hare krishna

A friend of mine shared this with me:

Oh born of Moslem parents Haridas!
And trained in youth in Moslem creed
Thy noble heart to Vaishnava truth did pass
Thy holy acts thy candor plead!

Is there a soul that cannot learn from thee
That man must give up sect for God
That thoughts of race and sect can ne'er agree
With what they call Religion broad

Thy love of God and brother soul alone
Bereft thyself of early friends
Thy softer feelings oft to kindness prone
Led on thyself for higher ends!

I weep to read that Kazis and their men
Oft persecuted thee, alas!
But thou didst nobly pray for th' wicked then!
For thou wert Vaishnava Haridas!

And God is boundless grace to thee, Oh man!
United thee to one who came
To save the fallen souls from Evil's plan
Of taking human souls to shame

And He it was who led you all that came
For life eternal, holy, pure!
And gave you rest in Heaven's endearing Name
And sacred blessings ever sure!

Thy body rests upon the sacred sands
Of Svargardvar near the sea,
Oh, hundreds come to thee from distant lands
T' enjoy a holy, thrilling glee!

The waters roar and storming winds assail
Thy ears in vain, ah, Vaishnava soul!
The charms of Vrindavan thy heart regale,
Unknown the wheel of time doth roll!

He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die
When thou art living still in sound
The Vaishnavas die to live and living try
To spread the holy name around!

Now let the candid man that seeks to live
Follow thy way on shores of time,
Then posterity sure to him will give
Like one song in simple rhyme!

Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura... 'Thakura Haridasa'

 

Wow...1000 posts...I didn't notice until BBB mentioned it to me...







By Krishna's grace...I hope we can reach 1000 more!

Hare Krishna!

 

http://www.ghantasala.info/classic_movies/karj.html

"The famous scene of Krishna appeasing an aggrieved Satyabhama. Satyabhama is annoyed that Krishna visited Rukmini first, and retreats to her room. Krishna follows her in, and tries to apologize with the beautiful number "Aligithiva Sakhee Priya". Satyabhama was having none of this, and kicks Krishna's crown off. Far from being offended, Krishna suggests that he is more worried about her leg getting hurt by touching his harsh crown in the padyam "Nanu Bhavadeeya". "

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Raama laali megha syaama laali taamarasa netra raaja tanaya laali

 

Sankirtan Yoga

By



Sri Swami Sivananda



Sankirtan is the Svarupa (essential nature) of God. Dhvani is Sankirtan. Sankirtan is the essence of the Vedas. The four Vedas originate from sound. There are four kinds of sound, viz., Vaikhari (vocal), Madhyama (from the throat), Pasyanti (from the heart) and Para (from the navel). Sound originates from the navel. Vedas also originates from the navel. Sankirtan and Vedas are born from the same source.



People sit together and sing the names of the Lord with harmony and concord, and with Suddha or Divine Bhava (feeling). This is Sankirtan. Sankirtan is accompanied by the play of musical sounds as the word 'San' precedes 'kirtan.' Sankirtan is an exact science. It elevates the mind quickly and intensifies the Bhava or divine feeling to a maximum degree.



Nama and Nami are inseparable. Nama means Name (Name of God). Nami means 'that which is denoted by the Nama or Name'. Nama is greater than the Nami. Even in worldly experience the man dies but his name is remembered for a long time. Kalidasa, Valmiki, Tulsidas, etc., are remembered even today. Nama is nothing but Chaitanya. Sankirtan is singing God's name with Bhava, Prem or divine feeling.



Sankirtan Yoga is the easiest, quickest, safest, cheapest and best way for attaining God-realization in this age. People cannot practice severe austerities now-a-days. They do not have the strength of will to practice Hatha Yoga. They cannot maintain perfect life-long Brahmacharya. They do not have the prerequisites for Raja Yoga. They are not endowed with the keen intellect necessary for Jnana Yoga or Vedantic Sadhana. But this Sankirtan Yoga or the Yoga of Singing Lord's Names is within the reach of all.



There is infinite Sakti or power in the Lord's Names. It will remove all impurities from your mind. Vedantins say that there are three kinds of obstacles to Self-realization - Mala, Vikshepa and Avarana. To remove them they prescribe Nishkamya Karma (selfless service), Upasana (worship) and Vedantic Nididhyasana (intellectual enquiry). This Sankirtan alone can achieve all these together. Sankirtan removes the impurities of the mind (Mala); it steadies the mind and checks its tendency to vacillate (Vikshepa); and ultimately it tears the veil of ignorance too (Avarana), and brings the Sadhaka (aspirant) face to face with God.



Maya is so powerful that she deludes you every moment. Every moment she makes you feel that there is pleasure only in the sense-objects and nowhere else. You mistake pain for pleasure. This is the work of Maya. Beware. Remember Janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosha, - this world is full of the pains of birth, death, old age, disease and misery. There is no pleasure in these finite objects. Yo Vai Bhuma Tat Sukham. You can have Bliss in the Infinite alone. Sankirtan will enable you to realize this Infinite here and now. Sankirtan will save you from Maya, from delusion. Therefore sing the Names of the Lord always.

Let us, therefore, sing the Maha Mantra:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare.

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare.

This is the great Mantra which is specially meant for the people of Kali Yuga (this modern age of destruction) . Narada went to Lord Brahma and said: "O Lord, the people of Kail Yuga will not be able to practice austerities, nor to perform the Yajnas (sacrifices), nor to pursue the path of Vedanta. Kindly have mercy on them and tell me some easy way by which they can attain God." Lord Brahma in His Supreme Compassion and Mercy gave this Maha Mantra by repeating which people of the Kali Yuga will attain Self-realization. Therefore, sing the Lord's Names; serve, love, give, meditate, realize; be good and do good (this is the essence of all scriptures); be kind and be compassionate; enquire "Who am I ?", know the Self and be free. May God bless you all with health, long life, peace, prosperity and Eternal Bliss.

 

Thanks for that BBB!


I love sankirtain most of all. I am a music person and there's something moving and wonderful about singing the maha mantra...

Hare Krishna!

 

Dear SGB,

Music is indeed a very powerful thing, and it can up-lift the consciousness like few other things. Sankirtan combines all this,and turns it toward Krishna, God.

It can be a very powerful experience. And a blissful one!

Hare Krishna!

 

Hare Krishna, support elephant power so we don't have to unnecesarily burn fossil fuels

 

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anu’nga ennaip pirivu Seidu Ayar pADi kavarndu uNNum
kuNu’ngu nARik kuTTERRai gOvardhananaik kaNDIrE?

Did you happen to see that young bull, the hero of Govardhana, who made me suffer by leaving me alone?- The one has completely taken over Vrindavana, is enjoying every bit of it, smells of butter all the time, and loves looking after the cows?

 

"Manasi Ganga, Gobardhana
(Here Krishna held the mountain aloft on his finger)"

From: Braj / The Vaishnava Holy Land, J.E. Scott, 1906.

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Khajaraho

 

Varshana

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Shaped through and through by Gaura's love--
that is a Gaudiya Vaishnav. ​

 

Varshana is the birthplace of Srimat Radharhani and the home of her parents.

 

Sri Ramacandra

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Krsna is weighing Radhika against a batch of jewels!

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\ ---------olo AmarA rAiera dAsI !---------- \
AmarA rAiera dAsI AmarA rAiera sevA bhAlovAsi

 

More beautiful images Chief Cowpie Thanks. Just looking at some of those photos shows the beauty and harmony human beings can create here on earth - it doesn't have to be the concrete jungle! It all depends on working in harmony with God and with nature.

The west too produced its treasures of religious architecture - I've seen some of the great cathedrals of France and Italy as well as England, and they are awe inspiring. The modern world is interested only in utility from its builings, or some kind of 'fad of the moment'. In the past, in India, and throughout the east and west, there was a wholly different set of criterea. A great temple or church should reflect the beauty, majesty and harmony of the Divine. It should harmonize with the natural landscape - above all, it must be a thing of beauty, a place capable of inspiring a true feeling of God's presence.


Hare Krishna!

 

this is the most popular religion and philosophy on hipforums!

Hare Krishna!!!

 

And its thanks to you Sleeping Jiva for starting the thread in the beginning - to all those who have posted here - esp. GD Kumar. Chief Cowpie and Svg Grdn Beauty - and above all their Lordships Sri Sri Radha- Krishna !!

Hare Krishna!

 

In 2003 I went with some friends to the Big Green Gathering , one of the best of English festivals, and quite a large event ( as the name implies!). It had rained for about four days prior to the event, and huge areas including most of what would have been paths, had turned to deep and sticky mud.

But anyway, as usual at these large uk events, ISKCON were there with a big marquee tent, doing some kirtan, giving out prasada, and selling books and inscense etc. On our wanderings around the site, my friend and I stopped by to ask about when exactly prasada would be ready, and when there would be some chanting. We were asked to return at around seven in the evening. Meanwhile, there was a darkening sky, and the threat of further rain to come.

Later on, we were making our way over a large and wet expanse of field on our way back to the Krishna tent in time to get some prasada. As we approached, I noticed that a very long queue had formed, and the wind was getting up, blowing in a cold but light drizzle. I suddenly began to laugh quite loudly. My friend asked me to let him in on the joke, but it took me a moment or so.

‘It just struck me as very funny – a kind of cosmic joke; all these folks queuing up, life after life to get prasada – Krishna’s mercy – for some reason I thought one day they’ll get sick and tired of standing in line in a wet, muddy field, to fill their stomachs, and actually take some notice of Krishna!’ I went on ‘ I’d bet you that most of these people will just grab the free food, and that’s that – some will hear the Mantra if they hang around here to eat it, but a lot will be straight back to the beer! But Krishna isn’t in a hurry – He’s got plenty of time….a seed might be planted in someone…’

My friend laughed ‘Your probably right’.

We joined the queue, received prasada, and went in to the tent to listen to the chanting which was about to begin. We remained there for some time and I was carried quite high by the Kirtan.

On leaving the tent, I walked straight into someone I hadn’t seen for a number of years, an ex-devotee, with whom at one time, I had some business association. After the initial greetings were over, he gestured towards the devotees inside the marquee on the low stage ‘They haven’t changed the tune for twenty f*****g years man!’

At once I knew that this was some kind of indicator – but of what? For one thing, I wished I’d not bumped into J, whilst at the same time I was happy to see him! I could see he had changed, and when he made the silly comment about the tune of the Mantra, it just rang so hollow – like here is someone who has erected major barricades against Krishna’s grace. The whole tone in which he said it belied a kind of insincerity, almost a feeling that this was just some ‘bravado’, meant to impress. But looking at it now, I think that it is another unfortunate result of the false ‘guru’ scam in ISKCON. J was a disciple previously of one of the eleven so called successors to Srila Prabhupada. I know that when his guru fell down, it was a traumatic thing, and the negative experience has obviously had its consequences. But I also know that inside, J is still a devotee of Krishna. My heart tells me this is so, and so does my intuition, based on what was on the surface a critical remark, but one that couldn’t quite be articulated in such a way as to be at all convincing – at least not to me .It was pronounced in a tone almost of defeat…. These insights come when one is around the whole ‘Krishna energy field’ if I can put it like that.

We parted, agreeing tentatively to meet up again or exchange phone calls.

Over the next three days I went for kirtan for about an hour each evening, and it was very good. My friend whom I mentioned before claimed that he’d experienced the Mantra ‘in the heart’ for the first time during one of these sessions.

And there, I think, lies the key to J’s difficulty. Once one has this experience ‘in the heart’ it’s very difficult to persuade the mind that its no good, or Krishna is unreal or whatever. Something deeper is at work in us, and really, it is our own best interest to accept in a spirit of devotion.

J will return to Krishna one day, I’m sure – because, like all of us, he’s never really been separated!

So, despite all the problems, and the false spiritual masters, ISKCON do still do good in at least promoting the Mantra, and giving people in general the chance to experience Kirtan. Not to mention the food……



Sorry if this is just a bit of a ramble…….



Hare Krishna!