Do One Good Deed Today

By: Mahanidhi Swami

While visiting New Delhi one day, I noticed a short message repeated over and over again on a boundary wall beside a main road. Everyday thousands of people read that message which says, “Do One Good Deed Today”. Of course, this is a good maxim to live by, but why is it repeated on this particular wall? Inside this wall lies a cremation ground where people lie for their last time. So the message is reminding you, me and all of us to do something good before it’s too late.

In the balance of this article, I will quote Hari-bhakti Vilasa (14) to mention some good deeds one can perform during this most auspicious month of Vaishakha aka Madhusudana (16 April-14 May). Of twelve, Vaishakha, Magha, and Kartika are considered the best because pious acts done in these months give tremendous benefits to the performer. The following significant events occur in Vaishakha month: Radha-Krishna Candana Yatra, Bhagavan Nrsinghadeva appears, Ganga appears on earth, and Vishnu creates the barley grain.

The following good deeds can be done daily or whenever you can: public Harinama Sankirtana; dhama parikrama; read Bhagavatam; attend Gita class; upgrade Thakurji sevas; serve saints; eat once a day; bathe in a holy place (best before sunrise); and to good spiritual persons give charity of cow ghee, umbrellas, shoes, cloth, money, and sesame seeds alone or mixed with honey.

Special days to DEFINITELY observe:

MAY 2 FRIDAY Akshaya Tritiya because even one good deed done today i.e. fasting, jagaran, holy bath, charity, and mantra sankhya yields INEXHAUSTIBLE RESULTS. Treta-yuga begins today (when it comes), and Vishnu created the barely grain today.

MAY 6 Shukla Saptami—Maa Ganga Appearance; remember, pray to, bathe and worship the sweet, kind mother of all sacred rivers. Gange! Gange! Gange! Ki jai!

MAY 10 Ekadasi—Stay awake all night chanting Hare Krishna and dancing in Gaura-smarana. Skanda Purana says, By doing jagaran, one becomes jivan-mukta, “a living liberated soul.”

MAY 11 ***AKSHAYA DVADASI—like 3^rd, deeds yield inexhaustible merit. Skanda Purana suggests: bathe Thakurji in milk or pancamrta; donate money and pots of water (if you’re not a Vraja gopi, this means a bottle of water); in the evening satisfy Thakurji with sweet drinks, and also give sweet scents (itra) to others.

MAY 13 Lord Nrsinghadeva Avirbhava. Watch for new article on how to observe it.

Vaishakha Month of Lord Madhusudana Sri Krishna ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!