Begginers' Guide to KC

Introduction

Human life is not meant for whimsical, mindless living, but for
understanding God - Krsna. Krsna can be understood by the
process of bhakti (devotional service). The most authorized bhakti
cult for this present age of quarrel and hypocrisy (Kali-yuga) is
that taught by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this world 500 years ago. He is
Krsna Himself and He taught the easiest method for self-
realization; namely the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare
Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. As Lord Caitanya predicted, the
chanting is no longer confined to the shores of India but has
spread all over the world. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada was empowered by Lord Caitanya to single-
handedly make this chanting process universally popular. In
pursuance of the teachings of Lord Caitanya, Srila Prabhupada
founded the International Society for Krsna Consciousness in New
York, in 1966. Srila Prabhupada passed away from this world in
1977, but the movement he started continues to grow. Every day
more and more people are taking interest in Krsna consciousness.
By reading the books of Srila Prabhupada and associating with
members of ISKCON many of them feel inclined to take up Krsna
consciousness in their own lives. The practice of Krsna
consciousness is very simple, but to learn the techniques requires
some initial guidance. Due to circumstantial reasons (such as
living a long distance from an ISKCON centre), many persons
eager to start practising Krsna consciousness are not able to do so
properly because of insufficient personal guidance.
This book is meant especially for such persons. It is a practical
guide on how to chant the holy names, worship at home, apply
tilak, observe festivals, and so on. Most of the material is
applicable to all devotees, but some is especially meant for those
devotees living at home. However, this book is not a substitute for
personal guidance. Personal guidance is essential for neophyte
devotees to help raise them to the transcendental platform. Srila
Prabhupada writes: "For one who does not take personal training
under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master it is impossible
to even begin to understand Krsna." (B.g. 11:54 purport). So this
book cannot be more than a supplement to personal guidance.
Even from a practical point of view, the procedures of applying
tilak, performing kirtan, etc., as outlined in this book, need to be
seen done by experienced devotees to get the idea properly right.

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The instructions in this book are based on the practices of the
Gaudiya-Vaisnava sampradaya (the line of Vaisnavas coming from
Lord Caitanya) as expressed in such authorized books as the Hari-
bhakti-vilasa, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Sri Upadesamrta, etc. More
specifically, the instructions given herein are based on the
teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada. Without deviating an inch from the previous acaryas
and timeless scriptures Srila Prabhupada presented Krsna
consciousness in a manner exactly suitable for modern mankind.
Along with guidance on basic Vaisnava practices, some useful
information of particular importance and interest for newcomers to
Krsna consciousness have been included. However, the
philosophical aspects of Krsna consciousness have notbeen
entered into in great detail, because the philosophy of Krsna
consciousness has been elaborately explained in Srila
Prabhupada's books. This book is for those who are sufficiently
convinced of that philosophy as to want to apply it in their own
lives. (To solidify the practices outlined herein, readers are
repeatedly urged to take up the study of Srila Prabhupada's books
as a daily function in their lives).
Through these simple practices of Krsna consciousness, any
person, regardless of age, caste, creed, sex or qualification, can
easily perfect their existence, develop pure love of God, escape
from the horrible cycle of birth and death, and prepare himself to
enter into the kingdom of God. The sankirtan movement of Lord
Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is now offering this wonderful
opportunity to everyone all over the world. The compiler of this
book, therefore, humbly entreats the readers to take up Krsna
consciousness very seriously. Lord Caitanya said: "Wake up
sleeping souls! How long will you sleep on the lap of the witch
called Maya? I have brought the medicine for destroying your
disease of material existence. It is the chanting of the holy names
of the Lord: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/Hare
Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare."
Understanding Krsna Consciousness As It Is Everybody in India
knows at least something about Krsna. Unfortunately, certain
unscrupulous persons have propagated many false concepts
about Krsna and about the process of bhakti. As a result, most
Indians, despite their natural Krsna conscious inclinations, are
confused about the real understanding and practice of Krsna-
bhakti. For them to take up Krsna consciousness in the actual
bona fide manner, they will have to become aware that many of
the ideas they have heard about Krsna and Krsna consciousness
are, in fact, totally erroneous and misleading. Some of the most
prominent misconceptions are as follows: 1. Krsna is a
mythological figure; He did not (and does not) actually exist. 2.

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Krsna was a great man but not the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. 3. Krsna was immoral. 4. There are many gods; they
are all the same, and worship of any of them is the same as
worship of Krsna. 5. By meditation and spiritual practice any
person can become as good as Krsna. 6. It is not the person Krsna
who is to be worshipped but the unborn, eternal nature within
Krsna. 7. When Krsna is merciful to me then I shall surrender to
Him. 8. Bhakti is only a stepping-stone to the achievement of
jnana. Although none of these ideas have any basis in reality,
having no support from any scriptures, and are in fact completely
fallacious, they have somehow or other become popular in Hindu
society. There are dozens of fancy sounding, erroneous theories
like this, propagated by envious people, whose only business is to
make a show of being religious, while diverting their followers
away from the actual goal of religion, which is to surrender wholly
and solely to Krsna, as the Lord Himself demands:
sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam
sarva papebhyoh moksyayisyami ma sucah
"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I
shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear." (Bhagavad-
gita: 18.66)
There are many such persons who appear to be pious and
religious, but who, if asked to accept Krsna as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the primeval cause of all causes, and to
surrender unto Him, bluntly refuse to do so. Such persons have
been described by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (7.15): na
mam duskritino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah mayayapahrta
jnana asuram bhavam asritah "Those miscreants who are grossly
foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by
illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not
surrender unto Me." (1) Those who are interested in becoming
pure devotees should be very cautious of the contamination from
non-devotees and false devotees. The two main deviations from
pure devotional service are the Mayavada doctrine and
sahajiyaism. Mayavadis are impersonalists, who refuse to accept
the Personality of Krsna as the Absolute Truth. Their aim is to
"merge with God." Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu clearly said:
"mayavadi krsne aparadhi" "Mayavadis are offenders to Krsna."
(Cc, Madhya-lila, 7.129). Srila Prabhupada explains why: "By
covering the glories of the Supreme Lord, the Mayavadi
philosophers have done the greatest disservice to human society."
(Cc, Adi-lila, 7.120 purport). "The Mayavadis praimary occupation
is to offend the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna." (Cc, Adi-
lila, 7.144 purport). However, this Mayavada philosophy is almost
all pervasively widespread in modern Indian thought. Srila
Prabhupada said that, "Impersonalism has killed India's Vedic

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culture." (Conversations... 5/7/76). Bhakti means surrender to
Krsna, based on acceptance of His supremacy, His transcendental
personality, and His eternal spiritual form. But Mayavadis
preposterously seek to equate the ordinary living beings with God;
a proposition which undermines the very basis of bhakti. Lord
Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore warned that anyone who hears
Mayavada explanations of scripture is doomed; his spiritual life is
ruined. (2) Sahajiyas are pseudo-devotees, who take the process of
devotional service to be something very cheap. Without following
the standard rules and regulations of devotional service, they
artificially consider themselves highly advanced, making a false
show of intense devotion. There are still others who have
commercialised Krsna consciousness amongst the masses; such
as unscrupulous professional speakers, bhajan singers, comic
book publishers and false gurus. Although they may speak or sing
of Krsna very nicely, their main motivation is simply to make
money. Then there are numerous devotees who, despite coming
in authorised Vaisnava traditions, have compromised their beliefs
and practices, and have thus lost the essential spirit of surrender
to Visnu. There are also votaries of the false incarnations of God;
and, due to the perverted atmosphere in this age of Kali, some of
these pseudo-incarnations have captured the sentiments of the
foolish people to such an extent that their worship is often more
popular than that of the real God (Krsna). And the meaningless
pronouncements of such "gods" are taken as sacred philosophy by
their bewildered followers. All these classes of nondevotees,
semidevotees and pseudodevotees may appear to be practicing
bhakti, but because they are misinformed, misdirected, materially
motivated, and/or latently envious of Krsna, all their prayers,
mantras and pujas cannot be accepted as actual bhakti by those
who are experts on this path. In the words of Srila Rupa Goswami:
sruti smriti puranadi pancaratra vidhim vina aikantiki harer bhakti
utpatayaiva kalpate "Devotional service to the Lord that ignores
the authorised literatures like the Upanisads, Puranas, Narada
Pancaratra, etc., is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society."
(Bhakti Rasamrta sindhu 1.2.101). The position of modern day
Indian religious culture is such that real, authorised and bonafide
practices are going on side by side with all kinds of whimsical,
distorted and imaginary beliefs. There are so-called yogis, swamis,
gurus, babas, "incarnations," miracle workers, fakirs and other
classes of "godmen," teaching all varieties of weird and wonderful
things, with instructions on anything and everything save and
except surrender to Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Indeed, that which is bogus has become commonplace, and the
genuine rare, so much so that the superficial appears to have all
but swamped that which is real. To the untrained, the difference

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between the genuine, the partially genuine and the false is not so
apparent. From the external point of view, Krsna consciousness
appears to resemble "another Hindu group." As in Krsna
consciousness, many groups have their own bhajans, temples,
festivals, scriptures, gurus, tilak and so on. Therefore the
nondevotees, without going deep into the matter, prematurely
conclude that " all paths are the same." But there is a vast
difference between the path of pure devotional service to Krsna
and all other paths. The difference is that Krsna consciousness is
the only factual and complete reality, as enunciated in the
revealed scriptures and accepted by all authorities; because only
Krsna consciousness (especially as taught in the line of Lord
Caitanya) teaches how to be free from all personal motives, and
thus attain one's constitutional position as an eternal servant of
Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Rupa Goswami
has defined this superlative standard thus: anyabhilasita sunyam
jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu silanam bhaktir
uttama "One should render transcendental loving service to the
Supreme Lord, Krsna, favourably, without desire for material profit
or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation.
That is called pure devotional service." It is essential for every
aspiring candidate in Krsna consciousness to understand this
difference. This Krsna consciousness movement is not just another
"Hindu sect", nor is it just "another opinion." The Krsna
consciousness movement of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a
cultural, philosophical, and scientific presentation meant for the
respiritualisation of the entire world. It is destined to go down in
the annals of history as having saved human society in its darkest
hour.(3) Krsna consciousness is a serious education, not an
ordinary reilgion." (Quoted from SSR). "This Krsna consciousness
movement is genuine, historically authorised, natural and
transcendental, due to its being based on Bhagavad-gita As It Is. It
is gradually becoming the most popular movement in the world."
(Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Preface). "This Krsna consciousness
movement is meant for a complete overhauling of the whole
social, political, religious, moral, educational and hygeinic
principles." (Srila Prabhupada letter, 18.1.69). "Our programme is
sublime. Our philosophy is practical and authorised; our character,
the purest; our programme, the simplist; but our ultimate goal is
the highest." (Srila Prabhupada letter, 19.3.70). Therefore Krsna
consciousness is not just another "faith," derived from some
poorly informed religious sentiment. It is the science of the
Absolute Truth, being taught now as it has been since time
immemorial - because truth never changes, nor is it subject to the
adjustments of "seasonal fashions." Krsna consciousness is reality
distinguished from illusion, truth distinguished from falsehood,

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light distinguished from darkness. Attainment of Krsna
consciousness is the highest perfection, not even comparable to
any particular faith or philosophy of this material world. Without
developing a clear philosophical understanding of the unique
purity of Krsna consciousness, then simply learning the techniques
of devotional service (as outlined in this book; performing kirtan,
applying tilak, etc.) will not help very much. Of course, activities in
Krsna consciousness are always beneficial, but, in order to make
rapid advancement, attachment to mundane religious processes
must be given up. As stated in Bhagavad-gita; 18.66: sarva
dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva
papebhyo moksayisami ma sucah "Abandon all varieties of religion
and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful
reactions. Do not fear." To distinguish between what is genuine
and what is bogus requires some training; more so for those
deeply steeped in devious misconceptions. The best programme
therefore is to study Srila Prabhupada's books repeatedly and
thoroughly (even if one cannot read many books, then Bhagavad-
gita As It Is will suffice to eradicate all doubts, for in this book
Srila Prabhupada has conclusively deliniated the superiority of
pure devotional service, and the inferiority of all other paths). One
should also associate with devotees who are firmly fixed-up in
Krsna consciousness; those who are free from all sentimental
attachments to cheating in the name of religion.(4) Some quotes
from Srila Prabhupada on these matters appear below: "Srila Rupa
Goswami advises that devotees who have already tasted the
nectar of devotion be very careful to protect devotional service
from such dry speculators, formal ritualistic elevationists and
impersonal salvationists. Devotees should protect their valuable
jewel of spiritual love from the clutches of thieves and burglars. In
other words, a pure devotee should not describe devotional
service and its different analytical aspects to dry speculators and
false renouncers. Those who are not devotees can never achieve
the benefits of devotional service. For them the subject of
devotional service is always very difficult to understand. Only
persons who have dedicated their lives unto the lotus feet of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead can relish the real nectar of
devotion." (From the "Nectar of Devotion" Chapter 34). "The fact
is that I am the only person in India who is critisising not only
demigod worship but everything that falls short of complete
surrender to Krsna. My Guru Maharaja never compromised and I
shall never compromise; similarly, none of my disciples should
ever compromise." (Srila Prabhupada letter, 19/1/72). Footnotes:
1. Srila Prabhupada said, "This verse is very important"
(Conversations). 2. Srila Prabhupada has firmly refuted the
Mayavada philosophy throughout his books, especially in his

6
purports to Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Following in the footsteps of
Lord Caitanya, he has explicitly, and in great detail, exposed the
falsity of Mayavada arguments in his purports to Sri Caitanya
Caritamrta, Adi lila, Chapter 7. 3. This and the previous sentence
are paraphrased quotes from Srila Prabhupada. 4. Cheating
religion is called kaitava dharma. See S.Bhag. 1.1.2.
1>+RNORMAL.STYPSDOWN
wqP5 Association with Devotees The scriptures repeatedly
emphasize the importance of associating with devotees (sadhu-
sanga). It is considered the very root of devotion, being the very
cause of its sustenance and development. Indeed; even after
attaining perfection in Krsna consciousness, association with
devotees is still most essential. (1) The two primary methods of
associating with devotees are: hearing from and serving them.
Devotees living in or adjacent to ISKCON centres can easily avail of
such opportunities. One should specifically associate with those
devotees who have made the determination to achieve the lotus
feet of Govinda. (2) Those living away from ISKCON centres can
keep in touch by visiting these centres as often as possible. They
can also correspond with devotees and take heart in the fact that
by reading Srila Prabhupada's books and serving his mission
(especially by distributing his books) one is blessed with his
association. It should be noted however that Srila Prabhupada is
always surrounded by his loving followers, so we should not
neglect the association presently available within ISKCON,
amongst his disciples and grand-disciples. In the Vedic tradition,
householders invite sannyasis and saintly brahmanas to their
homes, feed them sumptuous prasada, hear and enquire from
them, chant Hare Krsna in kirtana with them, serve them, and try
to satisfy them in all respects. This is a form of sadhu-sanga which
is very pleasing and beneficial to all involved. Srila Prabhupad has
written (S.Bhag.3.16.9 purport ): <169>If one feeds a brahmana or
a Vaisnava, it is better than performing thousands of sacrifices. In
this age it is recommended that Harernama (chanting the holy
name of God) and pleasing the Vaisnavas, are the only means to
elevate oneself in spiritual life.<170> 1>+) C:\APPS\WORD5\
NORMAL.STYPSDOWN
wqP5 Creating a spiritual atmosphere at home In Sanskrit
there are two nomenclatures for householders, namely:

7
"grhastha," - "one who, though living with his wife and children,
has self-realization as the goal of life," and other householders,
(ordinary materialistic people), known as grhamedhis. A grhastha's
home is called a grhastha-asrama. It is known as an "asrama"
because it is meant for spiritual cultivation; with the temple room
as the most important place in the whole house. The members of
the family feel themselves servants of Krsna, performing
everything as an offering unto Him. Installing and worshipping the
Deity form of the Lord at home is especially conducive for
cultivating such a devotional mood. Therefore worship of the Deity
at home is considered essential for grhasthas, who are otherwise
prone to fall into sense gratification. In order to spiritualize the
home, pictures of Krsna and His pure devotees should be hung up.
Pictures of film stars, sport heroes, politicians and the like, have no
place in a Krsna conscious home and should be removed.
Televisions can be used for showing Krsna conscious videos, but
generally they are simply a disturbance. Most homes would be a
lot better off without them. Listening to the radio and the playing
of cinema songs are to be replaced with the singing of Vaisnava
bhajanas and playing bonafide bhajana cassettes. It is the duty of
parents to train their children from a young age in Krsna
consciousness. The father has special responsibility as a guru to
his wife and children. Care of Sacred Items Sacred items (such as
spiritual books, puja paraphernalia, beads and bead bags,
mrdanga, kartals and pictures of the Supreme Lord and His
devotees), should all be kept very carefully and respectfully. They
should be kept neatly and never put in a contaminated place or in
proximity of unclean things. After use they should be put away
tidily and not simply left strewn here and there. They should never
be put on the floor or stepped over. Cleanliness In the Bhagavad-
gita Lord Krsna mentions cleanliness as a divine quality and as the
symptom of a brahmana. He declares uncleanliness to be a
symptom of the demoniac. Caitanya Mahaprabhu listed
cleanliness as one of the twenty-six qualities of a devotee. And
Srila Prabhupada was so insistent that his disciples observe the
rules of cleanliness that he would severely chastise those amongst
them who were negligent in this regard. Rules of cleanliness form
a very elaborate part of Vedic culture which to expound on in
detail is beyond the scope of this book. But it should be
understood that cleanliness is essential for all devotees. Internal
cleanliness is effected by constant chanting of: Hare Krsna Hare
Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama
Hare Hare. Externally, a devotee keeps his body, clothes,
possessions, residence and everything else always neat clean and
tidy. 1>+7 NORMAL.STYPSDOWN

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wqP 5 Ekadasi Ekadasi is a day
of fasting to be observed by all devotees. To fail to do so is a
serious offence on the part of the devotee. There are two Ekadasis
in a month: on the eleventh day after the new moon, and on the
eleventh day after the full moon (Ekadasi literally means the
<169> eleventh day<170>). Fasting may be full, without taking
even water; or by taking only water; or by taking fruit only; or at
least by refraining from eating grains, beans, peas and dahl. The
following foods must be avoided: All grains (wheat, rice etc), dahl,
peas, bean type vegetables, mustard seeds, and their derivatives
(wheat flour, mustard oil, soya-bean oil etc.), and food items
containing these products; (for instance, we should be careful in
using powdered spices, which, if mixed with flour, cannot be used
on Ekadasi). The purpose of fasting on Ekadasi is to increase our
time for concentration on, and hearing about Govinda. Ekadasi
fast is broken the next day (Dvadasi), by taking prasada prepared
with grains: The fast must be broken within a specific time. For the
dates of Ekadasis and the times for breaking fasts, consult the
Vaisnava calendar (available from any ISKCON centre). The specific
calendar used by ISKCON should be used, as calculation of dates
for Ekadasi and other important festivals may vary according to
the system of calculation used by pandits in other sampradayas.
Appearance days of the incarnations of the Lord and of His great
devotees, and days commemorating special lilas, are observed as
festivals by devotees. Participation in such festivals revives and
nourishes our devotion and are thus considered to be the mother
of devotion. They are joyous occasions for all the devotees to
come together to glorify the Lord. The temple room is decorated;
large quantities of sumptuous foodstuff are cooked, offered to the
Lord and distributed widely; and continuous hearing and chanting
of the glories of the Lord and His devotees surcharge the
atmosphere with spiritual sound vibrations. Festival days are also
suitable occasions for offering new dresses to the Deities. This is a
standard practice in well established ISKCON temples. Many
festival days are observed by fasting up to a certain time followed
by feasting. On festival days, suitable bhajanas are sung along
with the Hare Krsna maha-mantra (for instance, on the
disappearance day of a great Vaisnava the song <169>Je anilo
prema dhana<170> - a song of separation from departed
Vaisnavas - is sung. And so on). There is reading or recitation of
the appropriate pastimes. (For instance, on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura's appearance day we should read or recite His
transcendental activities. On Govardhana Puja day, we read the
chapter entitled <169>Worshipping Govardhana Hill<170> from
Srila Prabhupada's book <169>Krsna - The Supreme Personality of
Godhead<170>. And so on). There are also recorded lecture

9
tapes of Srila Prabhupada speaking on special festival days which
are available as a series entitled <169> Festivals with Srila
Prabhupada<170>. Festival days are also very suitable for
enactment of devotional dramas, and for performing nagara-
sankirtana. Following is a list of some of the major festivals
which ISKCON devotees observe, beginning with Gaura Purnima,
the first day of the Gaudiya Vaisnava year. the exact date of each
festival can be found from the ISKCON calendar; like Ekadasi, the
dates are calculated according to the lunar calendar and thus
varies each year on the solar calender. Gaura Purnima The
appearance day of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Falls in late
February, March or early April. Fasting till moonrise, followed by
Ekadasi type prasada, and a feast at noon the next day. Read
about Lord Caitanya's appearance in Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-
Lila Chapter Thirteen. Rama Navami Appearance day of Lord
Ramacandra. Fasting until noon, then feasting. Read about Lord
Rama in Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 9 Chapters 10 and 11.
Nrsingha Caturdasi Appearance day of Lord Nrsinghadeva. Fasting
until dusk, then feasting. Be sure to offer panakam, a drink made
from cool water, jaggery, lemon juice and ginger which is very dear
to Lord Nrsinghadeva. Read of His appearance in Srimad
Bhagavatam Canto 7 Chapter 8. Rathayatra The day of
Jagannatha Rathayatra in Puri. The Deities of Jagannatha,
Subhadra and Balabhadra are taken on a a ratha through the city,
accompanied by chanting and dancing devotees. A festival which
Srila Prabhupada vigorously promoted all over the world. ISKCON
organizes Rathayatras on the Rathayatra day from its centres in
Calcutta and Baroda; many other centres organize Rathayatras on
other days of the year. Read Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya lila
Chapter 13. Jhulan Yatra A gorgeous five day festival in which the
Deities of Radha and Krsna are placed on a swing, decorated
profusely with flowers, and gently swung to and fro to the
accompaniment of kirtana. A picture of Radha-Krsna may also be
swung. Lord Balarama's Appearance Day The last day of Jhulan
Yatra is Lord Balarama's Appearance Day. Fasting till noon, then
feasting. Be sure to offer honey to Balarama, He is very fond of it.
Read from Balarama's glories in the Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lila
Chapter 5, and also appropriate passages from <169> Krsna - The
Supreme Personality of Godhead<170>. Janmastami The
appearance day of Lord Krsna, also known as
<169>Krsnastami<170> and <169>Gokulastami<170>. Fasting
until midnight followed by Ekadasi style prasada. Read extensively
throughout the day from <169>Krsna - The Supreme Personality
of Godhead<170>. Vyasa-puja of Srila Prabhupada It is observed
on Nandotsava, the day after the Janmastami, when Srila
Prabhupada mercifully appeared in this world. This is the most

10
important festival of the year for all ISKCON members, for without
Srila Prabhupada's mercy none of us could have come to Krsna
consciousness. Vyasa-puja celebrations are conducted as
follows: Morning fasting is observed. Devotees come together to
hear and chant about Srila Prabhupada and his glorious activities.
Devotees may be tired from the previous days Janmastami
observance, but for this special day they shake off their tiredness
to glorify Srila Prabhupada. Readings are made from biographical
works on Srila Prabhupada ( such as "Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta")
and from Vyasa-puja books (special books compiled each year for
the Vyasa-puja in glorification of Srila Prabhupada). Recordings of
Srila Prabhupada's bhajanas and lectures are played. Devotees,
especially direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada, speak about his
glories and their appreciation of His Divine Grace. At 12 noon, a
great feast is offered simultaneously to the Deities and to the guru.
This is followed by puspanjali (an offering of flowers at the
Vyasasana). Each devotee is given a large handful of flowers. One
devotee recites the guru-pranama mantra (nama om visnu padaya
...) word by word. Word by word the assembled devotees repeat
the words after the devotee leading. At the conclusion of each
prayer, the leading devotee says, <169>puspanjali<170>. The
assembled devotees repeat after him: <169>puspanjali<170>
and flowers are thrown in offering at the lotus feet of the guru.
Then all the devotees prostrate before the guru and offer
obeisances. The whole procedure is repeated three times. After the
puspanjali, prasada is distributed. All ISKCON devotees also
observe the Vyasa-puja of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.
Programmes of fasting till noon then feasting are also observed for
the appearance of Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji and Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Radhastami The appearance day of
Srimati Radharani is two weeks after Janmastami. Fasting till noon,
and feasting. Read about Srimati Radharani in Sri Caitanya
Caritamrta, Madhya -Lila, Chapter 23; verses 86-92; also "Krsna-
The Supreme Personality of Godhead" in the chapter: "Deliverance
of the Message of Krsna to the Gopis." Vamana Dvadasi
Appearance of Vamana Avatara. Read from Srimad Bhagavatam
Canto 8, chapters 18-22. Govardhana Puja, Annakuta Mahotsava
and Gopuja All performed on the same day. Govardhana Puja is
the festival of worshipping Govardhana Hill. Annakuta Mahotsava
means to make a <169>Govardhana Hill<170> of prasada,
worship it, circumambulate the prasada hill, then distribute heaps
of sumptuous prasada to one and all. Gopuja means worship of the
cows. See <169> Krsna - The Supreme Personality of
Godhead<170> Volume 1, Chapter's 24 and 25; and Sri Caitanya
Caritamrta Madhya Lila Chapter 4 verses 67-75. Disappearance
day of Srila Prabhupada Coming just after Govardhana Puja, this

11
celebration is similar to the Vyasa-puja; but on this day the feeling
of separation from our beloved Srila Prabhupada is very strong.
The disappearance days of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Thakura, Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji and Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura are all similarly observed. Fasting till noon and then
feasting. Appearance of Sri Advaita Acarya Fasting till noon and
then feasting. See Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-Lila chapter 6.
Varaha Dvadasi Celebration of the appearance day of Lord
Varaha. See Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 3 Chapter 13 and 18.
Nityananda Trayodasi Appearance of Lord Nityananda. See Sri
Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi- lila Chapter 5. Hearing from Advanced
Devotees nitya-siddha `krsna-prema'- sadhya kabhu naya
sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya (Caitanya Caritamrta
Madhya lila 22.107) Translation: "Pure love for Krsna is eternally
established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something
to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by
hearing and chanting, the living entity naturally awakens." This is
but one of the dozens of verses from the scriptures which
emphasize the importance of hearing about Krsna from advanced
devotees. Those who live close to ISKCON centres can avail of the
opportunity to attend classes on Srimad Bhagavatam and
Bhagavad- gita, conducted every morning and evening. All
devotees can avail of the several hundred recorded lectures of His
Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. There is no
comparison to the transcendental sound vibration from the lips of
a pure devotee of Krsna. These lectures and also many bhajan
and kirtan cassettes of Srila Prabhupada, are available from BBT,
Hare Krsna Land, Bombay 400 049. As much as hearing from
bonafide devotees is purifying, hearing religious discourses from
impersonalists, psuedo-devotees, mundane scholars, professional
lecturers and other classes of nondevotees is contaminating. The
example is given in Hari-bhakti-vilasa of milk touched by the lips
of a serpent. Milk is delicious and nourishing, but if a snake drinks
that milk, the remaining portion becomes highly poisonous. It may
look the same and even taste similar, but is no longer beneficial; it
is poisonous. Similarly, talks on Krsna or spiritual philosophy,
dramas enacting the pastimes of the Lord, songs glorifying Him,
etc., if not performed by authorised devotees, will have a
disastrous effect on our spiritual life. All devotees are warned to
be very careful in this regard. 1>+ C:\WORD5\
NORMAL.STYPSDOWN
wqP 5 Visiting Holy Places There are many
important Vaisnava pilgrimage sites spread all over India, and
even today they are well frequented by pious Hindu's. The
propensity for travel and tourism is properly utilized by visiting
such holy places. However, the scriptures advise us that the main

12
benefit to be derived from such pilgrimages is to associate with
and hear from saintly persons residing in the holy places.
Unfortunately, in the modern age, the importance of pilgrimage
sites as places of spiritual instruction has been almost forgotten.
Gaudiya Vaisnavas know Mayapura and Vrindaban (which from the
external viewpoint appear to situated close to Calcutta and Delhi,
respectively) as the two most important places in the whole
universe, as they are the places of appearance and pastimes of
Lord Caitanya and Lord Krsna. ISKCON has very nice temples at
both Mayapur and Vrindaban with facilities for visiting guests and
devotees. In both of these centres some learned and advanced
devotees are residing who can be consulted on all matters of
spiritual knowledge and advancement. Both in Mayapura and
Vrindaban ISKCON conducts regular seminars and festivals. So all
devotees are invited to come and spend some time at the ISKCON
centres in Mayapur and Vrindaban whenever they can. Other holy
places where ISKCON has, or is developing centres, are Tirupati,
Guruvayoor, Puri and Pandarapur. 1>+C:\WORD5\
NORMAL.STYPSDOWN
wqP5 Japa Krsna-nama-maha-mantra ei ta
svabhava yei jape, tara krsne upajaye bhava (Caitanya-Caritamrta
Adi-Lila 7.83) Translation: "It is the nature of the Hare Krsna Maha-
mantra that anyone who chants it immediately develops his loving
ecstasy for Krsna." Chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra japa is
essential for every serious devotee of Krsna. Even though one may
be busy with many duties, one must put aside some time every
day for this chanting of Hare Krsna. Japa should be chanted using a
japa-mala to keep a count of the number of times one is chanting.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-
Acarya of ISKCON and empowered propagator of the holy name in
the present age, fixed 16 "rounds" (16 x 108 chants of the Hare
Krsna mantra) as the minimum for initiated devotees. Some
newcomers to Krsna consciousness find it difficult to chant sixteen
rounds daily. Such persons may start by chanting less rounds
daily: eight, four, two, or at the very least one, according to their
capacity. Then, as they become accustomed to chanting, they may
increase the number of rounds chanted daily, until the prescribed
number of sixteen is reached. However, one should never decrease
the number of rounds one chants daily. And after taking initiation
one should never chant less than sixteen rounds daily. However,
chanting japa is not simply a matter of finishing a certain number
of rounds. Quality chanting will help us to make rapid spiritual
advancement. Good quality japa is chanted very distinctly, with
feeling, concentrating on hearing the holy name. Nagar Sankirtan
Nagar sankirtan (also called "Harinam Sankirtan") means a group
of devotees going on the streets of the towns and villages to sing

13
loudly the holy names of the Lord, to the accompaniment of
mrdangas (drums) and kartals. This is a process Lord Caitanya
personally propagated and practiced widely. It brings the mercy of
the Lord's holy names to the spiritually dull mass of people and
indeed, to all living entities, who otherwise have no chance or
inclination forKrsna consciousness. This public chanting purifies
the contaminated atmosphere of Kali-yuga, and anyone who takes
part in it becomes very dear to Lord Caitanya. The more devotees
that take part the better, but if many devotees are not available
even three or four devotees can go, or even two - even one. Go on
Harinam as often as possible for as long as possible, with many
devotees, and just see how Lord Caitanya blesses you. Authors
Note This book is especially meant for mass distribution in India. It
is suitable for translation into all the major Indian languages.
Editors of such translations may like to make some minor
adjustments according to the particular religio-cultural atmosphere
prevailing in their language area. Some of the topics covered
herein are so basic as to be essential in any beginners guide to
Krsna consciousness. These include performing kirtan, chanting
japa, applying tilak, etc. I have included certain other subjects
which I personally feel to be very important for beginners to get a
strong footing in Krsna consciousness from the very beginning.
These include the topics <169> Understanding Krsna
consciousness as it is<170>, <169> Restricting Man-Woman
Relationships <170> and others. I have already produced a
similar book in Bengali called <169> Vaisnava Shikha O
Sadhana<170> (Vaisnava Teachings and Practices) which was
published in 1987 for distribution in Bangladesh. I hope that some
devotee preaching in the Western world can bring out a similarly
detailed guidebook, suitable for aspiring devotees in the West.
<169>A Beginners Guide to Krsna Consciousness <170> could
serve as the basis for such a book, but for those without the
advantage of an Indian cultural background, more explanation as
to why we do what we do will be necessary. The Importance
of Srila Prabhupada The honorific title "Prabhupada" is properly
used for designating those very great spiritual masters who have
made an outstanding contribution of literature and/or preaching to
the world. Examples are Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, Srila Jiva
Gosvami Prabhupada, and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Gosvami Prabhupada. When members of ISKCON speak of "Srila
Prabhupada" they refer to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada, who is also correctly addressed as "Srila
Prabhupada," for he occupies a unique position in the religious
history of the world. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1:5:11) Srila
Vyasadeva states that the Bhagavatam is "meant to bring about a
revolution in the impious life of a misdirected civilization." Learned

14
Vaisnava scholars have discerned that this statement of
Vyasadeva's clearly indicates Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada, and no other, for it was he who five thousand years,
after Srila Vyasadeva's compilation of the Bhagavatam, compiled
his Bhaktivedanta purports on Bhagavatam as his most important
contribution for the revolutionary respiritualization of the entire
human society, which had become plunged in the darkness of
materialism. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also predicted that His holy
name would be broadcast in every town and village of the world.
The confidential task of spreading Krsna consciousness all over
the world was entrusted to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta confirms that unless
one is specifically empowered by Krsna he cannot infuse Krsna
consciousness into the hearts of the masses. Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura, a great Vaisnava acarya who appeared in the 19th
century, predicted that; "Very soon a great personality will appear
who will spread Krsna consciousness all over the world." That
great personality is clearly His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada. Bhaktivinoda Thakura also said that the
greatness of a Vaisnava can be understood by seeing how many
non-devotees he can convert into Vaisnavism. Ordinarily, to bring
even a highly qualified person to Krsna consciousness is
considered a very difficult task. But Srila Prabhupada was so much
empowered by Krsna that he went amongst the most unlikely
candidates - the hedonistic youth of the Western countries - and
made devotees by the thousands. No one can fully understand the
extraordinary task Srila Prabhupada performed - going amongst
persons with no standard of Vedic culture, brought up in a society
which vigourously promotes meat-eating, illicit sex, gambling and
intoxication, who had no idea of how to receive a sadhu, and who
were in almost every way totally disqualified as candidates for
spiritual life. Srila Prabhupada not only went amongst such
people, but he gradually managed to train many of them to such
an extent that they are now accepted everywhere as first-class
Vaisnavas and preachers, qualified to impart Krsna consciousness
to others. Although theoretically any of the many Vaisnavas in
India could have spread Krsna consciousness all over the world,
only Srila Prabhupada actually did so. Only he had the sufficient
faith in the instructions of Lord Caitanya, the order of his spiritual
master, and the holy name of Krsna, to seriously attempt
spreading Krsna consciousness outside of India. Only he had that
much compassion and vision to preach the message of Lord
Caitanya to those who most needed it. Srila Prabhupada was
empowered to spread Krsna consciousness in a very practical and
straightforward way, just suitable for the modern world. Without
changing or compromising the teachings of Krsna consciousness

15
even slightly, he preserved it's esoteric truths in a clear and
intelligable manner, which was at once suitable for the layman
and the scholar. Srila Prabhupada personally oversaw the
expansion and development of ISKCON and set up the
programmes which were to form the basis of ISKCON's continued
spreading: production and distribution of transcendental
literature, Harinam Sankirtan parties, temples and asramas,
prasada distribution, transcendental farm communities, gurukulas,
preaching to scientists and intellectuals, etc., etc. Srila Prabhupada
personally gave detailed directions in every area of Krsna
consciousness: how to worship Deities, how to conduct sadhana,
how to preach, how to wear a dhoti, how to cook for Krsna, how to
chant mantras, and so on. Srila Prabhupada is thus the Founder
Acarya of ISKCON. Whatever standards and instructions we have
in ISKCON come from him. Although both scripture and tradition
offer various approaches to Krsna consciousness, followers of Srila
Prabhupada execute Krsna consciousness as he showed them,
knowing that Srila Prabhupada, as a faithful follower of his guru
and of the previous acaryas, presented Krsna consciousness in the
best way for the modern age; a manner approved, ordained and
blessed by the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna Himself. Srila Prabhupada
gave certain instructions which are absolutely necessary for
initiated disciples to follow if they at all want to wish to claim to be
serious devotees or genuine followers of Srila Prabhupada. For
instance; Srila Prabhupada demanded that initiated devotees rise
by 4.00am, attend mangala-arati, chant the minimum of sixteen
rounds of the maha-mantra every day, scrupulously follow the
four regulative principles, etc. All such standards that Srila
Prabhupada clearly defined are standards to be followed in
ISKCON. A rightly situated, successful follower of Srila Prabhupada
is simply a faithful standard-bearer. He does not try to change or
interpret the standards and programmes given by Srila
Prabhupada, for he knows that what Srila Prabhupada has given
us is perfectly complete and completely perfect for the
respiritualization of the entire human society; not only now, but
for the next ten thousand years. The Daily Programme In all
ISKCON temples, devotees gather together in the mornings and
evenings for a fixed programme of spiritual practices. As much as
possible, devotees living at home can bring their family members
together for similar programmes. Having a fixed daily programme
makes our Krsna consciousness very steady and strong. With
slight variations, the timings of a typical daily schedule in an
ISKCON temple are as follows: Morning Programme 4.00 a.m.
Devotees rise, take shower, put on tilaka and fresh cloth 4.30
a.m. Mangala arati 4.55 a.m.
Prema-dhvani and Nrsingha Prayers 5.00 a.m. Tulsi arati 5.10

16
a.m. Japa Period begins At this point the pujaris perform puja for
the deities and dress Them in fresh clothes.
7.00 a.m. Srngara arati (Greeting the Deities) 7.10 a.m. Guru
Puja ( Worship of ISKCON Founder- Acarya His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada) 7.20 a.m. Srimad
Bhagavatam class 8.15 a.m. Programme ends, devotees take
breakfast prasada and disperse for daily duties. Evening
Programme 6.50 p.m. Tulsi Arati 7.00 p.m. Sandhya Arati
7.25 p.m. Prema-dhvani and Nrsingha prayers 7.30 p.m.
Bhagavad-gita class (About one hour) Deity Worship, Puja and
Arati This is a very elaborate part of devotional service which can
only be briefly discussed herein. There is a book (called Arcana
Paddhati- The Process of Deity Worship) which elaborately
describes many of the procedures in the worship of Deities.
However, these procedures are quite elaborate, and can only be
properly learned by personal instruction. The outline given here
will mostly serve as a guide for devotees living at home (who may
have an altar of pictures in their home - not installed Deities).
According to Hari-bhakti - vilasa and other authorised sastras,
different standards of worship are acceptable in different
circumstances. Therefore the worship of the Lord at home by a
householder may be suitably adjusted to his capacity and need not
be like that in an opulent, well-established temple. The proper
standard for Deity worship is to have regularly installed Deities,
worshipped strictly according to scriptural directions; but many
devotees are not ready orcapable of such worship. It is for such
devotees that these directions are intended. Anotherpoint is that
there is no single, clearly-defined methodology of worship given in
the scriptures. Therefore what has been given here are very
simple procedures which can be easily followed by all. For
instance, in the home situation it is quite acceptable and normal
for women to perform puja and aratis; although it is unthinkable
that they could do so in the famous temples of India.
Nevertheless, even at home, women should not engage in worship
directly during the time of month they are considered unclean.
However, although certain standards for householders may be
relaxed, they should not be skimpy or miserly in their home
worship. Unless one is completely poverty-stricken, he should
arrange at least to use good quality incense, flowers etc.
Everything in the Deity room and all paraphernalia for worship
should be kept spotlessly clean. Brass and copper utensils should
be always bright and shiny. Deity dresses should be discarded and
replaced atthe first signs of becoming soiled and old. The Deities
Themselves, pictures, altar clothes, conches, cloths used in arati,
the floor and walls of the Deity room all need regular cleaning.
Flowers used in worship are best removed from the altar at night.

17
Before offering arati or performing puja (and even before cooking
if worshipping installed Deities), a bath should be taken and fresh
cloth put on. Silk is the best cloth for Deity worship; cotton is also
acceptable; polyester, terrycotton, and artificial cloth/cotton-mixes
are forbidden. Proper Vaisnava dress should be worn (see section
on Vaisnava Appearance), not Western-style. Offering arati -
general outline The following items should be placed on a plate
specially kept for this purpose ("the arati plate"): 1. A conch for
blowing 2. A cup filled with fresh water and a spoon 3. Incense - 3
sticks 4. "Pancapradip"- a ghee lamp with five wicks 5. A conch
for offering water in and a stand to rest it on. 6. A container of
water for offering 7. A small piece of cloth.Handkerchiefs are
commonly used. Varieties without printed writing on them are the
best. 2 or 3 should be kept only for offering at arati. The
handkerchief must be clean and neatly folded. 8. A small plate of
flowers 9. An oil wick, candle and matches A camara (whisk) and
peacock fan are permanently kept in the Deity room. The devotee
who offers arati pays obeisances outside the Deity room. Next, he
performs acamana as follows: Taking the spoon from the acamana
cup in his left hand he places water from the acamana cup in his
right hand then sips it up in his mouth. Then he says, "Om
kesavaya namah" and places another drop of water in his right
hand. This procedure is repeated two more times; the second time
after sipping water he says "Om narayanaya namah," the third
time he says "Om madhavaya namah." The acamana cup is used
throughout the arati to purify the hands and all objects offered. To
purify an object, simply put three dropsof water on it. After
performing acamana, first purify the blowing conch (which is kept
just outside the Deity room); take it in the right hand and blow
three times. Purify it again (with water), purify the right hand
again with water and enter the Deity room. From inside the Deity
room open the curtains (which had hitherto been closed) while
ringing the bell. Upon seeing the Deities, all the devotees present
bow down and offer obeisances, then stand up and begin kirtan.
Place the arati-plate on a small table, which is kept in the Deity
room for that purpose. Now purify the incense (with a drop of
water at the base) and light it. Best is to have an open oil lamp;
next best is to use a candle. Either an oil lamp or a candle should
be lit with matches immediately upon entering the Deity room. Or
keep an oil lamp permanently burning. Otherwise, use matches to
directly light the incense. Purify both hands, and the bell; pick up
the incense in the right hand and the bell in the left and start to
offer arati, ringing the bell all the time, while offering each item.
Each item is offered by circling it in a clockwise direction around of
the picture or the Deity of each worshippable personality being
worshipped. After mentally taking permission from one's spiritual

18
master, offer each item first to Krsna, then Radha, then
Nityananda, then Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then Srila Prabhupada,
then to one's initiating guru. The items of puja paraphernalia are
offered in the following order: 1. Incense 2. Ghee Lamp 3.Water
in conch (this is a different conch to the one blown at the
beginning of the arati) 4. Cloth 5. Flower 6. Camara 7. Peacock
fan When offering water in the conch, after offering to each
worshippable person, pour out three drops into the water holder
kept for this purpose. After offering to all the worshippable
personalities, pour the balance of water in the conch into the water
container,then take the water container in the left hand, come to
the front of the Deity room, pour a little water into the palm of the
right hand, and throw it over the heads of the assembled
devotees. Throw a few handfuls of water until all the devotees
have received a little water on their heads. After offering the
flowers, place one or a few at the lotus feet of all the personalities
worshipped on the altar and keep a few for distributing to the
assembled devotees. The camara and the fan are simply waved a
few times in the direction of each worshippable personality. In
winter, when the cooling effect of the fan is undesirable, it should
not be used. Remember to purify each item before offering it and
to repurify the hand after offering each item. The arati is
completed in about 20 minutes. The conch is blown three times
again, the kirtan comes to an end, prema-dhvani is recited (see
songbook), and the arati paraphernalia is removed for cleaning.
During the arati the pujari's attention should be concentrated on
what he is doing - worshipping the Supreme Lord. The pujari's
attitude is one of great awe and reverance. Arati is sometimes
offered with only incense, flowers and camara. This is called a
dhupa-arati. But all the items mentioned above should be offerd
at mangala arati and sandhya-arati. Puja In the scriptures many
complex methods of puja are described. Only a very basic outline
of puja is given here, because doing complex puja is not possible
for all. The proper system is that puja is learnt after receiving
brahminical initiation; but for beginning devotees, wanting to do
simple daily puja at home, this very much simplified outline is
given. Direction is being given for those worshipping pictures of
the Lord: devotees worshipping Deities of wood, metal, stone or
brass should consult the book"Arcana Paddhati" or an experienced
pujari for guidance. Puja is performed early in the morning, after
mangala-arati, and after cleaning all the pictures, the altar and
the Deity room. In the scriptures there are directions for
worshipping with five, ten, sixteen or sixty-four upacaras (items).
The five items are gandha (scent), flowers, incense, a single ghee
lamp and naivedya (food). First, puja is offerd to the guru, then to
Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, then to Sri Sri Radha Krsna. After worshipping

19
the guru take permission from him to worship Sri Sri Gaura Nitai
and Sri Sri Radha Krsna. Worship with five items is conducted as
follows: Prepare gandha (a paste of sandalwood and camphor;
pink sandalwood should be used, not the bright red variety). Then,
sitting on a mat on the Deity room floor, place the picture of the
guru on a small table in front of you. Put a little gandha on the
guru's forehead. Next, affix a fresh tulsi leaf to the guru's right
hand using the gandha paste (tulsi is only offered to the feet of
the Visnu-tattva Deities; the idea of placing tulsi in the guru's
hand is that he will place it at the lotus feet of Krsna). Next, offer
incense, a ghee lamp, then flowers -as in arati. After offering,
flowers are placed at the lotus feet of the guru. Next, place a
freshly made garland on the picture of the guru (either the pujari
or another member of the family can collect flowers and make
garlands). Now do the puja in the same way for the Panca tattva,
then for Sri Sri Radha Krsna. Now offer the naivedya (bhoga
foodstuffs). Either simple fruits, sweets, milk, etc., can be offered,
or cooked foods also. Now the puja is finished; arati may now be
offered. Throughout the puja suitable mantras and songs in praise
of the guru, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Sri Sri Radha Krsna are
chanted or sung. Reading Spiritual Literature Reading is an
extension of the hearing process; one gains knowledge by
receiving it from another. There is a vast treasure house of
Vaisnava literature. The most important of these books have been
translated into English by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada. Although Srila Prabhupada is no longer
personally present with us, everyone can directly associate with
him by reading his books. Srila Prabhupada was especially
empowered by Krsna to present all the subtleties of Vaisnava
understanding in straightforward English language, just suitable
for modern man to comprehend. Although there are many books
available for devotees to read, devotees who desire to easily
grasp the essence of Krsna consciousness should concentrate on
reading Srila Prabhupada's books. Among the many books which
he has translated, Srila Prabhupada has said that the most
important are Bhagavad-gita As it Is, Srimad Bhagavatam,
Teachings Of Lord Chaitanya and Nectar of Devotion. Reading of
these Vaisnava literatures on a daily basis is essential for all
devotees. Read for one hour, two hours or at least half an hour
daily. Like all devotional activities, reading should be done with
deep concentration and respect, praying to guru and Krsna to be
blessed with the ability to understand such exalted subject
matters. THE FOUR REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES The four regulative
principles of devotional service are: 1. No eating of meat, fish or
eggs 2. No intoxication 3. No gambling 4. No illicit sex life These
are the four pillars of sinful life. They directly destroy the four

20
pillars of religion, namely mercy, austerity, truthfulness and
cleanliness. If one is sinful and has no mercy, austerity,
truthfulness or cleanliness, how can he advance in spiritual life?
Therefore strict following of these four regulative principles is a
<169>must<170> for every devotee and indeed, for every
civilized human being. Apart from meat, fish and eggs, garlic and
onions are also forbidden for devotees, as are factory-made bread
and biscuits and other food cooked by nondevotees. Actually,
devotees only like to take Krsna-prasada - food cooked specifically
for the pleasure of the Lord and offered to Him with love and
devotion. Intoxication includes not only alcohol, ganja and hard
drugs, but also tobacco, pan, betelnuts, betel powder, tea and
coffee. Along with gambling, all frivolous activities, such as
watching TV, going to the cinema, mundane sports and music etc.,
are not meant for devotees. Note that lotteries are gambling. Illicit
sex means any sexual relationships other than that within
marriage for the purpose of begetting Krsna conscious children.

Restricting man-woman association

pumsah striya mithuni bhavam etam tayor aho
hrdaya-granthim ahuh ato-grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair
janasya moho'yam aham mameti
Translation: "The attraction between male and female is the basic
principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception,
which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one
becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives
and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in
terms of <169>I and mine<170>.
Srimad Bhagavatam 5.5.8
In Vedic culture, association between men and women is not only
restricted for brahmacaris and sannyasis, but even for married
couples. Of course, within marriage husband and wife must
associate; but that association should only be to assist each other
in advancement in Krsna consciousness. Unnecessary mixing, even
between husband and wife, is the cause of falldown for both. (This
subject has been very elaborately discussed by the author in his
book <169>Brahmacarya in Krsna Consciousness<170> ). Krsna
conscious couples sanctify their conjugal relationship by uniting for
the purpose of begtting devotee children. Srila Prabhupada
directed his householder disciples to each chant at least 50 rounds
of japa to purify their minds before copulating. According to the
consciousness of the parents at the time of sex life, a suitable soul
is attracted to the womb of the mother. So if the parents beget
offspring in Krsna consciuosness, their children will also be Krsna
conscious.

21
In this modern, disturbed age, it is often very difficult for husband
and wife to live peacefully together. But if Krsna consciousness
replaces selfish sense gratification as the basis of marriage, family
life can be very pure and happy. Married life in Krsna
consciousness is a greater subject than can be dealt with in depth
in this book. Persons desiring to spiritualize their home are advised
to contact mature, senior grhastha members of ISKCON for
guidance and advice.
When to sing which songs
The following songs as indicated below are sung at specific times
in all ISKCON centres throughout the world. The songs are
identified by their first lines. The full texts of the songs are found
in the book <169> Songs of Vaisnava Acaryas <170>.
When to sing Song Mangala arati
samsara davanala lidha loka After each arati namaste
narasringaya Tulsi arati tulasi krsna preyasi namo
nama Guru-puja sri guru carana padma Before
honouring prasada sarira avidya jal Sandhya arati
jaya jaya gauracander aratika
Tulsi <169>Tulsi is auspicious in all respects. Simply by seing,
simply by touching, simply by praying to, simply by bowing
before, simply by hearing about or simply by sowing this tree,
there is always auspiscousness. Anyone who comes in touch with
the tulsi tree in the above mentioned ways lives eternally in the
Vaikuntha world. <170> - Skanda Purana Every devotee keeps at
least one or two tulsi plants at home, waters them daily, and looks
after them carefully. It is said that where tulsi flourishes is a sign
of bhakti at that place. Tulsi arati is generally conducted in the
temple room. Before bringing tulsi in, the Deity room curtain is
closed (because tulsi should not be worshipped in front of the
Deities). At the time of arati, the pot in which tulsi is kept is
decorated with a nice cloth. Tulsi-devi is thus placed on a stand or
table in the middle of the temple room. As she is brought in one
devotee chants the following mantra and all the devotees chant
responsively (this procedure is repeated three times) : vrndayai
tulasi devyai priyayai kesavasya ca visnubhakti prade devi
satyavatyai namo namah The specific song for tulsi arati is sung
(see <169>Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas<170>) and the arati is
conducted as follows. The arati plate is made up with an acamana
cup, a bell, three sticks of incense, a ghee lamp and a small plate
of flowers. Matches or a lighted candle or oil lamp are also
required. The devotee who is to offer the arati first performs
acamana. Then he offers lighted incense, then the lighted ghee
lamp, and then the flowers to Tulsi-devi by waving them in circles
before her. After the incense is offered it is put in an incense
holder to continue burning. After the ghee lamp is offered, it is

22
handed by the devotee offering the arati to another devotee, who
then brings it to all the devotees present, who then touch their
hand first over the flame and then to their heads. After offering
the flowers, a few are placed at the base of the tulsi stem and the
rest are distributed to the devotees to smell. When the tulsi-arati
is completed, the devotees perform clockwise circumambulation
of Tulsi-devi, while chanting the following mantra : yani kani ca
papani brahma hatyadikani ca tani tani pranasyanti pradaksinah
pade pade followed by Hare Krsna kirtan. A few more points about
Tulsi Tulsi leaves are essential for Vaisnava puja. Tulsi leaves
should be collected in the morning using scissors which are
specifically used for this purpose only. Care should be taken not to
hurt Tulsi- devi (remember: she is not an ordinary plant - she is a
great pure devotee) Tulsi manjaris (seed receptacles) should be
cut as soon as they appear. Otherwise many tulsi plants will start
to grow everywhere and it will become difficult to care for them
properly. Also, early cutting of manjaris helps tulsi to grow strong
and healthy. Tulsi should be kept in such a way and such a place
that animals don't disturb her (dogs actually like to urinate on
tulsi and goats like to eat her). She should be placed away from
pathways so that people do not thoughtlessly brush past her.
Children (and adults too!) should be trained to treat her
respectfully. Tulsi does not like the hot summer sun, so try to keep
her in the shade. Although tulsi has reputed medicinal qualities,
devotees do not think of her as medicine. She is a pure devotee
and worshippable by us. For devotees, cultivation of tulsi is for
cultivation of devotion and nothing else. Tulsi leaves are offered
in devotion at the lotus feet of Visnu- tattva Deities and pictures
and to no-one else. This means that tulsi leaves are to be offered
to the lotus feet of Krsna, Nrsinghadeva, Lord Caitanya,
Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu etc. but not to the lotus feet
even of Radharani, Gadadhara Pandit, Srivasa Pandita or to the
sampradaya acaryas. However, in Deity worship, tulsi may be
placed in the right hand of one's guru for him to offer at Krsna's
lotus feet. Tulsi leaves are also necessary for offering bhoga
(foodstuffs) to the Lord.

Vaisnava Appearance Although

dressing as a Vaisnava is not completely essential (inward
consciousness being more important than external appearance), it
is very important. Just as a policeman in uniform is recognised for
what he is by the populace (and thus is dealt with by them in a
particular way according to his occupation), so a devotee
proclaims to the world his commitment to Krsna consciousness by
dressing as a devotee. Devotees who dress as such regularly have
the pleasent experience of explaining why they are devotees to

23
curious members of the public. Thus, dressing as devotees gives
us more opportunities to preach. Furthermore, by dressing as a
Vaisnava, the devotee takes the responsibility to act as a
Vaisnava. One appearing as a sadhu is expected to conduct
himself in a dignified way; so dressing as a devotee helps the
devotee to act in an exemplary way. It is a fact that if we look like
a Vaisnava, it helps us to feel like a Vaisnava.
On the other hand, Western dress (which has become so popular
nowadays) automatically tends to put us in a different frame of
mind. Western dress is associated with Western standards, with a
lifestyle based on lust and greed; and is therefore best avoided. If
one feels uncomfortable appearing as a Vaisnava in public, he can
dress like that at home, or at least when visiting temples or at the
time of practising Krsna consciousnsess at home. Ideal Vaisnava
appearance is as follows: For men: tilak, tulsi neckbeads, shaved
head with knotted sikha (sikha not more than one and a half
inches wide). Householders living outside the temple who feel
constrained to keep a shaved head may have very short, neatly
kept hair, but never long hair, for long hair is considered
objectionable by the followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Face
clean shaven, no beard, no mustache or sideburns. Dress -dhoti
worn with a kach (the folded cloth which is tucked in at the back).
On the upper part of the body a traditional style kurta and/or cloth
top- piece. Turbans are also acceptable. T-shirts with non-
devotional pictures or words are not. Thus neatly attired, the
Vaisnava appears like a perfect aristocratic gentleman engaged in
the service of Lord Krsna. For women: traditional Indian dress
(sari) plus tilak and neckbeads. No Western fashions, no loose hair;
hair parting in the middle of the head and the rest of the body well
covered in the presence of men other than husband and sons.
1>+MD:\WORD\NORMAL.STYEPLX800
|P5 Caturmasya and Damodara vrata
Caturmasya is a four month period of austerity observed during
the rainy season. Traditionally, during the monsoon, those sadhus
and sannyasis who travel from place to place to enlighten the
general populace stop their wanderings and remain in a holy place
for four months to worship the Lord with vows of austerity.
However, ISKCON members, on the order of Srila Prabhupada, do
not stop their intensive preaching activities during the rainy
season and do not therefore observe very severe Caturmasya
vows. They observe the following dietary restrictions: in the first
month one should not eat spinach. In the second month, one
should not take yogurt. In the thiird month, one should not drink
milk. In the fourth month one should not eat urad dahl. The
Caturmasya period is reckoned from sayana ekadasi (in the month
of Asada) to uttara ekadasi (in the month of Kartika); or from

24
Asadha purnima to Kartika purnima; or simply during the solar
months of Sravana, Bhadra, Asvin and Kartika (consult the
Vaisnava calendar for the exact dates). The fourth month of
Caturmasya, Kartika, is dedicated to Lord Krsna in His Damodara
form and is known as Damodara month. "Damadara" is a name of
Krsna referring to when He was tied up with a rope around His
stomach as a punishment by His mother, Yasoda. This is a month
during which many Vaisnavas go to reside in Vrindaban, following
special vows. In the temples, a picture of Damodara and Yasoda is
placed on the altar and morning and evening all devotees
individually offer ghee lamps to the Deities (from outside the Deity
room) while congregationally singing the prayer
"Damodarastakam." (see song book)

The Guru and Initiation No one can become self-realised simply by

reading books. Getting extracted from maya's clutches is not
easy. It is a path on which tests and difficulties are certain. No one
can enter the kingdom of God on their own strength alone.
Therefore, all the scriptures emphatically state the absolute
necessity for all spiritual aspirants to accept the shelter of a bona
fide spiritual master. Srila Prabhupada has said: "In every step of
one's life the spiritual master guides. To give such guidance a
spiritual master should be a very perfect man. Otherwise, how can
he guide...? One cannot deny the order of the spiritual master.
Therefore, one has to select a spiritual master by whose orders
one will not commit a mistake. Suppose you accept the wrong
person as a spiritual master and he guides you wrongly. Then your
whole life is spoiled. So one has to select a spiritual master whose
guidance will make one's life perfect. That is the relationship
between the spiritual master and the disciple: It is not a formality.
It is a great responsibility both for the disciple and for the
spiritual master." (Quotes from Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta, Volume
2, by Satsvarupa Das Goswami). Within ISKCON at the present
time, any disciple of Srila Prabhupada who is in good-standing
within the society, may be approached and requested to initiate a
candidate into Krsna consciousness. "In good standing," means
that he must have a clean record of following the regulative
principles, daily chanting 16 rounds of the Hare Krsna maha-
mantra on japa mala; a good record of rising early and attending
temple programmes, steadiness in devotional service,
philosophical fidelity with the tenets of Krsna consciousness; and
is working within the organizational framework of ISKCON, as
accepted by the Governing Body Commission. According to Hari-
bhakti-vilasa, a candidate for Krsna consciousness should
regularly hear about Krsna from a recognized devotee for at least
a year. During this period, a relationship of guru and disciple may

25
develop by service and enquiry. Then,if the disciple feels confident
that, "Here is a person who I can surrender to, who can lead me to
Krsna" he may approach that devotee and pray to him for
initiation. Satisfied that the aspirant is serious and sincere, the
guru may then initiate him. Cheap, rushed initiations are therefore
not in order. In ISKCON, because the initiating gurus are often
travelling, and the number of disciples may be many, a guru may
have limited opportunities to assess the character of a prospective
disciple. In such cases he may accept the recommendation of a
senior disciple (usually a temple president). And every candidate
for initiation has to pass a standard written or verbal test, so that
it is clear that he has an understanding of what he is doing.
Whoever one accepts as a guru in ISKCON he will give the same
basic instructions - those which were given to us by Srila
Prabhupada (i.e. rise early, chant 16 rounds, etc.). However, the
guru is a personal link to the parampara and prospective disciples
are strongly recommended to be very thoughtful in the matter of
accepting a guru. Although they may take advice from others,
they should also personally scrutinize the character of a devotee
from whom they are considering accepting initiation. Apart from
the guidelines given above (for a devotee in "good standing"
within ISKCON) one should see how much the guru has controlled
the six urges, has developed the six positive qualities, and is free
from the six faults (see Nectar of Instruction, verses 1-3, for a
detailed explanation). Furthermore, a disciple should see how
much an initiating spiritual master is attached to the process of
devotional service and the preaching of Krsna consciousness. One
should also understand that for a guru to have a big position and
many followers is not necessarily indicative of his advancement in
Krsna consciousness, or his ability to train disciples in devotional
service. The guru-disciple relationship is ideally very close and
personal. Therefore, when selecting the person who is to be one's
spiritual master, one's worshippable guide, there are personal
considerations also. For instance, although the teachings of all
bona fide spiritual masters are the same, each spiritual master
has his own personality and approach to guruship. Some gurus
may be very strict and demanding of their disciples; others may
be more liberal. Some devotees thrive in a strict spiritual
atmosphere; others cannot adjust to such a situation and do
better without being highly controlled. Again, one guru may be
very much inclined to Deity worship, another to cow protection,
another may have a special love for kirtan, yet another may
strongly emphasize transcendental book distribution. (Actually,
Srila Prabhupada so strongly emphasized the importance of
transcendental book distribution that all of his disciples and
followers are expected to share in that mood. Still, some may be

26
stressing it more than others). So, considering one's own
inclinations and phsychological make-up, he may approach a
suitable devotee for initiation. Another important personal
consideration is that it would generally be wise to take initiation
from a devotee who one will get a regular opportunity to hear
from and serve. Also, a great advantage is to take initiation from a
devotee who speaks the same language as the disciple! Be careful
of being pressured into accepting initiation from some over-
zealous disciples of his; that is not the correct process. Those
coming to ISKCON for spiritual shelter are entitled to approach any
thus authorized member of the society to grant initiation to them.
Although thoughtfulness is required in the matter of initiation,
waiting an inordinately long time is also not generally
recommended. Generally, those who take up following the four
regulative principles and daily chanting of 16 rounds of the maha-
mantra, accept initiation within one to two years of having taken
up the process. Below is a simple summary of the system of
initiation (and beyond) as approved by the ISKCON GBC: 1. A
candidate starts associating with devotees. 2. At least six months
after having started following the four regulative principles,
chanting sixteen rounds of Hare Krsna maha-mantra japa daily,
and hearing from senior devotees, he may decide which senior
devotee he wishes to be initiated by. He should approach that
devotee and a period of mutual testing begins. 3. After another six
months (minimum), if both parties are agreeable, he may be
initiated by that devotee. At that time he will receive a spiritual
name (diksa-nama). 4. The new initiate goes on hearing and
chanting. After some more time, if the disciple remains steady in
devotional service, (usually at least one year), the spiritual master
may offer him brahminical initiation and Gayatri mantras. One
important point is that, apart from one's own initiating spiritual
master, one should continue to hear from and serve other
devotees (especially senior devotees) in ISKCON. Although it is
natural that one will have affection for his own guru, the Vaisnava
etiquette is that one should treat the guru's Godbrothers as
respectfully as the guru himself. Another important point is that, if
one has previously taken initiation from a person who is not a
bona fide, recognized Vaisnava, that person can, and, (according
to scripture), must be rejected, for the sake of accepting a bona
fide spiritual master. People who already have such "gurus" are
often afraid to give them up, fearing retribution, but they need not
worry. The scriptural warning against leaving one's spiritual
master does not apply in the case of bogus gurus, and this is
stated in the scripture itself. Those who take shelter of a proper
Vaisnava guru will certainly be directly protected by Krsna (see
Srila Prabhupada's purport to S.Bhag.: 8.20.1, for further

27
discussion of this point). "The Spiritual Master and the Disciple,"
published by the BBT, is a comprehensive series of extracts from
Srila Prabhupada's books on this very important subject. It is
recommended that before taking initiation, every devotee should
carefully study this book.
1>+"&&())C:\WORD5\NORMAL.STYPSDOWN*
wqP'&(5 ISKCON ISKCON (The International Society for
Krsna Consciosness) was founded in New York in 1966 by His
Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It rapidly
expanded to become a worldwide confederation of several
hundred temples and asramas, with affiliated farm communities
and gurukula schools. ISKCON is based on the timeless teachings
of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad- Bhagavatam, as received in disciplic
succession from Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Caitanya
appeared in Sri Mayapura Dhama and promulgated the science of
Krsna bhakti. He popularised the chanting of Hare Krsna Hare
Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama
Hare Hare, the maha-mantra (great chanting for deliverance) most
effective in this age of Kali. ISKCON's spiritual lineage is traced
from Srila Prabhupada back through a chain of spiritual masters,
through Lord Caitanya, back through Madhvacarya, to Lord
Brahma and ultimately to Lord Krsna Himself. This principle of
parampara (unbroken disciplic succession) is a major hallmark of
ISKCON's authenticity. Managerially ISKCON is divided on a world
wide basis into several zones (approximately thirty at present).
Each zone is overseen by a senior devotee. His position is
Governing Body Commissioner (GBC Officer). The highest
managerial authority in ISKCON is the GBC body (comprised of all
GBC officers). The GBC body meets once yearly in Mayapur for
reviewing and planning the activities of the society. Decisions
within the GBC body are made on a voting basis. Within each GBC
zone there are several temples. Each temple is financially and to a
large extent managerially independent of all others. Thus, there is
no one head office of ISKCON, although Mayapura is considered
to be the main spiritual headquarters in the world. Each temple
has a Temple President, who is its main officer and temporal
authority. The GBC officer regularly visits the temples in his zone
to help ensure that spiritual standards are being maintained, to
see that management and development are going on nicely, and
to co-ordinate preaching within the zone. Thus after the departure
of Srila Prabhupada, there is no one leader of ISKCON. Srila
Prabhupada himself said that all his disciples - those that followed
- would become the leaders in his physical absence. He
admonished his disciples to work together co-operatively to help
spread Krsna consciousness, and this order remains the key to the
continuing spread of the movement. We can understand what a

28
responsible position the GBC officers hold by examining the
qualifications which Srila Prabhupada expected of them: 1. He
must demonstrate exemplary personal sadhana by: (a) verifiably
chanting sixteen rounds per day. (b) following the four regulative
principle (c) strictly following the temple programme, starting with
mangala-arati, and (d) regularly reading Srila Prabhupada's books.
2. He must train all the devotees in his zone to maintain the above
sadhana standard. 3. He must possess ideal character by: (a)
dealing in a straightforward way, free from duplicity. (b) being able
to give and take sadhu-sanga (c) avoiding any offence to the
Vaisnavas 4. He must be able to train and inspire others to preach
and distribute Srila Prabhupada's books by his instructions and
personal example. 5. He must ensure that the temple and Deity
standards are maintained, that accounts are paid regularly, and
that the devotional life in the temple is healthy. 6. He must ensure
that policies and regulations of the GBC body are correctly upheld
in his zone. 7. He must manage so as not to "kill the spirit of
enthusiastic service, spontaneous and voluntary." 8. He must
demonstrate world vision first and zonal vision second. 9. He must
establish self-sufficient farm communities based on varnasrama
principles. 10. He must see that Prabhupada's books are always in
stock, and that "Back to Godhead" magazine is published regularly.

Kirtan
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nastyeva nastyeva nastyeva gatir anyatha -
Brhan-naradiya Purana "In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the
only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy names of the
Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no
other way." Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
iti sodasakam namnam kali kalmara
nasanam natah parataropaya sarva-
vedesu drsyate
"These sixteen names composed of thirty-two syllables are the
only means to couteract the evil effects of Kali-yuga. In all the
Vedas it is seen that to cross the ocean of nescience, there is no
alternative to the chanting of the holy name."
The importance of chanting the holy name of the Lord cannot be
overly stressed. Everyone should try to chant these holy names as
much as possible. There are two ways of chanting: loudly, usually
to the accompaniment of mrdanga drums and kartals (this is called
"Kirtan") and "japa", which means chanting softly, mostly for
himself to hear. Kirtan is very simple to perform. Among a group of
devotees, one leads" the kirtan. That is, he sings first. Then the
other devotees "follow," that is, they sing the same words together

29
in the same tune. Generally, unless the devotees are musically
practised, the tunes sung are simple, so that everyone can easily
follow. The most important mantra to chant is the maha-mantra :
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare
Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. In our kirtans this should be chanted
most of the time, as taught by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
However, before chanting this mahamantra we should also chant
the Srila Prabhupada pranama mantra (see page xx) and the
Panca-tattva-maha-mantra : Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu
Nityananda/ Sri Advaita Gadhadhara Srivasadi Gaura Bhakta
Vrnda.
It is necessary to chant this Pancatattva maha-mantra before
chanting the Hare Krsna maha mantra to invoke the mercy of Lord
Caitanya and His associates and thus help us to overcomme
offenses incurred while chanting Hare Krsna. There are also many
authorised bhajans and mantras composed by great devotees.
These songs enhance devotional moods and it is important for
devotees to gradually learn how to sing atleast a few of the most
important Vaisnava bhajans, especially those printed in the book
"Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas," printed by the BBT.

Relating with Near and Dear ones Often, when one member of a
family takes to Krsna consciousness, all the other members of the
family also become devotees. That is a very favourable family
situation. However, if other family members do not agree to
become devotees, an awkward and uncomfortable situation may
develop. Sometimes, not only the family members, but friends
and neighbours consider the new devotee to be crazy, start to put
all kinds of pressure on him, and accuse him of being ungrateful,
irresponsible, etc. This is not a new phenomenon: Many eons ago,
the great devotee, Prahlada Maharaja, was severely harassed by
his father, Hiranyakasipu, for one reason only; because he would
not relinquish his Visnu-bhakti. Remembering Prahlada, those who
have developed even a slight taste for pure Krsna consciousness,
cannot give it up for anything. A devotee may not be able to
convince his relatives to take up Krsna consciousness, but his
relatives will also not be able to convince him to leave Krsna
consciousness. Such devotees should always consider the actual
reality of existence: that relationships with friends, country, family
and the rest are always fleeting and temporary. As twigs floating
down a river sometimes join together in groups, then again, by
the force of the current, seperate to form new groups, so, in the
mighty "river of time," we flit from one body to another, each time
taking very seriously our position as a dog, hog, human being or
whatever. Another example is that of guests in a hotel who meet
and start conversations, but do not develop deep attachment for

30
each other, knowing that they will all depart for different
destinations after a few days. In the materialistic way of life,
family attachments and family responsibilities are considered
most normal; for indeed, family life is the very basis of material
existence. But all devotees, even those who continue to live at
home with their family members, clearly know these family
attachments for what they are: maya. Another consideration is
that those who surrender themselves fully to Krsna no longer have
any familial or social duties to fulfill. This is very clearly stated in
the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.41) as quoted in Bhagavad-gita As
It Is (1:41 and 2:38 purports). Indeed, a devotee who surrenders
himself to the lotus feet of Krsna does the best service to his
family members, for Krsna automatically grants liberation to many
generations of a pure devotee's family (S.Bhag. 7.10.18).
Everything favourable for executing Krsna consciousness should be
accepted, and everything unfavourable should be rejected. What is
a favourable situation for one devotee may not be suitable for
another. If home life is not favourable to our proper development
in Krsna consciousness, leaving home to take up the service of the
Lord is an alternative which should be seriously considered and
discussed with senior , responsible devotees. "A person whose
main concern is Krsna consciousness, even if he is entrapped in
household life, should always be ready to leave household
enticement as soon as possible." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.23.49
purport). Generally, however, men with wives and dependant
children are not recommended to suddenly leave home. But those
who are over fifty years old, or younger men who are still
unmarried should seriously consider leaving home to join the
association of devotees, and thus practice Krsna consciousness
full-time. There is no need for them to unnecessarily rot their lives
away in the dark, stagnant pit of materialistic family enjoyment.
("Vedic authority says that householders must leave home after
the age of fifty." Srimad-Bhagavatam 3:24:35 purport). For those
who are serious about Krsna consciousness, but who somehow
have to live in a home full of non-devotees, we can only
recommend that they keep the peace as much as possible, without
compromising their principles. Very often, such family members
are actually good enough people - but we cannot expect that all
will be fortunate enough to understand the paramount importance
of Krsna consciousness. Quite often it happens that, with patience
and diligence, a devotee is gradually able to turn his originally
apathetic or inimical family members to also become devotees of
the Lord. But one thing is for sure: no-one should give up their
precious discovery of Krsna consciousness just to satisfy a band of
so- called relatives.

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Obeisances Offering obeisances is an important part of the process
of devotional service by which the devotee confirms and
reinforces his attitude of submission. Obeisances are especially
meant to be offered to the Supreme Lord and His devotees.
Obeisances are offered by falling completely on the ground, head
down; or by placing the head, lower legs and forearms only, on the
ground (see diagrams). It is also necessary to audibly offer specific
prayers while bowing down. When entering and leaving the temple
room, obeisances are offered to the Deities. The via media for
offering anything - including obeisances to the Supreme Lord -is
the spiritual master; therefore, on bowing down to the Deities, the
pranama prayers to the spiritual master are recited. Uninitiated
devotees offer pranama prayers to Srila Prabhupada. In all ISKCON
temples, there is a vyasasana (formal raised-seat for the spiritual
master) upon which Srila Prabhupada is placed, in either his
picture or deity form. The correct ettiquette here is to first offer
obeisances to Srila Prabhupada and then to the Deities on
entering the temple room; and vice versa while leaving.
Obeisances are offered to tulsi-devi with the prayer; "vrndayai
tulasi devyai," etc. (see section on tulsi). Obeisances to tulsi are
generally offered at the time of tulsi-arati, but can be offered at
other times also. Offering obeisances to devotees is very important
in Krsna consciousness. It not only enables us to make rapid
advancement in spiritual life but also helps to create and uphold
loving relationships between devotees. Offering obeisances to
one's guru on entering and leaving his presence is mandatory.
Sannyasis should be offered obeisances at least the first time they
are seen in the day. It is nice to offer obeisances to all devotees -
particularly senior devotees - individually, upon seeing them for
the first time in a day. The guru is offered obeisances with the
particular pranama mantra mentioning his name. Other devotees
are offered obeisances with this pranama mantra: "vancha
kalpa...etc." In all ISKCON centres, devotees mutually offer
obeisances to each other by bowing down and reciting this mantra
in the morning, after tulsi arati. Generally, when offered
obeisances, a devotee immediately returns them; although one
who is very senior in the community of devotees may not always
return obeisances offered by those much junior; rather they may
offer blessings and good wishes for the other's spiritual
advancement. If ever one speaks inconsiderate words or behaves
improperly towards a Vaisnava, he should, upon realizing his
mistake, immediately offer obeisances to that Vaisnava and beg
for forgiveness. This is the proper thing to do, even if one
considers that he has also been wronged by that Vaisnava. Such
behaviour maintains sanctity and peacefulness in the society of
devotees.

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Krsnaprasada The preparation, offering and distribution of
prasada (foods offered to Visnu) form a major part of Vaisnava
culture. Non- devotees cannot understand how the Lord eats, as
the foodstuffs appear to remain untouched. But factually He does
eat, and devotees take the vow only to eat that which has been
eaten by Him. Preparation Krsna eats only that which is offered
with love and devotion. Therefore devotees take care to procure
fruits, vegetables, sugar, grains and milk products of good quality
and prepare them with great care and attention for the pleasure
of the Lord. Meat, fish, eggs, garlic, onions, mushrooms and red
dahl cannot be offered to Krsna. Excessively spicy foods are also
unfit for offering. Milk should be that from cows. Ghee (cow milk
ghee) is best for cooking for Krsna. Those who cannot procure it
can use oil. Traditionally acceptable oils are mustard oil and
sesame oil. Due to the high price of first-class ingredients in the
modern age, many devotees living at home, worshipping Krsna
according to their means, cook with other oils, such as groundnut
oil. While cooking, devotees think of how the Lord will enjoy the
offering - not of their own personal enjoyment or that of their
families or of other devotees. Great care is taken to see that the
offering is prepared cleanly. No one, including the cooks, can taste
the food until after it is offerd to Krsna. Offering A special plate
and glass are kept only for offering food to Krsna. Foodstuffs
prepared for Krsna are placed on the plate, along with a glass of
fresh drinking water. Pieces of lemon (cut in quarters and with
seeds removed) and a little salt can also be placed on the plate.
Liquid items (such as dahl) can be placed in small dishes
(katories) kept only for these offerings. In each preparation a tulsi
leaf is placed. The plate, thus made up, is brought and placed on
the altar, on a table in front of the altar or (if there is no altar
arrangement) in front of a picture of Krsna. Sitting in front of the
altar and meditating on how Krsna will enjoy the offering, the
devotee rings the puja bell while reciting each of these prayers
three times: 1. nama om visnupadaya krsna presthaya bhutale
srimate bhaktivedanta swamin iti namine namaste sarasvati deve
gaura vani pracarine nirvisesa sunyavadi pascatya desa tarine 2.
namo mahavadanyaya krsna prema pradayate krsnaya krsna
caitanya namine gaura tvise namah 3. namo brahmanya devaya
go brahmana hitaya ca jagad hitaya krsnaya govindaya namo
namah The devotee thinks that he is bringing the foodstuffs to his
guru, who then offers it to Krsna. He does not presume himself
qualified to offer anything directly to Krsna. The offering is left in
front of Krsna for 15 minutes. Then the plate is removed and the
items transferred from it, either back to the pots in which they
were cooked, or onto a plate which is kept only for distributing

33
maha-prasada. This system of offering is very simple, but if the
devotees offer everything with love, Krsna will accept it.
Terminology Uncooked or unoffered food is called "bhoga." Food
which is prepared and is ready for offering is also called bhoga or
more particularly "naivedya." That which has been offered to the
Lord is called "prasada." That which was directly offered on the
plate to the Lord is "maha-prasada." And remnants of prasada left
by a pure devotee is called "maha-maha-prasada." Cooking and
eating utensils Aluminium pots are widely used for cooking
purposes in modern India, but they are actually poisonous and
their use is gradually becoming banned in the Western countries.
They are thus unsuitable for use in cooking for Krsna. China, glass,
aluminium and plastic plates and glasses are considered low class
in Vedic culture. Eating utensils made of silver, stone, brass or
(widely accepted by traditional Indians in the modern day)
stainless steel are all acceptable. Best of all are plates made of
leaves; used once then thrown away.
Preaching Lord Krsna states in Bhagavad-gita (18:64) that there is
no-one in this world dearer to Him than one who preaches this
message. And Srila Prabhupada writes (Srimad-Bhagavatam
purport): "Preaching is the easy way to understand the Supreme
Personality of Godhead." Lord Caitanya instructed: "Whomever
you meet, tell them about Krsna. In this way, on My order, become
a guru and deliver this land." (Caitanya-caritamrta. Madhya-lila
7:128). So, on Lord Caitanya's order, devotees should not be
content simply to perform devotional activities for their own
upliftment, but should try to bring Krsna consciousness to others.
Everybody can preach. Even if a devotee is not very learned in
Vaisnava philosophy, he can request everyone he meets to chant
Hare Krsna. However, for those who are active in preaching work,
a thorough and regular study of Srila Prabhupada's books is
necessary. The best way to preach is to distribute Srila
Prabhupada's books. It is often easier to sell people Srila
Prabhupada's books than to induce them to chant Hare Krsna, or
to convince them of the Krsna conscious philosophy. We may be
able to speak to someone for a few minutes, but if they take a
book they can study it for several hours. Furthermore, in the
books they will get a clear presentation of Krsna conscious
philosophy directly from the topmost empowered devotee - Srila
Prabhupada. And one book may be read by many people.
Therefore, Srila Prabhupada certified that book distribution is the
best preaching. Regarding preaching and the duties of sannyasis
and householders, the following quote (from S.Bhag. 3:21:31
purport) is very interesting: "A sannyasi, or one who is in the
renounced order of life, should wander from door to door, from
village to village, from town to town and from country to country,

34
all over the world, as he is able to travel, and enlighten the
householders about Krsna consciousness. A person who is a
householder but is initiated by a sannyasi has the duty to spread
Krsna consciousness at home; as far as possible he should call his
friends and neighbours to his house and hold classes on Krsna
consciousness. Holding a class means chanting the holy name of
Krsna and speaking from Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam.
There are immense literatures for spreading Krsna consciousness,
and it is the duty of each and every householder to learn about
Krsna from his sannyasi spiritual master. There is a division of
labour in the Lord's service. The householders duty is to earn
money because a sannyasi is not supposed to earn money but is
completely dependant on the householder. The householder
should earn money by business or by profession and spend at
least fifty percent of his income to spread Krsna consciousness;
twenty-five percent he can spend for his family, and twenty-five
percent he should save to meet emergencies. This example was
shown by Rupa Goswami, so devotees should follow it."
Preface: The principles of following guru, sadhu and sastra "Srila
Narottama Dasa Thakura advises; `sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya,
cittete kariya aikya.' The meaning of this instruction is that one
must consider the instructions of the sadhu, the revealed
scriptures and the spiritual master, in order to understand the real
purpose of spiritual life. Neither a sadhu (saintly person or
Vaisnava), nor a bona fide spiritual master, says anything that is
beyond the scope of the sanction of the revealed scriptures. Thus
the statements of the revealed scriptures correspond to those of
the bona fide spiritual master and saintly persons. One must
therefore act with reference to these three important sources of
understandding." (Cc. Adi,4.8 purport). The philosophy and
practice of Krsna consciousness are delineated by guru, sadhu and
sastra. Sastra (scripture) is the word of God, or (equally as valid)
that which is spoken by realized devotees of God. Sastra is
strictly followed by sadhus, but only scriptures and commentaries
which are accepted by Vaisnavas can be considered properly
authorized. That which is bona fide is thus not to be accepted
whimsically, but is received through the changeless and timeless
system of devotional service, as corroborated throughout the eons
by great mahajan sadhus as Lord Brahma, Narada, Lord Siva, etc.
That system is received even in the present day by the unbroken
disciplic succession (parampara). Many people become
enthusiastic to take up Krsna consciousness, and try to follow
what they have seen the devotees doing. But because of lack of
proper guidance and association, they are unable to advance
properly beyond the neophyte platform. Their understanding and
practice of Krsna consciousness is often somewhat odd, due to

35
lack of maturity and the tendency to mix speculative ideas with
those of pure devotional service. Of course, imitation of a good
thing is desirable, but to be actually successful in devotinal
service one must accept the authorized process. One must accept
the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master with full submission.
Simply imagining oneself to be religious on the strength of a little
external practice is not helpful to anyone. This book will, to a
great extent, help protect those who want to make a start in
devotional service but have little personal guidance to be saved
from unnecessarily becoming confused on the path of bhakti. This
book is able to do so because it is based on the infallible ground of
guru, sadhu and sastra. At least the readers will not have to
speculate about how to put on tilak, perform sankirtan, etc. But
again, the stress must be given to accepting the shelter of a bona
fide spiritual master, taking initiation from him, learning from him,
and serving him in full submission.
Setting up a Temple at Home It is essential for householder
devotees (especially those who live away from a temple
community) to have a temple in their home. Those who have
sufficient means and space sometimes construct a temple building
seperate from their house. But most devotees set aside a room in
their residence as the temple room or puja room. Those with very
limited space can simply set up an altar within their residential
quarters. The temple room is where the family members assemble
for kirtan, arati, and readings from scripture; where offerings of
food are made to the Lord, and where the family members can
come individually to chant japa, study the scriptures and pray to
the Lord. A seperate room is much better than the "cupboard in
the corner" set-up, because in a seperate room an atmosphere of
sanctity may be preserved. In other rooms the children can play
and the adults can relax, socialize and perform their household
chores; but the temple room can be kept strictly for spiritual
practices only. In the household temple, the Lord and His pure
devotees may be worshipped in their picture form. Later, when
the worshipping devotees become more advanced and
experienced, Deities may be installed. Advanced Deity worship
should be undertaken under the guidance of a Vaisnava guru;
therefore, such Deity worship has not been detailed in this book. If
the worshipper actually has a spirit of devotion, worship of the
Lord in His picture form is not inferior to the worship of the Lord in
His Deity form, composed of wood, stone or metal. But because
such worship is a little detailed and complex, the facility for such
worship is generally offered to devotees who have proved their
dedication over a period of time. In the pure Vaisnava
sampradaya, Sri Krsna, the original Personality of Godhead, is
worshipped along with his expansions, internal energies, and pure

36
devotee acaryas. Lesser forms of worship, such as that of
demigods, is not encouraged. Therefore Vaisnavas are very
selective about which pictures to place on their altar. Although
such respectable personalities as demigods and one's father and
mother are certainly to be honoured, they are not to be
worshipped in the same place as Krsna. As for pseudo-
incarnations and bogus sadhus - they have no place at all. A
standard home altar should have the following pictures: 1. Sri Sri
Radha-Krsna 2. Lord Nrsinghadeva (devotees especially worship
this form of the Lord because; (a) He protects them from demons
and disturbances - both very prominent in this dark age of Kali -
and (b) He particularly helps the devotees to uproot the demoniac
desires from within their hearts). 3. The Panca-tattva (Lord
Caitanya and His four principle associates). 4. The six Goswamis of
Vrindaban (Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Sanatana Goswami, Sri
Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, Sri
Gopala Bhatta Goswami and Sri Jiva Goswami): Prominent
disciples of Lord Caitanya who, under His direction, presented to
the world the teachings and practices of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. 5.
The sampradaya acaryas: Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, his disciple
Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji, his disciple Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura, and his disciple - ISKCON Founder Acarya, Srila
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. (Sometimes devotees also
keep the picture of Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji - the guru of
Bhaktivinoda Thakura - on their altars. 6. After taking initiation, or
from the time one is considering initiation, pictures of one's guru
(or of several devotees who are taking the responsibility of
accepting disciples and for whom one has special regard) are to
be placed on the altar. A typical set-up of an altar is shown herein:
(Diagrams to be drawn) It is important to note that the pictures of
those who are superior in the spiritual hierarchy should never be
placed below those who they are worshipped by. For example; the
picture of the guru is never to be placed above that of Krsna.
Pictures of the gurus are placed below Krsna. Similarly, the Panca-
tattva worship Radha-Krsna and are worshipped by the
sampradaya acaryas. So Their picture should be placed below
Radha-Krsna and above the sampradaya acaryas. It is best to
have an altar especially made from wood or other materials, so as
to be able to place all the pictures properly and nicely on it. A
small table about three feet high, for placing the arati plate on, is
kept to the front of the altar - the left side. This table can also be
used for placing the plate of foodstuffs on at the time of offering
bhoga. Another very small table, about one foot high, is required
for naivedya, and a mat, preferably of kusa or other grass, is also
required. The temple room can be decorated tastefully, withnice
flowers and garlands daily offered to the Lord. Worship of the Lord

37
should be conducted as opulently as possible. But even if one has
not very sufficient means, one should endeavour to worship as
nicely as possible, according to his capability. At least incense can
be regularly burned and the temple room kept spotlessly clean
and tidy. There are many rules and regulations to be observed in
the temple room. These rules are listed in the "Nectar of
Devotion." In family situations it may not be possible to enforce all
such regulations, but as high a standard as is practical should be
aimed for. The temple room is where we invite Sri Krsna, the
proprietor of multi-universes, to personally come and preside over
our home; so we always have to maintain a most reverential
attitude towards Him in the temple room.
Tilak The wearing of tilak is essential for all devotees. Tilak is both
for nyasa (purification) and kavaca (protection). Furthermore, it is
a beautiful decoration which clearly declares to the world the
identity of the wearer as a devotee of Visnu. When people see
devotees wearing tilak they are reminded of Krsna and are thus
purified. In the modern age some devotees feel shy about wearing
tilak, fearing ridicule. But those who boldly wear tilak at all times
- even in their place of work - will soon find the ridicule replaced
with respect. Devotees who feel unable to wear Vaisnava tilak
publicly should at least apply "water tilak" - tilak applications
made with water and thus invisible. For applying tilak, various
kinds of earth are sanctioned by scripture. Most Gaudiya
Vaisnavas use gopicandan - a yellow clay sold in Vrindaban and
Navadvip; also available at ISKCON centres. Tilak is generally
applied after taking bath. In this way a Vaisnava wears tilak at all
times - not just at the time of puja. To apply tilak, take a little
water in the palm of the left hand. Then take a piece of
gopicandan in the right hand and slowly rub it in the water to
make a smooth paste, while chanting this mantra: lalate kesavam
dhyayen narayanam athodare vaksasthale madhavam tu
govindam kantha kupake visnum ca daksine kuksau bahau ca
madhusudanam trivikramam kandhare tu vamanam vama
parsvake sridharam vama bahau tu hrisikesam tu kandhare prsthe
ca padmanabham ca katyam damodaram nyaset "When one marks
the forehead with tilaka, he must remember Kesava. When one
marks the lower abdomen, he must remember Narayana. For the
chest, one should remember Madhava and when one is marking
the hollow of the neck one should remember Govinda. Lord Visnu
should be remembered while marking the right side of the belly
and Madhusudana should be remembered when marking the
right arm. Trivikrama should be remembered when marking the
right shoulder and Vamana should be remembered when marking
the left side of the belly. Sridhara should be remembered while
marking the left arm and Hrisikesa should be remembered when

38
marking the left shoulder. Padmanabha and Damodara should be
remembered when marking the back." (Quoted in Sri Caitanya
Caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 20.202 purport ). Now, with the fourth
finger of the right hand, apply tilak to the forehead, then to twelve
other places on the body (see photograph and diagram). Note
that the tilak marks on the nose should come down three quarters
of the length of the nose.(i.e. not very short but not the full length
of the nose); and that the marks on the forehead and the nose
should be joined (no gap between them). They meet directly at
the top of the nose. The following mantras are chanted while
applying tilak to the approppriate parts of the body. (Tilak to be
applied in this order): Om kesavayah namah forehead Om
narayanaya namah centre of the stomach Om madhavaya
namah chest Om govindaya namah collarbone Om
visnavaya Namah right side of stomach Om madhusudhanaya
namah lower part of right upper arm Om trivikramaya
namah upper part of right upper arm Om vamanaya namah
left side of stomach Om sridharaya namah lower part of left
upper arm Om hrisikesaya namah upper part of left upper arm
Om padmanabhaya namah upper back Om damodaraya
namah lower back Om vasudevaya namah top of head
The last tilak mark is done by smearing the top of the head with
whatever gopicandan paste is left over in the left palm. The marks
on the right arm are applied with the fourth finger of the left
hand. Tilak is applied first on the forehead by pressing the finger
with gopicandan paste firmly to make two vertical lines. The
movement should be from the top of the nose upwards (not
downwards) and may be repeated several times to get the correct
design. Look in the mirror to get it right.

39