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Founder-Ācārya's Excerpts

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
It was only Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa who shot some arrows. But because the soldiers of Rāvaṇa were condemned by the curse of mother Sītā, the monkeys were able to kill them simply by throwing stones and trees. There are two kinds of strength—daiva and puruṣākāra. Daiva refers to the strength achieved from the Transcendence, and puruṣākāra refers to the strength organized by one’s own intelligence and power. Transcendental power is always superior to the power of the materialist. Depending on the mercy of the Supreme Lord, one must fight one’s enemies even though one may not be equipped with modern weapons. Therefore Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna, mām anusmara yudhya ca: [Bg. 8.7] “Think of Me and fight.” We should fight our enemy to the best of our ability, but for victory we must depend on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Festival Celebrations

Gaura Purnima – The Descent of the Yugavatar
Gaura Purnima, one of the most auspicious day on the Gaudiya Vaishnava calendar, was celebrated on March 28, despite the threat of pandemic looming large. Devotees gathered in the temple for the morning program — although in limited numbers. Due to Covid restrictions, devotees had to avoid assembling in groups and crowds and follow social distancing norms. With fond remembrances of earlier festivals, devotees unwillingly moved out of the temple premises after the morning program got over.

The last festival celebrated without any restrictions was exactly one year ago — Gaura Purnima of 2020 — after which lockdown was imposed all over India. Despite the restrictions this year, the spirit of the festival remained high in everyone’s minds. Throughout the day, devotees kept coming to the temple in queues, took darshan, and left. Their Lordships, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, received a stunning new set of outfits, and devotees performed hari-nama sankirtan all day. At moonrise — the exact time of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance — an abhishek ceremony and janma-vidhi-samskar was performed for their lordships, and the charanamrita was distributed to all the visitors and guests in order to break the day-long fast.

Lectures on Chaitanya-charitamrita and gaura-lila were streamed online. The evening festival lecture online was given by His Holiness Radhanath Swami Maharaja.

No one knows how long the restrictions will remain in place and when devotees will be able to physically assemble in the temple and participate in the devotional activities like they used to do. But one lesson that everyone has learned during this Covid period is this — Krishna consciousness transcends all barriers of time and space, and no material impediment can stop us from glorifying the Yugavatara Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu through the yuga-dharma of congregational chanting of the holy names.

Vaiṣṇava Calendar

4 –  Sri Srivasa Pandita App.
8 –  Sri Govinda Ghosa Dis.
9 –  Papamocani Ekadasi
10 – Parana Time:06:26- 10:35
13 – Gudi Padava
14 – Tulasi Jala Dan begins
17 – Sri Ramanujacarya App
21 – Rama Navami
23 – Kamada Ekadasi
24 – Parana Time: 06:15 – 10:29
25 – Mahavir Jayanti
27 – Hanuman Jayanti
        Sri Balarama Rasayatra; Sri Krsna Vasanta Rasa
        Sri Vamsivadana Thakura App
        Sri Syamananda Prabhu App

Upcoming Events

Ram Navami- Appearance day of great Lord Ram
It is believed that wherever and whenever irreligion takes birth and tries to decline the values of our religion, the great Lord appears to kill the demons. This is the whole idea behind celebrating Ram Navami.

Lord Ram is the most popular incarnation of Krishna. His transcendental adventures told in Valmiki’s Ramayana are famous throughout the world.  He was born to Queen Kaushalya and King Dasharatha in the Ayodhya. He also had 3 younger brothers Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughan.

Lord Ram was the ideal monarch and his virtuous life is a perfect example for everyone in family life to follow. Narrations of his affectionate dealings with his family and devotion to His wife, Sita Devi, have enchanted generations of devotees. . The name Ram simply means ‘bliss’. Hence, Lord Ram gives bliss to all his devotees.

Hanuman Jayanti
Hanuman Jayanti celebrates the birth of Lord Sri Hanuman. On this auspicious day, devotees of Lord Hanuman celebrate him and seek his protection and blessings.

Lord Hanuman is an ardent devotee of Lord Sri Rama and is widely known for his unflinching devotion to Sri Rama. Hanuman is the symbol of strength and energy.

Hanuman is also endowed with many other wonderful qualities, all of which he uses to serve Lord Rama.

It is stated in the scriptures that wherever Rama-Katha, stories about Rama, are recited, Hanuman comes to listen. He makes every endeavor to increase the bliss of Lord Ramachandra’s devotees, both in ancient times and today.

It is also said that the immortal (Chiranjivi) Hanuman has vowed to remain in this world as long as the holy names of Rama are chanted.

Gudi Padava
Celebrated during Chaitra Masa (March-April) in the first season of the year, i.e., spring (vasanta-ritu). It is believed that Lord Brahma started creation on this day. The arrival of the spring season also marks the commencement of new life with plants getting new leaves and fertile fields full of colorful blossoms signify growth, prosperity, and well-being.

Ugadi marks the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar with a change in the moon’s orbit. On this day, astrologers make predictions for the coming year. The season is pleasant. New flowers are seen everywhere. The birds sing melodiously. Mangoes are in plenty and are halfway towards ripening.

People pray for their health, wealth, and prosperity. It is also an auspicious time to start new ventures.

The festival is observed with colorful floor decorations called rangoli, a special Gudhi flag (garlanded with flowers, mango, and neem leaves, topped with upturned silver or copper vessel), street processions, dancing, and festive foods.

Traditionally, families prepare a special dish that mixes various flavors, particularly the bitter leaves of the neem tree and sweet jaggery. Additional ingredients include sour tamarind and astringent dhane seeds, is eaten as a reminder of life’s sweet and bitter experiences. All experiences have to be treated with equanimity. Everyone should make a resolve that he will face calmly whatever happens that year, accepting it with good grace. Consider everything for one’s own good.

Long Story Short

Soil of Relationship
A friend of mine went to learn organic farming and it was a ten-day course, pretty intensive and on the last day, his teacher asked him what is the most important thing in farming.

He spurted out many answers; the seed, manure, water, sunlight but it missed what the teacher wanted to hear.

His teacher asked him to walk along with him on the farm and after walking some distance, he placed his arm on his shoulder and told him as a farmer do not lose connection with the soil, your feet meeting the soil is the most important part of farming. The soil will tell you how well it is doing and what it needs.

As we set out daily to produce, we tend to lose connections with people around us, the focus on getting things done eclipses the attention on people who are the soil on which we produce.

People need to be valued and loved; authentic conversations with a child-like curiosity to understand each other and acts of nurturing each other will strengthen the roots of relationships and bear fruits of trust and love.

The more our feet are on the soil the longer and more fulfilling is the walk across.

Our Acharyas

Acharya Srivasa Pandita
Srivas Pandit, the fifth member of the Panca-tattva, one of the most important personalities who assisted Sri Gaurasundar in his pastimes,  appeared in the month of Chaitra in this material world for the benefit of the conditioned souls, for without his mercy the holy names would not be spread out in the world, as it was his house where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu started his Sankirtan Movement. During his pastimes in Navadwip Dham, Sri Sachinandan Gaurhari used to perform tumultuous kirtan every night in the association of all his dear devotees in the house of Srivas Pandit, where he also performed many pastimes. It was here that Chand Kazi broke the mridanga, having received complaints about the loud chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, Henceforward, Srivasa Angan was known as Khol Banga Danga (the place where the mridanga was broken).

Srivasa leads his brothers Shri Rama, Shri Nidhi, and Shripati in their devotional lives of singing Krishna’s names, worshiping the Lord, and bathing thrice daily in the Ganges. Gaurachandra loved Malini and Shrivasa as second mother and father.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Mahaprakash Lila, when he sat on the Asan of Lord Vishnu and bestowed benedictions on the devotees, was another of the numerous pastimes that took place in the house of Srivas Pandit.

The divine character of Srivas Pandit is truly remarkable, and an inspiration for all the devotees. Srivasa Pandit maintained his family, not because they were his relatives, but because they were Shri Chaitanya’s loving servants.

Once Mahaprabhu told him that he should do something to maintain himself and his family but he said that he would just chant and wait for a day, if he didn’t get anything to eat he would wait a second day and then the third day and if still, something doesn’t come by Krishna’s mercy then he would give up his life in the Ganges. Seeing his staunch faith in the holy names of the Lord, Mahaprabhu reassured him that he would always be taken care of and he would never have to be concerned about his livelihood. On another occasion, Srivas Pandit’s only son died and all the members of his family were mourning, but in order to not obstruct the kirtan of Mahaprabhu, Srivas Pandit instructs his family to not mourn too loudly. Mahaprabhu, however, found out and pacified the family by bringing back the boy, who said that he was happy in his current situation and didn’t want to return, which pacified the grieving family members.

These incidents depict the greatness of Srivas Pandit, who is none other than Narad Muni, the great devotee of the Lord, who always sings the glories of the Lord while playing on his Vina.

Gifts of the month

Śloka

eka-patnī-vrata-dharo rājarṣi-caritaḥ śuciḥ
sva-dharmaṁ gṛha-medhīyaṁ śikṣayan svayam ācarat

Lord Rāmacandra took a vow to accept only one wife and have no connection with any other women. He was a saintly king, and everything in His character was good, untinged by qualities like anger. He taught good behavior for everyone, especially for householders, in terms of varṇāśrama-dharma.
Thus He taught the general public by His personal activities.
~(ŚB 9.10.54)
Recipe – Chhena Poda
INGREDIENTS :

2 litres milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp rava
2 tbsp water
1 tsp ghee
Almonds, cashew, raisins
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

 

METHOD:

  1. Firstly, in a large vessel boil 2-litre milk on medium flame.
  2. Once the milk comes to a boil, add in 2 tbsp lemon juice.
  3. Stir continuously till the milk curdles keeping the flame on low to medium.
  4. Feel free to add more lemon juice or curd/vinegar to coagulate milk and water separate completely.
  5. Drain the curdled milk over a cloth-lined colander, rinse off the curdled milk with fresh water to remove sourness from lemon juice.
  6. Squeeze off the water completely. Do not over squeeze as the moisture in the paneer will be lost, take care to keep the paneer a little moist.
  7. Take the crumbled paneer into a large mixing bowl, crumble and mash slightly, making sure the texture is uniform.
  8. Further, add 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbsp Rava. Mix well until the sugar melts completely. Now add 1/4 tsp baking soda.
  9. Now add water or as required and prepare a smooth cake batter consistency. Mix for at least 5 minutes, to have a uniform consistency.
  10. Further, add 1 tsp ghee, badam,  cashew, raisins and ¼ tsp cardamom powder. Mix well making sure everything is combined well.
  11. Now in a small vessel grease with ghee and place a butter paper, transfer the chenna poda batter into the mould and tap twice.
  12. Bake in a preheated oven at 180-degree celsius for 20 minutes.

Finally, chhena poda is ready to serve or refrigerate for a week in an airtight container.