Bhakti Sangam Festival/Ukraine

The gigantic Bhakti Sangam Festival is always the final highlight of my time in Ukraine. On the 29th of August I flew together with Bhakti Purusottama Swami from Kharkov to Lvov via Kiev, where we had a stop-over of seven hours. The devotees had prepared a lunch for Maharaja to take along, but since it was not so well packaged, the dhal went all over the place and made a big mess, which kept us busy washing all the containers and bags....

On our arrival in Lvov we were welcomed by devotees and driven for another three and half hours to the festival site called Satsk - a holiday area in the Carpatian Mountains. Since it was the same place as last year it didn't take me long to settle in and orientate myself.

Not quite as many preachers and Maharajas had come as last year, but nevertheless so many wonderful personalities had assembled to give their association and uplift the atmosphere. This year we had for the very first time HH Jayapataka Swami participating in the event, and of course also HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami. All other Maharajas and preachers were "regulars". There were two seminar slots in the mornings, with six speakers being scheduled parallel in each slot - plenty of variety in moods and flavors to chose from! And in the afternoons we were offered the same arrangement, with wonderful evening kirtans on the main stage giving an ecstatic conclusion to each day.

The amazing thing is that there is no kirtan schedule. All kirtaniyas simply sit on the stage and eagerly join the kirtan, and HH Niranjana Swami spontaneously invites different sadhus to lead us in chanting the holy name.
It creates a very wonderful mood, and everybody simply wants to be in the kirtan, no matter who is leading.
I managed to find the time every day to participate in the kirtans. Sitting on the main stage with all guest speakers and kirtaniyas, it was a great pleasure for me to observe their various exchanges and interactions. And having the opportunity to see around six thousand devotees blissfully absorbed in chanting certainly gives a different kirtan experience. Srila Prabhupada has truly achieved an amazing thing - getting so many people to chant the holy name in this part of the world....!

One evening while HH Devamrta Maharaja was leading us in kirtan, HH Bhakti Brnga Govinda Maharaja started getting very jolly there on the stage, and he allowed himself to fall like a rod into the crowd of chanting devotees, who caught him and carried him on their hands to finally bring him back to the stage again. Of course, devotees especially took the opportunity to get the mercy by touching his feet - a rare chance..... Then he attempted to throw HH Bhakti Vaibhava Swami 'overboard', and for some time Maharaja managed to escape, until finally also he ended up in the crowd, carried by the ecstatic devotees. Of course, Madhava Prabhu also had his turn. When Devamrta Swami ended the kirtan, I whispered to Madhava Prabhu: "Prabhuji, go and get Devamrta Maharaja.....!" And he replied: "Kirtan is finished", but I didn't give in: "Doesn't matter....!" So Devamrta Maharaja also had to dive into the crowd, and everybody responded with great outbursts of joy....
These loving exchanges are somehwere available also on youtube, which can of course never replace the direct experience of witnessing the transcendental fun.....

My this year's seminar topic was "Men and Women - More Confused Than Ever", which consisted of the first two sessions from the course Men and Women in Spiritual Culture, here offered in five sessions. When HH Niranjana Maharaja announced each speaker's topic at the opening ceremony of the festival, I could detect his hidden smile in amusement when he read out my title. On the last day during the VIP lunch he asked me: "So, did you manage to solve the confusion?" I couldn't immediately understand which confusion he was refering to, so he had to give me some hints. I laughingly responded: "Oh, that confusion....! Well, that one is not so easy to solve....! And I couldn't leave much time for questions, so let's hope they didn't end up even more confused.... !" And we were both laughing....
​The attendance for my presentations was very good, with the seminar hall being packed with eager devotees, who came back each day. Devotees were profusely expressing their gratitude and asking lots of questions afterwards. Many also came for private talks. There seems such an urgent need to give this education far and wide! Again and again I come across the fact, that most divorces seem to come about due to the wife being too dominant and not prepared to take the subordinate position. And as soon as the ladies endeavor to apply the principles given in the course, they immediately can feel an improvement in their relationship with their husband. Immediately.....!

Recently I came across a nice quote where Prabhupada explains the following in SB 3.23.2: A man's psychology and woman's psychology are different. As constituted by bodily frame, a man always wants to be superior to his wife, and a woman, as bodily constituted, is naturally inferior to her husband. Thus the natural instinct is that the husband wants to post himself as superior to the wife, and this must be observed. Even if there is some wrong on the part of the husband, the wife must tolerate it, and thus there will be no misunderstanding between husband and wife."
By accepting the submissive position, the wife empowers the husband to take charge and be responsible, and give good care.
Srila Prabhupada points this out in many purports throughout the Srimad Bhagavatam. Nevertheless, it seems to take us such a long time until we are willing to accept it.....

​Once again HH Niranjana Maharaja was the most wonderful host of the event, always pushing his godbrothers to the front, and keeping himself in the background. His deep humility and devotion emanated throughout the entire festival and set the mood - indeed created Vaikuntha atmosphere! I can consider myself so fortunate having found shelter at such sadhu's lotus feet. I am always keeping his example deeply within my heart, trying to capture only one drop of all those sublime qualities which he carries within his heart....
Once again it was wonderful to be allowed to participate, bathing my heart in all the transformational and uplifting association......
This festival is simply out of this world...!

On the 5th of September I moved on.....

Your servant, Devaki dd