An “If” for Girls

A reminder that a well rounded housewife can drive when necessary, swim, ride a bike through Mayapur traffic, blow a conchshell, lead a kirtana if asked,  easily talk to temple guests ... and also write.

By Elizabeth Lincoln Otis
(With apologies to Mr. Rudyard Kipling)

If you can dress to make yourself attractive,
Yet not make puffs and curls your chief delight;
If you can swim and row, be strong and active,
But of the gentler graces lose not sight;
If you can dance without a craze for dancing,
Play without giving play too strong a hold,
Enjoy the love of friends without romancing,
Care for the weak, the friendless and the old;

If you can master French and Greek and Latin,
And not acquire, as well, a priggish mien,
If you can feel the touch of silk and satin
Without despising calico and jean;
If you can ply a saw and use a hammer,
Can do a man’s work when the need occurs,
Can sing when asked, without excuse or stammer,
Can rise above unfriendly snubs and slurs;
If you can make good bread as well as fudges,
Can sew with skill and have an eye for dust,
If you can be a friend and hold no grudges,
A girl whom all will love because they must;

If sometime you should meet and love another
And make a home with faith and peace enshrined,
And you its soul—a loyal wife and mother—
You’ll work out pretty nearly to my mind
The plan that’s been developed through the ages,
And win the best that life can have in store,
You’ll be, my girl, the model for the sages—
A woman whom the world will bow before.

Sri Nanda-nandanastakam

Another favorite prayer to add to my collection. An ancient prayer by an unknow Vaisnava. Click on the video below for a lovely melody. Also this is for Gopi, who loves to sing to Radha-Govinda each Friday and Saturday when I put Them to rest:

Sri Nanda-nandanastakam 

1) sucaru-vaktra-mandalam
sukarna-ratna-kundalam
sucarcitanga-candanam
namami nanda-nandanam

I offer pranama to Nandanandana, whose face is extremely delightful, in whose beautiful ears hang jeweled earrings and whose entire body is anointed with fragrant candana.

2) sudirgha netra-pankajam
sikhi-sikhanda-murdhajam
ananga-koti-mohanam
namami nanda-nandanam

I offer pranama to Nandanandana, whose eyes are more beautiful than the fully bloomed lotus, whose head is beautifully adorned with an arrangement of peacock feathers and who enchants millions of Cupids.

3) sunasikagra-mauktikam
svacchanda danta-panktikam
navambudanga-cikkanam
namami nanda-nandanam

 I offer pranama to Nandanandana, from whose beautiful nose hangs an elephant-pearl, whose teeth are immensely effulgent, whose bodily complexion is more beautiful and lustrous than a fresh rain cloud

4) karena venu-ranjitam
gati-karindra-ganjitam
dukula-pita sobhanam
namami nanda-nandanam

 I offer pranama to Nandanandana, whose lotus hands hold the flute, whose lingering gait defeats even that of an impassioned elephant and whose dark limbs are beautified by a yellow shawl.

5) tri-bhanga-deha-sundaram
nakha-dyuti-sudhakaram
amulya ratna-bhusanam
 namami nanda-nandanam

I offer pranama to Nandanandana, whose threefold-bending posture is exquisitely elegant, the effulgence of whose toe-nails puts to shame even the moon, and who wears invaluable jewels and ornaments.

6) sugandha-anga-saurabham-
uroviraji-kaustubham
sphuracchri-vatsalanchanam
namami nanda-nandanam

I offer pranama to Nandanandana, whose body exudes an especially beautiful fragrance, and whose broad chest is adorned with the kaustubha jewel and the mark of srivatsa.

7) vrndavana-sunagaram
vilasanuga-vasasam
surendra-garva-mocanam
namami nanda-nandanam

I offer pranama to Nandanandana, the expert lover of Vrindavana who performs immaculate pastimes and who is attired in clothes which are suitable for those pastimes and who pulverized the pride of Indra.

8) vrajangana-sunayakam
sada sukha-pradayakam
jagan-manah pralobhanam
namami nanda-nandanam

 I offer pranama to Nandanandana, who as the lover of the Vraja gopis perpetually delights them and who enchants the minds of all living entities.

9) sri-nanda-nandanastakam
pathed ya sraddhayanvitah
tared-bhavabdhim dustaram
labhet tadanghri-yugmakam

Whoever regularly recites this (Sri Nanda-nandanastakam) will easily cross the seemingly insurmountable ocean of material existence and attain eternal residence at the lotus feet of Krsna.

Noodle Stir Fry

Spaghetti noodles would be best for this dish, but I often have homemade lasagna noodles left over from the buffet. So I break them into bits and use them with whatever vegetables are available such as carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, celery, broccoli. Below is one example:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 celery sticks, chopped
• 2-3 carrot sticks, chopped small or grated
• 1/3 of a cauliflower, chopped.
• 1 cup broccoli or broccoli stems, chopped
• 1 chili, seeded and minced
• 1/4 t hing
• 1/2 t ground black pepper
• 4-6 T ghee
• noodles, as desired
• water to boil the noodles
• salt, as desired

PREPARATION:

1. Chaunce in the ghee in a large frying pan or wok the chili until lightly brown. Add hing and then the black pepper and then all the vegetables.
2. Stir in the ghee on high the vegetables until they soften a bit.
3. Add a cup of water and leave on high, covered until the water evaporates. (Or leave the cover off if you prefer extra crisp vegies.
4. Meanwhile, boil the noodles 7-10 minutes in water until al dente (just cooked). You may prefer salted water, but I usually do not salt it.
5. Drain and add the noodles to the cooked vegetables. Stir in salt and offer first to Krishna.

Evening Prayer

These prayers, or part of them, are chanted by pujaris after any altar service. They make very nice prayers to remember before bedtime, too. From the ISKCON Deity Worship Handbook:

mantra-hinam kriyä-hinam bhakti-hinam janärdana
yat püjitam mayä deva paripürnam tad astu me

O my Lord, O Janärdana, whatever little püjä or worship that has been performed by me, although it is without devotion, without proper mantras, and without the proper performance, please let that become complete.

yad-dattam bhakti-mätrena patram puspam phalam jalam
äveditam nivedyan tu tad grhänänukampayä

Whatever has been offered with devotion-the leaf, the flower, the water, the fruit, the food offering-please accept it out of Your causeless mercy.

vidhi-hinam mantra-hinam yat kincid upapäditam
kriyä-mantra-vihinam vä tat sarvam ksantum arhasi

Whatever has happened without the proper chanting of the mantra, or without following the proper procedure, kindly forgive all that.

ajnänäd athavä jnänäd asubham yan mayä krtam
ksantum arhasi tat sarvam däsyenaiva grhäna mäm

Whatever inauspicious things I have done out of ignorance or unknowingly, please forgive that, and accept me as Your insignificant servant.

sthitih sevä gatir yäträ smrtis cintä stutir vacah
bhüyät sarvätmanä visno madiyam tvayi cestitam

Let my normal condition be service, let my movement be holy pilgrimage, let my thought be remembrance of You, let my words be glorification of You. O Visnu, let my activities, with my whole mind, body and soul, be engaged in You.

aparädha-sahasräni kriyante 'har-nisam mayä
däso 'ham iti mäm matvä ksamasva madhusüdana

Thousands of offenses are performed by me day and night. But thinking of me as Your servant, kindly forgive those, O Madhusüdana.

pratijnä tava govinda na me bhaktah pranasyati
iti samsmrtya samsmrtya pränän sandhärayämy aham

O Govinda, Your promise is that Your devotee will never perish. By remembering this over and over again, I am able to retain my life-airs.