Ultimate Self Realization

Bhaktivinode Thakur's song, "Kabe Ha'be Bolo Se-Dina āmār", is great inspiration for anyone who aspires to awaken their dormant Krishna consciousness. Click here to hear it. kabe ha'be bolo se-dina āmār (āmār) aparādha ghuci', śuddha nāme ruci, kṛpā-bale ha'be hṛdoye sañcār When, oh when will that day be mine? When my offenses ceasing, taste for the name increasing, when in my heart will your mercy shine, when, oh when will that day be mine? tṛṇādhika hīna, kabe nije māni', sahiṣṇutā-guṇa hṛdoyete āni' sakale mānada, āpani amānī, ho'ye āswādibo nāma-rasa-sār Lower than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree. When will my mind attain this quality? Respectful to all, not expecting their honour, then shall I taste the name's nectar sublime. When, oh when will that day be mine? dhana jana āra, kobitā-sundarī, bolibo nā cāhi deho-sukha-karī janme-janme dāo, ohe gaurahari! ahaitukī bhakti caraṇe tomār Great wealth or followers, feminine be...

There is no doubt great pleasure in having sex. So how can those who are Krishna conscious give up sex completely? The answer is that instead of tasting the highest material pleasure of injecting semen into a women one can taste a pleasure millions and billions of times greater by injecting Krishna conscious into the hearts of the conditioned souls who are at the present time entrapped in the cycle of birth and death. This Krishna consciousness will deliver them back to their original home in the spiritual world Sankarshan Das Adhikari P.S. Krishna conscious householders can have children by having sex in accordance with the regulative principles of Krishna consciousness. They have sex only for procreation, not for recreation. Krishna Consciousness Preachers Taste Highest Ecstasy Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: Information Regarding Devotees in Ukraine? Can you provide me with more information about the devotees in Ukraine? Anna Birogradlija Answer: Here's the La...

Now that Russia is invading Ukraine it is very dangerous situation for the ISKCON devotees there. Click here for an video update on the situation in Ukraine. We are praying to Lord Nrsimhadeva to protect them. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Vraja Gopal Das Reports on the Situation in Ukraine Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: How to Overcome Hesitancy to Surrender? Hare Krishna Srila Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to your grace and Srimati Gurumataji, all glories to Srila Prabhupada! Dear Srila Gurudeva, How to overcome the hesitancy to fully surrender to Krishna? Seeking your blessings and begging forgiveness for my offences, Your eternal servant, Bhadra devi dasi Answer: Beg Krishna for Help From: ISKCON Austin, Texas USA My Dear Bhadra, Please accept my blessings. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Sincerely beg Lord Sri Krishna to help you overcome your hesitancy and He will. I hope this meets you in the best of health. Your...

In Bhagavad-gita lecture given in Mumbai, India on 1 April 1971 Srila Prabhupada wonderfully how Krishna helps us: "So what is the difficulty? Even in your ordinary life you can study Kṛṣṇa, you can understand Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa will help you. As soon as you begin studying Kṛṣṇa, understanding Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will help you from within. Kṛṣṇa is with you. Kṛṣṇa is not far away. He is so kind that He is sitting in your heart as your friend just to help you, how you become liberated from this material contamination. Why you do not take this advantage? Every sane man should take advantage of this instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, but rightly, as it is said. Then anywhere he may be, it doesn't matter, he is a liberated person." So let us take full advantage of the mercy of Krishna and make our lives sublime. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Krishna's Blessings Are Always Available Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: Why Do I Doubt Krishna's Existence? Dear Srila Gurudeva,...

Due to a false sense of ownership, not accepting that Krishna or God is the owner of everything so many wars have been fought and so many millions and billions of people have been killed. If the people of this planet will simply realize who is the real owner of everything. there will be a wonderful new era of peace and prosperity all over the world. Sankarshan Das Adhikari False Proprietorship Creates Turmoil Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: How to Avoid War Between Ukraine & Russia? What can we do to avoid the war between Ukraine and Russia? I am asking this question because we are out to save the world. Thank you. With Regards, Golok Das Answer: Remember Who is the Real Owner My Dear Golok, Please accept my blessings. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Since each and every one of us come to this world naked and leave naked, nothing belongs to any of us. Everyone must be taught that Krishna or God is the real owner of everything. I hope this meets you in the be...

Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Fourth Canto, Chapter 8, Text 30 that for a sincere person devotional service is very easy and that for one who is not determined and sincere, this process is very difficult. So we all have to do is to be sincere about becoming Krishna's pure devotees. If we make this our determination, that I must become now Krishna's pure devotee, we will experience this process of Krishna as most wonderful and most sublime. So what is your determination? Sankarshan Das Adhikari Sincerity for Serving Krishna Makes Our Life Sublime Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: How to Become from Sinful Reactions?s My Humble Pranams, Srila Gurudeva, Thank you very much for your kind reply. Gurudeva, our father expired almost 30 years back. I am 70 years old now. I include both my mother and father in my daily prayers and thus remember them thrice a day when I perform my Sandhyavandanam besides other prayers. Can you kindly ...

Srila Prabhupada very wonderfully describes in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Fourth Canto, Chapter 8, Text 29 how to always be satisfied in all circumstances. Here' what he so nicely advises: "The great sage Nārada instructed Dhruva Mahārāja that one should be satisfied in all circumstances. Everyone who is intelligent should know that because of our concept of bodily existence, we are subjected to suffering and enjoyment. One who is in the transcendental position, beyond the concept of bodily life, is considered to be intelligent. One who is a devotee especially accepts all reverses as gifts of the Supreme Lord. When a devotee is put into distress, he accepts this as God's mercy and offers Him repeated obeisances with his body, mind and intellect. An intelligent person, therefore, should be always satisfied, depending on the mercy of the Lord." Anyone who perfectly applies this instruction will always be free from anxiety. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Narada Muni ...

Today is the most auspicious appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I was sitting at Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet in Atlanta, Georgia on Bhaktisiddhanta's Appearance Day in 1975 when he gave the most wonderful lecture in praise of his spiritual master. I'd like to share this wonderful mercy with you. You hear it right now. Listen carefully. It is as good as being there in person. Click here for the Nectar Sankarshan Das Adhikari His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: Remembering the Material World After Going Back to Godhead? Hare Krishna Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada said that after having come to this material world and having gotten the experience of this material world, we can go back to Godhead and never come back here again. Is this is possible only if we remember our bad experiences in this material world after we return to the spiritual world? Sarita Arya Answer: Whether We Do or Not We Will Not Fall ...

Today is the appearance day of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. If you will click on the link below, you can be unlimitedly blessed by hearing the lecture given by Srila Prabhupada on the disappearance day of his most beloved spiritual master, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada, and you will have one of the most wonderful uplifting experiences of your entire life. So do yourself a favor and do it now or as soon as possible. Click here now. Sankarshan Das Adhikari His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: Remembering the Material World After Going Back to Godhead? Hare Krishna Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada said that after having come to this material world and having gotten the experience of this material world, we can go back to Godhead and never come back here again. Is this is possible only if we remember our bad experiences in this material world af...

Krishna is wonderfully served in Goloka Vrindavan by His intimate boyfriends. Some of them cut jokes with Him in mild voices and please Him very much by this. Srila Prabhupada shares a wonderful example of this with us in his book "The Nectar of Devotion" as follows: "Kṛṣṇa had one brāhmaṇa friend whose name was Madhumaṅgala. This boy would joke by playing the part of a greedy brāhmaṇa. Whenever the friends ate, he would eat more than all others, especially laḍḍus, of which he was very fond. Then after eating more laḍḍus than anyone else, Madhumaṅgala would still not be satisfied, and he would say to Kṛṣṇa, 'If You give me one more laḍḍu, then I shall be pleased to give You my blessings so that Your friend Rādhārāṇī will be very much pleased with You.' The brāhmaṇas are supposed to give blessings to the vaiśyas (farming and merchant caste), and Kṛṣṇa presented Himself as the son of Mahārāja Nanda, a vaiśya; so the brāhmaṇa boy was right in giving blessings to Kṛṣ...

when I first joined ISKCON I was encouraged to write Srila Prabhupada if I had any questions, and I would get a most wonderfully enlightening personal reply. But as the movement grew larger it was not practical in terms of time management for Srila Prabhupada to answer so many letters. So he established a policy that only the leaders should write him, not the rank and file disciples, of which I was one. But I felt a desperate need to get his personal guidance so I took a chance and violated the policy by writing him anyway. In his reply to my letter he reminded me of the new policy but most mercifully gave me a concession to the new policy in a personal letter from Los Angeles dated 13 June 1972: "Of course, if there is some very urgent matter, I am always happy to hear from my beloved disciples." So as long as I felt the desperate need I wrote him and got the most wonderful personal loving guidance. But when that need passed I no longer wrote him. I was then fully satisfi...

When I first joined ISKCON I was encouraged to write Srila Prabhupada if I had any questions, and I would get a most wonderfully enlightening personal reply. But as the movement grew larger it was not practical in terms of time management for Srila Prabhupada to answer so many letters. So he established a policy that only the leaders should write him, not the rank and file disciples, of which I was one. But I felt a desperate need to get his personal guidance so I took a chance and violated the policy by writing him anyway. In his reply to my letter he reminded me of the new policy but most mercifully gave me a concession to the new policy in a personal letter from Los Angeles dated 13 June 1972: "Of course, if there is some very urgent matter, I am always happy to hear from my beloved disciples." So as long as I felt the desperate need I wrote him and got the most wonderful personal loving guidance. But when that need passed I no longer wrote him. I was then fully satisfi...

Srila Prabhupada has very, very kindly shared with us in his purport to Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya Lila, Chapter 8, Text 246 the following most amazing verse. He explains to us that this verse was spoken by Srila Narada Muni to Puṇḍarīka and is quoted as such in the Itihāsa-samuccaya: janmāntara-sahasreṣu yasya syād buddhir īdṛśī dāso ’haṁ vāsudevasya sarvāl lokān samuddharet “After many, many births, when a person realizes that he is the eternal servant of Vāsudeva, he can deliver all the worlds.” Can you imagine being personally empowered to deliver all the suffering souls in all the worlds? Yes, this can be accomplished if we become perfectly realized that we are the eternal servants of Vāsudeva. This should be inspiration for each and every one of us to take this process of Krishna consciousness with the utmost seriousness for the ultimate welfare of all the poor souls who are suffering in this material existence. Are you ready to take Krishna consciousness this seriously? ...

The natural condition of the soul is to relish unlimited bliss at every minute. Misery is an artificial condition of the soul when it foolishly considers himself to be an independent enjoyer separate from Lord Sri Krishna. In this regard Srila Prabhupada explains as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Ninth Canto, Chapter 24, Text 58 as follows: "Both the Lord and the living entity, being qualitatively spirit soul, have the tendency for peaceful enjoyment, but when the part of the Supreme Personality of Godhead unfortunately wants to enjoy independently, without Kṛṣṇa, he is put into the material world, where he begins his life as Brahmā and is gradually degraded to the status of an ant or a worm in stool. This is called manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. There is a great struggle for existence because the living entity conditioned by material nature is under nature's full control (prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]). Because of his l...

I am writing these words on the most auspicious appearance day of Lord Nityananda. Some of the most inspiring words I find in Srila Prabhupada's books are to be found in his purport to Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, Chapter 7, Text 83 in which he explains as follows. "A sincere student aurally receives the holy name from the spiritual master, and after being initiated he follows the regulative principles given by the spiritual master. When the holy name is properly served in this way, automatically the spiritual nature of the holy name spreads; in other words, the devotee becomes qualified in offenselessly chanting the holy name. When one is completely fit to chant the holy name in this way, he is eligible to make disciples all over the world, and he actually becomes jagad-guru. Then the entire world, under his influence, begins to chant the holy names of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra." In this connection Srila Prabhupada personally wrote to me in a letter on 31 Decem...

This human form of life is meant for experiencing the ultimate reward of being delivered from this material existence. After millions and billions of lifetimes of being dragged helplessly through the cycle of birth and death if one is fortunate enough to come into contact with a bona fide spiritual master and intelligent enough to hear from him submissively, he or she can then be totally delivered forever from all the sufferings of material existence. Are you ready now to be delivered from all suffering? Sankarshan Das Adhikari Do Not Cheat Yourself Any Longer-- Hear From an Authority Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: How to Watch Aratis Online? How can I watch the aratis online as mentioned in the previous mails? I am not able to watch any aratis. Aishwarya Shah Answer: Here is How You can see the aratis and the classes online every day at; www.livelectures.net Sankarshan Das Adhikari The Most Urgent World Deliverance Mission ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace ...

This material world is a world of miseries, and there is nothing we can do to change this fact. However through the science of Krishna consciousness we can elevate our consciousness beyond this material existence by no longer misidentifying with our material bodies. When we become solidly fixed in Krishna consciousness we will see that of the miseries are just something out there in the material existence and we will no longer feel pinched by them. Therefore we simply tolerate the without being disturbed by them. In this connection Srila Prabhupada has written as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Fourth Canto, Chapter 29, Verse 35: "As stated in the Vedas, the living entity is always separate from two kinds of material bodies—the subtle and the gross. All our sufferings are due to these material bodies. This is explained in Bhagavad-gītā (2.14): mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata 'O son of Kuntī, the...

Here is a recording of my recently being interviewed by Nancy Pearlman on the Environmental Directions Radio Program. This interview was aired yesterday on 11 February 2022. Click here to hear the interview. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Nancy Pearlman Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: Is Non-Duality the Ultimate Truth? Is non-duality simply another philosophy or the ultimate truth of our existence? Why is it so? Mahfuz Answer: No My Dear Mahfuz, Please accept my blessings. It is an incomplete, incorrect philosophy. The Absolute Truth is not non-dual. The real truth is that the Absolute Truth is simultaneously, inconceivably dual and non-dual. In Sanskrit language the term is “acintya bhedabheda tattva.” In this regard the great Vedic authority ISKCON Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has explained as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, Second Canto, Chapter 2, Text 7: “So the one Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests Himself in...

Can you imagine that there could be such an incredibly amazing person as Srila Prabhupada who could come to the West at the age of 70 with practically no money and no sponsors and attract many thousands of the drug and sex addicted long haired, bearded hippies to shave their faces and heads clean except for a small tuft hair on the back of their heads called the sikha and give up their sex and drug habits replacing them with chanting the holy names of God and then with the help of these new recruits establish Krishna conscious centers in every continent of the world all within the span of a mere eleven years after suffering two heart attacks? Surely no one, not even God Himself as Lord Caitanya, Who only spread Krishna consciousness within India, has come even slightly close to what has been accomplished by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa Parivrakacarya Abhay Caranavavinda Bhaktivedanta Tridandi Goswami Maharaja Prabhupada! There is truly no one more amazing than Srila Pra...

When Lord Caitanya was teaching Sanatana Goswami, He stated as follows (Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya Lila, Chapter 22, Text 65): śāstra-yuktye sunipuṇa, dṛḍha-śraddhā yāṅra ’uttama-adhikārī’ sei tāraye saṁsāra “One who is expert in logic, argument and the revealed scriptures and who has firm faith in Kṛṣṇa is classified as a topmost devotee. He can deliver the whole world." How are struggling neophytes such are ourselves to take this verse? We should think that I must now become very expert in logic, argument, and the revealed scriptures by reading Srila Prabhupada's books as much as possible, by hearing as many Krishna conscious lectures as possible, and by preaching as much as possible. I must also now develop absolute unflinching faith in Krishna by diving deeply into chanting my japa, lovingly associating with devotees, and devotedly serving my spiritual master. These I must do how so that the Lord can fully utilize me as His instrument for making the world Krishna ...

This material world is the world of fear because we are always tortured by the three fold miseries (miseries of the mind and body, miseries caused by other living beings, and miseries by natural disturbances such as hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.) and the four fold miseries (birth, death, old age, and disease). But when one awakens his love for Krishna he becomes fearless. He becomes abhaya-caran, one who is fearless by having taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna. This Krishna consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, to become abhayam, no more fear. Why one should fear? If we take shelter of the supreme abhayam, Krishna, fear is completely vanquished. Taking shelter of Krishna's lotus feet is to become free from free from fearfulness. This idea of conquering fear by love was even there in an elementary form in the hippie movement. In the song "Get Together", which became the anthem of the hippie movement, these words were sung: If you hear the son...

If one's spiritual master orders him to become a spotlessly pure devotee and lead the whole world out of chaos, what is he supposed to think? Should he think that his spiritual master is foolish to give him such a gargantuan order that would completely possible to carry out? Just as it would be impossible for a little sparrow to dry up the ocean by taking a few drops of ocean water at a time and depositing them on the dry land, it would also surely seem totally impossible for a preacher of Krishna consciousness to make the whole world Krishna conscious. So now just consider in this connection the story of the little sparrow as explained by Srila Prabhupada in his purport to Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 6, Text 24: "As for determination, one should follow the example of the sparrow who lost her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the shore of the ocean, but the big ocean carried away the eggs on its waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to ...

Lord Sri Krishna states in Bhagvad-gita, Chapter Two, Text 12: na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayam ataḥ param "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be." Therefore the idea of impersonal liberation, of losing one's identity by merging into oneness or void is not the real position of liberation. It is a false and is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto, Chapter 2, Text 32 as vimukta-maninas, liberation in the mind only: 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ "Persons who are falsely under the impression of being liberated, without devotional service to the Lord, may reach the goal of the brahmajyoti, but because of their impure consciousness and for want of shelter in the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, such so-called liberated p...

Within our hearts is an ocean of pure transcendental bliss in our loving relationship with Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But in our conditioned state of consciousness that ocean of bliss is locked up and unavailable to us. However if we accept the key of Lord Sri Krishna's teachings that He most mercifully reveals to us in the Bhagavad-gita by putting those teachings into practice, we will be able unlock the door and deep sea dive in a state of ever-increasing ecstasy in that ocean of unlimited pure transcendental bliss. Sankarshan Das Adhikari Krishna is Inviting Us to Come Home Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: How to Discover God Within? How do you discover your true self knowing that God is within you? Answer: Via the Spiritual Master By taking shelter of His representative, the bona fide spiritual master. Sankarshan Das Adhikari The Most Urgent World Deliverance Mission ISKCON Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prab...