Pick Yourself up Nine Times – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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Pick Yourself up Nine Times – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami went to several holy places in Vrindavan connected to the pastimes of Lord Brahma. While at Brahma Kunda in Vrindavan, he mentioned that Lord Brahma is important in our sampradaya, because he is the original guru in our sampradaya, having been enlightened by Krishna (who is, of course, the actual original Guru). Indradyumna Swami went on to mention that Lord Brahma’s prayers, the Bramha-samhita are essential for understanding Krishna Consciousness. In fact, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta recommended that we read or sing them every day. Everything is contained in them.

He said that these prayers of the Brahma-samhita were composed after Lord Bramha realized his mistake in stealing Krsna’s cowherd boyfriends, cows, and calves. Brahma came to this particular spot and cried in remorse here and his tears filled the kunda. While it’s dry in the warmer seasons, in the monsoon season, the kunda fills up with water.

Indradyumna Swami explained that sometimes devotees make mistakes. Sometimes due to conditioning or weakness, devotees fall down but our philosophy is that they are to be forgiven. An acquaintance of his who is an imam in the Muslim tradition said that it’s understood in their religion that if you fall down eight times, you pick yourself up nine times. Of course, you must want to rectify yourself and want to be situated properly on the path of Krishna Consciousness. So remorse is the first step. Then, comes asking for forgiveness from the Lord, the Vaisnavas, and Guru and being committed to not making the mistake again.

To encapsulate this and other travels, Indradyumna Swami wrote in a Facebook post:

Today we visited a number of places related to the Brahma Vimohana Lila in which Lord Brahma steals Krsna’s cowherd boyfriends and cows. We took darshan of an ancient tree the boys took prasadam under, the exact place where Brahma stole the boys and cows, the cave he hid them in and the kunda where his tears of remorse filled up as a lake. Quite an adventure for one day!

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

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The Village of Fear – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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The Village of Fear – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami has been continuing his search for new and different holy places in Vrindavan to take the devotees during the upcoming Kartik Parikrama 2019. He most recently visited the “Village of Fear.”

Today, he wrote in a Facebook post to commemorate visiting Bhayagaon:

Today we visited Bhayagaon, the village of fear. The fear refers to when Nanda Maharaja bathed too early one morning in the nearby Yamuna river and was arrested by the servants of Varuna. He became fearful but was soon saved by Krsna. Bhayagaon is also where Jiva Goswami, having once displeased Srila Rupa Goswami, was ostracized by Rupa and lived in a cave for sometime performing numerous austerities and chanting the holy names. Eventually, Rupa Goswami lovingly accepted him back. We spent a lot time in the cave meditating on the many instructions to be learned from the pastime.

Indradyumna Swami mentioned that we can learn a lot from the pastime that took place between Srila Rupa and Jiva Goswamis. If we make a mistake, he said, we should feel remorse, try to purify ourselves, ask for forgiveness and wait for that forgiveness to be bestowed upon us and then go on with our devotional service as Jiva Goswami did.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

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The Festival of Flowers – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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The Festival of Flowers – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

This past weekend, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami attended the huge and beautiful flower festival at ISKCON Chowpatty, the Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha Mandir. He led kirtan and so did others, like Jahnavi Jivana devi dasi. He also wrote in a Facebook post:

The Flower Festival at ISKCON Chowpatty was especially nice this year with the attendance of hundreds of yoga students who had just graduated from their Yoga Teacher Training courses at Govardhan Eco Village. The kirtan roared for hours as the deities and then the devotees were inundated with literally millions of flowers.

The Swami also gave a lecture on the occasion of the flower festival, entitled “Krishna You Are Mine”.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

Bharatpur

Kartika Parikrama: Vrindavan and Mayapur 2018

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Kartika Parikrama: Vrindavan and Mayapur 2018 – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

Kartik Parikrama has begun! His Holiness Indradyumna Swami is now in Vrindavan, India, taking some 400 Devotees to various holy places with his associates, Bada Hari das, Caturatma das, and others.

Last week, the group started their Parikrama by going to the Radha Vallabha temple in downtown Vrindavan. He noted in a Facebook post that “Most of our 400 devotees had never seen that most beautiful deity with His dark black eyes!”
Radha_Vallabha
The Parikrama party was also fortunate to visit Bharatpur. Indradyumna Swami described the town in a Facebook post:
Our Kartika parikrama took us to Bharatpur, a town within the sacred boundaries of Vraja Mandala, that is rich in the history of Vaisnava culture. A former king, Maharaj Suraj Mal, protected Bharatpur from foreign invaders, while at the same time inspiring his subjects in their spiritual lives. There are a number of beautiful temples of Radha and Krsna in Bharatpur. Our parikrama party of 420 devotees performed harinam throughout the city, much to the delight of the citizens.
Ananta Vrindavan das has already released a video about the Kartik 2018 activities and continues to photograph the activities of the Devotees and Indradyumna Swami while on Parikrama.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

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Better Than Broadway – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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Better Than Broadway – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami has been traveling to different locations around the United States with his festival tour group. Viva Kultura had an enormously successful show at Vanderbilt University recently, and they had another nice program in New Albany, Ohio, where the Mayor was in attendance.

In a Facebook post, Indradyumna Swami recounted the event:

Sloan Spalding, the respected mayor of New Albany, Ohio where we held our show two days ago, commented after the show “This is better than any New York Broadway production!” And he meant it.

After the program, Indradyumna Swami went on to the ISKCON temple in Chicago, where the Devotees were so pleased to welcome him. He led a vivacious kirtan that had everyone dancing and chanting with great joy.

Just a few days before, Indradyumna Swami posted on Facebook a beautiful meditation on Srila Prabhupada:

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, it is said in the Bhagavad-gita that if one thinks of Krsna at the moment of death, he goes to Krsna. What if one thinks of his spiritual master?

Srila Prabhupada: He will go to Krsna because spiritual master is also going to Krsna.

[ Lecture, Nairobi, October 28, 1975 ]

Image may contain: one or more people and people sitting

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

Indradyumna_Swami_Arkansas

On Tour, Remembering Srila Prabhupada – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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On Tour, Remembering Srila Prabhupada – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami left Houston, Texas last week and has been traveling to various places in the United States with his traveling festival program, bringing the science of Krsna Consciousness in a colorful, creative, graceful way to people across the nation. The festival has already been brought to Houston, Dallas, Little Rock, Nashville and they are headed to Knoxville today.

In the midst of all of this preaching in the United States, Indradyumna Swami humbly reflected on Srila Prabhupada. On his Facebook page, Indradyumna Swami quoted the following prayer in a beautiful post:

“O spiritual master, I continually offer my obeisances unto you, who are always in the presence of Srimati Radharani and very much devoted to Her. You always reside in the association of Her confidantes, the gopis, and you are the abode of loving devotion to Krishna.”

Regarding the show in Little Rock, Arkansas, Indradyumna Swami wrote:

Yesterday evening we held our festival in a small hall just outside Little Rock, Arkansas. Arkansas is the deep south, a very conservative area. Nevertheless, after much advertising over several weeks and a short street performance before our event, 500 people came to our show and everyone loved it. The fact that a number of people went home with Bhagavad Gitas under their arms demonstrated that Lord Caitanya’s movement is indeed meant for every town and village.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

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Janmashtami, Vyasa Puja, and a Traveling Krishna Festival – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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Janmashtami, Vyasa Puja, and a Traveling Show – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami left Houston, Texas a couple of days ago but while in Houston he participated in so many nectarean events. Indradyumna Swami also celebrated Sri Krishna Janmashtami there with several of his Godbrothers, including His Holiness Giriraja Swami and His Holiness BB Govinda Swami. He also stayed there to celebrate the Vyasa Puja ceremony of his Godbrother, His Holiness Giriraja Swami.

At the ceremony, he read his beautiful offering to Giriraja Swami, which can be read on his profile on Medium.

So yes, we are friends, but I think a better terminology is that we are brothers, and you are the older brother. You are older in age, older in time spent in ISKCON, and older in your realizations and wisdom in Krsna consciousness. As such I take great pleasure in honoring you on this auspicious day. In fact, so much do I appreciate what you have done for me, that I honor you in the same mood as your disciples: as a representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Giriraja_Indradyumna

Since celebrating the sweet Vyasa Puja ceremony, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami and his festival team have been on the go, preaching at different centers in Texas and now Arkansas. He wrote an update regarding their show in Texas in a Facebook post:

The second show of our USA tour was another success. Over 1,000 people from all over Dallas, Texas attended. Many of them were coming into contact with Krsna Consciousness for the first time. We had many nice comments and a good number of books were sold.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

Indradyumna_Swami

Janmashtami in Houston – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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Janmashtami in Houston – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami is still in Houston, Texas, where the festival team held a very nice devotional program for a group of yoga students. Indradyumna Swami also celebrated Sri Krishna Janmashtami there with several of his Godbrothers, including His Holiness Giriraja Swami and His Holiness BB Govinda Swami. So far, Indradyumna Swami’s American tour is so far off to a strong start.

 In fact, he wrote on his Facebook page:

We have just begun our festival tour here in the United States of America. Today we are celebrating Janmastami in Houston, Texas. The day began with a small program with some yoga students. We’re off to a great start!

He includes a video created by Ananta Vrindavan das to show a little from the program.

Today, he also wrote in another post:

Yesterday evening myself and some members of my festival team did a program for newcomers to Krsna consciousness. It was very blissful! Programs don’t always have to be big and gorgeous to be successful. A little Krsna-katha and sweet chanting of the holy names can satisfy any sincere spiritual seeker’s heart.

Of the Janmashtami celebration in Houston, he wrote:

Several days ago Janmastami was celebrated all over the world. In Houston, Texas we had a wonderful program for the presiding deities, Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava. With many distinguished guests we discussed the Lord’s advent and then danced in ecstasy until way after midnight!

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

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Srila Prabhupada in France – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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Srila Prabhupada in France – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami is now in Houston, Texas in the United States for the next ten days. Very soon, his American tour will begin. Another rigorous schedule of preaching, this time in the United States, will mark the second annual festival tour for him in the U.S. Right now, his schedule indicates that the tour Devotees will visit twenty different universities in seven weeks. Last year, the American tour met with a lot of success from students, professors, and from the general public. In addition to university programs, the Devotees also carried out harinam sankirtan in Boston and Philadelphia. This year, after the tour, it won’t be long before he brings disciples and Godsiblings with him to the Holy Dhams in India: Sri Vrindavan Dhama and Sri Mayapur Dhama this year.

 With the upcoming appearance day anniversary of Srila Prabhupada, Indradyumna Swami wrote in a Facebook post today:

My dear spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada: Just today, on the eve of the celebration of your appearance day next week, I found these photos from your arrival in Paris, France 44 years ago. I cannot express how dear they are to me! By the Lord’s grace I am still singing your glories daily and I pray to continue so forever and forever more.

He included with the text of the post four pictures from Srila Prabhupada’s visit back then, and Indradyumna Swami can be seen playing mridanga and kartals during the kirtan.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

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Every step is a dance – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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Every step is a dance – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

Indradyumna Swami and his team of Polish tour Devotees have now completed their Summer tour in Poland. Very soon, he will be off on his American tour with a subset of the Polish Festival tour team (75 devotees). In the meantime, they have been packing and sending 60 tons of equipment in five big trucks to Warsaw for storage. In America, the Devotees will visit over 20 universities in seven weeks. The Devotees ended their two-month tour in Poland with ecstatic kirtans that had the Polish people up and dancing.

 Indradyumna Swami wrote in a Facebook post last week:

Our yearly Festival of India in Poland allows people to experience the wonderful world of Krsna consciousness in a variety of ways. Through music, dance, theater, prasadam, seminars and more, our guests are introduced to a culture that exists eternally in the spiritual sky. A culture where every step is a dance, every word is a song and blissful festivals are a daily affair.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.