The Daśāvatāras, Vāmana-devā
The fifth of the descended Ten Daśāvatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, to appear was Vāmana, the Dwarf, appearing at the request of the distressed Devās and Lord Indra, to humble the pride of the Āsuric King Bali and restore Dharma.
When the rulership of Lord Indra over the universe was overthrown by the powerful and demonic Bali, all Devās employed the Supreme Lord to descend and restore Dharma. The Lord descended as the boy Brāhmaṇa dwarf Vāmana, requesting a meager three acres of the King’s land. The Dwarf then grew immensely in stature, with His Trivikrama; a mere three steps spanning all of the Earth, finally placing His foot upon the head of Bali. Fearful and humbled, the demon King submitted in obeisance to the Dwarf.
The Līlās of Vāmana-devā display the foolishness of pride, and the humbling of all illegitimate rulership before Viṣṇu. Appearing as a childlike Dwarf, Vāmana showed that even in simple guise, He is Sovereign over all.
The fifth of the descended Ten Daśāvatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, to appear was Vāmana, the Dwarf, appearing at the request of the distressed Devās and Lord Indra, to humble the pride of the Āsuric King Bali and restore Dharma.
When the rulership of Lord Indra over the universe was overthrown by the powerful and demonic Bali, all Devās employed the Supreme Lord to descend and restore Dharma. The Lord descended as the boy Brāhmaṇa dwarf Vāmana, requesting a meager three acres of the King’s land. The Dwarf then grew immensely in stature, with His Trivikrama; a mere three steps spanning all of the Earth, finally placing His foot upon the head of Bali. Fearful and humbled, the demon King submitted in obeisance to the Dwarf.
The Līlās of Vāmana-devā display the foolishness of pride, and the humbling of all illegitimate rulership before Viṣṇu. Appearing as a childlike Dwarf, Vāmana showed that even in simple guise, He is Sovereign over all.
❤3
Remembering Lost Ages
“I remember the dark woods, masking slopes of sombre hills; the grey clouds' leaden everlasting arch; the dusky streams that flowed without a sound, and the lone winds that whispered down the passes. It was gloomy land that seemed to hold all winds and clouds and dreams that shun the sun, with bare boughs rattling in the lonesome winds, and the dark woodlands brooding over all, not even lightened by the rare dim sun which made squat shadows out of men; they called it Cimmeria, land of Darkness and deep Night. It was so long ago and far away I have forgotten the very name men called me. The axe and flint-tipped spear are like a dream, and hunts and wars are like shadows. I recall only the stillness of that sombre land; the clouds that piled forever on the hills, the dimness of the everlasting woods. Cimmeria, land of Darkness and the Night.”
- Robert E. Howard (“Cimmeria”)
“I remember the dark woods, masking slopes of sombre hills; the grey clouds' leaden everlasting arch; the dusky streams that flowed without a sound, and the lone winds that whispered down the passes. It was gloomy land that seemed to hold all winds and clouds and dreams that shun the sun, with bare boughs rattling in the lonesome winds, and the dark woodlands brooding over all, not even lightened by the rare dim sun which made squat shadows out of men; they called it Cimmeria, land of Darkness and deep Night. It was so long ago and far away I have forgotten the very name men called me. The axe and flint-tipped spear are like a dream, and hunts and wars are like shadows. I recall only the stillness of that sombre land; the clouds that piled forever on the hills, the dimness of the everlasting woods. Cimmeria, land of Darkness and the Night.”
- Robert E. Howard (“Cimmeria”)
❤3
Celebrating Māhā-Śhivarātri
On this sacred night of Māhā-Śhivarātri, followers of Sanātana Dharma, especially our Śhaiva brethren, gather in reverence to honour Lord Śhiva, the exalted among the Devās and the most devoted servant of Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa. Mighty yet serene, ascetic yet compassionate, he stands is embodiment of Pure Consciousness, he is the Lord of Yoga, always guiding his followers to realization of the Self (Ātma-jñāna).
Lord Śhiva is the utmost ascetic Yogī, forever austere and equipoised in eternal meditation upon Govinda, Who is always in the mind of Māhādevā. Those who worship Nīlakaṇṭha, the Blue-Throated One, are assured by his kindness and grace by material blessing as well as great spiritual advancement in knowing the pure Ātman, and gradual deep Bhakti.
On this holy Māhā-Śhivarātri, may we remember and worship the fierce yet kind Renewer; Lord Rudra, who guides us toward the stillness of surrendered devotion and realization of pure bliss.
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Auṁ Namaḥ Śhivāya
On this sacred night of Māhā-Śhivarātri, followers of Sanātana Dharma, especially our Śhaiva brethren, gather in reverence to honour Lord Śhiva, the exalted among the Devās and the most devoted servant of Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa. Mighty yet serene, ascetic yet compassionate, he stands is embodiment of Pure Consciousness, he is the Lord of Yoga, always guiding his followers to realization of the Self (Ātma-jñāna).
Lord Śhiva is the utmost ascetic Yogī, forever austere and equipoised in eternal meditation upon Govinda, Who is always in the mind of Māhādevā. Those who worship Nīlakaṇṭha, the Blue-Throated One, are assured by his kindness and grace by material blessing as well as great spiritual advancement in knowing the pure Ātman, and gradual deep Bhakti.
On this holy Māhā-Śhivarātri, may we remember and worship the fierce yet kind Renewer; Lord Rudra, who guides us toward the stillness of surrendered devotion and realization of pure bliss.
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Auṁ Namaḥ Śhivāya
❤3
The Daśāvatāras, Paraśurāma
The sixth of the descended Ten Daśāvatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, to appear was Paraśurāma, Rāma with the Axe. He appeared as a the supreme Kṣatriya and the Divine Enforcer of Dharma, annihilating demonic rulership, Dynasties, and being an immortal warrior enduring through many Ages.
The son of the sage Jamadagni, Paraśurāma vowed to battle tyrannical and unjust Kings, after His father had been wronged and his land stolen. Clad in deerskin with the matted locks of a Brāhmaṇa, Paraśurāma took up His fierce axe and without mercy slew the King and all the warrior class, hacking off limbs and heads in dreadful frenzy. To atone for this sin, Paraśurāma vowed to end all corrupt Dynasties, slaughtering the wicked Kṣatriyas for twenty-one generations.
The Līlās of Paraśurāma teach the necessity of divine retribution, and need for the sacred warrior. As an enduring immortal (Chiranjivi), He served as Guru to Bhīṣma, Droṇā, and is awaiting the coming of Lord Kalki.
The sixth of the descended Ten Daśāvatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, to appear was Paraśurāma, Rāma with the Axe. He appeared as a the supreme Kṣatriya and the Divine Enforcer of Dharma, annihilating demonic rulership, Dynasties, and being an immortal warrior enduring through many Ages.
The son of the sage Jamadagni, Paraśurāma vowed to battle tyrannical and unjust Kings, after His father had been wronged and his land stolen. Clad in deerskin with the matted locks of a Brāhmaṇa, Paraśurāma took up His fierce axe and without mercy slew the King and all the warrior class, hacking off limbs and heads in dreadful frenzy. To atone for this sin, Paraśurāma vowed to end all corrupt Dynasties, slaughtering the wicked Kṣatriyas for twenty-one generations.
The Līlās of Paraśurāma teach the necessity of divine retribution, and need for the sacred warrior. As an enduring immortal (Chiranjivi), He served as Guru to Bhīṣma, Droṇā, and is awaiting the coming of Lord Kalki.
🔥3
Receiving the Kali Yugā
The great devotee Mahārāja Parīkṣit, last of the Pāṇḍavas, witnessed the beginning of this Age of Kali, when he saw a great mother cow, with three of her four legs cut off. This cow, who was Dharma herself, lamented the suffering entering the world, as the Āsura Kali, dressed as a false King, was beating the dear weeping cow.
In righteous anger, King Parīkṣit raised his sword preparing to strike Kali dead, the demon cowering in fear, and begging for the Cakravartin’s mercy. In his sagely wisdom, Parīkṣit spared Kali, understanding his role in this fallen Age (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 1.17.28-30). Kali was allowed, to fulfill the purposes of the Supreme Lord, to roam the Earth and spread Ādharma.
This pastime of Parīkṣit, receiving the coming of Kali Yugā with grace and nobility, shows that though wounded, Dharma is not slain, and will forever endure. Even in this Age of Kali, the Divine Purpose is fufilled, and Kali is himself a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mysterious and unsearchable Līlās.
The great devotee Mahārāja Parīkṣit, last of the Pāṇḍavas, witnessed the beginning of this Age of Kali, when he saw a great mother cow, with three of her four legs cut off. This cow, who was Dharma herself, lamented the suffering entering the world, as the Āsura Kali, dressed as a false King, was beating the dear weeping cow.
In righteous anger, King Parīkṣit raised his sword preparing to strike Kali dead, the demon cowering in fear, and begging for the Cakravartin’s mercy. In his sagely wisdom, Parīkṣit spared Kali, understanding his role in this fallen Age (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 1.17.28-30). Kali was allowed, to fulfill the purposes of the Supreme Lord, to roam the Earth and spread Ādharma.
This pastime of Parīkṣit, receiving the coming of Kali Yugā with grace and nobility, shows that though wounded, Dharma is not slain, and will forever endure. Even in this Age of Kali, the Divine Purpose is fufilled, and Kali is himself a servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mysterious and unsearchable Līlās.
🔥5
Being Cheated No Longer
“You are being cheated for two hundred, three hundred years, that’s all. Not before that. That’s all. So you are being cheated for the last two hundred years, not for thousands of years. So it will be finished. Within another fifty years, everything will be finished. Ignorance is going as science. Irreligion is going as religion. So how long it will go? People are becoming intelligent.”
- Śrīla Prabhupāda
(Morning Walk at Cheviot Hills Golf Course, May 15, 1973, Los Angeles)
“You are being cheated for two hundred, three hundred years, that’s all. Not before that. That’s all. So you are being cheated for the last two hundred years, not for thousands of years. So it will be finished. Within another fifty years, everything will be finished. Ignorance is going as science. Irreligion is going as religion. So how long it will go? People are becoming intelligent.”
- Śrīla Prabhupāda
(Morning Walk at Cheviot Hills Golf Course, May 15, 1973, Los Angeles)
❤3
The Daśāvatāras, Lord Rāma
The seventh of the descended Ten Daśāvatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, to appear in was the regal Pūrṇa-avatāra of Lord Rāma, the Dharmic King, Who descended as the perfect and divine example of the ideal King, Warrior, and Husband; rescuing Sītā-devī from the demon Rāvaṇa and thus restoring Dharma to His Kingdom.
Lord Rāma was send into exile in the forest with His Consort Sītā and brother Lakṣmaṇa. When Sītā was stolen to Lanka by the lustful Rāvaṇa, Rāma, with the aid of His Bhakta Hanumān and the Vānaras, build a bridge to Laṅkā and slew Rāvaṇa with His mighty bow and arrow, rescuing Sītā. Then at long last, the Supreme Lord returned to His Kingdom of Ayodhyā on a Vimāna, ushering in the Age of Rāma-Rājā.
The Līlās of Lord Rāma display the glorious pastimes divine Kingship, as most perfect Man, Husband, and Leader. As the supreme Tattva in the Tretā Yugā, Lord Rāmachāndra is worshipped as the Highest and Supreme Personality of Godhead.
जय श्री राम
Jaya Śrī Rāma
The seventh of the descended Ten Daśāvatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, to appear in was the regal Pūrṇa-avatāra of Lord Rāma, the Dharmic King, Who descended as the perfect and divine example of the ideal King, Warrior, and Husband; rescuing Sītā-devī from the demon Rāvaṇa and thus restoring Dharma to His Kingdom.
Lord Rāma was send into exile in the forest with His Consort Sītā and brother Lakṣmaṇa. When Sītā was stolen to Lanka by the lustful Rāvaṇa, Rāma, with the aid of His Bhakta Hanumān and the Vānaras, build a bridge to Laṅkā and slew Rāvaṇa with His mighty bow and arrow, rescuing Sītā. Then at long last, the Supreme Lord returned to His Kingdom of Ayodhyā on a Vimāna, ushering in the Age of Rāma-Rājā.
The Līlās of Lord Rāma display the glorious pastimes divine Kingship, as most perfect Man, Husband, and Leader. As the supreme Tattva in the Tretā Yugā, Lord Rāmachāndra is worshipped as the Highest and Supreme Personality of Godhead.
जय श्री राम
Jaya Śrī Rāma
❤3
The Ecstasies of Sant Sūrdās
Perhaps the most revered of the devotional and mystical Poet-Saints of North India is Sant Sūrdās (1479 - 1584), the blind Vaiṣṇava poet, whose vernacular Braj hymns in praise of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s childhood pastimes are among the most famous expressions of ecstatic and poetic Bhakti literature.
Being one of the Aṣṭachāp in the Puṣṭimārga, as one of the original disciples of Vallabhāchārya, Sūrdās was born blind of physical sight, yet through the grace of his Guru, was able to see and describe the playful divine pastimes of Bāla-Gopāla and the Gopīs in Vraja. Sūrdās’ immersion in sacred visions of Vraja-Līlā, are most famously described in the hymns of his Sūr Sāgar; his greatest writings.
The poems and songs of Sant Sūrdās are to Vaiṣṇavas a wondrous example of surrendered ecstatic love and deep remembrance (Smaraṇa) of the innocent Beauty of Gopāla-Kṛṣṇa. Though blind in material nature, the eyes of Sūrdās could behold His Love.
Perhaps the most revered of the devotional and mystical Poet-Saints of North India is Sant Sūrdās (1479 - 1584), the blind Vaiṣṇava poet, whose vernacular Braj hymns in praise of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s childhood pastimes are among the most famous expressions of ecstatic and poetic Bhakti literature.
Being one of the Aṣṭachāp in the Puṣṭimārga, as one of the original disciples of Vallabhāchārya, Sūrdās was born blind of physical sight, yet through the grace of his Guru, was able to see and describe the playful divine pastimes of Bāla-Gopāla and the Gopīs in Vraja. Sūrdās’ immersion in sacred visions of Vraja-Līlā, are most famously described in the hymns of his Sūr Sāgar; his greatest writings.
The poems and songs of Sant Sūrdās are to Vaiṣṇavas a wondrous example of surrendered ecstatic love and deep remembrance (Smaraṇa) of the innocent Beauty of Gopāla-Kṛṣṇa. Though blind in material nature, the eyes of Sūrdās could behold His Love.
❤6
Celebrating Gaura Pūrṇimā
Today all Vaiṣṇavas celebrate the most auspicious day of Gaura Pūrṇimā, remembering the appearance day of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (1486 - 1534), the greatest of all Vaiṣṇava ascetics, scholastic philosopher Bhakta Saints, and the wellspring of pure Hari-nāma Saṅkīrtana, and thus our worldwide Kṛṣṇa-Consciousness.
As one of the highest of Āveśha-avatāras, Śrī Caitanya’s divine example of ecstatic devotion and immersion in the Līlās of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, spread through all of Bengal, and revived authentic Vaiṣṇava Dharma throughout the world. Known as the “thirteenth Āḻvār”, the deep Bhāvas of Caitanya’s Kṛṣṇa-Preṁa through the intoxicated chanting of the Holy Names exemplified the Sweet Path of Nectarian Devotion to Kṛṣṇa.
May all creatures in material nature ever glorify the Rāsās of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the blissful Gaurāṅga, whose disciples on the Gauḍīya Path; the holy Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, spread Yugā-dharma to fallen beings.
Jaya Gaurāṅga Haribol
Today all Vaiṣṇavas celebrate the most auspicious day of Gaura Pūrṇimā, remembering the appearance day of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (1486 - 1534), the greatest of all Vaiṣṇava ascetics, scholastic philosopher Bhakta Saints, and the wellspring of pure Hari-nāma Saṅkīrtana, and thus our worldwide Kṛṣṇa-Consciousness.
As one of the highest of Āveśha-avatāras, Śrī Caitanya’s divine example of ecstatic devotion and immersion in the Līlās of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, spread through all of Bengal, and revived authentic Vaiṣṇava Dharma throughout the world. Known as the “thirteenth Āḻvār”, the deep Bhāvas of Caitanya’s Kṛṣṇa-Preṁa through the intoxicated chanting of the Holy Names exemplified the Sweet Path of Nectarian Devotion to Kṛṣṇa.
May all creatures in material nature ever glorify the Rāsās of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the blissful Gaurāṅga, whose disciples on the Gauḍīya Path; the holy Six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, spread Yugā-dharma to fallen beings.
Jaya Gaurāṅga Haribol
🙏1
The Daśāvatāras, Lord Balarāma
The eighth of the descended Ten Daśavatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, to appear upon the Earth was, according to the orthodox Śrī Vaiṣṇava Saṃpradāya Siddhānta, Lord Balarāma, the elder Brother of Kṛṣṇa, Who is Himself understood to be first plenary expansion of the Lord as descend of the Nāga Ānanta-Śeṣa.
Lord Balarāma, of pure white complexion and carrying a plough, participates in Bāla-Govinda’s childhood pastimes in Vṛndāvana, and enjoys His Brother’s sacred Līlās as Chief of the Gopās. During the last days of the Mahābhārata War, He fought on the battlefield, fiercely slaying demonic rulers and Āsuras. Being of sagely and mellow measured personal character, Balādevā is friend and most loyal adviser of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
The Līlās of Lord Balarāma display intimacy to Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Rāsā of His Family and kin, being eternally by His side as a perfect cowherd youth in Vraja. May all devotees surrender to Lord Balarāma, Gopāla’s dear Brother.
The eighth of the descended Ten Daśavatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, to appear upon the Earth was, according to the orthodox Śrī Vaiṣṇava Saṃpradāya Siddhānta, Lord Balarāma, the elder Brother of Kṛṣṇa, Who is Himself understood to be first plenary expansion of the Lord as descend of the Nāga Ānanta-Śeṣa.
Lord Balarāma, of pure white complexion and carrying a plough, participates in Bāla-Govinda’s childhood pastimes in Vṛndāvana, and enjoys His Brother’s sacred Līlās as Chief of the Gopās. During the last days of the Mahābhārata War, He fought on the battlefield, fiercely slaying demonic rulers and Āsuras. Being of sagely and mellow measured personal character, Balādevā is friend and most loyal adviser of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
The Līlās of Lord Balarāma display intimacy to Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Rāsā of His Family and kin, being eternally by His side as a perfect cowherd youth in Vraja. May all devotees surrender to Lord Balarāma, Gopāla’s dear Brother.
❤4
The Dharmic Family
The inherent beauty and civilizational health of the natural and loving bond of the Traditional Family, is important in upholding the Eternal Natural Way of Dharma and the Laws of Nature. The natural Family, within the loving conjugal union between man and woman, and the begetting of children in the bonds of ancestral kinship are recognized in all Dharmic Cultures, from the Vedic to European Heathen.
All Dharmic Peoples recognize the importance of protecting and always preserving the Natural Family. Only by passing down these old ancestral values and taking pride in one’s own kin, can parents pass to their children the religious and cultural Ancient Ways of our ancestors, giving them a fulfilled life as adults. Ancestry and kinship are not archaic, but valuable.
During this Age in which the natural Family is undermined and subverted, it is imperative that all Dharmic Peoples support and preserve the ancestral bonds of Families, building a future for our children to inherit and flourish.
The inherent beauty and civilizational health of the natural and loving bond of the Traditional Family, is important in upholding the Eternal Natural Way of Dharma and the Laws of Nature. The natural Family, within the loving conjugal union between man and woman, and the begetting of children in the bonds of ancestral kinship are recognized in all Dharmic Cultures, from the Vedic to European Heathen.
All Dharmic Peoples recognize the importance of protecting and always preserving the Natural Family. Only by passing down these old ancestral values and taking pride in one’s own kin, can parents pass to their children the religious and cultural Ancient Ways of our ancestors, giving them a fulfilled life as adults. Ancestry and kinship are not archaic, but valuable.
During this Age in which the natural Family is undermined and subverted, it is imperative that all Dharmic Peoples support and preserve the ancestral bonds of Families, building a future for our children to inherit and flourish.
❤7
The Lord of the Moon
“Bādarāyaṇi said, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all opulences, yet upon seeing those autumn nights scented with blossoming jasmine flowers, He turned His mind toward loving affairs. To fulfill His purposes He employed His internal potency. The moon then rose, anointing the face of the eastern horizon with the reddish hue of his comforting rays, and thus dispelling the pain of all who watched him rise. The moon was like a beloved husband who returns after a long absence and adorns the face of his beloved wife with red kuṅkuma. Lord Kṛṣṇa saw the unbroken disk of the full moon glowing with the red effulgence of newly applied vermilion, as if it were the face of the goddess of fortune. He also saw the kumuda lotuses opening in response to the moon’s presence and the forest gently illumined by its rays. Thus the Lord began to play sweetly on His flute, attracting the minds of the beautiful-eyed Gopīs.”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 10.29.1-3)
“Bādarāyaṇi said, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all opulences, yet upon seeing those autumn nights scented with blossoming jasmine flowers, He turned His mind toward loving affairs. To fulfill His purposes He employed His internal potency. The moon then rose, anointing the face of the eastern horizon with the reddish hue of his comforting rays, and thus dispelling the pain of all who watched him rise. The moon was like a beloved husband who returns after a long absence and adorns the face of his beloved wife with red kuṅkuma. Lord Kṛṣṇa saw the unbroken disk of the full moon glowing with the red effulgence of newly applied vermilion, as if it were the face of the goddess of fortune. He also saw the kumuda lotuses opening in response to the moon’s presence and the forest gently illumined by its rays. Thus the Lord began to play sweetly on His flute, attracting the minds of the beautiful-eyed Gopīs.”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 10.29.1-3)
❤5
The Daśāvatāras, Lord Kṛṣṇa
The ninth of the descended Ten Daśāvatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, to appear was the Lotus-Eyed Pūrṇa-avatāra of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Who descended upon the Earth as the All-Attractive, Nectar of all Rāsās; to glorify His play, annihilate the miscreants, and restore Dharma.
Nārāyaṇa descended as Gopāla-Kṛṣṇa, of indigo-ebony complexion and enchanting Beauty, His divine childhood pastimes in Vṛndāvana as Govinda with the Gopīs, is always adored by His devotees as beloved Consort of Śrī Rādhā. Kṛṣṇa reigned as perfect King of Dvārakā, and sang Bhagavad-Gītā on the Battlefield, when He revealed His Cosmic Form (Viśvaṛūpa) being Svayaṁ Bhagavān.
The Līlās of Śrī Kṛṣṇa display the Nectarian Sweetness (Mādhurya) of the Lord and Beauty of God. As the supreme Tattva in the Kali Yugā, Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshipped as the Highest Object of our Surrender (Śaraṇāgati) as Supreme Absolute and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
हरे कृष्ण
Hare Kṛṣṇa
The ninth of the descended Ten Daśāvatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, to appear was the Lotus-Eyed Pūrṇa-avatāra of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Who descended upon the Earth as the All-Attractive, Nectar of all Rāsās; to glorify His play, annihilate the miscreants, and restore Dharma.
Nārāyaṇa descended as Gopāla-Kṛṣṇa, of indigo-ebony complexion and enchanting Beauty, His divine childhood pastimes in Vṛndāvana as Govinda with the Gopīs, is always adored by His devotees as beloved Consort of Śrī Rādhā. Kṛṣṇa reigned as perfect King of Dvārakā, and sang Bhagavad-Gītā on the Battlefield, when He revealed His Cosmic Form (Viśvaṛūpa) being Svayaṁ Bhagavān.
The Līlās of Śrī Kṛṣṇa display the Nectarian Sweetness (Mādhurya) of the Lord and Beauty of God. As the supreme Tattva in the Kali Yugā, Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshipped as the Highest Object of our Surrender (Śaraṇāgati) as Supreme Absolute and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
हरे कृष्ण
Hare Kṛṣṇa
❤1
Ostara, the Spring Equinox
Today, those who follow both our Dharmic Germanic and Celtic Pagan Sister Paths celebrate the auspicious day of Ostara, the liminal equinox that day and night are of equal balance and the days begin to lengthen, as Nature awakens from slumber. As Spring once more ascends, new life and fresh blooming are awakened and renewed.
During this sacred time, our European ancestors and kin honoured the Germanic goddess of Spring, Ēostre as youthful divine maiden, and meditated upon the ascend of Nature and the birth of new life. At Ostara, crops are planted, symbols of fertility like the hare, chicks, and eggs signify the beginning of the Spring and rule of the young goddess, marked by marriages, childbearing, and feasting.
For Vedic Dharmis, Ostara parallels the period of Vasanta Ṛtu, which likewise honours youth, renewal, and fertility, through Spring Festivals like Holi. May Dharmis and Pagans together honour the coming Spring by rejoicing in the goddess, and her many gifts at Ostara.
Today, those who follow both our Dharmic Germanic and Celtic Pagan Sister Paths celebrate the auspicious day of Ostara, the liminal equinox that day and night are of equal balance and the days begin to lengthen, as Nature awakens from slumber. As Spring once more ascends, new life and fresh blooming are awakened and renewed.
During this sacred time, our European ancestors and kin honoured the Germanic goddess of Spring, Ēostre as youthful divine maiden, and meditated upon the ascend of Nature and the birth of new life. At Ostara, crops are planted, symbols of fertility like the hare, chicks, and eggs signify the beginning of the Spring and rule of the young goddess, marked by marriages, childbearing, and feasting.
For Vedic Dharmis, Ostara parallels the period of Vasanta Ṛtu, which likewise honours youth, renewal, and fertility, through Spring Festivals like Holi. May Dharmis and Pagans together honour the coming Spring by rejoicing in the goddess, and her many gifts at Ostara.
❤8
Longing for Supreme Substance
“Through the downward flow of the river of time and the multiple refractions and reflections of Reality upon the myriad mirrors has become separated from being and the bliss or ecstasy which characterizes the union of knowledge and being. Knowledge has become nearly completely externalized and desacralized, especially among those segments of the human race which have become transformed by the process of modernization, and that bliss which is the fruit of union with the One and an aspect of the perfume of the sacred has become well-nigh unattainable and beyond the grasp of the vast majority of those who walk upon the earth. But the root and essence of knowledge continues to be inseparable from the sacred for the very substance of knowledge is the knowledge of that reality which is the Supreme Substance, the Sacred as such, compared to which all levels of existence and all forms of the manifold are but merely temporal accidents.”
- Seyyed Hossein Nasr
(“Knowledge and the Sacred”)
“Through the downward flow of the river of time and the multiple refractions and reflections of Reality upon the myriad mirrors has become separated from being and the bliss or ecstasy which characterizes the union of knowledge and being. Knowledge has become nearly completely externalized and desacralized, especially among those segments of the human race which have become transformed by the process of modernization, and that bliss which is the fruit of union with the One and an aspect of the perfume of the sacred has become well-nigh unattainable and beyond the grasp of the vast majority of those who walk upon the earth. But the root and essence of knowledge continues to be inseparable from the sacred for the very substance of knowledge is the knowledge of that reality which is the Supreme Substance, the Sacred as such, compared to which all levels of existence and all forms of the manifold are but merely temporal accidents.”
- Seyyed Hossein Nasr
(“Knowledge and the Sacred”)
❤4
The Daśāvatāras, Lord Kalki
The tenth of the descended Ten Daśāvatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, Who is still to appear, shall be the wrathful Pūrṇa-avatāra of Lord Kalki, the Cosmic Avenger, Who will descend upon the Earth as the Destroyer of Ādharma, finally ending this Dark Age of Kali.
As prophesied in the Purāṇas, Lord Kalki will be born in Śambhala, at the end of the Kali Yugā. Lord Kalki then will appear, of radiant complexion, wearing yellow garments and wielding a blazing sword, riding on a great white horse. He will without mercy slay all demonic rulers and annihilate all atheists. After this Apocalypse, Śrī Kalki will usher in the new Sātya Yugā.
The Līlās of Lord Kalki display the wrath of divine reckoning, but likewise the divine mercy of the Lord in Himself coming to renew the Cycle of the Manvantara. May all devotees eagerly anticipate the coming of Kalki, and restore the Golden Age of pure Dharma, as the Yugās begin anew.
ॐ श्री कल्कि अवताराय नमः
Auṁ Śrī Kalki Avatarāya Namaḥ
The tenth of the descended Ten Daśāvatāras of the Supreme Lord; Śrīman-Nārāyaṇa, Who is still to appear, shall be the wrathful Pūrṇa-avatāra of Lord Kalki, the Cosmic Avenger, Who will descend upon the Earth as the Destroyer of Ādharma, finally ending this Dark Age of Kali.
As prophesied in the Purāṇas, Lord Kalki will be born in Śambhala, at the end of the Kali Yugā. Lord Kalki then will appear, of radiant complexion, wearing yellow garments and wielding a blazing sword, riding on a great white horse. He will without mercy slay all demonic rulers and annihilate all atheists. After this Apocalypse, Śrī Kalki will usher in the new Sātya Yugā.
The Līlās of Lord Kalki display the wrath of divine reckoning, but likewise the divine mercy of the Lord in Himself coming to renew the Cycle of the Manvantara. May all devotees eagerly anticipate the coming of Kalki, and restore the Golden Age of pure Dharma, as the Yugās begin anew.
ॐ श्री कल्कि अवताराय नमः
Auṁ Śrī Kalki Avatarāya Namaḥ
👍3🙏3
Celebrating Śrī Rāma Navamī
Today, many Vaiṣṇavas and Vedic devotees of the Supreme Personality celebrate the festive day of Śrī Rāma Navamī; the joyous appearance day of Lord Rāmachāndra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Whose divine pastimes displayed perfect Manhood and Dharmic Kingship (Dharma-Rājā).
Lord Rāma descended as the Pūrṇa-avatāra of Nārāyaṇa in the previous Yugā as the son of Daśaratha and heir of the Kingdom of Ayodhyā, Who with His Consort Sītā-devī came to display divine Relationship and Perfection. The exiled Supreme Lord slew the demon Rāvaṇa in Laṅkā, and aided by His beloved Bhaktas, returned to His Kingdom, being enthroned as Divine Ruler, ushering in thousands of years of reign in an ideal Āryan Civilization.
As Śrīla Prabhupāda and the many Āchāryas have stated, to chant the Divine Names of Rāma (Rāma-japa) three times is equal to a thousand Names of Viṣṇu, and will lead all surrendered devotees to liberation by the grace of our Lord Rāmachāndra.
हरे राम
Hare Rāma
Today, many Vaiṣṇavas and Vedic devotees of the Supreme Personality celebrate the festive day of Śrī Rāma Navamī; the joyous appearance day of Lord Rāmachāndra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Whose divine pastimes displayed perfect Manhood and Dharmic Kingship (Dharma-Rājā).
Lord Rāma descended as the Pūrṇa-avatāra of Nārāyaṇa in the previous Yugā as the son of Daśaratha and heir of the Kingdom of Ayodhyā, Who with His Consort Sītā-devī came to display divine Relationship and Perfection. The exiled Supreme Lord slew the demon Rāvaṇa in Laṅkā, and aided by His beloved Bhaktas, returned to His Kingdom, being enthroned as Divine Ruler, ushering in thousands of years of reign in an ideal Āryan Civilization.
As Śrīla Prabhupāda and the many Āchāryas have stated, to chant the Divine Names of Rāma (Rāma-japa) three times is equal to a thousand Names of Viṣṇu, and will lead all surrendered devotees to liberation by the grace of our Lord Rāmachāndra.
हरे राम
Hare Rāma
❤4
The Resurrection of Isha Putra
Today, many celebrate the auspicious Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is known in the Vaidika Tradition by the name Isha Putra; the great sage (Ṛṣi) and Āveśha-avatāra who was send to preach Dharma to the Ādharmic Jewish Mlecchas, and whose life, death, and glorious rising display the pastimes of a surrendered Bhakti-yogī.
The Līlās of Jesus unfolded when, after being crucified, he by his mystic power (Siddhi) was raised from the dead, taking up his life (John 10:18). Jesus was worshipped by heavenly Devās, who declared: “He is risen!” (Matthew 28:6). He appeared to his disciples in a glorified spiritual body (Saṃbhogakāya), and then ascended to Siddha-loka, to the true Godhead.
While not in any way Abrahamic Christians, Dharmis can likewise rejoice in the Risen Isha Putra, as is taught by many Vedic Āchāryas. By his death and rise, we may see that Bhakti and Surrender will defy suffering and death, transcending material nature.
जय ईशपुत्र नमः
Jaya Isha Putra Namaḥ
Today, many celebrate the auspicious Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is known in the Vaidika Tradition by the name Isha Putra; the great sage (Ṛṣi) and Āveśha-avatāra who was send to preach Dharma to the Ādharmic Jewish Mlecchas, and whose life, death, and glorious rising display the pastimes of a surrendered Bhakti-yogī.
The Līlās of Jesus unfolded when, after being crucified, he by his mystic power (Siddhi) was raised from the dead, taking up his life (John 10:18). Jesus was worshipped by heavenly Devās, who declared: “He is risen!” (Matthew 28:6). He appeared to his disciples in a glorified spiritual body (Saṃbhogakāya), and then ascended to Siddha-loka, to the true Godhead.
While not in any way Abrahamic Christians, Dharmis can likewise rejoice in the Risen Isha Putra, as is taught by many Vedic Āchāryas. By his death and rise, we may see that Bhakti and Surrender will defy suffering and death, transcending material nature.
जय ईशपुत्र नमः
Jaya Isha Putra Namaḥ
❤7
The Pagan Heroism of Siegfried
In Richard Wagner’s Siegfried; the third opera in his epic Ring Cycle, the themes of youthful vigor, spiritual destiny, and heroic courage stand as prevailing narratives, conveying how the Heathen impulses of sacred battle and destined love overcome scheming greed and the voidness of selfish ego.
Wagner present Siegfried, the Wälsung, unbeknownst to himself the offspring of the All-Father Wotan, as the supreme Germanic hero, who, being born without fear, discovers his divine heritage and reforges by his own hand his father’s great sword Nothung. He fearlessly slays the great Dragon, Fafner and conquering his sacred destiny, Siegfried rescues Brünnhilde from the ring of fire as the only man worthy to claim her as his.
From a Dharmic perspective, we can discern in Siegfried’s pursuit of truth and heroic overcoming in Pagan ancestral destiny a parallel to the Vedic emphasis on fearlessness (Abhāya), displaying the divine hero within the deep Indo-European Soul.
In Richard Wagner’s Siegfried; the third opera in his epic Ring Cycle, the themes of youthful vigor, spiritual destiny, and heroic courage stand as prevailing narratives, conveying how the Heathen impulses of sacred battle and destined love overcome scheming greed and the voidness of selfish ego.
Wagner present Siegfried, the Wälsung, unbeknownst to himself the offspring of the All-Father Wotan, as the supreme Germanic hero, who, being born without fear, discovers his divine heritage and reforges by his own hand his father’s great sword Nothung. He fearlessly slays the great Dragon, Fafner and conquering his sacred destiny, Siegfried rescues Brünnhilde from the ring of fire as the only man worthy to claim her as his.
From a Dharmic perspective, we can discern in Siegfried’s pursuit of truth and heroic overcoming in Pagan ancestral destiny a parallel to the Vedic emphasis on fearlessness (Abhāya), displaying the divine hero within the deep Indo-European Soul.
❤6
Being A Fully Western Vaiṣṇava
The greatest misconception regarding the devotional practice of Vaiṣṇavism or Kṛṣṇa-Consciousness within Western society, is the simplistic idea that one has to reject their own heritage, adhering to all the outward signifiers of ancient Indian culture, or be complete renunciants. We are to embrace our own great Civilization.
Śrīla Prabhupāda taught that Western devotees must practice “measured renunciation” (Yukta-vairāgya), being inwardly renounced but outwardly participating in a material life. Lord Brahmā himself teaches that “while remaining situated in their established social positions” (sthāne sthitāḥ) devotees remain surrendered to God (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 10.14.3). Renunciation is not in external signs.
Western devotees need not pretend to be Indians. Truth is not in Vedic dress or architecture. Sanātana Dharma is the ancient and primordial heritage of all Indo-Europeans, not being merely “Indian”, but the indigenous Tradition for all Westerners in authentic Unity.
The greatest misconception regarding the devotional practice of Vaiṣṇavism or Kṛṣṇa-Consciousness within Western society, is the simplistic idea that one has to reject their own heritage, adhering to all the outward signifiers of ancient Indian culture, or be complete renunciants. We are to embrace our own great Civilization.
Śrīla Prabhupāda taught that Western devotees must practice “measured renunciation” (Yukta-vairāgya), being inwardly renounced but outwardly participating in a material life. Lord Brahmā himself teaches that “while remaining situated in their established social positions” (sthāne sthitāḥ) devotees remain surrendered to God (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 10.14.3). Renunciation is not in external signs.
Western devotees need not pretend to be Indians. Truth is not in Vedic dress or architecture. Sanātana Dharma is the ancient and primordial heritage of all Indo-Europeans, not being merely “Indian”, but the indigenous Tradition for all Westerners in authentic Unity.
🙏5❤2💯1
Demolishing ‘Fossilism’
“Can you conceive that the boy Kṛṣṇa uprooted Govardhana and put it on His finger? Can you conceive? That can be swallowed by those persons? If that can be adjusted, then everything can be adjusted. You see? And the question, that all comes from fossilism. Fossil. Fossil is given, matter is given, more importance over consciousness, but consciousness can create anything. That is the process. We have to understand and digest that not from fossil everything is coming, but from consciousness everything is coming. From spirit everything is coming. Then it will be clear, to explain all these miracles. Can they digest that? You? That is all false? So many things; how to explain that from the materialistic or scientific standpoint? From the same basis we are to view everything, and all the conceptions of the present scholars are all based on this fossilism and that must be demolished. Wholesale! This is not the way of thinking for a man of devotion.”
- Śrīla B. R. Śrīdhar Swāmī Mahārāj
“Can you conceive that the boy Kṛṣṇa uprooted Govardhana and put it on His finger? Can you conceive? That can be swallowed by those persons? If that can be adjusted, then everything can be adjusted. You see? And the question, that all comes from fossilism. Fossil. Fossil is given, matter is given, more importance over consciousness, but consciousness can create anything. That is the process. We have to understand and digest that not from fossil everything is coming, but from consciousness everything is coming. From spirit everything is coming. Then it will be clear, to explain all these miracles. Can they digest that? You? That is all false? So many things; how to explain that from the materialistic or scientific standpoint? From the same basis we are to view everything, and all the conceptions of the present scholars are all based on this fossilism and that must be demolished. Wholesale! This is not the way of thinking for a man of devotion.”
- Śrīla B. R. Śrīdhar Swāmī Mahārāj
🙏5