A Hunter Is Liberated by the Grace of a Sacred Bath on Ekādaśī – by Madhu Chanda das

 A Life of Violence and Ignorance

In the remote outskirts of a dense forest, there lived a hunter. Hardened by years of killing, his life was steeped in cruelty and devoid of compassion. He hunted animals relentlessly, seeking food and gain, with no regard for dharma or virtue. Scriptures, saints, or sacred days held no meaning for him. His heart was darkened by violence, and his mind, clouded by instinct and survival.

The Sacred Day Arrives
One morning, the sun rose upon an Ekādaśī—the sacred eleventh day of the waxing moon, beloved of Lord Viṣṇu and renowned for its power to purify even the most grievous sins. Yet the hunter, unaware of the day’s divine significance, picked up his bow and set out into the forest, as he had done countless times before.

But something was different. No animals appeared. Birds flew high, deer stayed hidden, and the forest was strangely silent. Hunger gnawed at him, and thirst parched his throat as the sun climbed higher in the sky. Still empty-handed, he wandered deep into the forest until he stumbled upon the banks of a sacred river.

The Unknowing Bath
There, sages and brāhmaṇas were assembled, observing the Ekādaśī fast and bathing in the river with prayers and mantras. The air was charged with purity and devotion. The hunter, ignorant of their intentions, approached only to cool his exhausted body and quench his thirst.

He stepped into the river. As he submerged himself in the cooling water, droplets from the sages’ own sacred baths splashed upon him. Unaware, he had bathed on Ekādaśī—in a holy river and in the association of Vaiṣṇavas. Without intending to, he had performed one of the most purifying acts in all of dharma.

A Hungry Jackal in the Village Outskirts

 

A Hungry Jackal in the Village Outskirts

In a small village surrounded by dense forests, there lived a starving jackal. Old and weak, he could no longer hunt and was barely surviving on scraps. Driven by hunger, he would sneak into the outskirts of the village, scavenging for remains, constantly in fear of being beaten or chased away.

One evening, after a temple festival, the villagers had thrown away the leftovers of a large prasāda feast, including many preparations offered to Lord Viṣṇu. These were discarded outside the temple grounds near a garbage pit.

That night, the jackal, driven by unbearable hunger, wandered into the area and smelled the rich fragrance of the discarded food. He approached cautiously and, seeing no one around, began to devour the remnants voraciously.

The Effect of Sacred Remnants

Though unaware of the significance of the food, the jackal was consuming Mahā-prasāda—remnants directly offered to the Supreme Lord. That night, after his belly was full, he slept peacefully for the first time in many days.

While sleeping, he had a remarkable dream. In the dream, a divine figure of Lord Viṣṇu appeared, shining with brilliance, holding conch, disc, mace, and lotus. The Lord smiled at him and said:

The Brāhmaṇa and the Crow’s Offering

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The Brāhmaṇa’s Daily Worship
In a small holy village nestled by the banks of a sacred river, there lived a brāhmaṇa devoted to the worship of Lord Viṣṇu. Every day, at the same time, he would perform his pūjā with sacred mantras, purified offerings, and loving care.

His food was cooked with devotion. His altar was clean and adorned with fresh flowers. And each day, before partaking in the prasādam, he would offer it to the Lord with folded hands and full concentration.

His heart was simple and pure.

A Sudden Visitor
One morning, as the brāhmaṇa placed the plate of food before the Lord, a crow flew in through the open window, landed on the plate, and began eating.

The brāhmaṇa was horrified. “Oh no!” he cried. “The offering is ruined!”

He felt brokenhearted, for the food had not yet been formally offered. In his anguish, he cried out to the Lord, “Why did You allow this? My worship is destroyed!”

A Divine Revelation
That night, the brāhmaṇa had a dream.

The Spider Who Served the Lord

 A Small Creature with a Great Heart

In ancient times, there was a grand temple of Lord Śrī Rāma, situated on the banks of the sacred river Gaṅgā. Devotees from near and far came to offer flowers, incense, lamps, and foodstuffs to the Lord with deep devotion. The temple was filled with wealth and opulence—its floors were made of polished marble, its dome covered with golden carvings, and its priests dressed in silken robes.

Among the thousands of pilgrims and priests, no one noticed a tiny spider who lived quietly in one corner of the temple hall. While others offered jewels and camphor, this little spider, day after day, would do a peculiar service—it would spin a small web to keep the dust away from the altar.

This was not just instinct. The spider had devotion in its heart. It thought, “Let me do what I can. If I can keep even one speck of dust from touching the Lord, my life will be successful.”

A Powerful Sage Objects

One day, the great sage Śrī Hanumān, in the form of a monkey as he often remained, entered the temple. He bowed deeply before his beloved Lord Rāma, and then began cleaning the temple with his tail, using it like a broom to remove every trace of impurity.

As he moved near the altar, he saw a web spun by the spider. Displeased, Hanumān roared, “What is this filth near the altar of my Lord?” And with one swipe, he broke the web and crushed the spider beneath his tail.

At that very moment, a divine voice echoed from the deity of Lord Rāma:

Brahma visit to Lord Krishna in Dvaraka

 The Arrival of Brahma

Once, when Krsna was ruling Dvaraka, Lord Brahma came to see Him, and the doorman immediately informed Lord Krsna of Brahma’s arrival.

Krsna’s Question

When Krsna was so informed, He immediately asked the doorman, `Which Brahma? What is his name?’

Brahma’s Surprise

The doorman therefore returned and questioned Lord Brahma.

When the doorman asked, Which Brahma?' Lord Brahma was surprised. He told the doorman, Please go inform Lord Krsna that I am the four-headed Brahma who is the father of the four Kumaras.’

Brahma’s Entry

The doorman then informed Lord Krsna of Lord Brahma’s description, and Lord Krsna gave him permission to enter. The doorman escorted Lord Brahma in, and as soon as Brahma saw Lord Krsna, he offered obeisances at His lotus feet.

Brahma’s Question

After being worshiped by Lord Brahma, Lord Krsna also honored him with suitable words. Then Lord Krsna asked him, `Why have you come here?’

Being questioned, Lord Brahma immediately replied, `I shall later tell You why I have come. First of all there is a doubt in my mind which I wish You would kindly dissipate.

The Purpose of the Inquiry

`Why did you inquire which Brahma had come to see You? What is the purpose of such an inquiry? Is there any other Brahma besides me within this universe?’

The Arrival of Multiple Brahmas

Upon hearing this, Sri Krsna smiled and immediately meditated.

Unlimited number of Brahmas arrived instantly.

These Brahmas had different numbers of heads. Some had ten heads, some twenty, some a hundred, some a thousand, some ten thousand, some a hundred thousand, some ten million and others a hundred million. No one can count the number of faces they had.

Drutakarma Das Working on New Book About Extreme Human Antiquity

 By: Madhava Smullen for ISKCON News on Nov. 21, 2020

Drutakarma Das, October 2016

Drutakarma Das (Michael Cremo), co-author of Forbidden Archeology, is at work on a new book, tentatively titled “Extreme Human Antiquity.” 

The book, Drutakarma says, “Is composed of new cases of archeological evidence that are consistent with Vedic and Puranic accounts of very ancient human presence on this planet.”

Expected some time in Spring or early Summer 2021, each chapter of “Extreme Human Antiquity” represents a different geological epoch, starting with the most recent and going back to more and more ancient times.

“Most scientists now think that humans like us first appeared about 300,000 years ago,” says Drutakarma Das, a research associate of the Bhaktivedanta Institute. “So I’m interested in discoveries that show human beings like us existed more than 300,000 years ago.”

In the book’s introductory chapter, Drutakarma explains what he means by the terms “anatomically modern Homo sapiens” and “extreme human antiquity.” In chapter two, he looks at archeological discoveries from the Pleistocene Epoch, typically defined as ending about 11,700 years ago and going back to about 2.6 million years ago. In chapter three, he looks at the Pliocene Epoch, spanning from around 2.6 million years ago to some 5.3 million years ago. The next chapter discusses discoveries from the Miocene Epoch, spanning from about 5.3 million years ago to 23 million years ago; and so on.

British Queen Elizabeth Grateful for Back To Godhead Article

 

By: Anuttama Dasa for ISKCON News on Oct. 1, 2020

Queen Elizabeth II. 

A letter was recently sent to the president of Bhaktivedanta Manor, Visakha dasi, from Her Majesty the Queen of England, via her Private Secretary's Office. The letter thanked Vishaka for her recent Back To Godhead article about the Queen, entitled, "Royal Duty - Divine Duty" that was published in the July/August edition of BTG.  

"It was a very positive article praising the Queen's devotion to her duty, and how everyone can get closer to God through our own attention to duty and service," reports Radha Mohan Das, ISKCON Communication spokesperson at the Manor.  

The Queen has had multiple interactions with ISKCON in recent years, including inviting ISKCON leaders to the Buckingham Palace for special events, and a personal royal visit to the Krishna Avanti Primary School in Harrow, UK, with her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, during her Majesty’s Jubilee celebrations in 2012.