Where I Went and What I Did
On the first day of the twenty-fifth week of 2025, I traveled to Paris from New York via Charlotte, North Carolina. I was only able to chant Hare Krishna for 45 minutes near a busy corridor during my layover at the Charlotte airport.
From Thursday to Saturday, I would try to distribute as many invitations as possible during harinama each day in Paris to promote our Ratha-yatra on Sunday. Friday night devotees did a kirtan program at a yoga studio. Saturday was the Fête de la Musique (Music Festival Day) in France, and extra devotees from the UK joined us on harinama through the city to promote the next day’s Ratha-yatra. Nitai Gaurasundara Prabhu, who has organized Ratha-yatra in Paris for decades, said this year’s was better because of the cooperation of the new temple management. Harinama Ruci and some other devotees stayed for two days after Ratha-yatra to do harinama with us at Montmartre and the market in Sarcelles.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s The Nectar of Devotion and from Prabhupada Nectar by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share notes on classes by Janananda Goswami, Bhakti Mukunda Swami, and Vrajarenu Prabhu. I share a quote from a talk by Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu at a Bhaktivedanta Institute legacy conference.
Thanks to Jagattarini Devi Dasi for the photo of me with the Ratha-yatra flyer and the shakers.
Itinerary
June 19–August 19: Paris– June 22: Paris Ratha-yatra
– July 6: Luxembourg park kirtan
– July 11: Amsterdam harinama
– July 12: Amsterdam Ratha-yatra
– July 13: Holland harinama
August 20: London harinama
August 21–22: Liverpool harinamas
August 23: Liverpool Ratha-yatra
August 24: Manchester harinama
August 25: London harinama and flight to New York
Chanting Hare Krishna in Charlotte, North Carolina
While proofreading the latest edition of Prabhupada Nectar, I encountered the pastime of Srila Prabhupada requesting his disciples to ask the authorities to rename the Chicago O’Hare airport, where devotees had distributed many books, to O’Hare Krishna airport.
At the airport in Charlotte as I passed the gate of a flight to Chicago O’Hare I couldn't help but smile remembering that story.
After I had lunch and finished my week’s quota of proofreading of Prabhupada Nectar, I had 45 minutes before my flight boarded. I sat in the chair closest to the corridor and chanted Hare Krishna loud enough so people could hear me but without playing any instruments. I did not bring my harmonium to Europe to avoid the checked baggage charge.
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Revatinananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Stalingrad in Paris (https://youtu.be/qBBFa5xnjgo):
Rohininananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/zbl5FFL_nuc):
Marat chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/7ig2U4RdIaU):
Vedasara Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Rue de Caumartin in Paris (https://youtu.be/zFSrsj71wxo):
Then Marat joined us, and Vedasara Prabhu chanted another Hare Krishna tune (https://youtu.be/rm_WYjp2bEg):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/FePbNVE3058):
Premamoya Narottama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Yoga Village kirtan program in Paris (https://youtu.be/R5Vi6Q3Ll1M):
Prithu Pavana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/zNmDmqgq4mk):
Annapurna Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna (https://youtu.be/LwAeEfvlMxY):
Saturday was Ekadasi, and the tapioca dessert with nuts was really good.
It was also the summer solstice, and the Fête de la Musique (Music Festival) day in France, when many groups do music on the streets. Fortunately, we start early, and so did not have much competition.
Revatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Saint-Michel in Paris (https://youtu.be/qP75OMEPqC0):
Govinda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Notre Dame in Paris (https://youtu.be/9HFLN4z0MhU):
Premarnava Prabhu chants Hare Krishna along Rue de Rivoli in Paris (https://youtu.be/4hqxv4JXpUI):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Boulevard de Sebastapol in Paris (https://youtu.be/1c9aYqh5Plw):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Rue de St. Denis in Paris, and many dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/lEjxR4U809M?feature=share):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Les Halles in Paris on the Music Festival Day in France, and passersby interact by chanting the mantra and moving with the music (https://youtu.be/FvNofgWYnxU):
Chandrashekhara Acharya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in a cafe, where the man in charge is happy to invite the devotees to play (https://youtube.com/shorts/2EGXNN3xhhI):
Chandrashekhara Acharya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Les Halles, and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/dQ8yrzydZ0k):
Devotees chant Hare Krishna as Lord Jagannatha and Srila Prabhupada leave Sarcelles temple for Paris (https://youtu.be/FV9Anc9tngM):
Mahavishnu Swami chants Hare Krishna at the beginning of the Paris Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/SyAph2I3T0A):
Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Paris Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/-_PkAWjXLvU):
Devotees would distribute prasadam fruit to everyone, even throwing it to people in their apartments above the ground floor.
Govinda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Paris Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/bkFDPvLXvmI):
Here a father bounces his baby on his lap as Govinda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna during Paris Ratha-yatra (https://youtube.com/shorts/qWSNHdXrCp8?feature=share):
Here a couple enjoys watching Paris Ratha-yatra from their apartment window (https://youtube.com/shorts/6sKhcHhXbw4?feature=share):
Sometimes many people in a single building would watch from their apartments.
Janananda Goswami dances on back of a vehicle during Paris Ratha-yatra (https://youtube.com/shorts/8B5LCGnD_aQ?feature=share):
Book distributors would take advantage of the cars waiting for the procession to pass, and try to sell books to their drivers.
Rohininandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Paris Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/75vVvQWOy4o):
Ramanaji Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Paris Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/L6uMzL-H6RE):
Chandrashekhara Acharya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Paris Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/SOskvrH-oLw):
Mahavishnu Swami chants the final kirtan at the Paris Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtu.be/sXLmZd5EHH8):
Harini Devi Dasi showed a Bhagavad-gita to a young woman who enjoyed dancing with the devotee women in the final kirtan. She did not take the Gita, but later she was happy to accept the French “On Chanting Hare Krishna” I gave her.
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and two guys chant and two women dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/yp-NABjKoSg?feature=share):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and several people interact (https://youtube.com/shorts/36jdCOiCiDk?feature=share):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and several more people interact (https://youtube.com/shorts/p7UbZ5E6UpM):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and still more people interact (https://youtube.com/shorts/DQNEScNoRhU?feature=share):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and two guys play shakers (https://youtube.com/shorts/TUrPv4Xo36k?feature=share):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci going up Montmartre, and several people interact (https://youtube.com/shorts/JNkWM4-6auo?feature=share):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and a group interacts (https://youtube.com/shorts/t8CwlHW0zTU?feature=share):
Madhurpati Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and a couple interacts (https://youtube.com/shorts/tYFHhi9gV3g):
Madhurpati Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and diners interact and a waiter dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/5uezibPtbpE):
Madhurpati Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and a family dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/BRC7_KaaNEg):
Madhurpati Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and two people dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/bBmiRQiREIc?feature=share):
Madhurpati Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Montmartre, and an older woman chants (https://youtube.com/shorts/f-roMxQvIW0?feature=share):
Madhurpati Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci in a shop at Montmartre (https://youtu.be/_-z-3ImPkqo):
Jivananda Prabhu and Harinama Ruci chant Hare Krishna in Gare du Nord in Paris, and passengers chant and dance (https://youtu.be/dorwKji12c4):
As soon as we got to the Sarcelles Market, a woman began dancing to the Hare Krishna kirtan of Jivananda Prabhu (https://youtube.com/shorts/SPyB77qYvPY?feature=share):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Sarcelles Market and a girl chants and plays the shakers (https://youtu.be/UCngD5T2o5Q):
The man who began playing the pink shakers in the above video, played them for almost an hour and a half!
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Sarcelles Market, and a guy dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/wVbKx3MfUc8?feature=share):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Sarcelles Market, and another guy dances (https://youtube.com/shorts/FWa1Grlo8UY?feature=share):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Sarcelles Market, and a woman chants half the mantra (https://youtube.com/shorts/iv2Of2Ot1aY?feature=share):
Lilasuka Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Sarcelles Market, and vendors clap and dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/xoDatUsl3Cw?feature=share):
Lilasuka Prabhu chants Hare Krishna with Harinama Ruci at Sarcelles Market, and two women dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/6y8SnJYzv40?feature=share):
Annapurna Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles in Paris (https://youtu.be/ACg_eOY2qeE):
Photos
Paris is only place I have seen people donating low fat milk to the deities. It would never occur to me to do it. I figure if Krishna really liked low fat milk He would have created low fat cows!
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 9:
“In the Padma Purana there is a statement of submission in feeling by devotees praying to the Lord: ‘My Lord, I know that young girls have natural affection for young boys, and that young boys have natural affection for young girls. I am praying at Your lotus feet that my mind may become attracted unto You in the same spontaneous way.’ The example is very appropriate. When a young boy or girl sees a member of the opposite sex there is a natural attraction, without the need for any introduction. Without any training there is a natural attraction due to the sex impulse. This is a material example, but the devotee is praying that he may develop a similar spontaneous attachment for the Supreme Lord, free from any desire for profit and without any other cause. This natural attraction for the Lord is the perfectional stage of self-realization.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 46:
“The activities of a person, even if they are not very extraordinary, create an impression of wonder in the heart and mind of the person’s friends. But even very wonderful activities performed by a person who is not one’s friend will not create any impression. It is because of love that one’s wonderful activities create an impression in the mind.”
“In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya there is another example, forwarded by Maharaja Dhruva. He says there, ‘My dear Lord, I have practiced austerities and penances because I was desiring to receive something from You, but in exchange You have allowed me to see You, who are never visible even to the great sages and saintly persons. I had been searching out some pieces of broken glass, but instead I have found the most valuable jewel. I am therefore fully satisfied, my Lord. I do not wish to ask anything more from Your Lordship.”
“The four sages headed by Sanaka Muni addressed the Lord as follows: ‘Dear Supreme Personality of Godhead, Your reputation is very attractive and free from all material contamination. Therefore You are worthy of being glorified and are actually the reservoir of all places of pilgrimage. Auspicious persons who are fortunate enough to be engaged in glorifying Your attributes and who actually know what Your transcendental position is do not even care to accept liberation offered by You. Because they are so transcendentally enriched, they do not care to accept even the post of Indra, the heavenly king. They know that the post of the king of heaven is also fearful, whereas for those who are engaged in glorifying Your transcendental qualities there is only joyfulness and freedom from all danger. As such, why should persons with this knowledge be attracted by a post in the heavenly kingdom?’”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Prabhupada Nectar:
From Chapter 4, Number 3:
“When there was too much talk of a particular disease or even its cure, Prabhupada would point out that the real disease is the material body and the real cure is chanting Hare Krishna.”
From Chapter 4, Number 23:
“Prabhupada stressed that only a Krishna conscious person knew the science of the soul and of changing bodies, whereas other religionists had little or no idea of this. Yet they criticize from their position of blind faith.”
From Chapter 4, Number 34:
“When a devotee who was worshiping the Deity inquired how to obtain bhava, or ecstatic attachment to the Lord, Prabhupada replied by stressing a meticulous following of the rules and regulations: the devotees should be punctual, clean, and give the Deity nice dresses and food.”
From Chapter 4, Number 44:
“Bhumi-devi dasi and I were distributing books at the airport when Srila Prabhupada was departing. We had managed to get into the departure lounge. No other devotees were there except Prabhupada, Jayadvaita, and Srutakirti. We were in ecstasy, Bhumi and I, because here was Srila Prabhupada, but he didn’t know we were there. We knew that he was there, and we told the people, ‘See this gentleman? He’s the one who wrote this book. He translated these books.’ People began to look at the books and look over at Prabhupada. We distributed many books in the half hour Prabhupada was there. Then Jayadvaita told Prabhupada that we were there distributing his books. Prabhupada looked at us. He had a big smile and was nodding his head. He was very pleased and of course, this was a source of great encouragement for us. We didn’t want any personal darsana; we just wanted Prabhupada to know that we were distributing his books.
—Sunita-devi dasi”
Janananda Goswami:
In the material world people tend to see God as meant to assist them in their sense gratification.
The chanting and dancing is the the equivalent of the rasa-lila as it manifests in Gaura-lila.
Srila Prabhupada said that by introducing Ratha-yatra in all the major cities and by mass book distribution we can conquer the world. What does he mean by that? That people will become Krishna conscious.
In Malaysia, although it is a Muslim country, there are thirty Ratha-yatras.
Jagannatha is the Lord of the universe not the Lord of the Hindus.
Comment by Rasa Parayana Prabhu: In Delhi they had 50 or 60 Ratha-yatras. Now the government has made a rule that all the Ratha-yatras have to be done within 9 days, so they have fewer. Still all the seventeen or so temples have them and also many congregational groups.
Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu:
From his Bhaktivedanta Institute legacy conference talk:
“I found out that he [Sadaputa Prabhu] had a degree in mathematics from Cornell University. I showed him this letter I got from Prabhupada about defeating Darwin. I asked, ‘Is there any way to do that?’ This is what he said to me: ‘Yes, most mathematicians know that Darwin is wrong, but they don’t say anything because it upsets the biologists so much.’”
Bhakti Mukunda Swami of Malaysia:
The scripture describes five Vrindavanas:
Goloka Vrindavana
Bhauma Vrindavana
the external feature of Bhauma Vrindavana
Vrindavana in the heart
Gupta Vrindavana, the Vrindavana in heart becames manifest externally in different parts of the world, by the mercy of the pure devotees.
The pure devotee does not need to get married to become happy. The pure devotee does not need to get divorced to become happy. The pure devotee does not need to have children to become happy. Because he is happy experiencing Krishna in His heart, he does not need to seek externally for happiness.
There are many dharmas given by different people, but Bhagavad-gita is the dharma given by Krishna.
All the emotions are there in the heart already, but when they are connected to Krishna they are a cause to joy for everyone. Otherwise our emotions tend to cause pain to ourselves and others.
When we attain the divine consciousness, we will not want to waste our time on useless quarrels.
Although the love of God is in our hearts, we need a Vaishnava to awaken it.
The gopis, although feeling great separation from Krishna, did not want to die out of separation, because if they died and Krishna returned, that would cause Him great pain.
Lord Kapila describes three kinds of material affected devotees. Those affected by ignorance are violence, angry, and envious. Those affected by passion are after material gain. Those affected by goodness want to become free from karma by offering the results of their work to Krishna. Transcendental to these are the devotees who just want to please Krishna by their service. That is the kind of devotion that Lord Caitanya promoted.
The other 699 verses of Bhagavad-gita are meant to convince one to surrender to Krishna as advised in Bhagavad-gita 18.66.
First the Panca-tattva relished the taste of love of Godhead through the chanting of holy name, and then they distributed it.
Lord Caitanya is giving love of Godhead to everyone, except those who offend the Vaishnavas.
Once my mother told me that I was the only person in the family who had no problem. My brothers and sisters would always call my mother and say “I have this problem” or “I have that problem.”
Srila Prabhupada stressed maintaining health, chanting japa, doing service for Krishna, and reading his books in that order.
Vrajarenu Prabhu of Russia:
It is important to understand why all these downfalls are being described in the Ninth Canto, and not before and not after.
The First Canto tells the qualifications we need to have to hear the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
The Bhagavatam gives three reasons why people listen to the Bhagavatam:
1. The first three chapters describe a kanistha hearer with fruitive intentions. The sages at Naimisaranya have a purpose, to save the people from the effects of Kali-yuga.
2. The second three chapters describe Vyasadeva, who was hearing with the intention of liberation.
3. The rest of the chapters describe the uttama listener, Maharaja Pariksit.
The problem of Saubhari Muni was that he wanted to escape from reality.
Hearing with attention is hearing with the desire to receive the answer to a question that we have.
When we stop looking for solutions, our ‘spiritual’ life becomes an empty ritual.
From Cantos Three through Nine Sukadeva Goswami’s deals with different misconceptions of sadhana and sadhya.
The obstacles dealt with in the Ninth Canto are those arising in the society of devotees.
In the Ninth Canto, in the abbreviated Rama pastime, we learn that a man who is attached to a woman will suffer, even if he is God Himself.
The story of Saubhari Muni deals with the problem of escapism, avoiding responsibility, and trying to escape from reality.
Attachment does not mean “I love someone” but “I use someone.”
If I do not understand that I am about to die, I will not get the full benefit of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Chanting Hare Krishna is not meant to make us happy but to make Krishna happy.
The lesson of the Ninth Canto is to engage the reality in Krishna’s service and not to try to escape from the reality.
When you come for a Bhagavatam class, you should prepare yourself by understanding the context and having questions which you want answered.
If you try to escape from the world, the world will catch up with you.
In Moscow one lawyer heard that so many blessing could be achieved simply by hearing the Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly. He found out there was a Bhagavatam class at our Moscow temple at 8 a.m., and he would come every day. Ultimately he became an initiated devotee.
If you want to solve your problems, you first have to acknowledge your problems.
For Vaishnavas renunciation is not the means.
Vidya is acting upon what you know.
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This verse reminds us that we will attain material happiness according to our karma, so rather than worry about that, we should endeavor to attain the eternal happiness of the spiritual world which will not automatically attain.
tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido
tal labhyate duhkhavad anyataḥ sukham
kalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa
“Persons who are actually intelligent and philosophically inclined should endeavor only for that purposeful end which is not obtainable even by wandering from the topmost planet [Brahmaloka] down to the lowest planet [Patala]. As far as happiness derived from sense enjoyment is concerned, it can be obtained automatically in course of time, just as in course of time we obtain miseries even though we do not desire them.” (Bhagavatam 1.5.18)
