Vishnu Mas

Volume: 02
Issue: Mar’10 – Apr’10

Advisor: Vishnu Mas Village Focus

HH Bhakti Raghava Swami Volume: 02
[email protected] Issue: Mar’10-Apr’10

Editor: Vrndavanlila dd
[email protected] Highlights of the issue:

Co-Editor:
HG Rasamandal Das Be Satisfied with Simple Village Life
[email protected] Village Life: Our Philosophy, Our Education..
Editorial Consultant: One Acre and a Cow for Self-sufficiency
HG Hari Kirtan Das
Twin Celebrations at Hebri Farm
[email protected]
Conception and Design: Indian Village May Hold Key to Beating
Vrndavanlila dd Dementia
[email protected] Village Out-reach Program to Nizamabad

Srila Prabhupada: The villagers, they have cows and land. That is sufficient for their
economic problem. But the industrialists, they are alluring them, “To get more money,
come here.” So they are going to the cities. And the food production in the village is
neglected. And therefore the food grain price is rising. Actually, everyone should be
engaged to produce food, but the modern set-up of civilization is that few people are
engaged in producing food, and others are eating.
[Conversations: July 25, 1973, London]

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Issue: Mar’10 – Apr’10

Be Satisfied with the Simple Village Life

“In the Bhagavad-gita also Krsna says vedais ca sarvair aham
eva vedyah, the real purpose of Vedic knowledge is to come
to the understanding of Krsna consciousness… So this
Krsna consciousness movement is trying to revive the
original, constitutional position.
So one of them in the Krsna consciousness movement is
village organization, as you’re trying here. Krsna, in his
natural life, is a village boy in Vrndavana. Vrndavana is a
village. There is no factory, there is no motorcar, there are
no big, big sky-scraper buildings; it is village. That Krsna
likes. In the sastra it is said, “Vrndavan parityaiya padam
ekam na gacchati.” Krsna is so fond of that Vrndavana
village life, with His cowherd boys and cowherd girls, His
gopis, mother Yasoda, father Nanda, and Upananda, uncles,
and big family, and the calves, the trees, the Yamuna river.
He is satisfied in that life. So, at least those who are Krsna
conscious, they should be satisfied with the simple village
life. That is part of Krsna consciousness. But it does not
mean that we shall avoid city life or town life, no.
Everything, every place is Krsna’s place. Everywhere there
should be Krsna consciousness. We should keep ourselves
within the village and properly as Krsna personally showed
us the example. He was personally taking care of the calves.
When He was a child He was taking care of the calves.
When He was grown up He was taking care of the cows,
even though He was the son of a very rich man, Nanda
maharaja, the village king. But still He was working hard the
whole day, going in the morning to the pasturing ground
and returning in the evening. Then He used to take His
bath, change dress, and immediately go to sleep. This was
Krsna’s pastime. So we should follow His footprints. What
is that verse? asraddadhanah purusa/ dharmasyasya parantapa / aprapya mam nivartante/ mrtyu-samsara-
vartmani [BG 9.3]…” [cf. an evening lecture at the Gita-nagari farm community in Pennsylvania on July 15, 1976]

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Issue: Mar’10 – Apr’10
• HH Bhakti Raghava Swami on ‘Villages’

Annäd-bhavanti bhütäni parjanyäd anna-sambhavaù

yajïäd bhavati parjanyo yajïaù karma-samudbhavaù
“All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by
performance of yajïa [sacrifice], and yajïa is born of prescribed duties.” [Bhagavad-gita 3.14]
The basis of “Simple Living and High Thinking”, the norm for civilized human beings, lies in
the acceptance of village life centered on the performance of sacrifice, yajna, which is born of
prescribed duties as delineated in the scientific system of varnas and asramas. Such a social
system, being very intimately connected with land, cows and higher consciousness, namely
Krishna consciousness, is the most perfect and holistic way to live. When human society, due
to neglect, bad leadership or misfortune, all based on lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and
envy, deviates from this established norm, a norm scientifically designed and created by the
highest of authorities, Lord Krishna Himself, a system meant to uphold, protect and foster the
universal principles of dharma or religiosity, we should know for certain that only chaos will
prevail and immense suffering must follow.
In any discussions on varnasrama dharma, the importance of village life and social
organization are a must. Village life needs to be clearly outlined and strongly promoted. Vedic
leadership which will give shape to social organization needs to be explained and strongly
advocated. As we have heard many times Srila Prabhupada explain, the very foundation of
varnasrama dharma begins with cow protection for without cows the brahmanas cannot
perform their duties within the varnasrama system and without following the various
samskaras within the varnasrama system, the aim of life cannot be realized, the result of
which is varna sankara and ugra karma at its worse. In such a degraded condition the
dependent members of society, namely the cows, the brahmanas, the children, the women,
the diseased and the elders cannot be protected:
“Without protection of cows, brahminical culture cannot be maintained; and without brahminical
culture, the aim of life cannot be fulfilled. The Lord, therefore, is described as go-brahmana-hitaya
because His incarnation is only for the protection of the cows and brahmanas. Unfortunately,
because in Kali-yuga there is no protection of the cows and brahminical culture, everything is in a
precarious position. If human society wants to be exalted, the leaders of society must follow the

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Issue: Mar’10 – Apr’10
instructions of Bhagavad-gita and give protection to the cows, the brahmanas and brahminical
culture.” [SB 8.24.5]
What follows are quotations from various sources which support the basic premise
enunciated above, i.e. without the majority of people taking up to the simple standard village
lifestyle which allows for a natural execution of prescribed duties [traditional occupations
largely connected with land and cows], which in turn favours the appearance of regular
rainfalls which will guarantee the production of natural and wholesome food grains, no
society can prosper or maintain itself for long, no society can protect its citizens from even
simple calamities, no society can lead its members to the goal of life, self-realization, in brief
no society can consider itself to be civilized. Hence the great need to remain in or return to
the traditional village lifestyle as enjoined in the sastras and as advocated by all spiritual
mentors and all responsible social leaders.
Srila Prabhupada [ISKCON Founder-Acarya]
“Our philosophy is that you produce your food anywhere you stay, and keep cows, take milk,
produce vegetables, food grains, and chant Hare Kåñëa. That’s all. This is our philosophy. Make
your life successful. By becoming Kåñëa conscious, you become free from all these troubles of
material condition. This is our education. Don’t be after these motorcars, television, and all
nonsense things, sporting, wine, women. Don’t be after these. Simply eat sufficiently, keep your
health nicely, chant Hare Kåñëa, realize Kåñëa, and go back to home. This is our philosophy.”
[Conversations: May 25, 1974, Rome]
In the above exchange, Srila Prabhupada clearly stresses the need to produce our own food
and to learn to be satisfied with this more simplified rural lifestyle. In other conversations,
Srila Prabhupada makes it abundantly clear that life will be more healthy and peaceful if we
learn to depend on agriculture produce and live in the villages. He discourages people from
leaving the villages:
“Nobody should take to very hardship labor. The modern civilization has discovered severe types
of dangerous industries, and laborers are attracted for high wages. But they should not accept such
work. Then naturally there will be less capitalistic idea. Because the laborer cooperates, therefore
demoniac persons they take advantage and make unnecessarily increase of artificial demands of
the body.” Better one should be satisfied with agricultural produce than go into large cities to be
engaged in industry. Peaceful life depending on agricultural produce can bring him real happiness
and prosperity, not otherwise. The more persons will be satisfied at their home, with home
economics, not to go outside the home; that is peaceful life. In India, Mahatma Gandhi tried to
organize villages in that way so that not to drag the people to the town. So, peaceful atmosphere
can be attained only when there is large scale village organization, actually village life. Not to
borrow the ideas from the cities in the village life; poet Cooper said that country is made by God,

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Issue: Mar’10 – Apr’10
and the cities and towns are made by man. So that is the distinction. [Letter to Rayarama dasa, 17
October, 1968, Seattle]

Ethics of Chanakya (On Principles of Provincial and Local Governance)

As we know, Chanakya Pandit was a great diplomat and wise moralist whose writing are
greatly appreciated by politicians, educators and people in general. In the book Ethics of
Chanakya, the author summarizes some of Chanakya’s thoughts regarding the importance of
statesmanship in terms of village self-governance, village sustainability and village autonomy:
“While an effective control was kept on towns, villages were free from the active jurisdiction of
royal officials. They were rather autonomous bodies and were administered by local men. They
were not only self-sufficient units economically, but politically, they were self-governing. Under
such a system, villages continued to exist as self-sufficient little republics, which remained the
basis of higher political existence. They survived successive turmoil or changes of fortune, and
continued to maintain the prosperity of the people, in spite of the change of dynasties or the rise
and fall of empires. The village was regarded as a co-operative social unit, and its head was the
Gramika. From the evidence of one passage, this man seems to have been invested with minor
magisterial authority and was empowered to expel thieves, criminals, adulterers and other
undesirable persons.” [Ramesh, T. Y. Ethics of Chanakya, Sahni Publications, New Delhi,
2000, p. 178]
It is clear from the above descriptions that villages were the norm for most people and that
these villages prospered following principles of self-governance and self-sufficiency.
M.K. Gandhi [Extracts from VILLAGE SWARAJ]
As often quoted by Srila Prabhupada, Gandhi was a strong advocate of village organization.
“In the future set-up we shall have only two things, the village and the world. We may have the
names of countries on the map for the sake of convenience, but in reality, there will be no
intermediary between the world and the village. All the authority concerning the material side of
life will rest with the village. The village will have power to order its own life. The power of moral
advancement of the whole world will rest in the world centre. The districts or the States will only
be the agents of the village community. Thus we shall have the village at the base and the world
Authority at the Centre. Human society will be organized on the basis of small village communities

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Issue: Mar’10 – Apr’10
of say, 2 to 3 thousand souls each. There would be real fraternity and co-operation in the village
community. There would be no private ownership. The village will be a model of corporate life.
The world centre will be the ultimate co-ordination link between these primary communities.”
and from Preface....
“The experience of mankind testifies to the fact the collective life is more genial, varied and fruitful
when it is concentrated in small units and simpler organizations. It is only small units which have
had the most intense life. Collective life diffusing itself in vast areas would be wanting in
cohesiveness and productiveness.
Ancient Greek City States and Village Republics of India provided specimen of all-round
development of rich and puissant life. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote: “This system of village self-
government was the foundation of the Aryan polity. It was this that gave it strength. So jealous
were the village assemblies of their liberties that it was laid down that no soldier was to enter a
village except with a royal permit….
As late as 1830 a British Governor in India, Sir Charles Metcalfe, described the village
communities as follows: “The village communities are little republics having nearly everything
they want within themselves and almost independent of foreign relations. They seem to last where
nothing else lasts. This union of the village communities, each one forming a separate little State in
itself… is in a high degree conducive to their happiness, and to the enjoyment of a great portion of
freedom and independence.”
Independence must begin at the bottom. Thus, every village will be a republic or Pancayat having
full powers. It follows, therefore, that every village has to be self-sustained and capable of
managing its affairs even to the extent of defending itself against the whole world. P. 69
I want to resuscitate the villages of India. Today our villages have become a mere appendage to the
cities. They exist, as it were, to be exploited by the latter and depend on the latter’s sufferance. P.
83, from Village Swaraj.
"I am convinced that if India is to attain true freedom and through India, the WORLD also, then
sooner or later the fact must be recognized that people will have to live in villages, not in towns, in
huts, not in palaces. Crores of people will never be able to live at peace with each other in towns
and palaces. They will then have no recourse but to resort to both violence and untruth.”
Nepal Villages
In a recent conversation with a former Gurukula boy from Nepal, the following description
was given. “Even today many villages in Nepal have their own blacksmith, their own barber,
their own tailor and other skilled workers. They serve the villagers as and when needed
throughout the year. When harvest time comes these different labourers come to the land and
are remunerated with grains and other produce from the land. This simple lifestyle and this
simplified economics still prevail in many villages of Nepal today. It is the remnants of the
ancient Vedic varnasrama system.”

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Benjamin Franklin (one of the founding fathers of America):
“There seems to be three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans
did, in plundering their conquered neighbours. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is
generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, where a man receives a real
increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of
God in his favour as a reward for his innocent life, and his virtuous industry.”
Daniel Webster (American lawyer and politician with great interest in agriculture)
“Let us never forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labour of man. Man may
be civilized, in some degree, without great progress in manufactures and with little commerce with
his distant neighbours. But without the cultivation of the earth, he is, in all countries, a savage.
Until he gives up the chase, and fixes himself in some place and seeks a living from the earth, he is
a roaming barbarian. When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the
founders of human civilization.” [Speech delivered to the Massachusetts Legislature (Boston,
13 January 1840) [From Madhava Ghosh’s http://yogaofecology.blogspot.com]
Conclusion
The meaning of varnasrama dharma and its practical application will remain largely
concealed as long as individuals do not leave their present comfort zones in the cities. This
requires the accommodation of another paradigm, the village lifestyle paradigm. Only by
spending quality time in the villages will the inner truths and secrets of varnasrama dharma
become revealed. The principle of self-sufficiency and sustainability will only become
manifest when one learns to live in a localized way. As boldly stated by Srila Prabhupada, one
must learn to live “on the lap of material nature”.
This will require tremendous courage and determination on the part of those taking up the
mantle given to us by Srila Prabhupada. The varnasrama mission or daiva varnasrama dharma
means re-introducing village lifestyle as the norm within all of societies, the most ideal norm
which can best facilitate the advancement of our Vaisnava practices in devotional service.
Education and training at the village levels must be re-introduced and for this reason both
Gurukula and Varnasrama Colleges are of paramount importance. The Varnasrama
Shikshalaya programs introduced in India are meant to serve as forerunners to these
educational reforms.
Let us know, let us realize and let us demonstrate the importance of village life. Let us
become convinced that village life, based on the eternal principles of Krishna consciousness,
is indeed part of our eternal philosophy, our eternal education and our eternal lifestyle.
- HH Bhakti Raghava Swami

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Issue: Mar’10 – Apr’10
• Varnasrama Musings

- By Jane Hughes , Health Correspondent, BBC News

Ballabgarh in northern India has unusually low levels of Alzheimer's disease. More than 820,000 people in the UK
are living with dementia, a number that is expected to double by 2051. Is there anything that can be learnt from this
region to slow the trend?
As the sun breaks through the morning mist in Ballabgarh, the elders of the village make their way to their regular
meeting spot to exchange stories and share a traditional hookah pipe. These men are in their sixties and seventies,
while their faces bear the evidence of years of hard work in the fields, their minds are still sharp. In other parts of the
world, people of their age would be at some risk of developing dementia. But here, Alzheimer's disease is rare. In fact,
scientists believe recorded rates of the condition in this small community are lower than anywhere else in the world.
76-year-old Parshadi Lal says: "I feel good, I feel healthy, I have a walk every morning, even though my knees do
now give me a bit of trouble." His friends nod in agreement.
Record low rates
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh spent several years studying over-55s in this area. They tested more
than 5,000 people for Alzheimer's disease, using screening processes designed to fit in with local culture, and relevant
for people who could not read or write.
They wanted to be sure they did not miss any cases of the condition. It is an area where people do not tend to live as
long as they do in wealthier, more developed areas, so you would expect rates of Alzheimer's disease to be lower. But
even after the scientists factored in the lower life expectancy of people in this area, the rate of Alzheimer's disease was
significantly below those in the UK - and less than a third of those in parts of the US.
"We had a hunch that rates here would be lower," says Dr Vijay Chandra, one of the study authors. In fact, they
found what appeared to be among the lowest rates of the condition ever recorded by scientists.
So what is it about the people of Ballabgarh that is protecting them from a condition that affects about 36 million
people worldwide?
Gene search
Dr Chandra told me they tested people to see whether fewer of them carried the APO4E gene, which predisposes
people to Alzheimer's disease. They did not.
When compared to people living in a community in Pennsylvania, US, they found almost exactly the same
proportion carried the gene.
But in contrast with lives in Pennsylvania and other parts of the world, the people of Ballabgarh are unusually
healthy. It is a farming community, so most of them are very physically active and most eat a low-fat, vegetarian diet.
Obesity is virtually unheard of.
Life in this fertile farming community is also low in stress, and family support is still strong, unlike in other, more
urban parts of India.
"It all leads to a happy body, and a happy mind and hopefully a happy brain," says Dr Chandra. "Cholesterol levels
here are much lower. We believe that is what is protecting the community."
Life in Ballabgarh could not be more different from the complicated, stressful existence many of us lead in the rest of
the world. But perhaps this community has something to teach us.
(Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8492918.stm)

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Issue: Mar’10 – Apr’10
• Varnasrama Musings

Of course, the consumption of various cereals, pulses may differ for each family according to the tradition,
geographical location etc. The yearly figures of all the listed item mentioned below are the requirements in an average
family of 4 (including serving to the guests on different occasions).
01) Cereals
a) wheat - 120 kg
b) rice - 40 kg
c) bajra - more or less 5 kg
d) rajgira (amranthus) & sama (both on fasting days) - 20 kg
02) Pulses
a) tur dal - 30 kg
b) chana dal (for dal & besan flour) - 20 kg
c) mung beans - 10 kg
d) mogar dal - 10 kg
e) urad dal - 10 kg
f) Misc. like moth beans, rajma, dry peas etc - 10 kg
03) sabjis (different varieties inculding potato) - 250 to 275 kg
04) oil (we use groundnut & til) - 60 to 65 kg
05) milk (including required for making curd) - 675 to 700 Ltrs
06) ghee - 60 to 65 kg
07) sugar - 50 kg
08) jaggery - 25 kg
09) fruits (different varieties) - 80 to 100 kg
10) flowers (for worship & for other purpose) – variable factor
11) spices and condiments (chilly, jeera, dhania, fenugreek, clove, dalchini, cardamom, mustard, tamrind, amachur
powder, kokam, turmeric, pepper, coconut for chutney etc) - 20 to 22 kg
12) pickles (mostly from mango) - 3 to 4 kg
13) cloth - 250 to 300 Mtrs
14) chipped rice, puffed rice, rawa, maida - all together 18 to 20 kg
As far as possible, I have tried to include all the requirements except items like dates (which in India it is not
possible anyway), cheese etc. As mentioned above quantity of some items will differ especially that of rice
compared with wheat.
Srila Prabhupada mentioned many times in his books and conversations that if a family has some land and
a cow, one's economic problem is solved. This is possible if one has an acre of land and a cow. The
following is a way how an acre of land should be used to produce the yearly requirement of a family (I
assume this as 4 members). There are few prerequisite like ample water supply (through water harvesting

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and other methods of organic farming supply can be used) which helps to cultivate throughout the year,
fertilising the land by spreading atleast 5 tons of manure yearly. If we use indegenious seeds and follow
several methods we will not face problems of pests and climatic changes (yes, it is possible even by
following the vedic and traditional ways), cow giving atleast 10 Ltrs of milk per day (several indigenious
breeds of India give even more than this), selling organic produce in cities through well organised efforts.

In order not to complicate the whole matter for you to understand, I will not (at this time) give details of
what grows in which season (kharif, rabi & in summer).
An acre of land = 43560 Sq Ft.
01) land required for house construction - 1500 Sq Ft (house with a terrace)
02) road to and fro reaching the house set aside - 1500 Sq Ft
03) a pond (as much deep as possible) for water harvesting and in future to grow lotus, water chestnut,
makhana etc) - 1000 Sq Ft
04) miscellaneous purpose - 500 Sq Ft (like for well, borewell, cow shed, parking bullock cart etc)
05) vermicompost making unit - 200 Sq Ft
06) land to provide grass to a cow through out the year (App 30 kg a day) - 6000 Sq Ft (assuming cow
gives Min 10 Ltrs per day for 8 months/240 days a year = 2400 Ltrs per day less (-) 700 Ltrs for yearly
consumption = 1600 Ltrs. 20 Ltrs make 1 kg of ghee. Thus 80 kg of ghee from 1600 Ltrs of which 60 kg
used for a Fly & the balance 20 kg sold @ Rs 400 kg = Rs 8000 (income).
07)wheat - 2500 Sq Ft (yield @ 2500 kg per acre)
[Note - other cereals like jowar, bajra, corn, ragi, millets other than bajra, ragi etc is not seperately included
as if a family consumes these other cereals naturally they will consume less of wheat and rice]
08)rice (assuming 120 kg yearly requirement + 10 to 12 kg for making chipped & puffed rice) - 1500 Sq
Ft (yield @ 5.5 tons per acre - through various ways/methods like SRI & good fertility yield @ 8 tons
per acre has already been achieved).
09) pulses which includes all dals mentioned above all toghether required growing space will be - 8000 Sq
Ft (yield ranging from 600 to 1000 kg per acre of different pulses)
10) spices & condiments - 1500 Sq Ft (not all items can be grown in one geographical location)
11) rajgira & sama - 1500 Sq Ft
12) oil (groundnut & til) - 4000 Sq Ft (each time for kharif & rabi season, yield @ 1000 kg per acre)
13) sugarcane - 400 Sq Ft (yield @ 100 tons per acre - in Pune & Kolhapur
In districts, some farmers have achieved 200 to 250 tons per acre. Out of 1 ton of sugarcane 500 kg may
be used for making sugar – 10% recovery. The rest 500 kg of sugarcane may be used for making jaggery -
15 % recovery which means 75 kg. Out of 25 kg for household requirement the balance 50 kg can be fed
to a cow throughout the year).
14) Subjis - 5000 + 1500 Sq Ft (subji for household will be grown on a house terrace - 1500 Sq Ft which
will be more than daily requirement thus can be sold and on the ground - entire produce for commercial

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selling - yield @ 5 kg per day per 1000 Sq Ft . [ For further details one can refer one square foot
gardening that details how to grow vegetables, fruits]. Out of 30 kg of subji which will grow daily, 10%
should be exotic fetching; The minimum rate of Rs 50 per kg, 20% should be specialised items fetching a
minimum of Rs 25 per kg and the balance 70%, ie. 21 kg can be sold at Rs 15/kg [Our entire produce is
organic and should thus fetch much higher than this but we are considering the prices on the lower side].
Thus total amount generated from subjis will be Rs 615 per day. Assuming expenses of Rs 65 per day,
profit will be 550 per day, yearly profit from the sale of subji will be Rs 200,750).
15) fruit trees of different kind (20 coconuts + 1 each of mango, chickoo, litchi, orange, kokum, jackfruit,
mulberry & sweet lime + 2 each of pomegranate, lime, fig & guava + 5 to 10 each of banana, papaya &
pineapple + several plants of muskmelon, watwermelon, strawberry etc) - 3000 Sq Ft
16) cotton - 3000 Sq Ft (yield @ 300 kg+ acre, ie 30 kg cotton from 3000 Sq Ft = 30 kg cloth = Min
300 Mtrs of cloth).

[Note: Between fruit trees dye plants can be grown, some can be used as fodder or as raw material for ayurvedic
medicine + atleast 11000 Sq Ft of space will be available during summer season and approximately 2500 to 3000
Sq Ft space is available for kharif & rabi season as different crops grows in different season. Also, 90 kg oil cake will
be available from groundnut and til + approximately 80 – 100 kg of cotton seed + approximately 150 kg of
groundnut leaves + dry grass of rice of approximately 250 kg + dry matter of all pulses of approximately 300 kg
and sugarcane molasses + leaves of various subjis and skins of various fruits will be for free for a cow.]
After 6 years of planting, 20 coconut trees will yield a minimum of 6,000 coconuts yearly, which if sold @
Rs 5 will fetch Rs 30,000 yearly + all other fruits producing fruits at appropriate time) made in jams,
jellies, preserves will fetch approximately Rs 25,000 per year. In total apart from a family's yearly
requirement one can earn approximately Rs 200,000 after deducting all related expenses. Also, as the
fertility of the soil increases, yields will increase which in turn implies more profit.
It may seem too good to be true, but it is very much doable and achievable. But it requires some incubation
period and thus patience. This will be my upcoming project from coming rainy season. In the course of
putting it in action many things can be learnt or realised like how to achieve the goal or even simplify it.
The yield figures mentioned are mostly Indian national average or averages achieved by several zealous
farmers in India and abroad. Of course they have achieved the high yields using chemicals, but we can in
due course of time achieve more yields using different indigenous traditional methods together. I have full
faith in the words of Srila Prabhupada that some land and a cow are enough to solve one's economic
problem. Also the earth can produce 10 times than required for the population. Lets enthusiastically &
patiently wait for this day.
- By HG Sachi Kumar Das

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Issue: Feb’10 – Mar’10
• Varnasrama Report

th
February 28, 2010 witnessed twin celebration of Gaura Purnima and HH Bhakti Raghava Swami’s 25
anniversary of accepting renounced order of life. Sahyadri Sri Krishna Balrama Kshetra, Hebri, head
quarter of Daivam, was fortunate to have the physical presence of maharaj on the occasion and thus
planned for three-day ( Feb’27-Mar 1, 2010) festival in the farm. The otherwise silent farm was bustling
with activities to accommodate more than 200 devotees from various states across the country and the
continents. On the first day, the small nondescript village of Hebri witnessed an ecstatic nagar sankirtan
led by Maharaj and his god-brother, HG Haripad Prabhu. The highlights of the day included invigorating
lectures, interactive sessions spearheaded by HG Madhava Prabhu (managing Gokul Dham farm
community in Belgaum, Karnataka) with the congregating youth members, inauguration of sugarcane
ghani in the farm, competitions and nagar sankirtan.
The next day being the day of the main festivities saw a surge of activities. There were interesting
competitions like making of cow dung cakes, cleaning the cows, mud structures, bulls working to extract
sugarcane juice and water from the well. At the same time there were enlightening lectures on
varnasrama by Maharaja and HG Haripad Prabhu. The youth forum of Shimoga and Manipal enacted a
breath-taking play on Lord Chaitanya taking sannyasa, abhisheka of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai deities, arati,
initiation ceremony, topped by serving of sumptuous prasadam.

The last day of the festistival was marked by a visit to Vodabandeshwara (Lord Balarama) near Malpe
beach, Udupi Krishna Math, and to Pajakaksetra (holy place of Sri Madhvacharya's appearance), where
all the devotees got an opportunity to honour delicious feast.
The festival gave everybody an opportunity to come under the same roof and jointly put their efforts to
promote varnasrama. The SSKBK devotees had to happily content themselves by offering their place as
the venue of the festivities. Rest of the administration of the festival was taken over by Gokul Dham
(Belgaum) team headed by HG Madhava prabhu, supply of vegetables and other groceries for the
function was taken care by Shimoga team (headed by HG Govind prabhu) while other miscellaneous
festival management was taken care by other members from Bangalore, Secunderabad, Manipal etc.

Make Vrndavan Villages

 Vishnu Mas
Volume: 02
Issue: Feb’10 – Mar’10
• Village Out-Reach Program

Unlike our past “Make Vrndavan Villages” program this came as a surprise package, triggered by
my desire to meet my god-brother, HG Shankar prabhu from Nizamabad, a town in Telangana area.
I also had a desire to have darshan of Mother Saraswati in Basar (not so far off from the town), also
known as Vyasa Puri. I accompanied by HG Nitya Tripta prabhu started. It was not a good note of
beginning, the train was running late by 3 hours (though very common in India). We reached the
place at an unfriendly hour of 1 am. Another godbrother, HG Shambhu prabhu was there to receive
us and we walked through the silent streets for about 2 kms in the darkness of the night.

Next morning we were up, anxious for Mother Saraswati’s darshan. After completing our
chanting rounds, we headed towards Basar. Soon we were at her doorstep and had a eyeful
darshan. The local priest told us that Vyasa muni used to worship her in the very place we
were standing. We also went to the cave, where he used to meditate. By noon we visited
Bodhen, which is famous for sugarcane production and visited a few farms. Surprisingly we
met a family that served us with prasadam that was offered to Sri Sri Radha-Damodar! This
was followed by a hearty soul searching interactions from either side.
We soon left for Nizamabad, where the local devotees had arranged for Sunday evening
program comprising reading from Bhagwad-Gita and love feast. We (myself and Nitya-
Tripta prabhu) were fortunate to have spent about a period of 2-3 months with HH Bhakti
Raghava Swami at Cambodia, the present Indian ISKCON Varnasrama minister. The close
association with his holiness had afforded us many precious understanding and insight into
the importance of village as a social, political, economic, and spiritual unit. This Sunday
meeting offered us an opportunity to share those realizations and take a step, though a
small one in the direction of “Making Vrndavan Villages.”

Make Vrndavan Villages

 Vishnu Mas
Volume: 02
Issue: Feb’10 – Mar’10
• Varnasrama News
Soon, broadband in every Indian village: Sachin from USA. "I have worked in various countries. I
Pilot (Source: NewKerala.com) always wanted to start a company which aims at
March 10, 2010. New Delhi. India is charting a tapping talent from the rural sector in the fields of
grand scheme targeting its rural outback to reach community-based farming initiatives, rural BPO
telecom and broadband services to each of its opportunities and micro finance."
626,000 villages, using funds to the tune of 3.5 Pollution Fine Sought Against Coca-Cola
billion dollars lying unutilised in a dedicated fund. (Source: The NewYork Times)
Village Gets BPO, its women jobs (Source: March 23, 2010. Plachimanda. A state
Times of India) government panel recommended Tuesday that Coca-
March 24, 2010. Gurgaon. Lines creased Cola’s Indian subsidiary be fined $47 million for
Suman Devi's forehead as she furiously typed on her damage to the water and soil in a southern Indian
computer. A project associate with a business process village that it said had been caused by one of the
outsourcing (BPO) firm, the 28-year-old is a pro company’s bottling plants. The plant, which opened
when it comes to back-office work. Nothing unsual in 2000 and closed five years later, polluted the
about it except that Suman Devi is a simple village groundwater and soil around the village of
woman from Tikli Akilampur a few km from Plachimada, in the state of Kerala, the panel said.
Gurgaon and was barely literate even a few months Coca-Cola said in a statement that it was unfortunate
ago. But all that changed when the country's first “that the committee in Kerala was appointed on the
rural BPO which employs only women set shop in the unproven assumption that damage was caused, and
obscure village. The result: The world opened up for that it was caused by Hindustan Coca-Cola
500 village women like Suman Devi who had never Beverages.” According to the panel, the bottling plant
stepped out of their houses till the BPO happened. discharged a sludge that contained toxic chemicals
The BPO was formally inaugurated by Gurgaon like cadmium and lead. After villagers complained
deputy commissioner Rajendra Kataria on Monday. It that the water table had dropped and farms were less
has been started by a company called `Harva' which productive, the village council decided not to renew
aims at empowering women and harnessing rural the plant’s license.
values. The BPO project involved an initial
investment of Rs 30 lakh and currently has several Anand Sharma calls for integration of rural
insurance and legal firms as clients including a US- areas (Source: SifyNews)
based company for which data-mining is done by March 23, 2010. New Delhi. Union Minister of
these women. Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma on Tuesday
Of the 500 women hand-picked for training, 50 have said that we have to integrate our rural areas with the
been employed, while the rest are still being groomed. economic processes that are transforming our country
The company is also tying to hire voice and e-mail at a rapid pace
processes when the women are trained enough to Addressing the India Rural Business Summit here,
work on those fronts. Sharma said that nearly 70 percent of India's
For now, the women are more than happy. Mala population resides in the rural areas and nearly two-
Yadav, who now earns Rs 2,500 per month, said: third of the population is still dependent on the
"Till a few months back, I had not seen a computer. agriculture sector for sustenance.
Now, after the three-month training, I feel like I am Highlighting the details of various steps taken by the
working in an urban office right in the middle of the Department of Commerce to promote rural business,
village and that too with my limited education. I am Sharma informed that under the Foreign Trade
so happy." Policy 2009-2014, the focus is on increasing our
The rural BPO is the brainchild of entrepreneur Ajay percentage share of global trade and expanding
Chaturvedi, an engineer and management graduate employment opportunities.

Make Vrndavan Villages

 Vishnu Mas
Volume: 02
Issue: Feb’10 – Mar’10
He further said that under Special Focus Initiatives, Trend analyst Martin Raymond, director of the
rural employment intensive sectors such as (i) Future Laboratory, told Culture Shock there is a
agriculture and village industries, (ii) handlooms (iii) hankering for a simple life across the world. "It's an
handicrafts (iv) leather and footwear (v) exports from attractive lifestyle, one that you can't remember, but
North-Eastern region, (vi) sports goods and toys. one that your parents told me about. "It is this thing
have been identified. about reconnecting - you're finding it in every city
Sharma also informed that the Department of and every culture, this recreation of the farmland ideal
Commerce regularly supports Export Promotion for the city person."
Councils focussed on the rural sector such as This urge to "reconnect" is described by some
Handloom Export Promotion Council, Shellac EPC, psychologists as the "Marie Antoinette syndrome" -
Carpet EPC, Export Promotion Council for recreating ideals that never actually existed - after the
Handicrafts, Khadi and Village Industries French queen who masqueraded as a dairy maid and
Commission, Self Employed Women's Association build a vast farm to "live as the peasant lived".
SEWA). Mr Raymond said that it is a "paradox" that people
Varnasrama Seminar February 14-17 at are paying $150 a night to live in the conditions that
Sridham Mayapur Concludes others are seeking to escape.
February 18, 2010. Mayapur. The 4-day Farm suicides: A 12-year saga (Source:
Annual Global Varnasrama Seminar, presided by HH Indiatogether.org)
Bhakti Raghava Swami, Varnasrama Minister for the February 03, 2010. In 2006-08, Maharashtra
newly formed DAIVAM concluded on an saw 12, 493 farm suicides. That is 85 per cent higher
encouraging note. February 14-17, 2010, saw good than the 6,745 suicides it recorded during 1997-
participation where senior devotees, sannyasis, and 1999. And the worst three-year period for any State,
renowned delegates across the globle presented their any time. The loan waiver year of 2008 saw 16,196
papers on the occasion to the eager audience which farm suicides in the country, according to the
turned out in good number. National Crime Records Bureau. Compared to 2007,
India’s Wealthy Go Back to Nature (Source: that's a fall of just 436. As economist Professor K
BBC News) Nagaraj who has worked in-depth on farm suicide
January 14, 2008. Some of India's richest people are data says, "the numbers leave little room for comfort
paying $150 a night to live like peasants at a "native and none at all for self-congratulation." There were
village" in the southern state of Karnataka. no major changes in the trend that set in from the late
The village, Hessargatta - just outside India's IT 1990s and worsened after 2002. The dismal truth is
capital, Bangalore - is designed to encourage the that very high numbers of farm suicides still occur
preservation of some of India's rural traditions. It within a fast decreasing farm population.
offers visitors the chance to qualify in tasks like Farmers sour on sugar cane (Source:
milking cows and looking after the other animals, Indiatogether.org)
such as turkeys, ducks, chickens and dogs. September 11, 2010. The handling of sugar
Ram Kumar, who came up with the idea and who production, sale and external trade by the government
runs the village, told BBC World Service's Culture shows a complete absence of strategic planning on an
Shock programme. issue that critically affects the aam aadmi. Sugar
Transport around the village is by bullock cart ride - prices have doubled over the last 15 months. A severe
"probably the slowest ride you'll ever go on". "You shortfall in production is forcing massive sugar
get to notice so much more when you're on a bullock imports on India at a time when the world market
cart. You are able to see butterflies, bees, the turkeys prices are at a 28-year high. The government has laid
walking next to you. Because of the slow pace, you the blame on a poor monsoon and the "cyclical
notice so much more of life. It's quite philosophical nature of the sugar industry", factors that it presents
in my view," Mr Kumar added. as beyond its control. Curiously, a year ago, it was
actually subsidising sugar exports.

Make Vrndavan Villages

 Vishnu Mas
Volume: 02
Issue: Feb’10 – Mar’10
• Mails to the Editor

…I wish you all the best with your dedicated service.

- HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami

Your publication appears to be very nice mataji. You have made the whole production very
attractive and readable. Keep up the good efforts, it is a valuable service to Srila Prabhupada.
Your humble servant,
- HG Hari-Sauri Dasa

My dear Vrindavan Lila devi dasi,

… Many thanks for the newsletter which I am so happy to receive. Your newsletter is so poetic, yet
scholarly and philosophically sound. By the grace and guidance of Shrila Prabhupada,you have put your
finger on the pulse of the solution to the real problems of the world, and those solutions are Hare Krishna,
the cow, the bull and the Mother Earth.
Devotees had best take this message very very seriously as the oil crisis is becoming worse, so much so that
governments need to stage fabricated terrorist attacks so as to "get perimission" to invade oil rich countries
("to spread democracy, freedom, and happiness").
There are some internet accessible films on the horrible state of affairs of the oil-centered Earth-
exploitative situation now. Of course, none of hese films offer solutions (other than "buying guns") and
only we have tthe solution. But by getting the big pcture we can see that the problems have been
incrementally orchestrated in order so that the demons that represent the powers that be can seize total
global control, the so-called New World Order. This is nothing new, and Indians have seen it coming for
some years now, since the British, Divide and Conquer, and World Wars one and two. Anyway, things are
getting tense in the West and a new wave of tyrannical totalitariansim appears to be on the rise. …
Most of them center on America, but that is where the demonic government of Kali is centered. But the
domino effect that America, who is now invading Pakistan, will affect the entire world in due course.
… your work is very important and the suggestions herein will give you a look at the other side of the
world and the desperate need for Varnashram Dharma right now.

…Regarding agriculture, the Rahus in power have consppired to displace all the American farmers by luring
them to the cities and buying up their farms now run as mega-farms using petrol-based insecticides and
fertilizer. They waged a campaign alleging that farmers are illiterate fools, and city folks are smart and
sophisticated. Now everyone has been lured into this false society, trapped like insects in a jar.
The vegetables in America look great but are like eating hollow gourds, no taste. They only have
ornamental value. Through incrementalism, the government has wrenched bit by bit the power of the
individual, the voter or citizen. It has created the boogey man of terrorism to further assault rights. When
the government wishes to totally clamp down, by declaring martial law and withdrawing resources like
petrol, it will be too late for the oil dependent city slickers…
- HG Patita Pavana das

Make Vrndavan Villages

 Vishnu Mas
Volume: 02
Issue: Feb’10 – Mar’10

Hare Krishna Mataji!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Once again a lovely, colorful and very informative new's letter. Thank you so much for this tireless effort,
please keep up the good work! This issue is special also because of the sweet personal details of our Guru
Maharaj enjoying his day visit to New Govardhan, has been shared so well!
Thank you once again and all our best wishes are with you for this Newsletter to reach great heights, since
we all know that this effort pleases our Guru Maharaj so much.
- HG Manasaganga dd

The news letter is good, but how are you reaching to the masses? Can somebody stand in
secuderabad rly station with copies for distibution for a meager price?
- HG Radha Vallabh Dasa (Prof. Ghanakota Venkateshwar Rao)

Thanks for the issue of Govind Mas, … when I was scrolling down the pages, one article that
caught my eye was “Papaya turned into Mango” this article was very nice when I was reading I could
remember the day you have served me papaya halva on one of Ekadashi day.
The issue is so nicely reflecting your sincerity, hard work, and true devotion.
One again thank you very much Mataji for all your efforts.
- Bhakta Murali Kothakota

Hare Krishna Mother Vrndavanlila,

Please accept my humble obeisance! All glory to Srila Prabhupada!
Thank you for the content. …
Thank you again!
- HG Navin Dasa
Editor- ISKCON- News

The mails/ articles can be posted to [email protected] or

[email protected]
Focus for the next issue-
Postal address:
New Govardhan, #89, 9th Cross, Trimurty Colony, Mahindra Hills, Secunderabad, AP (India)
For further details: Contact: +91-9949698297 (Vrndavanlila dd)

Make Vrndavan Villages