Rama Navami March 2004

Celebrating the Appearance Day of Lord Ramachandra 

This year's Rama Navami actually falls on Tuesday, 30 March. To give everyone an opportunity to celebrate this festival, we'll be having a double celebration. Programme details are as follows:

Saturday, 27 March

5.30pm Bhajans

6.00pm Class

6.45pm Drama

7.00pm Arati

7.30pm Feast

Tuesday, 30 March

5.30pm Bhajans

6.00pm Class

6.45pm Recitation of 108 names of Lord Ramchandra,

followed by Pushpanjali

7.00pm Arati

7.30pm Feast

ramadi murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan

nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu

krsnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[BS. 5.39]

[I worship Govinda, the Primeval Lord, Who manifested Himself personally as Krishna and the different avataras in the world in the forms of Rama, Nrisimha, Vamana, as His subjective portions.]

“This is a verse from Brahma-samhita in which the incarnation of Lord Ramacandra is described. Ramadi.

“Not only Rama, but there are many other, innumerable incarnations. They are compared with the waves of a river.

“As the waves of the river or the waves of the ocean cannot be counted, similarly, how many incarnations are there of the Supreme Lord it is not possible to count.

“But out of them, the principal names are mentioned in the Sastras [scriptures]. Therefore it is said Ramadi. Ramadi means Rama and also other, many incarnations. And they are existing. Not that one incarnation appeared and it is finished. No. Not like that.

“Just like Lord Ramacandra appeared on this planet, say millions of years before.

“He appeared in the Treta-yuga... We have passed only five thousand years of this age, Kali-yuga [quarrel and hypocrisy]. Before that, there was Dvapara-yuga. Dvapara-yuga means 800,000 years. And before that, there was Treta-yuga, which continued for twelve hundred thousands of years.

“That means at least two million years before Lord Ramacandra appeared on this planet…”

(Srila Prabhupada proceeds to describe some of Lord Rama's pastimes)

“So Ramacandra's life, God's activities, pastimes, if we hear, that means we are associating with Ramacandra. There is no difference between His form, His name, His pastimes, and Himself. He's Absolute.

“Therefore either you chant the holy name of Rama or you see the statue of Rama or you talk of His pastimes, transcendental pastimes, everything, that means you are associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

“So we take advantage of these days when the incarnation of God appears or disappears, and we try to associate with Him.

“By His association we become purified. Our process is purification. Krsna consciousness means simply we are purifying our consciousness.” 

Excerpts from a lecture* delivered by

His Divine Grace, A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Hawaii , March 27, 1969

* Full text www.krishnatemple.com 

Bringing the Mountain to Lord Rama

In the great epic, known as the Ramayana, Lord Rama's wife, Sita was kidnapped by the evil demon, Ravana, and incarcerated in Lanka (now Ceylon).

Lord Rama and his brother Laxmana, together with Hanuman (the monkey god) and an army of monkeys, built a bridge to Lanka to rescue Sita and do battle with the demons.

Ravana's son Indrajit had spent some time performing austerities to accumulate supernatural powers, one of which was to make himself invisible when he drove Agni's (the fire god's) chariot.

He attacked Lord Rama's army in his invisible form and cast a spell of seeming death over them.

There were four celestial herbs in the Himalayas capable of bringing a dead person to life, healing wounds and restoring a broken body back to its pristine condition. Hanuman was instructed to get them.

The monkey god expanded himself to fly to the Himalayas , in search of the herbs. But he couldn't find them. The herbs (planted by the gods themselves) concealed themselves from Hanuman, because only the gods were allowed to use divine medicines.

Hanuman became angry and broke off the entire mountain and flew back with it to the battlefield.

Lord Rama, Laxmana and their entire army were revived and returned to full strength, ready to continue the battle.

They defeated Ravana and his army and rescued Sita, who was eventually reunited with Her husband.

As a servant of Lord Rama, Hanuman displays strength of character at all levels: he is brave and physically courageous. He is mentally astute. He conquered the emotions of desire, anger, lust and greed and remains Lord Rama's eternal servitor.

Hanuman teaches the most important lesson in Vedic philosophy: absolute surrender is the secret to reach the Lord.

Hanuman carries the mountain

How to find us

The Hare Krishna Temple is at 95 Bank Road , Graceville.

Telephone (07) 3379 5455.

By train Take the Ipswich line to Graceville Station (west side). Bank road is opposite the station by the shops. Follow the road to the end, bearing left. Continue to the end of the road to the Temple .