All Posts

H.G. Anuradha Navina Devi Dasi Hare Krishna pls accept humble obeisances all glorious to Jai Srila Prabhupada. My spiritual journey began with a deep connection to Krishna consciousness. In Hyderabad, where I lived, our tenants were gradually transformed into Krishna consciousness. Every year during Janmashtami, we would visit the temple, immersing ourselves in the divine celebrations. When I moved to California, we lived in an apartment. One day, while walking with my son, I

H.G. Srita Kamala Devi Dasi I wanted to share a deeply personal chapter of my life—my journey into Krishna consciousness. It is a journey that began unexpectedly, with a simple yet profound series of events that changed my perspective forever. Five years ago, something very special happened that transformed the direction of my life. It was a quite turning point - when Sri Sri Radha Vallabhji came to our home—something that felt more destined than coincidental. Not long after,

Purpose of Varnashrama Dharma Life often brings moments of confusion when we struggle to understand our purpose or actions. The concept of varṇāśrama-dharma provides clarity through its structure of four varṇa(social divisions) and four āśrama(stages of life). The four varṇas are based on an individual's natural inclinations and contributions to society. The Brahmins represent knowledge and wisdom, related to the head of a body where intellect resides. The Kshatriyas are the

H.G. Shyamalal Das From Material Illusion to Spiritual Revolution: Surrendering at Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Lotus Feet Born on the sacred banks of the river Gaṅgā in Bihar, I grew up surrounded by rituals, traditions, and reverence for the Supreme, yet without true understanding of life’s real purpose. Like many, I chased education, career, and material success, unaware that genuine fulfillment lies in awakening one’s dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It was Śrīla Prabhupāda’s unmatched

During the war with Ravana, his son Indrajit shot Lakshmana with a powerful weapon. The attack was so strong that Lakshmana fell unconscious. Lord Rama and the entire army were filled with sorrow and anxiety. The royal physician, Sushena, examined Lakshmana and said that only one thing could save him—the Sanjeevani herb. This rare and magical plant grew far away on Mount Dronagiri also known as Gandhmadan Parvat in the Himalayas, and it had to be brought back before sunrise. 

Bhaktin Dr Suman Sharma Since childhood, Lord Krishna has always had a special place in my heart. I grew up eagerly observing Janmashtami, fasting and praying with joy. One of my most unforgettable memories of my early childhood goes back to 1989, when my family traveled to Mathura and Vrindavan for Janmashtami. That night, the town was alive with celebrations, and we could not find a place to stay. In the midst of the fair, I got separated from my family. For those few minut

Compassion is the ability to recognize when others are in pain or despair, and help them. Compassion is to relieve others from their misery. Compassion is useful and can be used to help root strong friendships or any types of connections.  Compassion is understanding others feelings and is to show empathy towards them. Here's an example.  Srila Prabhupada showed compassion to others by giving them knowledge of The Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even though he was old and in

H.G. Hari Katha Devi Dasi When we moved to the Chicago suburbs, a friend mentioned that there was an ISKCON center nearby. Curious, my husband and I decided to visit. We were warmly welcomed by a devotee who invited us to attend the Sunday Feast class. We stayed back for the class. The speaker spoke about “Taking shelter of Krishna”  which made a deep impression on my heart. We made a few more visits to the temple the next few months. I started chanting the Hare Krishna Maha

SFO Ratha Yatra Ratha Jatra is a beautiful festival that celebrates Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra’s annual journey from the Jagannath Temple in Puri to the Gundicha Temple. Since not everyone gets to see the deities inside the temple, the Lord comes out once a year to give darshan to all living and non-living beings, including demons or ghosts. This year, with the Lord’s blessings, it felt as though Lord Jagannath Himself came to our place and chose ou

Bhaktin Aparajita My introduction to Krsna consciousness came through my mother, but not until later in my life. During my childhood, we were separated by circumstances for a period of time, which left a sense of distance between us. When we finally reconnected, she introduced me to Krsna consciousness — a gift she had discovered and nurtured during our time apart. Her devotion, patience, and faith made a deep impression on me, even before I fully understood the path she was

H.G Shyam Sundar Das When I was working at a company in Naperville, IL, a colleague once mentioned that the nearby ISKCON temple served free food. Honestly, that was my initial motivation to visit — the thought of a free meal was just too tempting to resist! Months passed, but one Sunday I finally made it to the temple. I stayed for the entire class, which, in hindsight, was probably the first time I ever sat through a spiritual discourse in an assembly of devotees — though I

Dashavatara The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, one of the most popular scriptures, beautifully narrates the avatars of the Supreme Lord Krishna. The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam confirms that there is no limit to the incarnations of the Supreme Lord, just as there is no limit to the waves of the ocean. Among the various incarnations of Lord Krishna, the ten popular incarnations are known as the Dashavatara.  The first is Matsya, the fish, who rescues the Vedas and the sage Manu during a flood. Next

H.G Prema Kishori Devi Dasi Hare Krishna Esteemed Devotees, Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Jagadguru Srila Prabhupada! Being raised in India as a Vaishnava, weekend visits to the Perumal Temple was a pure bliss for me.  However, after getting married and moving to America, I deeply missed that familiar rhythm of devotion. But everything changed when my husband’s dear friend, HG Veda Narayanan Das, took us to the Seattle ISKCON's Sunday Feast program fo

Srila Prabhupada doing kirtan The 1960s have begun. The Vietnam War is in full swing. The Civil Rights movement is roaring across America. Thousands of Americans seek an escape from the violence and prejudice. Echoing through their minds is the common thought: "We don't want to be a part of this any longer."  Thus, the hippie movement was born. These hippies rejected American life, choosing instead to live a life embodying the values of love and happiness. Hippies were often

HG Siddha katha Das My first memory of devotees was as a curious 8-year-old, seeing foreigners with shaved heads, saffron robes, and small bags in their hands. It took 24 years before I learned what was inside those bags, but by then, I had become a typical karmic individual somewhat religious but deeply entangled in material life. I used to tell my wife, “Now is the time to make money; spirituality can come later.” My ego convinced me I was "minting" wealth when, in reality,

My wife and I have always been interested in reading books on Mahabharata, Ramayana and anything adjacent to Sanatana Dharma. This has also resulted in us watching (like many others) Sri Krsna series on TV, along with the other two epics, multiple times. We loved it so much that, sometimes we would get confused where we saw a specific pastime of Krsna, was it from the Sri Krsna series or was it Mahabharata. The subject matter was simply too captivating for us and we couldn’t

Guruvayur Temple, Kerala (India) The beautiful, shimmery sun seeped its way into my bedroom. It was really early in the morning when my mom woke me up. She told me we were going to Lord Krishna Temple, Guruvayur. Also, it was my fifth birthday! I was so excited to go. My mom took me to the bathroom and gave me a nice warm shower. After the shower, my mom got me a pretty dress. It was a dazzling golden dress with pretty jewels. After we got ready, my dad said that it was time

I come from a god fearing family. Growing up I was the one who would question everything especially when it came to rituals and had objections to not eating onion and garlic. I questioned reincarnation, Rama’s abandoning Sita Devi to forest to name a few, which gave a Brahmakumari follower a chance to preach to me their philosophy. I had conversations with scientists who were religious to understand their perspectives or read articles and one thing became clear was that there

Maharaja Prthu , the Ideal King Mercy is often understood as simply showing kindness or leniency to someone who has done wrong. However, its deeper meaning is “compassion or forgiveness shown to someone who is within one’s power to punish or harm.” Let's break this up into parts and maneuver examples of how mercy is manifested in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The first example comes from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fourth Canto, Chapter 16, Text 7. It describes King Prithu as exceptional

The dictionary definition of faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Faith is an important part of people’s lives, especially when it comes to religion. In simple terms, faith means believing in something that you cannot see or prove. For many, this belief is in a higher power, like God. Faith helps people feel connected to something bigger than themselves and gives them hope and guidance. In Christianity, faith means believing in Jesus Christ and trust