S S K B K Narada Bulletin MARCH 2009 *Hebri/Udupi* Karnataka* India* Hare Krishna! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and his Varnasrama Mission! H I G H L I G H T S v Varnasrama college successfully completes its second month in operation v Yatham A traditional water lifting device was successfully commissioned and operated v Nityananda Trayodasi celebrated was celebrated at Krishna Balarama Ksetra with great fervor. v HH Bhakti Raghava Maharaja & HH Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Maharaja visit Manipal Bhaktivedanta Youth Services [BYS] center v Second Annual Global Varnasrama Seminar starts at Sridham Mayapur v Special Prayers offered to the cows. v Preparations on for the Gaura Purnima festival
******************************************************* N E W S I N D E T A I L ******************************************************* AGRICULTURE Nobody should take to very hardship labor. The modern civilization has discovered severe types of dangerous industries, and laborers are attracted for high wages. But they should not accept such work. Then naturally there will be less capitalistic idea. Because the laborer cooperates, therefore demoniac persons they take advantage and make unnecessarily increase of artificial demands of the body. Better one should be satisfied with agricultural produce than go into large cities to be engaged in industry. Peaceful life depending on agricultural produce can bring him real happiness and prosperity, not otherwise. The more persons will be satisfied at their home, with home economics, not to go outside the home, that is peaceful life. (Srila Prabhupada Letter, Seattle, 17 October, 1968) Giriraj prabhu using Yatham
Work is completed on the manual operated yatham, a village technology to lift water below the ground level. The farm pond which is having water almost throughout the year will now be well utilized so as to bring another acre of wet land under cultivation which otherwise would have been barren during summer season. The specialty of this Yatham is that it is drawn in 2 stages due to higher depth of the water source. In the first stage, the water is drawn to a height of 15 ft and stored in a smaller pond. In the second stage, the water is brought from the smaller pond and lifted another 10 ft using another yatham. It takes about 3 hrs to water a half acre field. The design, fabrication and commissioning of the Yatham was done by Giriraja prabhu s father. This yatham has thus enabled the devotees to grow fresh grass for the cows. Devotees at SSKBK also planted seeds for cucumbers, tomatoes, mustard, sesame, palak and ginger. Work in the flower garden in front of the temple continues where marigolds and other flowers are beginning to grow. VARNASRAMA COLLEGE The Varnasrama College has to be established immediately. Everywhere, wherever we have got our center, a varnasrama college should be established to train four divisions; one class brahmana, one class ksatriya, one class vaisya and one class sudra. But everyone will be elevated to the spiritual platform by the spiritual activity which we have prescribed. There is no inconvenience even for the sudras. [ Srila Prabhupada., Morning walk, Vrndavana, 12 th march 1974] The Vanasrama College which started on Jan 1 st 2009 successfully completes its second month in operation at Sri Krishna-Balarama Ksetra near Hebri. During the month of February, students learned how to make sun dried mud blocks, how to select proper land for a varnasrama project, the art of sad rasa in a Ayurvedic diet, the village technology of oil ghani, elements of bio diversity, the importance of herbal plants in our daily life. They also learned how to make their own tooth powder, heard about various varnasrama projects in other parts of the world, composting techniques, weaving of baskets, common ailments in cows and traditional medicines, Vedic cosmology, Astrology and Vastu, preparing incense, preparing distilled cow urine which has various medicinal values and is used in Ayurveda treatment, towards realizing varnasrama dharma- contemporary thoughts on varnasrama dharma, planning and organizing, varnasrama research team, joint family concepts and advantages. making ropes from straw and coconut fiber, paddy dehusking in traditional village, study of Indian breed cows, making of agricultural watch tower and the importance of varnasrama, The Mataji students also learned
the art of tailoring, dress making for the deities, traditional cooking, dehusking of paddy, making of jute rope and other household activities, Visiting Faculty explain about medicinal herbs Name of the Subject Choosing land for varnasrama project Vedic Technology- Oil Ghani Shastra Class on Varnasrama Sad rasa in Ayurveda Diet Bio Diversity Importance of Herbal Plants in daily life Varnasrama projects in some parts of the World Common Ailments of cows and traditional medicines Vedic cosmology, astrology and Vastu Making incense, distilled cow urine, tooth powder Towards realizing Varnasram Dharma - Contemporary thoughts on varnasrama - Planning and organizing - Varnasrama research team - Joint family concepts & Faculty HH Bhakti Raghava Swami HH Bhakti Raghava Swami HH Bhakti Raghava Swami Dr. Ravi Prasad Sri Manjunath Goli Sri Manjunath Rao Cherkadi HH Bhakti Raghava Swami Dr.Chandrakanth HG Gaura Nataraja Das HG Sundarananda Das HG Bharat Chandra Das
advantages Importance of Varnasrama Art of Chanting Vedic mantras HG Hrdaya Caitanya Das HH Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Maharaja GOSEVA Krishna the Supreme personality of Godhead is go-brahmana hitaya ca. He is always very kind to the brahmanas and cows.therefore, one who worships Krishna must satisfy Him by worshipping the truly qualified brahmanas and the cows. [Srila Prabhupada] In line with the above quotation from Srila Prabhupada, devotees at Krishna Balarama Ksetra have started offering special pujas to mother cow on Ekadasi days. All the cows and bulls are given bath and decorated and then offered arati. The devotees chant kirtan and circumambulate mother cow. Sri Jois, the local head Purohit from the Ananda Padmanabha temple - Hebri, visited the farm and reconfirmed the proper location for the proposed temple and the Go-shala. Soon a permanent Goshala will be constructed using the sun-dried mud blocks, handmade tiles and other local materials like bamboo and stones. All the cows are keeping good health. Bullocks Bala and Krishna are daily engaged in running the Mohte (Animal drawn water lifting device) which draws around 150 liters of water per pull. This is used for irrigating the fields. They also drive the Bullock cart to various destinations at Krishna Balarama Ksetra to accomplish different tasks, VISITING DEVOTEES Students from BYS Maniple, HG Govinda Prabhu and HG Nanda Maharaja Prabhu from Shimoga, Sri Jyothi Basu from W. Bengal and HG Gaura Nataraja prabhu from Bangalore were among some of the few devotees visiting SSKBK this month. YOUTH PREACHING His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Maharaja and His Holiness Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Maharaja visited the new BYS center at Manipal University. They were welcomed by the students of Manipal University with great ecstasy. HH Bhakti Raghava Maharaja introduced the concepts of varnasrama to the students and both maharajas held a joint question and answer session to quell the queries of the
students. This was followed by arati to their Lordships Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi and a sumptuous prasadam feast. Earlier His Holiness delivered a lecture to a group of congregational Grihasta devotees at Sri Mathura Chatra, Sri Krishna temple at Udupi. His Holiness spoke of the role the Grihastas (House holders) in the varnasrama dharma. Many books on varnasrama were distributed at both the venues. VARNASRAMA SEMINAR Annual Varnasrama Seminar Fulfilling Varnasrama Mission 2009 at Sridham Mayapur Theme Global Varnasrama Mission Speakers at Global Varnasrama Seminar at Mayapur To fulfill Srila Prabhupada s 50% mission means to propagate and implement varnasrama dharma. To propagate and implement varnsrama dharma means to propagate and implement it globally.
This was the theme in the second annual gathering of Srila Prabhupada s varnasrama missionaries at Sridham Mayapur from Feb 24 th to Feb 27 th, jointly conducted by MIHET and GLOVESCO whose headquarters are at Sahyadri Sri Krishna Balarama Ksetra near Hebri, South Karnataka. A total of 41 participants from 20 different countries, ranging from brand new delegates to the varnasrama mission to 30 year experienced devotees in various varnasrama dharma farm projects, met for four consecutive days to share and discuss issues related to the varnasrama mission. This time, like last year, the seminar was divided into 14 modules. The main speakers were: His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami (Canada), His Holiness Purushatrya Swami (Brazil), His Holiness Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami (Nigeria), His Grace Dhaneshvara Prabhu (Ukraine) and His Grace Samba Prabhu (England). Other devotees also presented their projects as part of worldwide report module were, His Holiness Smitha Krishna Swami (Sweden) and His Grace Shaligrama Prabhu (USA). Important modules covered were: Varnasrama education, reviving village technologies, the need for both Gurukulas and Varnasrama colleges, world wide reports of Varnasrama efforts (Africa, Brazil, India, Sweden). The seminar was successfully concluded with all posing for a group photo. FESTIVALS Nityananda Trayodasi, the auspicious appearance day of Lord Nityananda, was celebrated with great fervor at SSKBK. Students of the Varnasrama College and from BYS Manipal, HG Govinda prabhu from Shimoga participated in the festival. Mataji Student of Varnasrama College offered 3 sets of hand sewn dresses to their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. HH Bhakti Raghava Maharaj delivered lecture on the auspicious appearance of Lord Nityananda. This was followed by arati, ecstatic kirtan and prasadam feast. Preparations are on for next s month Sri Gaura Purnima festival. It has been decided by the panchayat to invite all the local people to the 2 day Purnima and Jagannath Misrra festival. Invitation cards to the festival are being printed to be distributed to the public.
VARNASRAMA READINGS Do not misunderstand that we are trying to spread Hinduism. Hinduism is fictitious term. We don t find the word in the Vedic literature. This is the convention of latest age. Actually, we, the followers of Vedic principles, our system is Varnasrama dharma, four Varnas and four Asramas. This is, this can be applicable. But varnasrama dharma is applicable anywhere. Catur-varnyam maya srstam gunakarma-vibhagasah [Bg 4.13]. The creation of God Just like Sun. Sun is creation of God. Sun is visible everywhere. Not that something (is) American sun and something (is) Indian sun. No. The sun is same. Similarly, catur-varnyam, the four principles of division, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra, they are everywhere. It is not the monopoly of Indians. [ Srila Prabhupada Lecture on the Nectar of Devotion, Vrndavana 27 October 1972] Cheif Editor: His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami Assistant Editor: His Grace Parasurama Dasa Prepared by: His Grace Raya Ramananda Dasa Please visit the following websites for more information on varnasrama developments: www.varnasrama.org & www.sahyadriksetra.org