September/October 2008

Three articles in this issue relate to events on the Vaishnava calendar for September-October. Aja Govinda Dasa, continuing his series on Lord Krishna’s ten prominent incarnations, draws from the Srimad-Bhagavatam and other scriptures to relate the history of the appearance of Lord Vamana, who traversed the universe in two steps.

The festival known as Dushehra or Rama Vijaya commemorates Lord Ramacandra’s victory over Ravana and rescue of Sita Devi, Rama’s eternal consort. In “A Call to Spiritual Heroism,” Caitanya Carana Dasa shows that while the Ramayana clearly identifies the hero and the villain, the so-called heroes of today’s movies lack the essential quality of the true hero.

October marks the beginning of Karttika, a month that includes the festival of Govardhana Puja. Many pilgrims honor Karttika month by walking around Govardhana Hill in Vrindavana. Vaisheshika Dasa, who spent time at the Hare Krishna temple in the town of Govardhana, describes some scenes on the path around Govardhana Hill.

What inspires pilgrims to undertake the difficult fourteen-mile walk around Govardhana? For most, it’s the hope of a spiritual reward. In “Hope: The Bedrock of Spiritual Progress,” Vishakha Devi Dasi writes about the importance of spiritual hope.

Hare Krishna.—Nagaraja Dasa, Editor

Departments

Vanipedia and Veda

Nature in Control

In Your Own Words

Letters

Trying to Put a Date on the Vedas 

Vedic Thoughts