Dear Devotees,

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

There is no better month for a devotee than Damodara-masa and no better vrata or service than hearing about Krishna in association of devotees. Sri Vrindavan Dhama is present in this world to give us this opportunity.

Please find here the schedule of this year’s Kartik Semester in VIHE. See also http://vihe.org/kartik.htm

Oct. 14
4.50pm - 6.00pm
English Bhakti Sastri Closing

Oct 16 – 19 
3.30pm - 5.30pm
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: Impersonalism
Speaker: Sankirtana Dasa

Oct 16 – 19
4.30pm-6pm
Venue: Goshala
Topic: Caring for cows
Speakers: Kurma-rupa Dasa, Sanaka Sanatana Dasa, Hrmati Dasi

Oct 18 - Oct 20
10am-1pm
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: Mathura Meets Vrndavana
Speaker: Madhavananda Dasa

Oct 21
Outing
Topic: Uddhava of Vrindavana
Speaker: Lokanath Swami

Oct. 22
Govardhana Puja

Oct. 23 - Nov. 10
10am-11am
Venue: Srila Prabhupada’s House
Topic: Sanskrt
Speaker: Bhakta Demian

Oct. 23 - Nov. 10
4pm-5.30pm
Venue: Srila Prabhupada’s House
Topic: Hindi
Speaker: Bhakta Demian

Oct 27-29
5.45pm-6.30pm
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: Sri Sampradaya
Speaker: Damana-krsna Dasa

Oct 27 – Nov 3
3.30pm-5.30pm
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: The 4 Vaisnava Sampradayas
Speaker: Madhavendra-puri Dasa

Oct 28 – Nov 3
9.45am-11.45am
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: Sad-darsana
Speaker: Kamala Locana Dasa

Oct 31 – Nov 3
12pm-2pm
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: The Alvars
Speaker: Vanamali-gopala Dasa

Nov 10 - Nov 15
Japa Retreat
Speakers: Sacinandana Swami & Bhurijana Dasa

Nov 17 – 24
Govardhana Retreat
Speakers: Sacinandana Swami, Bhurijana Dasa & Jagattarini Dasi

Nov. 28
Bhaktivedanta Studies Opening

Course contributions:

Outings:
Surya Kunda: Rs. 250
Uddhava in Vrndavana: Rs. 200

Hindi: Rs. 700
Sanskrt: Rs. 700
Caring for cows: Free
Mathura meets Vrndavana: Rs. 300
Sad darsana: Rs. 500
Four Sampradayas: Rs. 500
Impersonalism: Rs. 250
Alvars: Rs. 250
Sri Sampradaya: Rs. 100

Special Efficacy of Kartika Vrata in Mathura-Mandala

Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu Text 1.2.222:

tatrapi mathurayam visesho, yatha tatraiva
bhuktim muktim harir dadyad arcito ‘nyatra sevinam
bhaktim tu na dadaty eva yato vasyakari hareh

It is said in the Padma Purana that Lord Hari gives enjoyments and liberation (bhukti and mukti) to the devotees who observe Kartika-vrata in worshipping the Lord during the month of Kartika anywhere other than Mathura; but does not bestow bhakti because bhakti binds down the Lord to His devotees. –1.2.222-

Commentary: Sri Jiva Gosvami observes that the intention of the text here in saying that the Lord does not bestow bhakti because it binds Him down to such devotee, is that it does not really cause any unhappiness to the Lord being subordinated to His devotees by the superior power of bhakti. This is intended to establish the excellence of bhakti as distinct from bhukti and mukti, as the last two have no power to make the Lord, bound down to those to whom He offers them. Bhakti, which has the potency of subordinating even the Supreme Lord, should not be offered by the Lord to the undeserving. So long as one is not eligible for it, the Lord does not give bhakti. This eligibility lies in the independence of bhakti of any other desire excepting desire for bhakti itself. But even if one is not thus eligible for the blessings of bhakti, such eligibility is easily and immediately attained if one observes Kartika-vrata in Mathura, i.e. if Lord Damodara is worshipped in Mathura in the month of Kartika.

Sri Mukunda dasa Gosvami points out that if one observes Kartika-vrata in any place other than Mathura and without any attachment for the Lord, then such a person, receives the boons of bhukti and mukti from the Lord, and not bhakti. It is not proper that the Lord should make Himself subordinated to one by giving him bhakti when such a person has no attachment for the Lord. It is thus that the Lord does not give them, bhakti. But the worship of Lord Damodara in Mathura in the month of Kartika has such spiritual force that one becomes eligible for the Lord’s blessing of bhakti.

Now you can listen to the ancient sanskrit chants of Bhagavad Gita, sung in classical melodies by noted devotional singer Sri Vidyabhushana. Listen to all 700 verses of the Gita with a beautiful accompaniment of flute, veena, sitar, mridanga, tabla and tala. (Scroll down to listen to it online.)

Set includes 10 audio CDs (7 CDs of sanskrit chants, 2 CDs containing english translations for the entire Bhagavad Gita, and 1 CD providing an introductory lecture on the Bhagavad Gita by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada).