Where I Went and What I Did
The fiftieth week of 2025, I lived ISKCON NYC in Brooklyn. I chanted Hare Krishna in public with the NYC Harinam party of Rama Raya Prabhu from Monday to Saturday. In addition, to contribute to the Prabhupada Marathon, I went out by myself for between one and three hours every morning, except Ekadasi, to a nearby subway station to chant Hare Krishna and distribute books to people who gave me donations. I distributed at least one book every day and sometimes as many as four. I also did another harinama on Sunday afternoon by myself.
I share a quote from Srila Prabhupada’s Teachings of Queen Kunti and from a Bhagavatam lecture of his. I share notes on classes by Jayadvaita Swami, and Hansarupa, Rama Raya, Chatamayi, Jai Nitai, and Natabara Gauranga Prabhus.
Thanks to Rama Raya Prabhu for the videos and photos of me on NYC Harinam.
Itinerary
November 23–January 9, 2026?: NYC Harinam
– January 3: Bhagavad-gita class at 26 Second Avenue
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City
Gokulenda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Manhattan (https://youtube.com/shorts/HA2uN1wTgkU):
Param Brahma Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Manhattan (https://youtu.be/1mrp7Imhoy0):
Mani Manjari Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in Manhattan (https://youtu.be/E_m5ie47iWo):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Manhattan (https://youtube.com/shorts/jmTEn61M8WE):
Later he chanted Hare Krishna to the “Jingle Bells” tune (https://youtube.com/shorts/FSE6gXJbjDI):
Sevika Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in Queens (https://youtube.com/shorts/UWz7f9djxVQ?feature=share):
At Atlantic/Barclays it was ten minutes before I was going to pack up I that I got my first and only donation. An Indian guy gave $20 but didn’t want a book. As I sang the last ten minutes, I looked at people for expressions of interest in their faces, and if I detected them, I would say, “Would you like a free book?” One young man was interested in the books but had no money. I explained someone else gave money but didn’t want a book so he could take any one of them for free. He took Bhagavad-gita, and he said, “Because this book is coming to me, it must be that I am supposed to read it.”
Here I chant Hare Krishna in Manhattan, and Rama Raya Prabhu encourages devotees to fully participate (https://youtube.com/shorts/0pkFFjBCe8E?feature=share):
Sevika Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in Manhattan (https://youtube.com/shorts/jArGRyYMfow?feature=share):
Chatamayi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna in Manhattan, and passersby dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/pOADGezNY8M):
Kishan chants Hare Krishna in ISKCON NYC Sunday Feast Kirtan (https://youtu.be/dF_jtE_KinA):
Keshava Madhava Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Manhattan (https://youtu.be/rUUMF5Nay-E):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Manhattan (https://youtube.com/shorts/IZ-BNQLjY2o?feature=share):
Aravind chants Hare Krishna in Manhattan (https://youtu.be/QfH0rIDWPDo):
Photos
The wife of one of the temple officers works with the New York City of Board of Education.
She got a donation of 288 bunches of collard greens grown hydroponically by students who are part of program called Teens for Food Justice. We had the collards for lunch, and they were very good.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Teachings of Queen Kunti, Chapter 24:
“Krishna has two engagements: paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]—giving protection to the sadhus, the devotees, and killing the demons. Krishna gave protection to the Pandavas and Vrishnis because they were devotees, and He also killed demons like Kamsa, Aghasura, and Bakasura. Of the two engagements, His killing of the demons was His major occupation. If we examine how much time He devoted to killing and how much time He devoted to protecting, we shall find that He devoted more time to killing. Similarly, those who are Krishna conscious should also kill – not by weapons but by logic, by reasoning, and by education. If one is a demon, we can use logic and arguments to kill his demoniac propensities and turn him into a devotee, a saintly person.”
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.41 in Los Angeles on May 3, 1973:
“These people, the so-called scientist and philosopher, is misleading—misleading in this sense: that they have no information that everything is coming out from life. They are proposing that everything is coming from matter.”
Jayadvaita Swami:
Because Krishna is the supreme enjoyer, He wanted to experience what Radharani was enjoying by loving Him.
We are not ordinary philanthrophists, but we also have a program to end heart disease. By heart disease we mean lust for the material. Our program is to hear of the spiritual su-rasa (relishable tastes) in relationship with Krishna and thus end our interest in ku-rasa (horrible material tastes).
Hansarupa Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada gave many lectures on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita at 26 Second Avenue in 1966 because he understood that if his followers were sincere, the Lord from within would help them understand it.
Srila Prabhupada would personally empower people so they were able to do so many things.
One who is not envious can easily appreciate how Srila Prabhupada empowered sincere people.
We have to go beyond our self-imposed limitations. Krishna can empower us to do anything.
To the extent that we are attached to the modes of passion and ignorance, we will not be able to assimilate transcendental knowledge.
How has this person made so much advancement in such a short time? He had the sincerity to do devotional service in the right mood.
When Srila Prabhupada went back to India with his Western devotees, people were impressed. They considered, “If this person can make Westerners into devotees, he is definitely empowered.”
In Delhi they created a temple called “The Glory of India.” We want to create such a temple next door, and we will call it “The Glory of America.”
The sincere devotees who take the mission as their life and soul will keep it going.
Anyone can have doubts, but one must actively try to clear his doubts. That is sincerity.
We have to become an instrument. We cannot be a bystander.
Rama Raya Prabhu:
Whatever Krishna does is good, although you may not think it is good at the time.
There is a story that in a village the son of a pious farmer got into a serious farm accident and broke both his legs. Everyone was sorry and expressed regret about that misfortune. The farmer responded, “We shall see.” There was a war declared and a draft instituted. The other young men in the village went to war and lost their lives but not the one who had the accident. By the time the young man recovered the use of his legs, the war was over and the draft ended.
Krishna replaces our material desires with spiritual desires.
We like to hear how someone came to Krishna consciousness. Even Srila Prabhupada would sometimes inquire about that from his disciples. More wonderful than that is to hear how someone who has come to Krishna consciousness ultimately attains perfection.
I was a seeker big time, and I found Srila Prabhupada’s books in the upstate State University of New York I was attending. It was the third volume of Krishna. The pictures and their captions were captivating. There was the address of the temple at 340 W 55th Street. I went on a Tuesday to visit. Then I went for the Thursday morning program. Niranjana Prabhu in forty-five minutes convinced me to move into the temple.
Jai Nitai Prabhu:
Dhruva’s glorious success began with an insult, something that could be considered quite negative.
The definition of envy is painful or resetful awareness of an advantage or possession enjoyed by another and the desire to possess the same thing.
Sometimes a message is delivered most inappropriately, but the contents of message is valuable.
Because of our false ego, even the most palataubly offered correction is hard to accept.
Chatamayi Devi Dasi:
Sudras have a service mentality, but they do not know the proper object of service.
Nowadays with our technology we can hear the glories of the Lord 24 hours a day.
Comment (by Hadai Prana Prabhu): One person I was talking to on book distribution shared his idea of the spiritual world: “The spiritual world is a world where the Cleveland Browns are always winning.”
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu:
I like how in Srila Prabhupada’s lectures, he makes each point three times in slightly different ways before going on to the next.
Queen Kunti prays for freedom from material attachments while most people pray to increase their material attachments.
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This Bhagavatam verse describes how a person becomes increasingly entangled in this world.
pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam
ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair
janasya moho ’yam aham mameti
“The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life’s illusions and thinks in terms of ‘I and mine.’” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.8)
