https://youtu.be/P_yEzqTp_BI

krishna das, slow prayer.

Radhe radhe ♥️

i know in vaishnavism, vegetarian food is to be consumed. but how to answer questions of people regarding the practice of bali? is it a sin or not? like how to explain this topic to other people in not an offensive way without hurting anyone's beliefs.

The conditioned soul has a body full of dirty things—bones, blood, urine, stool and so forth. Nonetheless, the most intelligent men in this material world think they are these combinations of blood, bone, urine and stool. If this is so, why can't other intelligent men be made with these ingredients, which are so readily available? The entire world is going on under the bodily conception and creating a hellish condition unfit for any gentleman's living. - Srimad Bhagavatam 5.12.2 purport

My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.

I've noticed that I often struggle to connect with many modern bhajan renditions.

Whenever i search for an old bhajan, a remake version with millions of views is at the top of page replacing the original one.

A lot of newer singers seem more focused on making their voice sound as sweet, polished, and "perfect" as possible, forgetting the main essence of a bhajan. The excessive vocal styling, forced sweetness, autotune, and heavily produced arrangements sometimes make it feel more like a performance than an offering.

To me, the essence of a bhajan is bhakti. It is something sung from the heart, not something meant to showcase vocal skill or impress an audience. A bhajan is sung by the soul, not the vocal cords. You're not trying to impress anyone. You're expressing devotion. Drop the pretense and sing it with your heart.

My issue isn't musical skill itself. There is a difference between a voice that is naturally refined through years of practice and a voice that feels overly manufactured to create an image or emotional effect. What bothers me is when authenticity gets replaced by performance. Skill should serve devotion, not the other way around.

Another thing that bothers me is the increasing use of Bollywood-style music and production. While there's nothing inherently wrong with experimentation, I sometimes feel that it changes the original mood and rasa of the bhajan. The devotional atmosphere gets replaced by something that feels commercial, and the production becomes the focus instead of the devotion.

When I listen to older bhajans, even if the recording quality isn't perfect, I often feel a sincerity and simplicity that allows the devotion itself to take center stage. The singing may be less polished, but the bhakti feels more direct.

A simple test I use is this: after listening, am I thinking about God, or am I thinking about the singer? If I'm thinking mostly about the singer's voice, effects, production, and performance, then something has probably shifted away from the original purpose of a bhajan.

I've also noticed many remakes of older bhajans. Some seem to reproduce the original composition almost entirely, adding modern instrumentation, effects, and autotune. This makes me wonder: if a bhajan was originally composed by a particular person, can others legally record and monetize near-identical versions of it? Is permission usually required, or do many compositions effectively become treated as part of the public devotional tradition?

If it's being done purely as a devotional offering, I can understand it. But can people legally profit from someone else's original bhajan by repackaging it with modern production?

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I feel that devotion loses something when authenticity is replaced by polish. A bhajan doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be heartfelt.

Curious to hear what others think.

दुर्लभ द्वारका के दिव्य दर्शन | श्रीकृष्ण की अद्भुत नगरी | Dwarka Nagari 🦚✨

His Holiness Sivarama Maharaj (77) is currently swimming 40 kilometres across Lake Balaton in Hungary. The swim is expected to take around 20 hours.

He’s doing it to raise funds for a new Eco Health Centre at Krishna Valley that will care for elderly devotees and offer a spiritual place of healing.

He has spent over 50 years sharing India’s ancient spiritual culture in Hungary and nearby countries, founded Krishna Valley, and in 2009 received the Gold Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Republic for his charitable work.

Live stream is happening right now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpuiwPLvI4Q

More info:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/eco-health-center-in-krishna-valley

https://ecohealthcenter.hu

Kanha

https://www.instagram.com/iskcon.quotes?igsi=N3o3am1jcXJ0OXo2

Hare Krishna. I’m very new to the religion (2 months tops) so I’m still learning and immersing myself. I recently went to a vegetarian festival and met some devotees who gave me a flyer for an open house at New Vrindaban this upcoming Sunday. I’m very excited to be able to see the grounds, learn more, and be surrounded by all things Hare Krishna.

However this is really my first foray into religion at all. What I’ve been learning and reading has grabbed me like nothing has in the past (I’m 41 so not exactly a spring chicken either) so I’m going alone with an open mind and heart. I’m a little self conscious about the whole thing but mostly don’t want to make any faux pas and offend anyone.

Any pointers? Thank you for the kindness and helping me feel at home.

The Great Work (Translating and Authoring Srimad-Bhagavatam): This room witnessed his complete dedication to writing, authoring, and translating the volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam into English, which serves as the foundational scriptural and spiritual basis upon which he built his movement before its international launch

Hare krishna Hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

Radhe Radhe Soulful Krishna Chant | Peaceful Bhajan for Meditation & Inner Peace
https://youtu.be/XhHZMs7OIuQ

I’ve been attending my local ISKCON temple for a number of months. I’m also a person who enjoys wearing baseball caps. I’ve been able to buy a really nice Jagganath cap at the gift shop, but I would also like to buy one that says “Hare Krishna” or has the ISKCON logo on it.

Does anyone have any recommendations of temples or gift shops that sell such baseball caps, and are either located in the USA, or will ship to the USA?

I appreciate everyone’s help.

"श्रीमद्‌ भगवद्‌गीता यथारूप 18.24

यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहंकारेण वा पुनः ।

क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् ॥ १८.२४ ॥

Translation

लेकिन जो कार्य अपनी इच्छा पूर्ति के निमित्त प्रयासपूर्वक एवं मिथ्याअहंकार के भाव से किया जाता है, वह रजोगुणी कहा जाता है |

I've been working on an animated adaptation of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam based specifically on Śrīla Prabhupāda's translations and purports.

Episode 6 covers Bhīṣmadeva's final prayers and his remembrance of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

We just released the teaser and I'd genuinely love feedback on the visual storytelling and atmosphere.

This is a very small independent project, so constructive criticism is especially welcome.