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 ClosingOct 16 – 19
3.30pm - 5.30pm
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: Impersonalism
Speaker: Sankirtana DasaOct 16 – 19
4.30pm-6pm
Venue: Goshala
Topic: Caring for cows
Speakers: Kurma-rupa Dasa, Sanaka Sanatana Dasa, Hrmati DasiOct 18 - Oct 20
10am-1pm
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: Mathura Meets Vrndavana
Speaker: Madhavananda DasaOct 21
Outing
Topic: Uddhava of Vrindavana
Speaker: Lokanath SwamiOct. 22
Govardhana PujaOct. 23 - Nov. 10
10am-11am
Venue: Srila Prabhupada’s House
Topic: Sanskrt
Speaker: Bhakta DemianOct. 23 - Nov. 10
4pm-5.30pm
Venue: Srila Prabhupada’s House
Topic: Hindi
Speaker: Bhakta DemianOct 27-29
5.45pm-6.30pm
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: Sri Sampradaya
Speaker: Damana-krsna DasaOct 27 – Nov 3
3.30pm-5.30pm
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: The 4 Vaisnava Sampradayas
Speaker: Madhavendra-puri DasaOct 28 – Nov 3
9.45am-11.45am
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: Sad-darsana
Speaker: Kamala Locana DasaOct 31 – Nov 3
12pm-2pm
Venue: Classroom 2
Topic: The Alvars
Speaker: Vanamali-gopala DasaNov 10 - Nov 15
Japa Retreat
Speakers: Sacinandana Swami & Bhurijana DasaNov 17 – 24
Govardhana Retreat
Speakers: Sacinandana Swami, Bhurijana Dasa & Jagattarini DasiNov. 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.