Fortnightly Message (5 December – 20 December 2025)
Nārāyaṇa Māsa, Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa, Amāvasyā, 539 Gaurābda

My dear dīkṣā, sheltered, aspiring, śikṣā, grand-disciples, and well-wishers,
Please accept my blessings, best wishes, and praṇāms as appropriate.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Written from my Home Base: Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir.
Date: 20 December 2025

Highlights

After being in Chennai for two months, including a short visit to Simhadesh, I traveled to Mumbai on the 6th of December, and I stayed in ISKCON Kharghar for 12 days. When the temple was opened early this year, in January, I could not go there because I was sick. But somehow, by Kṛṣṇa’s arrangement, that became possible now. I missed the association of my dear friend and Godbrother His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami.

Almost every day, I gave Bhagavad-gītā classes and question-and-answer sessions, and on two days, I gave the morning Bhāgavatam class. I also went to ISKCON Juhu on one of the days and gave a class there. We also had an initiation ceremony in ISKCON Kharghar. I am very grateful to the management and devotees of ISKCON Kharghar for their Vaiṣṇava service attitude and hospitality.

The temple is huge and very beautiful. Inside the temple, in the parikramā path, on the left side, there are depictions of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, and on the right side, there are depictions of Lord Rāmā’s pastimes, and on the stairs, they have Caitanya-līlā.

Then we traveled to Kolkata on 17 December, and on the 18th, we reached Māyāpur. After three months of travel, I am now back in Māyāpur.

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Message

Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned that if you accept spiritual life and, at the same time, go on committing sinful activities, then you will never be able to progress.

One time, Śrīla Prabhupāda was interviewed by a reporter for a magazine. And he asked why being an alcoholic is bad if that is the best thing one can do. Then Śrīla Prabhupāda replied that “nobody can be happy by drinking. That is not possible.” (Room Conversation and Interview with Richard from Coronet Magazine, June 10, 1976, Los Angeles)

My Message

If you practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you will get a much higher taste than that of any intoxication. And by advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you will naturally be happy, blissful, and will not need any kind of intoxication.

And if one accidentally breaks one of the four regulative principles, they should beg for forgiveness and carefully chant and follow the principles. Śāstra states that there is no higher atonement than chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura writes in Bhaktyāloka that some people become so habituated to smoking, chewing pān, eating fish and meat, and drinking alcohol that these habits obstruct their spiritual practice. Attachment to such activities is unfavorable to the steady practice of devotional service. If one does not carefully give them up, one cannot experience happiness in devotional service. By associating with devotees and by following the vows in devotional service, such attachments can be destroyed. He also wrote the following in Sāra-grāhī Vaiṣṇava:

“The shining bottles charm their eyes
And draw their heart’s embrace;
The slaves of wine can never rise
From what we call disgrace.”

Inspirational Stories

I received a report from the Secunderabad temple that this year they had 70,127 people offering lamps in Dāmodara month, and they have 600 devotees participating in the Bhakti Steps program.

Jagat Sākṣī dāsa sent me a report about preaching in Trivandrum and three other districts. They have 76 devotees receiving the Bhakti-śāstrī degree this year, and they have placed 150 sets of Bhāgavatam in universities, colleges, and institutions. They also have 16 outposts, mostly on their own land, where preaching is going on. I am very encouraged to receive these reports. We have to flood the world with Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Another devotee who works as an assistant principal at Avanti House Secondary School in the UK wrote to me that in his professional work at school, he starts all his emails with “Gaurāṅga” instead of “Good morning” or “Hi.” And now his colleagues have started greeting him with “Gaurāṅga”!

In one of my previous messages, I mentioned some words in different languages which are actually names of Kṛṣṇa. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he understood that the Mohammadans say “hā rām,” which in their language means “abominable,” but they are actually saying “hā rāma” means “All glories to Lord Rāma.” Similarly, in the Malay language, I heard that a butterfly is called “rama rama”, “hari” means day, “matahari” means sun, and “selamat hari jadi” means Happy Birthday. They use a lot of “Hari” in their language!

In the Russian language, the ladies say “I am happy” by saying “ya rada,” and to say “we are happy,” they say “mei radhey.” And the door frame or window frame is called “rama.”

So what other names have you found in your language that are similar to the name of Kṛṣṇa? In Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Italian, and other European languages. What are some examples of Kṛṣṇa’s names when people speak that mean something else in their language?

Your well-wisher always,
Jayapatākā Swami

JPS/rrsdb

 

Links for App, Websites, and Social Media pages:

iOS App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id967072815
Android App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jayapatakaswami.jpsapp
Official Website: https://www.jayapatakaswami.com
Lectures( Audio & Transcription) : https://jayapatakaswamiarchives.net
YouTube Channel: http://youtube.com/jayapatakaswamiofficial
Soundcloud lectures & Kirtan: http://www.soundcloud.com/jayapatakaswami
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Jayapatakaswami
Telegram Channel: https://t.me/JayapatakaSwami
WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBTu8uIiRoqvPKige0G
Instagram Page: http://www.instagram.com/Jayapatakaswamionline

Translate »