Ashwin Shukla Dashami is known as Dusshera. It is one of the biggest festivals, also known as Dasahara, Dussehra, or Dashain. It is observed on the day of Vijaya Dashami, the tenth day of Navaratri. It is the occasion to glorify and rejoice in the victory of good over evil. On Dussehra, we burn effigies of Ravana outside in surroundings but nurture Ravana inside our hearts. That was Treta Yuga, where only one Ravana existed. Lord Rama assassinated him and acquired victory.

Types of People in Kalyuga

In Kalyuga, every human being has the mentality of Ravana inside. But, as we all know, two types of people exist in this universe- Sur and Asura. Those who worship the Lord are counted as Sur, and those who are not devotees or do not follow the Lord’s orders are considered Asura.

In different Yugas, Sura and Asura stayed in unalike places. In one Yuga, Sura lives on one planet, and Asura lives on another planet. Later on, Asura lived in one country and Sura in the other. But now the time has changed, Sura and Asura are present in every person concomitantly in this era. We all have Sura and Asura simultaneously in ourselves.

The nature and personality of a person totally depend on how strong and determined he is. The day we can kill the malicious, vicious behaviour, we can kill the Asura or Ravan from our selves and that day will be the real Dussehra for us. Do you know? It becomes very painless to do if you are a devotee and listen to Lord’s pastimes.

How You Can Kill Ravana Residing Inside You

One oil lamp is enough to end darkness, similarly to cease Ravana inside, one thought is enough, and we get that thought from our Shastra. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells us three ways to hell-lust, anger and greed. These three are clearly visible in Ravana, and by learning the lesson from his life, you can save yourself from its fury. In the 2nd chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says about how declination of a person takes place, how a person starts to flunk.

A person’s declination starts by thinking about sexual desire. In creating, it is similar to a small seed. Still, if this seed slowly gets irrigated by contemplation, it becomes Asura. Ravana was also such type of giant Asura. Even many great deities palpitate by his name. He had done many austerity and Tapasya to acquire strength, but Ravana aimed to satisfy all sexual desires for an unlimited period. So his senses became the reason for his end.

Ravana had all the desirable things of this world. But on hearing about the beauty of Mata Sita from his sister Surpanakha, his mind filled up with sexual desire, and that is the beginning of his declination. He always considered himself as strongest, but he never had control over his senses.

Your Senses Could be the Reason for Your End

So it’s true that even if a person achieves victory in this whole world but if his mind is not in control of his will, he will indeed get defeated. Mata Sita is Lord Rama’s wife. If Ravana did not had any wrong intention and served her as he was a great scholar and he knew who is Sita mata, he might have become a devotee.

Still, due to lust he had chosen a wrong way and started thinking that he can get anything. Even after knowing who is Lord Ram, he had started thinking lord as his rival. He had decided to get Sita Mata and for that he was ready to stoush with lord Rama.

So in that condition, his lust  for her got transformed into anger and became the reason of his end. This only happens with us; when we get hyper, whatever we desire to get when we do not get that, we loose our temperament. Due to that anger, a person loses his ethics and morality that is the sense of thinking about what to do and what to not.

How Ravana Cheats

Ravana also forgot his ethics and made a plan and went to Marich. Marich acquired the form of golden deer. Ravana himself attained the form of a saint. He was the son of a brahmin and also was a great scholar. But lust, anger and greed deformed his personality.

Similarly, when someone’s heart gets filled with lust, his heart becomes filled with fraud. Then he starts to cheat everyone as Ravana cheats Mata Sita attaining the form of the saint. Ravana forcefully takes Sita Mata to Lanka with him. Sri Ram sends all soldiers of Hanuman Ji and Sugriva in all directions to search Sita Mata. Hanuman Ji crossed the sea and searched Mata Sita.

After reaching there, he gave Lord Rama’s message to Sita Mata. He destroyed Ashok Vatika. Later on, he burnt various places in Lanka. He gave a warning to Ravana that I am the slave of Sri Rama. So it will be better for you if you return Mata Sita. Otherwise, wait and see what Lord Rama will do with you.

Lust Leads to Declination

But Ravana was so indulged in it that he did not take that warning seriously. When Vibhisan tried to make it, he understood Ravana ordered him to get deported. His wife Mandodri kept on trying to make him understand that stay satisfied with me we have a happy family I will fulfil all your desire. Please let Sita go. Can’t you see the hanging rope on you? But Ravana was not ready to understand anyone’s advice, such as his wife, Hanuman Ji, Marich, and his own loving brother.

Such lust, anger and greed in our hearts are similar to Ravana, who steals bhaktirupi Mata Sita from our hearts. And we start to consider Lord as our enemy. And in such conditions, we don’t accept the words of saint and Shastra. There was no other way other than war. Ravan was seated on a wheeled carriage, and Ram was standing on land. In that condition, Indra dev sent the carriage for Lord along with the charioteer. It was a great war, and to witness that all the demigods even convene. It was the biggest war in history.

Lord said in Bhagavad Gita, chapter 4, verses 34

tad viddhi pranipatena pariprashnena sevaya
updeshyanti tegyan gyanistatva darshinen

If we desire to learn the truth, we have to take shelter under Guru and serve him courteously.

Lord Rama himself teaches us by showing his life as an example that if we want to defeat Ravana inside us, we have to serve a true devotee of the Lord as a guru. So, on being happy with Lord Rama, Muni awarded him Aditya Hriday Mantra.

Lord’s one name is Aditya, which means sun. As the sun vanishes all the darkness, a true devotee can acquire control over all such thoughts.

How Devotees Serve to Lord

During this war, Vibhisan reached there; he said to Rama that there is Amrita or nectar in Ravana’s heart. And on drying it, only Ravana can be killed from the heart. Here Vibhishan depicts the role of a true companion devotee.

It teaches us that while fighting with the Ravana inside us, we need devotee companions to remember what learning we obtained from Guru, Sadhu and Sastra.

Further, lord Rama used the arrow on Ravana given by Agasthya muni after reciting the mantras. As a result, Ravana falls from his chariot. The scene depicts as on beating Indra’s thunderbolt any mountain got diminished.

Ravana’s army was wailing, and Vanara Sena was Honouring Sri Rama.

In this way, Lord is teaching us how to win from internal Ravana along with external Ravana present in ourselves. We have to chant mantras because they will provide strength to us.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

This mantra smash lust, anger and greed as in Aditya Hridaya Mantra  Lord Vishnu’s strength is present. Similarly, in Hare Krishna, the maha-mantra concludes all the power of the Lord.

Three Things Needed To Kill Ravana Inside Us

1. Divine the grace of devotees such as Agasthya muni.
2. Vaishnav’s company, for example, Vibhisan
3. Chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord

By following these three points in our life, we can defeat the Ravana inside us. And bring transformation from darkness towards light and celebrate Dusshera every day.

Diwali or Deepawali is the festival of lights. This festival is celebrated in the entire world with an extreme splurge. On this day people exchange best wishes and sweets with each other. Deepawali is the association of five festivals. It includes Dhanteras, Narak Chaturdashi, Deepawali, Govardhan and Bhai dooj.

Jollification Of Dhanteras

In our country, this festival is celebrated with extreme joy and happiness. The celebration of Deepawali starts from Dhanteras. And before this festival people do various preparation such as whitewashing their houses, cleaning etc.

On Dhanteras, people purchase multiple items required for Deepawali. On this day, no one lends their things to anyone. On this auspicious day, people buy new utensils, things, deities of Laxmi Ganesha to worship, sweets and gold and silver jewellery. The founder of ayurvedic medicine, Dhanwantari Vaidya, appeared with Amrit Kalash at sea. So Dhanteras is also considered as Dhanwantri Jayanti.

Importance Of Chhoti Deepawali

On the following day of Dhanteras comes Chhoti Diwali or Narak Chaturdashi. On this day, Lord Krishna killed Narakasur. Narakasur was a demon. On this day, Lord Krishna released the world from his terror. To commemorate the victory of good over evil, we celebrate this festival by lighting lamps.

Significance Of Deepawali

On the following day of Chhoti Deepawali, we celebrate Badi Deepawali. On this day, we forget our all grief and celebrate this festival with full enthusiasm. We celebrate this festival by returning Ayodhya of Lord Sri Ram with Sita Devi and brother Laxman after 14 years of exile. In another era, this was also the day when Lord Krishna performed His Damodar Lila of breaking the pots of butter and yoghurt and letting Himself be bound by Mother Yashoda. 

Preparation Of Deepawali

People make beautiful colourful rangolis at the entrance and light lamps at the centre of rangoli. Many people even make feet of Laxmi Devi at the door and decorate their house with a series of lamps. The light of lamps brighten the outside of the house and signifies the enlightenment of the inside. Everyone needs to be knowledgeable and happy. The gold and silver purchased in Deepawali signify prosperity. It is just an external wealth. The original required wealth in life is present inside us.

The True Wealth Of Life

In this material world, people are so obsessed with wealth, gold etc. But they do not understand the original wealth is love, peace, and harmony. There is no other wealth needed in life other than this to lead a happy life. So natural and actual luxury and the best knowledge make you realize what true life is and why it is so? And what should you do in life?

How A Person Can Attain True Happiness

A person’s character, peace and self-confidence is our actual property. When we proceed in life with the blessings of the Supreme Lord being a devotee, there cannot be any other wealth superior to this. You can realise it by serving Supreme Lord with complete love and devotion. One best example to understand the strength of the Supreme Lord is sea waves. When sea waves are attached to the sea, and a part of it also gets supreme power. We get the same strength from Supreme Lord when we stay connected with Him. So this festival of light illuminates our inside and outside both. It makes our life meaningful and shows the path to attain our goals.

With these illuminated lights on the next day of Deepawali comes Govardhan Puja. This festival is the real example of love and devotion towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. People know this with the name of Annakut also. On Govardhan pooja Godhan, i.e. people worship cows. In Shastra cow is said to be as sacred as the holy Ganga. The cow is noted as the Swaroop of mother Laxmi. As Laxmi Devi provides happiness and prosperity, a cow gives us milk that enriches our health, true wealth. 

Supreme Lord Sri Krishna performed the Govardhan Leela to establish glory Giriraj Govardhan. A pure devotee of Lord Krishna doesn’t have to perform any of the ceremonial functions enjoined in the Vedas, nor is he required to worship any demigods.

Observance Of Govardhan Puja

On the day of Govardhan Puja, people make Govardhan mountain using cow dung. On this day, people worship and do parikrama and offer various types of delicious bhoga offerings. The bhoga offerings are stacked like a small hill and presented to the Lord. Then it is distributed to everyone as prasadam. Hence, this festival is also called Annakuta Festival. 

Bhai Dooj

 In this series of festivals, the last but the important festival is Bhai dooj or bhaiya dooj. This festival is the symbol of the unbreakable bond of brother and sister. On this day, married women invite their brothers to their home, do tilak and ask their brothers to have a feast. On this auspicious day, brothers and sisters who live in one house have a feast together. If a brother and sister take a bath at Yamuna river and take meals at the bank of the river, then it is considered most auspicious and fortunate. This festival is also known as ‘Yama Dwitiya.

In this way, this series of festivals of lamps is an association of five auspicious festivals. These festivals are related and linked to our lives’ phases and enhance our consciousness and strength. It helps us understand reality, and it shows the way to achieve our goal of life that is transcendental loving devotional service towards the Supreme Lord wholeheartedly. So come, let’s celebrate this festival of light with jubilance and try to lighten our inside that is surrendering soul unto the lotus feet of Supreme Lord Krishna and chant the glories of Sri Krishna by His Holy Names.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram

Ram Ram Hare Hare.

I wish you a very Happy Krishna Conscious Deepawali.

Importance of Gopastami – Gopastami is one of the most important and cheerful pastimes among all the pastimes of lord Shri Krishna. The eighth lunar day of Kartik month is known as Gopastami. It is believed that on this auspicious day Nanda Maharaj send his children Krishna and Balrama for the first time to herd the cows. Krishna now stepped into the age of kumara from pauganda. Till the age of pauganda, Krishna was a calf keeper. After stepping into the age of Kaumara, on the auspicious day of Gopastami lord Shri Krishna started to herd the cows. To witness this incident Shri Radharani took the form of his Sakha.

How Gopastami is celebrated

On this auspicious day, people worship cows. They offer fodder to cows. On Kartik month’s Shukla Ashtami tithi early morning people bathe cows, offer them flowers, and scents and decorate them with different clothes.

People feed fodder to cows and do parikrama, and then go after cows for some distance. Then in the evening when cows come back that time is known as godhuli muhurat. At that time also they are greeted and worshipped. After this, they touch their lotus feet and pray for their healthy and prosperous future. The charity is given in gaushala on this day.

In Srimad Bhagawatam, it is stated that lord Shri Krishna used to walk barefooted at the age of six keeping cows ahead. At that time even his footsteps were not properly developed. Krishna gets delighted when the foot dust of cows falls on him.
Krishna used to walk barefooted in dust leaving footprints of his lotus feet everywhere. This is the reason for the dazzling beauty of Vrindavan.

It is said that Nanda maharaja had 9 lakh cows and lord Shri Krishna was aware of their names. All the cows were identified by their names. If any cow gets separated from the group then Krishna calls them back with their names. Due to this affection, Krishna is also known as Gopal or Govind.

Reason for the importance of cows 

Krishna was fond of cows. He used to apply gauraj tilak on his forehead. He showed his affection for gau seva through his words and pastime to people. In this way, Krishna and Balrama are the symbols of cow protection. In Hindu, culture cows are not considered an ordinary animals. Cows are considered mothers. It is said that by drinking cow’s milk our brain works more actively and we can analyse our shastra easily. In shastra, it is said that inside cows 33 thousand gods and goddesses exist. The cow is the symbol of our prosperity.

Objective of Gopastami

The main aim of Gopastami is to protect cows and provide service for their sewa. We should always try to provide a safe, loving and caring environment to cows as they are the favourite Krishna. It is said that in places where cow seva is done Lord Hari uses it to provide infinite grace. We are dependent on cows’ blessings. We should always provide service and take care of cows. Cows expand prosperity and establish spirituality in the surrounding. Whether we live in cities or villages consuming the milk of desi cow and using other dairy products made of it also contributes to the seva of cows. By doing so we are playing an important role in the country’s economy.

So on this auspicious day of Gopastami, let’s provide some service for the protection of cows. We can try to offer them a loving and protective environment. In this way, we can surely impress our Lord Krishna and get the lord’s blessings.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram

Ram Ram Hare Hare.

Krishna Janmashtami this year is celebrated on 26th August, 2024. Devotees of Lord Krishna celebrate this auspicious festival by keeping fast, night-sankirtans, holding bhakti events, etc. Sri Krishna’s devotees celebrate this day to express their love for Lord Krishna.

Though Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated worldwide, It is chronicled with the most enthusiasm in the ISKCON temple. The appearance of Lord Krishna is significant. Krishna’s Janam Leela is divine and sacred. The reason for the advent of the Supreme Lord is to end the cruelty of evil Kansa and give the pleasure to the devotees.

Lord Krishna appeared in the prison of Mathura at midnight on the eighth day of Krishna paksha to Mother Devaki and Vasudeva. That night was remarkable. During the manifestation of Lord Krishna, all the places were irradiated to portray the Advent of the Supreme Lord.

Prophecy of the “Downfall of Kansa”

It is believed that King Kansa made splendid arrangements for the marriage of his beloved sister Devaki. But at the same time, prophecy took place that the eighth son of Devaki will be the reason for the end of the dictatorial rule of Kansa and will be the reason for his ruination.

Why Kansa killed all the children of Devaki?

When Kansa came to know that Devaki’s child will be the cause of Kansa’s death, he forgot all the bonds and love for his sister, and in a rage, he held Devaki’s hair and was going to kill her. Then Vasudeva advised the situation with his patience and wisdom to save the life of his wife, Devaki. He stopped Kansa wisely, saying that “why are you taking the stigma of killing a woman and that too your sister on your head. We will hand over our eighth son willingly to you.”

After hearing this, the evil Kansa left the idea of killing his sister and decided to spare her life, imprisoned his sister and her husband, and waited for their eighth son’s birth.

On observing the delay of Lord Krishna’s descent (birth), representing all demigods Devarshi Narada said to Kansa that lord Krishna is very clever. So Lord Krishna doesn’t need to take birth as their eighth son; He can appear anytime. And in this way, the evil Kansa brutally killed all seven children born to Devaki and Vasudeva.

The Appearance of Lord Krishna

During the birth of the eighth child, the Lord appeared in chaturbhuj form and visited Devaki and Vasudeva. A beautiful divine child born as their son.

Surprisingly as soon as the divine child took birth, the shackles got unlocked and magically freed him, the iron door of their cell opened itself, and all the guards slept under a magic spell.

Vasudeva came out of the prison to rescue the newly born child and carried him across the Yamuna. Then, he gave the child to his closest friend Maharaj Nanda. Then, he came back to the cell with the baby girl born in Nanda’s house.

Kansa Arrival to the Cell on Receiving the News of Eighth Child Birth

Immediately after that, Kansa was informed about the newly born child. He reached the cell to kill the newly born girl child. As he tried to kill the baby girl, the baby slipped from his hand and went towards the sky and proclaimed, “evil Kansa, the reason for your death has already taken birth.”

Description of Lord Krishna’s Birth According to Shastra

People say Lord never takes birth, but Lord Krishna took delivery from their mother’s womb, so He cannot be Lord. But Lord Sri Krishna did not take delivery from Mother Devaki’s womb like a normal baby where the mother has to bear labour pain.

As described in Shastras, He took birth in the chaturbhuj form and later adopted a child’s form.

Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness classifies when sun sets and again rises. It is not considered as the sun took rebirth. The absence of the sun does not mean that it perished. It just hides from our sight. Still, going out of our site, it appears somewhere else. In the same way Supreme Lord is beyond life and death and appears in one place after finishing his pastimes in other place.

Generally, the following two shlokas of BHAGAVAD GITA are very known-

“yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmyaham” (-Bg 4.7)

This means when adharma starts to prevail, and Dharma starts to perish. Lord Sri Krishna appears at his own will.

Now the question arises what the purpose of His self appearance is?
The purpose is-

“paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām
dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge” (-Bg 4.8)

Supreme Lord constantly lives in His dham (divine abode), but when He descends to the material world, He is called Avatar. This is because He descends for the redemption of His devotees and to end evil.

Significance of Sri Krishna Avatar

There are many types of Avatars like Purusha Avatar, Gunavatar, Lilavatar, Shaktyavesh avatar, Manvantara avatar, and Yugavatar. All of these descents in this universe incarnate in order. But Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and source of all the Avatars. He can destroy evil in any way.

He does not need to incarnate particularly. So Lord Krishna takes Avatar for the particular purpose of taking away the worries of his devotees who are curious to see his actual pastimes of Vrindavan.

Hence the real purpose of Krishna Avatar is to give pleasure to his pure devotees who are devoid of fruitive activities. It is not a fact that Supreme Lord descends only to the land of India. He can appear anywhere anytime. So on taking every Avatar, He speaks about the Dharma. But the purpose remains the same: to make people filled with religious feelings and to make them obedient to religious rules.

Sometimes He appears Himself, and sometimes He sends His authentic representative in the form of His son or a follower or appears Himself in disguise.

Lord Krishna appears in Brahma’s one-day seventh Manu twenty-eighth Chaturyuga’s end of Dwapara. That is why we are fortunate that we are born in that duration of Kaliyuga when it has been just 5249 years of His disappearance.

After that, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also appeared 500 years ago and made us familiar with Krishna bhakti (Harinam-Sankirtan). So, come, let’s celebrate this Janmashtami for our beloved Lord Krishna’s pleasure and try to bring His transcendental teachings into our life.

-> Fasting till midnight (only Ekadashi Prasadam to be taken)