Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 22, No. 38
(Week 38: September 17–23, 2026)
Mayapur, Kolkata, Paris, New York
(Sent from Brooklyn on September 27, 2026)
Where I Went and What I Did
For the first four and a half days of week 38 of 2026 I continued living in Mayapur with Bhakta Jeff, doing an average of three hours of harinama each day, and attending mangala-arati at the Prabhupada Bhajan Kutir and guru-puja at the Prabhupada Samadhi. I would see the main deities, Radha-Madhava asta-sakhi-vrinda, Pancatattva, and Lord Nrsimha in the evening. On Friday Venkatesh invited me to attend a Radhastami festival at the Sri Mayapur International School where he works as a teacher of English.
On Saturday, which was the actual day of Radhastami, I decided to do four hours of harinama instead of three to celebrate.
On Sunday, my last full day in Mayapur, I decided to visit the samadhi of Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and chant extra twelve rounds there and pray for the mercy of Bhaktivinoda Thakura to spread his message in the West. As I chanted the rounds and the time flew by. Godrumadvipa is definitely the easiest place to chant. Phrases from the Thakura’s writing came to mind such as:
“This temporary life is full of various miseries. Take shelter of the holy name as your only business.”
“Drink the pure nectar of the holy name of Krishna. There is nothing but the name to be had in the fourteen worlds.”
“Forget the past that sleeps and ne’er The future dream at all, But act in times that are with thee And progress thee shall call.”
On Monday after the morning harinama and lunch, I took a train from Krishnanagar to Dum Dum Junction. I took a shower and attended the evening arati at ISKCON Dum Dum, and then two flights to Paris via Abi Dhabi. Tuesday I chanted for an hour at the local market near the temple with Yashomatinandana Prabhu midday and then in downtown Paris with additional devotees in the afternoon. We then did kirtan at the main train station to greet Nrsimha Kavaca Prabhu, who was arriving from London. On Wednesday I flew to New York City.
On the way to the airport I saw the sun rise.
All around the airport, I saw this sign. (Paris loves you.)
After arriving in Brooklyn temple and taking a half hour nap, I chanted with Rama Raya Prabhu’s NYC Harinam party, at Columbia University, a new venue for me, for a couple of hours.
I share a quote from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavad-gita. I share quotes from Summer Marathon by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami and notes on classes by Bhakti Vighna Vinasaka Narasimha Swami, Bhanu Swami, and Harilila Prabhu.
Thanks to Bhakta Jeff for the new bead bag, the new beads, the counter beads, the shakers for harinama, the tilaka, the toothpaste, the lunch at the Thai restaurant, and all the other things to numerous to remember. Thanks to the devotee from Bengal, who works for the military in Mumbai, and who paid for my rickshaw to Krishnanagar, the train to Dum Dum Junction, and a bootle of water. Thanks to the ISKCON Dum Dum devotees for giving me a room to shower and dress for arati. Thanks to Venkatesh for inviting me to the Sri Mayapur International School program for Radhastami.
Itinerary
September 23–December 31: NYC Harinam
Chanting Hare Krishna in Mayapur
Tulasi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/YKufJzYHksg):
Vrinda Devi chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama, and pilgrims dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/M6jqLL5yXMo?feature=share):
Bhakta chants Hare Krishna in Mayapur evening harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/TXoKLmFEOUA):
Biswamvar Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Mayapur evening harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/QI7LorrI0tU):
Vrinda Kishori Dasi chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama (https://youtu.be/r_R-ZgD8or8):
Mataji chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/CIO-WVIioBU?feature=share):
Madana Mohini Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama on Radhastami (https://youtube.com/shorts/Gu8HKCbXRos?feature=share):
While chanted I Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama on Radhastami, and I was happy to see many pilgrims dance (https://youtu.be/CZAkefXxFvU):
Lalita Kumari Mataji chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama on Radhastami, and pilgrims dance (https://youtu.be/7uBavn63k38):
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama on Radhastami (https://youtube.com/shorts/oCh_ICWCbgM?feature=share):
Srivas Thakur Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama on Radhastami, and pilgrims dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/ZUaxSVuK718?feature=share):
We didn’t want to experience too much discomfort from fasting on Radhastami so we purchased the evening offering from Srila Prabhupada’s Pushpa Samadhi the day before for 500 Rs. ($5.21).
Pancatattva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama on Radhastami (https://youtube.com/shorts/tnn4g7Rv-Go?feature=share):
Madana Mohini Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama on Radhastami (https://youtube.com/shorts/pYQkLWa959o?feature=share):
Lalita Kumari Mataji chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama on Radhastami (https://youtube.com/shorts/-hA1J2rhAX4?feature=share):
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama on Radhastami (https://youtube.com/shorts/PmqtSY14T9I?feature=share):
Subal Sakha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama on Radhastami (https://youtube.com/shorts/wfKrJuVckWA?feature=share):
Trivikrama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama on Radhastami (https://youtube.com/shorts/lnyPVPABXk0?feature=share):
Kamika Ekadasi Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama on Radhastami (https://youtube.com/shorts/xe0VPzfK4kQ):
Vrajapati Suta Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/VEn6RpGPzSQ?feature=share):
Vrinda Devi chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/TE3p6C3satw?feature=share):
Vrinda Devi chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/TE3p6C3satw?feature=share):
Vrinda Devi chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur midday harinama, and pilgrims dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/YdLMkjBy0t4):
Occasionally foremen and workers from the TOVP would look at the harinama briefly before returning to work.
Ananda Kirtan chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/0qQ2vFacDiU?feature=share):
Pancatattva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama, and pilgrims dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/-hk1VMYJ7rw?feature=share):
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama, and pilgrims dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/mjbnCk4IJxA?feature=share):
Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/qbVmaoCra-g?feature=share):
Pancatattva Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama, and pilgrims dance some more (https://youtu.be/-XN6sFQ9NDM):
Mayapur pilgrims joyfully chant the Hare Krishna mantra two words at a time (https://youtu.be/jVP_mCrYHhQ):
Varsana Lila Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna on Mayapur evening harinama (https://youtube.com/shorts/sfcpGo1Zgr8?feature=share):
Here she chants some more (https://youtube.com/shorts/f9f_Fqu0QvU?feature=share):
Chanting Hare Krishna in Kolkata
Since I had a positive experience stopping at ISKCON Dum Dum for mangala-arati between Kolkata airport and Mayapur, I decided to stop there for sandhya-arati while traveling in the opposite direction. It was refreshing to take a shower there after the train from Krishnanagar.
Here Prabhuji chants Hare Krishna during evening arati at ISKCON Dum Dum (https://youtube.com/shorts/WIBQFZ9P_Ic?feature=share):
I was impressed with the large attendance for an ordinary weekday evening.
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Yashomatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Saint-Lazare (https://youtube.com/shorts/g6dAxbS4vO8?feature=share):
Marat chants Hare Krishna at Saint-Lazare (https://youtube.com/shorts/Sn_H1HTu9VI?feature=share):
While he was chanting, Marat danced with a photographer (https://youtube.com/shorts/AicojcaAA-I?feature=share):
That young man taking the photos ended up getting a Bhagavad-gita and taking maha-prasadam.
Here Gus dances with another guy (https://youtube.com/shorts/60GHkkTDDFw?feature=share):
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York
It was great to be back in New York City with NYC Harinam, and at a new venue for me, Columbia University.
New Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Columbia University (https://youtube.com/shorts/2_AsWShVFSo?feature=share):
Chatamayi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Columbia University (https://youtube.com/shorts/WgOzuSZBK-A?feature=share):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Columbia University (https://youtube.com/shorts/wHsyNPj8kQU?feature=share):
Photos
India is such a mystical place that instead of underwear they have “innerwear”!
The last day I was in Mayapur, Jeff took me to this Thai restaurant called Rasika for lunch.
In particular, their purple lemonade, apparently colored with small blue flowers, was special.
So was their coconut pumpkin soup.
I encountered more car pujas in Mayapur, one including motorcycles!
Sometimes I practice transliterating the Hindi or Bengali scripts. Thus I discovered this book is called Braja-lila. I found the cover illustration amusing since the scene there is of Mathura not Braja, and Krishna is displaying His form as Vishnu, almost never scene in Braja. You would think a book called Braja-lila would have a picture of Yasoda and Damodara, Krishna and His cowherd boyfriends or Krishna and the gopis, not Krishna displaying His Vishnu form in Mathura.
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Bhagavad-gītā 17.10, purport:
“The purpose of food is to increase the duration of life, purify the mind and aid bodily strength. This is its only purpose.”
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:
From Summer Marathon:
“He bows down and if he don’t love some of the more troublesome and cantankerous and materialistic or pushy ISKCON devotees, at least he tries not to criticize them.”
“Śrīla Prabhupāda says the process has been made as easy as possible by Lord Caitanya. But you have to take it up seriously.”
“Happiness you call drinking water in the hot afternoon. That’s more like a little gratification given by the Lord to let you get through. Coping is maybe not the same as ānanda-mayo ’bhyāsāt.”
“It troubles me somewhat, but I will keep my mouth shut. I will keep my mouth shut on one side, but I’ll speak on the other side.”
“I can have whatever You think is best, Lord. It was best for Mahārāja Bharata to become a stag and associate with sādhus and then next life to become Jaḍa Bharata. Who would have known that was the best position? Kṛṣṇa knows.”
“I thought, if you were in India, you would be nearer the land where it all happened, but maybe you wouldn’t feel any nearer. This temple can be just as near, if you are devotional. You need to chant nicely and see the Lord in His element, the dhāma. Pray to Him, He can reveal Himself to you anywhere. For some, they may feel more at home in a Western country. And they are not really living in that country, they are in Vaikuṇṭha in the ISKCON temple, Śrīla Prabhupāda said. Is it like that here? Yes, something like it.”
“We are not good-for-nothing. But God sees, He is the witness. Whatever you do in this VIP guest room and whatever enters into your head and heart, He knows it. As Śrīla Prabhupāda said, He keeps an account. He sees what you didn’t give.”
“Last night, nightmares of cruel persons torturing us in various ways. That’s the material world. Whatever I get as a token of sinful life, I want to see it as another way to make surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Headaches are like that, highway delays, inconveniences, mishaps. See them as adventures for this soul’s attempt to reach the lotus feet of Kṛ“ṣṇa.”
“Find Śrī Kṛṣṇa in His words and the descriptions by our spiritual master. Read carefully what he says. There is nothing more important.”
“With all thy faults,
ISKCON, I make my
sermon-song within your precincts.”
“I think I am more concerned to improve myself than to improve ISKCON.”
“Śrīla Prabhupāda, I want to read your books and learn of your Kṛṣṇa there. This morning, I read Bhagavad-gītā for 40 minutes and that was nice. Kṛṣṇa helps us in the heart.”
“Happiness is the quiet absence of disaster. Things stay on the shelf and don’t fall off due to earthquake. You don’t have a heart attack, nor does your friend. As the British say, “My trip was uneventful”—they mean nothing terrible happened and I got home safely. So that’s a kind of happiness and you should note it.”
“Śrīla Prabhupāda asserts that transcendental reading remains fresh despite repeated readings. This I want. You can’t know all about Kṛṣṇa, but you always relish it. This is more important and more fun than discussing what’s wrong with ISKCON. We may have a responsibility to discuss what’s wrong and seek a remedy for the institution’s ills. But that doesn’t exclude the importance of going on relishing Kṛṣṇa’s statements in Bhagavad-gītā and the kṛṣṇa-kathā of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.”
“Paint as you like and die happy.”
“Write—in the heat of it you may sometimes appear raw, forgetful, totally absorbed in the work of ink on paper. But the truth is you are rendering a devotional service as a means to think of Lord Kṛṣṇa and a way of preaching and serving Him. Someone cooks for the Lord, someone distributes books, you write—all are serving and attempting to be in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I pray to be spared from the Pyrrhic victory— the victory of māyā over an artist in this world.”
“It may be that someday you will think that the writing life was false. Your self-examination might lead you to that. But that would not negate whatever devotion to guru and Kṛṣṇa I put into whatever I have written.”
“Be confident your journalism will last and be interesting in the future because it’s got Kṛṣṇa consciousness on every page. You really are enlisted, voluntarily, in Kṛṣṇa’s service. You are a devotee of your spiritual master.”
“Sing and be changed and
contribute to improving
the condition of ISKCON
which they are acknowledging
is full of wrongs.
Do I have to say that too?
To show I’m hip to the times?
Outmoded is simple
fresh allegiance of
1960s and ’70s?
Oh well …”
Bhakti Vighna Vinasaka Narasimha Swami:
From a lecture on Radharani at the Sri Mayapur International School:
How does Radha please Krishna?
Cooking
And many other ways.
The gopis became proud each thinking “Krishna is dancing with me.” thus Krishna disappeared.
Once Krishna disguised Himself as Vishnu. When the gopis saw Him, they asked Him, Where is Krishna?
When Krishna left the gopis, He went to be with Radha, but then She also became proud and He left Her.
Abhimanyu is a maya Krishna.
Chastity test story.
Radha’s eyes are only for one man, Krishna.
Uddhava had svarupa mukti. He even looked like Krishna.
Radha said to a bee, “You are the unreliable servant of an unreliable master.”
Her name derives from Aradhanam (worship) because she is the most expert worshiper.
From a class in Mayapur on Radharani on Radhastami (September 19, 2026):
Durvasa, being so nicely served by Radharani, gave Her the benediction that everything she cooked would be nourishing and perfect in every way. Yasoda learned this, and thus she requested that Radharani come to Nandagram and cook for Krishna every day.
Jatila and Kutila would regularly put impediments in Krishna’s path.
The final verse of Siksastakam is in the mood of Radharani.
She does not think about Her own happiness. She only thinks of Krishna’s happiness.
In this world no wife will ever say, “Your happiness is the only thing that makes me happy.” Rather she will say, “You exist to give me happiness.”
Madhavendra Puri’s final words are said to be in the mood of Radharani. Only three people can understand that verse it is so deep.
The mood of the gopi is vipralambha seva. Madhavendra Puri introduced this mood into the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya. Feeling separation from Krishna with a great longing to be with Krishna. Lord Caitanya took initiation in the disciplic succession from Madhavendra Puri because He wanted to experience this mood and teach his mood.
Seeing Uddhava’s features they could understand he had some relationship with Krishna.
It is said Sukadeva never uttered the name Radha because he would go into so much ecstasy that he would never be able to finish reciting Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Aithough in the beginning of Krishna book, Srila Prabhupada says seeing the picture on the cover and ask, “Who is the girl with Krishna?” he never answers that question because Radharani is very confidential.
She expressed jealous anger deprecating Krishna for disfiguring Surparnaka as Rama instead of satisfying her lust as a proper ksatriya and for cheating Bali Maharaja out of his kingdom.
Seeing Krishna at Kurkshetra, the gopis thought, “This is not the Krishna we know.” They wanted Krishna in the atmosphere of Vrindavan.
We are conquered by Cupid, but Krishna can conquer Cupid. However Radharani can conquer Krishna.
She is Vrindavanesvari, the queen of Vrindavan.
The residents of Vrindavan understand: If Radharani will introduce us to Krishna, then Krishna will accept us.
She teaches how to love Krishna. Put aside our own desires.
The mood of sankirtana to give others to Krishna.
The more we give the holy name the more get Krishna.
There a pastime of Radha and Krishna dancing as peacocks in Varsana.
Krishna likes to enjoy in the most beautiful place, with the most beautiful ladies at the most beautiful time of year.
When the other gopis saw that Krishna left Her too, they felt compassion for Her.
Lord Caitanya comes in this mood of Srimati Radharani.
We should also cultivate this mood of separation of Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada did not speak much about pastimes of Radharani. He was more philsophical. At the same time, he introduced us to Srimati Radharani. He brought the Radha Krishna deities. He did not want devotees to go to Radha Kunda to stay there. He would sent someone to beg them to come back.
Bhanu Swami:
As Lord Caitanya is a combination of Radha and Krishna, it makes sense that He would teaches
As the highest rasa is madhurya rasa, and thus there are the five chapters in the Tenth Canto on the rasa dance.
Lord Caitanya in Kali-yuga teaches worship of Radha and Krishna through nama-sankirtana.
Gautama tantra Radha is nondifferent from Krishna. All the other consorts resides within Radha. She is supremely worship. She is the hladini-shakti.
All the bliss in the spiritual world are caused by this hladini-sakti, so She is very important.
The parama-prestha sakhis are the ones we have all the altar. They have equal love for Radha and Krishna.
Through the mercy of the sakhis you can get the body of a gopi in the spiritual world.
Jiva Goswami says that Radha is one year younger than Krishna.
We can use material examples but ultimate the spiritual is more attractive than anything material.
As Radha grew, She became more and more beautiful. The same was true of her friends.
The parents thought that Krishna was the best person for them to marry.
Krishna would appear within to the gopis.
The Kaliya-lila is the first time the gopis saw Krishna. The others residents were experience grief seeing Krishna’s dangerous position, but the gopis were happy just seeing Krishna. Krishna took His time in subduing Kaliya so the gopis could see Him for longer.
Although in pauganda the gopis developed characteristics of kaisora.
Both Radharani and Candravali have 10 million gopis in their groups. Radharani’s sweetness exceeds that of Candravali.
Radharani’s separation is so strong the animals weep.
The goal is not to attain the symptoms of maha-bhava, and therefore, imitating them does not help. We aspire for serving in a particular rasa not attaining certain symptoms.
The proper mood is the mood of service. Through service everything is revealed. We cannot separate Radha and Krishna and worship one without the other.
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.28.22 in Mayapur on September 18, 2026:
If you do mostly bhakti and just a little karma or jnana, you must get a better result than those who do mostly karma and jnana and just a little bhakti and thereby achieve liberation. What is that better result? They attain Vaikuntha and attain sarasti, sarupya, or sarupya, but they do not attain Krishna in Goloka because they do not have prema.
The other yogas exist because some people do not have faith in bhakti-yoga and need to be engaged in another way.
Harilila Prabhu:
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.28.23 in Mayapur on September 20, 2026:
Every devotee should know the nine characteristics of bhava. Otherwise, how can we understand if we are making progress to the goal?
The nine characteristics of bhava are things that you yourself can perceive. You do not have to ask someone else. You can see if you are wasting time. You can see if you are detached from material things.
Teacher at the Sri Mayapur International Society:
Radha was born from a lotus.
The demigods showered flowers on the appearance day.
She didn’t open her eyes until Krishna appeared before Her.
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Twice in Bhagavad-gita Krishna describes this material world as temporary and miserable. This is the less well known quote. It is actually a continuation of an idea in the previous verse, that anyone who takes shelter of Him, even if they are vaisyas, sudras, or women, can contain the supreme destination.
kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā
anityam asukhaṁ lokam
imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām
“How much more this is so of the righteous brāhmaṇas, the devotees and the saintly kings. Therefore, having come to this temporary, miserable world, engage in loving service unto Me.” (Bhagavad-gita 9.33)
Here Krishna is indicating that we should realize and admit our mistake in coming to this world, and engage in his loving service and attain the spiritual world. How we do that is described in the next verse, which is also famous.
