VIHE Kartik Semester 2006 info

[Guest guest]

Dear Devotees,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

There is no better month for a devotee than Damodara-masa and no better

vrata or service than hearing about Krishna in association of devotees. Sri

Vrindavan Dhama is present in this world to give us this opportunity.

 

Please find here the schedule of this year's Kartik Semester in VIHE. See

also http://vihe.org/kartik.htm

 

Kartik Semester Schedule

 

Oct 14

Outing

Worship at Surya Kunda

Dravida Dasa

 

Oct 15

4.50pm-6.00pm

English Bhakti Sastri Closing

 

Oct 16 – 19

3.30pm-5.30pm

Impersonalism

Sankirtana Dasa

 

Oct 16-19

4.30pm-6pm

Gosala

Caring for cows

Kurma-rupa Dasa

Sanaka Sanatana Dasa

Hrimati Dasi

 

Oct 18 - Oct 20

10am-1pm

Mathura Meets Vrndavana

Madhavananda Dasa

 

Oct 21

Outing

Uddhava of Vrindavana

Lokanath Swami

 

Oct 22 Govardhana Puja

 

Oct 23 - Nov 10

10am-11am

SP’s House

Sanskrt

Bhakta Demian

 

Oct 23 - Nov 10

4pm-5.30pm

SP’s House

Hindi

Bhakta Demian

 

Oct 26 Srila Prabhupada's Disappearance Day

 

Oct 27 – Nov 3

3.30pm-5.30pm

The 4 Vaisnava Sampradayas

Madhavendra-puri Dasa

 

Oct 27-29

5.45pm-6.30pm

Sri Sampradaya

Damana-krsna Dasa

 

Oct 28 – Nov 3

9.45am-11.45am

Sad-darsana

Kamala Locana Dasa

 

Oct 31 – Nov 3

12pm-2pm

The Alvars

Vanamali-gopala Dasa

 

Nov 3

Hindi Bhakti Sastri Opening

 

Nov 10 - 15

Japa Retreat

Sacinandana Swami – Bhurijana Dasa

 

Nov 17 – 24

Govardhana Retreat:

Sacinandana Swami – Bhurijana Dasa – Jagattarini Dasi

 

Nov 28 Bhaktivedanta Studies Opening

 

Your servants at VIHE

 

---------------------

SPECIAL EFFICACY OF KARTIKA VRATA IN MATHURA-MANDALA:

 

Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu Text 1.2.222:

tatrapi mathurayam visesho, yatha tatraiva

bhuktim muktim harir dadyad arcito ‘nyatra sevinam |

bhaktim tu na dadaty eva yato vasyakari hareh

 

It is said in the Padma Purana that Lord Hari gives enjoyments and

liberation (bhukti and mukti) to the devotees who observe Kartika-vrata in

worshipping the Lord during the month of Kartika anywhere other than

Mathura-mandala; but does not bestow bhakti because bhakti binds down the

Lord to His devotees. –1.2.222-

 

Commentary: Sri Jiva Gosvami observes that the intention of the text here in

saying that the Lord does not bestow bhakti because it binds Him down to

such devotee, is that it does not really cause any unhappiness to the Lord

being subordinated to His devotees by the superior power of bhakti. This is

intended to establish the excellence of bhakti as distinct from bhukti and

mukti, as the last two have no power to make the Lord, bound down to those

to whom He offers them. Bhakti, which has the potency of subordinating even

the Supreme Lord, should not be offered by the Lord to the undeserving. So

long as one is not eligible for it, the Lord does not give bhakti. This

eligibility lies in the independence of bhakti of any other desire excepting

desire for bhakti itself. But even if one is not thus eligible for the

blessings of bhakti, such eligibility is easily and immediately attained if

one observes Kartika-vrata in Mathura, i.e. if Lord Damodara is worshipped

in Mathura in the month of Kartika.

 

Sri Mukunda dasa Gosvami points out that if one observes

Kartika-vrata in any place other than Mathura and without any attachment for

the Lord, then such a person, receives the boons of bhukti and mukti from

the Lord, and not bhakti. It is not proper that the Lord should make Himself

subordinated to one by giving him bhakti when such a person has no

attachment for the Lord. It is thus that the Lord does not give them,

bhakti. But the worship of Lord Damodara in Mathura in the month of Kartika

has such spiritual force that one becomes eligible for the Lord's blessing

of bhakti.