A Most Auspicious First Day of Kartik

The epitome of sweetness is to worship Krishna during the month of Damodar or Kartik, which began here in Lithuania on 12 October. It is instructed in the Hari Bhakti Vilas that during this month we should sing the Damodarastakam prayers and offer a lamp to the Lord on a regular daily basis. We were most fortunate to be in the presence of Lord Damodar while we sang this beautiful prayer to Him and offered Him our ghee lamps. And then on the way back to our residence on the bank of the Nemunas River we beheld the most beautiful sight of the full moon reflecting on the river reminding us of how Krishna stood on the bank of the Yamuna river at Kesi ghat on the beautiful full moon night of the month of Damodar and attracted the gopi girls with His beauty and the mellifluous sound of His flute.

Sri Sri Radha Damodar Receive Our Worship 12 October 2011--Kaunas, Lithuania

Sankarshan Das's deities Sri Sri Radha Damodar Receive Worship, Kaunas, Lithuania

Devotees Sing Damodarastakam  and Offer Ghee Lamps to Sri Sri Radha Damodar

Devotees Sing Offer Ghee Lamps to Sankarshan Das's deities Sri Sri Radha Damodar

Kedaranatha Prabhu, Kaunas Temple President, Offers a Ghee Lamp to the Lord

Devotees Sing Offer Ghee Lamps to Sankarshan Das's deities Sri Sri Radha Damodar

Devotees Devotedly Offer Lamps to the Lord

Devotees Devotedly Offer Lamps to the Lord

Enchanting Full Moon Evening on Nemunas River

Enchanting Full Moon Evening on Nemunas River

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: A Devotee Gives Up Material Duties?

Dear Gurudeva,

Namaste.

I would like to humbly ask the following questions:

Is it necessary to give up normal life to seek awakening of one's original Krishna consciousness? There is a fear that spiritual exercises would divert the mind from the duties of the office and impede success.

How to compartmentalize mind and intellect?

Yours in Yoga,

Janardan Mali

Answer: No. He Offers Their Results to Krishna

Just as Arjuna did not give up his occupational duty when he surrendered to Krishna, you also do not have to give up your occupational duty in order to surrender to Krishna. Simply offer the results of your work to Krishna, just as Arjuna did. This help you to come the perfectional stage of pure Krishna bhakti. It is not necessary nor advisable that you should give up your occupation to become a devotee of Krishna.

The mind is the pivot of your active sense organs, and intelligence is your analytical deliberating power.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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