Caitanya Mahaprabhu returns back way to Vrindavan

[1.01.16]

Venue: Durban

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa at the age of twenty four. Of course could Lord be just twenty four years old? I could be twenty four; I was also twenty four old one time. So that is age of my body, Lord’s body is eternal. This is how we end up saying yes when He was twenty four years old, He took sannyasa, for the benefit of whole world. That sannyasa initiation aroused additional devotion within the heart of the Lord. Well, He is playing the role of the devotee, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself and not only just Krsna but He is also Radha Rani.

sri krsna caitanya radha krsan nahe anya

We say He is not different from Radha and Krsna, but as He is playing role of a devotee, bhakta avatar. He is experiencing intense love for the Lord, which was resulted additional love, which was resulted by this sannyasa diksha. The first thought that Caitanya Mahaprabhu had, was I would like to go to Vrndavan, where is Vrndavan? I want to go to Vrndavan.

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was just totally absorbed in Krsna. Where is Krsna? Where is Vrndavan? Few devotees, Nityananda Prabhu and two more devotees were accompanying the Lord. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, came across some cowherd boys. He inspires them to chant, “Bolo Krsna, Bolo Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna” and they chant Hare Krsna, may be difficult for me to get you to chant Hare Krsna but for Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is the Lord, He is the Lord of their hearts. So, yes they were all chanting and Mahaprabhu was going closer to them and blessing them, touching their heads.

So Mahaprabhu asked them which way is Vrndavan? Could you please tell me which way is to Vrndavan. And Nityananda Prabhu, he had already kind of prompted, these cowherd boys, if this sannyasi inquires from you which way is to Vrndavan. Just tell Him, go along the banks of Ganga that way, this is Nityananda prabhu’s trick. So the cowherd boys, you want to go to Vrndavan, this is the way just go on the banks of this river and then Caitanya Mahaprabhu was going that way, chanting and dancing. Caitanya Mahaprabhu as you know, He never walked. Did He fly by Air Mauritius, He only danced or He walked but His walking is so artistic like a actor, when He walks, you could watch His steps, its pleasing.

So Mahaprabhu would walk, but only dance and Nityananda Prabhu was following Him. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was was totally absorbed in His, the mood of Krsna. And at one point He notices that Nityananda Prabhu is also following. He said, “Hey, where are you going? I am also going to Vrndavan. So they are walking after some distance Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquires, How far is Vrndavan from here, to this inquiry Nityananda Prabhu said, “Oh, you have reached Vrndavan, here is Yamuna” and as Mahaprabhu heard that He was in Vrndavan and here there was Yamuna, immediately His ecstasy increased now thousand fold and He jumped into the river.

Jai Jamuna Maiya ki Jai……
Jamuna Maiya ki Jai………….
Vrndavan Dham ki Jai………….

At some point , he was kind of finished with his holy dip of Yamuna, but he had no additional garments, he had wet clothes and there He sees Advaita Acarya, I have some clothes for you my dear Lord. Seeing Advait Acarya Caitanya Mahaprabhu, oh how come, how did you know that I was in Vrndavan, soon Mahaprabhu realised and he was thinking, have I come to Vrndavan or am I in Shantipur, in his home town. And that is what had happened, this was trick of Nityananda Prabhu and this was planned that Nityananda and Advait Acarya bring the Lord to Shantipur.

So that residents of Navadvipa (Mayapur) and specially Saci Mata would have another opportunity of having audience with the Lord. So there he ends up, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He was in Shantipur and devotees in great number turned up for darsana and Saci mata was invited to come, she comes running, she takes her Nimai, in her lap and profusely shedding tears as if she was doing abhishek with her tears. Abhishek of her nimai, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu spent several days in Shantipur, specially doing kirtans, big kirtans, for long many hours of kirtans that was life of Gauranga Mahaprabhu, chanting and dancing, Kirtaniya sada Hari, always chanting. Always chanting the glories of the Lord, always chanting the holy name.

So this is place, Saci mata knew Nimai has taken sannyasa, of course you cannot come back home, I know that but could you stay in nearby holy place, of course you could go to, where ever, the whole world is open for you, you could go to Durban also. Door- van oh that, that Van, which is at the long, long distance, Door, because doordarshan, door-van this is one of the vans, one of the vans like Vrndavan, door-van, like another van, another forest. So you could have stayed in Vrndavan or Haridwar or Banaras or Pandarpur or so many places. No, no you please stay in Jagannath Puri, which is not far from Navadvipa (Mayapur) and I will get news from time to time. Devotees from Navadvipa (Mayapur) could visit you more conveniently, so no problem.

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu gladly accepted the proposal of Saci mata and then he proceeded for Jagnnath Puri. Chanting and dancing again accompanied by a small group of devotees. Caitanya Mahaprabhu proceeded towards Jagnnath Puri and now as they are very close to Jagannath Puri.

Jagannath Puri Dham ki Jai

They could see, Jagannath Puri and at this place Nityananda Prabhu had broken “Danda”, Caitanya Mahaprabhu had taken sannyasa but Nityananda Prabhu took away “Danda” of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and broke into pieces and threw it away, you have nothing to do with this Varna-asram. You don’t have to accept sannyasa and have all these symbols. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was bit annoyed with avadut, Nityananda Prabhu is avadut, he is above the rules and regulations and he didn’t want Caitanya Mahaprabhu also to follow such rules. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu as He was bit disturbed with this act of Nityananda Prabhu, should I go by myself to Puri and from that point onwards Caitanya Mahaprabhu kind of ran towards Puri leaving the main party behind, as if he was getting pulled up by Jagannath, the powerful magnet.

As Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu entered Jagannath Puri temple and as He saw Lord in front of Him. He couldn’t even utter the full name Jagannath, well we could say nothing happen much to us, but for Him, He could only say, Jag- Jag and His voice was choked up and He fell unconscious losing all the external consciousness. He fell on the temple floor, in the temple hall there was a great personality Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, well he had seen others in the past coming and exhibiting this ecstasies but just as show, they were show portal, the fake ones, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya was very curious to understand ecstasies, the symptoms of this personality of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He lifted Mahaprabhu and bought Him to his own residence and examined all the symptoms and he realised that this was not an ordinary bhava but this was mahabhava, genuine symptoms of ecstasy. As soon as the main party arrive, they had darsana they were expecting Mahaprabhu to be there in temple waiting for them, but that wasn’t the case. There was no Mahaprabhu in the temple, as they inquired, they were informed you go to Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s home, probably you would find him there. Then all the devotees ran to Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s home, they found Lord totally unconscious, they all started chanting and the result was, some good reason for us to sing also, or as by singing this way, we try to become part of that party, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s party. I tried experience that we are also there and we are witnessing this pastime and we are hearing that party singing and then we also sing along. So Mahaprabhu gradually came to external consciousness. Haribol,

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki Jai.

So, this is how Mahaprabhu entered Jagannath Puri, because He was thinking of Lord Jagannath all the time on the way to Jagannath Puri as “Akrura” was thinking of Sri Krsna on the way to Vrndavan from Mathura. Srila Prabhupada reminds us, this is the way, if we are going to Vrndavan, go to Vrndavan the way Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Jagannath Puri or the way Akrura went to Vrndavan. You cannot purchase a ticket, train does not bring you, plane doesn’t bring you to Vrndavan, to Jagannath Puri, the mood on the way to Puri or Vrndavan will bring us there. Otherwise our body will be there but our mind back in Durban always in touch with mobile phones, keeping in touch with the family, as a result you will be disconnected from the Lord.

So Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, was there in Jagannath Puri for total 18 years of which six years He is travelling all over South India. One time He goes to South India and then another time He goes to Bengal and Bangladesh and back to Jagannath Puri, so this second time, back to Jagannath Puri. Third time He goes to Vrndavan through Jharkhand forest, have you heard of Jharkhand forest pastimes? There is also one state now in India, newly formed state like Maharashtra is one and Bihar is another one and Gujarat is like that, there is another new state called Jharkhand. Caitanya Mahaprabhu travelled through Jharkhand forest danced and made the animals also dance in ecstasy, Mahaprabhu goes to Vrndavan, He does His Braja mandal praikrama and comes back. So like this three times He went on travels.

Hare krsna nama gaur karila prachar
Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu had appeared to establish the Yugdharma.
dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge (BG 4.8)

I appear, in every age, to establish the principles of Dharma, the prime principle of Dharma in this age of Kali, is chanting the holy name of the Lord, Lord travelled all over the establishing, chanting dharma, sankirtana dharma. So finally, He was back, also from Vrndavan, now He would be spending twelve more years in Jagannath Puri dhama, which has very similar mood like that of Vrndavan. Soon after as He took sannyasa as we mentioned, He wanted to go to Vrndavan, but He ended up in Jagannath Puri, which is abode of Lord Jagannath, who is Krsna Himself.

Jei gaura, sei Krsna, sei Jagannath.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna, Jagannath Swami is also Krsna, so in Jagannath Puri, Caitanya Mahaprabhu experiences being in Vrndavan. In Jagannath Puri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would go for darsana of Jagannath everyday and two Lords would be taking darsana of each other. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very anxious to see Jagannath. One time Mahaprabhu, He was inquiring, could someone take me, show me the Lord, could someone show me the Lord, He was just stopping the people. Could you show me the Lord? Could you bring me to the Lord? That person, he didn’t know what to do, how to respond and then to another, what about you. Please bring me to my Lord, that also didn’t work and then another one, another one. He was going to shop to shop, stopping people. So anxious, so curious to meet His Lord, to have darsana of His Lord. So finally He came across one smart Jagannath Puri vasi, resident of Jagannath Puri. Oh, you want to see the Lord, yes, yes, please come along, please come along and He took Mahaprabhu , where did he take Him, to the temple, please come along and brought inside Jagannath’s temple. Oh you want to see the Lord, “There you see” and as Mahaprabhu saw, it was no Jagannath there that time, He saw Murlidhar, Shyamsundar playing flute in the place of Jagannath Swami.

jayati jayati devo devaki nandano’sau
jayati jayati ko vrsni vamsa pradipah
(CC madhya lila 13.78)

Caitanya Mahaprabhu also, at the time of rathyatra, He would offer this prayer. Oh Lord, all glories unto you, all glories unto you, jayati jayati devo devaki nandano’sau you are Devaki Nandan, Son of Devaki, you are Krsna Vrsni vamsa you are Vrisni Vansi, Krsna you are in Jagannath Puri. Jagannath Swami is very special Krsna, what is the speciality, what is the special feature of Jagannath? Jagannath is that Krsna, who is feeling very, very intense separation from His devotees, specially Vrndavan vasis, specially gopis and Radha Rani, that is the mood, where are they, where are they? And Lord’s eyes are, that’s why they are bigger. So that is that Jagannath Swami Krsna, feeling separation from His devotees and here is Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He has a mood of devotee, He has a mood of Radha Rani and He is feeling separation from Krsna, the Lord. So this is the match.

Krsna, Jagannath Swami feeling separation from the devotees, He is looking of for where are my devotees, where are my devotees, how are my devotees and here is Caitanya Mahaprabhu where is my Lord, where is my Krsna, Where is my Krsna. So this is a perfect match, Jagannath Swami and Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

In Jagannath Puri temple, there is a Garuda stambha, Garuda is one pillar, Garuda is a carrier of Jagannath, Vishnu, he is like the vehicle. Like yours vehicle is parked in front, as soon you are out of your home, your vehicle is there ever ready. So Garuda also parks himself at the entrance, when ever Lord wants to go, he is ready to go. Caitanya Mahaprabhu would be allowed only to go up to that pillar and not forward, if He would go forward then, finished. There would be a stronger magnetic field, so better to keep Him at a safer distance. So devotees would not allow Him to step forward. He had to stand next to Garuda stambha and take darsana, see Jagannath Swami. So as Mahaprabhu would hold the Garuda stambha, by the touch of the fingers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu there are finger prints of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in that Garuda stambha. I was just there in the past and I had seen and this time also, I not only saw but placed my fingers in the same place and was trying to feel something, trying to go into the past and imagine Mahaprabhu standing there, Him holding that pillar.

suni jara guna gatha
pasu pakhi jhure, pasana vidare
suni jara guna gatha

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s guna gatha, His qualities, His pastimes are, even the birds, they go in trance as they listen pasu pakhi jhure, pasana vidare, and the rock would melt by His touch or by hearing His pastimes. Such is THE power of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His pastimes, His qualities.

gaurangra madhurya lila
jar karne pravesila
hrdoya nirmala bhelo tar

gaurangra madhurya lila, jar karne pravesila as the pastimes of Gauranga Mahaprabhu enter the ears and it is not sufficient to enter the ears, this pastimes would finally reach the heart because our soul is not in ears, what is the sitting place of the soul? Heart, so it has to go all the way to the heart, not again entering one ear and coming out from the other one. So we take this pastimes in and arrange the meeting, meeting of Lord’s pastimes with the soul, that is the goal. Soul has to be brought in contact with the pastimes of the Lord. Lord is non-different from his pastimes, lila and Lord is non different from His holy name, His holy form or His holy dhama, some of these are Lord’s personal features.

So Narottam Dass Thakur sings that as the pastimes of Gauranga Mahaprabhu are heard, hrdoya nirmala bhelo tar, that person’s heart will become nirmal, free form dirt, free form contamination, free from three modes of material nature. I think that is the purpose of what we are doing here, by hearing this pastimes of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannath Puri, we would like to be purified, yes, is that the purpose?

The pastimes of Gauranga in Jagannath Puri are unlimited, it is the ocean, ocean of pastimes, we just need a drop because we are very tiny, tiny souls, the drop is like a ocean for us, if we get just few drops, we will be drowned in that drop of the past times of Gauranga Mahaprabhu.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannath Puri, as He was returning from His travels, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya he approached King Prataprudra, and he enquired where could Lord stay? Please make some arrangement. Prataprudra, he was a great devotee of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu , although king of Orissa, king of Puri but very humble, pure soul, pure devotee he was.

He was always very anxious to serve Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He said, that Kashi Mishra’s home would be a very appropriate place for Mahaprabhu to stay and that is where Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He returned, Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at Kashi Mishra’s place. I don’t know, whether you have heard the name “Gambhira.” Gambhira also means very serious, gambhir, serious place, that place is very serious place, that place was chosen because it is not very far from Jagannath Puri temple and it is secluded and is very quiet, for this reason, Kashi Mishra’s home was chosen as residence of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And the place where He stayed was very tiny, very tiny place, very, very small place. Sannyasi as He was renounced, He was happily residing in that small place although Kashi Mishra had a big, big palace quarters, but Mahaprabhu choose that small corner, small quarter, where next 12 years, He would be spending here.

Jagannath Puri is going to be His base. No travels and from there He would go everyday for darsana of Jagannath and after having darsana of Jagannath. Next place Caitanya Mahaprabhu would visit every day, this was a daily practice, visit “Siddha Bakul”, where Namacarya Haridas Thakur, that was his residence.

Nama-acarya Haridas Thakur was born in a Muslim family, as a result he was banned from darsana of Jagannath, don’t think this is just some new policy of modern times, even 500 years ago Haridas Thakur, because he was from a non Hindu family, he was not allowed .

I was also not allowed to have darsana of Jagannath one time. One time as I was, that was my first time, first time in Jagannath Puri must be 1977, as we were going with a group of ISKCON devotees and the panda stopped us. Panda you understand panda, pandit becomes panda and as we why, why not, he said you, you are Christian and this ISKCON people they have converted you. I don’t know where they, they got this very secret, so I tried to convince but didn’t work, panda’s were well built and I am small, they literally picked me up and put me outside. But while as we were battling with the Panda, there was one of my God brother from America born in Christian family but he was having some Indian kind of complexion, skin. So he took advantage panda’s were busy with me, so he was there in front of Jagannath Swami praying for me and he soon returned outside the gate. Maharaja, Tulasi for you, Tulasi for you from, lotus feet of Jagannath. So by his mercy I had at least Tulasi of Jagannath that day. So Haridas Thakur, at least I was fighting to go in there but Haridas Thakur didn’t fight.

He considered himself not qualified for darsana of Jagannath. He would just take darsana of “Chakra” at the top of the temple and that was good enough that is considered good enough, even offerings of food could be made offered to the Chakra, a lot of people do to this day. This is, you could offer food to the Chakra, so Haridas Thakur he would just take darsana of the chakra at the top of the temple dome, but then Mahaprabhu would come to meet Haridas Thakur. So he was not allowed to go in for the darsana of Jagannath but then Jagannath would be walking, He would walk, who is Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

jei gaur, sei Krsna, sei Jagannath

So Jagannath Swami is Gauranga Mahaprabhu, he would come to Haridas Thakur and give Him darsana, embrace him and this was every day. Haridas Thakur he would just chant, that’s all that he did. Haridas Thakur would simply chant and chant and chant and chant and chant. And if we are asked we say can’t chant, can’t, can’t , can’t chant. Chant, chant, chant, can’t can’t, can’t. Prabhupada also said this. So he would always chant, very little rest, very little food always chanting that is why Mahaprabhu gave him title to Haridas Thakur as Nama-acarya Haridas Thakur and nama-acarya. He has another name, he is also Brahma, Haridas what is the name, Brahma Haridas, because he is not different from Brahma. Brahma appeared, but Brahma took little break from his management, managerial affairs , too much stress, so he decided to do little mantra meditation and he is acarya. Srila Prabhupada comes in that parampara, first acarya of our parampara, is Brahma. So he is acarya, so he is setting example, teaching in this age of Kali, chanting is the way, so he didn’t, well delivered so many discourses on this topic but he simply chanted and has set the glorious example. So at this place where Haridas Thakur, there was not so much shelter, lot of times he would be chanting in the hot sun, so one day Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu as He comes to see Haridas Thakur, He brought a tooth brush, it was a “Bakul Tree, the tree like the neem, little twig is used for brushing. So every day as Jagannath Swami is woken up they offer Him this brush. So that day’s brush, the twig Mahaprabhu carried with Him and planted that. And soon that grew into a tree, the shady tree and became known as “siddha bakul”. So the tree that was planted 500 years ago, that tree is still there, giving nice shade, then Haridas Thakur, then he was sitting in the shade of that bakul tree and chanting.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

So “Siddha Bakul” is another very famous spot in Jagannath Puri. In Jagannath Puri, you feel strong presence of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, where ever you go, the whole atmosphere of Jagannath Puri is surcharged with Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s memories and pastimes and so many places. he Haridas thakur’s samadhi is there, there is Gundicha temple, Gundicha you heard of Gundicha? The day of rathayatra, before a day of rathayatra , Caitanya Mahaprabhu would go there personally and clean the temple. He did not order call up some coolies on phone, 10 rupees okay, or bring some more sweepers with you, no He didn’t, He would personally go, take His devotees, take brooms and take many pots, it’s a wonderful pastime.

Tomorrow we will talk about Gundicha marjana and that is also, a series of festivals which took place 500 years age and for thousands of years. In fact this festivity is just one after the other, one leading to other and to other and other leading to the Jagannath ratha yatra. Jagannath Swami staying in Gundicha temple then “ulta ratha” and Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s visit to “Alarnath” while no darsana available for two week, Jagannath Puri temple is closed. You should know this, from snana yatra time to ratha yatra time about two weeks, if you want to take darsana, you have to go another temple that is where you take darsana of Jagannath or taking darsana of that deities is as good as taking darsana of Jagannath, Caitanya Mahaprabhu would do this.

So I think, so we talk about different festivities in Jagannath Puri and how Caitanya Mahaprabhu was part, how he participated, how He relished making those festivals memorable unforgetful experiences. Because ratha yatra that we are celebrating here, it is because of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He made this ratha yatra’s. He was there for 12 years attending ratha yatra after ratha yatra, after ratha yatra and not just witnessing or taking photographs or standing on the roof tops and making some observations.

But He was integral part of this rathayatra festival, Jagannath up there, He is Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the mood of Radha Rani in front of Him, on the streets of Puri in front of ratha Yatra. So we will discuss that series of festivals and events tomorrow and before we close, we could sing a little and then what happens. Maha Prasade Govinde, it is very popular manta, everyone is waiting for that movement , the two popular mantra’s Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudaye and then you sleep and mahaprasade, you really jump, jump, two popular mantras.

Rama and Gauranga connections

02 04 2020 [57:51]
Jai Sri Rama

krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! he!
krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! he!
krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! raksa mam!
krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! krsna! p?hi mam!
rama! raghava! rama! raghava! rama! raghava! raksa mam!
krsna! kesava! krsna! kesava krsna! kesava! pahi mam!.

This was also Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s very favourite chant or song. He chanted Krsna Kesava, Krsna Kesava Krsna Kesava pahi mam as well as He chanted Rama Raghava, Rama Raghava, Rama Raghava raksa mam. He did not see the difference. They are one and the same Personality. Rama. Krishna, and here Rama has now become or Krishna has now become Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Or Rama and Laksaman of Tretayuga, They become Krsna or Balarama of dwapar yuga and They become Gaura Nitai of kali yuga.

Today is Rama navmi mahotsav and I’m sure Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu also celebrated Rama navmi mahotsav. It is being celebrated for a million years now. Lord Rama who appeared on this day, Rama navmi day in Tretayuga and it wasn’t just Rama appeared that day, Laksaman also appeared and Bharata appeared and Shatrughna appeared. So, we could very easily say today is not only Rama navmi, today is also Laksaman navmi, Bharata navmi, Shatrughna navmi because They are the catur, the quadruple expansions of the Lord. One is Vasudeva then one is Sankarsana, the third one is Pradyumna and forth one is Aniruddha. So,

.ramadi-murtishu kala-niyamena tishthan nanavatar amakarod bhuvaneshukintu
krsnah svayam samabhavat paramaha pumanyo govindamadi-purusham tam ahambhajami.

So, this whole programming or whole scheduling, niyamenatishtan, niyam, there’s a whole plan, the master plan of Lord’s appearance. Ramadi-murtishu, Rama and other murtis, other forms appear one after the other and they keep appearing according to this statement of Brahma.
Krsnah svayam, svayam samabhavat.

Now, Krsna is svayam Bhagavan, so He is Gauranga svayam Bhagavan and Krsna and Gauranga are known as avatari and others are avatar. Beginning with Sri Rama, Ramadi-murtishu. So, this happened a million years ago in Ayodhya on this day.

So, Ayodhya is easily a million years old. Of course, Ayodhya is also eternal but Ayodhya was also created by Manu, that is also understanding. Ayodhya, the capital of the Raghuvamsi’s, the descendents of Raghu dynasty. They ruled from Ayodhya and Ayodhya is called Ayodhya because no one could in battle defeat the kings or emperors of Ayodhya. And this Ayodhya is on the bank of a river called Sarayu as Krsna appeared in Mathura which is on bank of Jammuna and Gauranga appeared on the banks of Ganga. Sri Rama appeared on the banks of Sarayu river.

Sarayu river that manifested from the mind of Brahma, manas. So, from the mind of Brahman appears manasarovar and the origin of the Sarayu river is in this lake called manasarovar which is in the top of Himalayan mountains. So, that is where Lord Rama, we must say and remember that Lord Laksamana, Lord Bharata and Lord Shatrughna appeared on this day.

I was just thinking as Jaya Vijay, the gatekeepers of Vaikunthalok they were cursed; “Okay, you will be born as demons, three times”. So, in Satya yuga Jaya Vijay appeared, they appear as Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu and Lord appears as Narasimha and Varaha and They kill. Varaha kills Hiranyaksa and Narasimha kills Hiranyakasipu. Then comes the next age; Tretayuga. Again, Jaya Vijay are appearing now as Ravana and Kumbhakarna and Rama killed both of them. Then again Jaya Vijay appear as Shishupala and Dantavakra and Krsna killed both of them. And this was the time for Jaya and Vijay to return, they were cursed to take birth as demons and then they would return and resume their door-keeper keeping duties but then they got the news that soon at the beginning of the age of Kali, Lord is going to be appearing as Gauranga. And He’s going to be performing very sweet pastimes. So, they changed their minds and instead of returning back to Vaikuntha, they stayed on, kind of extended their visa for longer and they stayed to take part in Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s and Nityananda Prabhu’s pastimes and they appeared as Jagai and Madhai. We were talking about this Jagai and Madhai or uddharlila by Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

So, in previous ages, in previous incarnations or forms, Lord was killing the demoniac bodies using different weapons but this time in the beginning of Kali, Lords have appeared as Gauranga and Nityananda. They do not use any weapon, in fact, we see Gauranga and Nityananda They are empty-handed, raised arms-bahu tule. And they have no weapons. However, there is a weapon, the holy name becomes the weapon or even the associates of the Lord is considered, mentioned in the Bhagavatam, sangopangastra-parsadam. His associates also acting like a weapon, the holy name is acting like a weapon, even the beautiful forms of Gauranga and Nityananda are acting like a weapon, They would kill. The beauty of the Lord would kill the demoniac thoughts and consciousness.

So, this time Jaya Vijay, they are Jagai and Madhai. Their bodies were not killed, their bad consciousness, worldly consciousness, maya consciousness was killed, was eradicated by Gauranga Mahaprabhu and this is magnanimity of Gauranga. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His abode, Navadvip dhama is the origin of all the abodes, all of the dhamas in the universe have origin in Vrindavan dhama or Navadvip dhama.
So in previous kalpa, as Rama had appeared and then He was exiled then Rama and Sita and Lakshaman went into the forest. So, they had come to Navadvip and they were residing in this forest or island and there’s also forest-like situation there. So, Rama-Sita, Lakshman they were residing in Modadrumadvipa. We were talking about the previous kalpa under a huge banyan tree the parnakurti, the thatched roof. The hut was prepared and they were residing there happily, so that dvipa is called Modadrumadvipa. Druma means forest or trees all around and Moda means giving pleasure so that Modadrumadvipa and the surroundings, the forest and the beauty gave all the pleasure to Rama, Lakshaman, Sita. There are nine islands and nine navavidha bhakti, nine processes of devotional services are performed in different islands. Beginning with Simantadvipa-sravanam and Godrumadvipa- kirtanam and Madhyadvipa- smaranam, like that. As we keep going island after island after island we come to Modadrumadvipa and the process of devotional service performed there is dasyam. No wonder why dasyam is performed there because Hanuman is eternally serving the lotus feet of Sri Rama there. This Modadrumadvipa is non-different from Ayodhya. Our original Ayodhya is this, Modadrumadvipa.

So, one time, the same time they’re supposed to be on exile, and they had come to Modadrumadvip. So, in that Modadrumadvipa the previous kalpa. As Rama, Lakshaman proceeded, Rama is the greenish form surrounded by the green bushes and trees and leaves in the midst of that, Rama is seated there with the greenish complexion holding His bow gracefully. The matted locks of hair on the top of His head, lotus-eyed Sri Rama, He was smiling. He thought of something and then He started smiling and Sita enquired, “May I know, Prabhu why are you smiling? I don’t see any reason or anything happening around that would cause You to smile.” So, having enquired by Sita like this, Rama spoke, answered. Rama said “In this dhama, now He is talking addressing, mentioning this dhama as Navadbipa dhama, I will appear in the beginning of the age of Kali. I will appear in a golden-complexioned form as Gauranga and I will in Gauranga form, I will perform My educational pastimes, I will become known as Nimai Pandit, learned. Then I will perform, inaugurate sankirtana movement in Navadvipa. I will chant and dance and then at the age of twenty-four, I will take sannyasai and leave for Jagannath Puri leaving my mother crying and so will my wife, Visnupriya of course would be also crying. So having heard this, Sita said, “Is that a good thing to do? That you leave home, leave your mother crying and Visnupriya crying? Is that the right thing to do? Causing them suffering?” Then Rama explains: “Sita, I know you know the truth but you are playing to be ignorant and enquiring from me, clarification so I will explain”.

Rama said that devotees enjoy in two ways, dealing in two ways with Me. Prema-bhakti is of two kinds. One is in union called sambhog, devotees enjoy and relish My association and other way, other times they enjoy is while they are separated from Me and the feeling, intense separation and that is called vipralambha. But I will tell you Site that there is a very special and additional and thousand-fold greater pleasure in this vipralambha condition, in separation condition. So you are calling that mother would cry and My wife would be crying, yes but that gives them joy, intense pleasure. So, there are two ways.”

Rama was explaining like that, sambhog and vipralambha, both are joyful. Rama also explained that after separation when there is a union then that union is very special, joyful experience also. And Rama explains that the Kaushalya, My mother now in this pastime, she will appear as Sacimata and you Sita, you will appear as Visnupriya. Rama also said “When I take sannyasa and go away from home then Visnupriya will worship My deity form.” He also said that in this avatar as Sri Rama one time you will also be banished. Sita went to the forest twice once with Sri Rama and Lakshaman and another time she was just banished anyway there’s a whole reason and the pastime. So, when you will be banished, you will be in the forest, I will also feel separation from you and I will make a deity of you Sita and I will worship your deity form in Ayodhya while you will be that time in the forest.

Rama also said “For Me, this is Ayodhya, we are in Ayodhya and this is more complete Ayodhya. I love this Ayodhya, Modadrumadvipa Ayodhya.” So, we could see how Rama and Gauranga, sei Krsna are non-different and They have come in different ages and in different forms. Navadvipa is also Ayodhya, at least the Modadrumadvipa one of the islands of Navadvipa is non-different from Ayodhya.

During Gauranga’s pastimes, there was a devotee called Murari Gupta. He also stayed in Mayapur not far from Yogapith and he was a devotee, great devotee of Sri Rama. He would worship Rama and chant the names of Sri Rama. One time, the Hare Krsna’s or Hare Krsna devotees many associates and Caitanya Mahaprabhu approached Murari Gupta, they surrounded, they sat down around Murari Gupta, kind of preaching “Why don’t you chant Hare Krsna, why don’t you worship Sri Krsna?” So, Murari Gupta kind of agree, “Okay, I will give a try”. And then they all dispersed.

So, that night Murari Gupta had a sleepless night and of course he had tried to become worshiper of Sri Krsna that afternoon, that evening, before going to bed but that was not working out. “No,no,no,no,no jai Sri Rama, jai Sri Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama”. Now he couldn’t manage become worshipper of Sri Krsna. So, next day or so, he approached all those devotees who had preached to him, attempted to kind of convert him. He said; “I’m sorry, I can’t do it. I have to worship my Rama”. And this Murari Gupta was Hanuman himself. Hanuman appeared in Gauranga’s pastimes in the form of Murari Gupta. Then one time there was a very extraordinary times, the pastime that Gauranga Mahaprabhu performed at the house of Srivasa Thakur. Lord was totally different that day and all this time He was trying to hide, conceal His identity as Gaura Bhagavan as Supreme Personality of Godhead but that day He decided to reveal His true identity and He sent messengers everywhere; “Call everybody, call everyone, call everyone”. And as devotees were arriving, that Srivasa Thakur’s house, that hall was getting expanded and expanded and expanded and hundreds and thousands and thousands of devotees were pouring in into the hall. And in the audience, in the hall there was also Murari Gupta.

So, devotees the Lord was dealing with each one of them, one after the other and as per their relationship, the mellow, Lord was revealing that form and dealing with them accordingly; dasya rasa, sakya rasa, vatsalya rasa or madhurya rasa or he was revealing His different forms also accordingly as many forms are there. He was revealing them as per necessity as per those devotees, different devotees relationships and. So, then there was the turn of Murari Gupta, talking dealing with Murari Gupta. So, Gauranga give darsana to Murari Gupta in Rama form, there was the Sri Rama in front of Murari Gupta. Greenish, no more golden form. Greenish Sri Rama. Jai Sri Rama and as this Rama bhakta Hanuman, Murari Gupta, as he was taking darsana of Sri Rama then he was looking at himself and he was not Murari Gupta anymore, he had himself transformed into Hanuman form. He was Hanuman including, there was a tail in the back.

Jai Hanuman. Jai Sri Rama.

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s darsana called sad-bhuja darsana, is also very famous. Lord gave sad-bhuja darsana to Sarvabauma Bhattacarya in Jagannatha Puri. It is some places, they said He gave catur-bhuja darsana but there is also mention of Him giving sad-bhuja darsana and as we had visited Jagannatha Puri and Sarvabauma Bhattacarya’s home or place where CaitanyaMahaprabhu was residing, we saw six-armed form in Jagannath Puri also. To Sarvabauma Bhattacarya He gave that darsana with the six-arms. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also gave darsana to Nityananda Prabhu on His vyasa puja day. They were celebrating Nityananda’s vyasa puja day. In the middle of the celebration Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu transformed himself into this six-armed form. So, what were those six arms. They were a set of three arms. The two arms were holding bow and arrow and those arms were greenish in colour, jai Sri Rama! And other two arms were holding flute and they were of bluish complexion, jai Sri Krsna! Another two arms were holding in one kamandalu and other one danda, jai Sri Krsna Caitanya. They are also called one is Rama Candra then there’s Krsna Candra, Caitanya Candra. They are all candra’s, well beautiful like candra’s. Not beautiful like one candra but bahu-koti Chandra jinni vadana ujjwala. Effulgent like candra’s or moons.

So, Lord has proven He is Krsna, He is Sri Rama, He is Gauranga. This is like, jei Gaura sei Krsna sei Jagannath also we say. One who is Krsna is Gauranga is Jagannath so is Rama. And Rama is in fact very amongst billions and trillions and countless anadimananta-rupam. Rama is very special or in one statement from Bhagavatamrtakan, small scripture or commentary by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. There are three very special personalities. There is Narasimha, Sri Rama and Sri Krsna. They’re in one very special category. So, many different kinds of incarnations. This avatar and lila avatar and guna avatar and saktyavesha avatar, manvantara avatar. So, while describing these different kinds of incarnations then he concludes in saying three are very special; Narasimha, Sri Rama and Sri Krsna.

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is not different from Krsna. He is not different from Sri Rama. This also was revealed or we could understand through Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes in South India during South India travels. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, came to Siddha Bat in South India. There, Lord took darsana of Sita Rama deities, enjoyed darsana of Sita Rama and danced in ecstasy in the temple in front of the deity of Sita-Rama, Lakshaman, Hanuman. Then He received invitation from a brahmin “Please come, you could take biksha, take meal, take prasada, noon, raj bhogaprasada at my place”. So, Mahaprabhu agreed and went along with him, so, this person he only chanted, “rama rama rama rama rama rama rama rama rama rama rama rama rama rama rama rama”. It is described in Caitanya Caritamrta. He would not nothing else, nothing else he would utter. Only name of rama, rama, rama, rama, rama. So, that was, of course Gauranga was of course very happy that this brahman was chanting only Rama’s name. so, He enjoyed prasadam at this brahmin’s asrama and Mahaprahu continued His travels but after some time, Mahaprabhu returned to the same Siddha Bat and He met same brahmin and this time Gauranga Mahaprabhu was surprised he was not chanting rama, rama, rama anymore. He was chanting,

Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna he.
Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna pahi mam.

And he was chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna KrsnaKrishn Hare HareHare Rama Hare Rama RamaRama Hare Hare. So, Mahaprabhu inquired, “What happened? Last time I was here with you only thing you would chant was Rama Rama but now you have abandoned that and you are only chanting Krsna Krsna or chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna. What happened? Now what is your position? Why has this happened?” And then there is a scriptural reference a dialogue between Siva and Parvati in I don’t know one of the Puranas where Siva, he says,

Rama Rameti Rameti Rame Rame manorame
saharsa namatattulyam Rama namavaranane.

Siva says, I always chant Rama Rama Rama Rama Rame, I take great pleasure, Siva is saying, I take great pleasure Rame, pleasure in what? Rame. In Rama I take great pleasure. Or chanting the names of Rama I take great pleasure o Manorame, Manorama, Parvati. But then he also said in the same statement, Siva is talking. A thousand names of Visnu, Visnu saharsanama is equal to one name of Sri Rama and then he goes on to add. Three names of Rama is equal to one name of Krsna. So, this is the kind of stand also of this brahmin also and since he has started chanting Krsna Krsna Krsna or Hare Krsna Hare Krsna.

Now brahmin says, “To tell you the truth, from the time, last time I had audience with you, I met I had darsana with you, as soon as you left I tried to chant Rama Rama Rama name as usual, but I could not do so. Something within me compelled me to switch over to this Krsna Krsna Krsna or Hare Krsna Hare Krsna. And I know You were the cause or meeting or me taking Your darsana and to tell You the truth, you also asked my stand. I think You are, You are Krsna Yourself so as I came in contact with You, o Gauranga I have gone mad or I have just started chanting this Krsna name of Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, You are Sri Krsna!”

So, Mahaprabhu had revealed Himself also unto that brahmin His true identity. I am, I am Krsna but He tells, “Don’t tell this, this is just between you and Me, okay? Don’t spread the word around about this”. So, this is one brahmins story from South India but then Caitanya Mahaprabhu had encounter with one brahmin, Ramadas Vipra. He was called as Ramadas Vipra. He was from Madhurai. This brahmin also invited Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu to his asrama which was in the forest to take lunch prasadam at noontime. So, there goes Gauranga with this brahmin and well after a while it was the time. He says, “O! Brahmin where is the prasadam, where is lunch? It’s noon time“. And the brahmin responds, “you know, we are in the forest and it is very difficult to get the ingredients for cooking in the forest”. And then he stopped, paused and said, “Whenever Lakshaman returnes with fruits, roots, vegetables, Sita will cook and then make offering to Sri Rama, feed Sri Rama.” So, when Gauranga heard this explanation He was amused and very happy to see the kind of mood this brahmin had. But then this brahmin managed to cook and feed Gauraga. By three Mahaprabhu had finally had His lunch prasad and after he honoured prasad He said, “Now you eat!”. And brahmin said, “No no I am going to fast. How could I eat when Sitarani gets kidnapped by raksasa Ravana and she’s held captive in Lanka? I cannot eat! I am feeling like giving up my life by entering the fire or drowning myself into the water. My full body is burning but why my life is not leaving the body”.

Then Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Calm down, sit down.” And Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was talking, preaching to him and giving explanation, explaining that the real Sita. The transcendental Sita, Sita. Her from is pure spiritual, it cannot even be seen by the materialist what to speak of touching it. Yes, Ravana did go to Pancavati and so when it was time for him to kidnap, attempt to kidnap, Sita took shelter of Agnideva. She entered the fire and Agnideva created Maya, Maya-Sita. The false Sita and this is how Ravan was cheated and he went thinking happily that he had kidnapped Sita but oh brahmin you should understand this Sita of Rama cannot be kidnapped by anybody what to speak of Ravana, she was untouched. So, by hearing this explanation, this brahmin was pacified and by this time it was evening time, he took his meal.

Mahaprabhu proceeded, continued His travels and now He was in Rameshvaram and there He met a group of scholarly brahmins. They were discussing the same episode of Sita being kidnapped by Ravana. They had Kurmapurana in front them and they were scrutinising and studying and they’re understanding was the right understanding, it was right from the sastra. And that Kurmapurana also said after Rama had killed Ravana, He goes to Ashokvan where Sita was kept. So, there Ram and Sita met and there was a Sita-pariksa. Sita was examined, is she contaminated or adulterated. So, at that time Kurmapurana explains Sita who had entered the fire, the Agnidevata, Agni fire in Panchavati on the banks of Godavari. In Sri Lanka as Rama met and the Agni-pariksa was there. She walks out of fire, the original Sita so Maya-Sita was made to disappear by Agnidevata. Agnidevata had created Maya-Sita before and now she was made to disappear and this is how Rama and Sita union took place.

So, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very, very happy with what the brahmins were discussing so He made a copy of this manuscript from Kurmapurana and Caitanya Mahaprabu walked all the way to Madhurai, met that brahmin and gave that Kurmapurana reference asked him to study. So, Caitanya Mahaprabhu took this trouble, He wanted to. He already had explained but then He gave sastric reference to this brahmin also and then brahmin was further convinced.

Jai Sri Rama. Sita-Rama. Lakshaman, Hanuman ki jai! Jai Gauranga!

We will continue, today is Rama Navmi so we tried to say Rama and Gauranga sei Krsna all of these connections. Although they are non-different from each other and like that. So, we’ll continue with our series of these talks. Karuna-avatar Gaura Bhagavan katha. So, I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Til then, Jai Sri Rama. Gauranga.

Devaki prayers to the four armed Lord

Venue: Bhaktivedanta Manor
03 05 2016 [53:15]

sa tvam ghorad ugrasenatmajan nas
trahi trastan bhrtya vitrasa hasi
rupam cedam paurusam dhyana dhisnyam
ma pratyaksam mamsa drsam krsisthah [SB 10.3.28]

Translation: My Lord, because you dispel all the fear of your devotees, I request you to save us. You give us protection from this terrible fear of Kamsa. Your form as Vishnu the Supreme Personality of Godhead is appreciated by yogis in meditation. Please make this form invisible to those who see with material eyes.

Purport: The word dhyana dhisnyam is significant in this verse because the form of Lord Visnu is meditated upon by yogis (dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah). Devaki requested the Lord, who had appeared as Visnu, to conceal that form, for she wanted to see the Lord as an ordinary child, like a child appreciated by persons who have material eyes. Devaki wanted to see whether the Supreme Personality of Godhead had factually appeared or she was dreaming the Visnu form. If Kamsa were to come, she thought, upon seeing the Visnu form he would immediately kill the child, but if he saw a human child, he might reconsider. Devaki was afraid of Ugrasena atmaja; that is, she was afraid not of Ugrasena and his men, but of the son of Ugrasena. Thus she requested the Lord to dissipate that fear, since He is always ready to give protection (abhayam) to His devotees. “My Lord,” she prayed, “I request You to save me from the cruel hands of the son of Ugrasena, Kamsa. I am praying to Your Lordship to please rescue me from this fearful condition because You are always ready to give protection to Your servitors.”

The Lord has confirmed this statement in the Bhagavad-gita by assuring Arjuna, “You may declare to the world, My devotee shall never be vanquished.” While thus praying to the Lord for rescue, mother Devaki expressed her motherly affection: “I understand that this transcendental form is generally perceived in meditation by the great sages, but I am still afraid because as soon as Kamsa understands that You have appeared, he might harm You. So I request that for the time being you become invisible to our material eyes.” In other words, she requested the Lord to assume the form of an ordinary child. “My only cause of fear from my brother Kamsa is due to Your appearance. My Lord Madhusudana, Kamsa may know that You are already born. Therefore I request You to conceal this four-armed form of Your Lordship, which holds the four symbols of Vi??u—namely the conch shell, the disc, the club and the lotus flower. My dear Lord, at the end of the annihilation of the cosmic manifestation, You put the whole universe within Your abdomen; still, by Your unalloyed mercy, You have appeared in my womb. I am surprised that you imitate the activities of ordinary human beings just to please Your devotee.” Devaki was so afraid of Kamsa that she could not believe that Kamsa would be unable to kill Lord Vi??u, who was personally present. Out of motherly affection, therefore, she requested the Supreme Personality of Godhead to disappear.
Although because of the Lord’s disappearance Kamsa would harass her more and more, thinking that the child born of her was hidden somewhere, she did not want the transcendental child to be harassed and killed. Therefore she requested Lord Vi??u to disappear. Later, when harassed, she would think of Him within her mind.

sa tvam ghorad ugrasenatmajan nas
trahi trastan bh?tya vitrasa hasi
rupam cedam paurusam dhyana dhisnyam
ma pratyak?am mamsa drsam krsisthah

Translation again
My Lord, because you dispel all the fear of Your devotees, I request You to save us and give us protection from the terrible fear of Kamsa. Your form as Vi??u, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is appreciated by yogis in meditation. Please make this form invisible to those who see with material eyes.

So this is the birth of Lord Krishna, what I was meant to talk was the pastimes after He has taken birth and then immediately His childhood pastimes first of all in Gokul and then later on in Vrindavan.

Devaki like every other mother, thinking of the protection of her child. She thinks even her child could be killed, could be harassed, beaten up or could be wounded. So many things are possible, she is thinking like this. That is ignorance on her part.

She is put into that kind of transcendental ignorance. We are ignorant, we are really ignorant, pure ignorance. But then devotees like Yashoda, like Nanda Maharaja, like cowherd boys, like Gopi’s they are also transcendentally in Yoga maya. Yoga maya puts them in some kind of ignorance, especially not letting them know Lord as He is. The transcendental nature of the Lord. So bhakta could have said ‘Hey! He is the Lord and His form is transcendental.’

nainam chindanti sastrani
nainam dahati pavakah [BG 2.23]

‘The soul cannot be killed and he is the supreme soul. What are you talking about Devaki? He cannot be killed!’
No weapon can kill, agni, the fire cannot burn. na sosayati marutah and no amount of wind or hot air can burn or make it dry. The body dries but no amount of water can make the soul wet. Whatever amount of water cannot touch the Supreme soul. So that is the nature of the Lord, that is the form of the Lord, Sac-cid-ananda vigraha. Just see what Devaki is talking about. She is afraid and hence all the prayers here, a lot of prayers of course.

Vasudeva was the first one to take turn of offering prayers which is also unusual. Do you when your child is born, did you offer prayers to the child? No, maybe a thoughtful prayer to the Lord ‘please protect the child, please protect the mother that the whole affair, the delivery may go through smoothly and the less pain.’ Yes for that but we don’t pray to the child.

Anyone here? Child, helpless child and pray to him? But here the Father and Mother Vasudeva and Devaki they both have Pratyaksam, they have seen the Lord. They are the first ones to see the Lord and there is a description of how what the Lord looked like. Sukadeva Goswmi He has also seen and describing what Vasudeva and Devaki saw in the prison house of Kamsa, a little baby baby Krishna. And that is of course before appearing as a baby the Lord had appeared as Visnu. Four handed form ‘hey, how could I hide you?! Your four arms. Please disappear, drop these two additional hands. For sure he will then take you seriously. So my dear Lord.’ Of course he is saying ‘Lord’ so there is some understanding that he is the Lord. But still he is afraid of this ghorad ugrasena atmajan. ugrasenatmajan – the son of Ugrasena. And what he could possibly do, ‘trahi please protect.’

So the Lord has responded to his prayer and he has not completely disappeared from the vision altogether but from four handed form He has become two handed child. And the Lord is going to do a lot of things now. The Lord wanted to protect Himself and because the parents are really worried about Him, their worry is that would He survive? Would Kamsa allow the existence of this child? They were really concerned. So after Lord has gone, Bala Krishna, Baby Krishna and then He has got His own plan. There is a whole strategy. How to get out of there. Before anyone, Kamsa would get to know the eighth child has taken birth and the whole strategy is in place.

He is not consulting anyone, the father and mother are not competent. They do not know what could possibly be done so she was just suggesting ‘okay, okay, okay, at least no four hands. Go for two hands and the let’s see what happens.’ So we go for two hands, two hands, not four hands and then probably. From four hands to two hands status, so Lord He is the Lord. Even as a baby He is the Lord. It doesn’t make Him Lord later on; He is already Lord, already Lord. And He knows exactly what could possibly be done and He has proposed ‘Daddy, my dear father, please get me out of here.’

And Vasudeva probably wondered ‘What? Don’t you see the shackles? I can’t even move, I’m tied down here and you say I should get you out of here, how is that possible? But as the child suggested, he has picked up his baby Krishna with the intention that the Lord is saying ‘okay, get me out of here,’ Vasudeva is now going along and as soon as he picked up the child the shackles were shattered. They were in pieces and Vasudeva was free to do anything and everything, go anywhere and everywhere. As we accept the Lord in the heart, become free.

Radha Gokulananda ki jai!

And Vasudeva begins, Vasudeva is carrying Vaasudev, I usually say this to make sure we are understanding the difference of these two names, how they’re pronounced.

Vasudeva is father and Vaasudev is son. Vaasudevaya – Om Namo Bhagavate Vaasudevaya, you can’t say Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya. Om Namo Bhagavate Vaasudevaya. Bhagavan Vaasudev, and father is Vasudeva. So Vasudeva is carrying Vaasudev and he is now moving, trying to move out through the door. Locked, giant sized. No problem. Of course as Vasudeva comes the door is not only closed but locked. He is just following the order of the child ‘get me out of here.’ ‘Okay.’ As soon as he comes and is standing in front of that door with the child, locks are unlocked. Door is opened. Automatic, so the system automatic is not a new thing. So there,when I first time went to the airport in ’77 and Prabhupada had arranged a trip to bring his Doctor to Allahabad, Dr. Ghosh, anyway I went into the airport and I had my bag on my trolley and was pushing towards the door. The door was all closed and I was, I parked my trolley and was going forward. I thought I had to open it before I could enter with my hand baggage. As I moved forward closer toward the door opened.
I was like ‘hey what happened, ghost? Who opened the door? So that was automatic. When you don’t know what happened, who did it, automatic. Then we end up saying ‘automatic.’ Factually there is nothing like automatic, there is always a cause. So here the cause of all causes He was getting these doors, they automatically opened. Door after door after door was being opened and of course all the guards, extra security was in place. Of course in those days Kamsa was more alert. ‘The child is expected any day, any day, any day.’ So then he had extra security but then, what good was all that security? They are all snoring, sleeping and there was no-one to stop. Their guns were on the floor and Hari Hari.

So Vasudeva was out of the prison. And then the first person who greeted Sri Krishna, Bala Krishna was Balarama. Balarama had come from Gokul, he had already taken birth and he had come in another form as Sankarshan. And {singing} swagatham Krishna, I don’t think he sang the song but that was the mood.

And he does, Ananta Sesa glorifies the Lord and Balarama serves Sri Krishna. So Vasudeva is carrying, so outside the prison it is also rainy season, you call Shravan? So immediately Sankarshan is taking position, holding umbrella. His hoods are serving as umbrella just over Vasudeva for the baby Krishna going that way. And because it is night time, yes night time? So some time was spent in praying, both offered prayers and then some more time then going through gate after gate after gate.

That night something special also had happened with the moon.
It was the night of asthami, Krishna asthami – half-moon. So moon is half-moon, asthami is moon – is half moon. No moon, full moon and in the middle half-moon asthami. So Lord was waiting, when is moon going to rise? ‘Let the moon rise first before I rise, I appear.’ Because, Krishna was appearing in the Moon dynasty. Chandra Vamsi Krishna, Surya Vamsi Sri Ram. So he is waiting, wanting moon to rise and to appear first. In fact it’s kind of simultaneous, while the moon, the Chandra was rising in the east, Krishna Chandra rose from the oceans like womb of Devaki.

So there was some moonshine but Balarama also was providing some extra light. All his hoods were decorated with jewels and they were providing some glitter, some light for Vasudeva to walk through the lanes and by-lanes and some hidden paths. So hidingly he wanted to go through Mathura town. It is said, I heard this, Radha Govinda Maharaja said this. I don’t know where he found this out from. He said that that night was special in another sense in that the dogs were sleeping also.

All the Mathura dogs were sleeping, the dogs are on night duty. No one employs them but they are around and barking. So they were fast asleep. Because if they had been awake, they would see ‘hey’. Of course they would not know {laughing} they are just dogs. ‘Someone is walking by’ they would be barking. And that barking could have woken up some residents in the area and they would see ‘hey hey Vasudeva, let’s look where is he going?’

And they could they are Kamsa’s men so they could be trouble. Have you made that connection? That’s why even the dogs were fast asleep and so in that way the path was clear and in walking and walking Vasudeva comes carrying Vaasudev.

Come on the banks of the Jamuna, Yamuna Maiya ki Jai! Because it is rainy season, Yamuna is over flooded. So he is standing on the bank of Yamuna. How to cross this flood situation? So the Yamuna took advantage of this flood situation, ‘Here is my Lord! And he would like to go across. I better do something so then my path is cleared, if not I could be in trouble.’

Then she remembered, this is in the Bhagavatam. Everything is originated from Bhagavatam. So she remembered that Sri Ram, when He wanted to cross the Indian ocean and go to Lanka there was some delay on the part of Samudra Devata. The ocean God was delaying then Ram became furious. He took his bow and arrow and the whole ocean was shaken up. All the creatures were in trouble. So if I do not co-operate with the Lord, if I do not rush and do something quick, I could be in a similar situation as Lord was trying to deal with that ocean, disobedient ocean. So remembering that, Jamuna also thinks of another thing ‘oh when Lord grows up and it is the time for His marriage and my marriage, I will be marrying Him. I will be the fourth queen of the eight principles. I will be the fourth one, Kalindi.

So if I don’t behave or assist or co-operate now, then when the marriage proposal comes, then it will not be considered favorably. So I have to be careful.’ So thinking thus, the Yamuna made the whole path clear of the water and Vasudeva entered the whole body of water here and in the middle he is walking, carrying. They also say that initially the water seemed rising a bit because Yamuna was trying to have a touch of the transcendental form of the Lord. Okay she had it so then she cleared the path and Vasudev now across the Yamuna. The destination now is Gokul.

krishna jinka nama hai gokul jinka dham hai

Lord is going to make Gokul as His abode, His residence.

So Vasudeva is going through different emotions as he is carrying baby Krishna to Gokul. He was going very slow and then he would think ‘hey, if I move slow like this then it would take forever to get there and who knows? News may reach Kamsa. And so he would come running, chasing after and catch up with me. I will run!’

Then he would begin running, carrying baby Krishna. But while running with baby Krishna then he would be thinking ‘hey! If I run fast like this I will be in Gokul quickly, very soon. Then I will have to leave this child there and I will be deprived of his association. I better take extra time on the way.’
Thinking like this he would slow down but as he would slow down he would think ‘hey but this is taking so much time. Kamsa may catch up so I better run’ and so he is running. But then while running ‘but hey I will be there in Gokul very soon I better slow down.’ So he was going through this, these emotions. But then finally, what time he arrived in Gokul, for Brahma Muhurta?

Before everyone got up, everyone was till fast asleep and Vasudeva entered not only Gokul but entered Nanda bhavan. Not only Nanda bhavan but he entered those inner chambers, the quarters where Yashoda had given birth to two children. They were Krishna and Krishna anuja. Bhagavatam says Krishna anuja.

‘Anu’ means to follow and ‘ja’ means like a ja here, atma-ja. Ugrasena atmaja, Ugrasena’s atma gave birth to, that’s Kamsa, Ugrasena atmaja. Kamsa is born, ja means janma, birth so Krishna anuja, Krishna appears in Gokul. Yashodanandan and baby daughter also has taken birth. These are some confidential matters, don’t tell anybody.

Only Gaudiya acarya’s have revealed these secrets. So Vasudev Krishna or Mathura Krishna, who is Vaasudev? So that Vaasudev becomes part of Yashoda Krishna, Vrndavan Krishna and the two Krishna’s become one Krishna, okay. There are three now, one coming from Mathura and two children in Gokul. So one from Mathura Krishna and Yashoda gave birth, two in Gokul, so those two Krishna’s become one and the third child, the daughter was this Yoga Maya.

She was asked by the Lord ‘you go! You go to that Vraja. And she was given her whole homework with Kamsa and Balarama and she moved him from Devaki’s womb to Rohini’s womb. So she had done that and now she is also appearing as sister of Krishna, Yashoda’s child. So Vasudeva takes that baby daughter back to Mathura and there are many more things to follow but we could see how the parents were concerned about the protection of the child.

So they prayed, especially Devaki. ‘Please protect, please save. Please save us, give us protection from this terrible fear of Kamsa.’ So first of all their fear is, they are more concerned, more than their own selves, Vasudeva and Deviki’s concern is the protection of the child.

So this is our wonderful Krishna, there’s nothing impossible for Him. Impossible is a word in a fool’s dictionary. So we could still be fools. We have our limitations although it says ‘fool’s dictionary.’ Impossible, for sure for the Lord there is nothing impossible and he protected himself and later on he is protecting Vasudeva and Devaki and he always protects.

Prabhupada is quoting the verse ‘Arjuna go ahead, Arjuna go ahead and declare boldly ‘na me bhaktah pranasyati.’ My devotee never perishes. My devotee is always protected, always protected.’ (Bhagavad Gita 9.31)

So ‘my devotee is always protected’ we have to be a devotee. We better see whether we are his devotees, then expect protection, then protection. Then connection or conclusion, ‘I protect’ devotees are protected, so we have to be devotees and then expect protection. ‘I don’t want to be a devotee and still I want to be protected.’

So then Maya handles, Lord’s external energy handles us and we go through a lot of harassment, a lot of trouble in the form of birth and death, old age and disease and this and that, but those are the main four things. But as we become devotees, surrender unto him, come to him and then we are protected so we know we are protected. So the Lord has kindly, out of his kindness, out of his compassion- we have been chosen and we have been bought to him so the idea of surrendering unto the Lord and knowing the Lord, serving the Lord and then becoming a devotee of the Lord this begins with:

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru krishna prasade paya bhakti lata bija ( CC, Madhya Lila 19.151)

It begins with Krishna again. Then next some of His chosen souls are fortunate and then they are bought to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness whose founder Acarya is Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

Srila Prabhupada led his army, there’s siksha guru’s and diksha Guru’s and there’s vartma pradarshak Guru’s and Chaitya Guru, he remains and continues to be our Chaitya Guru. So together they have made us fortunate and as we have taken shelter of..
Or as Vasudeva just- he was also shackled, bound up but as he lifted Vasudev he was free from all the shackles. Likewise as we lift we accept the Lord in our heart, in our lives. Immediately in different forms including the form of prasadam we accept the Lord, sweet form of the Lord; sweetest form of the Lord. We are free, we are protected. We accept the form – Radha Gokulananda ki Jai! And we serve the Lordships

man mana bhava mad bhakto mad yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te pratijane priyo ‘si me (Bhagavad gita 18.65)

We are devotees of Radha Gokulananda, Mad bhakta- become Mad Bhakta, my devotee. ‘Worship me, offer me your obeisances and remember me’

mam evaisyasi satyam te pratijane priyo ‘si me

Then he said that to Arjuna ‘then I’ll bring you back to me’ mam eva – ‘you will come’. Mam eva, ‘to me only you will come.’ So this is all lined up by Guru Gauranga, Krishna, Prabhupada- they have given all this beautiful, wonderful arrangements and we are being benefitted and this arrangement has become fifty years old this year.

ISKCON’s golden jubilee celebration ki jai. We are celebrating fiftieth anniversary of ISKCON and so many, those who come in contact with Iskcon, serve Iskcon, then we serve Guru Gauranga and the protection and perfection is guaranteed. So be part of Iskcon and serve Iskcon, Guru and Gauranga and the protection and perfection is guaranteed.

Haribol.

How to get away from Corona? Go for Gauranga

02 04 2020 [1:01:33]
Katha Day 1 [Online katha]
Venue: Theur, Pune

jaya jaya sri krsna caitanya jay nityananda jay advaita-candra jaya gaura bhakta vrnda

All are welcome, I don’t know who is there and where you are out there. Wherever you are and whoever you are we heartily welcome you to Karuna Avatar Gaura Bhagavan katha. Today is our first day and let’s see how many days we carry on. We wish to go on for a while. So there is too much of Corona so we are trying to distance ourselves from Corona virus and we all need karuna of Karuna avatar, Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Hence Karuna Avatar Gaura Bhagavan Katha.

I don’t have to ask this question do you want corona virus? Of course not. Then how to get away distance from this corona? Go for Gauranga. Go for karuna avatar. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki Jaya. I mean the world was in big trouble 500 years ago. It’s always in trouble. Sometimes there are more troubles. So 500 years ago also there were lots of difficulties. So Advaita Acarya had appeared before Gauranga and he had done what we called some advance party work. He was making observations and doing diagnosis on world situation. What had happened was,

yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati

Whenever there is decline in the religious principles then what happens?

abhyutthanam adharmasya

Whenever there is the rise in irreligious principles more and more sin is getting committed.

tadatmanam srjamy aham

Then I appear. So Advaita Acarya came to a conclusion that this is the right time this world needs Gauranga and he prayed in Shantipur at the banks of Ganga. He was offering Ganga jala, Tulasi dala. Offering sacred water of Ganga and Tulasi leaves unto His deities, Shaligram shila and praying for the merciful advent of the Lord. And in response to that plea of Advaita Acarya, karuna avatar Gauranga appeared. So the world is again in big trouble.

Janma mrtyu jara vyadhi are the troubling reasons and one of them is vyadhi. Vyadhi is illness, sickness, disease. And here it has come Carona virus and we are all been harassed big big super powers are bowing down to the virus and they are trying to get rid of this virus. They are trying and they will always keep trying. And this is the defense that we all get into. The whole world also remains busy in eating, sleeping, mating, defending. The whole world together is trying to defend. Nothing seems to be working out at the moment. And there is so much corona virus consciousness. Corono virus corona virus eva kevalam [laughter] like that .

Now solution, if nothing else works, one thing could work for sure is,
harer nama eva kevalam. The holy name of the Lord. And Lord brought that for us. Lord says, I am your friend and I have come with the medicine, I have come with Harinama aushadhi. And Lord has prescribed,

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha

“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting of the holy name of ONLY Lord Hari. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.” (Brhad Naradiya Purana)

And this holy name is the karuna kindness of Gauranga. This is His gift in the form of a holy name. Well of course He Himself is gift. He gifted Himself. He gifted Himself to the whole world. One form is the holy name.

kali kale nama rupe krsna avatar

Lord appeared in two forms, in the form of holy name and then He appeared as Nimai, the karuna avatar the beautiful Sachidananda vigraha. So that karuna avatar. Gauranga Nityananda, both these Lords are merciful and magnanimous. So when we say karuna avatar we will have to say they are two of them.

ajanu-lambita-bhujau kanakavadatau
sankirtanaika-pitarau kamalayatakshau
visvambharau dvija-varau yuga-dharma-palau
vande jagat-priyakarau karunavatarau

What did you hear at the end? Karunavatarau. Two Lords Gauranga and Nityananda they appeared as Karunavatarau. And what kind of Lords they are. They are full of karuna, kindness. Their magnanimity is an outstanding quality. They are full of qualities, they are reservoir of qualities but one quality that stands out is their Karuna avatara. Their kindness, their magnanimity. As we always sing or say,

he krsna karuna-sindhu dina-bandho jagat-pate
gopesa gopika-kanta radha-kanta namo ‘stu te

Hey Krishna means oh Krishna. What kind of Krishna? Karuna-sindhu. You are karuna-sindhu ocean of mercy. And who am I? I am dina bandho, the wretched, the fallen and the pauper, the bankrupt hence I am running after you.

krsna se tomara, krsna dite paro,
tomara sakati ache
ami to’ ka?gala, ‘krsna’ ‘krsna’ boli’,
dhai tava pache pache

We say that to the vaishnavas. We say you have Krishna and you are competent to give that Krishna to me. And look at me the pauper, the bankrupt please give me Krishna, give me Krishna. So that’s what I am saying. Lord is karuna-sindhu but I am dina but again Lord is dina-bandhu. The friend of the poor. That’s a good combination. Lord is karuna-sindhu and at the same time He is dina-bandhu, friend of the poor. So we are those poor fellows and Gauranga is full of karuna and Nityananda prabhu is full of karuna. So we beg for that mercy. For ourselves and the world we need mercy, God’s grace, Gauranga’s mercy. So we pray unto Gauranga Nityananda They may shower the merciful glance upon all of us here in this world the ocean of corona. Please pick us up and engage us in your service.

We have decided and I am not the only one, there are so many devotees remembering and sharing Krishna katha, Krishna nama, Krishna prasada with the rest of the world. So I thought why not I also remember Gauranga. I have heard of Gauranga and I remember something something about Gauranga. So I would also share my memories whatever about Gauranga, my memories. They may be memories of His nama, rupa, guna, lila dham and His associates. So we will each day say something about the nama or rupa or guna or lila or dhama or the associates of Gauranga.

gaurangera madhura-lila, jar karne pravesila,
hridoya nirmala bhelo tar

As we hear either Gauranga lila or His pastimes or qualities or about His abode. What happens? His heart would become nirmal, free from dirt and contamination. So we would like to hold this Sravan utsav or Karna-utsav, feast for the ears. Festival because there is feast going on. Ear is hearing. Ears could hear and enjoy. And have a festival. In Mayapur they have Sravan- utsav or Karna-tsav same thing. This utsav or festival increases our utsaha we become enthusiastic. This corona is dampening our spirit. Everyone is almost in depression, feeling depressed, feeling lonely. So we need something to lift up our spirits. I thought this Sravan-utsav, Gauranga katha mahotsav will play that role. This would enthuse us, lift us.
Krishna das Kaviraj Goswami says in mangalacarana of Chaitanya Charitamrta in the beginning.

sada hridaya-kandare sphuratu vah shacinandanaha

“May that Lord, who is known as the son of Srimati Shacidevi, be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart.” (Cc. Adi, 1.4.)

So what happens as we have feast for our ears, ultimately what we drink with our ears it reaches our heart and that is where we reside. Living entities base is the heart and we are based in the heart. We want to make sure that this Gaurangera madhura lila reaches the heart. And ultimately we want our soul to drink this nectar. And Krishna das Kaviraj Goswami says, that Shachinandan in the form of His pastime or qualities inspire you and uplift you.

hridaya kandare, hridaya that’s heart, kandara that is a cave. We kind of live in the caves. As a soul lives in the cave called heart. So as soon as we hear about Gauranga , Gauranga will enrich us, inspire us. Then we will be delighted we will be happy. Rupa Goswami Prabhupada also has glorified Gauranga. A famous poem that we sing,

namo maha-vadanyaya krishna-prema-pradaya te
krishnaya krishna-chaitanya- namne gaura-tvishe namah

Finally for second time Rupa and Anupam his brother they met Caitanya Mahaprahu. In the beginning they did not go all the way to Him from a distance they were seeing this all. Gauranga Mahaprabhu is in Prayag on the banks of the confluence of Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati. And Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was heading towards Bindu Madhava temple. Big crowd was following Him. Gauranga Mahaprabhu was in great ecstasy chanting and dancing, totally oblivious to the surroundings. So here comes the two brothers’. They had darsana of Gauranga and later on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went to His residence. These two brothers arrived there, from a distance they are offering their dandavat pranams again and again.
dante trina dhari, holding straw in between their teeth. They were falling with folding hands they are getting up they would offer this prayer.

namo maha-vadanyaya krishna-prema-pradaya te
krishnaya krishna-chaitanya- namne gaura-tvishe namah

O most munificent incarnation! You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krishna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

If anybody knew Gauranga fully well that was Rupa Goswami. Whatever was on the mind of Gauranga. He was confident to read the mind of Gauranga. That’s Rupa Goswami’s realization, look at Gauranga this most magnanimous Gauranga.

Narottam Das Thakura also has sung yet another famous song.

sri krsna chaitanya prabhu daya karo more
tuma bin ke dayalu jagata samsare

So this is another great acarya Narottam Das Thakura. tuma bina ke dayalu. Besides you who else is there as much kind as you are. May be others are kind but you are kindest you are most kind.

patita pavana hetu tava avatar

You have appeared to uplift the fallen and if you look around Nartottam Das Thakura say, you will find me to be the most fallen. You are most magnanimous and I am most fallen. It’s a good match, right good match.
Of course he was not fallen. He was Narottam, best among human beings. But he is taking that role or is teaching us how to pray. So we are adham, we should be admitting that mosama patita who is fallen like me. And who is magnanimous like you. So please oh magnanimous Lord please please be kind unto me and unto the world also. The same song Narottam Das continues singing about Nityananda Prabhu also.

ha ha prabhu nityananda, premananda sukhi
kripabalokana koro ami boro duhkhi

One is sukhi and one is dukhi. Who is sukhi? Nityananda Prabhu, he is happy all the time. He is full of happiness. He is sat cid ananda vigraha. So you are full of ananda or sukh and I am full of dukha this is not fair. My dear Lord, please shower your merciful glance upon me and upon the world all around me. Narottam Das T hakura is praying on our behalf. We donot know how to pray but he is teaching us how to pray.

Then Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami in the very beginning of Chaitanya Charitamrta there is a statement that says.

anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau

Oh Lord, you have appeared after a long time infact after a kalpa. Last time He had appeared in the previous day of Brahma. And after long time He appeared and anarpita something that no other avatar of the Lord give that karuna you are distributing. Sharing with this world. Karunayavatirnah kalau. You have appeared, what is the cause ? Because you are so kind. Kindness. The kind nature has compelled you to appear. So your nature the quality or magnanimity is a cause of your appearance.

golokam ca parityejya lokanam trana karanam

One of the Puranas say, Lord left Goloka behind. When Lord was observing the lokas, planets or specially this earthly planet and see how they are in suffering being tortured, born again and again birth, death, old age, disease seeing all that. And of course as we said earlier this communication and observation was made by Advaita Acarya and he had informed the Lord, my dear Lord this is going on please come so Lord appeared.

Prabhodananda Saraswati Thakura says,

avatirne gaura chandre vistirne prema sagare
So what does Lord do? Avatirne Gauranga appeared and vistirne prema sagare. He expanded the ocean of love of godhead. Then Prabhodananda Saraswati Thakura says,

yena majyanti majyanti te maha anartha sagare

But those who do not jump into the premasagar, dive deeper into that sagar for them there is another ocean waiting for them. And what is the nature of that ocean, it is maha anartha sagar it is full of anarthas.

kaler dosa nidhe rajan

Sukadev Goswami also said, this kaliyuga this material world will be full of faults. So Prabhodananda Saraswati Thakura says, that Gauranga Mahaprabhu appeared and expanded the ocean of love of Godhead. Those who do not jump into swim, into dive, into that ocean for them there is another ocean is awaiting and that ocean is faulty ocean, full of faults maha anartha sagar.

So right now for them it is corona virus maha sagar . The world is become the ocean it is spreading like a wild fire. The whole situation is out of control and it’s all over. So there are two sagars -two oceans. One ocean is prema sagar.

anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamritaswadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, the chanting of the holy name

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

As one chants his anandam ambudhi sagar, the ocean of ananda, the bliss is ever expanding. The living entity could drown, could take bath in this ananda sagara. For the world there are only two sagara right now two oceans, Corona sagar and Karuna sagar . There is difference between the two sagars, two oceans. So maintain distance this is the only way you could do is maintaining distance and go for Gauranga. Go for listening His sweet pastimes or go for hearing the holy name of the Lord. And a lot of other items are holy and sweet in relationship with the Lord.

Sri Krishna Chaitanya appeared at the juncture of day and the night. But prior to that during the day as if Lord could not wait till late in the evening. During the day Lord appeared. Lord appeared in the form of holy name. And you know what it was? It was a moon eclipse day. So lot of people were going to take a dip in Ganga. That day not only Hindus or pious people were coming but lots of sinful people, lot of meat eaters, drinkers, women hunters, gamblers all were literally running to Ganga and they were all taking holy dip and they were all chanting,

Haribol Haribol Haribol

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

So this is magnanimity of Lord. He was making sinful people giving dictation from within and bringing them to the holy place on the holy day of His appearance. And getting them to chant holy name of the Lord. Sinful people, atheist they were all running to Navadvipa to Ganga to take a holy dip and chant the holy names of the Lord. This is one of the many examples of Lord’s magnanimity. Everything about Lord is magnanimous. He’s been merciful to Jagai and Madhai.

deena hina yat chila hari naame udharilo tarasakshi jagai madhai”

The fallen sinful people could be liberated. Someone may ask. What is the proof? Prove it. So the proof is Jagai and Madhai. They received the kindness of Gauranga and Nityananda Prabhu .The famous pastime of Jagai Madhai udhar. So as this Jagai and Madhai had offended Nityananda Prabhu. They hit him and he was bleeding and Gauranga Mahaprabhu gets to know. Then He comes in the direction of this spot where Jagai Madhai had encounter with Nityananda and Haridas. And Mahaprabhu on the way to that spot, He had Sudarshan chakra. Lord cannot tolerate offence to His devotees, so He wanted to cut them to pieces. Then of course one hard party and one soft party. Hard approach soft approach. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was kind of being very harsh and hard but Nityananda Prabhu was like, no no no you can’t do this. In this age not this weapon. What weapon? Weapon is,

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

And this to Jagai and Madhai. Jagadananad and Madhavanada Bandopadhyaya. Ofcourse that was their name. They were watching observing the dealings conversations between Gauranga and Nityananda Prabhu and by seeing both of them by hearing them their hearts melted. And they surrendered unto the Lord, unto the holy name of the Lord also. They accepted the gift of the holy name. And agreed to follow the four regulative principles. From today we will not – no meat eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no gambling. And these two personalities were totally transformed and they became such humble souls. Humility personified they have a big ghat famous ghat not far from Yogapitha. Pilgrims would come; they would bow down at their feet and render all kinds of services unto the pilgrims so they became great servants of Gauranga and Gaura bhaktas.

Chaitany Mahaprabhu he takes sannyas this and that because of his magnanimous nature He couldn’t just contain that magnanimity. It was just out bursting and overflowing. So He couldn’t stay behind at home couldn’t distance Himself from masses of people. So He takes sannyas and giving up all the comfort zone and leaving behind young beautiful wife and elderly mother Sachi mata. Big sacrifice for what? Because of His magnanimity. Then He travels the next 6 years Lord is going every town, every village going from door to door practically. And wherever He goes whichever town He stations Himself for overnight stay. Again He is not going to stay whole night. He would get up in the middle of the night and hit the road to next village. Otherwise if He would get up after everyone else is gotten up then they would see Him going everybody would follow so in order to avoid that situation Mahaprabhu would many times in the middle of the night he would get up and go. But the night before He would conduct huge kirtana. Out of nowhere people would turn up hundreds and thousands and He would kindly get them to chant and dance. And this tall Gauranga with His raised arms He would chant. Because He was tall, people all around were able to have a nice darsana of Gauranga and in the middle of the kirtana Mahaprabhu would also jump high in the sky and easy then everyone is having beautiful sarvanga sundar darsana of Gauranga. Everyone around Him has gone mad and He is making them dance chant and He inspires them by saying Hariiii bol. It’s like lifting all of them and down. Haribol. And so He toured South India, east India then North India on the way to Vrindavan Mahaprabhu is passing through Jharkhand forest and He was kind to not only human beings but He was kind to animals.

pasu pakhi jhure pasan vidare suni jaira guna gatha, as guna gatha

Then description of His qualities and pastimes and there is a whole display of that. And as one hears that even animals would begin meditating upon and the rock would melt so that extraordinary pastime in Jharkhand forest. Caitanya Mahaprabhu getting animals on the ground and the birds in the sky. Get them to chant and dance. And transforming them into pure bhaktas and their animal nature and animalistic tendencies is no more there. The deer and tiger are walking in that kirtana procession next to each other shoulder to shoulder. By seeing that scene Mahaprabhu is so delighted so happy to see that there is no enmity no, envy, all friendly dealings. He saw the tiger and the deer they were embracing each other and they were kissing each other and as Mahaprabhu saw that scene he started exclaiming Vrindavan Dham ki Jay. He was on the way to Vrndavan . Jharkhand is on the way to Vrndavan you know halfway through. When He saw that dealings of those animals with each other that reminded Him of Vrndavan. This is Vrndavan. This is Vrndavan. I have reached Vrndavan.

I had many more pastimes that I thought I would share with you about Lord’s magnanimity but time and tide waits for none. So maybe we will continue in one of the upcoming sessions at least on this topic of Lord’s magnanimity, magnanimous pastime. Of Course all pastimes are magnanimous but some are more outstanding. So it’s time to stop around this time tomorrow is Rama Navami so we will continue talking about Rama and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes of Rama in Navadwipa or Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s encounter or meeting with Rama Bhaktas.

Hare Krishna

Lord has made Himself available in form of His pastimes

03 04 2020 [1:00:34]
Katha Day 2
Venue: Theur, Pune

jaya jaya sri krsna caitanya jay nityananda jay advaita-candra jaya gaura bhakta vrnda

Well you could all say with me. We say om namo bhagavate vasudevaya, when there is Srimad Bhagvatam class. Like that when we talk about Caitanya Mahaprabhu from Caritamrta or Caitanya Bhagavat or Caitanya Mangal we say,

jaya jaya sri krsna caitanya jay nityananda jay advaita-candra jaya gaura bhakta vrnda

We welcome you all from all over the planet. Times are very difficult, distressful and disheartening. So we thought of talking things of another world. What is happening in this world is not worth remembering. So remembering or talking about Gauranga Mahaprabhu or all those topics related with Gauranga Mahaprabhu or the Supreme Personality of Godhead are out of this world, from another world, spiritual world, from eternal world of the Lord. Ofcourse He does comes in this world and performs His pastimes. He did that in Navadvipa and all around for 48 years. Sri Krsna did it for 125 years. And we were saying yesterday how Sri Rama performed His pastimes for 11,000 years. So all those pastimes although Lord performed in this world, Sri Krsna performed His pastimes in Vrndavan, Mathura and Sri Rama performed His pastimes in Ayodhya and Gauranga in Navadvipa. But these Navadvipa, Mathura, Vrndavan and Ayodhya are not of this world. Those abodes are also out of this world. To consider that Navadvipa is in Bengal and Mathura, Vrndavan is in Uttar Pradesh to think like this is an offence. To think that Lord appears in India, no no He appears in Navadvipa, He appears in Mathura. These abodes are out of this world, these places have nothing to do with this material world. So Lord continues to perform His pastimes eternally up there in Golok or Saket. And these abodes takes avatar and they appear first in this world. Now don’t ask when these abodes appear? They are eternal. They are always here there was no time when these abodes Navadvipa, Vrndavan, Ayodhya did not exist. This material world which is created and whatever is created is destroyed. But these abodes are neither created nor destroyed. They are eternally here.

This earthly planet, Canada, Europe, Australia or New Zealand they come and go, appear and disappears. But not these abodes are not like that, neither Vrndavan, neither Ayodhya neither Navadvipa. These abodes are nondifferent from abodes in the spiritual sky. This is material world and material sky, material universe. So there should be a counterpart up, so there is spiritual world, spiritual sky.

This material existence Lord has described asdukhalayam asasvtam.’ These are words, adjectives used by the Lord. He is the best person to know this world and He described it as it because He is creator, He knows. He says ‘dukhayalam’ this place is full of miseries and ‘asasvatam’ everything is temporary here. But no one like dukhalayam, evertone is looking for happiness, abode of happiness, abode of joy, abode of eternal bliss. All the living entities, no exception everyone wants to reside in the world which is full of joy with no interruption. But that is not possible here. Such place exists but this place is not sukhalay. In summer season deer is thirsty and naturally begins to look for water but the deer is in the desert of Rajasthan or Sahara desert. Sohe is looking for water but in the wrong place. Water does exists but it does not exists in desert. He thinks its water there and begins running there in that direction but it’s a mirage. When he gets there, he cannot find water. As he keeps looking around, oh water there but he does not find water there. You cannot find water in desert but water exists somewhere. Likewise we are looking for happiness. So happiness must and does exists but it does not exists in this world. So in order to experience uninterrupted joy we have to go to that abode, that abode is full of ananda. So that Karunasindhu Dinabandhu Lord, that magnanimous Karuna avatar Guaranga, Krsna, Sri Rama they come to this world as avatar.

sambhavami yuge yuge

They descend and then Their abodes are created in this material world. And Lord performs His pastimes with He has lots of associates and He deals with them plays pastimes with them and that’s lila. Then listening His pastimes, listening about His, about His qualities, about His name, about His abodes, about His associates. All those topics as we listen, meditate upon gives us joy.

gaurangera madhura-lila, jar karne pravesila, hridoya nirmala bhelo tar

As we hear these topics or we sing also,

sri-radhika-madhavayor apara-
madhurya-lila-guna-rupa-namnam
prati-kshanaswadana-lolupasya
vande guroh sri-charanaravindam

The gurujans, the devotees, the acaryas, the mahatmas, the spiritual masters, prati-kshanaswadana-lolupasya. They aspire to relish these pastimes at every moment without interruption. They are absorbed in hearing and relishing the Nama, Rupa, Guna, Lilas of Radhika and Madhava. As one does this hearing, chanting, studying and speaking, this is all heard by the soul. As the soul hears about these topics the soul becomes joyful. Lord from His abode in the spiritual sky descend to this world, performs His pastimes , His manifestations of different qualities including begin magnanimous. Lord is kind, magnanimous. And as we hear about these topics then our thirst is quenched. Our bodies need is water or some juice but the souls need is the spiritual nectar. The soul drinks namarita, kathamrita or takes darsana then the eyes are drinking like that we have different senses.

rishikena rishikesa sevanam bhaktir uchate

When we employ our senses in the service of the master of the senses. Rishik means senses and esa means master. Senses are with us but we are not the proprietor. Rishikesa, Lord is the master of the senses. When the senses are engaged in the service of the master of the senses, what does that mean? The eyes are drinking the beauty, form of the Lord that darsana is called Netrautsav. That becomes the festival for the eyes. Soon after snana yatra, Jagannath temple is closed for 2 weeks, so these 2 weeks no drasana. And then after 2 weeks the darsana opens and the devotees run to have darasna. Their eyes were kind of starving, their eyes were thirty to have darsana of Their Lord to their hearts content, using their eyes. That’s feast for the eyes so called as Netrautsav. Like that there is also Karnautsav when we hear that becomes feast for the ears. Our ears also enjoy. The four Kumars as they entered the abode of Lord Vishnu, the first encounter was that place was fragrant like anything. The fragrance of dhupa, deepa, flowers, tulsi. The whole atmosphere was surcharged with fragrance. Also Lords form is fragrant, do not we say Lord has lotus eyes, lotus hands, lotus feet. They are not only pinkish in look but they are soft like the petals of lotus and if you could smell the body of the Lord, Lords body is fragrant

So those four Kumaras they were kind of Brahmavadi their devotion was not rived or evolved fully. But as they entered Vaikuntha and as they were smelling the fragrance, that was it , they were transformed as they employed their senses in the service of the Lord. By smelling the fragrance of teh Lord’s form they were purified and they became great devotees of the Lord. So like that all our senses are thirty. Our sense of touch is eager, thirsty for touch of the form of the Lord, to embrace of the Lord. That is what would satisfy the soul finally as they would touch the Lord. So our sense of touch is on fire and unfortunately we are cheated in the conditioned state. We touch material objects or material forms or the form of the opposite sex and we are cheated like that. The soul would be happy if soul would touch Krsna.

Lord comes in this world and why does He comes? Because He cares. First of all He loves us and He cares. He wants to take care of us. He knows where we are now this is dukhalayam asasvatam. And He doesn’t even have to imagine in what situation we are here. He knows very well. That kind Lord comes from time to time. 534 years and one month back Gauranga appered here. And He was here for 48 years. 24 years He was in Navadvipa. He is very kind, He could not confine Himself to His hometown. He had to sacrifice all that confort zone and Lord takes sannyasa. And next 6 years Lord travelled all over the Bharatvarsha. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, how did He travel? Not air yatra, not rail yatra, Lord walked. Of course He never walked, He only danced where ever He went and making Himself available, assessable in so many towns and villages. Lord was going door to door.

ananta koti brahmanda nayak

He is a nayak, He is a leader, He is proprietor of unlimited universes. Brahmanadas belong to Him, not that little property few acres belongs Him. No, everything in existence belong to Him, including all living beings, we are His. Or we are His energy. The world around us is one kind of energy of the Lord. That is why we call Him Shaktimana, energetic. And this world is potency of the Lord. Lord is power house and this world is power. He is powerful and we as living entities we are another kind of energy, we are tatastha shakti or marginal energy. Lord has antaranga shakti, internal potency, spiritual potency like that there are three kinds of energies, like that everything is taken care off. And with those energies this material world has come into existence. Lord is energetic and He has external energy, we are His marginal energy and He has spiritual energy.

bhoktaram yajna tapasam
sarva loka maheshvaram
suhrdam sarva bhutanam
Jnatva mam santim rcchati [BG 5.29]

Lord said that Bhagavat Gita, ‘santim rcchati.’ Srila Prabhupada called this as “Peace formula/ Shanti Sutra.” Anyone looking for peace around? Why not, specially these days. When world is being attacked by unseen virus Coronavirus and we all are disturbed. Minds are agitated, there is fear of death. In this context we all have lost peace of mind. So I don’t have to ask anyone looking for peace, of course we are looking for peace and happiness also. Lord said, if you know just three things,

Bhokatam yajna tapasam

Lord is the enjoyer of everything because, He is sarva loka maheshvaram. He is proprietor of everything. That’s why He is enjoyer of everything. And that proprietor, that enjoyer of everything is a friend of everybody, the best friend, the Lord in the heart. You could understand Lord as ‘suhrdam sarva bhutanam.’. He is friend of everybody. You will have peace by knowing these three things. Jnatva mam santim rcchati.
That Guaranga Mahaprabhu He spend 24 years in Navadviap and next 6 years all over and meeting His devotees and living entities. Shaking hands with them, embracing them and chanting and dancing with them and inviting them, let’s go back to Godhead.

One time during His travels as sannyasa travelling and preaching during summer season. After the days preaching, chanting and dancing Lord was now returning to His preaching base. As it was summer time , Lord was thirty so He was looking for water. Luckily He was passing through market place, where is that butter milk seller? He went there and asked could I have a glass of butter milk? And the vendor filled a glass of butter milk and he was about to hand over to the Lord. But Lord was looking at the butter milk pot. So the vendor thought He is not going to be satisfied with my little glass, He wants this pot. So he gave signal ok go ahead have it. What happened next was? He picked up the pot filled with butter milk and emptied the pot and He was fully satisfie. His thirst was quenched. He started walking ahead back to His base. The vendor said “Oh please pay for the butter milk.” Mahaprabhu said “No I don’t have money, I don’t even have pocket what to say about money. He said ‘Do not worry my friends will be passing through, you can ask them for money.’ Soon Mahaprabhu’s party arrived and this shopkeeper asked them ‘Was that your leader, He just passed by here and drank all my butter milk. When asked for money he said, you would be making the payment. Please pay.’ They had pockets but they were empty. Sorry we had been travelling so our pockets are also empty. And they proceeded behind Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

As they were walking ahead the vendor said ‘Please tell you leader that the butter milk he drank today is offering from me, I sponsor it. I am giving you discount. Just tell him.’ So then butter milk thinking that it’s time to close the shop because all the butter milk pot is empty. He was trying to lift the pot thinking it is empty. But he could hardly lift it. As he looked, that pot was filled with all valuable jewels, diamonds, silver and gold coins. So he was surprised and pleased to that leader who drank the butter milk. He immediately made the connection; it must be the miracle by that person. He was still remembering the golden form of Gauranga, who drank the butter milk. He was thinking of closing the shop and going home instead he ran to catch up with the leader of that sankirtana party. Finally He caught up with Caitanya Mahaprabhu and he throws himself at the feet of Guaranga. And with folded hands he gets up wanting to express his gratitude for what He had done for him. Gauranga had given him all the wealth. He had just given Him butter milk but in return he got his pot full of diamonds. Then Mahaprabhu steped little forward and gave a deep embrace to him, held him tightly in His embrace. And this vendor also reciprocated and he held Gauranga in his arms. By the touching of the bodies there was meeting of the hearts. As these loving dealing were happening Lord filled the heart of the vendor with Krsna preme, love for Godhead. With that this person was totally transformed. He was then the wealthiest person in the universe. As he was experiencing Krsna consciousness tears were gliding for his eyes, his body was trembling, his hair were standing on end. He could not even stand still. He was rolling on the ground. He was barely managing to get up and go back to his shop.

Now Mahaprabhu had preceded and His party was following and by seeing this transformation in this person, they were over joyed and they all said ‘Haribol Haribol.’ They were all delighted, he had received the gift of Love of Godhead. He managed to return to the shop. By now he has best of both the worlds. And he happily returns to his home. Of course He remained in the spiritual world although at he was at his home.

Similar pastime also took place at Vrndavan when that fruit lady vendor had come to sell the fruits. She opened a shop right in front of Nanda bhavan. And Krsna coming with few grains, handed them to this lady and in exchange this lady gave Him all the fruits. She emptied her basket and Krsna happily returned and entered Nanda bhavan. As the lady was about to return home and thinking her basket was empty now. But that was not the case her basket was filled with all the wealth.

So we could also conclude,
“Jei Gaura, Sei Krishna Sei Jagannath”

Mahaprabhu is non different from Krsna. Gauranga, Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Krsna are one and the same.

So that wealth, Gauranga is wealth Himself and His pastimes that we get to hear that is also wealth. By hearing these pastimes and possessing these pastimes, thinking, contemplating these pastimes we could become enriched, wealthy and happy. Same thing applies to His name,

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krsna maha mantra is wealth from another world, not rupees or diamonds. Hare Krsna maha mantra is golokera prema dhana. So Gauranga Mahaprabhu brought this wealth. And for 6 years He was travelling and distributing this wealth and He made so many people wealthy and rich. And that same holy name is here. Chant Hare Krsna and be happy. In the midst of Coronavirus situation transcend this situation and go beyond this situation. Chant and be happy, hear these pastimes, read Bhagavad Gita, Caitanya Caritamrta and be happy.

Offer bhoga to the Lord and then honor Krsna prasada. Be in touch with devotees of Krsna. We have this International Society for Krsna Consciousness . This society belongs to Sri Krsna Caitanya. Srila Prabhupada founded this society in behalf of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. ISKCON is making Sri Ram, Krsna available far and wide in form of His name, form, qualities, His abode. So stay tuned in and specially chant Hare Krsna and be happy
We will continue with these series, Karunavatar series.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Vraja Mandal Parikrama
06 04 2020 [1:01:33]
Katha Day 5
Venue: Theur, PUNE

jaya jaya sri krsna caitanya jay nityananda jay advaita-candra jaya gaura bhakta vrnda

Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai

Here we are continuing with our Karunavatar Gaura Bhagvan katha. Ofcourse the topic Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There are unlimited things to talk about Gauranga. There is Caitanya Caritamrta full of glories of Gauranga and there is Caitanya Bhagvat and Caitanya Mangal and Caitanya Carit, so many scriptures. So many acaryas have sang the glories of Gauranga, Nityananda, Adwaita, Gadadhara, Shrivasadi and gaura-bhakta-vrinda. So we are just taking a drop from the glories of Gauranga. There is a whole ocean, there is a sindhu and we just take a bindu. And we are able to say that drop each day. There is a statement that talks about what is Gauranga known for? Or what is His philosophy?

sri caitanya mahaprabhur-matam-idam

It is the opinion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and what is that?

aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends and He Himself follows that recommendation or He acts as per the recommendation. And what is that? aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas. He is the worshiper of Vrajesa tanaya. He is worshipper of Krsna and not only worships Krsna but He also worships Vrndavan.

ramya kascid upasana vraja-vadhu-varga-ya kalpita

The opinion continues, if you wish to serve the Lord, serve the way the Gopis served or Radharani served. That is the best mood or mode of worship, Gopi bhava.

srimad bhagavatam pramanam amalam

And the scripture for recitation, studying, hearing is Srimad Bhagavatam. Why? Its amala puran, spotless scripture. And then at the end He says, what is the prayojana? What is the goal of life?

Normally we say Purusartha, here it is pum-artho, same thing. prema pum-artho mahan – Attaining the love of Godhead. That is the goal of life, did you all get that? This Caitanya Mahaprabhus opinion and there is nothing superior.

Vrndavan dhama ki Jai

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited, demonstrated love for Vrndavan dhama. As soon as He was initiated by Isvara Puri in Gaya, His love was revived and His love for Vrndavan was also revived. And He wanted to run to Vrndavan. Somehow His associates managed to stop Him and bring Him back to Navadvipa from Gaya. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu undergoes another initiation,sannyasa initiation. Now you name is Sri Krsna Caitanya. And as soon as He took sannyasa initiation He wanted to run to Vrndavan. He thought He is free now, no strings attached. He was ready to fly to Vrndavan. However He was stopped by Sacimata. Sacimata met Him at Shantipur and told Him not to go far stay in Jagannath Puri. So He made Jagannath Puri as His base. He was proposing His associates His travels plan but they would not let him go. But they would not let Him go, they did not want to miss Him. They were not sure how they will survive. So they were postponing Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s departure to Vrndavan. Finally I want to go nothing doing. Then everyone wanted to go with Him, we will also go with you.

But He sais “No only one person goes with Me.”. Balabhadra Bhattarcarya was chosen and just two of then traveled to Mathura, Vrndavan. On the way they went through Jharkhand forest, now its state Jharkhanda. That is where Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed sankirrtana with jungle animal. And the birds in the sky revived their love for the Lord . Lord invested Krsna prema in them and they had forgotten their animalistic dealings. They were acting like pure devotees although in the body of elephant, tiger or deer, monkey or birds. They were thoroughly purified by association of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. And He felt oh this is Vrndavan there is no hatred, no envy , there is only love here. That is Vrndavan Vrndavan dhama ki jai. He thought He is in Vrndavan, although He was not half way through Vrndavan.

Then He proceeds towards Mathura. As soon as He see Mathura from a distance, He immediately offered His sastang pranam to Mathura dhama. He gets up and continues to travel and He enters Mathura dhama He is at Vishram ghat at the banks of Jammuna, Jammuna maiya ki jai.

Lord takes holy dip n Jammuna, although He is Krsna Himself, He is a devotee on pilgrimage so He takes a holy dip. He continues His journey towards Krsna Janmasthan, the birth place of Krsna. Since the time He had left Jagannath puri He had never stopped chanting and dancing. So form Vishram ghat to birth place of Krsna, He had chanted and danced through the town of Mathura. Finally he arrived at the famous temple called Keshav Dev and as He takes darsana of Keshav Dev, drinks the beauty of Keshav Dev He becomes excited and ecstatic and begins dancing like a madman. He does His udanda kirtana. The golden form, long arms jumping high.

aruna vasana subalita prakanda deha

The Lord was covered by a saffron garment. He was large in body and very strongly built. That golden form was dancing by this time many residents of Mathura had arrived. His arrival had become talk of the town. Finally they had come to Keshav Dev temple and saw His beautiful form and His ecstatic dance.They had never seen anything like this in their life. They were enchanted, captivated.

One Brahman called Sanodiya Brahman he was dancing also in front of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Finally as kirtana and dancing is concluded, Sanodiya Brahman who was initiated by Madhvendra Puri previously. He invited Caitanya Mahaaprabhu for bhiksha prasad. Now as Mahaprabhu was guest of the Sanodiya Brahman, all the residents had assembled at Brahmans small dwelling. They all want darsana of Gauranga, we want Gauranga we want darsana. They were climbing up, through the window thwy are trying to get the glimpse. Gauranga Mahaprabhu had no choice then to come out and give them drasana . He said Haribol and the people were also shouting loudly haribol. Everyone was joyful to see and hear Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

Then later on this Sanodiya Brahman took Mahaprabhu to Mathura parikrama. Vishram ghat, birth place of Krsna, there is Rangeshwar Mahadev, Pipaleshwar Mahadev, Bhuteshwar Mahadev, Gokarneshwar Mahadev. The four Shiv temples protecting the four directions of Mathura. Then place where Kamsa was killed, Kamsa tila. Then as He was taken for darsana of Mathura Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu had desire to go on entire Vraja mandal parikrama, of the 12 forests of Vrndavan. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Balabhadra Bhattacarya and the Sanodiya Brahman he is local so he wants to be guide for Caitanya Mahaprabhus parikrama. So they started parikrama from Madhuvan, Talavan, Kumudvan, Bahulavan then comes Vrndavan, Kamavan, Khadirvan. Then crossing of Jammuna is there then Bhadravan, Bhandirvan, Srivan, Lohavana and 12th one is Mahavan.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was on tour of these 12 forests of Vrndavan. As they had come to Bahulavan, one time there was a cow called Bahula. Some special pastime had taken place with that cow in Bahulavan. Mahaprabhu is travelling, dancing and singing in Bahulavan.

Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna he
Krsna Keshav Krsna Keshav Krsna Keshav pahi mam

At some distance cows were grazing the cows also noticed Mahaprabhu’s presence. All the cows stopped grazing and ran towards Mahaprabhu. They surrounded Mahaprabhu and they all started licking Him. Mahaprabhu started touching and caressing them, me too me too. Mahaprabhu making His arms long to touch all the cows or He is also sahasra bahu and He is dealing with all the cows simultaneously, Vatsalya bhava. Relationship between cows of Vrndavan and Lord is of Vatsalya bhava. The cows are the mothers and Lord is their vatsa. That’s how they were dealing with Mahaprabhua nd enjoying vatsalya rasa. And as Mahaprabhu was about to go, all the cows want to go with Him. The cowherd man is struggling to keep the cows behind.

So Mahaprabhu proceeds and now its turn of the birds now. Even so many peacocks have landed on the footpath. They are following Mahaprabhu and all the birds in the sky are singing in the 5th note pancham gaya very high pitch, chirping. Then He came across the deer, Mahaprabhu is embracing it and shedding tears so is the deer shedding tears by the touch of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. There are all trees around, Mahaprabhu proceeded forward and He embraced one tree. Before that Mahaprabhu was experiencing how trees were greeting Him. They were shaking their branches. Flower bearing trees were shaking their branches and showering flowers and puspha abhishek was happening of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The fruits trees they also start shaking their branches. And there are all varieties of fruits all around. Caitanya Caritamrita talks of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastime in Vrndavan. Every year in Kartik we also do Vraja mandal parikrama and remember this pastime of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s travel to Vrndavan.

Then trees were thinking our friend is here, we have to greet Him, give Him some patram pushpam phalam toyam, some fruits, some flowers. And that it what they were doing. Mahaprabhu is embracing some of those trees. Then the tree next door says “Me too.” And Caitanya Mahaprabhu runs to embrace that tree and the next tree, me too. Like that Mahaprabhu is running to trees to embrace them. Even trees are certainly, the cows are devotees, the birds are dveotees, the trees are devotees the bees are devotees in Vrndavan. And Lord is reciprocating with them.
The residents of Vrndavan and Mathura also, our Shyamsundar is back,Gaurasundar was in town and they say “Our shyamsundar is here” Shyamsundar is here dealing with Him accordingly.

In Bahulava, Mahaprabhu saw on a branch there were two suka and sarika, male and female parrot. And Mahaprabhu could see they were having some conversation some talk. Mahaprabhu had a desire to hear their dialogue. As Mahaprabhu had desire to hear the birds immediately the birds flew and came in front of Him. Mahaprabhu extended His both arm and both the birds sat on His arms. Ofcourse they were talking of Radha and Krsna. Male parrot was glorifying Krsna trying to prove the supremacy of Krsna. And female parrot was talking in favour of Radharani, no no my Radharani is superior to your Krsna. Very nice dialogue complied in Caitanya Caritamrta by Krsna Dasa Kaviraj.

Male parrot says my Krsna is Madanmohan.
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham

He is captivator of millions of kandrapas, Kamadevas are attracted to My Krsna’s beauty so He is known as Madanmohan. Sarika says “But you do not know My Radhika She is Madanmohan Mohini. You Krna may be attracting cupids but my Radhika is Madnmohan Mohini. Some sampling dialogue Sri Citanya Mahaprabhu was able to hear for the pleasure of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Then the birds flew back to their tree and Mahaprabhu continued His parikrama of Vrndavan. He looked at the peacocks, specially He was looking at the neck of peacock. By seeing peacocks complexion al the emotions arouse in Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was rolling on the ground. There were no bed of roses but ditches and rocks. These two prabhus Balabhadra Bhattarya and Sanodiya Brahman they are running right behind, they both are trying to catch hold of Gauranga after long long time they were successful to catch Gauranga. They cleaned the body of Gauranga and they started calling the names of Lord.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Finally they succeed in bringing Lord to external consciousness. And as soon He came to external conscious, immediately He jumped and sings,
Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna he Then parikrama continues. It’s confusing, sometimes all 12 forests put together is also Vrndavan. But amongst those 12 forests also there is one forest which gets the name Vrndavan. So Mahaprabhu has travelled through 4 forests and now He is entering fifth forest that is Vrndavan. As He reaches Vrndavan He asking, is anybody aware of where abouts of Radhakunda. Has anyone seen Radhakunda, I am looking for Radhakunda. No one has a clue of Radhakunda, no one has heard of Radhakunda. But they said, we know Aristagram where Aristasura was kille, and the area around was known as Aristagram. . But there are two fields one is Kalibadi and another is Goribadi. One is black and another is whitish. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu goes to these two badis. So Kalibadi refers to Shyamkunda and Gori refers to Radhagori is Radhakunda. Mahaprabhu goes towards the Goribadi and He finds there a small puddle and He sings,

Jai radha jai radhe radhe jai radhe jai sri radhe

He is taking bath there as He was taking bath in a holy kunda. Others were watching. Oh! This is our field, why is this person taking bath there. Ofcourse for Mahaprabhu was it was the most holiest place. And thus Caitanya Mahaprabhu discovered Radhakunda, Radhakunda ki jai.
In those days Vrndavan was neglected because of the Muslim rule. Vrndavan was abandoned they had thrown deities in different kundas. People had forgotten different locations in Vrndavan. Here is Caitanya Mahaprabhu reviving Vrndavan, discovering different pastimes places of Vrndavan. Soon He will send his first batch they would be known as Sad Goswami and before that Lokanath Goswami and Bhugarbha Goswami were also sent there to reestablish the glories of Vrndavan.

Now Mahaprabhu wants to perform parikrama of Govardhan. Jai Govardhan Dhari ki jai. One is Govardhan and another is Govardhana Dhari. Govardhan is hill and Govardhan Dahri is a person who hold Govardhan on his finger. He starts His Gaovardhana parikrama. As He crosses Kusum Sarovar and beyond there He gets the first glimpse of Govardhana shila and He begins running like a lightening is . And He touching and holding tight. He is thinking He is embarcing Govardhan Dhari, the holder of best of the mountains. With His tears He is doing abhishek of those shilas. He rolls in the dust . Then He gets up and continues Govardhana parikrama. While parikrama He was chanting one mantra that was chanted by the Gopis. The slok is part of Venu geet in the 10th Canto.

hantayam adrir abala hari-dasa-varyo
yad rama-krsna-carana-sparasa-pramodah
manam tanoti saha-go-ganayos tayor yat
paniya-suyavasa-kandara-kandamulaih[SB 10. 21.18]

Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Krsna and Balarama, along with Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities — water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krsna and Balarama, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.
This is the Gopis glorified Giriraj. So Mahaprabhu is reciting this while parikrama. Traditionally many times they try to do as they go around they carry a pot with milk and there is hole at the bottom and they pour the milk on the path they consider they are pouring on top of the Giriraja Hill. Mahaprabhu did not have to carry pot, there is lot of eyes oozing out of His lotus eye. And that is how He was doing abhishek of Giriraj. Giriraj Govardhan ki jai.

Like that mahaprabhu traveled from forest to forest there is much description in Caitanya Caritamrta. Finally He reaches Mathura. Then he decides to spend time at Akrura ghat that is in between Mathura town and Vrndavan. So it was a silent place and He could do His bhajan there. From there He would places like Imalitala.

So one time Mahaprabhu was sitting under that tamarind tree and chanting,

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

And He becomes Krsna conscious and not only Krsna conscious but He started looking as Shyamsundar , bluish complexion. Mahaprabhu spent some time at Akrura ghat. But there were difficulty in sitting at bank of Jamuna and chanting. He would go in trance and few time He had fell in the river and Balabhadra Bhattacarya had hard time in catching Him. So it was decided that it was time to go back, leave Vrndavan. And around that there was Maghamela at the confluence of Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati at Allahabad. Now it’s called Prayag, every year there is a festival. So it was decided that He has to return to Jagannath Puri. That was His base but on the they will stop at Prayag like that Mahaprabhu having completed His Vraja mandla darsana, Vraja mandal parikrama He left for Jagannath Puri vai Prayag then to Varanasi and then to Jagannath Puri dhama ki jai.

Lords holy name is all purifying

Cape Town

[2:03:0]

Srila Prabhupad ki Jai

He didn’t come here, right but he is here, ya he used to sing Jay radha madhav and

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

That was taught by Caitanya Mahaprabhu , Lord came down, all the way from his home, abode for the gift of the holy name, which He distributed widely all over India. He left this task of distribution with International Society for Krsna Consciousness, spreading it beyond the boundary of India,
Prabhupad said this. And holy name has reached all the way, it is here in Cape Town, Haribol.

Mahaprabhu said that, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu , that my name, my name will be chanted in every town every village all over, all over the world, he said all over the World. He said,

prithvite ache yata nagaradi grama sarvatra prachara haibe mora nama

In as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My holy name will be preached.

My name, not my name, you are listening, mora nama. So that time probably Cape Town existed 500 years ago was it here? May be 50 years ago it was in different shape or form, I mean just a small village or small town. So we are happy, Lord’s name is here that means Lord is here. Holy name is
Lord, “Holy name is the Lord.” There is yet another incarnation of the Lord.

kali kale nama rupa krsna avatara (CC adi 17.22)

In this age of kali and kali is everywhere, kali is not limited to India.

dyutam panam suna striyah
yatradharmas catur vidhah (SB 1.17.38)

The places where four irreligious activities are performed, that becomes the residence of the age of kali and what are those four sinful irreligious acts. Dyutam- gambling, panam- pan/madripaan the drinking not charanamrit drinking, this is also drinking, suna- slaughter houses and meat eating,
striyah- that is prostitution or illicit /illegal sex, sex outside marriage. So wherever these four sinful activities take place, that is where kali resides. So it not a Hindu concept or this not a Hindu or India Limited. Kali business, kali is everywhere. Is kali in Africa? Yes. This is not Hindu country, how come kali is here. So kali is everywhere.

kali kale nama rupa Krsna avatara (CC adi 17.22)

In this age of Kali, Lord appears in the form of his holy name. Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared, He is here, Gauranga, Gauranga, Gauranga, Gauranga, Gaur- anga, Gaur with anga that is body. His body is Gaur, golden complexioned. So Gauranga appeared , so that is one, he descended in the form of
Gauranga, and He brought with Him the holy name.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

In this town also, the holy name has reached. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction has come true, He said every town, every village, including Cape Town, Cape Town included the holy name is here. We are fortunate Lord is catching up with us. We are been making rounds of this world, go round and
round, up and down, from this species to another species, one universe to another, one body to another, to another, to another and here comes the Lord. Gauranga comes, He bring the holy name and that holy name is here and that holy name is yet another form of Krsna, it is another form of the
Lord. So we chanted that, we chanted.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

When we chant then Lord begins dancing on the tongue, He is suppose to be doing that, Lord in the form of the holy name, the name takes the form, from name comes the form, this is science, spiritual science, spiritual technology, from the sound comes the form or sound is the form.

nama cintamanih krsnas
caitanya-rasa-vigrahah
purnah suddho nitya-mukto
abhinnatvan nama-naminoh (CC madhya 17.133)

One glory, one description or glory of the holy name that Nama Chintamani like Dhama Chintamani,

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam (Bramha Samita)

Like nama chintamani, caitanya, it is full of life, holy name is full of life, it give us life, make us lively.

prananti sumbhanti punanti ( SB 10.38.12)

This is what happens when we chant prananti, it gives life to us, otherwise we are dead thinking ourselves to be body and body is dead. So as holy name touches us, touches our souls. Holy name can’t touch the body and even if it did touch the body, body will not realise why I am being touched,
will it So Lord touches the soul, so as we chant once again who chants? Mouth, tongue, who hears, ear, who speaks the speaker. Unless someone speaks into mike that speaker does not speak.

Likewise the mouth is a speaker and unless someone speaks into mouth does not speak, unless there is someone to speak. When the body is dead, mouth is there, does mouth speak, dead body’s mouth speak? Dead body’s ear’s hear? Sometimes dead bodies eyes they remain open full or partially open? If you ask the dead body, How many fingers? Then dead body speaks? First of all that dead body is not seeing, so it is not seeing, there is no speaking, there is no hearing. All this happens because of the soul’s presence in the body. The body is always dead body. It appears to be living
body because of the presence of soul in the body. So when we say Hare Krsna, who is the speaker? Soul. The soul is speaking. Who is hearing? Soul. Who is to be librated? Will ears go back home, mouth goes back to home? No, it goes to the cremation ground and it is burst into ashes, finished.
Who’s liberation are we talking about? Who goes back to home? Soul does, hence soul has to say Hare Krsna and soul has to hear Hare Krsna and soul has to remember,

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

And get the meanings also. Each name has a meaning, each name is saying something, conveying, something, it has a deeper meaning and a purport and there is a thought, associated with each name that we utter. We are freed, soul is freed from the bonds of this material existence, then we
are ready to go, we are ready to take off.

We are going, we are going, sometimes devotees from West they will sing it, we are going back to our home, back to godhead. Anybody would like to join us, we are going, Srila Prabhupad is our captain. We just had Ram Navmi, you had celebrations of Ram’s appearance. Jai Shri Ram. We were in Vrindavan few days ago, that was the day, Srila Prabhupad opened Krsna Balaram temple 40 years ago. Ayodhyavasi ram [All sing] it is a small song, it is not a song, it is like a dhun. You understand Ayodhyavasi Ram, meaning what? Ram who resides in Ayodhya, like the Vrajavasi-Krsna and Mayapurvasi-Gauranga and you are Cape Townvasi. That’s is not good, you should be staying where Ram stays. You should be staying where Krsna resides.

Dasratha nandan ram,

Son of Dasratha, like Nandanandan or Jagannath Misra nandan- Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Jagannath Misra nandan.

patita pavana janki jivan,

So Sri Ram is patita pavana, patita means fallen, anybody fallen here? Many are librated, a few fallen yes we are here, that means we are fallen, we are not up there, instead we are down here, so that’s fallen, fallen in our consciousness, fallen, fallen, fallen. So the patita pavana. So the Lord is lifter of the fallen souls. And He is life of Janki, Krsna is Radha’s jivan, Ram is Janki jivan. Sita Mohan Ram, Sita Mohan like Radha Mohan. Mohan means attractor, who attracts mind of Sita? If we also wish Lord will also attract our mind. Is that a good idea? Oh when would that day come, when our minds are attracted. We are attracted to Lord Sri Krsna, Sri Ram, yes when we chant,

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

sva-madhuryena mac-cittah hara

There is a prayer like that. When we say Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna each name has a meaning or thought . One thought is “sva-madhuryena mac-cittah hara.” By your madhurya, by this your sweetness, everything about you is so sweet, everything is madhuram.

adharma madhuram, vachanam madhuram, venu madhura, padao, your feet are madhura, pani madhura, madhuraditi patir akhilam madhuram madhuradi pati. You are pati the master of madhurya, all sweetness- all the mellows. Vrindanvan is madhurya dhamd. So sva madhuryena by your madhurya please attract me oh Lord. As we chant this is our prayer. We should be knowing this, we should be thinking as we chant. Venu Madhurya, Sri Krsna is known for madhurya, that is not even found in any other personality of Godhead. So very special feature “venu madhurya”. The flute playing of Sri Krsna. His rupa madhurya – the beauty of Sri Krsna is matchless beauty. Lila madhurya- pastimes are sweet. What is fourth one? Prema madhurya- His loving dealings. Krsna is full of all this madhurya’s. And as we hear, we should be hearing more and more about the Lord then He is the enchanter, we become attracted to the Lord. Because we don’t know Him, so no attraction. The more we hear and who hears, who hears? Soul hears and the soul hears and becomes attracted. He is known “Chitachor” He will steal you chitta, the consciousness. He is makhana chor, of course, you know makhana chor butter thief. But He is very expert in stealing other things. Once He stole garments of gopis. You heard of that and then He returned those
garments gopis put those clothes on, they were returning to their homes. He returned all clothes which He had stolen but now He had stolen our minds, stolen our consciousness. They were realising, you know because they are thinking of Him and this thinking of Lord is, this is called Krsna
consciousness. International Society for what Krsna consciousness, Krsna conscious, Krsna conscious.

So Sita Mohan Ram, that is what we are talking, Sita’s mind is attracted by Ram. We are happy but what is in it for us, what is in it for me, will He attract my mind also.

maya saha ramasva

This is another meaning of when we chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna and all the way to the Hare, Hare, we are also saying maya saha ramasva. Oh my Lord, I want to see you.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

So, when we come to Rama, Rama then this meditation, this thought, maya saha ramasva. Ram – Rama is Rama, Rama is Parshuram, Rama is also Balarama and Rama is also Krsna. Some also thinks this is Sri Rama, Sita’s Rama, no problem. Rama is part of Krsna. Rama name is defined as ‘ya ramti
ramayati cha’ the Personality of Godhead who ramti, He enjoys and becomes the cause of other’s enjoyment. He causes others enjoyment ramti, ramyti cha iti rama, that person is Ram or Krsna. So he is Radha Raman, this Raman, that Raman, gopi Raman. In Vrindavan He is enjoying, His association, His pastimes with cowherd boys and parents and cows and you name it and he is enjoying with them in relationship with them. He had been doing that with us also, but we left Him, so we are down here and we are again, again appealing to Him. maya saha ramasva , please deal with me also, please reciprocate with me also, enjoy me also, enjoy me let me be the cause of your enjoyment. I am meant for your enjoyment, I am to be enjoyed by you. bhogya, yogya, I am, just the right person to be enjoyed by you, so dealings, please deal with me, don’t neglect with me, started it with us, we neglected Him but now again we appeal, please accept me back.

Gaur Nitai ki Jai.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Chanting is a serious business. Tell him that I am busy, someone said to me, some 42 years ago in Bombay. When one of our life members had come to the temple to see our temple president. I was looking for the president, so that our this life member could see the president. So I found the
president, and he was chanting Hare Krsna. So when I told that such and such life member would like to see you. So that time he said, tell him I am busy, I thought, busy you are not busy, you are just chanting, what busy. You don’t want to see him, so you are just giving this excuse, I am busy,
but you are just chanting. I didn’t say that to him, I was just a little bhakta that time, but later on I thought and I realized, we are suppose to be busy, very busy, fully busy, preoccupied, your appointment, our appointment with the Lord, meeting with the Lord, dealing with the Lord, calling
Him up. O’ Krsna, O’ Krsna save me, O’Krsna engage me, O’Krsna, O’Krsna I am your servant, O’Krsna give me something to do O’Krsna, Krsna.

jayati jayati devo devaki nandano’sau
jayati jayati ko vrsni camsa pradipah
jayati jayati megha syamalah komalango

jayati jayati prthvi bhara naso mukundah (CC madhya lila 13.78)

srirama chandra charanau manasa smarami
srirama chandra charanau vachasa grhnami
srirama chandra charanau sirasa namami

srirama chandra charanau saranam prapadya (Sri ram raksha strotram)

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha (CC adi lila 7.76)

(jaya) sri krsna caitanya prabhu nityananda
Sri advaita gadadhara srivasadi gaura bhakta vrnda

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

This called mangala charan, which is usually recited before the talk, today we did it at the end and I think we are ending round this time. You must be hungry if not angry, we are feeding your souls. So I think, we are almost at the end of the feeding, today’s meals is getting completed. Food for
thought, food for soul all this is for thirsty hungry souls.

akhiya pyasi hai, darsana to ghanshyam, you understand this ankiya pyasi hai. Mirabai used to sing. Oh! My dear Lord, my eyes are thirsty, darsana do, please give me darsana. So that my thirsty eye could drink the beauty of Your form. Soul also have eyes. Soul is a person, Lord is a person and
we are person, man is made in image of God. This does not have to refer only to the external form.

Like father like son, so our father is Sri Krsna, everybody’s regardless of who they are, all the souls are children of same Lord. Some call Him God because they didn’t know His name. Sir, sir sometimes they say sir, What is Mr. John, he has a name, any way he may be honouring him so that’s way we are saying sir but sometimes you don’t know the name, so sir, sir but he has a name, God has a name. He is a person and He is eternal person or personality. So as well, we are also eternal and our relationship is eternal. Personality of the soul has a form. As we hear about the Lord, hear His glories, the songs are also broadcasting His glories -Nama kirtana, Rupa kirtana, there is guna kirtana, there is lila kirtana, like that. Kirtana means glories, so there is not only nama kirtana but also rupa, guna, lila, dhama kirtana,kirtaniya sada hari. So as the soul hears this topics, as atma hears this topics then he becames mahatama, he never becomes paramatma, is that okay? Is it disappointing you.

That post is already taken, it is occupied, it is no vacant. You could be what you are, or you want to be God? Yes, yes, please make me God and one gentlemen from Chicago had approached Bhakti Vedanta Swami realising that this swami has come from India. Some Indian swami’s will make you God, this person had idea of becoming God and as he was hanging around Prabhupada. Prabhupada asked him, you want to be God? So this person immediately said, yes , yes, make me God. Yes I want to be God and because he is asking, he must be competent to make me God. Otherwise why would he be asking me. So when this person said, I want to be God and Prabhupada said, you want to be God, what was the question? You want to be God? What does that mean? Now you are not God right, you want to be God means, you are not God. But then Prabhupada said, one who is not God, cannot be God. You want to be means you are not now God. So one who is not God, cannot be God.

God is God, God is always God, God does not become God. So with this response, this person felt frustrated, he was dreaming, one day, I will be up there, rubbing shoulder with God. I will also be God. He become a good devotee, good servant of God in due course of time and he is even now that was Giriraja Swami Maharaja. He wanted to be God so anyone here interested? I have come from India, If I am asking. So forget it, give up this idea. This is the conditioned state, demonic nature Krsna describes in Bhagavat Gita, isvaro 'ham aham bhogi siddho 'ham balavan sukhi  [BG 16.13]

I am, I am Isvara, balavan, I am Sukhi, I am, I am, I am. So as we hear, we need to defeat our doubts, give answers to the questions or wrong aspirations wanting to be cured. So we hear like that and we are settled, we get settled, proudly settled, in our constitional position.

hitvanyatha rupam, svarupena vyavasthitih (SB 2.10.6)

This is how our constitutional position and mukti is hitvanyatha rupam, giving up varieties of bodies which we have given up but more bodies are also awaiting us, within us, there are more bodies. It is the seed potential of getting or having more and more and more bodies. So giving up, the past bodies we have given up and this body also, you like it or not we will be giving up this body also. You have thought of this, people die in Cape Town or in our country or even everyone taking birth, death rate is also 100%.

jatasya hi dhruvo mrtyur (BG 2.27)

This is the law, no one has trance graced this law as of yet, almost one who takes birth must die, must die. So give up body has and more bodies are waiting, if we didn’t do something, then hari, hari. If you realise, otherwise what’s wrong with another body, one may question that. Another
body, it’s another birth, it’s another death, another old age, another disease.

Question: How to control the mind?

Answer: It is everybody’s question, that was also Arjuna’s question, when he was talking with the Lord, question or this was Arjuna’s complaint, you could read the sixth chapter of Bhagavat Gita, get answer to this question.

abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena ca grhyate (BG 6.35)

Practice, sense control, mind control practice, practice and practice. yato yato niscalati manas cancalam asthiram, tatas tato (BG 6.26) wherever, whenever mind goes drag it back, drag it back “ atmany eva vasam nayet” and again fix it on Supreme soul or as in this case fix it on hearing the
holy name, fix on the form of the Lord, pastimes of the Lord. So that’s the homework every single sincere seeker of the truth and the truth is Krsna. They do this, they have to do this, and so this is just the beginning of that answer. Sometimes devotees they have this Japa retreats, they last for one week or so, basic that’s the question that they handle, How to control the mind? How to focus the mind? How to do the attentive chanting? You sometimes do that here, japa retreats you should organise, discuss this. Whole manual could be produced, how to do it, how to chant, basically how to chant is equally important as we should be chanting, but how to chant?

Question: Is it possible to conquer the mind?

Answer: Yes, certainly, so many have done it in the past and we are asked to do that now and here. I mean answer is yes where, there is possible to completely control the mind, controlled mind is like a flame in the room, which has no , all the windows shut and there is no wind blowing and the way the flame burns, but as soon as you open up the window, there is breeze and immediately flame is flickering. The yogi’s mind is compared with the flame burning in the room, for this air is required for burning, this wind coming through, blowing through, controlling mind meaning engaging mind, just don’t listen to it. Prabhupad just said, How to control the mind, just don’t listen to the mind, just don’t listen to the mind, just don’t listen to the mind, because mind has ideas. So engage the mind, so give something to do to the mind. So controlling mind doesn’t mean that you make the mind vacant. You fill up the mind, engage the mind, employ the mind, so mind has a major role to play.

mana eva manysyanam karanam bandha moksayoh

Mind could be cause of either of the two things, bandha is bondage, moksayoh- liberation, both are possible with the mind, depending on the what kind of mind you have. One of the kind of the mind, can bind you and it has only bound us up and yet, and same mind when it is purified mind, purified mind could liberate us, become cause of our liberation. Mind could act as a friend; mind could act as an enemy.

atmaiva hy atmano bandhur atmaiva ripur atmanah (BG 6.5)

Krsna says in sixth chapter of Bhagavat Gita, this chapter talks of meditation, Asthanga yoga. Mantra, mantra meaning a group of words, not just any words, not just coca cola, coca cola that’s one interpretation, that is offence against the holy name. The names of the Lord, when they are uttered,
there is manan, you contemplate and you hear with attention then there is liberation. Mantra, chanting could liberate the mind or purify the contaminated mind, mind with so many ideas of enjoyment are, mind is reservoir of all this ideas from many many births. We give up the body but
we carry, come forward with the mind, mind goes with us. So all unfulfilled desires and that all stored in that mind and mind wants to. So mantra has a potency to purify the mind, liberate the mind and you could say control the mind. It is possible.

sa vai manah Krsna padaravindayor (SB 9.4.18)

So advice is thinking, thoughts of Lord and as we hear all thoughts are stirred up and we are made to think. That’s acts like, when the water is in the flask, water is muddy and you take the alum, you know what the alum is? They do in the school, when you suspend that alum in this stirred up water, then all the muddy part settles and you get clear water at the top, all the mud is down as alum does this function you understand. So mind is muddy or contaminated but the holy name purifies teh mind which has ideas of enjoying. Enjoyments are settled and our consciousness becomes clear
consciousness. Krsna consciousness means clear consciousness. Prabhupad defines this Krsna consciousness means clear consciousness. So what contaminates the mind? asha pasha shatre bhade, so many desires and thoughts of plans of enjoyment contaminates the mind.

Question: What about dream, once our mind is in control?

Answer: Well, you know, you will see Krsna in the dreams, not that you will stop getting dreams, you will not be dreaming anymore, but you will have Krsna conscious dreams. So we are not against the dreams but we want to change the topic of the dreams. Anyway, more important is while, we are awake, how our mind is controlled, how mind is engaged and then that is what governs our sleeping period also. “mani vase te swapne dise” This is saying in Marathi. What you think during the day at night time, in the dream that’s what you see. Or during the day you heard, Prabhupad writes in the purport, there is a mountain, not this table mountain, you hear of Gold and in the dream, you see golden mountain. So we have control over during our wakeful state and we should take charge of our life. Yes mahamantra, maha mantra is purifying.

svaprasado dilo bhai, sei annamrita pao, shri shri Radha Krsna guna gao

This is also purifying and I mean Krsna in the form of the holy name or Krsna is the form of prasad is controlling the mind. As we see the form of the deity, that is also helping us control the mind. So they say sense control, mind control goes hand in hand, but above the mind is intelligence and as we engage in devotional service.

tesam satata yuktanam bhajatam oriti purvakam
dadami buddhi yogam( BG 10.10)

Lord says, I give intelligence, I give intelligence to that devotee who is engaged endeavouring, even desiring to be engaged to such person also, I gave intelligence. So once you have spiritual intelligence given by God or given by devotees of God or as you read and hear, you become, you
become matured, you become intelligent.

yei krsna bhaje, sei bada catura.

One who serves Krsna, is Bada Catura, he is very intelligent person, he is very smart person. So we become smarter, Lord gives us intelligence and with that intelligence we control the mind and the mind controls the senses.

manah sasthanindriyani (BG 15.7)

All the senses, senses run or report to the mind. Hey eyes are seeing and then they immediately they run to the mind and say Hey, there is something. If the mind says shutup, then of course before you see there is form out there, you have no control over the form but you could tell your eyes or turn away from that form and like that. There are five objects of senses in the world and body has five senses. So as soon as the smell and there is a feeling in the mind as the mind is feeling, but if the intelligence tells you, no this is not the right thing to smell, don’t go for it, don’t go for it. So this is how intelligence coming from the Lord, given by the Lord, Lord in the heart, the mind is controlled and governed. The function of intelligence is power of discrimination, power of discrimination, good from bad, body from soul, sinful from pious like that, power of discrimination to discriminate. “Sad, asad vivek” this is the function of the intelligence, to do, not to do. Friend, enemy, matter, spirit all
this intelligence can discriminate this and tell the mind and then the mind can stay away, stay out of all those, invitations that through the nose, through the ears, through the eyes, through the touch sensation.

dhyayato visayan pumsah (BG 2.62)

As one contemplates on objects of senses, he becomes attached, dhyayato visayan pumsah, sangas tesupajayate immediately one becomes attached and lust develops and Kama develops. So all that we need to do, this also includes sense control. Mind control is, you change the set up of object of
senses. So change the objects, you want to see, so that was King Kulshekhar, he is an example, he would go see the form of the Lord, hear Hare Krsna, hare Krsna and like that. Those four Kumara’s when they were at the entrance of the Vaikuntha, just by smelling the flowers offered to the Lord, incense offer to the Lord and the smell that immediately that aroused their the dormant love for the Lord. So contemplate on the form of the Lord, contemplate on this sound vibration, the holy name, contemplate on Bhagavat Gita, touch or wipe the temple floor, touch the form of the Lord or dress the Lord. So like that we change the objects of the senses and as we now contemplate on this new internal spiritual objects of senses, what would happen next,

dhyayato visayan pumsah, sangas tesupajayate( BG 2.62).

The law is as you contemplate on the objects of senses, you develop attachment. If the sense objects are material, you will develop attachment to material sense objects and if the objects are spiritual then also you will develop attachment, this Krsna talks in second chapter. The objects of
senses are material and you contemplate, then you develop attachment, from that attachment comes Kama, the lust. Now with the new objects of senses that you are contemplating upon, you will develop prema. So kama is replaced, this lust is replaced with love, prema and the, then you are in
business, whole turn around, whole revolution in consciousness. The lust has been taken over, has been replaced by prema, love for the Lord. So it is very practical and very scientific and results we have seen Jagai, Madhai, they chanted the holy names and they became top most vaishnava’s, full
sense control, mind control.

dina hina jata chilo, hari name uddarilo
tara saksi jagai madhai

What is the proof that while chanting the holy name, mind is controlled, mind is purified and this happen, that happens is there any proof, the proof is the life of Jagai, madhai or life of Valmiki. He was a big robber but when he chanted Rama, Rama, he didn’t started with rama, he said mara, mara, mara, mara, ram, ram, ram………….

He was so sinful, not able to even say the name right, he was saying just the opposite. He was purified so much that he was able to see pastimes of the Lord and he started writing them down. Such a sinful fellow.

So now on, no one of that calibre here, matching Jagai, Madhai.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

The talk between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya.

Shravan Utsav-Day 1

03 03 2016 [1:34:37]

Shri Dham Mayapur

Hare Krsna, so we welcome all the assembled devotees, assembled here in Shravan Utsav, Mayapur. You all are serious devotees then there should be exam also after three days and then you will get certificate.

‘Shravan Utsava Graduates’

I am happy that Shravan Utsav is being organised here. I think this is second or third year in a row where we are observing, experiencing this Shravan Utsav. It is a feast for the ears. When there is a festival it’s mostly feast for the tongue, ‘Mahaprasade Govinde’ and everything, Oh! That’s the festival. What good is a festival without feast for my tongue? But ‘sei annamrit pao, so jao’ I was saying the other day. Prasad is of course part of the festival but right after the prasad, we get busy with sei annamrit pao, drinking the nectar of Katha. So as you have heard the announcement that different speakers are having different topics of discussion or kathas. They are all Hari Katha’s. So we have all chosen this topic, ‘The talk between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya.’ In the Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya Lila, 8 th chapter deals with this subject matter. So this one chapter we will do overview in three sessions.

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki Jai.

This is His abode, Mayapur dhama is His abode. Abode means He resides in Mayapur, He is Mayapur vasi, Mahaprabhu is Mayapur vasi and Nimai sannyasa, He takes sannyasa at Katwa, His meeting was arranged with Saci mata at Shantipur then Mahaprabhu was asked to , “I know you cannot stay in Mayapur ( Navadvipa) anymore, you are a sannyasi but at least stay in nearby holy place.”

Jagannath Puri Dham ki Jai

Caitanya Mahaprabhu was interested in going to Vrindavan, all the way to Vrindavan very far. So Caitanya proceeds towards Jagannath Puri and He was there only for two months and so and then He came up with the idea, of course He is a sannyasi and,

dharma samsthapanaarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge ( BG 4.8)

That is one of the reasons why Lord appears, Caitanya Mahaprabhu had appeared to establish the Dharma for this age of Kali, and He is Sannyasi, so travelling is natural and he had another, well good reason to travel. I must go find my brother “Vishvarupa” he had taken sannyasa, and he was
travelling somewhere in South India. So with that excuse also in mind, which he presented and Mahaprabhu left for South India.

One of the episodes, Caitanya Mahaprabhu meeting with Kurma Brahman,

amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa
yare dekha, tare kaha Krsna-upadesa (CC Madhya 7.128)

This instruction Mahaprabhu gives to Kurma Brahman. Then He begins His travel. He never walks He only dances in kirtana,

Krsna!Krsna!Krsna!Krsna!Krsna!Krsna!Krsna!he!
Krsna!Krsna!Krsna!Krsna!Krsna!Krsna!Krsna!he!

So He is looking for Krsna. Where are you? Where are you? This is His mood. So He reaches Jiyada-Nrsimha Kshetra, which is Vishakhapatnam, takes darsana of Lord Nrsimha dev ki Jai.

sri-nrsimha, jaya narsimha, jaya jaya narimha
prahladesa jaya padma-mukha-padma bhrnga (CC Madhya 8.5)

He was reciting this prayer, He was offering stuti prayer or praise in these words unto Lord Nrsimha Dev, because He had offered His obeisance’s, seeing the deity and then standing up and offering His prayer. The pujari there had offered garland to Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Then Mahaprabhu is on the move all the time, travelling and of course He is coming across different people. Preaching to them or just by seeing him chant “Hare Krsna” is enough preaching. Mahaprabhu is very, very kind or He has to be, He is namo maha vadanyaya most magnanimous. So He was revealing His
beauty unto all those who were coming in close proximity. People were realising, here is Krsna. As He was chanting, so He is certainly most powerful and they were all getting that power and getting surcharged and they are getting purified and empowered. They would also began chanting and
dancing in His presence and they would be interested to go with Him. But Mahaprabhu just embraced them and asked them to return to their places, not accompany Him. So Mahaprabhu arrives on the banks of river Godavari.

Godavari maiya ki jai.

Seeing the bluish waters of Godavari, He thought, Oh! This is Yamuna, Yamuna Maiya ki Jai. And there was some forests, some trees, bushes, little forest garden, if that was Yamuna, this must be Vrindavan.’ Vrindavan Dham ki Jai. And Mahaprabhu begins dancing in ecstasy, thinking He is in
Vrindavan. Vrindavan Dham ki Jai.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Then He crosses Godavari, takes His holy dip in Godavari and then He was sitting on the ghat there and there comes a procession chanting mantras and beating of the different instruments.

tanre sange bahu aila vaidika brahmana (CC Madhya 8.15)

And sitting in a palanquin some VVIP had arrived there. Mahaprabhu didn’t know, who that was,

vidhi mate kaila tenho snanadi tarpana (CC madhaya 8.15)

And the Brahmans were reciting different mantras while Ramananda raya was taking his holy dip.

prabhu tanre dekhi janila – ei rama raya ( CC Madhya 8.16)
Mahaprabhu was guessing he must be, he looks like Ramananda Raya.
tanhare milite prabhura mana uthi dhaya (CC Madhya 8.16)

And by seeing Ramananda Raya, Mahaprabhu was feeling like running towards him, meeting him.

tathapi dhairya dhari prabhu rahila vasiya (CC Madhya 8.17)

But He restrained Himself, controlled Himself and He kept sitting.

ramananda aila apurva sannyasi dekhiya (CC Madhya 8.17)

But instead Ramananda Raya came, where Mahaprabhu was sitting. So now Ramananda Raya is
taking darsana of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

surya sata sama kanti, aruna vasana (CC Madhya 8.18)

And what was He like, Caitanya who was like a brilliant sun, but not one sun, it says 100 suns, billions effulgent personality aruna vasana and He is wearing saffron robes. Udilo aruno when sun rises in the east, pinkish saffron like the rays that is aruna colour, arunodya. Sun is rising and sun rays, so that colour clothes Mahaprabhu was wearing.

subalita prakanda deha (CC madhya 8.18)

He is well built, “kamala locana” and lotus eyed Mahaprabhu. Well, have you seen Krsna, I haven’t seen but I know someone who has seen Krsna. Ramananda Raya is seeing Krsna and we could see through the eyes of Ramananda Raya and other devotees wherever they see. Vasedev ekshata, Bhagavatam says Vasudev was the first one to see Vaasudeva that baby Krsna, Vasudev ekshata and there is a description. The way he saw and when we read that, it is like darsana, as how Lord looks. We take darsana, shastra chakshu through the eyes of the shastra’s or the acarya’s. Shastras they are eye openers and they give us eyes as guru also does, as we hear caksur unmilitam, he opens the eyes, so that we could take darsana, so here is a little glimpse of that form of the Lord.

dekhiya tanhara mane haila camatkara (CC madhya 8.19)

And by seeing Lord, he is amazed, Ramananda Raya just he cannot take his eyes off, how could he, his eyes are fixed on that form and no more blinking also. His eyes have been opened and he just staring, looking or may be trying to open eyes wider, as wide as possible. So that he could take that form in and bring it to the heart.

asiya karila dandavat namaskara (CC madhya 8.19)
Okay then, he offered his dandavat pranams to Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
uthi prabhu kahe – utha kaha, Krsna Krsna (CC madhya 8.20)

And then Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, get up, please get up and chant Hare Krsna or say Krsna Krsna get up.

tare alingite prabhura hrdaya satrsna (CC madhya 8.20)

That’s the beauty of this Bengali language also, say Krsna Krsna and “prabhura hrdaya satrsna” ended with Krsna and trsna. That Lord is also, “trsna” means thirst. So Mahaprabhu also has become thirsty. Thirsty for what? “alingam”. He would like to embrace Ramananda Raya and He is very
anxious , very thirsty, very hungry to have that experience of embracing Ramananda Raya.

tathapi puchila – tumi raya Ramananda? (CC madhya 8.21)

And before doing He just wanted to make sure, because He was kind of guessing and coming to
conclusion that he must be Ramananda Raya. So before the embrace he just wants to confirm. So
He is enquiring “Tumi Ramananda Raya”. Are you are Ramananda Raya? This is the response of
Ramananda Raya,

tenho kahe – sei hana dasa sudra manda (CC madhya 8.21)

Yes that is what they call me, yes I am known by that name. This low sudra is called Ramananda Raya. This is humility.This is “trnad api sunicena” that we see right there. I am Ramananda Raya, Governor, he is not talking all that. Yes, Yes sudra and the low born. Ya, they call me Ramananda
Raya.

tabe tare kaila prabhu drdha alingana (CC madhya 8.22)

And once this was confirmed, that this is Ramananda Raya, Mahaprabhu proceeds and offers “drdha alingana” deep embrace both of them have bound each other with their “bahupash” and holding each other tight heart to heart, meeting of hearts not just the bodies.

premavese prabhu bhrtya donhe acetana (CC madhya 8.22)

And the deep embrace has caused, acetana, they are unconsciousness and all external consciousness finished.

svabhavika prema donhara udaya karila (CC madhya 8.23)

And then eternal and natural affection, love, pranaya has been aroused and as they have lost the external consciousness then what happens?

dunha alingiya dunhe bhumite padila (CC madhya 8.23)

They are not aware, are we standing or sitting or where are we, what is, so they could not even stand because they lost all the external consciousness. So a they were in that deep embrace situation they just collapsed fell on the ground.

stambha, sveda, asru, kamopa, pulka, vaivarnya

dunhara mukhete suni gadgada Krsna varna (CC madhya 8.24)

And all the symptoms of devotion were visible. The tears were there, trembling, changing of the colour of the body and while that is happening, the voice is choked up and they would like to say clearly, “Krsna””Krsna” but they cannot speak, Krsh Krsh their throats are getting choked up, not
able to utter the names of Lord loud and clear.

dekhiye brahmana ganera haila camatkara
vaidika brahmana saba karena vicara (CC madhya 8.25)

And well this all was going on, this dealing between Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya, those Vedic or smartha Brahmans were watching all that, what is going on.

ei ta sannyasira teja dekhi brahma sama
sudre alingiya kene karena krandana (CC madhya 8.26)

They were commenting this Brahman, this sannyasi, He is effulgent like sun but why should He he be crying as he touched this sudra, their governor is sudra or Kshatriya. So why is sannyasi doing this, this is not proper, this is not fair on the part of sannyasi, crying.

ei maharaja- maha pandita gambhira (CC madhya 8.27)

And our maharaja, Raja Ramananda Raya, he is supposed to be very grave person but look and also maha pandit, very learned but

sannyasira sparse matta ha-ila asthira (CC madhya 8.27)

But he has become unsteady by touching this sannyasi.

ei mata vipra gana bhave mane mana
vijatiya loka dekhi prabhu kaila samvarana (CC madhya 8.28)

So, Mahaprabhu has taken note of the all Vedic Brahmans around, not far from here and they have started some talks and some comments and they are described here as “vijatiya.” Oh! They are different, we are “sajatiya” Myself and Ramanada Raya belong to one jati, one kind, we are of one
kind but they are of different kinds. We are vaishanavs and they are just Brahmans, smartha Brahmans. So it is not , preaching to the faith less because they were not preaching to them but they were seeing, they, that was just the presence of Ramananda Raya and Caitanya Mahaprabhu and those dealings and all those symptoms, which they have no control over, they were just trembling and tears. So that was kind of preaching or that was there for all of those assembled there to see and Mahaprabhu thought this is not proper, this is not fair, so there, they should try to control their emotions and extending feelings.

sustha hand dunhe sei sthanete vasila (CC Madhya 8.29)

And then both of them sat down,

tabe hasi mahaprabhu kahite lagila (CC Madhya 8.29)

And Mahaprabhu now in the humorous, jolly smiling laughing mood, he said

sarvabhauma bhattacarya kahila tomara guna (CC Madhya 8.30)

I have heard so much about you, oh Ramananda Raya, from Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya.

tomare milite more karila yatana (CC madhya 8.30)

And make some endeavour to meet, catch up meet Ramananda Raya during your South India
travels.

toma milibare mora etha agamana (CC madhya 8.31)

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that is the reason I have come here.

bhala haila, nayase pailun darasana (CC madhya 8.31)

And it is good thing that I didn’t have to make much endeavour, or go out of my way, I kind of found you very easily.

raya kahe, – sarvabhauma kare bhrtya jnana
parokseha mora hit haya savadhana (CC madhya 8.32)

And Ramananda Raya “Yes, yes , it is very kind of Sarvabhauma bhattacharya that he always thinks of my welfare although he is not with me, wherever he is long distance 1000 miles away or 500 miles but he is always thinking of my welfare.

tanra krpaya painu tomara darasana

And by his grace, by his kindness, I am able to meet you here today.

aji saphala haila mora manysya janama (CC madhya 8.33)

And today, it is perfection of my human form of life that I have met you.

sarvabhaume tomare krpa – tara ei cihna
asprsya sparsila hana tanra premadhina (CC madhya 8.34)

And I am untouchable but you have touched me.

kaha tumi- saksat isvara narayana (CC madhya 8.35)

He say, where you, you are saksat Narayan and what about me,

kahan muni raja sevi visayi sudradhama (CC madhya 8.35)

And look at me, the sense gratifier the fallen sudra.

kaha muni – more sparse na karile ghrna veda bhaya
more darsana toma vede nisedhaya (CC madhya 8.36)

In fact you have touched me, this is forbidden in Vedas, Brahman, sannyasi touching the sudra like myself.

tomara krpaya tomaya karaya nindya karma
saksat isvara tumi, ke jane tomara marma (CC madhya 8.37)

But what can I say, you are saksat Isvara tumi, je jane tomara, who can understand you and your feelings and your emotions and your kindness, who could estimate, understand.

ama nistarute tomara ihan agamana
parama dayalu tumi patita pavana (CC madhya 8.38)

Just for my liberation, you have come here, oh Parma dayalu, you are parama dayalu, you are Patita pavana, this doesn’t require the translation. Translation into Bengali is not required, translation in English is not required. By now you are expected to become familiar with these terms, parama dayalu, dayalu, everyone know dayalu, who doesn’t know dayalu. Ei mana dayal data, dayalu comes from daya and parama dayalu, supremely kind, patita pavana.

patita pavana hetu tava avatara
mo sama patita prabhu na paibe ara

Any patita here, is any patita only Bengali’s are patita and all English speaking they are not patita, ya they did not get this word patita. Patita is fallen and pavana is lifter or purifier. We are patita, we all are, we are here, and of course here in Mayapur, Mayapur Dham ki Jai.

So its finished being patita, this is old history now, it is a past, we are back home, back to Mayapur, so and we have come here because of Patita pavana. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai. This is His arrangement.

mahanta svabhava ei tarite pamara
nija karya nahi tabu yana tara ghara (CC madhya 8.39)

So, and around this time, one grastha Brahman steps forward, offers obeisances to Caitanya Mahaprabhu , sannyasi and invites Him to his home, please come for biksha at my residence today. What is biksha? Biksham dehi, biksham dehi, please give me alms. Biksham dehi, please give. Then
Mahaprabhu accepts invitation. So at this point Ramananda Raya and Mahaprabhu they will be parting there ways. Mahaprabhu has received invitation; he is going away to his biksha/Prasad. So Ramananda Raya made a special appeal to the Lord, please stay here and purify me.

sabara ange- pulakita asru nayane (CC madhya 8.42)

It was observed that those Vedic Brahmans there is some transformation of their, in their consciousness, in their attitude, their stand or that they were seeing also, some shivering and Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Hari, Hari, Hari, Hari they started chanting holy names and

prabhu kahe- tumi maha bhagavatottama

tomare darsane sabara drava haila nama (CC madhya 8.44)

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is giving credit hey because of you, you know Ramananda Raya, you are bhagavatottama, not only bhagavatottama, mahabhagavatottama, maha is one and bhagavatottama, uttam Bhagavat but then mahauttama Bhagavat you are and by your darsana there heart has been melted.

anyera kki katha ami- mayavadi sannyasi

amiha tomara sparse krsna preme bhasi (CC madhya 8.45)

Then He says what to speak of these Brahmans or others me too, I am just a mayavadi sannyasi, but by coming in contact with you by seeing you and touching you, I also, I am experiencing Krsna Prema.

ei jani kathina mora hrdaya sodhite

sarvabhauma kahilena tomare milite (CC madhya 8.46)

Mahaprabhu says, My heart is like a stone, stone hearted and that is why Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, that must be the reason, he strongly recommended that I meet you.

ei mata dunhe stuti kare dunhara guna (CC madhya 8.47)

So like this Caitanya and Ramananda Raya, they were taking turns of appreciating each other praising each other. “bodhayantah parasparam” was happening. So this is the time that Brahman had stepped forward as I said and extended invitation and then Ramananda Raya has said.

dina pnca sata rahi karaha marjana (CC madhya 8.52)

He says no, no you should stay here five seven days and do some marjana cleansing of my heart, my consciousness ceto darpan marjanam you do my chetana’s, my consciousness cleansing, heart cleansing, heart melting , you do by staying with me for five seven days.

namaskara kaila raya prabhu kaila alingana
dui jana krsna katha kaya rahah sthane (CC madhya 8.56)

So, during the day, Mahaprabhu had gone to different ways after that invitation from household brahman, Mahaprabhu has gone taken His sanan, taken His Prasad. Ramananda Raya managed his.

So in the evening they are back together, now so the dialogue between Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya in Sanskrit, in Bengali this is Samwad- dialogue, samwad. Raya Ramananda Caitanya Mahaprabhu Samwad-talks or dialogue between two of them. Normally when one is Lord, other man is a devotee, when there is a Samwad, like Krsna Arjuna Samwad that Gita also that is talk between Krsna and Arjun is described as samwad, that is Samwad dialogue. Then Sri Bhagavan uvacha Krsna speaks and Arjuna is student.

sisyas te ham sadhi mam (BG 2.7)

I am your disciple now, please instruct me and Krsna speaks and Arjuna is listening, occasionally enquiring further questions, Brahma jinyasa. So the dialogue goes on Krsna as speaker and Arjuna is hearing and there is samwad. There are other samwads like Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Rupa
Goswami Samwad, Caitanya Mahaprabhu spoke, Goswami is listening. Mahaprabhu spends two months with Sanatana Goswami. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is speaking and Sanatan Goswami listens, like that. Most of all the time Caitanya Mahaprabhu speaks and others are listening to him but here that is not the case. In this talk, this dialogue this Samwad Caitanya Mahaprabhu is making Raya Ramananda speak, Raya Ramananda is a speaker and Caitanya Mahaprabhu is listener, he just enquires I would you like to hear more, say more, say more. Now say more, what about this, what about that. Mahaprabhu is enquiring and is making Raya Ramananada to speak. So this is a reverse position. Mahaprabhu has become listener student enquirer and Raya Ramananda is authority, he is talking and he is speaking.

sancarya ramabhidha bhakta meghe (CC madhya 8.1)

The chapter begins like that, with this verse, which is of Krsna Das Kaviraj Goswami’s introductory statement, comment, observation, we could call it. So he clarifies the position say, he said, bhatke maghe” Ramananda Raya he has become a cloud. Sancarya and Lord Himself has empowered this
cloud called Ramananda Raya, empowered or invested with what.

sva bhakti siddhanta cayamrtani (CC madhya 8.1)

Sva His own that is Lord Caitanya, Sri Krsna Caitanya’s own Bhakti Siddhanta cayamrtani, Bhakti siddhanta amrit has been invested. Bhakti siddhanta, the conclusive truth, siddhanta or tattva, prema tattva, Krsna tattva, Radha tattva, Rasa tattva, all these tattva’s and siddhantas are invested
in Ramananda Raya cloud. Gaurabdhir – Gauranga Mahaprabhu He is ocean, Gauranga Mahaprabhu is ocean, the cloud comes from the ocean, goes up high in the sky and he showering all those Bhakti, siddhantas. Ratnalayatam prayati and then Mahaprabhu was a ocean and He is accepting those ratna’s, those jewels, jewel like siddhantas, making that circuit kind of complete. It comes from Him invested empowered Raya Ramananda, he is cloud, and then he showers. The quality of being an ocean containing valuable jewels were achieved by Mahaprabhu.

So Raya Ramananda is a Governor in the Kingdom or Empire of King Prataprudra. A big, big kingdom, as it is from Ganga, Orissa state, but now it is shrunk much smaller state. But 500 years ago as we understand the history, the Orissa state or where King Prataprudra ruled was from Ganga all
this part of Bengal, all Orissa, Andhra Pradesh all the way to Karnataka border, this is where King Prataprudra ruled 500 years ago. Raya Ramananda is one of the governor of that part. Rajahmundry, Vidyanagar is his capital. Raya Ramananda he is prikar or parshad of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu like the Rupa and Sanatana, they were prime ministers in Husain shah’s kingdom at Bengal that part. Mahaprabhu’s many associates have taken birth and they are playing these different roles. So who is Raya Ramananda, when Caitanya Mahaprabhu he had meet Raya Ramananda father Bhavananda Raya, he had addressed bhavananda Raya, saying you are Pandu and your wife is Kunti and he had five sons and your five sons are Pandav’s. The eldest son is
Ramananda Raya, he is Arjuna. As one understanding who Raya Ramananda is, Arjuna was a Kshatriya ruler, administrator and Raya Ramananda is Governor. Raya Ramananda is mentioned that he is also Arjuniya Gopi and he is Vishakha. Lalita Vishaka ki jai.

latita vishakha adi jati sakhi vrinda, agya paibo charanaravinda

You know so we have Lalita Vishakha , Radha Madhav’s left right Lalita , Vishakha. So that Vishakha has appeared as Ramananda Raya. So as they are meeting here immediately all that eternal original relationship is revived and all the emotions are sturred up and they are having intimate association with each other and the kind of topics that Raya Ramananda talks here, they are only befitting, Vishakha devi could only speak like this, these topics and we will come to know towards the end of this chapter that Caitanya Mahaprabhu had made special request that you should please retire soon, and join me in Jagannath Puri. I will be touring South India and soon I will return to Puri, so by that time you should also reach Jagannath Puri and then we will spend rest of our life together doing Hari katha and that is what happened. Raya Ramananda, he submitted his resignation to king Prataprudra, kindly accept my resignation and Raya Ramananda rushed to Jagannath Puri.

And all those 18 years to Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s staying residing in Jagannath Puri, mostly at Gambhira, was in association of many, many others but specially two close associates, Swarup Damodar, Raya Ramananda. One is Lalita, one is Vishakha. Swarup Damodar he would compose different songs and sing song for the pleasure of the Lord and Raya Ramananda would talk Hari katha all the time. So these two prabhu’s were always, always day and night, practically and literally, they are with Mahaprabhu. So two of them is Raya Ramananda and is mentioned as Vishakha. So as on the first night as they were together, the talk begins, Samwad begins and time ends. Samwad begins. So it is kind of the first chapter of Bhagavat Gita is what they are setting the scene and in the second chapter the dialogue begins. Same time with the Bhagavatam also, the entire First Canto is setting the scene, the speaker of Bhagavatam, “Sukdev Goswami” Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudaya” that is in the Second Canto, there is no Sukdev Goswami speaking in the first canto. So may be in our first day of the three days we have, first day has ended just setting the scene that leaves is with only two more days to summarize the talk, the Samwad, the dialogue between these two, what could we say great soul, one is soul, one is supreme, super soul.

prabhu kahe – pada sloka sadhyera nirnaye (CC madhya 8.57)

Anyway, at least just see, as they meet Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the first one said, please tell me “sadhyera nirnaya” what is sadhye? What is the goal? What is to be achieved? What is the destination? That we have to reach. Sambandha, abhidheya Prayojan in other words. What is Prayojan.

raya kahe – sva dharma carane vishnu bhakti haya (CC madhya 8.57)

So immediately Raya Ramananda “sva dharma carane vishnu bhakti haya” following the prescribed dharma, duties, that is sadhya.

prabhu kahe – “eho bahya, age kaha ara (CC madhya 8.59)

This is just external, this is just superficial, you are talking about, say something more, say something deeper.

raya kaha – Krsna karmarpana-sarva sadhya sara (CC madhya 8.59)

Krsna arpana, offering everything unto Krsna is the essence of dharma, Sarva-sadhya something to be achieved, this is to be achieved what is to be achieved? Offering everything unto the Lord. “Krsna Kramarpana” Karma Arpana and which Krsna has talked in Bhagavat Gita.

yat karoshi yad asnasi, yaj johosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurusva (BG 9.27)

We didn’t say all them, we missed asnasi, johosi, tapasyasi, dadasi, all the tat kurusva mad arpanam. Mahaprabhu happy with that reply says. No, no, “eho bahya age kaha ara” say something more, this is also external, superficial. This is not “yat karoshi” whatever you do offer that but that is not Bhakti. Bhakti is Shravanam, Kirtanam, Vishnu smaranam, pada savenam like Navadha bhakti that is sara, anyways he is not saying that but this is the reason why Mahaprabhu said no, no, go ahead. This is external, whatever you know, whatever you do, you do Shravan, kirtana, smaran, vandan,
padasevan. This has to be done, not whatever you do, whatever you, whatever. That whatever should be Shravan, kirtana, shravan utsav ki jai.

raya kahe –svadharma tyaga, ei sadhya sara (CC madhya 8.61)

Ramananda Raya replied, "To give up one's occupational duties in the varnasrama is the essence of perfection."

sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva pa (BG 18.66)

That statement of Lord Sri Krsna is Bhagavat Gita, couldn’t that be essence, the goal and Caitanya Mahaprabhu is still not happy

prabhu kahe – “eho bahya, age kaha ara (CC madhya 8.64)

This is also external, this is also superficial, out world say something more. Bhagavat Gita is also truth as a basic foundational truth, Prabhupad talks Bhagavat Gita as ABCD and Bhagavatam as the graduation course and Caitanya Charitamrita as Post Gradauation. So “sarva dharman paritayajya” is
also okay. It has its own position, place, its more, something higher or deeper, condensed. So Gita, where Gita ends Bhagavatam kinds of begins there.

jnana misra bhakti- sadhya sara (CC madhya 8.64)

And then the next reply was the “jnana misra bhakti” it is sadhya, it is essence proyojan, Raya Ramananda said “Jnana Misra Bhakti”, Bhakti yes, but what kind of Bhakti “jnana Misra Bhakti” good to learn this kind of words, terms, then there is no need of translation. We should be just using this
“Jnana Misra Bhakti” say “Jnana Misra Bhakti” it is such a nice word, good word “Jnana” you know “Jnana”means jnana , pronunciation also, Misra means mixing or mixing Bhakti, you mix Bhakti with Jnana the Knowledge. What is wrong with the Knowledge?

jnana karmadi anavritam. anukulyena krsnanusilanam. bhaktir uttama

The definition of Bhakti in “Bhakti Rasamrit Sindhu” is “jnana karmadi anavritam”, get rid of the this Jnana and Karma, the Bhakti which is free from Jnana and Karma, that is Bhakti, the activity devotional service free from Jnana, free from Karma or from Karma Kanda, free from Jnana Kanda.
This is coming up that Karma kanda part or Jnana of what, also god is great that kind of Jnana or knowledge or Ishwar, Lords ashvarya, Lord’s opulence, His greatness then that becomes Vaikuntha, Vaikuntha spirit, Narayan, so much knowledge. But VraAj Vasis, they didn’t have that kind of
knowledge, they are free from, the gopis don’t have that kind of knowledge. Laksmi has and She is trying to enter Vrindavan spirit in one of the forests of Vrindavan. Shri Van, Lakshmi Van and Bhel Van, Lakshmi is there, She is full of this Jnana, or Jnana Misra Bhakti, Jnana of Ashvarya, opulence’s of Narayan. And She is attached and doesn’t want to give it up. As a result She is not able to enter the Vraja spirit and get the mercy of Vrajendra Nandana. So Jnana Misra, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, no no.

prabhu kahe – “eho bahya, age kaha ara
jnana sunya bhakti- sadhya sara (CC madhya 8.66)

Before he had said, “Jnana Misra Bhakti” Bhakti mixed with Jnana and now the next reply is. So he is trying to say each time something deeper, superior, pure. So after Jnana Misra, it is “Jnana sunya bhakti”, Bhakti which is devoid of knowledge, Jnana. One was Jnana misra, Mahaprabhu said, no, no, this is bahaya, this is external. Now the next reply is jnana sunya and listen to which Caitanya Mahaprabhu said.

eho haya ( CC madhya 8.68)

Oh yes, yes, yes, now you are talking, now you are on the track, right track. “aga kaha ara” but I am not fully satisfied. You are getting there. But you are not quite there, say more and then,

raya kahe – prema bhakti – sarva sadhya sara (CC madhya 8.68)

Prema Bhakti and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “eho haya”, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes but then He also says, “age kaho” say something more and now I will not say anything more.

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu Ki Jai…
Raya Ramananda Ki Jai….
Srila Prabhupad ki Jai….
Gaur Premananda hari haribol.

Vedic life style and education verse modern life style and education

Iskcon Noida

19 08 2017 [1:5536]

Every single student used to join ashram.

brahmacari gurukule vasan danto guror hitam [SB 7.12.1]

You know this was the system in good old days, old is gold. Those golden days are kind of over and we have bad present days. Good old days and bad present days. In this age of Kali when there are no more ashrams but ISKCON is opening, ISKCON is trying to revive the ancient culture of India. We have Gurukul schools also, ISKCON has Gurukul schools all over the world.

In Australia, in Vrindavan, America, Sharanagati in Canada. There used to be the Gurukula and there used to be Kulaguru. The teachers, the Kulagurus, even now they are called? They have been to University. The teacher is called Kulapati, Kulaguru. But it is in the name only, the spirit
is gone.

When we also went to school, there was a village in Maharashtra; we also addressed our teacher as ‘Guruji.’ Now they call ‘Sir, Sir, Madam, Sir.’ This is not our culture.At least in the villages, this is fifty years ago when I was a little boy going to school. We used to call our teachers ‘Guruji Guruji.’ Did some of you also call your teachers Guruji In your schools?

Those Gurujis sometimes used to call us over and say ‘please go get bidi’ [cigarettes]

laughter. They used to give us a few paisa or chavani athani [coins] ‘go get bidi.’ They used to chew tobacco right in front of us. So in the name only, Kulaguru or Vidyapitha, Guruji. Hari Hari.

Vidyapitha, not the kind of vidya that they used to teach in previous ages, the good old days, several hundred and thousands years ago. The days of Lord Krishna, when he was on the planet, practically every school was a Gurukul school. There were Gurus and Rishis and Munis, thinkers, they used to teach. Then we had Nalanda Vidyapitha, Takshashila, you have heard the names? You’ve heard the names. Those were very major Universities, world known and for higher education, all Americans, Europeans, Australians, Chinese they used to come to India and get enrolled in Takshashila University, Nalanda University and that used to be higher education. Not only the word ‘higher higher.’ So in fact there is higher and lower education called Para vidya and Apara vidya. Right there in the Vedas this distinction has been made.

Para Vidya , Para superior, higher and Apara Vidya – not so superior –inferior, lower. So adhyatma vidya vidyanam , this is Krishna He has defined Vidya as adhyatma vidya vidyanam. So Vidya, the knowledge education is about adhyatma, about the spirit soul, atma and about the Paramatma, divya dhama also, that’s subtle, Spiritual, subtle, we can’t say matter. The soul is not matter. The soul is a spirit. One is a spirit and the other one is matter. So spirit is higher and the other one is lower. So there used to be studies of the spirit, consciousness. A study in consciousness, the name is International Society for what? For Krishna consciousness, consciousness. We are conscious beings, there is consciousness.

So they used to study the spirit, the consciousness, the super spirit or Supersoul, Paramatma. Even studies of the mind and studies of intelligence and that is subtle. Agni, Prithvi, Jal, Akash, Vayu five great elements, Pancha maha bhuta. And of course the chemists they have discovered so many, they have over one hundred and eight elements that they talk about so all that is study of the gross matter. More subtle than matter is the mind, the study of the mind. So they do study some kind of psychology but the Vedic psychology is much superior, more subtle, deeper which they do not study. But our Rishis, Munis  used to study and teach the mind matter, the mind and the intelligence and the ego. The ego is the false ego and the real ego. Aham aham, this is the false one ‘I am.. Aham.

And ‘aham dasosmi – aham dasaha asmi’ I am the spirit soul and I am a servant, atma I am the servant of the Lord’ that is ego but this  is real ego. That is what we are so there has to be studies of these, these are the subject matters of the studies. In fact they used to study both – the superior, the soul. So they used to study the soul, the spirit and the matter. So complete studies, everything was being studied. Depending on who you are, so the Brahmins they are studying, the Kshatriyas are studying and the Vaishyas are studying.

krsi go raksya vanijyam [BG 18.44]

Krsi they are studying about the farming or they are taught about the farming. Dronacharya also taught the archery, how to use weapons. Sudras are studying. Basically Sudras study matter and the Brahmins used to study spirit.The subject matter of Brahmin’s study is spirit and then the Sudras are studying matter, or production or civil engineering. And all engineering is dealing with nuts and bolts and matter, building bridges or whatever vehicles or supersonic sputnik, this is all the job of the Sudras.

So there used to be complete study one time, according to your varna or ashram. You understand varna and ashram? Society was scientifically divided into four sections, four portions of Brahmins, ksatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras. And whether you officially divide or don’t divide, everywhere it is not limited to India, all over the world some people are Brahmanically or spiritually inclined. Some are administrators, they are managers, there are Ksatriyas and there are Vaishyas those who are trading. Import, export and dealing with the land and cows. Instead of protecting cows they are killing cows, the age of Kali. That is not a dharma. So Brahmins, they used to have their dharma and Ksatriya dharma, Vaishya dharma and Sudra dharma. So this is Varnashram. And this is natural as Krishna said ‘catur varnyam maya srstam.’ Of the four dharmas, who is the creator, divider, maker of this? ‘Maya sristam I am.’  God has given these varnas and asrams.

guna karma vibhagasah

According to their Gunas and Karma. What Gunas? The qualities, there are three Gunas so basically from those three Gunas. They get multiplied and from three become nine and then again become eighty one. So the three Gunas are Sattva Guna, Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna and they are acting all over the planet, all over the universe. Those Americans, ‘Hey hey come on! We don’t follow varnashrama dharma. We are not Hindus!.’ But this is beyond this dharma and that dharma. The varnas, the three modes of material nature are acting everywhere. The goodness, passion and from passion comes fashion. The goodness 'my goodness!' Or 'where is the goodness?' So there are the goodness, passion and ignorance. So depending upon which Guna you belong to, which Guna governs you or your wonderings or your thoughts, you are that.

You are – so if you are predominantly in the mode of goodness then you are Brahman. guna karma vibhagasah. Vibhagha, the division is how? Guna karma vibhagasah. So those who are in the mode of goodness they are Brahmanas.

The mode of passion but still some goodness, they are Ksatriyas. Then very little goodness, compassion and ignorance also they are Vaishyas and predominantly ignorant and little tinge maybe, occasionally every now and then once in a blue moon, a little goodness is experienced or exhibited and some passion also then you are Sudra. So some people naturally are,

prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah  [BG 3.27]

All our activities are as per the movements of pulling and pushing of the three modes of material nature, either Goodness or Passion or Ignorance or a mixture of the three, all three. They are always trying to compete, the goodness pushes down and takes over, subdues the passion and ignorance and then the ignorance is pushing and pushing the other two down. This goes on. So the society used to be there was an understanding like that, the society used to be divided into four varnas and according to these three modes of material nature a lot of things are governed in this world. Satya Yuga, you have heard of the four yugas? Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. So these three Yugas also they become this Yuga, that Yuga according to the consideration of which Guna is dominating.

In Satya Yuga – what? There is Goodness. There is a predominance of Brahmins also. Then comes Treta Yuga, Ksatriya dharma dominant. You know which mode? A little Goodness, a lot of Passion, Ksatriyas. Then comes the, Jai Sri Ram! That was the Treta Yuga, Ksatriyas. Ram, Jai Sri Ram. He was a Ksatriya and Vaishya in Dwapara Yuga. Sri Krishna also appeared as Vaishya. Nanda Maharaja family, Nanda was a Vaishya, head of the Vaishya community.

So Vaishyas are prominent, that Guna, that mode of material nature. Some passion, some goodness and some ignorance also. And then comes which age? Kali Yuga comes and what happens?

kalau sudra sambhava
 
Sambhava means giving birth to or giving rise to. Sambhava, bhava means to become Guna sambhava. And you will find that in this age of Kali Kalau sudra sambhava. And which mode is active in this age of Kali? Ignorance. Ignorance is bliss. So there is ignorance and as I said earlier, Satya, Treta, Dwapara, Kali this is all over the planet. It is not India limited business Hindus only. No, this is everywhere. Satya Yuga everywhere, all over the planet. Dwapara, Treta all over. Dwapara Yuga all over. The characters, the Guna dharmas of that age all over, so the Kali Yuga is also where? Everywhere! Kali Yuga is everywhere. Because ignorance is everywhere Haribol!

‘You know he just ignores me!’ This is what we say right? ‘You know I was just right there. He just ignored me. He just ignored me!’ Ignore. So what are we ignoring to become ignorant? What do you think we are ignoring? Ignoring Krishna consciousness, ignoring what? Ignoring Krishna, ignoring what? Soul. We are ignoring soul. Ignoring and hence we are ignorant. Ignorant of the soul, the supersoul. Anything else you want to say? Ignoring what? Ignoring reality, ignoring something. Ignorant person is called ignorant because he is ignoring something. Ignore, better to understand this word ignore. ‘He just ignores me,’ What else would you say we are ignoring? Spirituality, yes, reality, enlightenment, ignoring enlightenment and going for entertainment.  Ignoring scripture and relationship with God. Whether you ignore or not, the power of Maya is there. We are not afraid of Maya. Prabhupada is saying we are not afraid. We should be afraid of Maya but we are daring.

‘Death? I’m not afraid of death’ – they say like that. Whether you are afraid or not afraid, death will come. I think you got the idea, you got the idea. So we are members of, citizens of such an age, the age of Kali where ignorance is dominant, prominent. And what do they study? What they must study in the age of Kali, matter. Everyone, practically everyone is busy studying matter. So of course the aim is exploitation of the matter which has a goal of enjoying the matter. There is no enjoyment in the matter. Yes so because of ignorance he doesn’t know where to find the enjoyment or joy. He just,

mandah sumanda matayo manda bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]

Bhagavatam says ‘In this age of Kali people will be mandah, mandah means slow, especially if it comes to going to the temple, very slow. If it is going to the movie? Very fast. Cannot wait ‘I have to be there fast!’ Fast means of communication. I want to hear something, enjoy hearing and next I want to run rush somewhere. I could eat and then somewhere else I want to rush. Smell something and touch something or somebody. ‘I want to go and touch that body. I cannot wait.’ So that’s why we want to rush so one becomes greedy. Ignorant person is greedy. Gauranga.. And then doesn’t matter how much you get, it’s not enough. The greedy person is never ever satisfied.
  
The greed – there’s a flame and if you keep pouring the Ghee, or oil or kerosene, would it ever extinguish, that flame? It would keep blazing. The more you pour, the more flames would. So our senses, our tongue, our all the senses are on fire in fact, on fire. They are greedy to grab something, to hear, to smell, to eat, to touch. And we are trying to feed these sense, so they could never be satisfied. They will never be peaceful, mind or the sense. And yes they are overwhelmed with grief because of the greed and the wars and quarrels and fights. We have wars and we spoil everything as a result. We spoil even all the resources, human beings are studying and exploiting and trying to enjoy. Enjoy….Enjoy …isn’t that the mantra? Enjoy.

They don’t understand, they don’t know. They are ignoring, like children. A little moth, and there is a fire and the moth is attracted by the glare of the fire. Fire is a glary fire. So as soon as the Moth looks at the glary fire it is attracted. It doesn’t stop and think before proceeding. What does it do? It just runs rushes. And what is the outcome? Ohhhhh, burnt. So we have spoilt the Earth, mother earth with our attempts, universal attempts. Everyone is wanting to exploit the matter, exploit the earth in this way, that way. Dig deeper into her mines and whatnot. Into the ocean
exploitations, into the air into the space. Different kinds of gasses we are creating and producing as a result, something called Ozone layer? It is depleted, there’s a hole! Something that used to cover or protect the earth or the whole atmosphere by the Ozone layer.

That has been dissolved or destroyed. The sun rays are directly coming down and hitting. Yesterday and all these days this is just like the rainy season but yesterday all this heat summer season. This is called climate change. Climate change is the reality, who is the cause behind all this? Our mentality to exploit, enjoy, grab the bidi. Earth’s temperature is increasing, It has the flu {laughter}. It has reached some two degrees higher than normal.  And if it goes even higher it could be disastrous, it could be Pralaya, annihilation.

Where are the forests? They are cutting forests, treeless planet. They say New York Times newspaper, the Sunday edition it has so many, many pages fifty pages, and big circulation New York Times. Just to print the New York Times for Sunday, the amount of paper they need, they need to cut some fifteen acres of forests, deforestation and then one day’s newspaper. There’s enough paper to print one day’s newspaper.

So to produce the newspapers they have to cut forests and for so many other purposes they also have to cut the forests. Hari Hari. When there are no trees on the land and it rains like cats and dogs, musaldhar {floods]. And the rain falls directly on the exposed land and that water brings all the soil into the rivers and riverbeds become shallow. Then what happens? Floods. You could see why one thing leads to the other? You cut the forest and all the fertile soil which is on the top of the land, fertile good for harvesting all goes down into the river and like that.

As a result we have made this earth unlivable. So many calamities, we call them natural calamities but we are collectively causing, are behind those calamities. The kind of mentality, the exploiting mentality that we all have. The health, so not only mother earth’s health is down. She is not well these days, these years. The past several years the earth is sick. But we all children, we depend upon that earth. The pure air and pure water and pure vegetables, where are those pure vegetables? Then we are also because when they increase the production we are feeding the crops with chemicals so the crops are growing faster, faster ,genetic engineering exploiting genes of those species, those grains. You know that they inject the cows so that the cows become fatter and fatter, more flesh to eat. So human beings are working, scientists are working day and night.

Yes so the chemical fertilizer, the crop is growing faster and the pumpkin is this big. The aborigine used to be tiny but now they are growing in size. Potatoes, now they are full of chemicals, which you eat and you get sick, cancer and this and that. So our health, we are unhealthy, this is the most unhealthy generation of human beings on the planet right now. And nothing to be proud of, India being capital of Diabetes. Most Diabetes patients are in this country just like America is most sick nation on the planet. Super power, leading nation, leading in what? The land of opportunities. With great pride they say this is their motto or slogan ‘America the land of opportunities.’ Here you could enjoy. The land of opportunities. Lots of Bhoga {food}, but from Bhoga comes Roga {Sickness, disease}. Bhoga has connection with Roga. So when I heard the outcome of this survey, the global survey they conducted. The health of people in Bangladesh, health of people in here there everywhere, New Zealand, India.
The conclusion was that America is most sick country in the world. So most Bhoga most Roga.

And because of this mentality the spirit of enjoyment and there’s no limit, no sense control or mind control. The Yoga Bhumi ‘Bharat Mata Ki?’ Audience responds ‘Jai!’ What Bharat Mata ki Jai? Not the present Bharat Mata ki jai, you can’t say that. One speaker said ‘ I want to introduce myself. I want to say that I’m not Indian. He was from Bharat. I am Bharatiya. I am not Indian. I don’t want to make Bharat into India. I want to retain Bharat, Bharat as it is, the heritage of Bharat, the character of Bharat.’ Bharat – Bha means light, Prakash. Of knowledge – light of knowledge. Light of Gita, Bhagavad, Vedas, Puranas light the direction, given by the Rishis and Munis and Sages. The land of Krishna and Sri Ram, we are the residents of that country, that Bharat where the Ganges flow.

ham usa desh ke vasi jisa desh may ganga bhati hai
Ganga Maiya Ki Jaya. Go Mata Ki Jai. Bhagavad Gita ki Jai.

So this is a Yoga Bhumi and we are trying to make it Bhoga Bhumi. Yoga Bhumi, it is Tapobhumi. India is Tapobhumi Tapasya {austerity}. And we should remain known for this character of Bharat. So there is no control over senses and then nobody’s encouraging control.

The lifestyle, this lifestyle that lifestyle. You go to the mall and, I don’t know, there is a big sign outside lots of malls in India and what does it say? ‘Lifestyle.’ Right, have you ever read?

'Lifestyle.' I don’t know what that refers to but it’s a kind of brand. We say death style. If we will die then we will die in style. Death style not lifestyle, live life king size. There used to be one brand, talking of brands, one brand of cigarettes they used to advertise their cigarettes on big big bill boards ‘live life king size.’ Live life what kind of life? King size life, we could live. All that you have to do is smoke our cigarettes. And we see while they are smoking their cigarettes, some kind of king enters them and the way, the style with which they move ‘whoo whoo whoo’ like a king, they have become a king. The smoke has entered their neck and they are intoxicated and if someone has no cigarette actually he has cigarette but no lighter or matchbox and he holds his breath, trying to get someone to be sympathetic towards the cause. ‘You know
I am matchbox less and need something.' Someone then kindly steps forward and lights his cigarette. And what does he say? ‘Thank you.’ Thank you for what? ‘For burning my cigarette. Or I would like to thank you in advance. Not only have you burnt my cigarette but you will be burning my lungs, you have helped me to burn my lungs and I may not be anymore. That is possible so let me – while I can walk and talk, thank you as I may not be there to thank you if I die.’

So I one time read a sign like that ‘live life king size’ when riding from Delhi to Noida in fact, Jamuna River and there’s some and then I drove some distance and there was another sign. That sign said ‘cancer hospital this way.’ I think you have made the connection? Live life king size and then what happens? Cancer hospital this way. We could live life king size or we could be admitted to five star hospital. If you want a five star hospital, the kind of way you enjoyed could lead to the death and then you could be transferred to the five star hospital. You could live life in a style or you could die in style. So this kind of India we are building, this kind of world people are building. Everything’s getting spoiled. The spirit is getting spoilt, the spirit is being ignored and the spirit is getting ignored. Everything comes from ignorance and this is the outcome of what? Ignorance. Collectively from all the doctors and engineers and scientists and leaders and this and that. Collectively this kind of world we have created.

Scientists these day are saying, that physicists from England, the leading what is his name? Steven Hawkins. So he said a few years ago seeing the condition of the planet, now their hands are off, now. The scientists have taken kind of leadership – technology and science. Science is the way, technology is the way to go! So their science technology is blind, ignorant and as a result they are seeing the outcome, the fruit which is all around us.

So therefore that physicist said ‘oh now what to do?’ So he said ‘another planet. Human beings should find another planet which could work as a life boat.’ You know life boat? A main boat with some other boats are attached. If the main boat is in trouble, sinking or some emergency then what happens? People from that main boat they jump into lifesaving boats. So he decided that have the life boat in another planet and they also made another survey and they came to a conclusion that the kind of the greed and the need. Mahatama Gandhi said that ‘you have right over your needs, your needs should be provided for, but not the greed. Greed is enemy of human society or human beings. Greed, so all people are greedy.

So another service said that if there is a living standard like the present day India, and whatever their needs are, if that kind of standard is all over the planet, to provide for and to cater to the needs of those needy and greedy people of India then there would be a need of two planets like
earth. One is not sufficient, you get the point? All the resources and all the matter for enjoyment – one is not enough. How many would be required? Two. And then for Europe they were saying maybe three and half or four planets and for America they said there would be need for five planets like this.

If everyone wants to lead a lifestyle as hankering or greed like the Americans have then we altogether would require five planets like this. So,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

So the solution is Krishna consciousness. When we see what is going all around, we become dizzy. Like so much bewildered and frustrated and people do commit suicide, right?  Everyday, going by statistics, everyday three hundred Indians commit suicide, every single day. In the last twenty four hours, three hundred Indians have committed suicide. And so is that a good sign? So we have time to think before we proceed. Stop think and proceed. So Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai! So he took this leadership on behalf of India’s the sages and saints to represent all the scriptures, Sri Krishna and Sri Rama, Allah to represent Allah, Jehovah and after ‘why have you come to America? What do you want to
accomplish?’

So one time Prabhupada said ‘I want to see a change in the way people think.’ What did he say? The way people think. ‘I want to see change of revolution in the way people think.’ So that started fifty one years ago, Prabhupada founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York in 65 and so many American boys and girls in fact, in general especially or mostly the youths stepped forward. With the help of a handful of youths Srila Prabhupada founded the International Society. Prabhupada not even purchased but only hired or rented one small place. 26 Second Avenue was the address and still is the address as that place is still there. 26 Second Avenue, there are Avenues in Manhattan, New York. So
Prabhupada had just rented that place but he was naming his society the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He was thinking of the future, international. So a handful of American youths, Prabhupada founded this international movement and then they took it seriously, they took to Krishna consciousness seriously.

‘Prabhupada,’ they used to say ‘why in America? Why you have started your mission in America?’ And he used to say ‘well the whole world is imitating Americans these days so I have started here. There’s some Krishna conscious Americans and if they want to world wants to imitate Americans, let them imitate those Hare Krishna Americans.’ Haribol! And that’s what Prabhupada did, we used to call Srila Prabhupada as exporter importer. He exported Krishna consciousness, Krishna conscious culture, exported Krishna the best product, best personality.

He shared Krishna with the world, with the Americans, Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam. He exported prasadam, Krishna prasad. They had no clue how delicious food could be, nourishing your soul, mind and the body. How it could be satisfying they had no experience. Then Prabhupada ended up importing, he became an importer and he imported American Brahmans, American, European sadhus he imported.

And in 71 when I was young man like you and I was studying in one of the colleges in Bombay, Prabhupada had come with his imported sadhus from America and Europe and he was holding a big festival near Church Gate Station, Cross Maidan. Hare Krishna festival and it was advertised all over the town and the advertisement said ‘American sadhus are here. European sadhus are here in your town.’  Then I had gone to find out. ‘Really, really or is this some kind of gimmick?  Are they really there? Are they really American and are they really sadhus?’ Scientists is okay, American scientists but American sadhus? This was unheard of. So when I went I saw and I was conquered, I was convinced. How genuine sadhus they were and their leader was Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada ki jai! There were thousands of folks in Bombay, turning up in big numbers and they were all amazed to see American sadhus. And some of them hippies, they were into hippie culture and with great pride Srila Prabhupada used to say ‘They were hippies but now they have become happies.' And then it is spreading all over the planet this Krishna consciousness and it is the only hope the ray of hope for this planet, the people of this planet. Kindness of God, kindness of Krishna in the form of this Krishna consciousness which is meant for the soul which we had been ignoring. Ignoring the soul, ignoring supersoul, ignoring ignoring ignoring reality. We’ve said a lot of things ignoring this, ignoring that, ignoring ignoring.

So this Hare Krishna movement is trying to get rid of this ignorance, get rid of this ignorance and make people enlightened, realized, knowledgeable. Cultivate goodness, Krishna consciousness which is the need of the soul. So because of ignorance one thinks ‘I am this body a lump of
matter. That is all that I am.’ This Krishna consciousness teaches 'no no no no. You are deep within this body.' 'You are not this body,' this is what Krishna says, this is what Bhagavad Gita says, this is what the Lord says and this is what dharma says. Knowledge begins here. You are not this body, you are spirit soul. And that soul has connection. Someone said that we are ignoring our relationship with God and that is taught. The soul has an eternal relationship with the Lord then how to cultivate, how to revive that relationship and how to thrive? Not just survive but thrive – thrive, thriving that relationship. Then we are properly situated, properly connected. And this applies this is good for everybody in the world, for all the countries in the world, all the states and all the communities, all the families.

It’s good for husbands, it’s good for wives, it’s good for children and good for neighbors. It’s good for the community – good good good for everybody. So we are trying our bit to propagate this Krishna consciousness amongst people, leaders, creating awareness and especially with keen interest in the youths. We have this Iskcon youth forum, we have youth forum and as part of youth forum we have different aspects, features, projects and programmes including this – the voice and the base where youths could come together like minded youths. So along with whatever you are studying, the matter you are studying, we are trying to add the spirit to the matter. We want to see you all happy, successful and then once you are happy and convinced you could also make others happy by sharing these thoughts with others. You have family members and you have friends, you have fellow human beings, other citizens of this country and other countries. Okay {applause}.

Questions and answers

Question: In Kali Yuga ignorance is predominating, in this age the mode of ignorance is predominating everywhere so when we are In devotee circle, when we are with devotees we are in mode of goodness. But when you go outside, how to maintain..?

Answer: Ignorance is predominately everywhere, yes. While you are here with the devotees at this place and in the temple you are good and mode of goodness but then you go out. How to maintain? When you stay together this is a charging battery programme, batteries are charged. And then you have high potential. High voltage and then when you go out the current flows from a high voltage to a lower voltage right. So if you are high and try to stay high wherever you are then you should be changing the people around you, not that people around you should try to change you. Do you get the point?

So we can be mature like that, high thinker like that. Become fixed up and then you are not influenced. You cannot be influenced, you cannot be changed or you cannot be brain washed by people all around or wherever you go.‘This is it! This is it! I’m convinced now.’ Prabhupada

used to ask from time to time ‘Are you convinced? Are you convinced? If you are convinced then you could convince others also. With all their convictions what’s Maya and the spirit of enjoyment and this and that? If you are convinced then nothing would work. You would remain fixed up. Or it is also said or I say just like when we stay together, do sadhana together and like that study, discussion together right now also we are having this discussion, some food for thought. From the day, we share, some food for thought. So what happens when we receive some food for thought? Even otherwise also the food we have to digest right? Assimilate that. So when we do our Krishna conscious practices together, chanting together and hearing together. That is called vichara manthan, churning, churning, churning.

So when you churn the

yogurt what happens? You get butter. So what position does the butter acquire in butter milk? The butter is at the top, butter goes at the top and then you make a little ball on top floating And if you try to push that ball deep it may go down but then what happens? It immediately jumps onto the top. It doesn’t become anymore homogeneous with the rest of the buttermilk. Once it was part and parcel of the yogurt, buttermilk was a part of it but churning and churning – the essence of the yogurt is the butter. So once this bit is separated, it remains at the top and doesn’t get mixed up with the buttermilk anymore. So we are together here, we have been churning, churning, thinking, thinking, settling, settling getting convinced, getting convinced and then when even if we enter a wine shop, ‘live life king size‘ shop then you will stay at the top and not enter, not go down the drain. So we have to prepare like that.

Question: Guru Maharaj you were talking about the greed. Identifying greed is quite difficult. I heard in your lecture it states in our sastras but hardly anyone gets to know where that greed is sitting and it then comes out. How to work out where is this? How to identify that greed, that
thing has to be worked out.

Answer: With sastra chaksusa, you wear the glasses of sastra. Sastras will show you or sadhus will show you. Or whether it’s not just greed but there are three things. There are six things but three also is set up. There’s Kama there’s Krodha then Lobha – lust, greed anger, mada, moha, matsarya these are called Sad Ripus. The thieves are very expert. To detect the thief, they are always hiding. So then the intelligence department, the government has intelligence department and as those terrorists are crossing the border, the first one to detect the migration the movement of the terrorist is who? Intelligence department, intelligence. They’re keeping an eye on the watch. Then they give the news to the police or the army ‘Watch out watch out watch out! Here they come, they’re here now they’re there now they should be reaching their destination.’ So we could use our intelligence to detect our enemies. Kama enemy, Krodh enemy, Lobha enemy.

Arjuna also was not sure what was happening.

papam charati puru?ha?
anichchhann api var?hneya balad iva niyojita?

‘You know sometimes I end up committing some sin. I know this is not right thing to do but someone something just drags me, forces me to do it and unwillingly I end up committing sin. What is it, who is it?’ This is Arjuna’s question in Bhagavad Gita. Does that answer your question? Does that also answer some of your..? Actually it happens to all of us. That is why on behalf of all of us Arjuna has asked that question. Then Krishna said ‘I’ll tell you.’

kama esa krodha esa rajo guna samudbhavah
mahasano maha papma viddhy enam iha vairinam [BG 3.37]

Please note please note – you all have notebooks? Viddhy. Viddhy enam iha vairinam. This is job of your vairi, This is job of your enemy. ‘Who is dragging me, forcing me to commit sin, who is it?!’ Krishna said ‘this is your enemy.’ And then Krishna also named, identified those enemies.
kama esa krodha esa – so that is your lust, enemy called lust and Kama Krodha – the anger. When lust is not satisfied, kamat krodho 'bhijayate.

Our desires are not fulfilled, some obstacles, some stumbling blocks some delay then what happens? We cannot stand – ‘why?! Who are you?! Get out of here! You are stopping me.’ And we get angry and when the desires are not getting fulfilled, we feel frustrated. We become angry and we begin quarrels and battles and wars. All over, the cause of all quarrels, battles and wars is kamat krodho 'bhijayate. When Kama is not satisfied, then we become Krodhi, angry. And when your desires are getting fulfilled, everything is going good, as per your plans everything is favourable then what happens? Lobha, we become Lobhi.

‘Oh nice, I’d like to have more of this. Could I have more? I want more of this. That’s nice, so nice. I want more of this’ Then one becomes greedy. So we all have Kama in the material world, we gave up Prema. Kama – lust is the perverted reflection of Prema. Krishna Prema, Bhagavad Prema, Prema, Prema. Radha Krishna prema, this is a divine, this is a divine. The pure spirit soul he loves Krishna, serves Krishna, loves, prema, full of Prema. But when the living entity has his back towards God and is facing this world, then bhoga vancha kare, then he has a desire for bhoga.

Bhoga vancha – that’s called lust, he becomes lusty. And then that lust, lust could result in either anger if the lust is not satisfied and lust could also result in greed, these things are going on. As per your plan and schemes everything’s working out, everything’s favorable to fulfill your
desires and lusty desires are fulfilled then you become greedy. Kama, Krodha, Lobha, mada and when you're greedy and everything’s going as per your plan you enjoy and you enjoy and then you become intoxicated. Mada – you become intoxicated and you think that this is the life.

‘Nice, nice’ getting intoxicated. Mada Matsarya, Matsarya ‘Oh I have a better car than the neighbor and then the friend.’ Matsarya the envy. One begins comparing ‘my wealth, my knowledge, my dynasty, my education. I have done overseas education.' This is called Matsarya – envious.

Sometime the person has a very luxurious car and next to him is a Maruti 800 and next to him is a motorcycle guy, next to him is a cyclist and next to him is a pedestrian. So one who has a bicycle is saying ‘look I have a bicycle. You’re just only walking. I have a bicycle’ And the one who’s on the motorbike ‘Ah ha I have a motorbike, you only cycle. I have motorcycle.’ The 800 Maruti driver is looking at the motorcycle thinking ‘I have better. He only has a motorcycle, I have a car but I don’t have a luxurious car, or flying car or this kind of car.’ So Matsarya. And then what is the final? Moha – What is the sixth one? Illusion, he is put into illusion. Illusioned – Ignorance is bliss. This is it materiality as the reality. So these are the enemies, these are the symptoms how to detect. These symptoms you can tell from a person’s walk and talk and everything that he does. This is Kama and this is called Krodha and this is called greed. This is Mada and Matsarya and this is called Moha these are the symptoms.

kama esa krodha esa rajo guna samudbhavah

This is also there is a lot of Rajo Guna – passion. Goodness passion ignorance, from passion comes the lust and anger. And then we go into the lower mode ignorance and then Mada, Moha, Matsarya these are even creations and productions of the lower nature. Krishna conscious person is Vishuddha Sattva – transcendental to these three modes of material nature so when you are fixed in the Shuddha Sattva, you have nothing to do with the Kama, Krodha, and Mada and Moha and Matsarya this is low thinking. Simple living and high thinking. So when you are a high thinking of goodness, the goal is pure mode of goodness.

The aim is thinking in the mode of pure goodness, the goal is pure mode of goodness. Goodness is good, but not the best. Worse than goodness is passion and the worst is ignorance. In the age of Kali there is mode of ignorance and now the education that goes on cultivates ignorance or revives ignorance, it creates more fashion and passion then ignorance.

Question: This thing happened yesterday in office after lunch , one of our other friends. The question goes that some other religions are bringing us down and all that and as persons we should be aware about this and stop them or be against them. All these things disturbed us for half an hour, one hour. What should we do in this situation in this condition?

Answer: It is also said that we should not be preaching to the faithless. That doesn’t mean that we should not preach, there are a lot of faithless people around. You can tell something something and stop there. We should also not expect result, they may or may not accept, we did our duty. That should or could take that stand.

karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kada chana

Preaching is our duty whether they accept or reject which they are going to do according to their level of understanding, their evolution and God consciousness, Krishna consciousness. They are going to be responding from their level whether their level is ignorance level, passion level, goodness level or pure mode of goodness level, they are going to be responding.

If you have spoken the truth then leave the results up to the Lord or as per their levels or depth of their understanding. Just because they did not accept what you said that doesn't make what you said as a wrong thing. You were right and you spoke the right thing but you did not have the
right customer. Patra, the eligible person or that idea’s time has not come for them. Not yet maybe, you could wait for a few more months and check out again whether they are now ready or something like that. We should go on. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said,

yare dekho tare kaho krsna upadesa

We have good intention and we have something good to share for the benefit of the individual, for the benefit of the society and the world at large so nothing to worry, we should not feel bad or guilty or those feelings. Or that may also make us humble, opposition.

‘Preaching is fighting’ Prabhupada said ‘preaching is fighting.’

Question: Nowadays we are so much into worshipping Gods that we are actually forgetting the worship of humanity. Like everyone has their own Gods like Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, Lord Rama everyone has their own type of Gods. So my question is that people go in temples and they put a lot of money in it, thousand rupees, lakhs rupees, Crore rupees so why don’t we instead give that money to poor people. During Shivaratri we offer a lot of milk to God and in India people are dying of hunger, so if we give that milk to poor people so isn’t that a good thing?

Answer: It would be nice {laughter}. Yes, that’s why they say Daridra Narayan Seva. Well you have said a lot of things, a lot of things could be addressed but I will say something. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
 
The rich man’s son who is richest these days, Ambani’s or Tata’s, Birla’s, these are also from traditional. So if their son leaves home and now he’s loitering in the street, and of course you know he’s homeless and he is foodless or drinkless, he has abandoned his family and gone away. He is now in the middle of nowhere so some people may feel some sympathy towards such person, some young man ‘please come, please come, please come.’ Some young man, he has some small – some BHK?

One BHK and he has already half a dozen family members but he has this little corner you can stay in. Take a little food, a little this and that. So that’s one way to help that young man or whatever age group that he belongs to. That he has given up his rich heritage and all wealth and all facilities and all. But the other person, there may be another person who finds out ‘Oh you are Ambani’s son?’ ‘Yes yes, I used to be. {Laughter} I’m still the same!’ So he could convince him ‘let’s go back to your parents, back to your family.’ So if you could convince him and take him back to his father, mother, family. So there are two ways in this person is being helped out. Number one, with the BHK and number two you just say ‘let’s go back to your parent’s place. And they’re rich and everything is there.’

So of the two, who has assisted or helped that person in a better way? The second person. So this is so God exists, of course Shiva is God, this is God, I am God, you are God that goes on, let’s leave that aside. So let’s accept Krishna, Shri Ram, Allah, yes? Shiva is also a very highly
placed God, not the Supreme Personality of Godhead but he is Mahadeva. So going back to God, returning to God, the kingdom of God and going back, returning to him; that’s one way in which the Krishna consciousness movement, the members of Krishna consciousness, the members of different sampradayas, authorised sampradayas, the four Vaishnava sampradayas, Ramanuja, Vishnuswami, Nimbarka and which is ours? Madhava.

So there are four sampradayas are there, Vaishnava sampradayas. They are authorized and speak and propagate the truth. Others do a little hodge podge business – they don’t know what is what. They know some of the time half the truth so then they misguide but those who are authorized, our International Society for Krishna Consciousness belongs to one of those four branches or schools of thought or as they say Parampara.

So these Parampara’s, or knowledge of these Parampara’s is propagated with the aim of convincing those souls who are loitering in this world, they are being convinced to return to God, supreme –The Personality of Godhead. Go to God, face God, go to God, love God, go back to Godhead and by doing so, they hear those authorized speakers then they’ll be eternally benefitted. There’s no shortage of whatsoever in the kingdom of God. And they’ll be home, they’ll be going back to home, they’ll be at home. Sometimes people stay in their houses so – and the rest of the people, those who are not authorized to talk on behalf of the Lord. Those who are not talking about Krishna, not talking the language of the Bhagavad Gita, language of
the Vedas, language of the Puranas, language of the Srimad Bhagavatam – those who are not talking this but talking something else, something something else; they are trying to keep all the citizens, all the people happy here. ‘Oh I’ll stay here. We’ll have a smart city and we’ll have this we’ll have that we’ll have that.’ So then he made the point. So ultimately you know the poor – our understanding, devotee understanding is that the poverty of the consciousness – whether the person is in poor consciousness or enriched rich in consciousness, this is more important than wealth wise and facility wise and how much or what kind of house I have or whether I have only cycle or motorcycle or Maruti 800 or Limousine.

The devotees do not consider that as wealth. Wealth is meant to make you happy right? That’s why wealth is used but you are so poor in knowledge also that you do not even know who you are and you want to be happy but you are just trying to make your body happy. You have missed the bus, you have missed the point. You are not making yourself happy, take care of yourself. No one tells you who you are and that you should be taken care of. Everyone thinks that they are the bodies and this is our bodies and taking care of bodily needs.

‘Oh we have taken care of the citizens.’ No Sir, you have missed the point. Your spirit is missing, the spirit is missing. The spirit is what? Being ignored – it’s the ignorance on our part. So the first business is you want to help somebody but first understand who he is? He is not the body! Okay people are drowning, there’s a flood in Bihar and Assam and here and there. So one gentleman he was not such a good swimmer but then he fell in the well or he fell in the lake with all his clothes on and he was really struggling and about to drown and his wife happened to be right there on the bank of the lake and she started ‘help, help save my – save my husband!’

So someone a swimmer he jumped right in and he went there and grabbed what he thought was the husband that he managed to catch hold of and he was dragging and dragging to the bank of the lake. And he said ‘here here. Good lady have your husband.’ What he had managed to bring back or drag was the coat. ‘You fool! This is the coat of my husband, my husband has drowned! This is just the coat.’

So Krishna in Bhagavad Gita compares this body with a coat. This body is a coat.

vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya

This body is a vastra, his body is a cloth and if there is no person then there is no clothing right? First there is a person and then you go to the tailor and stitching cloth. So this body is a cloth and there are eight million four hundred thousand varieties of clothes of those many species,
those many kinds of vasamsi clothes. And inside those many clothes, there is a soul. So the present day leaders and the welfare workers and leaders of the family are trying to take care of what? The coat, the cloth only, the real person, forget it. They don’t even have a clue who my wife really is, who my children really are. Who are my citizens? Are they just lump of matter.

kaumaram yauvanam jara – kaumara or old?

tatha dehantara praptir, Krishna says ‘no, no, no’ tatha dehantara at the end when there is a death there’s a dehantara. You come out of one body and enter into another body.

vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grhnati naro 'parani

We abandon the old cloth and we put a new one, new jeans, new this or new that. New one, I was wearing some jeans with lots of holes and I said you should new jeans. So these are brand new! So soul is the goal. So soul the self, the soul has to be served. So soul is starving, soul is drying, dying and we are having fun thinking we are enjoying.

Okay and something more could be said but this is basic concept which should be understood.
I think we should stop.
So thank you.

Krsna, non-different from Krsna Chaitanya

26 02 2014

ISKCON Mayapur [18:02]

In the beginning, there is a sraddha, komal sraddha,. Rupa Goswami Prabhupada describes in Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu, komal shraddha- tender. Then while hearing,

vaisnava sanga, sandhu sa

a means hearing, then bhajana kriya- practicing, anartha nivriti- ceto darpana marjanama. That means there is abhadra, amangal cleansing. And
then nistha is achieved. That is a big, big step forward on the way up or unto the prema, sraddha to prema. You are hearing and then asakti that causes more hearing. Asakti, ruci, that's also hearing; then bhava and then prema like that. 

So, sravana utsav is a wonderful festival giving us the opportunity to become fixed devotee of Gauranga. Becoming attached to Him, attached, maccitta.

mac-citta mad-gata-prana
bodhatantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mam nityam
tusyanti ca ramanti ca [B.G. 10.9]

With great pride, Lord is talking about His devotees. My devotees, oh My devotees. mac-cittah. Cetanah, the consciousnes, mac-cittah, glued onto My feet, to Me, bow down.

bodhatantah parasparam

They are just talking, conversing and reminding each other. 

mac-citta mad-gata-prana

Giving their prana to the Lord. 

kathayantas ca mam nityam

All the time they are talking about Me, kathayantas ca mam nityam tusyanti, they are satisfied doing this. tusyanti ca ramanti ca. It has become their life style, their life. No wonder who needs such life, ramanti ca. So, yesterday, we were talking Krsna is Krsna Chaitanya. You know that there is a Krsna, non-different from Krsna Chaitanya, Lord Sri Krsna Chaitanya is non-different from Sri

From

Krsna.

namo maha vadanyaya, we started from there and from this sastras, this purana, that purana, Mahabharata, the predictions of Lord's advent.

mayapure navadvipe
bhavishyami shaci-sutah [Garuda Purana]

“In My original spiritual form, perfect and complete, I will become the son of Shachi-devi in Navadwipa Mayapura.
 In the Markandeya Purana, the Supreme of Godhead declares:
 
golokam ca parityajya
lokanam trana-karanat
kalau gauranga-rupena
lila-lavanya-vigrahah
 
“In the Kali-yuga, I will leave Goloka and, to save the people of the world, I will become the handsome and playful Lord Gauranga.”

The Caitanya Caritamrta, in the beginning talking about what? Effulgence, talked about in Upanishad, they are rays coming from the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Oh, that super soul, that is You. He is also, sad aisvarya purna bhagavan

krishnat param kimapi tattvam aham na jane

There is no superior truth superior to Krsna or Krsna Chaitanya.

anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam (CC. Adi-lila 1.4)

Lord appearing to deliver the unnatojjvala-rasam – madhurya ras, the top most condensed of all the rasas. He appeared to relish and share that. He relishes those in Vrndavan as Sri Krsna and when He realized that oh, Radharani relishes more. Is there something that I do not know? Am I lacking something? Then I should do something about it. And then what does He do? He appears as Gauranga, Sri Krsna Caitanya. It is very basic. 

sri krsna caitanya Radha krsna nahi anya

Sri Krsna Caitanya is non different from Radha and Krsna. Radha krsna nahi anya – Sri Krsna Caitanya. So then there is Gauranga with Radha bhava, Radha dyuti, navami krsna svarupam. 

I offer my obeisance’s into that svarupa of the Lord which have Radha bhava and Radha dyuti, the complexion of Radharani and devotion of Radharani. That is why He is Gauranga because Radharani is Gaurangi. Radhe Vrndavaneswari is Gaurangi so, the Lord has become Gauranga –bahir Gaura.
 
Lord is of golden complexion, Gaura, outside He is Gauri, inside He is Krsna. There is some kind of makeup complexion of Radharani, emotions of Radharani and He is playing that role but basically, He is Krsna. He has accepted the mood of Radharani and the complexion of Radharani.
 
So, that Lord Gauranga appeared in this abode of Navadvipa dhama, just few hundred meters from here. The idea about yesterday was said that, although, He has appeared as Bhagavad bhakta rupena, He has appeared as devotee of Bhagavan, gaura bhakta, we are gaura bhakta vrndas, He is Gaura and He has become devotee of the Lord. But He is Lord Himself.He is trying to conceal and hide Himself.

naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah [BG 7.25]

Krsna says, I cover Myself with Yogamaya and I do not reveal to just anybody and everybody.  So, that Lord, Chanavatar, He is concealing His ID, identity. He does not become always successful and He leaks out, letting the world knows that He is Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
When He was appearing, the moon had good excuse. That day the moon did not rise. The moon: there's moon eclipse today! So, I do not have to appear, to show my face and how could I do that? Today is the day of Caitanya Chandra's appearance. Today, another chandra, Caitanya Candra will appear. Chandra is moon. And oh,

bahu koti candra jini vadana ujjavala [Gaura arati]

The brilliance of Lord Caitanya's face conquers millions upon millions of moons.

koti surya sama prabha

Bhagavatam says, effulgence coming from His personality, from His face,

koti surya sama prabha

Koti, millions of moons or suns, all that effulgent rays put together, cannot be compared to the effulgence of Gauranga Caitanya Candra.
So that Chandra, our Chandra, says, No, no, I cannot show my face. Look, there are so many spots, black spots on my face. I have to hide it. So, that day our moon hid himself. Today is moon eclipse so I'll let Caitanya Chandra appear today. Let the whole world take darsana of Caitanya Candra.  Moon God knew who this Caitanya Chandra is? And His

effulgence, His brilliance.
 
yam brahma varunendra-rudra-marutah stunvanti divyaih stavair [SB 12.13.1]
 
When Lord appears everyone, all these demigods come: Yam, Brahma, Varuna Indra, Candra, Surya. 330 million Gods and Goddesses had come. divyaih stavair – They are offering their sthava, stuti in praise of Gauranga.  All that happened in Mathura, when Sri Krsna appeared in all discretion. Sukadeva Goswami describing appearance of Sri Krsna and demigods and garbha stuti is very famous. While Sri Krsna was still in the womb demigods have appeared and they were offering prayers, they were offering flowers. The apsaras were dancing and the Gandharvas were singing different rhymes and couch shells, all ceremony.

su svagatam caitanya

su svagatam, you are welcome. And they have Sri Krsna in Vrndavana and Sri Krsna Caitanya here in Mayapur. So beautiful that,

deva apy asya rupasya
niyam darsana kanksinah (B.g. 11. 52.)

Lord personally said, Lord Himself: You know, you know Arjuna the form that you are now looking at, this is the 11th chapter towards the end, Krsna said, the form that now you are looking at, deva apy asya rupasya niyam darsana kanksinah. The demigods are very, very eager and anxious to take darsana of this rupam, this form that you are looking at. So, that form was appearing here in Navadvipa. Demigods and Goddesses were there. They were shuttling between Navadvipa and their abodes. They were constantly going back and forth.