Dear Vaisnavas,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I was wondering if anyone can tell me if Srila Prabhupada advocated the worship of Yasoda Damodara in his physical presence. I heard that he said it is not necessary to put Yasoda Damodara and that we can offer lamps to Sri Sri Radha Damodara.
Seems like he never introduced worship of baby Krishna like Vallabha Sampradaya does. Also did Srila Prabhupada install any Laddu Gopal Deities? [different subject.]
I would also like to know where to find footage of Srila Prabhupada during Iskcon's first Kartik. Is it in the 'Following Prabhupada' series?
Looking forward to your enlightening responses.
Thank you.
Hare Krishna.
hare krishna
ReplyDeletePAMHO, AGSP
Some devotees say that the Laddu Gopal deity is not a bona fide ISKCON deity. Does anyone have any scriptural backing for this?
Thanks
Here is a learned and much appreciated reply I got and am happy to share:
ReplyDelete> I was wondering if you can tell me if during Srila Prabhupada's physical
> presence a deity of Yasoda Damodara was worshipped during Kartik.
Certainly no deity. But its possible a diorama depicting the scene
of Mother Yasoda trying to tie up Damodara might have been on display in the
Vrndavana temple during Kartika, but I don't clearly remember.
The only place such a diorama may have been placed would have been
Vrndavana and possibly Los Angeles where they had the FATE project going.
But since KB mandir only opened in 1975 the Kartik celebrations were hardly
visible in 1976 and 1977. The first couple of years we didn't even sing the
Damodarastakam what to speak of offer lamps and have a diorama.
>
> Also did he install any laddhu Gopal deities?
>
Not that I know of. That Deity is worshipped in the Pusti Marg but
is not so common in our sampradaya. I am pretty certain that Srila
Prabhupada never worshipped Laddu Gopal and certain that he never installed
one in any ISKCON temple.
Here's one reference I found:
Morning Walk -- March 6, 1974, Mayapura
Devotee: ...Radha and Krsna, very prominent. When Lord Caitanya came, He
made the worship of...
Prabhupada: Yes, yes.
Devotee: ...Radha and Krsna very prominent.
Prabhupada: Yes, yes.
Devotee: The Vaisnavas before...
Prabhupada: No, other Vaisnavas. But... The on... This Vaisnava party, they
stress on Bala-Krsna, Gopala. We also, we have got our Gopala, as
Madhavendra Puri installed a Gopala. That Gopala is now worshiped, Nathavara
(?), by the Vallabha-sampradaya. That is Gaudiya Vaisnava Deity. It is
admitted in the court.
The above conversation refers to Madhavendra Puri's Gopal deity that
he found in Govardhana. So that is not 'laddu' Gopal as we generally see
Him. We worship Radha Krsna. That is not to say that Laddu Gopal cannot be
worshipped. Krsna can be worshipped in any bona-fide form, but the mood is
different from our Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya.
> Thank you for your kind wisdom. Love reading your blog posts.
Thank you,
Your humble servant,
Hari-sauri dasa
Here is a learned and much appreciated reply I got and am happy to share:
ReplyDelete> I was wondering if you can tell me if during Srila Prabhupada's physical
> presence a deity of Yasoda Damodara was worshipped during Kartik.
Certainly no deity. But its possible a diorama depicting the scene of Mother Yasoda trying to tie up Damodara might have been on display in the Vrndavana temple during Kartika, but I don't clearly remember.
The only place such a diorama may have been placed would have been Vrndavana and possibly Los Angeles where they had the FATE project going. But since KB mandir only opened in 1975 the Kartik celebrations were hardly
visible in 1976 and 1977. The first couple of years we didn't even sing the Damodarastakam what to speak of offer lamps and have a diorama.
>
> Also did he install any laddhu Gopal deities?
>
Not that I know of. That Deity is worshipped in the Pusti Marg but is not so common in our sampradaya. I am pretty certain that Srila Prabhupada never worshipped Laddu Gopal and certain that he never installed
one in any ISKCON temple.Here's one reference I found: Morning Walk -- March 6, 1974, Mayapura
Devotee: ...Radha and Krsna, very prominent. When Lord Caitanya came, He
made the worship of...
Prabhupada: Yes, yes.
Devotee: ...Radha and Krsna very prominent.
Prabhupada: Yes, yes.
Devotee: The Vaisnavas before...
Prabhupada: No, other Vaisnavas. But... The on... This Vaisnava party, they
stress on Bala-Krsna, Gopala. We also, we have got our Gopala, as
Madhavendra Puri installed a Gopala. That Gopala is now worshiped, Nathavara
(?), by the Vallabha-sampradaya. That is Gaudiya Vaisnava Deity. It is
admitted in the court.
The above conversation refers to Madhavendra Puri's Gopal deity that
he found in Govardhana. So that is not 'laddu' Gopal as we generally see Him. We worship Radha Krsna. That is not to say that Laddu Gopal cannot be worshipped. Krsna can be worshipped in any bona-fide form, but the mood is different from our Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya.
> Thank you for your kind wisdom. Love reading your blog posts.
Thank you,
Your humble servant,
Hari-sauri dasa
Here is a learned and much appreciated reply I got and am happy to share:
ReplyDelete> I was wondering if you can tell me if during Srila Prabhupada's physical
> presence a deity of Yasoda Damodara was worshipped during Kartik.
Certainly no deity. But its possible a diorama depicting the scene of Mother Yasoda trying to tie up Damodara might have been on display in the Vrndavana temple during Kartika, but I don't clearly remember.
The only place such a diorama may have been placed would have been Vrndavana and possibly Los Angeles where they had the FATE project going. But since KB mandir only opened in 1975 the Kartik celebrations were hardly
visible in 1976 and 1977. The first couple of years we didn't even sing the Damodarastakam what to speak of offer lamps and have a diorama.
>
> Also did he install any laddhu Gopal deities?
ReplyDelete>
Not that I know of. That Deity is worshipped in the Pusti Marg but is not so common in our sampradaya. I am pretty certain that Srila Prabhupada never worshipped Laddu Gopal and certain that he never installed
one in any ISKCON temple.Here's one reference I found: Morning Walk -- March 6, 1974, Mayapura
Devotee: ...Radha and Krsna, very prominent. When Lord Caitanya came, He
made the worship of...
Prabhupada: Yes, yes.
Devotee: ...Radha and Krsna very prominent.
Prabhupada: Yes, yes.
Devotee: The Vaisnavas before...
Prabhupada: No, other Vaisnavas. But... The on... This Vaisnava party, they
stress on Bala-Krsna, Gopala. We also, we have got our Gopala, as
Madhavendra Puri installed a Gopala. That Gopala is now worshiped, Nathavara
(?), by the Vallabha-sampradaya. That is Gaudiya Vaisnava Deity. It is
admitted in the court.
The above conversation refers to Madhavendra Puri's Gopal deity that
he found in Govardhana. So that is not 'laddu' Gopal as we generally see Him. We worship Radha Krsna. That is not to say that Laddu Gopal cannot be worshipped. Krsna can be worshipped in any bona-fide form, but the mood is different from our Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya.
> Thank you for your kind wisdom. Love reading your blog posts.
Thank you,
Your humble servant,
Hari-sauri dasa
The question about Laddu Gopal came up to Jayadvaita Swami a few weeks ago in Durban. Maharaj said that Srila Prabhupada gave permission to a lady disciple in LA to worship Laddu Gopal.
ReplyDeleteHare Krishna.
Your servant,
Swarup Damodar Das