This Week's Talk - (5/20/12)

Imitation Gods and Black Magic

With mystic boons, black magic, and warcraft, the King of Kasi and his son Sudaksina challenge Krsna! This story is from the tenth canto of Bhagavatam, Krishna book, the commentaries of the Acaryas, and the works of the Goswamis.

Speaker: Urmila Devi

Born in 1955 in New York City, Urmila Devi (Dr. Edith Best) joined ISKCON in 1973 in Chicago and served in the movement continuously since then. She received first initiation in 1973 and second initiation in 1975 from His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. She had several opportunities, along with her family, to meet with him personally.

Urmila has a PhD in Educational Leadership (University of NC at Chapel Hill). She is a member of the Sastric Advisory Council to ISKCON's Governing Body Commission (GBC) and has been an associate editor of Back to Godhead magazine since 1990. She has published Vaikuntha Children, a guidebook for devotional education, dozens of articles, and Dr. Best Learn to Read, an 83 book complete literacy program with technology enabling the story books to speak in 25 languages at the touch of a special "pen". Urmila has three decades of experience teaching primary and secondary students, which include 19 years of experience as a school administrator and leader. She travels internationally teaching sastra and the practical application of Krishna consciousness. She is married to Pratyatosa dasa since 1973, and they have three grown married children and eleven grandchildren. In 1996, Urmila and Pratyatosa entered the renounced order of vanaprastha.