Day 1

All Glories to this most Glorious month of Kartik!

Excited, I went to sleep with butterflies in my stomach, eagerly awaiting the next day, and the beginning of Kartik. I got up early this morning before sunrise, before Brahma Muhurta, around Mangal Arati time, inspired. While my uncle did Mangal Arati, I sang the prayers to Sri Guru.

Samsara davanala lidha loka
tranaya karunya ghana ghanatvam
praptasya kalyana ghunarnavasya
vande guroh sri caranaravindam...

"The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is an ocean of auspicious qualities."

The simple, sweet morning melody swept me away by its mood. It was beautiful. Nrsimhadeva prayers and the Nrsimha Kavaca I chanted reminded me of the purpose of my vrata, and prayed with as much dedication as I could muster. The atmosphere felt magically surcharged. The entire building was quiet, cloaked with thick sleep, while one apartment on the third floor permeated the place with sacred incense, and the auspicious sounds of bells ringing, conch shells blowing, mrdanga rhythms, and beautiful Sanskrit verses.

I smiled happily. It was a good start.

Soon the dark sky began to blush soft shades of pink and saffron, while dreamy wisps of purple floated along. Slowly, a sleeping city began to awaken.

We briskly walked to the bus depot, and caught a bus to the outskirts of Chennai, where our ISKCON temple, though still under construction, stands gloriously above the miles and miles of grazing pastures. The long winding bus ride gave me a perfect opportunity to chant my rounds peacefully, without distractions, and conveniently at an early, most auspicious Brahma Muhurta time! Our friendly bus driver dropped us off in front of the temple road, though there was no bus stop there. He did us a great favor. (Otherwise we'd have to walk quite a distance to the temple.) Unknowingly he must have gotten some good benefit, luckily multiplied a thousand times by Kartik!

Their Lordships Sri Sri Rukmini Krsna Sathyabhama, Gaura Nitai, and Jagannath Baladev Subhadra were dressed in an elegant pearly white, with gold. Resplendent as always, They smiled down on the devotees. A simple morning program with a handful of devotees was held. Next HH Bhakti Vrajendra Nandan Swami, a senior ISKCON sannyasi based in Malaysia, gave Bhagavatam Class (SB 4.11.6). He spoke wonderfully and inspired me to think,

"How inspired Maharaj is, after all these years! It's wonderful. He never deviates from Srila Prabhupada's teachings, and follows so strictly! He has been in ISKCON for so many years... the politics he is forced to see, it doesn't affect him! Inner peace and rock-steady stability... atmarama. Other devotees often complain and leave ISKCON, but the thought hasn't, I'm sure, even crossed his mind! How wonderful. This should be our example. He still remembers the first time he saw devotees in England, and understood them to be always happy, singing, dancing, honoring delicious prasad. That wonder has never left him. Srila Prabhupada has left so much hidden nectar in his books. If we just look carefully, read them over and over and over again, we too can relish that wonderful nectar! These teachings are ever fresh. Devotees delve deeper and deeper in, relishing such bliss! It keeps them alive and inspired for years, lifetimes, and eternity! If they can find it, so can we! Perseverance, dedication, and unflinching faith from association with the Vaisnavas can take us far."