Explanation of Sri Damodara Ashtakam

181118-Vrindavan [1.21.54]

Hare Krsna, you don’t say? [Hare Krsna] I like it atleast to say Hare Krsna at the beginning of the class. I also like that you are here in the courtyard of Krishna Balarama mandir and underneath the Tamal tree. This morning you could see there is no Bhagavatam verse written on the board. So there is no Bhagavatam, we have Damodaraashtakam verses.

Damodaraashtak ki….. jai

Yes, I just thought of staying in the mood of this month. Damodaraashtak certainly connects us with that mood or revives the mood of the most auspicious month- Damodaraa month. As I decided to do that, I don’t know whether you are happy or not that I decided to do this. But you know this garland (in his neck) is from Radha Damodara temple. I don’t ever remember receiving any garland from Radha Damodaraa. Today, in the morning, when one mataji said “Maharaja, Radha Damodaraa garland for you”, then I thought Damodaraa is happy with me so I selected this topic- some indication. It (garland) did not fall from His neck around my neck but someone brought it over and now it is here.

Radha Damodara ki……Jai
Yashoda Damodara ki… jai

Radha Damodara were the first deities of Vrindavan that I had taken darsana of, all the way in 1972.We used to sit there for listening Srimad Bhagavatam and Nectar of Devotion classes from Srila Prabhupada under the Tamal tree there also. Now it is the same month, same deities garland and same Vrindavan.
Vrindavan dham ki jai

Many, many things –not things, festivals and past times keep happening throughout this month every day, every other day and every night. Radha kunda appeared in the middle of the night and so day and night, things or past times keep happening throughout this month. However, I think of all those happenings, the past time between Yashoda and Damodara is most significant and highlight of this month. Something that happened – just one day.

ekada g?ha-dasisu yasoda nanda-gehini  [SB 10.9.1]

Wife of Nanda Maharaja, she asks her maid “Do something else today. You do this sweeping, you do cleaning etc. Today I am going (swayam) to do the churning up of butter.”

Ekda- Sukdev Goswami is not putting any date, he is making a general statement by saying ekda-once upon a time. That time was the month of Kartik (pointing to the audience) Some of you already started sleeping, Krishna just woke up. It was early morning hour and there was no Yashoda around. Yashoda did not come to wake Him up. Uthi uthi gopala-she did not do that, that day. uthi uthi-Please get up. As soon as he would get up, the first thing that he would do or the first pastime of Krishna was to drink the breast milk every morning.

yasoda ca maha-bhaga
papau yasyah stanam harih  [SB 10.8.46]

The most fortunate lady, yasoda cha mahabhaga papau-someone is drinking, who is that? Hari. Hari is drinking the breast milk of Yasoda. What a good great fortune of Yasoda? Sukdev Goswami says that Yasoda is mahabhaga. Krishna would do that, drinking breast milk every morning. But that morning-ekda-once upon a time or one morning that did not happen. Anyway, I am getting into narration of the past time which I did not want to get into because I wanted to go through these eight prayers of Damodarashtak. But what I meant to say was that, this past time took place just one day and it did not take place the whole day only part of the day. Basically and ultimately what happened was that Yasoda bound Krishna and the mortar with the rope. That was the final act of the episode and from that day onwards Balagopal Krishna became known as Damodara.

Dam and uddar put together becomes Damodara. Dam is rope and uddar is belly-Krishna’s stomach. Lord bound up with the rope that is Damodara. So that happening, that past time has become eternal past time, a topic of deep meditation and topic of discussion. And Lord has become famous of becoming Makhanchor. He is stealing and still He became popular. So Krishna is known as Damodara. It is confirmed that He steals butter. He is butter stealer. So many complaints were coming from the ladies. But Yasoda always denied. “No, no, how this is possible? My sweet little boy is stealing. Is there any shortage of butter at home? We have 9 hundred thousand of cows, tons of butter. Why He would go next door to steal butter”? Like that Yasoda would always deny. But ekda once upon a time that day was Diwali. On the day of Deepawali, Sri Ram arrived in Ayodhya, after the victory on Lanka. It was the same day but another age. Difference of one age, that was Treta Yuga but this is Dwapara Yug. That day, on Deepawali , Krishna who was supposed to be good, well behaved boy, was caught white handed by Yasoda. I knowingly said this what kind of Krishna’s hand was it, what colour? White hand. Usually thieves, robbers and thieves are caught red handed. Their hands become blood red but Krishna’s hands were bright white because of the butter. And He was caught then He had to be punished and not only He should be punished but also one who helped Him to steal the butter, should be punished. So who helped Him? The mortar helped Him. If there was no mortar around, there was no way Krishna could have reached the butter hanging from the ceiling. He found the mortar, placed it right underneath the pot full of butter. He climbed up and then he had fun that morning, good morning. Hari hari time is running out (to the audience) we better get to our business, actually we haven’t even started yet.

namamisvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupam
lasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanam
yasoda-bhiyolukhalad dhavamanam
paramrstam atyantato drutya gopya

Satyavrat Muni is the compiler of Damodarashtakam. It is supposed to be dialogue between Narada and Shaunak Muni. These are beautiful eight prayers. So namami. These prayers are worship. This way we worship the Lord. We offer our obeisances unto the Lord. We glorify the Lord. Different things we do as we recite this Damodarashtakam. So the compiler of Damodarashtakam , begins the ashtak with namami. What is namami? I offer namami-namaskar. I offer my obeisances. Satyavrat Muni would do this from time to time. He would do that in the beginning, in the middle and in the end. He would do that again and again like.

aise sri bhagavan ko barambar pranam hai

Krishna is like this. Because He is like this, I would like to offer Him my obeisances. Because He is like this, I love to offer my obeisances unto such Krishna. So namami I offer my obeisance unto whom? Namami Ishwaram-I offer my obeisance unto Ishwar. Namami Ishwaram- this is one thing. I offer my obeisances to Ishwaram, Parmeshwaram, Krishnam, Sacchidanand rupam. I offer my obeisances so -vande has to be said every time. It is not said, not written –every time. It won’t fit into the meter like that. But vande goes with lots of items in this first verse also.

Sacchidananda rupam namami and who is offering namaskar? Aham namami –aham Ishwaram namami- aham sacchidanand rupam namami. There are small statements in the poetry but you could make that in the prose form-for understanding. You understand better when it is put in the prose form.

lasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanam

The brilliant effulgent earrings unto such Damodara, I offer my obeisance. yasoda-bhiyolukhalad dhavamanam offer my obeisance unto him the Damodara- dhavmanam-who ran. Now – dhavamanam-one who was running, why was He running? Yasoda-bhi Because of the fear of Yasoda, He was running and ulukhalad –from where to where? He was on the ukhal-the mortar and He jumped down and started running away. Unto that Damodara, I offer my obeisance. paramrstam atyantato drutya gopya and Yasoda followed Him. He was running very fast- atyantato drutya gopya. He is running fast and she is trying to run faster but not able to manage because of her size and Krishna is little young boy. Okay, so he is trying to stay away, not allowing Yashoda to catch him up not as yet. It will happen later and as He tried and tried, I think it could be, while He is still running, He is afraid.

rudantam muhur netra-yugmam m?jantam
karambhoja-yugmena satanka-netram

He is still running or He has been caught and as that happened, what is He doing? – rudanta? He starts crying, crying again and again. In fact He is crying constantly, not that He is stopping and then crying and then stops and again cries.

muhuh svasa-kampa-trirekhanka-kantha-
sthita-graivam damodaram bhakti-baddham

First of all as He is crying, tears are coming out from both His eyes. He is using His both fists to rub His eyes. As He is crying, He is fearful, cannot even look at His mother or His eyes into mother’s eyes. That could also be the reason why He is trying to close His eyes “No no Yasoda, I can’t.”

karambhoja-lotus hands, yugmena – two hands, satanka-netram – atanka means fearful, very much afraid of-satanka. Atanka- atankwad –like a terrorism, you know Krishna is terrorised because of mother Yasoda. He is afraid of Yasoda.

muhuh svasa-kampa

I am sure you cried like this. Each one of you at some point of time, cried like that. Is there any exception? No exceptions. Because Krishna cried, we cried also. Krishna has set the standard.

mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah [BG 4.11]

Lord says in Bhagavad-gita, the path which I follow, the acts I perform, they are followed by the whole world. So the way, He cried as a baby, all the babies keep crying. It cannot be the other way because the babies around the world, the way they cry, Krishna looked and understood, they cry like this so let me also cry like that. No, it is the other way around. Krishna cried as a baby, the genuine, original eternal baby. He has set the standard. Of course the perverted reflection of that but whatever reflection we see, where it is coming? It has origin in Krishna.

trirekhanka-kantha

And there are three lines on the neck of Sri Krishna, they are always there. This way you get to know the details of the form of the Lord. When you go, next time, go back to Krishna standing face to face then you will remember, we were told, it’s exactly like that it is confirmed . Anyway you don’t have to really go and see and then confirm because this is in the sastra. This is praman, sastras see and show. Or those who have seen they have compiled the sastras-scriptures and the form. So it is confirmed. Because the scriptures say so, because Damodarashtakam says so, it has to be like that and it is like this.

sthita-graivam damodaram bhakti-baddham

And there is a locket- graiva is neck .And something hanging from his neck. Griva becomes graiva. There is a locket or pendant and that is also moving as His whole body is shaking. Whatever He is wearing, is also shaking.

itidrk sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde
sva-ghosam nimajjantam akhyapayantam

Satyavrata Muni further says- itidrk sva-lilabhir- lila like this-iti- means whatever has been only briefly explained. Certainly He is clearly stating, which lila- itid?k-like this-sva-lila by His own lila- by His past times. ananda-kunde- Damodara Krishna fills the kind the pool, lake or even ocean with ananda. There is so much bliss-ocean of bliss. This lila becomes the cause of ananda-so much ananda- ananda-kunde. Who is taking the advantage of this kunda? –sva-ghosam-the residents of Vrindavan, His associates. And what do they do?-nimajjante. They jump right into that lake, they swim, dive deeper into it. This is what we could say,

sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate- sri-krishna-sankirtanam

Sankirtana andolan, movement of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu sankirtana

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare

When we chant this, we are also supposed to be creating kunda, lake of ananda. Here it is referred about this lila -itidrk sva-lilabhir. But when we chant Hare Krishna as already stated,

anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam

What is the chanter supposed to be doing- sarvatma-snapanam. He drowns, he dives deeper into that ananda. Nimajyanti nimajyanti te maha anarth sagre-Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Prabodhanand Saraswati Thakur also said this. Anyway, if we keep talking like this, we will never see the end of this ashtakam. Okay we’ll just carry on, so nimajjantam-merging, entering into, becoming part of nimagna..

sva-ghosam nimajjantam akhyapayantam
tadiyesita-jnesu bhaktair jitatvam
punah prematas tam satavrtti vande

Again vande has come here. I offer vande –vandana. I worship-again namami-I offer my obeisances unto the Lord-how many times-satavriti. Avrtti means repetition. How many times- hundreds and hundreds of times-satavrtti vande and how do I do this? prematas- full of devotion-love for my Lord. I offer vandana-namaskar unto the Lord. One thing that is also mentioned –why I offer my vandana unto this Lord- bhaktair jitatvam.

Damodara becomes conquered-jitatvam. He becomes conquered. He is conquered by whom? bhaktair- by the bhaktas. Devotees conquer Him, otherwise He is unconquerable-Ajita Krisna even Ayodhya -unconquerable. No matter what kind of yudha- battle you come up with-Ayodhya the capital of Sri Ram is never conquered- unconquerable. Lord is like that but He becomes conquered by bhaktair jitatvam. Then akhyapayantam -He has become famous like this-famous for being conquered by his devotees- by His devotees’ devotion Lord is conquered. This is a statement, this Damodara Lila is making this statement. He could be conquered, He could be conquered-see how Yasoda conquered Him, arrested Him, bound Him up.

varam deva moksam na moksavadhim va
na canyam vrne ‘ham varesad apiha

No, no, I do not want, don’t give me varam, don’t give me benediction- Dev-O’ lord, do not give me benediction. moksam na moksavadhim va -anything all the way upto moksha and whatever is in between- bhuktikami, siddhi kami and this kami and that kami all the way upto mukti. There are so many kamnas all the way upto mukti. Even mukti I don’t want-moksavdhim-upto mukti. Anything from bottom all the way upto moksha, I don’t want.

na canyam -cha anyam and other similar var. Varesad-I know you are Var –ish, you are varada the giver of benediction or I know you are Varadraj- the king amongst the benedictors.

Varesad-Var-ish. But for me, I have no interest.

idam te vapur natha gopala-balam
sada me manasy avirastam kim anyaih

Oh! Gopal, Gopal-Gopalabalam-Bal Gopal- all that I want is sada-always-manasya virastam. Please stay in my mind, in my heart. Enter my mind. Let me always think of you-manmana. Let me do this,

manasy avirastam kim anyaih
All other things, I don’t care- kim anyai?-all other items I don’t care. I only want that-may Krishna be with you, may God be with you-like that we always say-so you be always with me and you be always in my mind. Let me always think of you.

idam te mukhambhojam atyanta-nilair
vrtam kuntalaih snigdha-raktais’ ca gopya

Now it is the turn of mukhambhojam – lotus face like karambhojam-lotus hand as said earlier. Now lotus face- mukhambhojam. You are mukh ambuj-you are lotus faced. Krishna is not ever trying to look for any lotus face here but maybe some of you may resemble. But your atma your spirit has. If I could see the spirit, the spirit’s face is like lotus-like father like son or like father like daughter. Why not, so many daughters are sitting here. We are all children of Krishna. So if our father is beautiful then it is also seen that if parents have beautiful features then children are also beautiful. If Krishna is beautiful then here also we must be, we are beautiful.

So Lord’s face is mukhambhojam but then he says atyanta-nilair. Well okay Krishna’s form is like that-deep bluish-Ghanshyam-ghan eva shyam. Krishna’s complexion is ghan eva- ghan is the clouds and they have to be not the clouds of the month of Kartik but of the month of rainy season. Like fresh monsoon clouds. Srila Prabhupada says –fresh monsoon clouds are loaded with lots of water drops and their density is very high then that complexion resembles Krishna’s complexion-ghan eva shyam.

atyanta-nilair vrtam kuntalaih

And that bluish face is covered, is hidden by the curly hair of you O’Bala Gopal.

snigdha-raktais’ ca gopya
muhus cumbitam bimba-raktadharam me
snigdha-raktais’ ca gopya
muhus cumbitam bimba-raktadharam me
manasy avirastam alam laksa-labhaih

So, similar earlier statements have been repeated here, that you please enter my mind. Please let me think of you O’ Lord. Now what kind of Lord- muhus cumbitam bimba-raktadharam me -something reddish. Two reddish things have been pointed here. First, the lips of the Lord which are reddish like the bimb fruit or the pomegranate seeds inside. So the Lords lips are red. Seven parts of the Lord’s body are reddish. One of them is the lips. The reddish bimb- raktadharam me and the cheeks are also reddish. There are red marks because of muhus cumbitam. Yasoda is always, doing chumban, kissing Him every now and then. She kisses her darling little boy Bala Gopal and His cheeks are very tender-not like the elderly faces. The skin on His face is not like the buffalo skin. No matter what you do with the buffalo’s skin, you bite it, it is not going to leave any impression. But the face of the Bala Gopal is so tender that even if Yasoda touches His cheeks, it seems as if will eat Him up. He is so sweet, we like to put Him in the heart. So as she kisses, His face becomes reddish-reddish cheeks and reddish lips-that is nice beauty. Beauty is enhanced. He is already beautiful but then His beauty is enhanced specially because of reddish lips. Lips get your attention. When you look at a person, first you see the eyes and lips of the person. You may see the nose, ears, hair later on. But first thing you see is the eyes and then the lips. So He wants,

manasy avirastam alam laksa-labhaih

He wants to keep the image, wants to store, preserve this. And He says, I do not care for millions of other kinds of benefits and benedictions. No, no I am not interested. Now moving along if we are allowed.

namo deva damodarananta visno
prasida prabho duhkha-jalabdhi-magnam
krpa-drsti-vrstyati-dinam batanu-
grhanesa mam ajnam edhy aksi-drsyah

So here we quickly point out that Satyavrata Muni is addressing the Lord in various ways. There are many addresses. You understand addresses like-O, aho, ye etc. are addresses to get attention. Namo is there again-I offer my obeisances, this is going on. This mood is always there. While he is saying all other things, he wants to offer obeisances constantly. He is offering obeisance to whom again.

Deva is one address-Adi Deva, Govind deva, Hari deva. O! Deva-that is one address. Damodara is another address. O! Damodara, O! Anant means unlimited. Ananta Vishno- O! Vishno- like hey Krishna karuna sindho. This is also a type of address. He is karuna sindhu but when you address, it becomes Karuna Sindho. He is dina bandhu but when you address, it becomes Dina Bandho. He is Vishnu but when you address, you say Vishno like she is Radha but when you want to address, she becomes Radhey. Radha is addressed as Radhey. Hare Krishna is also an address. Krishna Krishna-8 times and each each one is an address. There are 16 names in the maha-mantra. There each one is address. That is why it is Krishna not Krishnah. Two dots in front then it is Krishnah- the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You take away the 2 dots (visarga)-you remove them immediately-becomes O’ Krishna. So there is difference. So Hare Krishna means Hey Krishna, Hey Radhey.

prasida prabho -Prabhu here becomes Prabho- O! Prabho and another address grhanesa –esa is also an address. So these are addresses. esa is an address, Prabhu is address, Dev is address, Damodara is address, Anant is address, Vishnu is address. About by half a dozen of addresses, he is addressing. But each address has a reason- why he is saying Vishno, Damodara Anant? There are whole emotions and feelings and so there are reasons why is he addressig Lord with that particular address.
Now kripa drishti-and you are this, you are that, you are Prabhu, you are Vishnu, you are Ananta or you are Damodara. These are you, okay and what about me, look at poor me-and what kind of me.

Dukhjalabdhimagnam

Here I am drowning in the ocean of dukha- -abdhi means ocean. I am not drowning in a drop of suffering, a little lota full of suffering or a pool but in the whole of ocean. Where ever I go, I suffer. I cannot get rid of this. Where ever I go, everywhere- dukhjalabdhimagnam. I am absorbed in it and now-dinam- poor I am. But alas oh I am ajnam- on the top of all this, I am ignorant, fool. I am ignorant, fool. I am agyam, I am dinam, dukhdjalabdhimagnam. As I already said who you are, so what do I expect from such you and such kind of me-Kripadristi. Only krpa-drsti-vrstyati- -shower kripa (mercy) with your dristi-with your glance. Shower merciful glance on this wretched. edhy aksi-drsyah – let me with my eyes see such you-Ananta, Damodara, Vishnu ,Prabhu, Ish. Let me have darsana of you. Now 2 more paragraphs to go if you could tolerate.

kuveratmajau baddha-murtyaiva yadvat
tvaya mocitau bhakti-bhajau krtau ca
tatha prema-bhaktim svakam me prayaccha
na mokse graho me ‘sti damodareha

This past time also took place the same day- the day Krishna was caught white handed and He became known as Damodara because He was tied with the rope to the mortar. kuveratmajau the two sons of Kuvera.

kuveratmajau baddha-murtyaiva yadvat

You are bound up and inspite of being bound up-what you did? tvaya mocitau. You were bound up but you freed those two sons of Kuvera -Manigriva and Nalakuvara and not only you freed them but also liberated them.

bhakti-bhajau krtau ca

ou loaded them with so much bhakti bhava ,endowed them with so much devotion- so much prem for you. Yadvat-the way you dealt with those two sons of Kuvera-Satyavrata Muni says-tatha-like that- I like the way you dealt with those two sons. You liberated them but that is not big deal. You gave them so much bhakti bhava. You made them eligible-kripa patra, qualified, deserving candidate for having bhakti tatha-like that,

tatha prema-bhaktim svakam me prayaccha

Give me your bhakti, give me that kind of bhakti. Again repeating-no moksha, do not insist na mokse graho. I do not insist, not at all on this moksha business.

na mokse graho me ‘sti damodareha

O’’ Damodara-he is addressing-O’’ Damodara only give me bhakti and finally-

namas te ‘stu damne sphurad-dipti-dhamne
tvadiyodarayatha visvasya dhamne
namo radhikayai tvadiya-priyayai
namo ‘nanta-lilaya devaya tubhyam

Now namah, again you see namah is there-I offer my obeisances. So finally, he offers obeisances to 2 parties or 2 items, there are more also but in first half of this last ashtak, he offers obeisances to 2 parties. One part is- namas te ‘stu damne -let my obeisance be unto damne. What is damne?-Dam is rope and damne is unto rope. I offer my obeisance unto damne. I offer my obeisance unto damne the rope – sphurad-dipti-dhamne

Who is the abode or source of dipti-the effulgence. The rope is the abode of the effulgence-the brilliant effulgent rope. So one is dam and another is dhama. Dam is dhama, dhama of what? The rope is dhama-abode, refuge-take the shelter of, the protector etc. So to this brilliant effulgent rope, I offer my obeisance unto. This one obeisance is to the rope and other is to,

tvadiyodarayatha visvasya dhamne

I also offer my obeisance unto your uddar your belly. I want to offer my obeisance unto your belly which is uddar. I just offered my obeisance to dam-rope- Damodara, now I offer my obeisance unto uddar. One obeisance is to dam another obeisance unto uddar the belly. As rope was dhama of the effulgence, your belly is dhama- abode of visva- visvasya dhamne . Your little belly is abode of entire visva. The whole universe is within you-brahmanda like brahmanda ghat. When Yasoda says open your mouth-as Krishna opens His mouth, what was inside, the whole brahmanda. Whether that brahmand was right in the mouth or in His form or it was in the belly. Here it is said, your whole belly is the abode of the visva- the universe. And my obeisance unto uddar and that is the reason why Yashoda was finding difficulty in tying Krishna. No matter what length of the rope, she managed to get, Krishna’s belly was swelling, growing in size. Was He taking viratrupa- universal form? No the form remained the, same- maybe one foot or half meter or less big but the trouble was inside because there is the whole universe. So the rope has to be long enough to go around the universe. That is why too short-every time too short.

Okay, now 2 more obeisances are there in the last verse. It begins with obeisances and obeisances are going on and on. Now- namo radhikayai- my obeisance unto Radhika also. What kind of Radhika? tvadiya-priyayai- who was very very dear to you- tvadiya-priyayai.

namo radhikayai tvadiya-priyayai

He had to say this- Radhikayai, Vrindayai. If you have to offer obeisance to Radhika, don’t say Radhikah namah, it is incorrect. We end up saying Vrindai,Tulsidevai-all wrong. Most of the world is pronouncing it wrong. If Brahmins of south India hear us here- Vrindai, Tulsidevai-they will have no clue-what we are talking about or what we are singing. They will only think these are ignorant people or fools. They don’t know even simple things. If you have to offer obeisance unto Vrinda, then you have to say Vrindayai tulsidevyai priyayai… Why make so much effort, it is easy Vrindai, Tulsidevai. But Vrindayai tulsidevyai-takes a lot of effort and that is what the sanskrit language. The language wants you to make effort. It is not for lazy bums. Yes, like effort be conscious also. So Radhayai namah,Vrindayai namah,

vrndayai tulasi-devyai
priyayai kesavasya ca
krsna-bhakti-prade devi
satyavatyai namo namah

Devi is also an address but Devi doesn’t change. So, next time when you sing tomorrow morning sing it correctly. It is not difficult if you think you can do it, you could do. I know you can do only thing you never thought of doing it. My obeisance unto Radhe who is very dear to you.

namo ‘nanta-lilaya devaya tubhyam

My obeisance unto Devayai unto Dev who is Ananta- nanta-lilaya-performer of unlimited past times, so many past times and each past time becomes eternal. In that sense it is also ananta. There is no end and so is unlimited and that’s why this class is not coming to end. It is unlimited-no limit.

namo ‘nanta-lilaya devaya tubhyam

Okay, let us stop somewhere, so stop here and see you singing Yasoda Damodarastakam.
Damodarastakam ki ……jai.

Krsna and Balaram in Vrindavan
Dated:  Sept 7  2009
Venue:  Pune|
Vrndavana dham ki jai
udhava mohe braja bisarat nahi

God said this for Vrndavana, I cannot forget Vrndavana. Lord is in Mathura now. He was there in Vrndavana for 10-11 years performing various pastimes amidst all His loving, very-very dear devotees.  Akrura had come to Vrndavana to fetch Krsna Balarama. They were also kind of eager to go to Mathura, thinking that it would be a very good opportunity, a rare opportunity. They had never been to any city before. They always stayed in the villages or in the forest, on the banks of the rivers, top of the trees, climbing and playing flute on the top of the Govardhan Mountain. Like that they wandered all over Vrndavana.

The city was Mathura. When there was a proposal of going to Mathura, they were very willing to go to there because they were excited to see the city. They were village boys, cowherd boys who stayed in Gokul. They stayed in Chhatikara and had to go to Vrndavana.  Then finally the residents of Gokul had gone to Nandagram. They were in Nanda Gokul before and during their transit they stayed in Chhatikara for some time, and finally they reached Nandgaon, Nanda Maharaja’s village.  All this time Kansa was still looking for eighth child of Devaki.

Ten days ago I was in Braja dhama in a country called Hungary. You get hungry sometimes or get angry when hunger is not satisfied – hungry and angry. We were on a Hungarian farm and it is named after Vrndavana. It is called Braja dhama and there is also Vraja-mandala and Vraja dhama Parikrama.

Sivarama  Maharaja  had been working for establishing Braja in the West.  We were there –  100 devotees and Niranjan Maharaja was also there.  We had gone on a tour of Braja dhama. There was Radha Kunda near Govardhana, a big gosala in Nandagram in Barsana. In between Barsana and Nandgram there is a place called Sanket where there is some indication of “Oh! Where would tonight’s Rasa-lila take place?For instance Radha and Krsna gave some indication or body language or by pointing some fingers.  We could only imagine how there would be sanket- giving indication. Just sanket. Now let us speak of Gokul.

For 3 years and 4 months Krsna stayed in Gokul. Then they crossed the Yamuna.  There were ox carts and hundreds and thousands of cows.  They made a bridge. How do you think they made the bridge? They just used the bullock carts. They took one cart and they tied another cart to that cart and another cart to that cart. They walked over or through the ox cart.  There were several bridges which they were all walking over. You couldn’t think of  a bridge like this.They would cross the river in an emergency without using the cart, whatever they had at their disposal. They did not go to the steel or cement factory where there are architects and engineers. There are lots of engineers in Pune.  They did not bother with engineers, they made their own bridge. It did not cost anything. They had carts, they had ropes to tie one cart to other cart and they happily they crossed but how could the cows cross? They swam across. Cowherd men were carrying the calves on their shoulders and cowherd men were swimming with a calf on their shoulders and when they swam the mother cow would swim right behind. You understand how it was working.

After crossing the Yamuna they were in Vrndavana. Remember Vrndavana. We are in Pune. To get out of this world we think of Vrndavana where Krsna resides eternally. We meditate on Vrndavana.  In the context of Vrndavana we hope to place Krsna, not replace Krsna. Krsna is there. We hear about Krsna, Balarama and our body may still be here, but our soul is transported to Vrndavana. We sort of go there and closely look at Krsna’s pastimes. We are not yet qualified to enter pastimes of Krsna in Vrndavana, but we could watch, witness and learn how everything works. Krsna is the topic.

We are the students and what is the topic? We have different subjects, Physics, chemistry, botany, biology like we studied one time. But for the devotee of Krsna, Krsna is the topic, understanding Krsna is the goal. He is studying Krsna, wants to become graduate, post graduate.  Every day we are trying to understand Krsna. When you understand Krsna you get to know Krsna, get closer to Krsna, developing some attraction for Krsna. The more we know, the more we are attracted to Krsna.  We are not attracted to Krsna because we don’t know Krsna. If you really knew Krsna you would be attracted to Him. He is all attractive. You will love Krsna and you would love to serve Him.  Because of ignorance we don’t care. Question is. “Who knows? Who has seen Krsna? He is such a loving personality and if you knew Him, your mouth would be watering like when you see a rasagulla.  “Could I have it?” Just by seeing some eatables, you are attracted. There is some feeling, some emotions.  Just by smell, just by seeing, touch you become eager to eat it, touch it.  Rasagulla is attractive that is also because of Krsna.  All attractions have origin in Krsna.  As we hear we begin to witness the pastimes of the Lord. As we hear, study  we see the Lord more with the help of ears  compared to seeing the Lord with the help of eyes.

They all have crossed Yamuna and entered Vrndavana.  This is where Krsna wants to be a cowherd boy. In Gokul as a newly born child He was mostly on the lap of Yasoda or just in Nanda Bhavan calling and playing – vatsalya bhava – parenthood. That was the rasa, the mellow that He had been experiencing towards the end of the Lord’s stay in Gokul. He makes friendship with some of His friends of same age group and then stealing butter pastime, makhana chori begins in Gokul. Krsna would spend time with friends, other children but mostly at home with Nanda Baba, Yasoda, Rohini. But now as He had come to Vrndavana, He wants to solidify His friendship with His friends. They were growing up, He was also growing up, so He wants to go out and be useful to the family, go get a job.

Lots of people were unemployed, jobless, hungry they were crying.  We always hear someone saying go get a job not depend on others. Go get a job.  Krsna wanted to take up a job but Yasoda was not in favour of this. Half of the time, He would be at  home, and the half in the forest. She could not imagine being away from her darling, Yasoda Nandan or Nandalal, but Nanda Maharaj was in favour. He had no objection.

Krsna was also very much in favour, so the vote was two in favour and one against.  The party that wanted to go, won and then Krsna was allowed to go into the forest, but not take care of the cows. He was not big enough to take care of the cows. He was given charge of the calves. Small baby cows were gathered and Nanda and Yasoda trained Krsna and Balarama.  They were given a crash course on how to handle cows, how to get them to start off, how to get them to turn around, how to sit down.  Yasoda reluctantly agreed that Krsna could go.  There were some other cowherd men who had their children going along with Krsna and Balarama. A small group of children and small group of cows were going into the forest. Yashoda wass giving all kinds instructions, “Don’t go deep into the forest. There are  many ugly creatures there. My son may be scared.  Come back soon, and Balarama listen, take care of Krsna.”

 They would go and come back and then the condition also was that he could go into the forest, but not every day. Some days he should stay behind and only for some days he could go. The whole schedule was – Monday, Thursday and Sunday you go and four days you stay behind.  Krsna did not like to stay behind but what to do?  His Mummy would not  allow.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is going to the forest, Mummy or Yashoda is worried about the Supreme Personality of Godhead getting scared or tired or this may happen, that may happen. Here is vatsalya bhava and Krsna enjoys this. It is not against His will. He is relishing this relationship.  He has become a son now and he acts like a son. On some days when he was not supposed to go into the forest Yasoda would make sure that Krsna has stayed behind. He is indoors and she makes sure that he is not out with Balarama and the other cowherd boys. She makes sure that the others have left with the cows.  She is happy that today He is going to be all day at home. She gets back into her some household duties. From time to time she is making sure that He is around. She keeps calling for Him and he responds. However after some time there is no response and she looks outside through the window.  She notices Krsna is running towards the boys, to catch up with other cowherd boys, cows and Balarama.  And then Yasoda runs after Krsna. Krsna has taken note that Yasoda is running after Him so He is runs faster. By this time all the cowherd boys and Balarama have taken note that Krsna is running and Yasoda is running after Him.  They encourage Krsna to run even faster and they are very happy. They are not happy to go without Krsna but what to do Yashoda doesn’t let Him go every day.  Krsna had finally managed to reach His destination –  Balarama. He grabbed Balarama and Yasoda was coming. Yashoda is dragging Krsna and  Balarama is pulling Him from the other side. A big tug up war, sometimes he is dragged back home and sometimes He is allowed to go to the forest with His friends.  He is about 6 or 7 years old now.

When He goes into the forest, the Lord plays with His friends and the calves are also getting time with Krsna. There is  vatsalya rasa at home and there is also vatsalya rasa in the forest between Krsna and calves. With His friends it is sakhya bhava.  There were times when only calves were going with Krsna in the forests. Cowherd men were taking cows to the forest. Cows were not very happy. They were not getting Krsna’s association.  Now the cows held a conference and all resolved that if He doesn’t go into the forest with them then they will not go into the forest. They will go on a hunger strike in front of Nanda Bhavan.  The cowherd men were trying to bring the cows to the forest but they were not going.  They were ready to fight.

By this time, in Bhagavatam, Sukadev Goswami describes that Krsna had grown up and there was a get-together, ishtagosti of elderly members of Braja, Nanda Maharaja and others. They resolved that they we were going to promote Krsna, an from that day onwards He was the vatsapal. Thus far He was calfherd boy but from today onwards He will be Gopal. That was astami, Gopastami during Kartik. That was the day five thousand years ago when Krsna was promoted. He became Gopal. The cows were happily going to the forest with Krsna.  Krsna now is grown up and gets extra time to spend in the forest with the cows. Then finally the residents of Vrndavana migrated. They travelled again and made their residence on the top of the hill, which is now known as Nanda gram. Krsna is now enjoying vatsalya rasa and sakhya rasa. Two full-fledged rasas were developed.

He is now growing up interacting with gopis, meeting and talking with Radha Rani who is a resident of Rawal. Rawal the place where Radha Rani had taken birth. They were staying in a place called Basanti. The residents of Gokul were staying in Chhatikara. Near Chhatikara was the other place Basanti which is in between Rawal and Radha Kunda. As we go from Vrndavana Krsna Balarama temple to Radha Kunda, about 3 or 4 kilometers before you reach Radha Kunda there is a place called Basanti. It is a small village and it is still there.  Bhakti Ratnakar confirms that residents of Rawal, Vrishbhanu, Kiritida and other residents stayed there for some time. Residents of Basanti finally went to Barsana and the residents of Gokul end up in Nandagaon.  Now Krsna is a full-fledged grown up. He is now Kisor and there has to be Kisori. Kisor-Kisori met before when they both were children, little babies.  The meeting had taken place in Rawal. You know that pastime also. Radha Rani was born but she was not opening her eyes. Her eyes were closed. They were not very happy. Then Yasoda, Nanda Baba had come from Gokul for Radhashatmi celebration – Radha’s appearance day celebration. All the elderly members were going there. Radha Rani was playing in a cradle. All were blessing the child, praying for the well being of the child. So Krsna had also gone. Children were there. They like to imitate each other. They all were very curious. Krsna had managed to climb up and stand and look inside the cradle and as Radha realised that Her Lord is here, She immediately opened Her eyes drinking the beauty of Krsna’s face.  That was the first ever meeting and now they are both grown up. Krsna stays in Nanda gram and Radha Rani stays in Barsana. Sanket is in between  in the middle. It is the meeting point and there they would make decisions where which Rasa dance would take place.

In this way Krsna enters into yet another relationship, another rasa, mellow. He is relishing the relationship with the gopis and specially Radha Rani and that is Madhuraya rasa. Krsna’s life, His pastime, early childhood began with vatsalya rasa then sakhya rasa now madhuraya rasa.

parakiya bhave jahan brajete prachar

This parakiya bhava, Sringar rasa is the top most. This is practiced in Braja. There are a few servants in Vrndavana, the dasya rasa. They do not serve Him so much in Vrindavan. He doesn’t act like an Isvara, like a boss. He doesn’t like that relationship. Mostly it is the madhuraya rasa, sakhya rasa, vatsalya rasa. These are the mellows and moods Krsna relishes in Vrndavana.  As He has now been brought over to Mathura by Akrura. He is in Mathura and Mathura is,

ye mathura kanchan ki nagari

Krsna’s realization is that  Mathura is only a business place where they only deal with chandi (silver), sona (gold). There are so many transactions of that nature.

 O udhav mohe braja bisrata nahi.

“I cannot. I tried but I cannot forget Vrndavana. What to do Udhav? Please tell me what should I do. I used to play with the friends, the birds were chirping. There is Yasoda. Of course I have Devaki here. When it’s time for My meal she left the plate – Ok, you eat, Yasoda never did that to Me. She used to put Me on her lap even if I tried to eat myself, she would take the spoon out of My hand and feed Me with her own fingers.  She would do the spoon feeding or finger feeding. Mother Devaki is giving the plate and say eat-eat, I will see you later but Yasoda never did that to me.  She would stop all other important business to feed Me, make sure I am eating enough. She used to feed Me with her own hands so that’s why mohe braja bisrata nahi.”

I cannot forget Vrndavana Oh! Udhav. He is remembering this pastime, that pastime, this forest, that forest. Each time He is saying I cannot forget Vrndavana.  I cannot forget, how could I forget?  He is in Mathura but He lost His heart in Vrndavana There are T shirts that say –“I lost my heart in Vrindavan” . For sure for Krsna that was the case. I am not sure whether they wear T- shirts they lost their heart in Vrndavana or they lost their heart in Ahmednagar.  Krsna says I lost my heart. Your home is where your heart is – Krsna’s home is in Vrndavana.  As a matter of duty He is staying in Mathura for a while but His heart is in Vrndavana.  He is counting his days.  When you have a good time what happens, time flies. Not so good time then time stops.

We are students. We get to know something more what we did not know but then each time we hear it becomes more solid. Knowledge is enhanced. We become more convinced about Krsna, the different aspects of Krsna. It is more tonic for us and then we become stronger, spiritually strong, feeding our soul. Some more food for thought – this material realm, material world, material body, material consciousness, contaminated consciousness . Try to purify that. Replace some of them, feed more chips in the brain with some spiritual thoughts so  that our head and heart becomes full of Krsna, soul and heart becomes full of Krsna like Krsna consciousness.

munijana manasa hansa

Jaidev Goswami said, “The devotee’s mind acts like a swan.” A swan moves about in a lake, the devotee’s mind like a swan moving in the lake of consciousness, Krsna consciousness.  So many wrong things we have learnt. We have been taught and we thought they were all right things, but now we are realizing that we were cheated, we have been tricked. We had to unlearn then learn the right things, the eternal truth. We realize that Krsna is eternal.

avyayam achyutam

Krsna is the target. He has to be eternal, something that never gets exhausted. It never comes to an end, He has to be forever, always, always eternally. What’s the fun, you have been realizing after so much endeavour, that soon it will finish, it doesn’t exist anymore.  So Krsna is  avyayam, vyaya means that as you spend it, it becomes less and less and less. One day you may become bankrupt, left with nothing. You are spending and spending.  Krsna is avyaya, ajar amar.  I read something that we want to realize, He has to be eternal, He has to be always, always existing all the time in the future otherwise what is the fun.

This body could be finished. Is it the same case with the Lord’s body, Lord’s form?  He would also be finished one day? Why should we be trying to realize the person, who is no more. He will be with him only for some time and he will be finished? He will be gone. Why would anyone try to realize such a person, such a Personality of Godhead? So that is the difference between anyone else in this world and the Lord. Everyone else is dirt or earth. You go back to dirt, go back to earth. Bible says something like that.

You rise from dust and to dust you return.  Body comes from the dirt. It is made from dirt, it goes back to the dirt, goes back to the dust, finished. When more bodies are coming into the existence some are moving on. This way this world although temporary seems to always exist. In the 15^th chapter verse 1,Bhagavat-gita it says:

urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham
asvattham prahur avyayam
chandamsi yasya parnani
yas tam veda sa veda-vit (BG 15.1)

The Lord is ayaya. There is a commentary by Sridhara Swami. Although this world is temporary, it appeared as if it always exists. Always doesn’t mean always. At the time of annihilation it  ends, but normally everything is moving. So many people are dying, but things just move on,  go on – buses are moving, terrorists killing people, everything moves on.  Avyaya the world is always temporary, so Lord is advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam. Lord is ajar, amar, avyaya. He is our target, our hope.  Our body will end. If you want to end up with Krsna or search for Him that will not come to an end.

bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan (BG 7.19)

Until we become jnanavan Vasudeva sarvam, Vasudev is all in all in that jnana. So that kind of determination

utsahan niscayad dhairyat
So what if you don’t find Krsna in this life, you will give it up, forget Him or find something else now. No, that’s not the case. Devotees continue.

Thank you

Rama Katha
Venue: Bahrain
Date: April 15, 2016

Janaki Jivan Sita Mohan Rama

This short song talks about Sri Rama as Ayodhyavasi. We have Vrajavasi, Vrindavanvasi, Mayapurvasi. Like that there is also Ayodhavas. Vas means to reside. This residence is Ayodhya. Those who reside there are called Ayodhyavasis and Rama Himself is Ayodhyavasi.

ayodhyavasi rama
rama rama
dasharatha nandana rama

Dasharathanandana and Kaushalyanandana. Kaushalya’s name is not mentioned in this song.

sambhavami yuge yuge

And the purpose is patitanam pavanebhyo. Vaisnavas are also like that.

patita pavana janaki jivan

Sri Rama is a Janaki jivan. Janaki Jivan like Radha Jivan or Vishnu Priya Jivan. Rama is Janki Jivan. Rama is Patitapavan, but who is patita? We are in this material existence so that’s an indication. We must be Patita otherwise why would we be here. Patita means fallen, fallen from Ayodhya or Goloka. There is also Ayodhya up there. Above Vaikuntha is Saket Dhama. Above Saket or Ayodhya is Goloka. So Vrindavan is here, Gokul is here. Goloka is up there. Ayodhya is here and Ayodhya is also up there. So from somewhere up there we have fallen. Then comes Sri Rama then Sri Krishna and then Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

jivane marane gati ara nahi mora

That is the spirit, I don’t know any other destination but you.
Radha Krishna prana mora or Sita Rama prana mora. Sita has her prannatha, Sri Rama.

patita pavana janaki jivana sita mohan rama

Sita Mohan is like Radha Mohan. Sita Mohan Rama means Sita attracts Rama, Rama becomes mohit. Sita is attractive and attracts the all attractive. She attracts the mind of Rama and Rama cannot survive without Sita.

Site! Site! When Sita was kidnapped by that rascal Ravana Rama just could not forget her. He was looking for Her looking for Her everywhere because He was Sita Mohan Rama and He did not stop and searched till His goal was to reach Lanka.

ayodhyavasi rama rama rama dasharatha nandana rama rama

Today is the day reserved as Rama Navami or the Appearance day of Sri Rama and the celebration is Lord’s Appearance which is going on almost closer to 10 lacs which is a million years. Lord appeared in Treta Yuga and we are here in age of Kali and between one whole age has passed – Dwapara Yuga. Dwapara Yuga, calculations goes on for million years. Dwapara Yuga is 86,4000 years duration. Kali Yuga is 4,32000 years so Dwapara Yuga is twice as long and Treta Yuga is three times and Satya Yuga is 4 times as long. So 8 lacs and 64 thousand years right there a big chunk and then 5000 years of this Kali Yuga and then some more years of Treta Yuga and hence the number close to 2 million years ago on this day Lord Rama appeared.

So the day was navami and the day was also Tuesday. Krsna appeared on Wednesday and Rama appeared on Tuesday at noon time because He is appearing as Suryavanshi. Surya is the king of the day and Chandra is the king of the night hence chandra is called Rajneesh, Rajni-eesh, eesh the master, Rajni is night – the king of the night. King of the night is moon. Dinesh, dina means day and esh is king. Dinesh is Surya. Krishna is Chandravanshi and Rama is Suryavanshi. Krsna has appeared in the kingdom of the moon, the ruler of night. Surya is ruler of day and Sri Rama is appeared as a Suryavanshi. He appeared in midday today but not this time, a few hours ago. We are sitting here with Bhagavatam and Sukadeva Goswami has recited Ramayana or Rama Katha also. Bhagavat Katha is not only Krsna Katha but also Narasimha Katha, Vaman Katha. Like that there is Rama katha in the 9th canto of Bhagavatam. Two chapters 10 and 11 are dedicated to Rama Katha, like a condensed Ramayana. We will just read a few verses from the middle of Bhagavatam 9th canto chapter 10 – the pastimes of Lord Ramacandra speaker is Sukadeva Goswami and the listener is Pariksit Maharaja and many other rushis, Rajasris, Maharsris and Devasris. They have assembled not in Bahrain but on the banks of Ganga. Any sacred river here? Bahrain, does it rain here? I don’t know the meaning of Bahrain, so no rivers here.

sri suka uvacha
khatvangad dirghabahus ca
raghus tasmat prthu-sravah
ajas tato maha-rajas
tasmad dasaratho bhavat (SB 9.10.1)

So he wants to bring Dasarath, Sukadev Swami wants to bring Dasaratha in the picture. He wants to talk about Rama so no Dasarath, no Rama. So Dasarath appeared at the end of the sloka.

dasaratho abhavat

Prior to him many others had appeared in the dynasty Khatvanga, Khatvangad from Kathvanga appears Dirghabahu, from him appears Raghu

raghus tasmat prthu-sravah

From Raghu comes Prthusravah, from Prthu comes Aja and the son of Aja is Dasaratha and son of Dasaratha is Jai Sri Rama. It is not only Sri Rama we will be hearing who else appeared from Dasarath.

tasyapi bhagavan esa
saksad brahmamayo harih
amsamsena caturdhagat
putratvam prarthitah suraih
rama-laksmana-bharata
satrughna iti samjnaya ( SB 9.10.2)

That Brahmamayo Hari is full of Brahma, is Parabrahma. Parabrahma appeared and He is also sakshat Bhagavan. Parabrahma is Bhagawan Hari. Hari is one who steals away our suffering that is also Hari Hari Gaur Hari Sri Rama Hari. He takes away our suffering, our birth, death, old age and disease. He is a thief. He steals all these things and makes us free and makes us Pavana. He makes us pure so that Hari brahmamaya amsamsena, expansion of expansion plenary portion.

chaturdhagat putratvam

That Hari, saksad Hari appeared in four forms as four sons of Dasaratha.

prarthitah suraih

Demigods were begging and appealing, ‘My Lord Dear Lord, this is the time. Please have mercy upon us also. Please appear. So they are praying to the Lord Who has responded to the prayers of the demigods. Demigods are praying for Lord’s advent and they know this is the right time because what had happened was –

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.

Bhagavatam also said earlier end of the 1st canto,

dyutam panam striyah suna
yatradharmas catur-vidhah (SB 1.17.38)

What is adharma? What are adharmic irreligious principles?

So dyutam there is gambling. You must understand there is a decline in religious principles and the dominance of irreligious, people are not drinking caranamrita anymore and drinking sharabamrita or even chaiamrita. You must understand this is irreligious. If there are slaughter houses and India has become biggest exporter of beef. This is irreligion. Even India indulges in irreligious principles. Give us petrol take beef in exchange. This is the predominance of irreligion or prostitution, illicit sex or illegal sex. So these are the four places five thousand year ago, King Pariksit allowed Kali to reside.

Kali was showing his ugly face and was beating the cow and trying to attempt to kill the cow, and King Pariksit had a sword in his hand and he was ready to slaughter the killer of the cow to establish the principles of dharma.

dharma-samsthapanarthaya

On the behalf the Lord the King represents the Lord. This is his job description – to establish Dharma. So the saintly king as he was, he was trying to stop that. Kali begged for forgiveness and was given four places to stay dyutam, panam, stiyah and suna these 4 places. Kali had a hard time finding such places 5000 years ago and now we have hard time finding places where there is no meat eating.

Probably only vegetarian restaurants Govindas in Bahrain may be others, not many are turning up. They going ending up in another restaurant, other places where there is meat eating, Whenever such situations arise then the Lord makes His appearance. So the Demigods have taken note that this is what is happening a million years ago, towards the end of Treta Yuga. They are praying to the Lord to please appear.

Then the Lord responded and Ramayan will describes this in detail. However at the time of putrakameshti yajna when Dasaratha Maharaja was performing a big sacrifice so that the Lord would be very pleased with him and he could have a son. It is a big sacrifice and all the demigods were invited to attend.

yam brahma varunendra-rudra-marutah stunvanti divyaih stavair (SB 12.13.1)

They all are offering their prayers also for the Lord’s advent. In fact the Lord appeared not as Sri Rama but appeared seated on Garuda. Wherever there is a yajna the Lord also appears there to accept the offering. At that time the appeal was made face to face and the Lord had promised that He will appear and perform His pastime for dasa sahastra dasa shatani cha. Ten Thousand -das sahastra and thousand- das shatani cha, cha means and. Ten thousand plus one thousand is 11 thousand years. We read this in Ramayan: “I will appear and I will perform my pastime on earth for 11 thousand years.”

Lord responded positively to the prayers of the demigods and He made His appearance as Rama Laksman Bharat Shatrughna ki jai. So Rama appeared today, What about Laksman? When did appear?

He also appeared today. Bharat also and Shatrughna also. Today is not only Rama Navmi it is also Laksman Navmi, Bharat Navami and Shatrughna Navmi. Three mothers gave birth to four children, simultaneously this was happening in the palace of King Dasaratha. Kausalya gave birth to Sri Rama and Kaikaiye gave birth to Bharat and Sumitra gave birth to Shatrughna and Laksmana.

During that Yajna the fruit of yajna, Kausalya and Kaikaiye received just one piece and Sumitra receives two times so she gave birth to two children. And then Rama is always with Laksman and they became two teams Rama and Laksman and Bharat and Shatrughna. They were close to each other. As little children’s they were placed on four different cradles but soon they would end up with two. Laksman would go and be with Rama and Shatrughna would go and be with Bharat. There is some special affinity, friendship and liking.

tasyanucaritam rajann
rsibhis tattva-darsibhih
srutam hi varnitam bhuri
tvaya sita-pater muhuh (SB 9.10.3)

So tasyanucaritam means Ramasya caritam and also called as Laksmanasya caritam, Shatrughnasya caritam, Bharatsya caritam. Oh! Rajan which king is this? King Parikshit, Sukadev Goswami is addressing Rajan King Parikshit.

tattva-darsibhih srutam hi varnitam

The knower of truth always recites the pastimes of these four brothers headed by Sri Rama. Sages always recite not only pastimes, but also the nama, rupa, guna, lila, dhama. Recitation of or kirtana means also recitation, kirtana means glory singing the glories.

Kirtaniya sada hari

That doesn’t mean only kirtana. Chanting of the name is also nama kirtana. There is also guna kirtana, lila kirtana. There is dhama kirtana of the Lord. The pastime, glories of holy name, glory of His glorious qualities, glorious pastimes, glorious abode and glorious devotees of Sri Rama. This is all being recited by risis, and sages those who know Rama tattva, Krishna tattva or Vishnu tattva.

janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so arjuna (BG 4.9)

The Lord’s not only pastime, birth also, janma tattva, nama tattva, guna tattva, lila tattva, dhama tattva. There are so many tattvas, Pancha tattva. Don’t get confused tattva is true science. Sukadev Goswami says, “Tose tatvadarshis, the knowers of truth or those who realized the truth always talk varnitam. As you rajan can srutam,
sita patihe, Sita pati Sri Rama’s Charitam charitra tatvadarshis have been speaking varnitam and tvaya shrutam

Where in the next verse Sukadev Goswami has condensed the whole Ramayana. Some seeds ideas are there in one verse which covers kind of all the pastimes.

avatan nah

I will read end of the prayer first nah means all of us, May that Rama protect us, be pleased with us. You would also like Rama to protect you? Do you have life insurance, body guard and all kind of defence mechanisms? And Sukadev Goswami has already said about that,

deha apatya kalatradisu

They have so much faith in deha, strength of their body, apatya their offsprings, kalatra the wives, relatives, doctors, lawyer. This is the very beginning of Bhagavat recitation so much faith, in this kind of army – my body, my children, my desire, my army, my wife. I have wife but this is all asat. This is my army but his army is asat – fallible and will not help, specially at time of death. In a picture a person in Bombay opened his heart and a photograph of a Limca bottle appeared. It was not Sita Rama. Hanuman tore his chest and showed his complete faith is in Sri Rama only, but this person had a Limca bottle. And another person he was into coca cola. He was about to die and the family surrounded him> he only had a few more moments to go and then children were saying, “Daddy, Daddy please say Bhola at least say bhola.” They were Bhola devotees Shankar Bholenath. “Please say Bhola” The father did not say Bhola he only said coca cola. The last word taking shelter of coca cola thinking of coca cola, full of coca cola.

yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaRama
tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah

He went to coca cola loka – America. Sukadev Goswami had already said that only the Lord could help.

rama raghav rama raghav rama raghav rakshamam

Caitanya Mahaprabhu always recited that. So this verse is also a prayer for protection. May Sri Rama be pleased with me and once he is pleased, protect me and those who He is pleased with.

gurv-arthe tyakta-rajyo vyacarad anuvanam padma-padbhyam priyayah
pani-sparsaksamabhyam mrjita-patha-rujo yo harindranujabhyam
vairupyac churpanakhyah priya-viraha-rusaropita-bhru-vijrmbha-
trastabdhir baddha-setu? khala-dava-dahanah kosalendro vatan nah

The condensed Ramayan in one verse. Ramayan’s very first is chapter Bala Kanda. You heard Bala Kanda otherwise Ramayan has been recited by Valmiki Muni in seven kandas. As Bhagavatam has skandas and Mahabharat has Parvas, Ramayan has Kandas – 7 kandas. Bala Kanda, Ayodhya Kanda, Aranya kanda, Kishkindha Kanda, Sundarkanda and Yudha kanda and then Rama returns to Ayodhya that is Uttarkanda.

Bhagavatam has 18,000 verses and Ramayana has 24,000 verses compiled by Adi Kavi Valmiki Muni. Wonderful, powerful, beautiful scripture!

gurv-arthe tyakta-rajyo

For the sake of His father Lord Rama gave up the kingdom. He is about to be the crown prince and he gave it all up.

vyacarad anuvanam

He was wondering for 14 years from one forest to another to another including Dandakaranya. Then it says Lord’s Lotus feet were very tender. So how did He wander? A chariot was provided at the beginning but He also adamant. “Let me be a vanavasi not only in name. A vanavasi resides and walks around barefoot so that what Rama’s program.

padma-padbhyam priyayah

Sukadev Goswami says Lord’s Lotus feet where so soft and tender they could not even bear the touch of Sita’s hand. This means that Sita’s hand were too rough because the Lotus Feet were very soft.

patha-rujo yo harindranujabhyam

However during all this travel time and trying times many devotees helped the Lord but two have been mentioned specifically. Harindra was always helpful. Hari is monkey. Hari has another meaning Hari is monkey and Hari also means lion. Hanuman was a monkey under Harindra King. Sukadev Goswami says one personality was Hanuman and Anuja, anu means man to follow and ja means one who take birth. Rama took birth and Laksman also took birth right after, so Ramanuja is Laksman. Ramanujacarya is the incarnation of Laksmana. So he is called Ramanuja. Hanuman and Laksmana they were very helpful – assisting, giving relief to Sri Rama throughout his travel in different forest.

vairupyac churpanakhyah

There was time Shurpanakha on the Bank of Godavari panchvati. She was disfigured. Her nose was chopped out. She had gone to Lanka complaining to Ravana. That rascal Ravana who kidnapped Sita and that made Rama very angry.

rusaropita-bhru-vijrmbha

As he was looking for Sita and finally He met the monkey Army and others. Sugriva, Jambavan were at Rameshwaram waiting for the ocean God to come forward and help out how to cross. It was delaying Rama who became very furious. He built Setu and crossed Indian Ocean to reach Lanka.

khala-dava-dahanah

Then he killed and finally burnt that kalnayak Ravana who was killed. That killer of Ravana is described here as kaushalendraindra. The King of Kaushal the country called Kaushal and that is Sri Rama. Avatanah, may he pleased with us may He protect all of us, with that prayer we stop.

Jai Sri Rama

Sign says matchless gift
Venue: Den Haag, Netherland
Dated: April 26, 2016

You all are welcome. I see some old faces, lot of new faces also. And some faces I don’t see them here, maybe they are on their way. It’s a very special year, this year. You know what is so special about this year? There will be a Bhumi Puja. ISKCON Den Haag will have their own Vedic style designed temple. Of course it will not be completed this year. It has been announced that the bhumi puja is next month. Please be there. I was in Germany and there is a big Radha Madanmohan temple and Radhadesh has a landmark, some historic location. I was traveling around and every other place has their own big temple, except Den Haag. This year you will have your own temple.

There are so many temples so what is the need of yet another temple? Someone asked Srila Prabhupada that question “Swami, there are so many temples in India. Why are you building some new temples”? Prabhupada asked that gentleman who was there with his good wife. “Is that sitting next to you your wife?”

“Yes, yes she is my wife.”
“And that boy is that your son?”
“Yes, he is my son.”

Prabhupada said, “There are so many children already what was the need of one more?”
“No, but this is my son. There might be other children but this is my son.?
Prabhupada said, “ There are so any temples but this will be my temple, my Krishna’s temple.” So that’s one reason why this is a special year.

Yet there is another reason why 2016 is very important year for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. You can say this is fiftieth birth anniversary of ISKCON. ISKCON was founded in 1966 when Prabhupada went to the West. Last year was Jaladuta 50. Prabhupada was a devaduta, messenger of Krishna. He sat in the Jaladuta and went to the West as instructed by his spiritual master to fulfil the wishes of his spiritual master. This Krishna consciousness is so essential for everybody. Every soul in the world, especially in the Western world. They know very little about how God is great. Yes, they know ‘God is great’, but they don’t know how God is great. “Love thy Lord with all thy heart and all thy strength” says the bible. But not knowing who the Lord is? And not knowing who you actually are? It is very difficult to love the Lord with all thy heart and all thy strength. One ISKCON devotee had come to India and one Indian Hindu gentleman had asked why he had become Hindu? “You gave up your Christianity, and have you become Hindu?” He said, “ No, no no now I have become a better Christian. Before all I was told “Thou shall not kill”. This is also one of the 10 commandments “Thou shall not kill.” But that is what we did all day. Well, we did not kill personally. Someone else slaughtered the animals and then we ate for breakfast for lunch, dinner but “Thou shall not kill.”
But now no more killing for me. My menu is menu that is given by God.

patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati

No more muttonam chikanam biryanim fisham. So before I had heard some priests were talking “Thou shall not kill” but they killed. Someone killed animals for us and then we ate them. We gobbled them up, but now I don’t do that anymore. So I am a better Christian, now I am practising Christianity. Srila Prabhupada was asked by his spiritual master go to the West and propagate this Krishna consciousness in the Western world in English. That’s why we are speaking in English here. Not that we don’t speak in local or regional languages, but Prabhupada was asked to preach in the English language.

So that was in 1965 when Prabhupada reached America under so many unfavourable conditions. Prabhupada had to go through so much struggle. Then he managed to get. I am saying all this in this hall here and in New York 26 Second avenue that was the address where ISKCON started. It was a store front. What Prabhupada managed to rent out was the store front a store. That store was shifted elsewhere and then Prabhupada took over and at some point Prabhupada’s followers found out there was a sign at the top. Should we take that down Swamiji? Prabhupada wanted too know what the the sign said? Sign says matchless gift. Prabhupada said, “Don’t take it down. It’s a good sign. What I am distributing here is a matchless gift. Krishna consciousness is a matchless gift. Krishna is matchless and everything about Krishna is a matchless. The message of Bhagavat Gita is matchless. The philosophy is matchless. The culture is matchless. The holy name is matchless, matchless prasada. Is there anything like Krishna prasada in this world?”

So that matchless gift is where Krishna consciousness started. So ’65 was arrival and ’66 Prabhupada started International Society for Krishna Consciousness with the help of a bunch of American boys and girls. Prabhupada was trying to start this movement in India and he was trying to get some followers, some youths to join. He was asking Indians how many children they had? “5, good give me 1.” We picked up the right one the other day. I asked how many children he has? He said I have none. In those days they were having 5 children or ashtaputra saubhagyavati. These were the blessings – I bless you . May you have 8 children. Sages or brahmins would bless like that. But now that is a thing of the past.

In Prabhupada’s days having half a dozen children was common. Prabhupada would appeal to “please give me one son. I will train him, I will send him all over the world or make him a preacher in Krishna consciousness”, but no one was coming forward. One gentleman was traveling in the same train as Srila Prabhupada. He was traveling with his son and he kept appealing, begging and bugging Srila Prabhupada, “Swamiji Swamiji, bless my son, bless my son.” He was not leaving Prabhupada alone every now and then, “please bless my son, bless my son.” So Prabhupada said ‘Give me your son’. After hearing that this gentleman left the compartment and went far away where Swamiji would never find this person and person’s son.

But as he reached America then some American boys and girls were ready. They were already kind of loitering on the streets. They were disgusted, frustrated with so much to enjoy and they were looking for some alternatives. That materialism had not satisfied them and it’s not possible, materialism cannot satisfy us to satisfy our senses, satisfy our mind. There is some entertainment, some body satisfaction, mind satisfaction but soul satisfaction is not possible. Deep within us is our soul. We see something and then there is some happiness. Something we hear, some music, touch, smell gives some temporary pleasure, but that is flickering and just disappears like bubbles. How long do bubbles last? They don’t last very long. That’s why the acaryas have said,

kamala dala jala jivana tala mala

Like having a drop of water on kamala dal, lotus petal. With a little wind tala mala, tala mala kamala dala jala jivana tala mala is finished. Hence the advice is,

bhajahu hari pada niti re

Hari pada – lotus Feet of Hari should be worshiped and that is permanent.

bhajahu re mana sri-nanda-nandana abhaya-caran?aravinda re

When Srila Prabhupada was in that store front he started holding programs twice a week. On the street in the park he would hand out some visiting cards, invitation cards to come to the store front, the matchless gift place. He was getting good numbers and this matchless gift place was becoming packed. One of the special attractions was the prasada which Swamiji would cook before the arrival of his guests. 100 to 150 would fit into the hall which was a little bigger than this.

So he would cook and come down and give pravachan. Everything was brand new to these American folks. They had not even heard of all this. Hare Krishna what? Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, and Prabhupada would sometimes show Radha Krishna photographs. This is the flute player. This is Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And they would ask what is that girl doing there? Next to God, who is that girl. So much ignorance. Prabhupada had to start from scratch. He did not mind. He knew this is what he had to do. He would deliver his talk. They did not know even how to sit down. Like most of you are sitting, this is called sukhasan if not padmasan. Different lotus position is padmasan. But cross-legged is called sukhasan, sukh-asan comfortable sitting. They did not know.

They did not know how to sit and Prabhupada taught them how to sit. Then he would get them to stand up and he was teaching them the dance. He was chanting and dancing. Not only chanting. Chanting has to be accompanied with dancing. So would get them to stand up and raise their hands and it became universal known as the swami step. That dance became popular as the swami step.

Prabhupada taught that. Talk and then kirtana and getting them to sit down for prasada. They would all sit down and who would serve? Swamiji had to serve all of them and he did not mind. He was happy. He was 70 years old. He was raising some funds to maintain this establishment, sponsor the prasada. After prasada they would all leave and Swamiji had to clean not only the hall, but the plates and the pots. This is just a little sampling of what Prabhupada was going through. You should study the life or teachings of Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada lilamrita is available in Dutch? English ,of course yes and maybe some 100 languages is available. Even Chinese are printing. You should all study the life of Srila Prabhupada. It is some additional chapters of Bhagavatam. Prabhupada was Bhagavat,

person-bhagavat, maha bhagavat.

svayambhur narada? sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh?prahlado janako bhismo balir vaiyasakir vayam

Twelve original 12 bhagavats are mentioned in Srimad-Bhagvatam and in that parampara, disciplic succession, Prabhupada was a living Bhagavat. Studying his life is studying Bhagavatam.

nityam bhagavata sevaya

This is the statement from Bhagavatam and Prabhupada translates that as Studying Bhagavatam or serving person bhagavat, reading book bhagavat or serving person bhagavat. That is the meaning of nityam bhagvata sevaya.
Knowing Srila Prabhupada maha bhagavat and then taking inspiration from his life and then you try to follow the footsteps of Srila Prabhupada. Some of those followers were now becoming serious students, serious practitioners. They started chanting,

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

Prabhupada gathered that serious group together and asked them if they could assist him in the propagation of Krishna consciousness, but they had to follow the four regulative principles to become his associate members or initiated disciples. For the first time Prabhupada split out in a formal way he spelled out the four regulative principles.

No meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication including tea and coffee, no illicit sex and no gambling. “So are you ready?” You are still thinking but those who were present before Prabhupada did not take much time. They said, “Yes Swamiji, we are ready.” Everybody present there was ready to follow these four regulative principals. Then with the help of those handful American youths Srila Prabhupada found this Hare Krishna movement in 1966 and then ISKCON’s first temple Radha Govinda Mandir in New York opened. After 50 years you are opening here in Den Haag, but the first Radha Govinda temple was opened in New York. Now ISKCON has 650 temples around the world in a short span of 50 years. And millions of books have been distributed in over 100 languages. There are over 100 Govinda’s restaurants around the world. Farm communities around the world. Prasada distribution is big. In India we have something called midday meal served to the school going children at midday. Every day ISKCON distributes 1.2 million plates of prasada. Did you hear that? 1.2 million plates daily served at this midday meal scheme.
ISKCON holds 10 000 festivals every year. Janmastami, Gaur Purnima, Ratha yatra, and many more. The Grand total is over 10 000 festivals. All this in a short span of 50 years, and this is just a beginning. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement. ISKCON is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s program as per Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s vision. Krishna’s of course Ramacandra, Krishnacandra, but specially Caitanyacandra, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Rama appeared in Treta-yuga Krishna appeared in Dvapara yuga but we are in Kali-yuga so,

dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami sambhavami yuge yuge

The latest advent of the Lord was 520 years ago in the form of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He has given to this world this yuga dharma which is the chanting the holy names of the Lord. Tulasi Das also says,

kali yuga kevala nama adhara

Nama is the only adhar, only shelter, only base, only protection in this age of kali. Every time Kali-yuga comes there is the same dharma. How many times does Kali-yuga come? So many times. In Brahma’s one day, Brahma Vishnu Mahesh, In Brahma’s one day 1000 Kali-yugas come. 1000 Satya yugas, 1000 Treta yugas, 1000 Dvapara yugas and 1000 Kali-yugas. Every time, so this is not the first time Kali-yuga has appeared. So now what to do? Nothing to worry. Checkout what was done in the previous Kali-yuga. What was the process? Same process that would work out this time also.

Every time there is a winter – is this is winter or summer? Climatic changes occur because of our misbehaviour. The way we are treating mother earth, cutting the trees and deforestation. So many factories and chimneys, who’s smoke expel CO2 and what not, animal killing. As a result we have increased the temperature of mother earth. Temperature is rising 4 degrees than normal. As a result of all this everything is topsy-turvy. This could be just the beginning of what is in store for us. Man is so greedy wanting to enjoy and exploit mother earth – deforestation, cutting the trees. The nice trees and greenery and flowers everywhere. This is like a sari worn by mother earth. She wears green sari and flowers are like embroidery. But you know what happened when Dushasan attempted to disrobe mother Draupadi. Result was the war and killing because of the way Dushasan dealt with mother Draupadi. He was trying to disrobe her.

This forest and the trees and greenery, this is a sari. This is the clothing of mother earth and we are just chopping, cutting and we are getting reactions. So much enjoying spirit. The survey conducted recently on the consumption of consumers goods said that if the whole world consumed as much as whatever they consume then for the waste we would require five earths. One would not be sufficient. You want go by the American land of enjoyment, land of opportunities. The land the whole world would like to imitate. All Indians like to. So many attempts to exploit the resources where there is gold deep in the body of mother earth and the small city towns inside the earth. The railway tracks go miles in the depth of the earth. I have seen a gold mine in South Africa. By a lift they took us way down. I don’t know how many stories down and we were walking and we had helmets and a guided tour.

There so many are there. Now the scientists were hoping that the they would make this world enjoyable. They did lots of industrial economy and what now? Now the scientists say that this planet is not liveable anymore and that we better look for another planet. Their hands are up, “ Sorry folks. We can’t deliver our promises.”

The sea levels are rising. I don’t know what would happen to Mauritius, a small Island in the middle of Indian Ocean. And right on the banks of the ocean and there is no high altitude. There is just a few meters height and all will be drowned in the water.

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

So every time Kali-yuga comes you have to chant Hare Krishna.

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

Kalau means the age of kali. There is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way. Only the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. This is the truth . This is the arrangement of the Lord. It may not be known so much in the West because they follow this culture ,that culture and some new religions, some religion 1500 year old religion or maybe 2500 year old religion. But religion has to be eternal. Religions are not created or born. Anything and everything that has a beginning has and end also. This is a simple law rule here. This religion that religion started on such and such date will also have a beginning and an end.

We are talking of jivas, the living entity dharma has to be eternal. If you want to give a name to dharma then Sanatana dharma is one name. Sanatana means no beginning no end, eternal. And that is the dharma of every living entity regardless of whether they may say, “I am Christian, I am Hindu, I am Muslim”. This is the faith, but religion, dharma ,the characteristic of the living entity does not change.

Electricity must give a shock or sugar is always sweet, salt is always salty. Being salty is the dharma of salt, being sweet is a dharma of sugar. So every living entity has a dharma and the dharma for all living entities is the same. Brahmas one day has 1000 cycles of this four yugas Satya-Treta-Dvapara-Kali put together is Maha yuga and 1000 times. Once again to become universal applicable everywhere. Caitanya Mahaprabhu appearing 500 years ago established this chanting as a yuga dharma for this age of kali and he predicted that this would spread all over the world. As per His visions and predictions now you see it is spreading all over the world. Chanting is spreading all over the world. Practically every country in the world has the presence of the Hare Krishna movement. In this Kali-yuga there is a golden period of 10,000 years, out of those 10,000 years Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared 500 years ago. So 500 years and then 50 years. ISKCON is 50 years old. We have 9500 years to go. This Krishna consciousness movement has already spread in 50 years. We will be spreading Krishna consciousness movement for another almost 9-10000 years in global phenomena universal.

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

God has a name, form, qualities and pastimes. Prabhupada always appealed to the audience, Indians to understand this movement. Then he would also repeat what Caitanya Mahaprabhu had said or expected specially those who have some Bharat connection, some Indian origin.

bharata-bhumite haila manusya janma yara?janma sarthaka kari kara para-upakara

These are words of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You are born in India. Of course at one time India was not limited to the present map of India. India was all over the planet. It was Bharat Varsha. We find remnants of India’s presence and culture in all the continents. If you have taken birth on this planet in Bharat Varsha then you would like to make your life perfect. How to do this?

janma sarthaka kari kara para-upakara

To make your life perfect do para-upakar. Srila Prabhupada has set that example the world is in need of Krishna. Krishna consciousness is lacking. Everything else is there and what this world is lacking, is Krishna consciousness. The soul needs Krishna. The soul could only be happy when it attains Krishna or Rama He has many names, many forms. He appears again and again in different forms. You accept Krishna consciousness and you practice Krishna consciousness and you propagate. Share this Krishna consciousness with as many people- your family members, your neighbours, your circle of friends. As much bigger circle you could make spread, propagate this. Let the word of God spread.

And it says as paropkaraya, ‘paropkaraya vahanti nadya’ that comes at the end. For the benefit of others rivers flow and distribute water.

paropakaraya vahanthi nadhyaha
paropakaraya dhuhanthi gavaha

The cows give milk for others, paropakaraya phalanthi vrkshaha – for the benefit of others trees give fruits. paropakarartham idham shariram – specially this human form of life is for paropkaraya. This Krishna consciousness is the topmost welfare programme for humanity at large. Debt, disease and fire must be dealt with urgently, you hear that. Something is on fire, “Oh! I will take my breakfast”. No! The world is on fire, davagni.

samsara-davanala-lidha-loka

What could extinguish the fire? Mercy clouds. when the forest is on fire you cannot throw a few buckets of water. When the forest is on fire you cannot go there with a spoon and sprinkle some water. That would not do. No other attempts would work. You need some mercy from above. That mercy is the mercy of the Lord which also comes down through His devotees, sadhus , mahatmas.
Hari Hari!

Padayatra Forever
Dated: October 29, 2018
Venue: ISKCON Noida

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu over six years He travelled and that was padayatra. Why the acaryas were walking and travelling and why did Caitanya Mahaprabhu traveled? This was to spread the glories of the Lord. Lord Caitanya left on his six years padayatra to establish the yuga dharma, the chanting of the holy names. Especially Caitanya Mahaprabhu and our Gaudiya vaishnavas have travelled to bring the holy name to more towns and more villages.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu was the inaugurator of this program and Srila Prabhupada took it up. Srila Prabhupada himself, in 1952, while he was in Jhansi, went on padayatra just a short one, not long one; but he did Padayatra for 30 kms from Jhansi to Chirgoan. In 74, this was shared with me by Tribhuvanath Prabhu. Tribhuvanatha and Bhagavat Prabhu, Prabhupada wanted to see them and they were going up, there in Bombay and they were excited what assignment Prabhupada was going to give and finally, when they met Prabhupada. Prabhupada said , “You go in Padayatra. You do Padayatra.” But then that did not materialize, Prabhupada was thinking and approaching his disciples, followers to take up this Padayatra program. Then, in 1976, the Padayatra finally happened from Hyderabad to Mayapur, half dozen devotees walked for 3 months that was of 1500 kms, and Prabhupada was there at the entrance gate of Mayapur to greet them, as I understand.

And then, Prabhupada wrote a letter to Mahamsa Swami who was in charge of the Hyderabad Farm. Prabhupada wrote, “Naturally the sankirtan men travelling with the bullock carts are blissful. It is Lord Caitanya’s engagement. Lord Caitanya personally travelled all over India for six years. His program was simply kirtana and prasada distribution. Lord Caitanya never spoke philosophy in public. So continue this program. It is very pleasing to Lord Caitanya.” (Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Mahamsa Swami in 1975)

We heard this, Yasomatinandana Prabhu shared this with me, and he said, during his visit to Gujarat in 1975, Prabhupada said to him “Please arrange bullock carts” He wanted to travel from village to village. He said he would travel with the padayatris.

There was a gentleman called Punjabi Parmananda and he had written to Prabhupada about taking up this Padayatra program and Prabhupada responded to the communication of Punjabi Parmananda saying, “ Concerning your offering of doing Padayatra travelling touring from village to village, town to town. However my foreign disciples have the language defect, they can’t speak the village language, otherwise I would have started this programme long ago. If some young men like you would join me then along with some foreign disciples can immediately take up this programme.

Take a note on what Prabhupada is saying “I am immediately ready” Prabhupada is willing to join such walk.
“If you are eager, please get hold of at least half a dozen young men like you, then with another half dozen foreign disciples, I can immediately take up this program and tour village to village and town to town. This is very effective. I know that.” This is Srila Prabhupada, emphatically saying this.

I’m sharing this to you so that we would know Prabhupada, what was on mind of Prabhupada. There were so many things on this mind, books distribution, this and that. Certainly, this was one of those item that was very much on his mind and very dear to his heart. I know that because I have interacted with Srila Prabhupada and had many talks and correspondence, and I know how much he appreciated; he appreciated the Padayatra program and so I’m trying to transfer these thoughts of Prabhupada, his will, if you want to call that on to you.

So that in future, so many of us will be no more. I would be no more but you will be here much longer. So, I just want to make sure you fully understand Prabhupada, what was his thoughts about padayatras. And of course, you know why Padayatra, the holy names needs to be brought in to more villages and more towns and what we distribute in ISKCON ? We distribute the books of Prabhupada, we distribute prasadam Krishna Prasadam and what else? We distribute Harinama. I think these are three big items also festivals this and that. When it comes to distribute or share, the holy name is on the top of the list and Prabhupada wanted to make sure the holy name spread far and wide and not to be limited only to the towns where there is ISKCON. What about every town? Every village? So, Prabhupada representing Caitanya Mahaprabhu also, and wanting to make Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s predictions come true, this was Prabhupada’s strategy, all about this Padayatra program.

In 1976, this is where in Delhi, I personally received this instruction of Padayatra on Radhashtami Day when ISKCON was in Lajpat Nagar only once in Feroze Shah Gandhi Road, you know the address this is all the way back to 1976. Prabhupada was attending Radhashtami festival at Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Temple and, on Radhashtam. Srila Prabhupada said, “You don’t need to travel on the bus in India. Instead you can get one bullock cart and go and preach village to village all over India. It will be a great success.”

We were travelling in German buses, Hansaduta Maharaja, GBC also that time, they came with the western buses and we were travelling all overnight in North India and we had a good time. We were enjoying the German buses, they have very special opening and closing doors, you push the buttons. Lot of people would gather around. It was a Mercedes bus; they would gather around just to see how the door opens, door closes and we were having good time. But then, Prabhupada said, “Get down from the bus. Here’s a bullock cart.” It was a big sacrifice but we were happy.

So, then we started the first walk was from Vrindavan to Mayapur. Prabhupada gave us that destination. We received the instruction in Delhi. We went to Vrindavan, we organized everything and Prabhupada said, “You go to Mayapur.” And on the way, we passed by Kanpur. I wrote to Srila Prabhupada, “Prabhupada, need some financial help for the Padayatra. We need money, we need men.” I wrote to Srila Prabhupada and this was Prabhupada’s response.

“Do not depend on outside help. Also for financial support, depend on Krishna.” Srila Prabhupada sent me a World Sankirtana Newsletter, the scores of different temples and he said “Also book distribution. We are maintaining our huge establishment by selling books. That is wanted.” And so, we took up book distribution seriously in Padayatra, and I would like to report the scores we achieved in 2015, 2016 and 2017. We distributed in 2015, 96,000 books of Srila Prabhupada books in Padayatra. In 2016, 97,000 and in 2017, over 100,000 books were distributed and that made Padayatra more than self-sufficient.

We have Padayatra president here, Acharya Prabhu for last 10 years, he has been managing Padayatra right here in front of you. They are saving funds by distributing books, they took a pledge of 5 lakhs for TOVP and they are sponsoring some other projects and temples from book distribution on padayatra. Besides chanting the holy name, bringing into every town, every village, Prabhupada’s books are going to all remote corners of India and they have gone around India 6 times 6 rounds. As we do temple parikramas, they have done Bharat Varsha Parikrama.

Then Prabhupada wrote to me again in 1976, “I am also happy to hear your very nice activities. I wish, I could have joined you. I like your program very much.. If you continue this program you will be benefited, people will be benefited and every one will be happy.” Like this Prabhupada said, I like your program, he wanted to join padayatra.

Now, what more Prabhupada have to say to inspire us to keep doing this program? Then, in 1977, as we had a very successful bullock cart Sankirtana Party going in India, this is what Prabhupada wrote to Nityananda, our God-brother in America, New Talavan farm community and he said, “And oxen can be used for driving carts and preaching village to village.” Those goshala managers and goshala’s having bullocks and this was Prabhupada wanted to see that those carts are used for preaching village to village.”What is the question of killing them” and then he wrote, “Here in India, our Lokanatha Maharaja has successfully organized such a program and it is a great success. He has travelled all over India and everywhere they distribute books, prasadam and perform kirtanas village to village.”

And then you could read that highlighted statement and here Prabhupada wrote, “We can introduce many millions of such carts all over the world.” This is Prabhupada’s big thinking, he never thought small. We had only one cart going rounds which he thought was very successful then he’s talking of millions of carts. But this was not to be organized only by Lokanath Swami. From this, it is very clear, Prabhupada wanted his followers and his managers to take up this project, Padayatra, and spread the holy name around the world.

Then in 1991, GBC formed Padayatra Worldwide Ministry and this is the mandate – Padayatra worldwide ministry GBC Mandate.

“TO BRING THE CONGREGATIONAL CHANTING OF THE HOLY NAME TO EVERY TOWN AND VILLAGE OF THE WORLD THROUGH ORGANIZED PADAYATRA FESTIVALS.”

So, to execute the will of Srila Prabhupada, GBC took that action and here is that mandate. So for Padayatra, we are on the road; you could do the calculation, that is how many? All India Padayatra on the road was on over the past 34 years from 1984 – 2018. And every day, they go to a new village to new village, to the new village, to the new village, to village.and thousands. I was looking at Acharya Prabhu, who is keeping the records. He took over about 9-10 years ago, and he was showing me the record started at Pandharpur, 10kms down the road, this village and he has all records of all the last 10 years. 10 years of Padayatra visits and their phone numbers and some contacts and they’re becoming devotees as he goes back. He’s our 5th President in last 34 years, there were four before. Also we’ve gone around non-stop.

And then in 1996 we organized 100th birth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada and everyone was thinking his disciples, how to glorify, what to offer to Srila Prabhupada on his 100th birth anniversary, so padayatra ministry also was thinking. Pancharatna Prabhu was with us in France or as a part of Centennial. So we took the pledge of organizing padayatras in 100 countries. Here is the list of all those countries. In fact it was 105 countries, we covered with Padayatra. And I think till date padayatris have walked over 250,000kms and padayatri’s do not take one step forward without chanting ‘Hare Krishna’ at every step they are chanting.

So you could imagine, how many towns and villages His holy name has reached. And sometimes, I say and this is true that padayatra not only brings holy name to every town and every village but in between the villages and in between the towns we chant. Not only in the town, in the village, in between from one town to another, one town to another. So Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction is coming true.

In 1977, probably you know this one thing, Prabhupada wanting to go on bullock cart. He was in the bed for months. He was not even able to get up and sit on his own. I also came to Vrindavan and wanted to travel and he said, “No no, bus will not be good. Get me a bullock cart.” This is Prabhupada’s thought, inconceivable Prabhupada.

And then, we have Vraja mandal parikrama, Navadvip mandal parikrama, the Padayatra becomes instrumental starting those Parikramas. Sri Kshetra Puri Parikrama is very very much there. Then Bhakti Purusottam Maharaja took over, I only go for inaugurating, cutting the ribbon and going on for 10 years? More than 12 years Sri Kshetra Parikrama, Pandharpur parikrama and this parikrama and that parikrama. also going on.

We have a manual, Padayatra manual, how to organize from beginning to finish, all the details and is available. Also, Padayatra Ministry website- www.padayatra.com.

Padayatra in AndhraPradesh/ Telangana – One grihasta devotee, disciple of Bhakti Vikas Maharaja, he had been doing padayatra all over Andhra, now Telangana since 2012. He has also gone on with his only team of not more than half dozen members. This 4-5 devotees covered so many villages, distributed so many books and everywhere. Just one gentleman, one grihasta, he leaves his family and his wife behind and he goes on a lot many time, most of the time he is on the road.

20 day bullock cart padayatra by ISKCON Bhuvaneswar from Gaura Govind Maharaja’s days, then after his departure, his followers has been organizing padayatras every year.

Pune to Pandharpur, his is an ISKCON Pune initiative, organizing this Padayatra every year for18 days but a grand 50 temple devotees are PDC, they join and, they all have good time . Padayatras are a kind of retreat. Everyone likes Padayatra. There’s a whole list and upcoming Padayatras, which is ISKCON Kanpur, is on the list. ISKCON Baroda and Tirupati is getting ready to have a Padayatra, that was all around Andhra Pradesh. There’s a big list, as many temples organized padayatra every year. There’s one day padayatra concept is cropping up in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, 3 day Padayatra, 1 week Padayatra. ISKCON Noida devotees go from Noida to Vrindavan.

Please take this up. As I said in the beginning, you all are the doers, the temple presidents, you have to take this action to organize padayatra in your area and you see Prabhupada’s will or legacy that he has left behind in the form of padayatra and we have to push it forward and you are ready? Show up hands all those who wish to be part of this initiative. Hari Bol!

Qualities of the Lord are unlimited
Bhagavatam katha -Day three
Venue: Pune
Dated: January 9, 2019

All of you have come with great eagerness to hear katha I welcome you all. Series of katha is going on here. We are meditating on the svarupa of the Lord like in Maharashtra we have chintan baithak. Meditating on the Lord is the best meditation.

When person meditates on the material subject matters he gets attached to them.

dhyayato visayan pumsah sangas tesupajayate
sangat sanjayate kamah kamat krodho ‘bhijayate (BG 2.62)

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.

When one meditates on the object of senses person gets attached and from attachment lust develops and from lust  anger arises, this the sequence.

krodhad bhavati sammohah sammohat smrti-vibhramah
smrti-bhramsad buddhi-naso buddhi-nasat pranasyati (BG 2.63)

From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool.

The intelligent in the driver, our body is a chariot. The senses are the horses and reins are in the hands of the intelligence.

The human society is falling down there is no development but everything is going down. All glories to the technology and the scientist group. Every parent wants his child to become engineer. My parents were not an exception they also wanted to make me engineer. Everybody in my village used to call me engineer. So what has to be been?

We don’t say you don’t meditate but what should be the subject of meditation? One should meditate on the Lord. We should make the Lord the subject of meditation. Making Lord the subject, meaning making His name the subject of meditation, also His guna, His rupa, lila like Tukaram Maharaja. .

pahine  sri mukha avadine

He made Lords beautiful form as his topic for meditation.

Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate  (CC Madhya 19.170)

This is definition of Bhakti.  Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and, simply by being employed in the service of the Lord, one’s senses are purified.

‘One is bhakti and another is bhukti. One is yoga and another bhoga. But the world says bhogi bhava, become enjoyer and Lord says yogi bhava, become yogi.  World says enjoy. So if you become bhogi then be ready to become rogi. First go to five star hotels to enjoy then finally get transferred to five star hospitals. This is their style, they say we will die in style. This is slow death process and we are moving on that slowly. This is all kali puran.

So if you want to meditate, meditate on nama, rupa, guna, lila and dhama of the Lord. So that’s why we made it as the topic of this year’s Bhagavat katha. So that we can meditate and also speak on it.

Yare dekho tare kaho krishna upadesa (CC Madhya 7.128)

Whomever you meet tell about Krsna. Whatever we meditate on we become attached. This in law, that is what happens. Whatever you think about you become attached. If the subject is material then you get attached to it but if the topic is spiritual then you get attached to the Lord. The law is same. So meditate on name, rupa, guna, lila and dhama and become attached to them.

We become lusty by mediating on the material topics but if you meditate on Lords subject then you get attached to them. There are only two thing- lust and love. When we call people for katha they say I am busy ‘may kama may hu.” But if somebody is in love he is premi he will run to hear katha. Then there is no question of anger or krodha. We will get attracted to the Lord and Lord is Madan mohan

tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te (BG 10.10)

Vinasakale viparita buddhi

Lord says, to those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.  So l give them intelligence and he uses that intelligence to come to Me. But on the other hand lusty person will go to hell and he will fall down.

So these are the teachings of Gita. Lord appeared for us and showed us the way of ISKCON. People are also joining.  This is the third session only two are now left. Five days we had five topics. So today’s topic is qualities of the Lord. I will briefly discuss about all the topics.

Lord has lakhs of names. How does He have so many names? Just  food for thought. Subhang – Lord’s anga is all auspicious. So He is called Subhang Balaram. And how is His beauty He is Shyamvarana so called as Shyamsundar.

His name is Krsna, ya karsati sa Krsna, because he attracts everyone. So also He is called Cittachor also known as Makhan chor. Then is called Shankadhari as conch is part of His body. Then Padadhari and Gadadhari. Like that He has lakhs of names. Chakradhari and Chakrapani beause He holds chakra on His finger. Also called as Damodhara because of damodhar lila. Damodhara because his udar is tied with rope.

bandha ukhadala yala  bandhaukhadala

Murlidhara is famous name as He holds murli, and veenudhara, Vamsidhara. Yesterday we heard about three types of flutes Krsna uses. So accordingly are the names. In Kuruksetra He was chariot driver of Partha so called as Parthsarthi.  His father said to Him hurry up bring my shoes. He is ordering the Lord. As Lord is his son. According to the lilas He is named. So much love.

suhrdah sarva-dehinam

I am the best friend, you will never get such friend. To such Krsna i pay obeisances again and again. He is also called Bhaktavatsal because of His love for His devotees. Gopal go-cows, pal-palak protector.

Nandagodhan rakhavala, Dauji ka bhaiya, Dauji is elder brother of Krsna. Giridhari, Rasarachaiya. There is a song which is full of names of the Lord.

Vibhavari sesa alok pravesa….
Rasakhan is Krsna.
aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva sannam bhaga itingina

6 opulences of Lord these are also His qualities. How much wealthy He is? samagrasya, nothing is left for you. He is proprietor of everyone but such Krsna is ours. That’s a good news. Viryavan, He is strong He is victorious there are names in marathi we call Yashvan. But original Yashvan is Lord there can be Yashvan das. The person who has these 6 qualities is Lord. This is knowledge. There are many such Gods moving around in India be alert. We should have this knowledge or we will be cheated.

vedaham samatitani
vartamanani carjuna
bhavisyani ca bhutani (BG 7.26)

Supreme Personality of Godhead says, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. These are the qualities of the Lord.

Many liberated souls get attracted to the qualities of the Lord.  All different varieties of atmaramas [those who take pleasure in atma, or spirit self] also get attracted like Sukadev Goswami, he stayed for 16 years in the womb of his mother he was absorbed there he did not want to come out, then his father made him hear the glories of nama, guna, lila then he came ou t of the womb. As soon he was born he ran towards the forest to have darsana of the Lord. In a big assembly Shaunaka rishis asked how this happened? There 88000 rishis were sitting.  How did Sukadev Goswami come out?  Mukti and bhakti are different we have to become bhakta. Lord has such qualities that he attracts even the atmarama.

atmaramas cha munayo nirgrantha api urukrame
kurvanti ahaituki bhakti itthambhuta gunah Hari (SB 1.7.10)

All different varieties of ?tmaramas [those who take pleasure in atma, or spirit self], especially those established on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. This means that the Lord possesses transcendental qualities and therefore can attract everyone, including liberated souls.

‘guna‘ sabdera artha — krishnera guna ananta
sac-cid-rupa–guna sarva purnananda (CC Madhya 24.41)

“The word ‘guna‘ means ‘quality.’ The qualities of Krishna are transcendentally situated and are unlimited in quantity. All of the spiritual qualities are full of transcendental bliss.

Lord is always full of qualities.

suno, he rasika jana krishna-guna aganana
ananta kahite nahi pare krishna jagater guru,

krishna vanca-kalpa-taru navika se bhava-parabare (Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s famous Bengali songbook, Kalyana Kalpa-taru)

Listen to this, oh wisest relishers of mellows! The transcendental qualities of Shri Krsna are innumerable; indeed it is not possible to describe such unlimited divine attributes. Krsna is the spiritual master of the entire universe, He is like a wish-fulfilling desire-tree, and He is the helmsman of the boat on the ocean of material existence. You all rasikjana.

One form of the Lord is Anantasesa. He comes form Balaram. He is called Sahastravadan because He has 1000 mouths. He reciting the nama, rupa, guna and lila He has started since the creation. On His hood He carries all the universes  and keeps them moving that is how they stay in orbit which the scientist call law of gravity.  So Anantasesa keeps reciting Lords nama,rupa, guna and lila. When He got the service of carrying the universes on His hoods He asked how long I have to carry them. You keep reciting the nama, rupa, guan lila katha of the Lord and once you finish that you can keep them down. So since the recitation has started it’s going on till now. We are fallen jiva we can’t even imagine how many qualities the Lord has.

The smallest particle is atom and then there is electron and proton. The earth is made of many atoms, one can count the atoms in the earth but to count the qualities of Lord is impossible. Also the snow particles they keep falling the whole night. When Srila Prabhupada saw snow in New York for the first time . He said who did this white wash. One can count the snow particles but to count the qualities of the Lord is impossible. Similarly the sunray particles one can count but Lords qualities counting is not possible.

When asked how’s the Lord? We all say Nirguna. This preaching is done by the mayavadis. In Sastras also Lord is called Nirguna that’s ok one should know the meaning of the word Nirguna. That means He has no material qualities He is away from material qualities.

Bhagavatam is our authoritative sastra. In first canto queen Kunti prayers,

namasye purusam tvadyam isvaram prakrteh param
alaksyam sarva-bhutanam antar bahir avasthitam  (SB 1.8.18)

She was standing in front of  Krsna as He was moving for Dwaraka. So she recites the prayers.

O Krsna, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the qualities of the material world. You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are invisible to all.

You are Adi Purusa, you are Parmeshvara and you are beyond this material nature. Your qualities are divine. So nirakar means He does not have material form.  So when Anantasesa recites katha there is crowd of people at His every mouth.

adyapiha ‘sesa’-deva sahasra-sri-mukhe
gayena chaitanya-yasa, anta nahi dekhe  (Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat: Adi 1.69)

“To this very day, Lord Sesa chants Sri Chaitanya’s glories with thousands of mouths and still does not see their end.”

vrndavana-gamana, prabhu-caritra ananta
sahasra-vadana yanra nahi pa na anta (CC Madhya 18.223)

Krsna Dasa Kaviraja described how Caitnaya Mahaprabhu  was welcomed in Vrndavan. Brids are singing and trees are shaking their branches and flowers are falling on His feet welcoming. Some trees are giving fruits. Caitanya Mahaprabhu reaches bank of Yammuna, there came deer and started licking Him. Yammuna was bewildered oh My Lord has come. She moved towards Him and washed His feet. This Krsna Dasa Kaviraja has described but he said at the end only Anantasesa can glorify the qualities of the Lord I can’t do that.

There are many qualities in the Lord but Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu states 64 qualities. Of  them 50 qualities are there in us in lower degree. Like a mountain of gold and ring of gold. 5 more qualities are found in Demigods Brahma, Shiva. 5 more qualities are in the expansions of the Lord.  4 more qualities are there Lord Krsna only. Lord Krsna is avatari.

Four qualities are Rupa madhurya, Guna madhurya, Lila madhurya and Veenu madhurya. Demigods are not expansions of the Lord. They are svargavasi but the expansions of the Lord stay in Vaikuntha. Try to understand this.

Then comes the 64 qualities of the Lord.

Shrila Rupa Gosvami, after consulting various scriptures, has enumerated the transcendental qualities of the Lord Shri Krishna as follows:

(1) Beautiful features of the entire body; 
(2) Marked with all auspicious characteristics; 
(3) Extremely pleasing; 
(4) Effulgent; 
(5) Strong; 
(6) Ever youthful; 
(7) Wonderful linguist; 
(8) Truthful; 
(9) Talks pleasingly; 
(10) Fluent; 
(11) Highly learned; 
(12) Highly intelligent; 
(13) A genius; 
(14) Artistic; 
(15) Extremely clever; 
(16) Expert; 
(17) Grateful; 
(18) Firmly determined; 
(19) An expert judge of time and circumstances; 
(20) Sees and speaks on the authority of Vedas, or scriptures; 
(21) Pure; 
(22) Self-controlled; 
(23) Steadfast; 
(24) Forbearing; 
(25) Forgiving; 
(26) Grave; 
(27) Self-satisfied; 
(28) Possessing equilibrium; 
(29) Magnanimous; 
(30) Religious; 
(31) Heroic; 
(32) Compassionate; 
(33) Respectful; 
(34) Gentle; 
(35) Liberal; 
(36) Shy; 
(37) The protector of surrendered souls; 
(38) Happy; 
(39) The well-wisher of devotees; 
(40) Controlled by love; 
(41) All-auspicious; 
(42) Most powerful; 
(43) All-famous; 
(44) Popular; 
(45) Partial to devotees; 
(46) Very attractive to all women; 
(47) All-worshipable; 
(48) All-opulent; 
(49) All-honorable; 
(50) The supreme controller.

 (51) Changeless; 
(52) All-cognizant; 
(53) Ever fresh; 
(54) Sac-cid-ananda (possessing an eternal blissful body); 
(55) Possessing all mystic perfections.

 (56) He has inconceivable potency. 
(57) Uncountable universes generate from His body. 
(58) He is the original source of all incarnations. 
(59) He is the giver of salvation to the enemies whom He kills. 
(60) He is the attractor of liberated soul.

 (61) He is the performer of wonderful varieties of pastimes (especially His childhood pastimes). 
(62) He is surrounded by devotees endowed with wonderful love of Godhead. 
(63) He can attract all living entities all over the universes by playing on His flute. 
(64) He has a wonderful excellence of beauty which cannot be rivaled anywhere in the creation.

Srila Prabhupadaki..jai. I remembered Prabhupada because Prabhupada has translated Bhakti Rasamrita grantha for us, so you should all keep this grantha in your house you can take it from the book stall.

I wanted attract your attention , to this pranam mantra

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

The name, form, qualities and pastimes are mentioned in this pranam mantra.

Lord is very very magnanimous. Most magnanimous Lord is Caitanya Mahaprabhu, mahavadanyaya. That’s the quality.

Krishna prema prada- The giver of Krishna prema. He gives Krishna prema. The pastime of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is to distribute Krishna prema.

krishnaya krishna-chaitanya

krishnaya meaning I offer my obeisance’s to Krishna . krishnaya namah. But which Krishna I offer my obeisance’s unto?

“krishnaya krishna caitanya namine”

Whose name is Krishna Caitanya unto that Krishna I offer my obeisance’s. So His name is Krishna Caitanya.

gaura-tvishe namah

Tvisha means complexion. And His complexion is golden. So that’s the form. In this one little pranam mantra Rupa Goswami has mentioned all the four features of Caitanya.

 

Chanting Lord’s name will take us to Lord’s abode
Venue: Mayapur
Dated: December 29, 2018
Occasion: Annual yatra, Session session

Are you tired?? Marathon is going on 24 hours. Prabhupada also used to stay busy; how long? 24 hours a day.

There are so many activities going on throughout the day. Morning program, evening program, katha book distribution and so on. We used to read Krsna book and near us was a bucket of milk. One devotee would read the book for us and we used to empty the glasses of milk. That’s the last item and subharatri and good dreams.

Vaishnavas are never tired of hearing. I’m talking about Vaishnavas. I don’t know we are vaishnav or not. Even if we are not vaishnav by hearing and hearing katha we will become vaishnav. In Goloka there is always katha kirtan going on.

 srnvanti gayanti grnanty

Vaishnavas are always busy with sravanam and kirtanam.  We will give away all designation but this designation of  being vaishanva we will never give up.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “I am not Sudra, Vaishya, Ksatriya, or Brahman. I am not grahasta or vanaprasta. I am servant of servants of the Lord.” We should never be tired of chanting; similarly we should never be tired of hearing katha. And in fact we should be eager to hear katha.

One time Katha was going on by Radha Govinda Maharaja. A man got up; Maharaja thought he is having a question. Man asked, “Timing of katha is over, my question is when will katha get over?”

The rishis of  Naimisharanya Shaunaka Rishis said.

vayam tu na vitrpyama uttama-sloka-vikrame

One can never be satiated even though one continuously hears the transcendental pastimes of Krsna, who is glorified by excellent prayers.

Please don’t stop katha; go on reciting. One should hear katha with eagerness, meditate on it and establish it in one’s heart. Why in heart? Because that’s   the place of atma.

Sudarlala sachira duala…
radha krsna eka tanu hai

Radha Krsna are one but they became two in Vrindavan to perform lila and again became one in Navadvipa as Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Muralidhara has appeared in Mayapur and before Him appeared Vishvarupa as elder brother of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

vishvarupa ki prabhuji sahi

So Krsna appears as Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda as Vishvarupa. So both appear  in Navadvipa.

koi gayata hai radha-krishna nam koi gayata hai hari-guna gan

At some place katha is going on and other places kirtan is going on. Both are kirtana,  nama kirtan and lila kirtan.

mangala-tana mridanga rasala bajata hai koi rangana men

Lot of instruments are being played. The sound of Mridanga is madhura. It is also said that Murali or Venu of Krsna appears as Mridanga.

When you say Krsna, Muralidhara Krsna comes in front of our eyes. And what does He do when you take His darsana? What is He doing? Playing Murali. And as you see Caitanya Mahaprabhu what is he doing ?? His hands are raised. He is doing sankirtana.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is always performing kirtana and we are also performing kirtana. That proves we are with Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

And if we perform sankirtan, we enter the sankirtana lila. Srila Prabhupada used to say our goal is to join the Radha Krsna sankirtana party. Performing kirtan we will achieve the eligibility to enter the sankirtana lila of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

One who does kirtana is a kirtankar. Keep doing kirtana and return back to Godhead. From nama to dhama. Chanting Lord’s name you will reach dhama.

apani acari prabhu jivera sikhaye

Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught this sankirtana to all of us.

Nadiya godrume nityananda mahajan Sradhavan jana.

Bhakti Vinoda Thakura  used to stay at Godrumdvipa. He has written many bhajans which we sing. He is announcing oh there is namahatta and there hari nama is being distributed. Only nama and nothing else you will get there. Then who will get??

One who is sraddhavan. The father of sankiratan are Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda. Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared on Falguna purnima and now it’s called as Gaura purnima. That was lunar eclipse in 1486. Crores of people had gathered at the bank of Ganga and they were chanting the Holy name by the inspiration of the Lord. Full day all  were performing sankirtana and in the evening Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. So kirtana appeared before the Lord. Kirtana is also avatar.

Kali kale name rupe krsna avatar

Lord takes avatar as kirtana. Now as sankirtana was being performed Lord had appeared.

yatra mad bhakta gayanti tatra tistami narada

That day the Moon did not show his face. He thought let Gaurachandra is going to appear today. Bahu koti chandra jini vadan ujwal. His lotus face has effulgence of many moons. Then how can I saw my face which is full of black spots.

There is also Gaura sahastra nama. Officially He was named as Vishvambar by his grandfather Nilambar Chakravarty. He used to stay at Belpukur but came to Mayapur. He was an astrologer and saw the kundali and said His name as Vishvambhar. Sita Thakurani the consort of  Advait Acharya named Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Nimai as He was born under the neem tree.

Srila Prabhupada introduced Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the whole world

Venue : Mayapur

Dated :  December 31, 2018

By establishing ISKCON Srila Prabhupada has done a great welfare work for this world. Like Mayapur dhama was revealed to the world only because of  him. Srila Prabhupada brought the devotees from all over the world to Mayapur. This is a great achievement. Srila Prabhupada has given us this Mayapur dhama.

First of all Srila Prabhupada gave Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the world. But the world was not  understanding that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Lord Himself. People used to take Him as a saint like Tukaram in Maharashtra, Narsingh Mehta and Tulsi Dasa.

That is also not wrong concept. He was playing a role of a devotee, but He was not only devotee. We all should know His tattva. There are many sastras which give reference of appearance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is Krsna only, just the name is different. Srila Prabhupada gave the real introduction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the whole world. This is debt of Srila Prabhupada on all of us. He also ordered his devotees to print Caitanya Caritamrita and distribute it.

Caitanya Caritamrita gives us all details of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings and pastimes. Now Caitanya Caritamrita is also printed in Chiness and Chinese are also reading it. Initially only Bengali people could read it, but Prabhupada printed the copies in all the languages and made it available to the whole world. What else he gave us?

anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam (CC Adi 9.37)

There were many previous incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but none were so generous, kind and magnanimous as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for He distributed the most confidential aspect of devotional service, namely, the conjugal love of Radha and Krsna.

Madhurya rasa and madhura pastimes and Krsna prema Caitanya Mahaprabhu relished Himself and He became magnanimous and distributed it to the whole world.  So Mayapur is audarya dhama. Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave us unnat ujjwal rasa. The best mellow that’s visrambha was given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

What else did Srila Prabhupada give you? Whatever Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave us the same thing Prabhupada gave us.

emona doyala data

Who is so merciful as him. That merciful Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted this wealth of Goloka which He brought to be given to the whole world.

sarvatra prachar hoi be mora nama

That was the will of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Prabhupada executed the will of the Supreme father. And he made plans to distribute it to the cities and villages. He also gave us ratha yatra. Srila Prabhupada liked ratha yatra the most. The work of ISKCON will go on till 10,000 years. So in only 50 years ratha yatra is being organized in more than 100 countries and more than 600 cities. This is going to multiply in the coming years.

The way Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed devotional service it is only to teach others.

yad yada acharti srestha

So who is the most superior?? The Lord. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a great example. The same things were repeated by Srila Prabhupada. He followed the teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Prabhupada also instructed to teach it to the whole world. Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not just appear for Hindus but for all.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu also said,

“amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa”
“y?re dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna‘-upadesa“

“Whomever you meet, simply talk with him about the instructions given by Krsna or tell him of narrations about Krsna. And Prabhupada said preaching is the essence.  The best welfare activity for the world is giving them harinama and that’s the fulfillment of this life.

If there is a boy who is lost, the best welfare work for him is taking him to his original parents. Many leaders say always chalo Delhi but Prabhupada said, “Chalo Goloka.”

A servant had a picture of Krsna in his purse.

First I kept pictures of my mother and father but they left me. Then when I got married I kept picture of my wife then she also left me then I thought whatever picture I keep that person leaves me. Why  not I keep picture of a person who will never leave me. So I kept picture of Lord Krsna.

Hari Bol

Glories of Mayapur dhama
Venue: Mayapur
Dated: December 28, 2018
Occasion: Annual yatra, First session
Gaurabhakta Vrnda ki…. ..Jai

Don’t just say Hari but say Gaura Hari. Who are Gaurbhakta Vrnda? The devotees of Gaura Hari are called Gaura Bhakta and many devotees of Gaura Hari are called Gaura  Bhakta Vrnda. You all have assembled here Gaura bhakta Vrnda.  Do you agree with me?? Haribol. How was the journey? Prabhupada once asked me how was the journey? In 1977 for Mayapur festival we had come walking from Vrindavana. That time Mayapur was same also and different also. There was just one building; now it’s called lotus building. Now there are other buildings, Gada, Sankha, Cakra.

So first was Padma Bhavan. Radha Madhav were small that time. They were on the ground floor. We had come with bullock cart. It’s not just a story; it’s reality. We had bought that bullock cart from Meerut. We went to have darsana of Srila Prabhupada. He was staying on second floor. Harisuari Prabhu understood somebody is coming and he did not want anybody to meet Prabhupada. So he stopped us on the way like the Pandas of Jagannath Puri had stopped me.

We were trying to convince him. Luckily by that time Srila Prabhupada was going to his room from the wash room. He saw that bullock cart sankirtana party has reached. So he said let them come. Now our route was clear. You all go for darsana to Prabhupada’s quarters.

We had just sat there. Many garlands were kept beside. Srila Prabhupada told Harisauri Prabhu to garland us all and we were sitting with the garlands like we had achieved some trophy.

param vijayate sri-krsna–sankirtanam

That time Srila Prabhupada asked us, “How was the journey?” I said, “It was an easy journey to Mayapur planet, Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada has written a book easy journey to other planets. I was remembering that name. So I said “easy journey to Mayapur planet.”

Caitanya Mahaprabhu went from Mayapur to Jagannath Puri. There is no difference between Mayapur and Jagannath Puri. So reaching Jagannath Puri is like reaching Golok Dhama. Last 18 years Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed in Jagannath Puri. Jagannath Puri was the base of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. As said by Saci mata Jagannath Puri is not very far from Mayapur. The Gokul of Vrndavan is Mayapur. Mayapur is also Vrndavan. There is no difference. Because there is no difference between Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 mo sama patita prabhu na paibe ara

I am the most fallen. I am number one sinful. Papiyan me name. Is there any sinful here? There are few. We accept or not, but we are. Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared for the fallen. As in Kaliyuga people are more fallen, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is more merciful. This is the quality of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is filled with qualities and He exhibited His qualities here. He gave Krsna Prema to others.

This mantra ‘namo mahavadanyaya..’ is pranam mantra for Caitanya Mahaprabhu. To know someone we should know his nama, rupa, guna, lila. Rupa and nama of Krsna prema is,

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

His guna is He gives Krsna prema to others.

 “Golokera prema dhana harinam sankirtana”

Caitanya Mahaprabhu brought a gift for the whole world. My birthday will be on Gaura Purnima. People will come for Gaura Purnima, they bring gift or not but I will give them gift and that is Krsna prema.

 Krsna prema pradayate

One who receives this Krsna prema become the most wealthy, dhanadhya.

I pay obeisances to Krsna whose name is Sri Krsna Caitanya. This is name of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So now rupa is left. He is gaura varna Krsna. To this guara varna Krsna I pay obeisances. He was Shyamsundar, now He has become Gaurasundar. Now left is dhama. Who has come for the first time?? Hari Bol almost 40%.

Here we have Ganga Jamuna also. Half Ganga and half Yamuna. Chanda Kazi samadhi is Mathura, Mayapur is Gokul. There are nine islands so called Navadvipa as rivers flow crisscross. So many things I have to tell you. This dhama is eternal like Jagannath Puri dhama.  During annihilation Jagannath Puri Dham was intact, same as Mathura, Dwarka and Navadvipa.

Ganga when appeared for the first time, Bhagiratha was in front driving his ratha making a route for Ganga and she was following him from Uttar Pradesh to Bengal. When his ratha was crossing Navdvipa there is one dvipa Jaanudvipa. Jaanu muni was performing his Sandhya Vandana. By that time Ganga came and there was water all over. This was done by Bhagirath. And he drank all the ganga water. Bhagirath had already faced so many problems in bringing Ganga down to the earth. He had to take Ganga to Ganga sagar to deliver his ancestors.

Bhagiratha when turned behind saw Ganga is not there. He saw Jaanu Muni and requested him please release Gangaji. And Ganga came out from the thigh of Jaanu Muni, so she was called Janavi.

Janavi tata vane jaga mana lobha

See the glories of Caitanya Mahaprabhu at the bank of Janavi. Advait, Nityananda are on His right side and Gadadhar, Srinivas are on his left. He is sitting on thorn bedecked with valuable diamonds. Brahma is doing arati and other Demigods also have come. Narada ji is playing Veena.

Catur mukhe Brahma bole Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Pancha mukhe Mahadev bole Ram Ram Hare Hare.

Shiva is all there in Navadvipa. There is one island on his name Rudra Dvipa. There is darsana of Harihara here, half Hari and half Shiva, showing that he is not Visnu tattva nor jiva tattva but he is diiferent tattva.

Once Brahma ji came here at Antardvipa, He was doing tapsaya here for his offences in Vrndavan. He had kidnapped calves and cowherd boys. Tapasya causes purification.

I am jumping from here to there. I wish I had many mouths.

tunde tandavini ratim vitanute tundavali

So when Ganga was crossing, she saw posters of Gaura Purnima festival. Many many years back also Gaura Purnima was being celebrated. She said to Bhagiratha, “I want to attend Gaura purnima festival.” So they celebrated Gaura Poornima. Ganga fasted you know which type?? Nirjala. Did u understand? Ganga Yamuna has their own personalities.

We are saying many times. That this dhama is eternal. So not only dhama is eternal but the Lord here is also eternal. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is dhami of Mayapur like Panduranga is dhami of Pandharpur and Ram is dhami of Ayodhya. Dhama and Dhami both are eternal, this is all to be thought over. And the Dhami is not just sitting but performing Lila. To perform Lila the Lord needs His associates.

King Nimi and Nava Yogendra’s dialogue. King Nimi asked question to each Yogendra. Karbhajan Muni said,

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah

Lord will appear in Kaliyuga. He will describe the glories of Krsna. His complexion will be Akrsnam. He will not be black that means He will be fair Gauravarna. His associates will also appear and perform yajna or sacrifice, but which type??The intelligent people will worship the Lord by performing sankirtana yajna. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna. So Dhama is eternal, Dhami is eternal and his associates are also eternal.

There are two types of Lilas. Prakat or aprakat lila. Nitya and naimitik Lila.

Yada yada he dharmasya and  Paritranaya sadhu nama

This was the cause for the Lord’s lila. Other times lila are always going on as aprakat Lila.

adyapi lila kare guara rai kon kon bhagyavan dekhi bare pai

Adhyapi means now also Gaura is performing lila and the fortunate can have darsana of the lilas. We should not think that Lord was there and lila has happened. But the Lord is there and lilas are going on now also.

maya saha ramasva

You remember Lord please be with me engage me in your confidential lilas. Like this Brahma prayed at Antardvipa where we are sitting now. At every island there is one process of devotional service.

Sravanam kirtanam vishnu samarnam… Prahalad said when his father asked him what he learned in Gurukul. What for this I had send you to gurukul? We pay Sanda Amarka for ths? Hiranyakasyapu ki… devotees said jai.. laughter all over.

There are different islands in the Navadvipa area for cultivation of these nine varieties of devotional service.

They are as follows: (1) Antardvipa, (2) Simantadvipa, (3) Godrumadvipa, (4) Madhyadvipa, (5) Koladvipa, (6) Rtudvipa, (7) Jahnudvipa, (8) Modadruma-dvipa and (9) Rudradvipa. So Navadvipa and there are Navadha bhakti.

 1)Antardvipa, Sri Mayapur –Surrendering everything
2) Simantadvipa-Hearing
3) Godrumadvipa- Chanting
4) Madhyadvipa-Remembering
5) Koladvipa- Serving the lotus feet
6) Ritudvipa- Worshipping
7) Jahnudvipa- Praying
8) Modadrumadvipa- Being a servant
9) Rudradvipa – Being a friend

At Simantasvipa—Sravanam, Parvati is doing bhakti there.

At Antardvipa we surrender this me and mine to the Lord. Me remains, but how? Aham dasosmi, Aham can’t be destroyed.

om ajnana ti mirandasya

Tamosoma Jotir gayama, we should go from ignorance to knowledge.

krsna surya sama maya hai andhakar

24 years Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at Mayapur. 6 years He was on yatra and 18 years in Jagannath Puri. So grand total 48 years he performed His Lila, Krsna for 125 years and Lord Rama for 10,000 years.

Lords Svarupa, His form is Mysterious
Bhagavatam katha -Day two
Venue: Pune
Dated: January 8^th, 2019
Haribol..Gaura Haribol.

Its good you all have come, some new also have joined.  I welcome you all. This place is not any ordinary auditorium, it has become Vaikuntha. Where the glories of  Lord are being sang at that place Lord resides and that place becomes Vaikuntha. This place has become Krsnamaya. Vaikuntha means there is no kuntha. In Pune there is kuntha but as you enter this place there is no kuntha. Which place you like kuntha or Vaikuntha.? Some are still thinking.

So yesterday’s  first session of  katha was meditating on the Lords svarupa, name of the Lord, His Dhama, lila and His guna all are His svarupa. So in yesterday’s session we discussed on Nama svarupa of the Lord.  We showed you on weighing scale on one side Nama and other side Nami. Nama is svarupa of the Lord and Rupa is also svarupa of the Lord.  There are many names of the Lord.

One of them is, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

This is special name of the Lord. There are some simple names also but Hare Krsna maha-mantra is special name.  Harinama was preached by Lord Himself in form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu

“Hare Krishna nama Gaura karila prachar”

Lord Himself preached His name, please take My name, Lord said. He not only just said but also distributed His name. Caitanya Mahaprabhu toured throughout India, not by airplane but He did padayatra. So much pain He took, He went to each house and thus established dharma for the Kaliyuga.

What is the dharma for Kaliyuga?

 kali-kale dharma hari-namasankirtana

There is no other dharma.

sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah

Abandon all types of religion and surrender unto me.

Muslims say Allah, Gurunanak ji also chants Govind Govind, he also has chanting beads in his hand. Our Christian brothers also have their rosary. We have 108 bead in our chanting mala and our Muslim brothers have 99 beads because there are 99 names of Allah. So everyone takes shelter of name of the Lord. Because harinama is dharma for this Kaliyuga.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave the holy name to the whole world, He gave name means what He gave? He gave Himself in the form of name. Take me take this name. During initiation ceremony Hare Krsna maha-mantra is given to chant means Krsna is given. By chanting one realizes one day that name  of  the Lord is Krsna Himself.

When we say Hare Krsna, we call Krsna, Hye Krsna. So as we say Krsna, Krsna manifests Himself and we attract the Lord towards us by calling His name.  With all love and attention we call the Lord. Gajendra also had called the Lord, Lord came immediately. Lords name, when Draupadi called and Lord appeared.  If we call as she called then Lord will appear and ask us, yes what do you want.

Acaryas have given commentaries on the Hare Krsna maha-mantra

mam cittam akarsaya

ya karsati sa krsna, Lord attracts everyone.

Mam cittam – always think of Me. So while chanting these 16 names, we should meditate on the Lord.

Commentary on maha-mantra  by Gopal Guru Goswami,

hare – he hare, mac-cittam hrtva bhava-bandhanan mocaya |

Hare! O Hari, steal my mind and deliver me from bondage to this material world.

krsna – he krsna, mac-cittam akarsaya |

Krsna! O Krsna, attract my mind.

 hare – he hare, sva-madhuryena mac-cittah hara |

Hare! O Hari! Capture my mind with the sweetness of your name, form and pastimes.

krsna – he krsna, sva-bhakta-dvara bhajana-jnana-danena mac-cittam sodhaya |

Krsna! O Krsna! Send me the association of your devotees who will purify my mind through instructions about your devotional service.

krsna – he krsna, nama-rupa-guna-liladisu man-nistham kuru |

Krsna! O Krsna! Give me unflinching faith in your name, form, qualities and pastimes.

krsna – he krsna, rucir bhavatu me |

Krsna! O Krsna! Give me a taste for your name, form, qualities and pastimes.

hare – he hare, nija-seva-yogyam mam kuru |

Hare! O Hari! Make me worthy to engage in your service.

hare – he hare, sva-sevam adisaya |

Hare! O Hara, Radha! Order me personally in the service you wish me to perform.

hare – he hare, sva-presthena saha svabhista-lilam sravaya |

Hare! O Hara, Radha! Give me the opportunity to hear about your own favorite pastimes with your beloved Lord

rama – he rama, presthaya saha svabhista-lilam mam sravaya |

Rama! O Rama! Give me the opportunity to hear about your own favorite pastimes with your beloved Radha.

hare – he hare, sva-presthena saha svabhista-lilam darsaya |

Hare! O Hara, Radha! Give me the opportunity to see your intimate pastimes with your beloved Lord.

rama – he rama, presthaya saha svabhista-lilam mam darsaya |

Rama! O Rama! Give me the opportunity to see your intimate pastimes with your beloved Radha.

rama – he rama, nama-rupa-guna-lila-smaranadisu mam yojaya |

Rama! O Rama! Engage me in hearing, chanting and remembering your name, form, qualities, pastimes.

rama – he rama, tatra mam nija-seva-yogyam kuru |

Rama! O Rama! As I enter into those pastimes by the path of meditation, make me worthy to engage in your service.

hare – he hare, mam svangikrtya ramasva |

Hare! O Hari! Please accept me and take pleasure from the service that I offer you.

hare – he hare, maya saha ramasva |

Hare! O Hari! Take pleasure in me and enjoy with me.

So the serious students or the japa yogis and those who raised hands saying we are chanters can read in detail about the commentary of  Hare Krsna maha-mantra. There is art of chanting, sastra of chanting. And these topics are to be meditated on.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave us name means He gave us Lord.

kali–kale nama-rupe krsna-avatara

Name is svarupa it is a personality. So attentive chanting is very important.

In this dharma sabha mostly devotees come and this katha is not for general public it’s for devotees. It’s said chant attentively remember Krsna while chanting.

Chant-Hear –Remember

Oh, what to remember?  Remember the Rupa of the Lord. So nama will take us to  rupa, rupa will take us to lila and then to His associates and finally from nama to dhama. This is the route. So nama will take us to dhama. So while chanting meditate on Rupa, Guna, Lila and Dhama of the Lord. So this year katha is for the chanters. So that they chant more attentively. So it’s compulsory and necessary for the chanter. So today we will hear about Lord’s Rupa, His svarupa.

Lord rupa is described in many sastras and by many acaryas.

adav ante ca madhye ca harih sarvatra giyate

In the Vedic literature,from the very beginning (?dau) to the end (ante ca), as  well as within the middle (madhye ca), only Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is explained.

So glorification of rupa, guna, lila and dhama is done always. Our acarays have written lot about the rupa of the Lord. Tukaram Maharaja who appeared near Pune he had darsana of the Lord and also described the rupa of the Lord in his abhangas. There are different levels of darsana.

arcye visnau sila-dhir (SB 4.21.12)

We think the Deity in the temple to be made of  stone.  But when devotees like Tukaram Maharaja take darsana of the Lord they see Lord as He is. Sometimes the deity is made of white marble but the great acaryas see the Lord as  Shyamsundar Lord. They don’t see with this charma sakshu, the material eyes.  They anoint their eyes with love and devotion.

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti

Lord, Govinda, is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Syamasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee. They see the  Lord.

Suradas of  Vrndavan, he was blind but he also used to go for darsana. People use to ask him why have you come? How can you take darsana, you can’t see?  Once Lord was dressed with less cloths, So  to test him a man asked, how Lord is looking today?

Suradas said ‘aja prabhu nango nango’

So Lord rupa is Lord himself, this is easy to understand. Rather than accepting name as Lord Himself. We hear but we don’t accept easily.

Young brahman and old brahman from Orissa, the young brahman said to the Lord, Lord please come with me to Orissa.Oh,  it’s too long. Brahman said, oh Lord if you can talk you can walk also. So Lord surrender to His devotee and  started walking . Today also  we can have darsana of  that Lord, Sakshgi Gopal.

Also Lord did chori of ksheer for his devotee,  Madhavendra Puri.  In Orissa,  Remuna  there istemple of  ksher chora Gopinath.

So such Lord is glorified by

yambrahma varunendra rudra marutah stunvati divyai stavai

Brahma, Varuna, Rudra, Marutah. Stuvanti, they all glorify the Lord.

Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.14 describes the stuti of  Brahma you can read also brahma samhita. Prabhupada selected some sloks of glorification and during sringar darsana two sloks from Brahma samhita are sang in all temples of ISKCON.

govindam adi purusham tam aham bhajami

venum kvanantaravinda-dalayataksham

barhavatamsam asitam buda-sundarangam

kandarpa-kothi-kamaniya visesha sobham

govindam adi purusham tam aham bhajami

angani yasya sakalendriya-vrittimanti

pasyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti

ananda-cin-maya-saduj-jvala-vigrahasya

govindam adi purusham tam aham bhajami

Murli has become part of Lord as we think of Lord. In the beauty of  Lord vamsi is a main part. It’s part of the Lords svarupa.  And its magic is marvelous in His pastimes.

venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam-
barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham

Lord is adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock’s feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids.

Gopis glorify the Lord, its part of Venu geet, 10^th Canto

barhapidam nata-vara-vapuh kar?ayoh karnikaram
bibhrad vasah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantim ca malam
randhran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan gopa-vrndair
vrndaranyam sva-pada-ramanam pravisad gita-kirti (SB 10.2.5)

Lord wears a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karnikara flowers on His ears. One flower in two ears, some people say He breaks it into two and then wears, but it’s not like that. He puts the flower on one ear then He removes it and puts on another ear.

He wears  a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayanti garland. When He goes to forest He wears vanamala, that’s why He is called as Vanamali. Sometimes He wears garland of lotus flowers, so called Padmamali.  He sometimes wears garland of kadam flowers He likes them as they  reminds Him of Radha rani. The color of kadam flower is golden and also of Radha Rani. So that’s reminds Him of  Radha

vaijayantim ca malam

Vaijayanti mala is made up of five different flowers. It’s long till His knees. Sometimes He puts the garland on one of His shoulder so that easily He can paly the flute. I am not saying anything but what I have heard from acrayas. They are the right source. Sometimes he wears garland on His head these are three types of how He wears the garland.

Sundara te dhyana ….

Tukaram maharaja has written 4000 abhangs describing the  Nama,  Rupa, Guna, LIla and Dhama.  In Maharashtra before every Bhagvat katha,  sundar te dhyana abhanga  is sang without that katha is not complete

sundar te dyan ubhe vite vari kar katavari theuniya 

Lord is same He does not have flute in His hand. But He has kept hand on His waist. Tulsi is always there at His lotus feet. Tulsi is Vrndavadevi she is event manager for all the pastimes of the Lord. She engages everyone in service of Lord.

We pray,  seva-adhikara diye koro nija dasi

She is krsna priya so in Pandharpur Lord wears Tulsi in His neck that sign  of His love whatever we like we wear in neck.

Rupa Goswami writes,

kada draksyami nandasya balakam nipa malakam

palakam sarva sattvanam lasat tilaka bhalakam

When will I see Nanda’s son? He is the protector of the devotees. He is garlanded with kadamba flowers, and His forehead is decorated with glistening tilaka.

Prayers of  Kunti Maharani are famous. Krsna was in front of her and she says,

namah pankaja-nabhaya namah pankaja-maline

namah pankaja-netraya namas te pankajanghraye

She can also see Him, He is wearing lotus garland. Lords abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus and whose feet are engraved with lotuses.

When we say Krsna Chandra, its stated in teachings of  Lord Caitanya to Sanatan  Goswami in Varanasi. There its stated Krsna Chandra.

In Krsna’s whole body there are 24 and half moon.

sakhi he, krsna-mukha—dvija-raja-raja
krsna-vapu-simhasane, vasi’ rajya-sasane,
kare sange chandrera samaja

“My friend! The face of Krishna is the king of moons! Krishna sits on the throne, ruling over His kingdom surrounded by an assembly of moons.

dui ganda suchikkana, jini’ mani-sudarpana,
sei dui purna-chandra jani
lalate astami-indu, tahate chandana-bindu,
sei eka purna-chandra mani

“His two glowing cheeks conquer the beauty of shiny gems. I can compare His cheeks to a full moon. On the half-moon of His forehead there is a drop of sandalwood paste that resembles a full moon as well.

kara-nakha-chandera hata, vamsi-upara kare nata,
tara gita muralira tana
pada-nakha-chandra-gana, tale kare nartana,
nupurera dhvani yara gana

“His fingers, with moon-like nails, dance on top of the flute and sing a song that comes out as the melody of the flute. His feet, with toenails that resemble a crowd of moons, dance on the ground, singing a song with the jingling of the ankle bells.

His face is the main moon. This moon is the king of all moon and he needs throne and that is the face of the Lord that’s its throne. His eyes are moons. His tilak is also one moon. And His forehead is half moon. And his nails are one one moon. So total 20 moons of hand and hands. So grand total 24 and half Chandra. So Lord is called Krsna Chandra.

Many yogis mediate on the effulgence coming from the nails of the Lord.

ragah saptasu hanta satsv api sisor angesv alam tungata visaras trisu kharvats trisu tatha gambhirata ca trisu dairghyam pancasu kim ca pancasu sakhe sampreksyate suksmata dvatrimsad-vara-laksanah katham asau gopesu sambhavyate (B.R.S 2.1.49)

There are 32 qualities in the beauty of the Lord. Seven places on His body are red; six parts are elevated; three parts are broad; three parts are short; three parts are deep; five parts are long; five parts are fine.”

Lords 7 parts of body are red in color-  His eyes,  His palms, the soles of His lotus feet, His palate, His lips, His tongue and His nails.

Three parts of His body are broad: His forehead, chest and waist.

Three parts of His body are very deep: His voice, intelligence and navel. His voice is very deep.

megha gambhiraya vacha

Like the rumbling of the clouds reaches long long distance. When the clouds thunder all can hear even if there is no amplification. His voice is gambhira. His intelligence is also deep and mature.

There is highness in five parts of His body: His nose, arms, ears, forehead and thighs.

In five parts of His body there is fineness: His skin, the hair on His head and the other parts of His body, His teeth and His fingertips.

Three types of flutes used by Krsna.

One is called venu, another one is called murali, and the third is called vamsi.

For everyone He has different flute, some for Gopis, some for cows and some for Gopas.

See the Lords lotus feet there are different signs on His sole. In His right feet there are 11 signs and on left feet are 8 signs they have their particular name and function. When we pay obeisances these signs bless us.

On Krishna’s right foot are: konastakam – an eight – pointed star; svastikam – a svastika; cakram – a wheel; chatra – a parasol; yava – a barleycorn; ankusham – an elephant – goad; dhvaja – flag; pavi – a thunderbolt; jambu – jambu fruit; urdhva-rekha – line traveling upwards; ambujam – lotus.

On Krishna’s left foot are: candrardham – half-moon; kalasam – waterpot; tri-kona – triangle; dhanushi – bow; kham – ether; goshpadam – cows hoof-print; proshthikam – fish; shankham – conch-shell.

So there is so much to mediate on, so many signs.

His dressing is also special. Sometimes only two clothes, uttari and dhoti.  Sometimes kuta, dhoti, tyrban and uttari. Sometimes multicolor dresses.

Deity darsana is very important as the topic is Rupa. Prabhupada established 108 temples and now there are so many temples all over. Temples have beautiful deities. So katha is going on since time immemorial. Since the creation its going on and will go on after annihilation also. There is no question. Where Lord is there or not? Lord is there and how is He is described in sastras and our acrayas have described it very nicely. Prabhupada had established the concept that Lord is there and His rupa is there.

Sankaracharya preached nirakar vada for some reason.

brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate (SB 1.2.11)

Brahman realization is impersonal realization, it’s just superficial.  Paramatma is the localized feature, and Bhagavan is the personal feature.

aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriya?

jnana-vairagyayos caiva sannam bhagam itingana  (Visnu Pursna 6.5.47)

Bhagavan means who possesses these six opulences in full: all riches, all strength, all influence, all wisdom, all beauty, all renunciation. This is the definition of Bhagavan. Many sastras have explained the opulence’s of the Lord.  Krsna has His rupa and Brahma jyoti comes from His body.

Some people show a light and at end Murlidhara Krsna, so they show that Lord comes from light. They limit the Lord.

avajananti mam mudha?manusum tanum asritam
param bhavam ajananto?mama bhuta-mahesvaram

Fools to not understand the form of the Lord.

Lords form looks like us but as said in Bible , Man is made as image of God. At least they accept that Lord has form.  Its looks like our form and Lords form is same but it’s not limited like us. He has many forms. Some yogis can take 8 forms But Lord is Yogeshwar.

kesava dhrita-mina-sarira jaya jagadisa hare, Lord assumed the form of a fish. kesava dhrita-rama-sarira jaya jagadisa hare, He became a tortoise.

kesava dhrita-haladhara-rupa jaya jagadisa hare, He also assumed the form of Balarama. kesava dhrita-kalki-sarira jaya jagadisa hare. Kalki will be coming in future. And what comes from our body just mal and mutra  all dirt.

When Lord came as Vamandev. And as Bali said asked what you want? And Vaman became Trivikrama. No limit to His form was Vaman became Trivikrama

He expands on Sharad purinma night.Lord show the atmosphere on sharad pornima and as He thought and all was arranged and best musicians arrived and music then rasa dance. Many Gopis were there Lord expanded as many Gopis were there. His form is unlimited. Lords’s form is mysterious it’s amazing. We need to understand the tattav of the Lord.

 In Damodhara lila,  Yasodha took rope and every time it was two finger short. The form of Lord was same His waist was small but could not be tied by many many ropes.

Satyavrata Muni is praying,

namas te stu damne sphurad-dipti-dhamne
tvadiyodarayatha visvasya dhamne

I pay my obeisance to the abdomen which is abode for many many universes.

Yasodha is thinking I want to tie my Krsna’s abdomen but all the universes reside in His abdomen. So He is called Jagannivas.

Also when He ate mud He shows all universes in His mouth to mother Yasodha bewildering her.