Blessed by Our Visit to ISKCON Pune

Reflecting back on our recent visit to ISKCON Pune I can't help but be amazed at what a wonderful experience it was. There was so much love in that community of devotees that it just melts your heart to think about it. This is the real meaning of Krishna consciousness, to be fully absorbed in loving relationships with Krishna' devotees. When will that day come when all the world's people the realize how much they are missing by not fully absorbing themselves in Krishna consciousness 24 hours day?

Super Ecstatic Farewell Kirtan from Pune, India--21 October 2015

Sankarshan Das Adhikari - Super Ecstatic Farewell Kirtan from Pune, India

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Sankarshan Das Adhikari - Update: Fund Raising For New Temple in Austin, Texas USA

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:

Question: Animal Sacrifice Rituals?

Dearest Gurudeva,

In Srimad Bhagavatam, it is mentioned about Asvamedha-yajna or horse sacrifice performed by King Yudhisthira as advised by Bhisma and also supported by Lord Sri Krishna. It seems to me that such kind of horse sacrifice is inconsistent with your teaching of not slaughtering animals even for human consumption. By the way, what is exactly Asvamedha-yajna? Is it described in the Vedas? Is the ritual of animal sacrifices still being practiced in India nowadays ? Thank you for enlightening me.

With deep respect,
Nyoman

Answer: Forbidden in this Age

Srila Prabhupada describes the Asvamedha-yajna as follows:

"Asvamedha-yajnas or Gomedha-yajnas, sacrifices in which a horse or a bull is sacrificed, were not, of course, for the purpose of killing the animals. Lord Caitanya said that such animals sacrificed on the altar of yajna were rejuvenated and a new life was given to them. It was just to prove the efficacy of the hymns of the Vedas.”

So in these yajnas an old animal was not actually killed. He was rejuvenated with a new young body. Such yajnas are forbidden in this age because there are no qualified brahmanas (priests) available who can properly perform them.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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