Iskcon Schenectady

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Today is Sri Gaura Purnima.
Sri Gaura Purnima is the auspicious appearance day of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, also known as Gauranga due to His golden complexion. As stated in the scriptures, the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and taught the importance of devotion to Lord Krishna through congregational chanting of the holy names of God, known as the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. He appeared on Phalguni Purnima, the full moon day in Phalguna (Feb-March) in 1486 AD (1407 Shakabda) at Sridham Mayapur as the son of Sri Jagannath Mishra and Srimati Sachidevi. His parents named Him Nimai since He was born under a Nimba (neem) tree in the courtyard of His paternal house. This festival also marks the beginning of the New Year for Gaudiya Vaishnavas.

Approach Nityānanda Prabhu—The Path to Love of Godhead
We humbly pray to Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, seeking an adjusted and sincere position in devotional life. When dealing with exalted personalities and subtle spiritual truths, we may unknowingly commit offenses. Therefore, we beg, “If I have committed any aparādha, please absolve me and restore me to a truly humble state.” Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura exemplifies this mood, offering obeisances at the feet of all Vaiṣṇavas and praying that no offense be committed in the attempt to serve them.
When one dares to speak or write about the highest devotees and the deepest truths of bhakti, it is essential to seek the pardon of Nityānanda Prabhu. He is patita-pāvana, the savior of the fallen, and adoṣa-darśī—He generally does not see faults. Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī glorifies Him as the incarnation of mercy, madly distributing prema without discrimination between the qualified and unqualified. Like a flood that inundates everything, His mercy flows to all.
If we truly want Lord Nityānanda present in our lives, we must represent Him. That means engaging seriously in His mission—spreading the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu through Śrīla Prabhupāda’s movement. By serving this mission with sincerity, we attract His causeless mercy.
On His appearance day and always, Śrīla Prabhupāda taught us to pray: “O Nityānanda Prabhu, kindly keep me under Your shelter. I am unhappy, but under the shade of Your lotus feet I shall be truly happy.” That shelter is the doorway to love of Godhead.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

By chanting the holy name, we reconnect with Kṛṣṇa and revive our original, complete spiritual identity.

Today is Ekadasi and Varāha–Dvādaśī—The Appearance Day of Lord Varahadeva. Fasting until noon
Varāha–Dvādaśī marks the divine appearance of Lord Varāhadeva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself manifesting in the extraordinary form of a gigantic boar. With His powerful tusks, the Lord lifted Mother Earth from the depths of the ocean. Although astonishing, such pastimes are natural for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose every action is supremely wonderful and eternally beneficial for all living beings.
Whenever the world is endangered, the Lord personally intervenes. When the demon Hiraṇyākṣa kidnapped Bhū-devī and submerged her in the Garbhodaka Ocean, Lord Varāhadeva appeared to rescue her, thus preserving life on Earth. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam glorifies this mercy:
“The Lord then assumed the form of a boar and lifted the earth from the depths of the ocean, placing her on the surface of the water.”
— Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.13.33
Remembering this divine act, Varāha–Dvādaśī is a most auspicious occasion for worship. Devotees observe this day by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahāmantra, through which one is gradually delivered from material suffering and attains eternal peace and bliss.
In the age of Kali, the same Supreme Lord appears as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, freely distributing the mercy of all incarnations through the congregational chanting of the holy names. Koladvīpa, also known as Varāha-kṣetra, is an emblem of pāda-sevanam—service to the Lord’s lotus feet—marking the place where Lord Varāhadeva appeared in Satya-yuga to bless His devotee.
Let us therefore take shelter of Lord Varāhadeva by chanting:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna! Please join us this Friday to celebrate the appearance of Lord Sri Nityananda.

Lord Advaita Ācārya is the incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu, whose main function is to create the cosmic world through the actions of māyā.
(CC Ādi 6.4)

Advaita Ācārya is the Lord’s partial incarnation, and therefore I offer my obeisances millions of times at His lotus feet.
(CC Adi 1.39)

This forgetfulness was so overwhelming that Advaita Prabhu was convinced that no one but Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself could enlighten people about devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Therefore Advaita requested Lord Kṛṣṇa to appear as Lord Caitanya. Offering tulasī leaves and Ganges water, He cried for the Lord’s appearance. The Lord, being satisfied by His pure devotees, descends to satisfy them. As such, being pleased by Advaita Ācārya, Lord Caitanya appeared.
(CC Adi 3 Summary

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna! We are excited to announce the launch of our beautiful new website!
A wonderful step in sharing Krishna consciousness with the community. 🙏
Visit: www.iskconschenectady.org

Home | ISKCON Schenectady This is an official website of ISKCON Schenectady. Join us today!

On the 25th of December, Christmas Day is observed worldwide in remembrance of the divine appearance of Lord Jesus Christ, born from the womb of the Virgin Mary. From the Vaiṣṇava perspective, Lord Jesus is honored as a great devotee of God and an empowered servant of the Lord who dedicated his life to awakening God consciousness among humanity.

Lord Jesus taught surrender to God’s will, humility, compassion, forgiveness, and love for all living beings. By declaring himself the Son of God and teaching commandments such as “Thou shalt not kill,” he emphasized reverence for life, mercy, and moral responsibility—values that are cherished in the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and shared by all genuine spiritual traditions.

In his efforts to awaken spiritual consciousness, Lord Jesus glorified the holy name of God, praying:
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.” (Matthew 6:9)

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda taught that the holy name of the Lord is universal and that glorification of God’s name is the most powerful and accessible spiritual practice in this age. Indeed, no treasure in the world offers such unlimited spiritual benefit as sincere remembrance and glorification of the Divine through prayer, chanting, and sacred sound.

Therefore, whether we identify as followers of Lord Jesus Christ, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, or other authentic spiritual paths, let us honor this sacred season by deepening our commitment to love of God, compassion for all living beings, and selfless service. May we celebrate Christmas and the coming New Year by remembering, glorifying, and chanting the holy names of the Lord—the eternal source of peace, unity, and spiritual fulfillment.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

So much of our anxiety arises from trying to fit into roles imposed by society—the perfect student, the ideal parent, the successful professional. When we fail to meet these expectations, or when others judge and misunderstand us, we gradually begin to believe that those opinions define who we are.

Yet Śrī Kṛṣṇa gently reminds us of a deeper and eternal truth: we are not labels, roles, or passing judgments. We are not the sum of our achievements or our mistakes. We are the eternal soul—pure, priceless, and eternally cherished by the Supreme Lord. We are loved not for our performance, but simply for our existence.

When this truth is remembered, a profound freedom awakens within the heart. Failures no longer shake our foundation, praise no longer inflates the ego, and criticism no longer wounds the soul. Our sense of worth becomes steady, no longer decided by the shifting standards of the world, but grounded in the eternal vision of God. With this awareness, life is lived with dignity, humility, and a quiet inner joy. We walk forward knowing we are never alone, never abandoned, and never insignificant.

By chanting and remembering the holy name—

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

—we reconnect with our true identity as servants of the Supreme Lord, eternally linked to Him in love

HARE KRISHNA!!! Please join us in sending off 2025 in the most auspicious way!

Hare Krishna! Please join us for our second monthly Community Kirtan at our center at 942 Cutler St in Schenectady, NY! Come listen and join in the transcendental sounds glorifying the lord, followed by sumptuous prasadam!

*Who could resist Krsna book?*

You should be very enthusiastic for distributing our books to schools, colleges, libraries, bookstores, and wherever else you can imagine that they will be well received. These books are so nice that anyone who reads them is sure to become Krishna Conscious. You can show them Krsna books and ask them to read any part and if they like what they have read they should purchase, and if not you will walk away. Who could resist? Krsna book is so nice that everyone will like it, either as a story book or history or philosophy or whatever, they are sure to be attracted. Simply it depends on your presentation. So do it nicely and Krsna will help you.

_(Srila Prabhupada; letter to Sukadeva - Bombay 25 March, 1971)_