Our cover story takes us to South India, where temples follow traditions that go back thousands of years. In Kanchipuram: Home to the King of Blessers, Adbhuta Hari Dasa writes of his visit to Kanchipuram and the temple of the Vishnu deity known as Varadaraja (“king of those who give benedictions”). One way the Lord gives benedictions is by accepting our offerings of food to Him and returning them to us as His prasadam (“mercy”). In When Does Food Become Prasadam? Shivarama Swami provides enlightening insights into this spiritual phenomenon.

Because the Supreme Lord is everywhere, only He can be the greatest giver of benedictions, and in The Original Source of Everything, Srila Prabhupada clarifies how God is present everywhere. To teach about this and other aspects of God, Prabhupada translated and commented on many books from the Vedic library. In The Importance of Sri Ishopanishad, Satyaraja Dasa give us some clues to understanding why Prabhupada chose an Upanishad to be one of the first books he translated.

Learning the science of God includes learning about our relationship with Him. In this issue we present a lesson on that topic in The Eternal Religion, an extract from Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s magnificent book Jaiva-dharma.