ashrama.

"Dear Sita, see there, the spot where Ravana kidnapped you. And there is Citrakuta, where Bharata met Me. There is the river Yamuna, and there the mighty Ganga; see there, Sringaverapura, King Guha's capital."

In this way, Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana remembered Their entire forest life in reverse order as They retraced their way back to Ayodhya. Finally, They saw the river Sarayu, and, at last, the outskirts of Ayodhya. Before entering Ayodhya, Rama ordered Hanuman, "Go and inform Guha of My arrival; I will spend the night at Bharadvaja Rishi's ashrama. And then go to Nandigrama to describe to Bharata everything related to Sita's abduction and rescue. Carefully watch Bharata's expression when He hears about My arrival and then report back to Me. If Bharata wants to rule the kingdom-for position, power, royal luxuries, or even because Kaikeyi urges Him to-I will be glad to grant it to Him."

A Hare Krishna in the Stock Market

A life in Krishna consciousness threatens a young man's promising financial future.

I was born in December 1962 to a well-to-do Gujarati family in Mumbai. I was the only son and was pampered with comforts and servants who attended to my beck and call. My wealthy businessman father was deeply religious; two of India's most popular gurus were the spiritual guides of our family. Each of them had millions of followers, and more than a hundred thousand people attended the public lecture programs of these influential spiritual leaders. Since my father was close to them, our family was happy to serve them and their followers. As a child, I was an object of their affection, and due to a spiritual atmosphere at home, I was attracted to hearing and chanting Krishna's holy names and pastimes.

I also excelled in my studies. In 1981 I stood first among 300,000 students appearing for the sales-management exam conducted by the London Chamber of Commerce. The Bombay Chamber of Commerce honored me for being the first Indian in a hundred years and the youngest in the world-as a nineteen-year-old-to bag this prestigious gold medal. After securing seven post-graduate management degrees by 1985, I was all set to take over my father's business. Meanwhile, as my own stock-market career flourished, I underwent an unforgettable experience.

The Spark Becomes a Flame

In 1989 my M.B.A classmate and friend Dilip Upponi took me to an ISKCON temple in South Mumbai to hear a discourse by His Holiness Radhanatha Swami, who described Vrindavana and Krishna's pastimes in great detail. His class fanned the spark of attraction for Krishna I already had in my heart. I became irresistibly attracted to Radhanatha Swami and began to attend more of his classes. Dilip then gave me books written by Srila Prabhupada, the guru of Radhanatha Swami and the founder of ISKCON. The combination of Radhanatha Swami's lectures and Srila Prabhupada's books had a mesmerizing effect on me. I was stunned to read in Srila Prabhupada's books that the highest expression of religion is when a devotee approaches God without any desire except to serve and please Him. I was fascinated by Srila Prabhupada's explanation of pure devotional service, where a devotee aspires to be free from the selfish desires of seeking name, fame, prestige, or position in the material world. Instead, a devotee of Krishna, Srila Prabhupada explained, only wants to satisfy Krishna's senses. This profound depth of Krishna consciousness attracted my heart like nothing I had heard or read before.

I was also attached to my father's two gurus and wondered if I was being disloyal to them by coming to ISKCON. My heart pulled me closer to Srila Prabhupada and his sincere followers, who were teaching essentially the same things my parents and family gurus had been teaching. Yet I found Srila Prabhupada and Radhanatha Swami urging me to take my devotional service a step higher-to offer my whole existence to God without expecting anything in return.

Meanwhile I saw my friend Dilip move into the temple as a full-time resident devotee (an ashram member). The Krishna conscious wisdom, the simple and austere lifestyle of Dilip and his colleagues at the ashram, and the loving dealings and relationships that Radhanatha Swami shared with all devotees won my heart. Deciding to commit to the path of Krishna consciousness, I took spiritual initiation from Radhanatha Swami and received the name Ananda Vrindavana Dasa, while my friend Dilip became Devamrita Dasa. However, my innocent hopes of living a happy life centered on Krishna and devotees was soon to be challenged.

Family Relationships Strained

Since Radhanatha Swami was born in America, my conservative, orthodox father was outraged at my decision to accept initiation from someone who wasn't born in India and was from another race. My father claimed the organization I was connecting to was dubious. He wanted me to take initiation from one of his gurus. Although I was now officially connected to Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON, I still had deep love for both our family gurus, and I assured my father I would continue to serve them. But he insisted I reject the American guru and accept an Indian guru. My frantic attempts to pacify my family failed, and even my friends and relatives were deeply anguished at my decision.

While everyone protested and discouraged me from attending ISKCON programs, I became firmer in my resolve to pursue my inner calling. My father had trained me to pursue a pious life, but with mounting pressure I sensed him becoming distanced from me. I could feel his pain, but I felt helpless. Our relationship became strained.

During this time I was working as a research analyst with Capital Market, India's leading finance magazine. My father thought my prestigious job and my pride in my own abilities were making me rebellious. He tried convincing my employer that I had been brainwashed and was associating with a dangerous cult. My father hoped that if my company would threaten or fire me, I might buckle under pressure and revert to the family ways. My employer, being highly appreciative of my professional expertise, assured my father that I was all right and had become an invaluable asset to the company. Exasperated, my father issued an ultimatum: If I didn't give up associating with ISKCON, I would be deprived of our family fortune. In my youthful frenzy, I responded to the threat by claiming I didn't want any of his wealth.

Growing from a Christian Foundation

Raised as a Christian in India, a young man discovers the eternal religion, the jewel of his cultural heritage.

In June 2001 I joined the training department at AurionPro Solutions, a software company in Mumbai. One day, a smiling man entered the office and introduced himself as Satish More. He worked there but had been away, and since I was a new employee, we had never met. After getting to know each other a little, he gave me some sweets. He said he had just returned from a two-week trip to Jagannatha Puri, Orissa, where he had attended the famous Rathayatra festival. He had brought the sweets from the festival for everyone in the firm.

After that meeting, I noticed that when leaving the office or arriving, Satish was always murmuring something, with his right hand in a small cloth bag. When I inquired about it, he told me the bag contained sacred beads and that he was chanting a mantra. I was raised in the Christian faith and had seen my family members chanting prayers on rosary beads, so the concept was familiar. But seeing a twenty-two-year-old professional openly chanting on beads was unusual. I was amazed.

Questions and Answers

I started to observe Satish more closely. Almost everyone in our firm drank tea, but when the boy who delivered tea would approach Satish, he would refuse. This intrigued me, as I was a tea addict, drinking six cups a day. He was also a vegetarian, and he wore beads around his neck that seemed connected to his religion.

We shared part of our commute, and on our way home together we discussed philosophy. I considered myself a fairly pious person and questioned him on his practices. One question led to another, and many times I challenged him based on my limited knowledge of Hindu theology. Satish would answer all my questions patiently. I challenged him about such things as vegetarianism, deity worship, chanting, offering food, and drinking tea and coffee, and he defeated me again and again with his in-depth analyses and references to scriptural texts. I used to delight in nonvegetarian food, and was bowled over by his conviction that vegetarianism is good for spiritual progress and the greater good of humanity. He told me he regularly visited the ISKCON temple, where the members practice Krishna consciousness, or devotion to Lord Krishna. It is also known as sanatana-dharma, the "eternal religion," he told me.

Our discussions on Christianity and Krishna consciousness went on for six months. I began to realize that all religions essentially teach the same thing and lead to the same ultimate goal. I gave up my previous misconception that Christianity is the only way to salvation. I had watched people of different faiths, and Hinduism appeared to me to be a mix of people worshiping different demigods, each claiming their god to be supreme. My discussions with Satish changed my perspective, and I became receptive to the philosophy of Krishna consciousness. I began to understand the importance of finding a guru. Satish mentioned that his spiritual master, His Holiness Radhanatha Maharaja, was Jewish by birth but had taken up Krishna consciousness. I was surprised, and keen to meet Maharaja.

Introduced to ISKCON

Satish became a friend I could trust and share anything with. I told him of my desire to visit the temple, and he invited me one Saturday. At the temple he served me kicchari and halava. I had never tasted anything so wonderful in my life. I saw the deities of Sri SriRadha-Gopinatha and bought a couple of small books written by Srila Prabhupada, as well as Christianity and Krishna Consciousness: Conversations Between the Rev. Alvin V. P. Hart and Satyaraja Dasa Adhikari.

I had read a number of books on religion and philosophy, and I noticed how each author tried to prove that his faith is superior to others. When I started reading Srila Prabhupada's books, however, I noticed that he seemed to be motivated by something else. For example, I was surprised to read, "Jesus Christ is the son of God, the representative of God . . . our guru . . . our spiritual master." I realized that Krishna consciousness is nonsectarian and that all the names by which various religions address God refer to the same Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Prabhupada writes, "To practice bhakti-yoga means to become free from designations like Hindu, Muslim, Christian, this or that, and simply to serve God." This statement shook the foundations of my spiritual thinking. Srila Prabhupada's explanations removed the weeds of my incorrect understanding of religious philosophy.

Vishakha Devi Dasi

Vishakha (pronounced Vi-shA-khA) Devi Dasi received an Associate of Applied Science degree with honors from Rochester Institute of Technology and shortly afterwards published her first book, Photomacrography: Art and Techniques. In 1971 she traveled to India, where she met His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, read his Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and eventually became his student. She traveled with and photographed Bhaktivedanta Swami and his students in India, Europe, and the United States.

Vishakha has written numerous magazine articles and three books: Our Most Dear Friend (a Bhagavad-gita for children), Bhagavad-gita: A Photographic Essay (a fully illustrated summary study of the Bhagavad-gita), and Harmony and the Bhagavad-gita: Lessons from a Life-Changing Move to the Wilderness (on the application of the teachings of Bhagavad-gita in daily life.)

Vishakha also assists her husband, John Griesser (Yadubara Dasa), in making documentary films. They live with their children and grandchildren in Sharanagati Village, a rural community in British Columbia, Canada, where Vishakha is writing a memoir entitled Bhagavad-gita and One Life Transformed.

The Heart of a Vaishnava

An appreciation of the extraordinarily devoted life of Srila Prabhupada’s beloved disciple Yamuna Devi Dasi (1942–2011).

Sitting on the front porch of her Oregon home, Joan Campanella was delighting in the Pacific thunderstorm drenching the coastline when, with surprise, she noted the mailman on his rounds despite the foul weather. Bent against the wind, rain dripping from his long hair, the mailman walked up her porch steps, reached into his waterproof mailbag, and handed her a blue aerogram from her sister, Jan, who had recently gone to New York City with her boyfriend, Michael. Jan wrote that she and Michael had met a Swami in New York and the Swami was going to marry them. She asked Joan to come for the wedding. Soon Joan was off to New York.

New York City, 1966


Joan: Little did I know what kind of wedding it would be. All I knew was that they had received the names Mukunda and Janaki from a swami. When I saw the Swami he was sitting beside the window in his front room, bathed in sunlight, distributing prasada to the devotees who were sitting around him. Mukunda introduced me, and Swamiji offered me some prasada. Because I was a devotee of macrobiotics, this prasada was very unpalatable to me, yet this radiant and beautiful person was eager for me to take it. I took it, but in my mind I decided this would be the last time I would have lunch with the devotees. Then Swamiji put his hand into a big pot with crystallized sugar syrup sticking to the outside and pulled up a huge, round, dripping gulabjamun. I said, “Oh, no. I am so full I couldn’t take any.” He said, “Take, take.” He made me take it. When I finished the gulabjamun I was fully convinced that this would be the last time I would ever come there.

San Francisco, 1967

After her ten-day trip to New York, Joan returned to Oregon along with Mukunda and Janaki. Swamiji had asked the newly married couple to try to start a Krishna conscious temple on the West Coast, and en route they picked up two old friends, Sam Speerstra (later initiated as Syamasundara Dasa) and his girlfriend, Melanie Nagel (Malati Devi Dasi), as well as Joan's boyfriend, Roger Siegel. In Oregon’s quiet forests these three couples began chanting Hare Krishna together and Joan spent hours studying the first three volumes of the Srimad-Bhagavatam that Swamiji had written and brought with him from India. Before long the small group started a temple in San Francisco and soon Swamiji joined them. Attending his lectures, kirtanas, and informal gatherings, tasting the depth of his wisdom, the purity of his love, and the beauty of the Krishna conscious philosophy he presented and lived, Joan was captivated. She decided to become Swamiji's disciple.

On initiation, Joan received the name Yamuna Devi Dasi, and Roger, initiated at the same time, became Gurudasa. The next day Swamiji married them and explained how husband and wife should keep Krishna in the center of their lives, serve Him, and assist one another.

Yamuna: When Swamiji went on his daily morning walks anyone could go with him. So I was walking with him one morning and I said, “Swamiji, do you think sometime you could allow us to go to Vrindavan with you?” He turned around and said, “Yes, I will take you to Vrindavan one day, I will show you Vrindavan on foot.” I thought that was the most hopeful thing I had ever heard in my life. I was just waiting for that time to come.


By the time Swamiji left San Francisco in April, he had introduced Yamuna to traditional Vaishnava cooking, prasada distribution, singing devotional songs, and deity worship. Yamuna, an exceptionally sincere student, took up these devotional activities with care, attention, and love.

In May, Yamuna and Gurudasa received their first letter from Swamiji, sent from New York: “I have very good appreciation for both of you, Gurudasa and Yamuna. You are two good souls, now you have combined. Live peacefully, chant Hare Krishna, and be happy in your life.” (May 5, 1967)

The next month, Swamiji suffered a stroke and asked all his disciples to petition Lord Krishna with the prayer “My dear Lord, my spiritual master has not yet completed his work. Please protect him.” In the burgeoning Haight-Ashbury temple, Yamuna and the other devotees stayed up all night praying and chanting. They later received word from Swamiji: “Due to your sincere and ardent prayer, Krishna has saved my life.” To recuperate, Swamiji returned to India, and from Vrindavan wrote to Gurudasa: “Regarding Yamuna, your wife, I’ve got a very great regard, because she is a very sincere girl. I’m sure you should feel fortunate to have such a wife. Please offer my blessings to her, and always cooperate with your wife in the service of the Lord. You'll be happy eternally.” (August 24, 1967)

Inspired to please Swamiji and Lord Krishna, in 1967 the San Francisco devotees celebrated the Western world’s first Rathayatra. They reported to Swamiji: “It was wonderful! It was a beautiful day. The hippies loved it, and so many joined the procession that the parade had to move slowly.” Yamuna was on the cart, sometimes playing the harmonium and singing over the loudspeakers and at other times distributing flowers and cut fruits to people in the crowd.

His health restored, Swamiji continued to enhance his followers’ service to Krishna.

Yamuna: The very first decoration that was given to Lord Jagannatha was given by Swamiji in December of 1967 when he returned from India. He explained that we could make clothes for Lord Jagannatha, and he asked for volunteers to sew. Harsharani and I volunteered. So for the 1968 Rathayatra, Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Balarama were in red satin, and we got some wonderful garlands of fragrant flowers for their red turbans.

How Can the Unlimited Have a Form?

A systematic logical and scriptural analysis resolves the paradox underlying the apparently self-contradictory phrase "unlimited form."


Whether or not God has a form is a perennial philosophical question with arguments on both sides. The way we pray to God, and the way the saints address God in their devotional prayers, suggests that God is a person we are calling. But is personhood compatible with the idea that God must have no limits?

Would a Form Limit God?

To reconcile these two concepts—personhood and unlimitedness—we need to first understand the definition of God. The Vedanta-sutras (1.1.2) define God, or the Absolute Truth (brahman), as the source of everything: janmady asya yatah. Another ancient text, the Brahma-samhita (5.1), defines God similarly as the cause of all causes: sarva-karana-karanam. This concise definition of God is essentially in agreement with the understanding of God given by all the theistic traditions of the world. So, if God is the source of everything, then He must possess the essential attributes of everything, or else He would be less than His creation. In this world, both personal beings and impersonal forces exist, so both these aspects must be present in God. If God were not a person, then He, by definition the Complete Being, would be incomplete. Another, simpler way of putting this: If we as the children of God are persons, how can our father, God, not be a person? So, those who say that God is not a person are actually limiting Him, by divesting Him of what His creation has.

Now let's consider the question "Do personality and form not limit God?" Vedic wisdom helps us understand that what causes limitation is not form, but matter. Due to the very nature of matter, all material objects are limited, whether they have form or not. We subconsciously project our conceptions of matter on the form of God and so think that a form would limit God. But God is not material; He is entirely spiritual. Spirit has characteristics different from matter; that which is spiritual has the potential to be unlimited, whether it has form or not. God's spiritual form does not limit Him.

Is Man Made in the Image of God?

This brings us to the next objection: "Even if I accept that God has a form, why should He have a humanlike form? Isn't that another example of assigning human attributes to God?"

Factually, the opposite is true. Anthropomorphism—the idea that we have ascribed a humanlike form to God—seems sensible initially, but only because of our self-centered thinking. We think that because we have a humanlike form we have conceived of God as humanlike. But could not the reverse be true? What if God's form is the original and our human form is modeled after His?

Logically both ideas are possible. How do we know which is the reality? When we want knowledge about physics, we refer to authorized physics textbooks. Similarly, when we want knowledge about God, we should we refer to the authorized textbooks about God—the scriptures. The scriptures of the great religions of the world repeatedly refer to God in a personal, humanlike way. For example, the Bible talks about "under His feet" (Exodus 24:10); "inscribed with the finger of God" (Exodus 31:18); "the hand of the Lord" (Exodus 9:3); "the eyes of the Lord" (Genesis 38:7); "the ears of the Lord" (Numbers 11:1). Ezekiel (1:26) describes God as having "the semblance of a human form." Such phrases permeate the biblical literature. Similarly, in the Quran there are references to "the face of your Lord" (055:027), "under My eye" (020:039), "under our eyes" (052:048) & (054:014), and "the hand of Allah" (048:010), (038:075) & (039:067).

Some people say we should take these references metaphorically. But wouldn’t that be a human projection on the word of God? Wouldn’t we be imposing our interpretation on the self-evident statements of the scriptures, which repeatedly and consistently present God as having a humanlike form? Instead of audaciously claiming that the scriptures are presenting a misleading metaphor, it is humbler, safer, and more logical to infer that it is our preconceptions that are misleading and need to be corrected by the words of the scriptures. Further, there is the classic and clear statement in the Bible (Genesis 1:27): "Man is made in the image of God." In which scripture is it said that God is made in the image of man? Nowhere. So the correct understanding is not that God is anthropomorphic (having a humanlike form), but that man is theomorphic (having a form modeled on God's form).

Krishna's book - the Bhagavad-gita

The Bhagavad-gita ("song of God")—the famous conversation between the warrior Arjuna and the Supreme Being, Krishna—posing as Arjuna’s charioteer—at the onset of the battle of Kurukshetra, circa 3200 B.C.

Krishna explains all the essential spiritual truths: the difference between the soul and the body, the difference between the soul and the Supreme Soul (God), the science of reincarnation, the nature of time, the ultimate goal of yoga, why different kinds of religion appeal to different kinds of people, and the ultimate purpose of human life.

Krishna Consciousness

Krishna consciousness, or bhakti-yoga, means how to act in harmony with ultimate reality—the Supreme Person. Bhakti—“devotional service”—is how the bhakta—“devotee”—and Bhagavan—“God, the possessor of all opulences”—relate.

We're all naturally Krishna conscious. In illusion, we think we’re the center of the universe, and our bodies are our real selves. Krishna consciousness means becoming free from that illusion, and experiencing our true blissful, eternal nature. It's a process that works. Anyone can do it.

Krishna consciousness is both a "practice" and the goal of the practice. The goal is to be Krishna conscious. The practice is to always stay conscious of Krishna.

Krishna the Person

The Vedas say Krishna is the original person, but that He always appears young and attractive. He knows everything, He contains all of reality, and all other living beings are His inseparable parts. He is the all-powerful, supreme controller of all energies. He is known by different names in different cultures (such as God, Allah, and Jehovah, for example).

Sometimes Krishna sends His representatives—as saints, prophets, or His sons—to teach humankind about Him, and sometimes He comes Himself, as He did approximately 3000 B.C. He spoke the spiritual and philosophical teachings known as the Bhagavad-gita, which explains the essence of our spiritual identity and our relationship with God.

Lord Rama, The Valiant King

In the age known as Treta Yuga, Krishna appeared as the avatar Rama, the valiant king, setting the standard for heroism, morality, virtue, and good government. The story of Lord Rama is told in detail in the epic Ramayana. Here's a summary.

Lord Rama appeared in the dynasty of the Sun god, as the son of King Dasharatha and Queen Kaushalya of Ayodha. He was heir to the throne of greater India and had three younger brothers, Bharata (son of Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi), and the twins Lakshman and Shatrughna. Under the tutelage of His family guru Vishvamitra, Rama studied martial arts and defeated several demons. In a contest of heroes to win the hand of the beautiful Princess Sita in marriage, Rama was victorious. He was able to lift, string and break the mighty bow of Lord Shiva, which other contestants could not even move. Sita gladly accepted Rama as her husband and there was a magnificent wedding. All was well in Ayodhya and Rama was about to be crowned king at his father's retirement, when...

A jealous hunchback maidservant named Mantara convinced her mistress, Queen Kaikeyi, Dasharatha's favorite wife (Rama's stepmother), to make good on a promise the King had given her years earlier. It had come to pass, that Kaikeyi had rescued the injured Dasharatha from a battlefield and nursed him back to health. At that time, Dasharatha had promised Kaikeyi a boon; anything she asked, he would oblige. Mantara convinced Kaikeyi that now, on the eve before Rama's coronation, was the time to cash in on that promise. Ask the king to exile Rama to the forest for fourteen years and elect her son Bharata to the throne instead.

About Maya

Krishna's illusory energy

Maya is Sanskrit for "illusion" as well as "energy." The ultimate source of all energies is the Absolute Truth, God, or Krishna, and maya commonly refers to His external, material energy, under whose illusion we accept the body as the self, and this material world as the all in all.

Another definition of maya is "that which is not" (ma = "not," and ya = "there is"). Maya conceals the fact that everything is emanating from the Absolute Truth, and makes the temporary manifestations of material energy look attractive and substantial. Attraction to maya keeps the self in a perpetual cycle of birth and death, in an endless attempt to fulfill desires for temporary things.

Becoming free from the negative influence of maya, ironically, involves becoming captivated by another of Krishna's energies, yoga-maya, the spiritual energy which attracts the self again to the natural condition of willful service to the Supreme.

Yamuna Memorial Tributes: Devarsi Dasa

Devarsi dasa (Dr. David Eldredge), speaks of the mutual healing, physical and spiritual, he shared with Yamuna devi dasi.

Yamuna Devi Dasi was one of the first Western disciples of Srila Prabhupada. In the earliest days of ISKCON, she helped establish Hare Krishna temples in San Francisco, London, Delhi, and Vrindavan, India. She was also lead vocalist on on the popular Hare Krishna Mantra record and Radha-Krishna Temple album, helping popularize the chanting of Hare Krishna all over the world. She was the award-winning author of Lord Krishna's Cuisine, as well as other ground-breaking gourmet vegetarian cookbooks. She passed away in Florida, USA, in December 2011.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

Srimad-Bhagavatam,also known as the Bhagavat-Purana, is an epic philosophical and literary classic, holds a prominent position in India’s voluminous written wisdom. The Bhagavatam is the postgraduate, post-Vedic text of spiritual understanding. It has served as the inspiration for countless works of literature, song, drama, painting, and sculpture.

Known as “the ripe fruit of the tree of Vedic literature,” Srimad-Bhagavatam is the most complete and authoritative exposition of Vedic knowledge. Covering everything from the nature of the self to the origin of the universe, it touches upon all fields of knowledge.

Vyasadeva compiled Srimad-Bhagavatam, after Krishna left this world 5,000 years ago. The 18,000-verse treatise centers on the science of God and devotion to Him, and includes biographies of great devotees who followed the path of Bhakti and attained Krishna.

The first verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam makes clear that the book is intended for people serious about spiritual progress; it will not deal with sectarian religious ideas, philosophical conjecture, or worldly concerns. The second text promises that anyone who reads the book systematically will achieve the spiritual success meant for all human beings.

The Bhagavad-gita

Krishna Himself came to this world 5,000 years ago and spoke Bhagavad-gita to His friend Arjuna.

At the last moment before entering a momentous battle, the great warrior Arjuna began to wonder: “Why should I fight? What is the meaning of life? Where am I going after death?”

In response, Krishna brought His friend from confusion to spiritual enlightenment.

The Gita contains detailed explanations of the infinite soul (God), the finite soul (the living entities), karma (work in this world), time, and creation, and concisely explains the nature of consciousness and the universe—all in a relatively short seven hundred verses.

Bhagavad-gita is in a category of its own in philosophy and theology. It has been pondered and deeply admired by philosophers and scholars around the world for centuries. It is considered the essence of India’s spiritual wisdom. For anyone interested in understanding the soul, God, and the intimate relationship between the two, the Gita is an essential introduction. The text is incomparably deep and sublime.

What are the Vedas?

The Vedic scriptures are the spiritual literature of the ancient Indian culture, written in the Sanskrit language. They are comprised of a huge collection of books which include material (mundane), religious (ritualistic) as well as spiritual (monotheistic) knowledge. The expression "Vedic" is derived from the Sanskrit word veda, which means knowledge or revelation. According to the Vedic history, they were written down thousands of years ago. The date, however, is not very important because, without a doubt, the knowledge contained in these scriptures was existing a long time before it was written down.

The Veda may be understood by simply accepting what the Veda says about itself. Since the Vedic self-understanding may be amazing or even unbelievable to the modern reader, it seems important to dedicate a few sentences to the clarification of probable misunderstandings. The different opinions about the origin and history of the Vedic scriptures are due to the fundamental difference of world-views between the followers of the Veda and modern mundane scholars.

According to the Indological world-view, such a thing as "Vedic scripture" doesn't even exist. The collection of books mentioned in the beginning of this article is not a consistent body of knowledge—modern Indology says—but a mere accumulation of texts from different sources, written over a long period of time, starting about 1000 or 1500 B.C., after the hypothetical Aryan invasion into the Indian Subcontinent. Only then, a "Vedic" culture was formed through the mixture of tribes. If we believe this scenario, then it is natural to think that the Indian scriptures are nothing but a mass of unsystematic mythological texts.

Needless to say that the Vedic scriptures themselves maintain a completely different version. They refer to very ancient cultures, timeless revelations and divine incarnations. They also say that the entire body of Vedic knowledge has a systematic structure and a clearly defined goal, being compiled by the great Vedic Rishis (seers and sages), headed by Vyasadeva, about five thousand years ago. This knowledge was then systematically put into a written form in order to prevent it from being lost during in the upcoming age, which was foreseen as the Kali-yuga, the Iron Age, the most fallen in the cycle of ages.

The structure of the Vedic scriptures can be compared to a staircase with many steps, with specific scriptures corresponding to each step. The Vedic scriptures describe both the goal and the steps leading up to this goal. They are non-sectarian because they respect people of all "steps"; they simply encourage everyone to progress up to the next step. There is no question of converting or pushing, because everyone has to walk for himself or herself. Or, as the Vedic saying goes, "Even in a flock of birds, each bird has to fly for itself."

Beginning of Creation

Lord Sri Krishna made an earthly appearance in roughly 3220 B.C., and He left this planet in 3102 B.C. However, because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, He is eternally existing. Therefore these dates are simply a recording of His incarnation in Dvapara-yuga (the age prior to the present Age of Kali). He spoke the Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna in Dvapara-yuga, but this does not limit His position as the adi-purusha (the original Supreme Person) and the adi-guru (the original teacher). In the Vedic literature Lord Krishna is described as the ultimate source of all knowledge; hence, He is the most reliable source of knowledge. The whole guru-parampara—the disciplic succession—begins with Him because He is the original preceptor.

Vara Lakshmi Vratam : Friday, 27-07-2012

Goddess Mahalakshmi

Vara Lakshmi Vratam : Friday, 27-07-2012

Mahalakshmi or Varalakshmi Vrata is a special vrata or fast dedicated to Hindu Goddess ‘Mahalakshmi,’ or as the name implies ‘Great Lakshmi’ (maha = great). Lakshmi is the presiding deity of wealth, prosperity, light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage. These eight facets of Lakshmi give rise to another name for the goddess — ‘Ashtalakshmi’ (ashta = eight).

When is Mahalakshmi or Varalakshmi Vrata Observed?

According to the lunar calendar of North India, the Mahalakshmi Vrata fast is observed for 16 days in a row between Bhadrapad Shukla Ashtami and Ashwin Krishna Ashtami, i.e., commencing on the 8th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Bhadra and ending on the 8th day of the dark fortnight of the following month Ashwin, which corresponds to September - October of the international calendar. The fast is more popular in Uttar Pradesh Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh than other states of India.

Mahalakshmi Vrata in Hindu Mythology

In Bhavishya Purana, one of the 18 major Puranas or ancient Hindu scriptures, there is a legend that explains the significance of Mahalakshmi Vrata. As the legend goes, when Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Pandava princes, enquires Lord Krishna about a ritual fast that can get back the wealth that they lost in his gambles with the Kauravas, Krishna recommends Mahalakshmi Vrata or Puja, which can replenish the worshipper with health, wealth, prosperity, family and kingdom through the divine grace of the Lakshmi.

How to Observe the Ritual of Mahalakshmi Vrata

At the dawn of this holy day, women take a ritual bath and pray to Surya, the Sun God. They sprinkle sacred water using purified grass blades or ‘durva’ on their body and tie sixteen knotted strings on their left wrist. A pot or ‘kalasha,’ is filled with water, decorated with betel or mango leaves, and a coconut is placed on top of it. It is further adorned with a red cotton cloth or ‘shalu’ and a red thread is tied around it. A Swastika symbol and four lines, representing the four Vedas are drawn on it with vermillion or ‘sindoor / kumkum’. Also called the Purna Kumbh, this represents the supreme deity, and is worshipped as the Goddess Mahalakshmi. Holy lamps are lit, incense sticks are burned and Lakshmi mantras are chanted during the ‘puja’ or ritual worship.

How is it Different from Varalakshmi Vrata?

The Varalakshmi Vrata is a fast observed by married Hindu women on the Friday that precedes the full moon day of the month of Shravan (August-September). The Skanda Purana this particular worship of Goddess Lakshmi as a means to seek her blessings for a good progeny and long life of the husband.

Teej : Sunday, 12-07-2012

Teej : Sunday, 12-07-2012

Women celebrate Hariyali Teej on the third day of Shukla paksha in the Shravan month. Heavy rains can be witnessed during this period. Everything can be seen green because of the trees and plants and that is the reason why this festival is known as Hariyali Teej.

Teej Fast

Women fast on this day. Married woman fast for their husband and a happy married life. Unmarried girls fast in order to get a good husband in the future. This festival is known as Hariyali Teej in the eastern part of the country. Nature can be seen flourishing during this period. Women can be seen enjoying themselves with songs, swings etc.

Teej Fast - Mythological Story

The Teej in the Shravan month is of great religious importance. According to a legend, Parvati kept fasts during this period to impress Lord Shiva. These fasts helped Parvati in marrying Lord Shiva. It is also believed that on this day, Parvati completed hundred years of her austerities.

Hence, women celebrate this day for a happy married life. Women worship Goddess Parvati on this day. Both married and unmarried women can fast on this day. This festival is celebrated with a lot of zeal in the whole northern India. It is celebrated as Hariyali Teej in Bundelkhand, Jhansi, Mahoba, Orcha etc. It is celebrated as Kajli Teej in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Banaras, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur, Sultanpur etc. Women enjoy on swings and sing folk songs on this day.

Teej - Festival of Women

Teej is celebrated with a lot of zeal in India. It begins with the beginning of the Shravan month. With the beginning of this month, dense clouds can be seen all over the sky which give a new life to everything. This marks as the beginning of Hariyali Teej or Kajli Teej.

On this occasion, a newly married woman is called back to her home on her first Teej. Other woman receive Singhara from their in-laws which includesn clothes, ornaments, beauty products, mehndi, sweets etc.

Teej - Festival of Mehndi and Swings

Mehndi and swings play an important role on this day. Women decorate their hands with mehndi and enjoy on swings while singing folk songs. Women decorate their hands with different styles of mehndi. Some can be seen decorating their feet with Aalta. Married women consider mehndi to be a symbol of their married life. On this occasion, swings are tied on different trees, terraces etc and women can be seen enjoying while singing folk songs. Many fairs are also organised on the occasion of Hariyali Teej.

Sant Kabir Jayanti : Monday, 04-06-2012

Sant Kabir Jayanti : Monday, 04-06-2012

Sant Kabir Jayanti is observed on the Purnima or full moon day in the month of Jyeshta (May – June) as per traditional calendar. In 2012, the date of Sant Kabir Jayanti is June 4. It is believed that Sant Kabirdas was born on this day. The birth anniversary of Sant Kabir is observed in India and around the world. Meetings, satsangs, and recital of Sant Kabir’s poems are held on the day.

 Sant Kabir was a revolutionary saint and poet and religious reformer who refused the tag of a particular religion by accepting all religions and by propagating that the same Supreme Being appears in all religions. Kabirdas called himself the child of Lord Ram and Allah. He is believed to have lived during the 15th century AD.

A weaver by profession, Sant Kabir wrote numerous poems extolling the greatness of the oneness of the Supreme Being. He was able to weave simple philosophical thoughts into his Dohas which were easily digestible by the common man who was always kept aloof by the scholarly class from philosophical discussions.

The poems of Sant Kabir are famous for its thought provoking content and inspirational teachings. They have a universal appeal and attract every generation with its simple similes, questions and philosophical ideas.

Sant Kabir says – The best place to look for God is “in the heart of your heart.”