Holi/Gaura Purnima Mahotsav

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna dear Prabhus/Matajis,

Please accept our most respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila

Prabhupad.

 

We are very happy to extend the invitation to you & your family/friends

to celebrate the most Auspicious event, Divine Appearance Day of Lord

Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu which also coincides with Holi - the

festival of colors.

 

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Holi - Gaura Purnima Mahotsav:

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PROGRAM:

- Abhishek (Bathing the Supreme Lord with 5 auspicious items: Milk,

Yogurt, Ghee, Honey, Water)

- Maha-Aarti, Puja

- Bhajan/Kirtan, Harinaam

- Pravachan

- Mahaprasadam for all assembled guests.

 

DATE/TIME: 4-March-2007 (SUNDAY), PM 4:00 ~ 7:00

 

VENUE: Hare Krishna Temple

ADDRESS: Subaru 1F, 4-19-6 Kamitakada, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0002

 

PHONE: 080-5412-2528, 080-5405-8977, 080-1022-8560, 070-5019-4824,

03-5343-9147

 

VENUE MAP: http://www.krishna.jp/english/index.html ---> Temple

 

Nearby stations:

Ochiai stn.: Tozai line (Exit 1)

Higashi-Nakano stn.: JR-Sobu/Oedo line.

Nakai stn.: Seibu-Shinjuku/Oedo line.

 

Please do come.

 

Thank you very much.

 

Please chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra and make your life sublime:

 

"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare"

 

We remain your servant in the service of Lord Shri Krishna,

Devotees at ISKCON-Japan.

 

Opportunities offered by Hare Krishna Temple:

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Weekly Satsang (Bhajan, Meditation, Discourse, Prasadam): Every Sunday

from 4:30 onwards at Hare Krishna Temple. 03-5343-9147

 

Monthly Satsang (Bhajan, Meditation, Discourse, Prasadam): Every Month

in Higashi-Ojima (Edogawa-ku). 03-3637-0870, 080-5412-2528. Next

programs on 3/17, 4/15.

 

Temple Shop: Spiritual books, Audio/Video Cassettes, CD/CD-Roms/VCDs,

Incense, Japa/Neck Beads, Posters, devotional T-shirts.

 

Learn Indian Classical Music (Tabla/Harmonium/Vocal) - 03-3637-0870,

080-5412-2528

 

Visit Pure Vegetarian Hare Krishna Restaurant

- GOVINDA's - 03-3387-8998 (www.krishna.jp/govindas/)

- DEVADEVA CAFÉ - 0422-21-6220 (www.devadevacafe.com)

 

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Sevas/Sponsorships (Voluntary Services):

Interested devotees may kindly contact 080-5412-2528, 080-5405-8977,

080-1022-8560 for details.

 

Donations for festival sevas may be sent to below accounts:

 

Bank Transfer:

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi (Nakano-Ekimae Branch)

Account No.: 1580108 (A/c Type: Futsu)

Account Name: Krishna Ishiki Kokusai Kyokai Tokorozawa Jiin

 

Post Office Transfer:

Account Number: 00120-1-119592

Account Name: Govinda Mail Service

 

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Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.32

 

krishna-varnam tvishakrishnam

sangopangastra-parshadam

yajnaih sankirtana-prayair

yajanti hi su-medhasah

 

SYNONYMS

 

krishna-varnam -- repeating the syllables krish-na; tvisha -- with a

luster; akrishnam -- not black (golden); sa-anga -- along with

associates; upa-anga -- servitors; astra -- weapons; parshadam --

confidential companions; yajnaih -- by sacrifice; sankirtana-prayaih --

consisting chiefly of congregational chanting; yajanti -- they worship;

hi -- certainly; su-medhasah -- intelligent persons.

 

TRANSLATION

 

In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting

to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of

Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself.

He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential

companions.

 

PURPORT

 

This same verse is quoted by Krishnadasa Kaviraja in the

Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, Chapter Three, verse 52. His Divine

Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has given the following

commentary on this verse. "This text is from Srimad-Bhagavatam

(11.5.32). Srila Jiva Gosvami has explained this verse in his commentary

on the Bhagavatam known as the Krama-sandarbha, wherein he says that

Lord Krishna also appears with a golden complexion. That golden Lord

Krishna is Lord Caitanya, who is worshiped by intelligent men in this

age. That is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam by Garga Muni, who said that

although the child Krishna was blackish, He also appears in three other

colors -- red, white and yellow. He exhibited His white and red

complexions in the Satya and Treta ages respectively. He did not exhibit

the remaining color, yellow-gold, until He appeared as Lord Caitanya,

who is known as Gaurahari.

 

"Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that krishna-varnam means Sri Krishna

Caitanya. Krishna-varnam and Krishna Caitanya are equivalent. The name

Krishna appears with both Lord Krishna and Lord Caitanya Krishna. Lord

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He

always engages in describing Krishna and thus enjoying transcendental

bliss by chanting and remembering His name and form. Lord Krishna

Himself appears as Lord Caitanya to preach the highest gospel. Varnayati

means 'utters' or 'describes.' Lord Caitanya always chants the holy name

of Krishna and describes it also, and because He is Krishna Himself,

whoever meets Him will automatically chant the holy name of Krishna and

later describe it to others. He injects one with transcendental Krishna

consciousness, which merges the chanter in transcendental bliss. In all

respects, therefore, He appears before everyone as Krishna, either by

personality or by sound. Simply by seeing Lord Caitanya one at once

remembers Lord Krishna. One may therefore accept Him as vishnu-tattva.

In other words, Lord Caitanya is Lord Krishna Himself.

 

"Sangopangastra-parshadam further indicates that Lord Caitanya is Lord

Krishna. His body is always decorated with ornaments of sandalwood and

with sandalwood paste. By His superexcellent beauty He subdues all the

people of the age. In other descents the Lord sometimes used weapons to

defeat the demoniac, but in this age the Lord subdues them with His

all-attractive figure as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Jiva Gosvami

explains that His beauty is His astra, or weapon, to subdue the demons.

Because He is all-attractive, it is to be understood that all the

demigods lived with Him as His companions. His acts were uncommon and

His associates wonderful. When He propagated the sankirtana movement, He

attracted many great scholars and acaryas, especially in Bengal and

Orissa. Lord Caitanya is always accompanied by His best associates like

Lord Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara and Srivasa.

 

"Srila Jiva Gosvami cites a verse from the Vedic literature that says

that there is no necessity of performing sacrificial demonstrations or

ceremonial functions. He comments that instead of engaging in such

external, pompous exhibitions, all people, regardless of caste, color or

creed, can assemble together and chant Hare Krishna to worship Lord

Caitanya. Krishna-varnam tvishakrishnam [sB 11.5.32] indicates that

prominence should be given to the name Krishna. Lord Caitanya taught

Krishna consciousness and chanted the name of Krishna. Therefore, to

worship Lord Caitanya, everyone should together chant the maha-mantra --

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare

Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. To propagate worship in churches, temples or

mosques is not possible because people have lost interest in that. But

anywhere and everywhere, people can chant Hare Krishna. Thus worshiping

Lord Caitanya, they can perform the highest activity and fulfill the

highest religious purpose of satisfying the Supreme Lord.

 

"Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, a famous disciple of Lord Caitanya,

said: 'The principle of transcendental devotional service having been

lost, Sri Krishna Caitanya has appeared to deliver again the process of

devotion. He is so kind that He is distributing love of Krishna.

Everyone should be attracted more and more to His lotus feet, as humming

bees are attracted to a lotus flower.' "

 

The incarnation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu is also described in the Sri

Vishnu-sahasra-nama, which appears in Chapter 189 of the

Dana-dharma-parva of Mahabharata. Srila Jiva Gosvami has quoted this

reference as follows: suvarna-varno hemango varangas candanangadi. "In

His early pastimes He appears as a householder with a golden complexion.

His limbs are beautiful, and His body, smeared with the pulp of

sandalwood, seems like molten gold." He has also quoted, sannyasa-kric

chamah santo nishtha-santi-parayanah: "In His later pastimes He accepts

the sannyasa order, and He is equipoised and peaceful. He is the highest

abode of peace and devotion, for He silences the impersonalist

nondevotees."

 

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ISKCON-Japan (Hare Krishna Temple)

1F Subaru, 4-19-6 Kamitakada, Nakano-Ku, Tokyo 164-0002

Phone: 03-5343-9147, 080-5412-2528, 080-5405-8977, 080-1022-8560

Home Page: www.krishna.jp

E-mail: iskcon.japan (AT) pamho (DOT) net

 

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