Presentations from the ISKCON India Scholars Board to Maharaja Dibyasingh Deb and Scholars of the Jagannatha Shreemandira on the question of allowable dates for celebrating the Jagannatha Ratha-yatra

March 29, 2025Posted inEssays, TranslationsNo Comments
These presentations were made by members of the ISKCON India Scholars Board (IISB) before Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingh Deb, Dr. Aravind Padhee, Chief Administrator of the Shri Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA), and scholars representing the SJTA on 20th March 2025 in Bhubaneswar, India, on the occasion of a discussion between IISB and SJTA scholars. The presentations are made available both in English and Oriya.

Research on Authorized Dates for Observing the Jagannatha Rathayatra around the world

March 29, 2025Posted inEssaysNo Comments
These essays were presented by members of the ISKCON India Scholars Board (IISB) to Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingh Deb, Dr. Aravind Padhee, Chief Administrator of the Shri Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA), and scholars representing the SJTA on 20th March 2025 in Bhubaneswar, India, on the occasion of a discussion between IISB and SJTA scholars. These long-form essays address the topic of whether the Shri Jagannatha Rathayatra may be performed on dates other than the Ashadha-shukla-dvitiya, the 2nd day of the bright fortnight of the month of Ashadha (June-July), or dates near enough to it. This is the day for the Rathayatra stipulated in the Skanda Purana.
The Six Goswamis of Vrindavan

Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 15.442 with Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā

August 30, 2024Posted inTranslationsNo Comments
TRANSLATION: "The Holy Name of the Lord that one has received personally (through dikṣā) should be chanted by putting it in fourth case (caturthi vibhakti), prefixed by oṁ (praṇava), and suffixed by namaḥ. The mantra that is thus formed should be used by all the dvijas to worship the Lord. Women and śūdras (should worship the Lord) without mantra (mantra-vivarjitāḥ)." COMMENTARY [Dig-darśinī commentary of Sanātana Gosvāmī] Mantras to be used in the worship (pūjā) of Śrī Vāsudeva etc. are being explained in this verse that starts with the words "sva-nāmabhiḥ..." The implementation (of mantra) here is as follows: oṁ vāsudevāya namaḥ. The word mantravivarjitāḥ (without the mantra) here means without the praṇava (oṁ)—which means these mantras should be uttered by them without uttering the praṇava (oṁ). Although not specifically described here, the detailed description of this worship's krama (sequence of different accesories) and vidhi (procedure and statements injuncting its procedure) will be described later in this book by referring to various texts from several Purāṇas and according to sampradāya. (Click Read More for Sanskrit, word-for-word synonyms, and notes.)
Srila Prabhupada at the Center

How can Srila Prabhupada be the center when “the shastra is the center for all”?

February 3, 2023Posted inISKCON, VideoNo Comments
Srila Prabhupada says in his purport to Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya-lila 20.352 that among the sources of knowledge of dharma given by one's guru, other saintly persons, and shastra, "the shastra is the center for all." Yet it is seen in many sampradayas that the acharya is still very much central to the practice and faith of the devotees. So, if the actual center is the shastra, then what does it mean to a community to keep the acharya in the center? This video discusses and answers this question.