Like death itself, no one likes to talk about nuclear war. We prefer to avoid such talk. But although we tend to ignore the possibility of nuclear holocaust, that doesn’t make the problem go away. As death is certain, war is certain. It is a direct result of wholesale animal slaughter and other vicious karmic reactions. In a nuclear-armed world, nuclear war is certain.
“You are maintaining so many slaughterhouses, and when it will be mature [karmic reactions], there will be war, the wholesale murder. Finished. One atom bomb—finished… Wait for accumulation of your sinful activities, and there will be war. And America will drop the atom bomb, and Russia will be finished. Both will be finished.” (Lecture, SB. 6.1.32, Honolulu, May 31, 1976)
“Well, anyway, they [nuclear weapons] must be used. There is no doubt about it. Therefore, we can say there will be war. It is no astrology; it is natural conclusion.” (Morning Walk, July 18, 1975, San Francisco)
One should perform the śrāddha ceremony on the Makara-saṅkrānti [the day when the sun begins to move north] or on the Karkaṭa-saṅkrānti [the day when the sun begins to move south]. One should also perform this ceremony on the Meṣa-saṅkrānti day and the Tulā-saṅkrānti day, in the yoga named Vyatīpāta, on that day in which three lunar tithis are conjoined, during an eclipse of either the moon or the sun, on the twelfth lunar day, and in the Śravaṇa-nakṣatra. One should perform this ceremony on the Akṣaya–tṛtīyā day, on the ninth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārtika, on the four aṣṭakās in the winter season and cool season, on the seventh lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Māgha, during the conjunction of Maghā–nakṣatra and the full-moon day, and on the days when the moon is completely full, or not quite completely full, when these days are conjoined with the nakṣatras from which the names of certain months are derived. One should also perform the śrāddha ceremony on the twelfth lunar day when it is in conjunction with any of the nakṣatras named Anurādhā, Śravaṇa, Uttara–phalgunī, Uttarāṣāḍhā or Uttara-bhādrapadā. Again, one should perform this ceremony when the eleventh lunar day is in conjunction with either Uttara–phalgunī, Uttarāṣāḍhā or Uttara-bhādrapadā. Finally, one should perform this ceremony on days conjoined with one’s own birth star [janma–nakṣatra] or with Śravaṇa-nakṣatra.
PURPORT
The word ayana means “path” or “going.” The six months when the sun moves toward the north are called uttarāyaṇa, or the northern path, and the six months when it moves south are called dakṣiṇāyana, or the southern path. These are mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā (8.24–25). The first day when the sun begins to move north and enter the zodiacal sign of Capricorn is called Makara-saṅkrānti, and the first day when the sun begins to move south and enter the sign of Cancer is called Karkaṭa-saṅkrānti. On these two days of the year, one should perform the śrāddha ceremony.
Viṣuva, or Viṣuva-saṅkrānti, means Meṣa-saṅkrānti, or the day on which the sun enters the sign Aries. Tulā-saṅkrānti is the day on which the sun enters the sign Libra. Both of these days occur only once within a year. The word yoga refers to a certain relationship between the sun and moon as they move in the sky. There are twenty-seven different degrees of yoga, of which the seventeenth is called Vyatīpāta. On the day when this occurs, one should perform the śrāddha ceremony. A tithi, or lunar day, consists of the distance between the longitude of the sun and that of the moon. Sometimes a tithi is less than twenty-four hours. When it starts after sunrise on a certain day and ends before the sunrise of the following day, the previous tithi and the following tithi both “touch” the twenty-four-hour day between the sunrises. This is called tryaha-sparśa, or a day touched by some portion of three tithis.Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has given quotations from many śāstras stating that the śrāddha ceremony of oblations to the forefathers should not be performed on Ekādaśītithi. When the tithi of the death anniversary falls on the Ekādaśī day, the śrāddha ceremony should be held not on Ekādaśī but on the next day, or dvādaśī. In the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa it is said:yekurvanti mahīpāla śrāddhaṁ caikādaśi-dine trayas tenarakaṁyānti dātābhoktāca prerakaḥ
If one performs the śrāddha ceremony of oblations to the forefathers on the Ekādaśītithi, then the performer, the forefathers for whom the śrāddha is observed, and the purohita, or the family priest who encourages the ceremony, all go to hell.Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/7/14/20-23
Beautiful advertisements of Bhagavad Gita As It Is 1972 Macmillan Edition in BTG Magazines Hare Krishna, below are some amazingadvertisements for the Original Macmillan Bhagavad Gita As It Is when it was released in 1972.
We were reading this morning in Srimad-Bhagavatam class Seventh Canto, Chapter 22, verses 11 through 16. In this section of Bhagavatam the importance of Brahminical culture is especially stressed, but it also mentions the importance of ksyatriyas and cow protection, and true vaisyas to protect the cows and land. Human society is in such a degraded and fearful condition now that even devotees seem to have become affected my fear, maliciousness, bickering, and gross materialism. Most devotees seem reluctant to cooperate on any level for genuine sankirtana or varnashrama projects. Most seem to have no clear idea that Srila Prabhupada is the Jagat Guru for everyone in this age. And the people in general blindly follow blind leaders on the networks of paths leading to hellish conditions in this life and the next. Few people believe in the laws or karma or life after death. Thus, mass destruction on a global scale seems likely soon.
When the Lord saw Govardhana Hill, He immediately offered obeisances, falling down on the ground like a rod. He embraced one piece of rock from Govardhana Hill and became mad.[CC Madhya 18.16 (1975)]Śrī CaitanyaMahāprabhu said, ” ‘May the left arm of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose eyes are like the petals of a lotus flower, always protect you. With His left arm He raised Govardhana Hill as if it were a toy.’ “Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/cc/madhya/18/38
“As already described, there are twelve different kinds of rasas, or ecstatic relationships which are shared with Kṛṣṇa. Five of these rasas are direct, and they are listed as neutrality, servitude, fraternal love, parental love, and conjugal love. Seven of the rasas are indirect, and they are listed as humor, astonishment, chivalry, compassion, anger, dread and ghastliness. The five direct rasas are eternally manifested in the Vaikuṇṭha world, the spiritual kingdom, whereas the seven indirect rasas are eternally manifesting and unmanifesting in Gokula Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa displays His transcendental pastimes in the material world.”
“Of all the gopīs, Rādhārāṇī is the dearmost. Similarly, the lake known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa is very dear to the Lord because it is very dear to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. [CC Madhya 18.7 (1975)] yathā rādhā priyā viṣṇostasyāḥ kuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ tathāsarva-gopīṣu saivaikāviṣṇor atyanta-vallabhā “Just as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is most dear to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Her bathing place [Rādhā–kuṇḍa] is also dear to Him. Among all the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is supermost and very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.” PURPORTThis verse is from the PadmaPurāṇa.
Hare Krishna,all glories to Srila Prabhupada and Vaisnavas. The first link contains Govardhan hill photos where we can check some 145 photos there, it has many interesting rare deity pics as well as many Govardhan Silas.
Second link is a general Vrindavan tour containing about 181 pictures of holy kundas as well as main temples established by the Six Goswamis.
The third link has amazing photos of Radha Kund.
One can get the bliss of Vrindavan daily by going through these beautiful pictures.
Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out: Living Guru misunderstandings cleared up by Srila Prabhupada- “Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī advises that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions.”
Hare Krishna, all glories to Srila Prabhupada and all the Vaisnavas. In the following purport by Srila Prabhupada, it is explained that one must accept a spiritual master who is fully qualified and not by “hereditary” or “customary social” and “ecclesiastical conventions.”
Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out- “They will drink, they will hunt after woman and have some attractive singing or dancing and become guru. What is meaning of guru,
Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out- I can kick out all those stumbling blocks immediately,provided you accept my guidance. With one stroke of my kick,
I can kick out all stumbling blocks.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Fresno dated September 6, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. You may know it that I am eternally your guide, but if you don’t accept me as your guide what can I do? Unfortunately, if my disciples do not take my guidance, what can I do? By bad association it so happens, so I remain silent. I see the pricks of maya. When you went to Europe last time, I was hopeful that you would organize in Sweden. You have got the capacity to do that, you are one of my old disciples and you have proven your abilities to organize things very nicely. You went to Germany and organized very nicely. I know you have got that capacity. Why you have come back? You could have organized Sweden very gorgeously. You are very intelligent and also your wife is intelligent. Formally you were alone, now you are assisted by your good wife. Husband and wife equal double strength. You can do nicely anywhere. You know very well how Gurudasa, Mukunda, and Syamasundara. organized the London center with great labor and hardship and now it is one of the first-class temples. Syamasundara. induced George Harrison to cooperate with us and he paid us nineteen-thousand dollars for Krsna Book. So, there are so many works, if someone wants to work there are so many things. So eternally I want to remain your guide provided you want to accept me.
You mentioned that your pathway has become filled with stumbling blocks, but there are no stumbling blocks, I can kick out all those stumbling blocks immediately, provided you accept my guidance. With one stroke of my kick I can kick out all stumbling blocks.
You are always welcome. All of your doubts will be cleared up either personally face-to-face or by correspondence with me. I am going to Los Angeles, you can come to live with me and all your doubts will erased. In the beginning there were no doubts, but by bad association you have now got doubts. Letter to Krsna dasa — Dallas 9 September, 1972