Kirtan as an offering to HH Jaypataka Maharaj
Venue: ISKCON Bangalore
Dated: 25 th March 2018

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

This kills or this destroys demon within us or demoniac nature in us and all around. Lord Sri Rama as He killed Ravan, may He kill Ravan within us or Hiranyakashipu within us or Jagai Madhai within us with the weapon of the Holy name. So Lord is about to shower His weapon or arrow and attack all that is bad within you me and the world around us.

Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge

So vinasaya ca duskrtam, let that happen. He has appeared today sambhavami yuge yuge, He appeared today also or we could say, He appears in the form of His Holy name.

kali kale nama rupe krishna avatar

This is yet another avatar but same and another simultaneously. Nama avatar, kali kale nama rupe, name of this avatar is Nama avatar.

I am also thinking or I wish to offer our kirtan that we are performing now and here. This kirtan as a prayer unto Sri Rama for protection of and the successful operation of H. H. Jayapataka Swami Maharaj ki Jay! So he has requested that we pray and of course without request, we should pray. So let us make this kirtan as a prayer. His vyas-puja is just in few days, on 27th. I have sent my offering also. I am sure you have sent yours, you many of his disciples. But I am his brother. I also have compiled my offering and sent over to him, which we will read here and those who are present on that day in Chennai also may will read. But on the top of that I want to offer this kirtan as a prayer unto Sri Rama, unto Narsimha deva for removing all the obstacles from the path of H.H. Jayapataka Swami maharaj, specially his health and operation should be happening sometime soon. May all that go successfully, that is our prayer.

Non stop kritan……………………..

Now it’s time to talk less and work more
Venue: Nagpur
Dated: 18 th April 2018
Occasion: Ground breaking ceremony

Today's day was reserved, the moment for which we were waiting since long time has come and the work is going on. Today is also auspicious muhurta of akshya tritiya. Our temples are not just temples. They are vidyamandirs also. So just now we were hearing Srila Prabhupada. Once he said in Chandigarh at new temple construction. He was inspiring people to take up Krsna consciousness seriously. It’s for all even the illiterate they can also chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra. And for the intelligent people there are so many books available. Read those books and try to understand Krsna consciousness. There is lack of Krsna consciousness in the world. Lack of bhakti bhava.

We are all Lord's children. He knows what do we need but we are greedy. Let us understand our need rather running after greed. For that we need to understand who we are? And then what is our need? There is also lack of knowledge. We are after khagol and bhugol and the knowledge of who we are, is gol means zero. To fulfill the needs of the jivas , Nagpur devotees are working hard. They are coming up with IVCC- International Vedic Cultural Center. Its other name is glory of India. Some call it as ISKCON lotus temple. It’s also Radha Gopinath temple. It’s also vidyamandir. Jiva only needs the Lord. 

Like a bird in cage, we are after the decoration of the cage forgetting the parrot. But what is important the parrot or the cage? So to fulfill the need of the soul we are coming up with this temple and the preparations have started from today, Haribol.

So you have heard many devotees speaking about the temple and they have inspired all of you. So are you all ready? Haribol. Talk less work more or walk the talk. Now its time to work.

Just yesterday I was searching researching the ISKCON BBT folio, so I got a letter of Prabhupada that I want to share with all of you. Do you want to hear what Prabhupada wrote in that letter?

8 April 1975 from Mayapur (He wrote it from Mayapur)

To Ashis Roy, B.A.
c/o Artists Academy
85, Vasant Nagar, Nagpur-10

That person said to Prabupada, you are opening so many temples and centers all over the world, please open one temple in are city Nagpur .In reply Prabhupada wrote a letter to him.

My dear Mr. Roy,

Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your kind letter dated 27th march, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. The process of opening a center somewhere is that we go there and hold classes for one week on the teachings of Bhagavad-gita and if the people like, then we'll open a center. Actually, the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that in every town and village there will be a center of Krishna Consciousness, is essential. People must co-operate. If not, then they will have to suffer. So, I am very glad that you have come forward, being one of the leaders of the cultural community. I am very much enthused by this. Our ideology is standard. It is not anything new, but it is very old. It is not anything concocted. 

ajo nityah sasvato yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]

The living entity is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is
slain.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to our Vrndavana festival which will be held on the 20th of April up to the 27th of April. We will be opening our temple there. If you can come, then we can talk in detail about a center at Nagpur.

I was thinking Prabhupada wrote letter to one person. Like Lord gave message of Gita to Arjun but that message was not only for Arjuna but it was for all of us. So the message Prabhupada gave in the letter is for all of us. Through this letter Prabhupada is giving his message to all the Nagpur devotees Haribol. Also Prabhupada said if you are interested then come, let's talk. So all of you have com and we will talk now. So today bhumi pooja is done, now there is no way we turn back. From here we just have to march forward and climb high.

na hati hai na ghoda hai, sajan re zoot mat bolo…whatever sankalpa you have taken.

So the work has begun and it’s going on, it’s not any private personal business its Lords work. Its service of the Lord and we all are servants of the Lord. So we all together should take up the construction of the temple seriously. And please the Lord. Temple means place where Lord stays and where His glories are sang and propagated. So we should work more talk less. 

Srila Prabhupada ki..jai
Radha Gopinath ki…jai

Today is birthday party or Rama’s appearance day celebrations
Dated: 25 March 2018
Venue: ISKCON Bangalore (Seshadripuram)

Dinesh, Din-isa, the master of the day is Surya, sun. So while the sun’s ruling time is the day, Rama appears. Night time is ruled by moon. Moon is also called as Raka, Raka isa becomes Rakesha, or Rajani also means ratri , night time. Rajanish that is moon, night time ruling, the moon is ruling. So Suryavamsi Rama appears during the day, mid-day. And Sri Krisna appears midnight when Candra is ruling.

Ayodhya dham ki jay! Lord Rama appeared; of course Ayodhya is His dhama, His home. He is Ayodhyavasi Rama. Rama is what? Ayodhyavasi Rama ki Jay! But then again we want to remind you, this is not only Rama has taken birth today, at this time of day, Laxman also, today is appearance day of Laxman and Bharat and Satrughna. So today is Rama navami, today is Laxman navami, today is Bharat navami and Satrughna navami is today.

Dasharatha had no children, no sons, and then today he received four sons. They are all Lord. Laxman is also Lord and Bharat is Lord and Satrughna is Lord. Some time we do not know or we do not think like that. Instead we say Lord Hanuman. One who is not Lord, we make him a Lord. We make Hanuman Lord but we do not think Laxman is Lord. We think Rama is Lord but Bharat is also Lord. He is Lord Bharat, Lord Satrughna.

This is how Sukadeva Gosvami describes, Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, these are the four Lords, Caturvyuha, the quadruple expansions of the Lord. They all four of them appeared on occasion of navami I should say. That navami’s name has become Rama navami. This navami became famous as Rama navami. As one astami has became known as Krsna astami. One purnima has become known as Gaur purnima, like that. So today is reserved for, today is this Navami, reserved for Sri Rama. And for almost one million years since Lord’s
appearance, this navami is celebrated as Rama navami.

So we have assembled here to celebrate appearance day, birthday. It’s a birthday party and the news is which is also good news, that all over the planet, as International Society for Krsna Consciousness has spread all over the planet. And today the birthday party or Rama’s appearance day celebrations are not India limited any more. It is unlimited. On the way to here through internet we were watching, Rama navami is being celebrated in Bombay and Delhi and London and may be not right now. Some places are still sleeping. Soon they will be getting up and that will be navami for them, and morning mangal arati. It’s not 12 o’clock everywhere, yeah, may be somewhere mid night 12 o’clock. But through out the day there is celebration of Rama’s appearance, all day long. This is mid day. Lord is appearing at mid-day, madhyanha time. Madhyanha time for devotees in Middle East is going to be after one two hours. In Europe it’s going to be after 3, 4 hours, their mid day. In New York it’s going to be after 7, 8 hours.

Los Angelis going to be after 12 hours, in Hawaii may be after 13, 14, 15 hours, like that, and in Japan, 16 hours. And Singapore, like that, you understand right? So it’s not 12 0’clock everywhere on the planet right now. But celebrations are being held and would be held all over the world. Jay Sri Rama! So like this Rama’s glories are spreading everywhere. Rama’s name is spreading everywhere. Rama mandirs are everywhere now. In London there is ISKCON Rama mandir. In Washington there is ISKCON Rama mandir. Like that, so many of them. We Gaudiya vaisnavas or in ISKCON we worship Radha Krsna. Of course we worship Sri Sri Gaura Nitai ki Jay! We worship Jagannath, Baladeva, Subhadra; we worship Sita Rama Laxman Hanuman ki Jay! So these are some of our worshipable deities, worshipable Lords. They all are worshipable. There are so many more of them.

advaitam acyutam anadi ananta rupam

But some forms, some rupas we worship formally, regularly and one of those forms is Sri Rama. Jay Sri Rama!
We sing the same song. We don’t have many songs atleast I don’t have.

ayodhyavasi rama rama rama dasaratha nandan rama rama

Rama is Ayodhyavasi. Not today He became Ayodhyavasi. No no, He is always Ayodhyavasi, Ayodhyavasi Rama. But today He became Dasarath nandan, Dasarath nandan Rama. He appeared as son of Dasarath.
Dasarath nanadan Sri Rama ki Jay!

He also appeared as Kausalya nandan Rama. Kausalya nandan Rama. Kausalya ananda vardhanam, Ramayan says, as He appeared, what did He do? Kausalya ananda vardhanam, increased ananda of Kausalya. He gave so much ananda to Kausalya. Kausalya became happy and what about you? In fact of course He gave ananda to Dasarath and to Kausalya but to give ananda to all of us He appeared.

And right now, right now, is there some ananda? Are you experiencing some ananda? (Hari Bol!) Who gave that ananda to you? Rama! Directly Rama is the cause of ananda. That’s why also He is called Rama. Rama means arama, ananda, joy, Rama means joy. There is some genuine ananda, joy that is because of Rama. dasarath nandan Rama……

bolo rama jay sri rama! bolo rama sita rama
patit pavan janaki jivan sita mohan rama rama.

Patit pavan Rama, what kind of Rama He is? Patit pavan! That is why He appeared today. To become pavan, the purifier, uplifter, the liberator of who? Patitas, the fallen! We are patit and He is pavan.

Patit pavan and He is Janaki jivan,
He is life of Janaki, Sita Maharani ki Jay! Patit
pavan janaki jivan sita mohan rama.
As Krsna is Radha Mohan Krsna, Rama is Sita Mohan Rama.

Rama appeared in Ayodhya today. There is a big celebration; big festival all over Ayodhya, there is jubilation, celebration. They are all chanting and dancing and feasting also. So, how to celebrate Rama navami? Residents of Ayodhya, on this day, one million years ago when Rama appeared, they had set the example, they were chanting and singing.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! …… (Kirtan)

kujantam rama rameti aksaram madhuraksaram
aruhya kavita sakha vande valmiki kokilam.

We offer our obeisance’s unto Valmiki muni. We are grateful to him, having presenting Ramayan. That says in this vandana. Vande Valmiki kokilam, Valmiki has become kokila paksi (bird). Kuhu kuhu! It is best of the birds, singing birds, sweet singing. So vande Valmiki kokilam.
Kujantam, this kokila paksi is kujantam, singing. Rama Rama iti, he is singing glorifying Rama Rama. Aksaram madhuraksaram, every aksara, syllable, word, a verse of Ramayan is amrita. Aksaram madhuraksaram. Aruhya kavita sakha, as if Ramayan is compared to a tree and Valmiki is kokila and he is sitting on the branch of this Ramayan. So many branches, so many parts of that Ramayan. Bal kanda, at least we could say the names of those branches or portions or sections of Ramayan.

Bal kanda, Rama janma is part of Bal kanda. Then Ayodhya kanda, more things have happened in Ayodhya. Then Aranya kanda, aranya is what? Forest! Rama in forest, forest dweller Rama. He is no more Ayodhyavasi, He is vanavasi, vanavasi Rama, so that is Aranya kanda. Then Kishkinda kanda. Is Kishkinda in Karnataka?

Yes? Aranya kanda is upto Panchavati. So after kidnapping of Sita happened and left Panchavati and banks of Godavari and search of Sita, He is coming down south this way and He comes to Kishkinda. That is capital and on the top of mountain. Did you ever go to Humpi? Which is supposed to be birthplace of Hanuman is also there.

Shabari’s asram, Shabari maiya ki Jay! What a devoted lady! She was waiting and waiting for Sri Rama and finally Rama had come. Then she greeted Sri Rama and made Him sit down and fed Him berries which she had picked up from around, her little dwelling there. And while feeding, what she was doing? She was not eating as such, she was testing. She was tasting to test. These are two words. Test and taste. In exam you have test and juice you taste. So she was tasting and testing, making sure, those berries are ripe and sweet. And that maha maha prasad kind of, she was feeding Rama.

So that’s part of Kishkinda ksetra. That’s where first meeting of Rama and Hanuman takes place. Hanuman used to stay at the top of the hill, Rishyamuka parvat along with Sugriva and others. And then he was sent ‘go go find out! Some one is coming in our direction.’ Sugriva used to be always scared. So Hanuman had gone and they met, Rama Hanuman milan, bheta at the bank of Pampa sarovar they met. They introduced each other and Hanuman made Rama’s and Laxman’s job easier. Otherwise mountain climbing was involved; top mountain to be climbed. So what did Hanuman do? He said, Lord please have a sit, here and there (patting both shoulders). So two Lords sat on the shoulder of hanuman and he took off and landed on that Rishyamuka parvat.

And then meeting with Sugriva takes place there and of course Rama and Laxman they are looking for Sita. ‘Site, where are you Site!’ they are screaming out loud. They had been doing this from the time they left Panchavati, everywhere, ‘Site Site!’ Possibly She is somewhere in the same forest. Shabari also, ‘you go top of this mountain. You will get more clues of where about of Sita.’ Shabari also made a mention like that. ‘You go there, you will get clue about Sita.’ Of course Rama and Laxman were looking for Sita. ‘Have you seen our Sita, my Sita? Oh Sugriva have you seen?’ ‘Well I can’t say whether I have seen but I saw some viman, aircraft going this way and someone in the aircraft was saying the name Rama Rama Rama Rama.’ So there Rama was also saying ‘Site Site’ and Sita was also saying ‘Rama Rama’. ‘And while that aircraft just passing above here, little bundle, a cloth, something wrapped in it was dropped.’ And then Sugriva said, ‘please take this may be you will and we will find some more clues of where about of Sita or was that Sita in that aircraft.’ So Sugriva handed that potali to Rama and as Rama was anticipating, yes yes most probably that person flying over here and screaming Rama Rama, who else that could be? She must be Sita. And if She is the one who has thrown this little pouch, she said Rama Rama and touched and held that, Rama felt, His body was trembling. And His eyes were full of tears. Well He opened with His hands to check out what was inside, but He was not able to recognize. He was not able to
see because His eyes were full of tears. He called Laxman, ‘Oh Laxman Laxman check this out. See some ornaments here. Could they be Sita’s? This one – it was

bajuband, armlet of Sita. So Rama was showing ornaments one after the other- this one, could this be Sita’s?’

naham janami keyure

These are armlets. No, I can’t say whether they are of Sita’s. I never saw her armlets, arms or armlets. Naham janami kundale, and these are ear rings but I never looked Sita’s ear rings that closely. Ahh but these ones, these are ankle bells. Oh for sure these are Sita’s. Padami vandane, whenever I looked at her feet, offer my obeisances and looked at her feet, I have seen this. For sure these are ankle bells of Sita maharani.’ And then it was conformed, for sure, at least thus far Sita had come or the person who flew in that aircraft that is Sita.

So that is Kishkinda kanda, that is whole kanda, Kishkinda kanda. Then comes Sundar kanda which is full of Hanuman lilas or searching, looking for Sita. Hanuman had gone, others were also looking in different directions and Hanuman found Sita. Hari bol! And finally when they met, Hanuman said, ‘let’s go, back to Rama. How? Climb up my shoulders.’ Sita said, ‘no, nothing doing. I can not touch another man, another person. You go, let’s Rama know where abouts of me. Let Him come, battle with Ravan and as a hero let Him prove His prowess and rescue
me, have me back again. That will be glorious than me running away like this or you take me back.’

So Hanuman, at least he knew now, Sita is alive. She still exists. And he knew where exactly she is residing, existing. And Hanuman came back to Kishkinda.

‘I have good news for you’.
Hanuman had not only good, the best news.
‘I know I know where about of Sita.
I found out, I met her.’ And Rama, His joy had no limit.
He was so happy so happy to know where abouts of Sita.
Sita maharani ki Jay!

And Rama had said, ‘Hanuman, if I was in Ayodhya today, I could have given you big reward, big gift. But, I want to give big gift but I have nothing. I don’t have anything. I am vanavasi. I am empty pocket. I don’t even have pockets. My clothes even do not have pocket. But if you do not mind, if you don’t mind, you may like to accept my embrace.’ Saying so Rama stepped forward and He gave deep embrace to Hanuman. (Hari Bol!)

Wasn’t that the best reward for a devotee, Lord has fully accepted you, the devotee. Lord is embracing and Lord is holding that devotee to His heart. You would like to be accepted by Rama like so? (Hari Bol!) Then you have to give up the tight embrace of Maya. Maya is embracing us. As Rama embrace Hanuman, and he was in tight grip of arms of Sri Rama, like wise the conditioned souls are, or in tight grip of Maya in so many forms.

“balam pasya me mayayah stri-mayya jayino disam” (SB 3.31.38) Lord Kapil deva said to His mother. Balam me pasya mayayah, stri maiyyam, in the form of woman. For a man, woman is Maya and for a woman, man is Maya. I want to say that otherwise, ‘Be fair’. So Sundar- kanda, then comes Yuddha kanda, whole battle took place in Srilanka, which went on for many months. And it was a day of dasami, Rama Vijay Dasami,
Ravan was killed. Hari Bol? Someone got killed and you say Hari bol. (shankha dvani at background, from altar) Victory! When conch shell is blown, victory is declared, proclaimed. That is what conch shell, shankha dvani does, victory to Rama, victory to Sri Krsna, victory to Jagannath. So that was rama vijay dasami. And then Rama returns to Ayodhya and of course there is uttar-kanda, seventh and final is uttar -kanda. From Lanka to Ayodhya and many more things are of course happening on the way. Lord is stopping Kishkinda and at different places and He is not walking back to Ayodhya. From Ayodhya He started walking and walking and southerly direction, all the way Lanka. If He had to walk back, that could have taken few more years. But Lord was looking at the watch. Not just watch, but the whole calendar. And the fourteen year period was going to be expired very soon. And again He had promised Bharat, ‘brother I will be back.’ But Bharat had said, ‘Rama, make sure You come back on time. Preferably before time but not after the expiry of fourteen years time. Well You may come, whenever You come, but if You come late, You will not find me alive. I am going to be keep track of the time.’ This is Bharat’s and Rama Bharat milan had taken place.

So Rama had to go faster back to home, back to Ayodhya. So He preferred taking flight and not Padayatra. Padayatra is 4 Kms only per hour. So Rama has flown. But then He was at Prayag, another stop at Prayag. Bharadwaj muni’s asram. From there Rama send Hanuman, Hanuman you better go. Go fast, go ahead of us. And let Bharat know that I am on the way. Let him know I am coming.’ So Hanuman took another flight. He did not have to sit in another aircraft. His body is aircraft. So Hanuman went ahead of Sri Rama. Letting everyone know, especially Bharat, ‘Rama is on the way’.

And then in Ayodhya, Rama is greeted there. Big reception and that was another great celebration. Which ended up in becoming Dipavali. Ravan was killed, that is Dasahara. Das- ten headed Ravan; hara- his head is taken away or chopped off, Dasahara, Rama Vijay Dasami. And by the time, Rama reached Ayodhya, everyone was happy. The whole city was lit with lamps, one lamp, another lamp and another lamp, Dipa avali, rows of lamps everywhere. Town was lit up. Everyone was well dressed, new dresses. And they came all to greet Rama and Laxman and Sita and there are Sugriva and few others also, Jambavan also accompanied. And then Uttar-kanda.

Uttar- kanda is longest time, period wise, factor wise. Rama was on the planet for dasa sahasra dasa satani ca. So many years, dasa sahasra, ten thousand, dasa satani, that is another thousand. So that is total of eleven thousand years Rama was on the planet. So by the time He came back to Ayodhya after vanavas, not much time has passed. Fourteen years in forest and some years may be 20, 30; anybody knows how old was Rama when He left for forest? 25, 27? Let’s have battle. Anyways its close, if that is correct. So some two dozen or so years before He left for forest. Add fourteen years, so that’s only those many years, all the kandas, all other six kandas or cantos are covered. And the remaining ten thousand nine hundred sixty or something years Rama is going to be ruling Ayodhya. And that is all in Uttar- kanda. But you don’t find much because His ruler ship started. Yeah some beginning years are described and rest is left for your imagination or these are getting repeated.

raghupati raghava raja rama patit pavan sita rama sita rama jay sita rama

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

Yearning to hear Krishna Katha
SB 11.6.48-49 at
Venue: ISKCON Chowpatty
Dated: 17 Jan 2018.

Hare Krsna! Thank you for inviting us, it’s a great opportunity for us to be here at Radha Gopinath mandir ki … Jay! Whichgot realized as per the wishes of Srila Prabhupada or we were remembering while Prabhupada was here at Bharatiya Vidyabhavan, that time he pointed out, I don’t know which way, ‘there should be one temple here or there will be one temple here in future’. And eventually that has happened. He wanted one temple in Juhu, that happened and Radha Gopinatha temple is also here. World famous temple, Radha Gopianath or ISKCON Chowpatty isworld famous!

Udupi Krsna temple is famous because of Srila Madhvacarya and this temple is also famous for Radhanath maharaj.He is like mathadhisha, mandiradhisha. There are unlimited glories of Radha Gopinath temple and Radhanath maharaj and all the servants of Radha Gopinath here. So to have opportunity to be here at such a world famous temple is honor. So thank you for the opportunity to be amongst you all here this morning.

This morning we did, I also was part of Srila Prabhupada’s Guru puja and we had kirtan together. So we continue being together this morning as we recite Srimad Bhagavatam canto 11, chapter 6, text number 48 and 49. Only one text is on the board there. So please repeat.

vayam tv iha maha-yoginbhramantah karma-vartmasu
tvad-vartaya tarisyamas tavakair dustaram tamah(S.B 11.6.48)

smarantah kirtayantas tekrtani gaditani ca
gaty-utsmiteksana-ksveliyan nr-loka-vidambanam (S.B 11.6.49)

Translation: O greatest of mystics, although we are conditioned souls wandering on the path of fruitive work, we will certainly cross beyond the darkness of this material world simply by hearing about Your Lordship in the association of Your devotees. Thus we are always remembering and glorifying the wonderful things You do and the wonderful things You say. We ecstatically recall Your amorous pastimes with Your confidential conjugal devotees and how You boldly smile and move about while engaged in such youthful pastimes. My dear Lord, Your loving pastimes are bewilderingly similar to the activities of ordinary people within this material world.

Purport- ‘In this verse Uddhava, by stating bhramantah karma-vartmasu, humbly presents himself as one of the conditioned souls entangled in fruitive activities. Still, Uddhava is confident that he will certainly cross over the illusory energy because he is addicted to chanting and remembering the glorious activities and words of Lord Krsna.

Similarly, Rupa Gosvami has stated:

iha yasya harer dasyekarmana manasa gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasujivan-muktah sa ucyate

Although one may outwardly appear to be involved in this material world, if one is always engaged, twenty-four hours a day, in the service of Lord Krsna, then one is considered to be a liberated soul. Uddhava states here that hearing and chanting the holy name and pastimes of Krsna is infinitely more effective than becoming a naked yogi in the forest and running the constant risk of becoming, due to lusty desires and sex indulgence, and risk of becoming naked monkey in the forest. Uddhava is begging the Lord for the mercy of His Sudarsana cakra, whose effulgence is represented by the process of remembering and chanting the pastimes of the Lord. One who absorbs himself in the incomparable bliss of thinking of the Lord’s abode easily becomes free from all lamentation, illusion and fear. That is the recommendation of Sri Uddhava.’

Hari Hari!
The chapter is entitled- ‘The Yadu Dynasty Retires to Prabh?sa’, which is not far from Dvaraka. Uddhava is speaking; he has been speaking from some days now. As you have been doing your Nityam Bhagavata sevaya, you have been hearing Uddhava speaking. He was speaking and speaking and he has spoken this, as we have just now heard.And he is compelled to speak this particular way because he has gota clue, more than a clue that Lord would be leaving, winding up His pastimes and returning to His own abode.

Demigods initially had appealed for Lord’s advent. Lord responded to their appeal and had advented and was on the planet for past 125 years. And Lord has accomplished His purpose of the advent,‘paritranaya sadhunam’ has happened, ‘vinasay ca’ demons have been killed. There was a big hit list that He had been working on. ‘Dharma samstharpanarthaya’ that also had happened. And then demigods, they were thanking the Lord for His advent and for all that He has done for the world and for the earth and they have said earlier that,You may leave my Lord now.
And then, so Uddhava has found out. He had more than a clue that Lord is leaving and he doesn’t want him to be left behind. Then first thing he had said,

‘sva-dhama naya mam api’

Oh! My dear Lord, please take me along with You, me too me too.

‘naham tavanghri-kamalam ksanardham api kesava’ (SB11.6.43)

He addressing Kesava, I cannot be away from you not even for ksanardha. For a fraction of second or a moment; I cannot be away from Your lotus feet -‘tava anghri-kamalam’. He could have said that I cannot be away from Your feet, but he also has said I cannot be away from Your lotus feet, glorified lotus feet of the Lord.

‘tyaktum samutsahe natha’- I cannot tolerate that separation, being away from You. ‘svadhama naya’- please bring me to Your own abode.

So this is his appeal, he has begun his appeal with that statement and he had been talking and talking and finally he has said, again he is addressing Lord as Maha-yogin. He has addressed as Kesava and now as Maha-yogin.

‘vayam tvihamaha-yogin bhramantah karma-vartmasu’

In the purport it has been pointed out, clarification is needed. You interpret only when some clarificationis necessary, otherwise things are clear, then no need for interpretation. I was just hearing Prabhupada’s lecture and he was making that point.

So at this point, one may wonder why Uddhava said vayam. It’s not just me but vayam, but many of us or all of us, bhramantah, we are wandering or going round and round and up and down. How does that sound? And we had been wandering all over, because of karma vartmasu. We have taken the path of the karma, karma kanda. Karma kanda, jnana kanda, keval visera bhanda, big pot of poison we had been drinking.

Anyways, it is pointed out in the purport. This is humility of Uddhava. He is humbly making this statement. Or it also could be said, he is representing all of us, the people of this world.

bhramantah karma-vartmasu

So we had been wandering but there is hope for us also. Krpanah phala-hetavah, Lord is saying, they are the misers, one is krpana and other is brahmana, the miserly and the other one broad minded, refined Brahmin. They are misers, who go for phala-hetavah, and they are karmis-they perform karma and they want to enjoy fruit of their karma, fruitive workers are phala-hetavah.

karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu

Krsna expects this to happen. Karmanyevadhikarah- yes you have right to perform karma, activity; but ma phalesu, don’t touch the fruit.

yatkarosi yad asnasi yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurusva madarpanam (BG 9.27)

But the karmis, karma-vartmasu their hetu their intension is to enjoy the fruit. So they are described as krpanas.
So those who had been wandering with this phala-hetavah, karma-vartmasu, vartma means path, for them also there is hope. Dustaram tamah, those who are caught in the grip of the darkness, ignorance, dustaram-insurmountable, mama maya duratyaya, Lord says, Maya causes tama the darkness. So they could also be saved, those who are karma-vartmasu, following path of fruitive activities, how they could be freed from the clutches or freed from the darkness or ignorance?

tvad-vartaya tarisyamah

Tarisyamah, we could cross over this insurmountable darkness of ignorance by tvad-vartaya. Varta is news. What is the news? Ka varta? That dialogue between Yudhistira maharaj and Yaksha, many many questions were asked and Yudhistira maharaj had answered all of those questions.

atha kim ascaryam param

So what is the news? Breaking the news, lots of news of this world, which bind and throws you in the ocean of darkness. But that varta is of two kinds, maya varta and Krsna varta or Krsna katha and grama katha. Tvad-vartaya, Your varta, news about You which could be heard and relish in association of devotees, like you are doing this. Let’s see how long it goes on.

tvad-varta tarisyamah tavakair

In association of pure devotes, if Your varta is heard and relished, then dustaraih tamah, we could be liberated from the darkness of ignorance.

Anyways there is more in next verse. Smarantah kirtayantah krtani gaditanica, so that varta is further unpacked or unfolded and explained, smarantah, kirtayantah te, about You. First he said tvad-varta and now he said te, about You. smarantah kirtanyantah te, it’s like sravanam kirtanam vishnoh, same thing. So kirtan has happened. Kirtayantah te, smarantah te, so first we have to do kirtan,

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

You also have to hear that kirtan and who hears? Who is the hearer? Ear hears? Body is dead, ear is there, but does ear hear or someone hears? So hearer is no more there. Hearer has gone. So who is the hearer?Us! Who are we? We are spiritsouls. We have to hear.

So first we say kirtan then there is sravanam and that results in smarantah. Kirtayantah te, smarantah te, and then Uddhava goes on. So hear and remember what? Krtani gaditani ca, it’s ca there. Ca means and, this and that, yes this could also be applied, ca is at the end. So smarantah kirtayantah te, remembering You, hearing You, krtani gaditani ca, so hearing and remembering what? Krtani, Your activities, Your krtya, and ca gaditani, Your words. Thus we are always remembering and glorifying the wonderful things You do, krtaniand the wonderful things You say gaditani, ca.

And towards the end, well he is giving little hint about the activities- krtani, the gati- the movement of smita.He just said few words but that is the idea, Uddhava said few words, now we are focusing on just few words or we are trying to hear those few words. But what do we hear? What sense we get out of what we hear or what Uddhava says? He said something. We kind of all the way heard but what did we hear? What kind of emotions or thoughts arouses?

Krtani, the activities of the Lord, and it says, gati the movement of smita, smita is what? The smile, but he says utsmita, that we should not be missing. What kind of smita? Widely, boldly, utsmita is broadly smiling.

utsmitekasana ksveli, He is not only smiling but it’s said, when Lord chews His tambulamasala, tambula pan, His lips are already reddish they become more reddish, they are reddened. And when Lord after eating His tambula, then He smiles, that is very special smile. His beauty really comes across as He smiles.

Normally also whenever photograph has to be taken what do they say? Smile, so that they could capture real you. As soon as we smiles beauty 10 fold, 100 fold, I don’t know how much when we smile our beauty, 2 fold or 3 fold 5 fold…. Lord smiles and what to speak of utsmita then His beauty is further enhanced. And that beautiful Lord eksana, that becomes His pastime in itself. Just looking at His devotee with the smile on His face, utsmita eksanaksveli, that kind of loving pastime, loving dealing.ksveli is translated as loving dealing, loving pastime. So pastime immediately becomes lovely as Lord puts on little smile, little smile on His face and glances at His devotees.

So Uddhava is talking all this. He hasn’t talked much. But he has talked everything also. So that kind of Lord I am going to be missing as You leave to Your own aboard.

The day Lord left this planet, that was the beginning, tad dina, from that day onwards, kali’s advent, took place. What kind of kali? Sarva sadhana badhakah. Introduction to the kali. You want to know who is Kali?Sarva sadhana badhakah, all your sadhana, badha- obstacles all the time, at every step, every day, every week, sarva sadhana badhakah, so that is dustaram tamah.

So Uddhava is already feeling separation from Lord. No no Lord I cannot be away from You. Please bring me with You. Otherwise I would miss my Lord. Utsmiteksanaksveli, the Lord who smiles among many many things, unlimited things You do. One of those good thingsYou do is also Your smile, Your smiling glance falls upon us, and that is perfection of our life. But You would be leaving. Please do not do so. You may leave but bring me with You.

So in response to this, Lord is going to say, ‘well I had come so I also have to go. One who comes, goes.’ Then Lord said, ok I will stay behind, I will go and I will stay in the form of Srimad Bhagavatam. All My kathas, all My pastimes will stay behind. I appeared and performed the pastimes and those who were contemporary human beings; they are benefited by My pastimes, My presence and My pastimes. But as I leave, then what would happen that is also concern of Uddhava what about me? No no I will stay behind in the form of Bhagavatam. And then Uddhava said, Ok then I don’t mind, if You stay behind in the form of Bhagavatam then I will also stay. He agreed to stay.
Like this also was said earlier, towards the end of 9th canto.

Kalau janisyamananam duhkha shoka tamo nudam
anugrahaya bhaktanam supunyam vyatanod yasah (SB 9.24.61)

For the benefit of the unfortunate folks of this age of kali, anugrahaya bhaktanam, Lord is going to stay behind in the formof Bhagavatam.

yasminsat-karna piyuseyasas-tirtha-vare-sakrta
srotrsnjalir upasprsya dhunute karma-vasanam(SB 9.24.62)

Simply by receiving the glories of the Lord through purified transcendental ears, the devotees of the Lord are immediately freed from strong material desires and engagement in fruitive activities. And people of this age of Kali would drink this piyusa, this nectar of Krsna’s pastimes, dhunute, there will be cleansing done, of what? Karma-vasanam.

Uddhava had said karma vartmasu, same thing had said earlier.

karma vasanam dhunute

As one hears Srimad-bhagavatam, the pastimes of the Lord, karma vasanam, cleansing of karma vasana. As we perform the karma, some activity, activity is over but what remains behind is vasana.

‘papachi vasana nako dau dola tyahuni andhala barach mi’

Tuka mane, Tukarama maharaj said, ‘better to be blind Oh! Lord, papachi vasana, do not give me that kind of vasana, desire, the seeds, some thoughts, ideas, some concepts about seeing some sinful forms or seeing some forms which will invoke some vasana desire. Better make me blind.’

So how to become free from karma vasana, those desires, thoughts, the seeds?karna piyusa, by hearing Srimad-bhagavatam.

Jnanagni sarva karmani bhasmasat kurute tatha

Krsna also said that, jnana agni or bhakti agni, the fire could do what? This karma vartmasu or karma vasana, bhasmasat- burn to ashes.

Srinvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah,
hrdyantah stho hy abhadrani vidhunoti suhrt satam (SB1.2.17)

Bhagavatam says as soon as you hear Bhagavatam, Lord makes space, room for Him in your heart. He gets situated. Getting rid of all the dirt, everything else is out.

As we say Krsna surya sum, all those connections are there,

Krsna surya sama, maya haya andhakara,
yahan Krsna tahan nahi mayar adhikara

So as soon as Krsna makes His appearance in the form of His pastimes, He is there and as mentioned by Uddhava, dustaram tamah, the darkness is gone.

om ajnana timiranadhasya, jnananjana salakaya caksur unmilitam

You are blind and here comes Srila Pranbhupada. Srila Prabhupada comes and he is giving all the dictation, translation and purport and as we hear, as we read what happens?jnananjan shalakaya, caksur unmilitam, our eyes are open, jnananjan, which is expected to result in premanjan.

And once that is there then, santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayani, and such person will see, as he has been hearing and hearing and hearing and well lot of this. From the sound comes the form. We hear the sound and it takes shape. We hear the pastimes, and they take the shape. Krsna takes His shape and He never performs pastimes alone. Pastime means Lord and the devotees. So as we hear Krsna and the whole pastime appears before or within us. So santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. They see the Lord within the heart.

caksudana dila yei janme janme prabhu sei

Our eyes are opened byacaryas ,of course sastras are opening, Bhagavatam is opening our eyes. Trying to open some of your eyes. They have great determination, not opening eyes. Or maybe you are seeing pastimes of the Lord in the heart, which I am not seeing. (Laughter)

nityam bhagavata sevaya bhagavati uttam sloke bhaktir bhavati naistiki

As we hear and go on hearing, nityam all the time constantly, this talk of 24 hours, purport says 24 hours we stay busy busy busy then bhaktir bhavati. In that, Prabhupada comments that way, nityam bhagavat sevaya.

‘Ok Bhagavatam, two kinds of Bhagavatam, book Bhagavat and the person Bhagavat.’ Srila Prabhupada ki Jay! You serve Bhagavatam, book Bhagavatam, hear, remember Krsna, you are reminded of Krsna and you also serve pure devotees, person Bhagavat. Prabhupada has given us lot to do. There is so much to do. There is so much to do.

So Lord did not leave, Lord stayed behind. People of age of Kali would say, Oh! what about us? We the unfortunate folks, it’s too late, Lord was here, He has gone now.’ But Lord has kindly stayed behind in the form of Bhagavatam, in the form of His pastimes and that is also one of His forms. The lilas of the Lord is also one of the svarupa of the Lord. There are many svarupas.

kali kale nama rupe krsna avatar

But kali kale also this lila rupe krsna avatar and our acharyas have stayed busy with nama and rupa.

sri radhika madhavayorpara madhurya lila guna rupa namnam, pratiksana

As Uddhava says ksna ardham, even fraction of second I cannot stay away.

pratiksana asvadana lolupyasya vande guroh sri caranara vindam

So our acaryas representing the Lord and continue to establish dharma in this world. Yeah they stayed busy.

nana sastra vicaranaika nipunau saddharma samsthapakau,

nana sastra- big pile of sasras in the middle and they are nana sastra vicaranaika, they are discussing, debating.

radha krsna padarvinda bhajananden mattalikau

Radha Krsna bhajan ananda matta, what are you hearing? Our acaryas are busy, Radha Krsna bhajan ananda, that bhajan must be giving them ananda immediately.

‘anandi ananda gade ekade tikade chohikade, anandi ananda gade’

As soon as there is ananda, anand mattalikau, they were intoxicated, addicted to hearing and chanting and remembering.

And that is why Krsna said, My devotees, mat-cittah, their citta is in me. Tvad-vartaya,Your pastimes, mat cittah, their consciousness is glued down. Do you know glue? They can’t separate it, it’s glued. So mat cittah, mad-gata-pranah, and what they did they do? Their citta, consciousness is glued to Krsna, at His lotus feet.

mat-citta mad-gata-pranah bodhayantah parasparam

They are busy, bodhayantah parasparm, each other, they are conversing, they are talking, reminding, about Me.

kathayantasca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca

Ramanti, ramaman, they are happy,happily they are wandering, residing, eating, acting. So they are hearing, chanting, happily doing all this.

This is Lord’s expectation as He spoke to Arjuna, Bhagavad Gita, and this is the standard and this is standard practiceon daily basis, and very spontaneously in spiritual sky. In Goloka what the devotees do? This is what they do.

bodhayantah parasparam kathayantas ca mam nityam tusyanti ca

All the residents of Goloka that’s all that they do. They are always busy, talking about Krsna, lot of talk goes on.Even when they are acting,

hatha may kama and mukha mai nama, nama ya lila

All that they do is accompanied by hearing and chanting.That is why also harer namaiv kevalam, Jiva Gosvami Prabhupada says, everything that they do, Yeaheven smaranam padasevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam and sakhyam atmanivedanam. All these activities should be accompanied by or with what? sravanam kirtanam. Sravanam kirtanam has to be there. It’s constant factor, with all that you do, padasevanam, and arcanam is incomplete without sravanam, cintanam.

There is no kirtan singing during arati, that is mode of ignorance. Kirtan has to be, the glories of the Lord has to be chanted. So harer namaiva kevalam. So whether Harer namaiva or Harer lila eva kevalam. Nama and Lila is there. In name it is expected that you are remembering whole Krsna. Say Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, is anything more need to say? Having said Krsna, we have said everything that could be said. As we say Krsna, we glorify the pastimes of Lord.

Mamacittam akarsaya, our acaryas comment, when we say Hare, as we say each word, Hare, that Hare is getting our attention, some way, some special way. We say Krsna, yah karsati sa Krsna ,mama cittam akarsaya.

sva madhuryena mama cittam akrsaya

This is what we are saying also. Gopal Bhatta Gosvami maharaj, contemporary personality, contemporary of Caitanya Mahaprabhu; he is commenting on this Mahamantra and he is giving comment on each name. There are 16 names. As we say Krsna, sa madhuryena mama citta akarsaya.So when we say Krsna, we want to be attracted by madhurya of Krsna. We said Krsna, we just said, but we are wanting all madhurya, manifest in our heart, in our consciousness. We only said Krsna. Sva madhurya, there is so much madhurya, madhurya lila is there, venu madhurya is there, prema madhurya is there, rupa madhurya is there. We just said Krsna but with that saying Krsna, all these things are said or we get connected or we would likeall that make appearance in our hearts, mama cittam akarsaya.

mama seva yogyam kuru

We said Krsna, another Krsna, there are 8 Krsnas, and 8 Radhas. 8 times we say Radha, 8 times we say Krsna. So mama seva yogyam kuru, Oh Krsna Oh Krsna, you are trying to get His attention, Oh Krsna. And each one of the 16 names is address. Uddhava is addressing Lord directly, they are face to face. Oh Kesava, Oh this that. So we are also addressing as we say Hare, Hare is address. We are addressing Radharani. Is She there? She must be. We are addressing so She must be existing. Hara her name,from Hara comes Hare. Hara exists otherwise where did the name Hara come from? If the God did not exist, tarka vitarka, if God did not exist, where the name God come from? First He exists then the word God exist. God exist and then word God exists. So first Krsna exists and then His name also exists. Radha is there and then we say Hare, so that Hare and that Krsna, we are addressing. We are addressing Radha 8 times and Krsna 8 times. We are addressing, sambodhana. There is no visarga after Krsna, two dots after Krsna, because it is sambodhana. So we are addressing, so when we are addressing, are you saying something? So when we are saying Krsna, we are saying something to the Lord, we are appealing to the Lord, seva yogyam kuru, please make me eligible, competent to serve You my dear Lord. And the prayer also is that, let there be reciprocation between You and me my dear Lord. That is trying to get attention of the Lord.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

Srimad-bhagavatam is heard then Krsna makes His appearance because He is non-different from His pastimes. So Uddhava had stayed behind, Lord had left. Then all the queens of the Lord, Lord instructed to Arjuna, you protect them you take care of them, you bring them to Hastinapur. They would be under your care. So these queens had ended up in Vrndavan. Krsna is no more on the planet, His manifest lila is no more, so while all the queens were in Vraja, they were missing Krsna. Where is Krsna? They are expecting Krsna but He is no more. His prakatalila is unmanifested. He has wound up. Prakat lila is now aprakat lila. So the queens were part of prakat lila, manifested pastimes. So they were not seeingprakat lila and they were missing Lord like anything.

To cut the long story short, it was strongly recommended that all these queens go to the banks of Kusum sarovar and perform sankirtana. To play their vinas and mrdangas and sing melodies, sankirtana, and they were told by Sandilya Rsi, that Uddhava will make his appearance and he will take care of the rest. ‘You are missing right?You are wondering where is your Lord. You want to see Him,you want to meet Him, you want to enter in His pastimes?’‘Yes yes we want to do.’‘Ok then do this.’ So they all went. King Pariksit was also there. Vajranabh, king Pariksita and all the queens they go perform kirtana and in the middle of kirtan Uddhava appears. Jay Uddhava!

Where there is utsava there is Uddhava. Utsavas are represented by Uddhava. There was kirtan mahotsava. As soon as kirtan mahotsava was performed, Uddhava appeared. Then Uddhava was talking Bhagavatam, all the pastimes. He was witness; he was with the Lord all the time, so he was sharing all the pastimes with the queens and some Vrndavan pastimes. And as the queens were hearing the Bhagavatam, hearing the pastimes and this recitation of Bhagavatam went on for one month.For 30 days and 30 nights they were hearing this Bhagavat katha from Uddhava. Uddhava was the speaker.Bhagvatam is again going to make appearance through the lotus mouth of Uddhava.

Bhagvatam has stayed behind and he is going to make appearance as Uddhava speaks. As he was talking and talking the pastimes of the Lord and queens were hearing and hearing with attention and devotion and what else? They were also contemplating as they were hearing, mananam was also going on. Contemplation was going on. And that resulted in, all these queens seeing Krsna, performing all the pastimes right in front of them. And then like the first batch or some queens they got up and they started entering the respective pastimes, whichever pastime they belonged to as per their sambandha and lila and vesa and rupa. And then more and more queens were getting up and they were disappearing, they were all becoming nitya lila pravista. Jay om, this queen ki jay, and that queen ki jay!

And soon there was just Uddhava and Vajranabh, the king. And all the queens entered in the abode of the Lord, they entered in the pastimes of the Lord. They were back with the Lord through the medium. What was the medium? Bhagavatam. Recitation of Bhagavatam, hearing Bhagavatam did all the job, nasta prayesu abhadresu. Of course we can’t apply that really to the queens. But it could happen to others also if they are not siddha or liberated.

Ceto darpana marjanam or nasta prayesu abhadresu or hrdyantastho hy abhadrani vidhunoti, the cleansing.

iha yasya harer dasye karmana manasa gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasu jivanmuktah sa ucyate(NOD 1.2.187).

In the purport of that, Rupa Gosvami has quoted, first thing become jivan mukta, you are free and you could take off anytime and you are back with the Lord. So that status, that eligibility could be attained. So that kind of visa of Goloka you could get stamped on your passport. This person will be allowed entry in Goloka. By hearing and hearing.

So sabda, anavrtti sabdat, with that ana avrutti, avrtti means repetition, ana means no, no repetition of birth and death, no more. Anavrtti sabdat, this is vedant sutra, one sutra. Repetition of birth and death is no more,ana- avrtti is possible by sabdat.sabda para brahma, sabda, words of Bhagavatam, words also the Holy name, all sabdas, all transcendental sabdas, anavrtti, they have potency.These sabdas could neutralize the bondage caused by the grama katha, varta of this world, sabda of this world, mundane sounds have bound us. The cause of bondage is this sabda, mundane words. So the way to neutralize, rectify, or get rid of bondage caused by the worldly words with the transcendental words and that is krtani, pastimes of the Lord, gaditani, the words of the Lord, that is Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita.And this is done and anavrtti sabdat, one could be completely freed from the bonds and becoming free from bonds is not the only goal. That could be just attaining mukti. Ok you are mukta, but not bhaktah as of yet. So one could become mukta and bhakta by nityam bhagavat sevaya, by this recitation of Bhagavatam.

So kindly Lord has stayed behind in the form of Bhagavatam and kindly Srila Prabhupada has translated and written purports based also on the commentaries of our previous acaryas. And when Srila Prabhupada went to west, what did he carry with him? He carried sabda with him. We say that he was friendless, his friend wasthere, Krsna was with him. And we say oh he was penniless or he had only 40 not dollars, 40 rupees. It was equal to 8 dollars or something in those days. But he had so much wealth, that he was carried. But one sense he had only 40 rupees, but was that all he had with him? He had what? He was carrying the Holy name with him. He wentto deliver the Holy name.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

And what else amongst many other things? He had delivered Bhagvatam which he had translated back there in Radha Damodar temple, the first canto. So the sound of Holy name, the wealth of Holy name, sound of Bhagvatam he took with him. And again we have to try to understand, Holy name is Krsna and Bhagvatam, the pastimes is Krsna Himself.

Abhinnatvam, this could take life time to realize, the Holy name is Krsna. As you chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, we are trying to realize that this is Krsna. What I am hearing? This is Krsna. The Bhagvatama recitation, pastime, this is Krsna. And when that realization would take place that yoga has happened, yoga means link between the soul and the Supreme soul. Bhagvatam is that Supreme soul. Holy name is Super soul or Supreme soul, Lord Himself and there is a link.

We are linked, Sambanda has happened, then Abhidheya-we remain busy busy, and then there is Prayojana, Radha Gopinatha ki Jay, Prayojana, vigraha, attainment of Krsna prema, loving emotions and devotions for the Lord and not just emotion and devotion but devotional service in fact. Bhakti is not translated by Prabhupada as just devotion. Mayavadis the peace lovers only.They may translate bhakti as devotion. But Prabhupada said, devotional service. We attain finally devotional service of Radha Gopinath, then we are fully situated.

hitva anyatha rupam svarupena vyavasthitih (CCM 24.135).

Krsna has His svarupa and we also, Krsna has given us also little little rupas, svarupas. We have svarupa, so we are situated, svarupena vyavasthiti. In relationship with Bhagvatam, pastimes, relationships with Holy name, all this nama rupa guna lila dhama, they help us to revive our dormant love, loving service with the Lord and finally situate ourselves into our own svarupas.

And Krsna says,
man-mana bhava mad bhakto madyaji mam namaskuru,
mamevaiyasi satyam te pratijane priyosi me (Bg 18.65)

If you have done this and that, man-mana, have become My devotee, mad bhakto, and remembering Me, worshiping Me, offering obeisance’s unto Me then you come back to Me. Where is that back? Back home, back to Godhead. So that person goes back to home, back to Krsna. So that is the program, the mission, the vision of this Hare Krsna movement. On behalf of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Prabhupada established, founded this International Society for Krsna Consciousness. Ultimately with the aim of bringing souls back to Krsna, back to Godhead.

And Prabhupada emphasized going back to home, back to Godhead, so much so much, all the time. It was therebut others we don’t hear them talking so much about it. Either they become Svarga-vasis or Brahma lean. Two popular destinations are there, they want to go to Svarga or ‘jyota me jyota milado’, merging into Brahman. But there is very little talk of going back to Krsna. Srila Prabhupada emphasized, popularized, insisted uponthis going back. Svarga and other destinations are even fara distance away, but our so called leaders, political leaders, destination is chalo Delhi, not beyond, chalo Delhi. If you are in Gali, chalo Delhi. That is their campaign. But Prabhupada’s campaign is going back to Godhead.

ami jato amachya gava, amcha rama rama gyava

Tukaram maharaj went and Prabhupada has given us everything on behalf of Caitanya Mahaprabhu . So that people of this world; again it is not, how it could be limited to Hindus only or Indians only. It couldn’t be like that. The message of Gita,gaditani and krtani, the Bhagvatam ,it is for all the souls. Why would God, this is for Hindus only or Indians only. This is for all the souls, they are His souls. Wherever they are mamaivamso jiva, mama eva, not only He said mama amsa, mama eva, Mine only. Eva means He is insisting, emphasizing or eva also means full stop. There is nothing more to be said. Mama eva amsah, wherever they are, sarvasya ca aham, hrdi sannivistah, I am in the heart of all the living entities.

So this program of Hare Krsna movement is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s program, Krsna’s program, Krsna’s movement in fact. And now it is available, Prabhupada has kindly made it available all over, everywhere. And it is meant to reach every town and every village and sometimes in between the villages also. When we go on padayatra, sometimes devotees remember, ‘hey My name would be chanted in every town, and in every village,’ Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted. But we, padayatris chant in between the villages also. So prediction is being made true by Prabhupada’s strategic planning, more than true.Beyond the villages and town, in between the villages and towns, in the galis of villages.

Gehe gehe jane jane , that also was the vision of Narada muni. ‘I will spread you Bhakti devi, I will propagate you in foreign lands also and jane jane, in every society, gehe gehe, in every home, I will make sure you reach every home.’ So Narada muni and company, there is whole parampara. So every soul is in fact a target, every soul. Without discrimination, Lord cannot. This is Lord’s vision, Lord’s thought. His heart goes to everybody and He kindly made this arrangement through International Society for Krsna Consciousness. Lord could reach far and wide through His holy name, through His books, Bhagvatam and Maha prasade Govinde, prasadam also. What not, there are so many other aspects, festivals.

sarva dharman tirskrtya puraskrtya mahotsavan

Narada muniwas talking.How would you propagate bhakti everywhere, jane jane, gehe, gehe? He said sarva anya dharman tirskrtya, other dharmas , other strategies, I will kind of put them on a back burner or on the side, tiraskrtya, sarva dharman tirskrtya. Tiraskrtya, I will hate, put them aside, on back burner. Puraskrtya, I willfore front mahotsavan, through the mahotsav, utsava, Uddhava, utsava.Through the ustava, through the festivities, I will propagate you Oh Bhakti, everywhere. This is Padma Purana. Narada muni directly talking to Bhakti devi and he is talking this. Yes through the utsavas I will propagate you everywhere.

So that also we see, Prabhupada representing Narada muni. Prabhupada gave us utsavas, festivals of so many kinds, Sunday festivals and Jagannath Rathayatra mahotsav ki Jay! Yatra festivals, Janmastami festival, Gaur pornima festival, Mayapur Vrndavan festival. What other festivals? Pushya abhishek festival, this festival that festival. And the morning program, temple program is festival in itself, chanting and dancing. What is festival?If there is music dance and something feast, festival is complete.Kirtan mela like that. So through the festivals, ISKCON is full of festivals and through the festivals bhakti spreads. Krsna makes Himself available. Festival also is kirtan festival, Sravanotsav, Mayapur they have Sravanotsav, new name of none other than Sravanotsav, Kirtanotsav, kirtan mela utsav, and everyone likes utsavas. Utsav priya manavah, manavas are utsav priya. They all like utsav and we have lots of utsavas. Hari Hari!

Question by a devotee.
I have taste for hearing, but no taste for other limbs of devotional service. No taste for chanting and service. Can I be hopeful that it will develop in due course?

Answer by Maharaj- There is hope, that’s what Uddhava is talking about. Vartaya tarisyamah, we will all become free from tamah, dustaram tamah. By this tvada vartaya tarisyamah, varta, the pastimes or as you say like hearing Bhagvatam, that’s good fortune. Something you like and soon it is expected that you will like other things also. By hearing and hearing, you should be understanding not only lila, the pastime is Krsna, but the Holy name is also Krsna. Of course prasadam is Krsna. No one takes any lesson to realize that. As soon as you eat, any Tom Dick and Harry realizes, it’s so sweet or there is sweetness. What is that due to? That is because of Krsna.

Yeah so you say you like lila but may be not other aspects. That is because your liking is still incomplete. As your liking and love would arise or increase more and more and more in other aspects of Krsna, Krsna related items, including devotional service unto Krsna would also happen. There is something shortage. Karoti nischidram anusankirtanam tava (SB 8.23.16)

Yajna is being performed, then karma and mantra tantra.And if there is some defect in mantra chanting or tantra performance of yajna or applying mantra , execution, execute that which is said in mantra or vastu, samagri , ingredients that you use in a yajna; if there is some defect in mantra or tantra or vastu, samagri , sarvam karoti nischidram. Nischidram means whatever faults, flaws or loopholes were there, karoti nishcidram. Some sanskrit word for you, chidra you know, hole. Nischidra, some flaws, some defects in mantra, recitation or this or that, all that is taken care of. You are forgiven or rectified by tava anukirtanam, by performance of kirtan, gradually all other defects or imperfections are taken care of.

And when we say kirtan, well you said you like Bhagvatam but not kirtan, something like that you said. But Bhagvatam is also kirtan and kirtan is of course kirtan. There is nama kirtan, guna kirtan, lila kirtan, like that goes on. They are all kirtan. Kirtan is kirtan, nama kirtan, rupa kirtan, lila kirtan, kirtan means kirti, His glories and in fact they cannot say, ok I like only kirtan but I don’t like pastimes. What you are not realizing is the name is not different from the form, not different from pastimes, not different from qualities. They all are related, same person, if you are liking kirtan, you are also liking lilas, you are also liking guna. So whichever part or whichever door that you are entering through, keep going, you will realize as you make the progress. So at the center there is Krsna.

Where there is dharma, there is victory
Dated: March 24, 2018
Venue: Bangalore, Ram katha Day 2

rama raghav rama raghav ra
ksha mam! rama raghav raksha mam!
om namo bhagavate sri ramay!
Jay Sri Rama!
ramati ramayati ca ramah

He gives joy to everyone. When we say Jay Sri Rama, we feel happy. Vanarsena, monkey army theyare always on the way to Lanka they shouting Jay Sri Rama! First of all this Jay is also related to Sri Rama, Jay, victory to Sri Rama, all glories to Sri Rama! Rama’s devotees they become victorious. Jay Sri Rama!

yato dharmah tato jayah

Mahabharatsay,yatodharmahtatahjayah. Where there is dharma there is Jay. Where there isreligion practiced, there is victory. Rama appeared to,

dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge

Besides other items mentioned in Bhagavad-gita which areparitranayasadhunam, vinasayaduskrtam and then dharma samsthapanarthaya,ahamsambhavamiyugeyuge. So that was Tretayuga and Lord appeared to kill the demons and protect, take care of His devotees, give darshan, association, protection to His devotees.And by doing so He established Dharma.

nato natya dharo yatha

Kunti maharani said, Lord appears as nata, not nut bolt. A ‘nata’ means actor. Like actor, a character, natonatyodharo, He plays different roles in different dramas or in different cinemas. Same person!Not only He acts differently but He looks differently, talks differently. So everything is different. But He is the same person. natonatyodharoyatha. Same person, we could say same Krsna, He appears. Kabhi Rama banake, in North India they are saying like this, kabhi Rama banake, kabhiShyambanake. Sometimes He appears like Rama; sometimes He appears like Shyam, same Lord.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave that very special darshan to SarvabhaumBhattacarya, ‘sadbhujadarshan’. Two of those six arms were slightly greenish color, like fresh green grass color. Rama’s complexion is also described like that. It is also described as shyamvarna and also little greenish. The two arms were of that complexion holding bow and arrow. Other two arms were holding flute, ghanaevashyam complexion. And the other two arms were holding, one was holding kamandalu and the other onedanda. So three persons, six arms and they are holding different weapons, also the complexion is different, but that is same person. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is exhibiting this, revealing this unto Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya to prove they are same person.
And all these Personalities, they have their abode in the spiritual sky. Avatarati, ava-tri, ava means down and trimeans come down, descend, avatar,avatarati. So they are in their own abode and they come.

goloka namni nija dhamni

There is Devi dhama, Mahesh dhama, Haridhama. Amongst the Haridhamas, there are many Hari, like Gaur Hari also there. Rama Hari is also there, Krsna Hari, they are all Haris. They give relief to the suffering souls, their children. That is why Lord is called Hari.
yaharati, papamharati thentarati, then they liberate them, transcend them.

So Rama hasHaridhama in spiritual sky above all other avatar, incarnation abodes, there is Rama’s abode, just underneath Goloka. And in between there are all Vaikuntha planets of all avataras or Haris. This dhama of Rama is called Ayodhyadham or Saketadham and above that is Goloka. And of course that Saketa, Ayodhyadham is down here. We cannot say on this planet. Ayodhya is not on this planet; as Vrndavan and Mayapur are also not on this planet. To consider that they are on this planet or they are part of some country, Hey why iyour Lord appears in India? You know everytime He appears in India. For a change, why not in Middle East or west all the way. In fact the answer is He doesn’t appear in India. Lord appears, He has His abode which is eternal. As Vrndavan is Sri Krsna’s abode and that is eternal and Mayapur is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s abode, Gauranga, and that is eternal. So is Ayodhya, eternal.

You understand eternal?Sanatan! There was no time when Ayodhya did not exist. We are not talking about one up there, but one down here, it is eternal. Ayodhya exists. One day there will be no more Bangalore, Delhi would be finished. And Kolkata drowned, when there is devastation, mahapralay, everything is burned, drowned and wound up. Mahavisnu takes a deep breath and with that all the brahmandas including planet inside those Brahmandas, they enter into the body of Mahavisnu. But Ayodhya remains intact. And so does Vrndavan and Mayapur and these abodes of the Lord. So Ayodhya is not in UP. To sayAyodhya is in UP is aparadha. You have committed big offense. Due to your ignorance you are thinking Ayodhya is in UP. Ayodhya is not in UP. And Mayapur is not in Bengal and Dvaraka is not in Gujarat.

So whenever Lord Rama appears, and what is this whenever? As I said whenever, that implies, He must be appearing again and again, whenever. Whenever, whenever, and that is what happens. Lord Rama appears again and again or once in one day of Brahma or whenever Krsna appears He also appears, once in one day of Brahma. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu appears, they keep appearing again and again. Eternally they keep appearing.

So we did say that some a million years ago Lord Rama appears, of course He appears in Ayodhya. We are singing Ayodhyavasi Rama and He became Ayodhyavasi, resident of Ayodhya. So that was million years ago. A million years is lot many years. Million years is long long time ago, one million years ago Lord appeared in Ayodhya. So how old is Ayodhya? I thought so, you will say Ayodhya is one million year old. Is it? You forgot the whole speech. But even if you say, one million, that is lot of time.

Dr.Frogs have difficulty understanding. Forget the eternality, even to accept a million years agoAyodhya exist and Rama appeared. The conditioned soul, they struggle with this time line, because they are conditioned. And then on the top of that is Darwin’s theory. 5000 years ago, battle of Kurukshetra and there were regular human beings and they were battling with this weapon that weapon, no not possible. Human being just came out of the caves, cave man and they would just throwing rocks at each other whenever they want to battle. Or they would break a branch of a tree and OK come, fight with the sticks. This complex battle of Mahabharat, they can’t conceive, trust; doesn’t fit into the theory of this Darwin and company. They can’t think of this eternal time and million years ago. They think differently, conditioned as they are!
I was in Los Angelis some time, some years ago and they were celebrating anniversary of Los Angelis. Once upon a time Los Angelis did not exist and then one fine morning or one day the settlement began and some bhumi puja was done and then Los Angelis gradually came into being. And that happened some time ago.So they were celebrating anniversary or birth anniversary of Los Angelis. So as I was there, I inquired, how old is your Los Angelis? And this gentlemen said you know its very old. They were trying to say very oooollllllllllddddd. By stretching that old, he was trying to make Los Angelis very old, sound like very old. I said how old it is, how old? 200 years old! So 200 years ago is oollllddddd.
But those who are enlightened, their understanding is different. Those who study physics, chemistry and biology and botany and all these, their understanding is different. And those who study Mahabharat, itshistory.Mahabharat is history of India, great India. Or those who study Ramayan, the Ramayankal, period of Sri Rama, or those who study Gita, Bhagavat, puranas and Vedas, this is the way to become knowledgeable.

vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah

I am to be known or Rama is to be known, or becomes known by study of Vedas.And yesterday we understood from Narada muni that Mahabharat is ‘pancamveda’. Mahabharat and Ramayan are called Pancamveda.It’s a smrtisastra. Srutisastras and smrutisastras!
So Ramayan or Rama, unfortunately every time, yeah they have to do this, this is mythology, mythological. What is there in Ramayan, Mahabharat? It is all mythology. Few days ago I read, Siva is mythological. And the word mythology comes from mith, mithya, false or imaginary. So may be the contra dictionaryBritishers, they called all this Mahabharat andRamayan and all the events and Personalities, asmithya, false. And foolishly we, if you say so, you are boss now, you Britishers. And they are gone some time ago, may be 70years ago but still the conditioned, Indians have become conditioned. They are brain washed, brain washed Indians and made them looked down upon religion and Mahabharat and Ramayan.

Jay Sri Rama! So Rama is eternal and so are we, eternal and we belong to Rama, Krsna. And our relationship with Rama, Krsna is also eternal.

mamai vamso jiva loke jiva bhuta sanatanah

This word sanatan, the word like sanatan does not exist in any other sabdakosa, dictionary. They could translate it eternal, but that does not really convey the purport, the deeper meaning of sanatan. And our dharma is also sanatan dharma and every living entity’s dharma is sanatan dharma. And it has to be. Dharma means eternal. Eternal occupation.So sanatan dharma, we are sanatan, Rama is sanatan, and our dharma is sanatan, like that. Lord Rama’s abode is sanatan so is Ramayansanatan. Rama’s name is sanatan. It always existed. Rama or Krishna, Narasimha,

ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu

As we are sitting down here, I was going to say, we are sitting in Bangalore, but no we are not sitting in Bangalore. Where are we sitting? Ayodhya? And spiritual sky and there is also Ayodhya, there is Vrndavan and Caitanya Mahaprabhu’sNavadvipa. Downstairs there is Vaikuntha, Narasimha.

So as we are down here and right now everything exists. Vrndavan is there, Ayodhya is there andVaikuntha plants are there, Mahesh lokais also there. And now Devi dhamis existing, it doesn’t exist always, but it is existing now. So these kingdoms, spiritual kingdom, material kingdom, material kingdoms are not always in existence. Spiritual kingdom is. Ayodhya andVrndavan are part of spiritual kingdom, so they eternally exist.

You may be wondering where is Rama katha? Is this Rama katha? Sounds like? All over Ayodhya, when I was looking, reading Ramayan, reading aboutAyodhya, so one thing is mentioned, as I am hearing (here)tvangtvangtvang. And this is nice music that pervades Ayodhya. All the time t is here nice music goes on. Ayodhya beautiful, wonderful Ayodhya, the way it is described, it is nice, out of this world. When you read, hear about how Ayodhya is like.Then you will say, this is out of this world. This Ayodhyais what? Out of this world! Ayodhya is not worldly.
Beautiful, wonderfully masterplanned township. It was established by Manu maharaj. At one time may be he did some further decoration to enhance the beauty, or renovations, because it exists always. So Manu maharaj gets the credit for establishing AyodhyaDhama. Right at the banks of Sarayu river,Sarayumaiyaki Jay! You say like this Gangamaiyaki, so Sarayumaiya. It’s very special sacred river, originates in Manasarovar. You know where that one is? Up there, at the top of Himalayan mountain. Which is said, that sarovar, that lake, that is mind of Brahma, mana. Brahma’s mind is that sarovar and origin of Sarayuriver is Mana-sarovar. And at the bank of this Sarayu is Ayodhyadham, glorious Ayodhyadham.

And there were so many descendants, predecessors. Raghu, Rama is Raghu vamsaj, Iskvaku, and like that, glorious kings prior to Dasharath had ruledAyodhya. No one could conquer; no one could battle with kings of Ayodhya and defeat them. The kings of Ayodhya or emperors of Ayodhya were undefeatable. Hence the capital town gets the nameAyodhya, yuddha, Ayodhya,like that all related.

The citizens of Ayodhya, they were wonderful characters, all learned, gentlemen, Ayodhya is full of gentlemen. As Bangalore is full of ruffians, some are more, some are less. Good people, gunasampanna, with all good qualities, peace all around. I am sure they did that, ‘love thy neighbour as thyself’. Loving their neighbors also which doesn’t happen these days in Bangalore and rest of the world.

Ayodhya is out of this world. So when we read about Ayodhya we get a good glimpse of what the spiritual sky is like, what is up there is down here. And like that.

keho bole purabe ravan vadhila
golokera vaibhava lila prakash korila

Keho bole, it is said, which is a fact, keho bole purabe, some say that this Jagannath, He killed Ravan,and that was in Tretayuga. And then some say,which is also fact that golokeravaibhavalilaprakaskarila, the lilas of Goloka got manifested in Gokula. Golokalilas in Gokula. So like wise. Ayodhyalilas up there, they were now happening down here in Ayodhya. So by sampling Ayodhya, even what is Ayodhyatown like and what are the folks of Ayodhyaare like, we get good picture, clear picture of the spiritual sky, about Goloka, about Ayodhya. And all that we need to know is made available. All about Lord, all about Sri Rama also, about Sri Krsna, about Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all that you need to know could possiblyknown, it’s all there. You are not kept in dark, don’t have to imagine. It all exist, knowledge exists. He doesn’t say just ‘Rama’, finished, he says everything about Rama. He is Ayodhyavasi Rama, He has a mother Kausalya, and of course He has brothersLaxman, and also He has others of course. And Laxman has a brotherand another brother Bharat, son of Kaikeyi, and like that, it goes on and on.

Rama has father and mother and step mothers, and finally four of them, four brothers, Rama, Laxman, Bharat and Satrughna. And who are they? To understand littletatva, they are Vasudeva, Laxman is Sankarsan, and Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, the quadruple all four have descended in same family. They are children, sons of Dasharath and itjust opens up and expands and expands, the knowledge becomes an ocean, becomes Ramayan Mahanadi. How much water in nadi, we could say so much, but we don’t know how much.

gurv-arthet yakta-rajyo vyacarad
anuvanam padma-padbhyam priyayah (SB 9.10.4)

SukadevaGosvami also has done Rama katha. In the 9th canto of Bhagavatam, there are two chapters, this is Rama katha, Ramayan. In there there is one verse, in one verseSukadevGosvami has recited entire Ramayan. As Narada muni, we mentioned yesterday, in some 100 verses he also recited sanksiptRamayan, condensed Ramayan. SukadevGosvami has done further condensation and just in one verse he has recited entire Ramayan, nut shell, giving little hint.

gurv-arthetyaktarajyo, he begins there. For the sake of His father, Rama renounced rajya, kingdom. That day He was going to be the prince. Renouncing kingdom ofAyodhya, Rama becomes vanavasi. He is exiled and now He is in the forest, going from one forest to another to another. He has to stay only in the forest. And stay like a forest dweller. ‘Oh where are you?’ ‘I am in the forest. You know that Hilton hotel in forest. I am in the forest.’ Not like that. Stay in the forest the way the forest dwellers reside. So Ayodhyavasi becomes vanavasi.

priyayah pani-sparsaksamabhyam

SukadevaGosvami says, Rama’s lotus feet are so tender, so soft, they were not even able to tolerate, of course Sita’spalms, they were also soft. But Rama’s lotus feet were softer than Sita’s palms or hands. Difficult to comprehend.Sita’s hands also suppose to be very soft and tender. But when She massaged, it was difficult to tolerate, so rough, because lotus feet of Rama are so soft, soft most. May be Sita’s hands were soft;Rama’s lotus feet were softer or softest. But He managed, hey Sita what are you doing?

mrjita-patha-rujo yo harindranujabhyam

But then SukadevGosvami says, harindra, hariindra, what is hari here? Monkey! King of the monkeys, who is that one? Hanuman ki Jay! Sugriva also.SrilaPrabhupada translates, first he says Hanuman, thisharindra is Hanuman, into bracket there isSugriva. Anujabhyam, ananujaLaxman, they were giving relief to Sri Rama at every step. There were assisting. Two names, SukadevGosvami says, Hanuman and Sugriva also and Laxman.

vairupyac churpanakhyah

And then comes, when Rama was in Dandakaranya, in Panchavati, which is now known as Nasik. There river Godavari flows and Rama, Laxman,Sita, they were residing there for some time. They had stayed much longer time in Chitrakoot. Out of 14 years some 11, 12 years they were in Chitrakoot. Do you know where that one is? It is there in Uttar Pradesh. Then Rama is proceeding, going deeper into the forest. Finally He comes to Panchavati, that is where,SukadevaGosvami is mentioning, Surpanakha has come. Nakha, nail, her each nail was like supa. Do you know what supa is? In South India what you call, you (use to clean) some wheat or this that some grains, what do you say? Maram! Do you have maram? So her each nail was like a maram. She would never cut nails. Like these days some followers of Surpanakha. So dangerous, all that decoration!

So although she has appeared there as a beautiful lady; making all kinds of offerings to Sri Rama. Rama had said, I am here with my good wife. You could approachLaxman. He is by himself these days. And then she was tossed back, no noLaxman, no no Rama. She was not leaving them alone. Finally Laxman had to chop her nose off and the ear. Where that nose dropped onto the ground, that town has become known as Nasik. Whose nasika? Shurpanakha’s! She had left her landmark.

And then SukadevGosvami, next he says, he is just jumping. And then Surpanakha had gone all the way to Sri Lanka. ‘You know there,Sita, you should have her, befitting for your enjoyment.’ So then Ravan had come. Also to take revenge, his sister, Surpanakha is sister of Ravan. What a family! Brother Ravan and Kumbhakarnabrother and Surpanakha sister; like Aghasur, Bakasur and Putana. So another great family! Bakasura, Agasura and Putana are two brothers and one sister, and here also two brothers and Surpanakha the great sister. So Surpanakha was insulted and Ravan had come prepared.

So Marichi, he wanted Marichi’s help. Let’s go, let’s go. Where? To Panchavati. What for? You become deer and then you do this and you do that. Who is there? There is Sri Rama. So then this Marichi, no no, because Marichi had some first hand experience. He was there where Visvamitra muni’s ashram. This is how Ramayan goes. And Rama and Laxman were guarding the sacrificial arena. Make sure the demons and rakshas and rakshasis don’t come this way.

So Visvamitrahad come to Ayodhya. Rama and Laxman and Bharat and Satrughna, they were just young boys. And Visvamitra made this proposal. You know, I want your two sons. What for? While we are doing svahasvaha– Tretayuga.

tretayam yajato makhai

The mode of worship in the age of Treta is fire sacrifice. So when we are busy in fire sacrifice, demons come. So I want them to come and guard and attack and kill them. So when Dasharath heard this, what?Rama and Laxman, no no they can’t go. Do you what their age is? They are not even 16 years old. One less, they are only 15 years old. And you say they have to guard at night time. How is it possible? My Rama and Laxman, they are rajivalocanah, they are lotus eyed. Why he is mentioning they are lotus eyed? He purposely said lotus eyed. He is trying to convey that, at the time of sunset, what happens to lotus? It closes. Only next morning after sunrise they open again. So my Rama and Laxman, at the sunset time they go to sleep, all night long they are in good sleep and then they get up. And you said, all night long they have to guard the sacrificial arena. How is that possible? They are rajivalochana. No no take me. I will be with army.

But Visvamitra said, nothing doing. Because he also said, He had promised,Dasharath has said, maharaj whatever you wish- in the beginning- that is my command. ‘You promised’. So anyway Rama and Laxman they have to go. They were happy to go. Then while guarding Visvamitra’s fire sacrificial arena; like Krsna did, the first demon killed by Krsna was not a demon, but was demoness, lady demon. So like Krsna kills,Putanawas a first one, svaha; Rama also following in the footsteps of Sri Krsna, the first He killedrakshasi, Tadaka. And around that time, so this Marichi was also demon and he used to reside in that forest. And Lord Sri Rama one time made this Marichi demon target of His arrow. And that arrow of Sri Rama, Rama is known for, He is called He is ekabani Sri Rama. In Maharastra they call, eka-bani, eka-vacani, eka-patni, He is known for some of these items. His arrow never went in vain. And He is eka-vacani, promise is promise, gentleman’s promise, He would stick to His promise. And eka-patni, He had taken a vow, like eka-patnivrata, just one wife. So as Rama shot His arrow at Marichi, all the way there, there is area called Baksar forest, not far from MithilaJanakpur, that area. So as the arrow was shot at Marichi, he was lifted and through airway he got landed in Lanka. And that is how he was around Ravan in Lanka. Originally he was resident of that forest close to Ayodhya.

So when he heard, oh you are bringing me to where Ramais and I have to become deer andRama is going to follow me with His arrow. No no, what are you talking? He also said, Ravan do you want to die? Not that I will be killed but He will not spare you. Ravan was adamant, demon as he was. Isvaroaham, ahambhogi, balavanaham, ahamsukhi, ahamaham. He was chanting this aham mantra. Demon, so he did not pay attention to what Marichi had said. No no you have to come. Let’s go and if you don’t come then I will kill you. Ravan said to Marichi, if you don’t come with me to Pancavati where Rama Laxman and Sita are, then I will kill you. Then Marichi had second thought, if I will go there Rama will kill me, if I don’t go there,Ravan will kill me right here. Better to be killed by Rama. Let’s go, so they both went.

SukadevaGosvami in this verse is talking all this things. So you have to open Ramayan and fill in the blanks. So then Ravan had come and Sita was kidnapped and then

priya viraha rusa

When His priyaSita was no more in that ashram then He is feeling great separation and He is full of lamentation and angry. Rama became very angry. ‘Anyone who has done this to my Sita, I will crush him.’ He is ready to yeah like Narasimha, anyone harassing my devotee Prahlad, na me bhaktahpranasyati, Lord does not tolerate. So He has become angry.

aropita-bhru-vijrmbha-trastabdhir baddha-setuh

So then Rama has left Dandakaranya. Dandakaranya is kind of, whole central India is Dandakaranya. Or He has moved,He is going in Southerly direction and on and on. I will not stop,many stops He makes, especially in Kishkindha. He is at Rameshvaram and by now He has His monkey army with Him and lot of homework has been done by Hanuman and company. They are going around, looking for where about of Sita. Oh She is down there. This was clearly pointed out by brother of Jatayu, his nameSampati. He used to reside near Kanyakumari and he had seen. And then Hanuman had gone and identified Sita’spresence there and returned Kishkindhaksetra where Rama was awaiting. His team was setting in all directions. You go this way, that way. South north, south east, whole job discussion.

So Hanuman had become successful and returned. I have good news for you. Then He understood what, of course Rama knows, the good news, Hanuman knows by now, where is Sita. And as he disclosed Sita’s where about, Rama was so delighted. Rama said you know I am grateful, for what you have done to me. I could have given a big reward if I was in Ayodhya this time. But that’s not the case, I am just a vanavasi. You could see I don’t have anything, nothing. I am empty pocket, I don’t even have pocket. Rama did not even wear stitched clothes. For 14 years He did not go for tailor to get His clothes stitched. Neither He stayed in the dwellings, that was built with bricks and cement and regular roof; in constructed buildings, He did not enter for 14 years, He was like a vanavasi. He did not eat cooked food for 14 years and like that on and on. So He said to Hanuman, I don’t have anything, no possession. I don’t have anything to give to you. But if you don’t mind Hanuman, will you accept my embrace? Saying so Rama stepped forward and gave a deep embrace to Hanuman, ‘shabbas, thank you’. You have seen that photograph? Someone took photograph, selfiselfi. Could anyone ever receive better gift, better reward than Lord’s embrace? This is it. This is final, the topmost. One cannot get better gift than the embrace of the Lord. Jay Hanuman!

So this was Kishkindha, from there army continues. Army of monkeys and they have gone, they are atRameshvaram. Lanka is 800 miles from there. So, how to reach Lanka? Rama wanted the assistance of Samudradevata, the Ocean Godmay be help us out to get in there. But the Samudradevata was busy with whatever and he did not respond to Rama’s call or Rama’s desire. And that made Rama very angry. It is said, bhruvijrmbha, Lord’s eyebrows are now going up and down. He is very angry and Rama also has taken His bow and arrow. As a result whole ocean was, tsunami kind of, big waves, and all the creatures were struggling, all the fish and all the species were struggling, just by the anger. And He had just ready to shoot His arrow, one two, He was going to count ten or something. Samudradevata is not going to come before His counting is over then He is going to let the arrow go and do the destruction.

But then before the counting was over, Samudradevatahad come. Welcome welcome, susvagatam Sri Rama. Ok how to get there? Building the bridge idea, that strategy was worked out. You build the bridge. Across this Indian Ocean, 12 mile long bridge was built by Rama’s army headed by Hanuman and Sugriva. And they were throwing rocks and trees and mountains. And everything that was thrown into the ocean, before that touch to waters, those objects, they were getting stamped, Rama Rama. Nala andNila, they were assigned to stamp every object dropping into ocean with Rama’s name. With the touch of Rama’s name, all those objects were floating. No law of gravitation. Anti law of gravitation.Or if you will drop a pin into the water what happen? Goes down to the water. But here big rocks and trees and mountains were thrown, they all were floating. What was making them to float? Rama RamaRama.

We are also chanting Rama’s names. If rock could float, what to speak of us. Also possible to living entity. Rocks were dead entities or jada, achetan. When we chant the names of

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna KrsnaKrsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama RamaRama Hare Hare
Khala dava dahanah

And then after reaching Lanka Rama. Like a forest, forest fire is there and everything in forest turns to ashes. This is what Rama did, in Lanka everything was devoured. Fire gobbles up, eats up and kills everything. So there was mahapralay kind of destruction took place, killing Ravan and all. HariBol! Good news? You are happy that Ravan is killed? But everyone did not say HariBol! May be you felt sorry that..Some Ravan connection.

That happened on Rama vijaydasami, that killing of Ravan happened on dasami. And that dasami gets the name Rama Vijay Dasami. That dasami, the tenth day, I don’t know Krishna paksa or shuklapaksha, Rama became victorious, Jay Sri Rama. And then Rama has returned to Ayodhya and He has become Kausalendra. That desa, that country Ayodhya is called Kausaladesa and Rama has become Kausalendra, the king of Kausala. Kausalya was also from that country, so she gets the name Kausalya.
And at the end SukadevaGosvami says, it’s a prayer, he says,

kosalendro vatan nah

Let Sri Rama protect all of us. Let Rama protect all the listeners of this katha. HariBol! Jay Sri Rama!

Let’s revive our Rama consciousness
Dated : March 23^rd  2018
Venue: Bangalore, Ram katha Day 1

Jay Sri Rama! Jay Bhakta Hanuman ki Jay! He is coming; big Hanuman (deity) is coming. On Rama navami he will come? No. Thank you for coming. Hanuman hasn’t come but you have come. We are little littleHanumans  also.

So thank you for being with us this evening. Almost one millionth appearance day of Rama is in two days. How many years ago Rama appeared? About a million, could be plus minus, 10 lakhs, one million years ago. This is a birthday party. Rama Navamimahotsavki Jay!

So we have opportunity here to hear about Sri Rama, talk about, hear about and this hearing and talking should result in remembering.

SravanamkirtanamVisnohosmaranam, Sravanam
kirtanam Rama smaranam, Rama smaranam

 Lord made His appearance, it’s not a small event and He is also not a small person. The Personality of Godhead Sri Rama ki jay! His appearance! We should be talking and hearing and remembering Rama every single day. And we do that also to different degree or when His appearance day comes then we do little marathon of hearing marathon or talking marathon about Sri Rama. Include our Rama katha sessions you might want to call Rama kathamahotsavkijay ! By doing so, as we are already doing, we want to remember Him, revive our love for Sri Rama, become Rama conscious, become Krsna conscious and that’s perfection of life. Become Rama conscious and finally go back to Rama.

There is no rama or arama without Rama. Better way we say in marathi,

Rama shivayajivanamadheramanahi

Without Rama there is no rama only maramara. No Rama, only mara. You understand mara? Maran! Valmiki muni was asked to chant Rama Rama, he was asked to chant Rama but he was not able to chant Rama, instead he was chanting maramaramaramara….Rama Rama Rama. As he chanted with offense initially and then as he kept chanting and then he was back on the track. He was purified and then was chanting Rama Rama. So by chanting names of Rama, by hearing about Rama, remembering Rama, we come back to life, we get our life back. Otherwise we are dead.

So next few days we have opportunity very special opportunity, occasion of Rama’s appearance, to come back to life or come back to more life. I think you had coming back to life for some time now. Like hanuman, how much was Hanuman conscious of Rama? Once he tore open his heart and who was in there? Jay Sita Rama.

I was in Bombay some time ago and there was big aadvertisement  on a billboard and  it was summer day a young man, he opened his heart, and there was  limca bottle (laughter). So like that, when we are dead; whatever either limca in the heart or this in the heart or that in the heart.

asapasasatairbaddhakamakrodhaparayanah

This is the world, kamakrodhaparayanah, expert, absorbed in kama and krodha. So we want to revive our Rama consciousness, come back to life. So we will be singing also. Little bit singing and more talking we will do. We have this little song. Song may be sounding or looking small, but it is complete also.

Ayodhyavasi Rama, Rama is Ayodhyavasi, like Vrndavanvasi Sri Krsna and Mayapurvasi Caitanya Mahaprabhu and like that Ayodhyavasi Rama, Rama Rama, Dasharathanandan Rama. You understand that, Dasharathanandan, yes because you are from South India. In fact this is somewhat Sanskrit also, more South Indian pundits, scholars and South compared to the North; so I am sure you could understand. The purifier and lifter.

patitapavan, janakijivan, Janaki, Sitamaiyaki jay!

He is life of Sita,  Sitamohan Rama and He is Sitamohan like Radha mohan, Krsna is Radha mohan, and Rama is Sitamohan, attracter.

Ayodhyavasi Rama (Kirtan)

Sri Ramachandracaranaumanasasmarami
Sri Ramacandracaranauvacasagrunami
Sri Ramachandracaranausirasanamami
Sri Ramacandracaranausaranamprapadye!
kujantamramarametiaksarammadhuraksaram,
aruhyakavitashakham, vandevalmikikokilam!
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna KrsnaKrsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama RamaRama Hare Hare!

omnamobhagavatesriramaya!

Jay Sri Rama! Its whole ocean of, Ramayanammaha-nadi, Ramayan is like a mahanadi and it is coming from Valmikigirisambhuta. It originates in giri, parvata, mountain called Valmiki. Mahanadi is flowing and the destination of course of this nadi (river), is Rama sagaram, Rama sagar, Rama is a sagar (ocean) and this Mahanadi, which is full of talks, glories of His name, His fame, His qualities, His pastimes, Ramayanmmaha-nadi coming from Valmikimountain. And as one touches even few drops, best thing is to drown, throw yourself into this maha-nadi, Ramayanmahanadi, the river, get drown, get absorbed, get transformed.

kujantam, singing,

kujantamramaramaitiaksarammadhuraksaram

So this kujantam, singing, vandevalmikikokilam, Valmiki muni has become kokila, kuhukuhu, sweetest singing bird, kuku. So he has become Valmiki-kokilam and kujantam, he is singing. What is he singing? Rama Rama, aksarammadhuraksaram, every word of Ramayan is aksarammadhuraksaram. Aruhyakavitashakha, this Ramayan is kavya, kavita, poem and it is now compared to the tree. This whole Ramayan is a vrksa, tree and aruhyakavitashakha, Valmiki is sitting on the branch of that tree and kujantam Rama RamaRama. He is reciting whole Ramayan.

So this is whole ocean, whole sindhu. So it becomes difficult task to present that sindhu in few little moments. So we will say something; from that sindhu we will sprinkle some bindus towards you. They could be sufficient. We could get drowned into bindus, that drops are sufficient. They are big enough. They could also act like ocean for us.

ompurnamadahpurnamidampurnatpurnamudacyate (Isopanisad Invocation)

Whatever you take out from purna that becomes purna. What has been taken from purna becomes also purna and also remains purna. One minus one is equal to one. You know that right, this is different arithmetic, different calculation. One minus one is normally, otherwise you close eyes and you say zero.

So we will talk today very beginning of Ramayan and of course ValmikiRamayan. How Ramayan was written and then how the propagation began and how even Sri Rama fell in love with this Ramayan. Even Rama relishes Ramayan. So this is Balakanda, first kanda, there are seven of them.  There  is meeting taking place, Narada muni and Valmiki muni, the two great muni’s are together. Of course one of them is master and other one is disciple. Narada muni is master and Valmiki muni is disciple of Narada muni.  As Vyasa is also disciple of Narada muni. After receiving advice and doing some consultancy with Narada muni, SrilaVyasadeva compiled Srimad-bhagavatam.

Likewise before compilation of Ramayan, Valmiki received lot of advice. In fact the seed ideas, the condensed Ramayan was recited by Narad muni to Valmiki muni. So very first statement of Ramayan, is an inquiry done by Valmiki muni.

valmiki muni pungavamnaradampari-prucha (Balakanda 1.1.1)

Narada muni was approached by Valmiki and he is inquiring. See what are the inquiries? Valmiki is very curious, he also says,

etadichamiahamshrotum  (Balakanda 1.1.5)     

I would like to hear, million years ago this inquiry– who is that person? Who is sampratamloke, gunavan, veeryavan, dharmajna, krtajna, satyavakya, drdhavratah, person of these qualities, who is that person? Who is gunavan, all the qualities, viryavan, powerful, most powerful, the knower of the religion, the grateful, truthful, personality of great determination, and like that, these are kind of questions. Atmavan, jitakrodhah, who is that who has control over, governs his anger? Kasyabibhyatidevasca, even demigods are scared of him.

So answer to these questions, Narada muni says,

Ikshvakuvamsahprabhavah, ramonamaijanaisrutah (Balakanda 1.1.8)

Person that you would like to know, who is such person with all these qualities, who is he? That person is Sri Rama, Jay Sri Rama! Ikshvakuvamsah, and His name is Rama, He is popular as Rama. He is buddhiman, nitivan and sriman, and like that. He is mahabaho, He is powerful and like that. Whole ocean of description of qualities of personality of Rama has been described. We are just picking few drops.

So he goes on and on and on.

kausalyanandavardhanah (Balakanda 1.1.17)

He is the one who is kaushalyaanandvardhanah. You cannot say better than the way it is said, kaushalyaanandavardhanah, you understand? Kaushalyaanand increaser. He increases, expands, gives ananda to Kausalya, Kausalyaanandavardhanah. Among others, Kausalya’s name is specially mentioned.

samudrevagambhirye (Balakanda 1.1.17)

That Sri Rama is gambhira, His gravity is as deep as the ocean. Gambhirya, go into the depth of the ocean, not on the waves, on the top. Go deep into the ocean, that depth and that gravity, that is Sri Rama.

dhairyenahimvaneva (Balakanda 1.1.17)

He is as steady as Himalayan Mountain.

visnunasadrsoveeryai- He is Visnusadrsa. He is like Visnu, He is Visnu, but it is said He is like Visnu.

And like that this first chapter of Ramayan is sanksipta or condensed Ramayan recited by Narada muni. Entire Ramayan has been recited, the seed thought, he said everything in one hundred verses of this first chapter. He also did mention that Rama was on the planet for,

dasasahasradashashatanicavarsa (Balakanda 1.1.97)

Rama was on the planet for eleven thousand years. Dasa sahasra that is how many? Ten thousand. Dasa satani, satani is hundred, hundred multiplied by ten is another thousand. Dasa sahasradasashatanica, ten thousand plus one thousand, eleven thousand years, Lord Rama was on this planet. And that’s says it is matchless. Caitanya Mahaprabhu 48 years on the planet.Sri Krsna 125 years on the planet. Lord Narsimha in and out, finished His business.

ramahrajyamupasitva brahma lokamprayashati (Balakanda 1.1.97)

So He ruled, He was ruler of this world, Raja Rama, He was known as Raja Rama. What kind of Rama He is? Raja Rama, RaghupatiRaghava Raja Rama. And the way He ruled the world, nabhutonabhavisyati. No one had ruled the world the way Rama did. He was raja (king) and citizens were praja. Like they were His off spring; they were His family members, His children.

So whenever Rama rajya, ‘Quit India’, Britishers get out of here. We want to establish, what kind of rajya? Rama rajya! Atleast that was idea. We stepped again; we are back to Ravanrajya. We fought the battle for freedom, and once it was there, back to square one.

idampavitrampapaghnampunyamvedaishcasammitam (Balakanda 1.1.98)

Narada muni also said, this Ramayan is like Vedas, this is Veda vani, vedaiscasammitam. And what does it do? Papaghnam, papaghna, its killer of the pap, punyampavitram, Ramayan is paunyampavitram, and anyone who recites also becomes pavitram and punyam. Punyatma, dharmatma as one recites, hears, studiesRamayan.

At the end of the 100^th verse of this chapter, so last verse, the srutiphal is also mentioned. Narada muni says, anyone who hears, any member of the varnasram, if he is Brahmin, he would become vidvan, that Brahmin would become learned by recitation and hearing of Ramayan.

syatksatriyabhumipatitvamiyat (Balakanda 1.1.100)

If he is ksatriya, he will become the king, the ruler. And if he is businessman, vanijyapanyaphalatvam, he will also flourish. Any businessman here? Haven’t come? You don’t do any business? What happened? Family business book distribution ki jay, he will become successful businessman. So there is no loss coming to hear the Rama katha, hear Ramayan, businessman, he will become winner. And sudroapimahatvamiyat, and even sudras they will become honorable, they would be honored by hearing Ramayan.

So soon after the dialogue was over, once again Narada muni was worshiped and then he took off, Rama Rama Rama….  Narada muni is always chanting, narada muni bajayevina, tvingatvangatvanga, and he is chanting the names of the Lord, Narayana, Narayana, Sri Rama, Rama Rama Jay Sri Rama.

kujantiaksharammadhuraksharam

So he is gone and then Valmiki muni was at that time at the bank of Tamasariver, which is mentioned here, not far from Ganga. Which is described here,

satutiramsamasadhyatamasayamahamunih (Balakanda 1.2.4)

akardamamidamtirthambharadvajnishamai (Balakanda 1.2.5)

And that river was akardamam, there was no mud, no dirt. It was clean, water was clean. What kind of clean? Ramaniyam, you could enjoy bathing even looking at, ramaniyam. You understand the word ramaniyam? There is dhaturama, enjoy relish. That was proper or fit for raman.

sanmanusyamanoyatha

 How much pure it was? It was like a pure mind of a sajjan, gentleman. Not gentleman of these days. As you always address ladies and gentlemen. They are not gentle, lot of time; most of them are not gentlemen. This is rare but in those days it was common to have people with pure mind, peaceful mind. So river’s water is compared to the pure mind of a sajjan or gentleman, devotee, sadhu.

titiksavahkarunikahsuhrdahsarva-dehinam

ajata-satravahsantahsadhavah sadhu-bhusanah (SB 3.25.21)

These are the abhusanas, decorations, description of sadhu, gentleman, devotee.

So now he was about to take his holy deep in that river, but prior to doing so he was kind of doing little vihar. He was taking little walk around and there he saw something. Amazing and disappointing, disturbing event took place. He saw a krauncha and kraunchi, the crane. Like Bakasura, in Krsna lila, Bakasura, that kind of bird, something looking like that. Male female, they were having good time, walking next to each other, in good mood, enjoying spirit, getting along very well. But this was not tolerated by some hunter and he took arrow. He did his business killing the male bird. There is bloody seen, flapping and dropped dead and you could imagine the state of mind of the female bird.

Valmiki muni was watching all this and by seeing, the compassion aroused in him, oh who did this? And the doer, the killer was not far. So he noticed the presence of the hunter and he was in hunting or killing position. And then Valmiki muni while he was lamenting, he was doing shoka, he was full of shoka, compassion and lamentation, overwhelmed by the feelings. In the middle of this shoka, one sloka was uttered by him. Like Ramayansloka, Bhagavad-gitasloka, a verse, he had never ever compiled, composed and uttered sloka in his life. This was first time a sloka was spoken, uttered by him.

maanishadapratistamtvamagamahshashavtihsamah,

yatkraunchamithunatekamavadhihkamamohitam (Balakanda 1.2.15)

And this was like, how could you nishada, you killer, you rascal, you may never ever have peace in your life. I curse you. Harihari

So then he kept thinking. Ok he takes bath, and then he is returning towards his ashram. All the while he is thinking how did it happen I uttered a sloka, with perfect meter. I have not done this before. So thinking and thinking he could not get this thought out of his mind, he returned to his asram, followed by Bharadwaj muni his disciple. As he returned to ashram, he was but still thinking, how it happened, I was full of shoka but I said the sloka. He was saying this to his disciple also. Anyway lot is said about this sloka, lot of commentaries are written on the first sloka that Valmiki uttered; which has seed vision or thought of entire Ramayan. krauncha and kraunchi are Sita and Rama and this hunter Nishad  is Ravana. So what did this hunter did to this couple, harassed and killed one of them, male bird was killed. So something very similar, Ravan is going to be, attempting to do so.

So as he was thinking how this did happened, there comes Brahmaji, chaturmukhi Brahma arrived. He also chants,

chaturmukhe brahma bole krsnakrsna hare hare

mahadevapanchamukheramarama hare hare

So Brahma Siva they chant, so Brahma has arrived chanting the holy names of the Lord. From his four mouths vedas also emanated. So Valmiki has greeted Brahmajividhipurvakam; as I was also received, greeting and different things were done. And as Brahma sat down, first question Valmiki asked was of that day. And especially ‘you know I said the sloka’.  And Brahma said it was me, Brahma behind the utterance of sloka. Sloka was caused by Brahma. I made it happen, and that is just first one. I want you to compile lots of slokas. I want you to write many verses.

Then there comes instructions, Brahma instructed,

ramasyacaritamsarvamkurutvamurisisattama (Balakanda 1.2.31)

You write Ramayan. Ramasyacaritamkuru, understand? Simple sentence, ramasyacaritamkuru, you understand right? Ramasya, of Rama, carita, life time, His character, kuru, compile, complete. I know you have heard Rama’s pastimes in a condensed form, from Narada muni. So you base your compilation on what you have heard. But there are lots many more things you have not heard about, but they will become revealed unto you.

sarvamvidhitamtebhavisyati (Balakanda 1.2.34)

 Kind of blessings, Brahma is blessing and empowering Valmiki muni.  Everything will become revealed unto you.

kururamakathampunyamslokabaddhammanormam

Slokabaddham- in form of slokas and you compile Ramayan. And he says all that you will write will be accurate and complete and perfect. And this Ramayan will survive, how long? So far the mountains exists on this planet, so far the river.

yavatsthasyantigirayahsaritashcamahitale

tavadramayanakathalokesupracarisyati (Balakanda 1.2.36)

Until then so far the mountains exists or the rivers exists and water flowing in them Ramayana will keep surviving. And as it was said by Brahma, after one million years Ramayana is here. Jay Ramayana! Jay Sri Rama!

Generation after generation after generation this is without interruption. Who is making all these attempts and some kathas going on and all that. More or less everyone gets to know about Lord Rama. Unfortunately schools are not teaching any more Ramayan. Still Ramayan gets propagated, popularized. Now through Krsna Consciousness movement it is spreading all over the planet. Not India limited any more. One time it was all over the planet but as advent of age of kali, Bharat was shrunk. Before that full planet was Bharat varsa but then we ended up with this, map like called India or Bharat. But again this SrilaPrabhupada’s  and Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s  International society for Krsna consciousness is propagating Ramayan, also Mahabharat also Bhagavad- gita, Srimad-bhagavatam all over the world. SrilaPrabhupadki jay!

When that movie, the swami and this and that. It’s a long title, ‘mantra and the movement’ and the swami who started it’. Have you seen it? If you haven’t seen, what have you seen? So it was being released in Delhi, in a big auditorium there was big function and vice president of India was presiding over the function. And Sivaramamaharaj also spoke that day, Sivarama swami maharaj, he made very good point there which was highly appreciated. He said wherever there is ISKCON around the world that is like extension of India or Bharat. So one person he got up, he was next to speak, next speaker. He said I like to introduce myself that I am not Indian. I am Bharatiya, ‘maibharatiyahu’. He was proud of ancient culture. Modern India is not Bharat, its west.

And then Brahma also departs and then Valmiki muni begins task of compiling Ramayan, at the banks of Tamasariver. His ashram, it is there even now, you could visit. I visited it several times. There he undertook this compilation of Ramayan task and he did it. As he was empowered to do so, he ended up compiling Ramayan with 24,000 verses. Divided in 7 sections called kandas, Balkanda, Ayodyakanda, Aranyakanda, Kishakindakanda, Sundarkanda and Uttar kanda. There are 500 chapters, caturvimsatsahasrani. How many sahasra? Caturvimsat 24,000 verses.

Rasas, mellows, rasaisrngarkarunhasyaraudrabhayanakai. You will see srngar rasa, the conjugal Sita Rama dealings, karuna, karun rasa, hasya rasa, I am sure Hanuman also makes you laugh, he is humorous personality. Raudrabhayanakvirya rasa; so Ramayan is full of all these rasas, varieties of rasas. That makes it mahakavya. More rasas are included becomes more mahamahamahakavya.

So compilation was over and now Valmiki muni was thinking, ‘but how it will it ’, and at the door

dharmajnau raja putrauyashasvinau

bhratrausvarasampannaukusalavao (Balakanda 1.4.5)

Kusa and Lava little two boys entered, two princess successful and their svaras, they are sweet singers like Gandharvas, and they are knower of religion. They already knew. And they offered their obeisance’s and sat at the feet of Valmiki muni. Valmiki took that as indication, ‘Oh I was thinking who will spread this, propagate this. Oh you two, now I understand you two will spread this Ramayan, popularize it all over’.

Then Valmiki muni made these two little boys, they are looking little but they are very big, grand boys.

bhavyanibutanijanardanascya

They belong to Janardan, they belong to Sri Rama. They were bhavya, bhavyanibhutani, they were grand children. That doesn’t mean, not in other sense grand grand children, they are grand, grand size. So they became students of Valmiki muni and quickly they learned Ramayan by heart and they started recitation also with the instruments.

They were playing veenas, and

ayodhyavasiramaramaramadasharathanandanramarama, patitpavan

They were singing and singing. Scriptures are sung or they are recited, not so much spoken. So they sung the verses and the audience also understood as they are recited, they were not dull headed like we are. The verse was recited, understood, next. The verse was recited, understood, next. Not only understood, these two children were realized. They were realizing all that was said, all that was talked to them by Valmiki muni. They were Rama realized or Sita realized.

Ramayan has been compiled after the pastimes of all the 6 kandas were over. Ayodhyakanda, killing of Ravan happened, Rama has returned to Ayodhya and He has began the rule Rama rajya, in his capital town Ayodhya. Sita was banished, ‘Laxman you take her away’, the poor Laxman, ‘becharaLaxman’. He did not want to, but he had to follow the order because he was junior brother and he had gone through this experience before also. And that’s why Laxman made up his mind, ‘next time I appear, I am not going to be small brother. Now I am Ramanuja, Rama anuja, one who follows Rama or Rama anuga, Laxman.  Next time I am going to be agraja, Krsna agraja, not anuja. So next time they appeared, Rama and Laxman again appeared as Krsna Balaram. So this Laxman has become Balaram, bigger brother.

Anyway he had to follow the order, ‘take Sita away’. So she was taken away, driven in chariot, kind of dump in forest. Luckily next to Valmiki muni’s ashram. Then Valmiki accepted Sita into his ashram as his daughter and while she stayed there Lava and Kush took birth in that asram. And Valmiki muni, he looked after Sita and also the children. They were born and bought up in Valmiki muni’s ashram.

So quickly quickly they became very expert reciters of Ramayan and then they started travelling. The sages munis they reside in forest, they are vanacaris, vanaprasthis. So they would go here there and everyone from audience they would become rapt attention, they would drink that nectar emanated from the mouths of Lava and Kusa. They would also say, ‘look look at them. They look just like Rama. But no one knows this connection as yet. Rama is bimba; these children are pratibimba, just like Rama. Look they are just like Rama. How beautiful they are!’

And when they would recite, go on reciting and they all are listening all these sages are shivering and trembling and romanchakampaashrutarang, they are shading tears. ‘We feel that this is happening right in front of our eyes, these boys were competent to make it alive. Something that happened in past was made into present. Sadhu sadhu, well done, and they would appreciate recitation of Ramayan by this Lava and Kush.

And then at the end of recitation all these sages, many of them would come forward. Hug these little children, smell their heads, ‘ayushyamanbhava’, blessings, may you live long life and they would offer different gifts. Please take kamandalu from me. Ok khadau, wooden shoes, brahman thread, this kind of. Ok I don’t have much valuable gift, take kaupin from me. They are brahmacaries, kaupin for you. So they are reciprocating with these children. They are feeling grateful. We have been enriched by these two children. They have given us so much. We should also give something in return, krtajnya. They were reciprocating with the children.

So like that their recitation was happening all over everywhere, and then travelling and preaching and travelling and conducting this Ramayan recitation, which was sangitmaya, musical, they would also play their instruments as they would recite Ramayan. So travelling and preaching and reciting Ramayan; they ended up in Ayodhyadhamki jay! They were in Ayodhya now. What would they do? They continued recitation of Ramayan in Ayodhya, everywhere, or even as they would walk, they would recite Ramayan. And all those would get to see or hear. They would just follow wherever children are going reciting Ramayan, large crowd is following them. There is nice park there, and the children would sit down, everyone will be sitting down. And when they would like to get up and go, everyone would get up, following them.

So their recitation of Ramayan became talk of Ayodhya town. Even the news reached Rama’s ears. And He was curious to see these reciters of Ramayan, and hear from them. So Rama arranged, ‘bring those boys’. So as they arrived, jay Sri Rama, Sri Rama arranged Ramayankatha in His courtyard, in king’s court. He invited all the ministers, all the mothers; Kausalya took her seat, Kaikeyi is there, Sumitra is there, Bharat, Satrugna, Laxman are there, Vasistha and all other important citizens were in the court. Rama’s court was packed. And these 2 boys were welcomed, honored and Rama made appeal please could you recite for us? You were singing everywhere all over Ayodhya. We would like to hear.

And then these two boys took the microphone and Ramayan recitation began. Now in presence of Sri Rama and Laxman, Bharat and Satrugna and Kausalya and you name and they all are there. And like those sages in the forest, there was great impact upon them, as they were hearing Lava and Kush, hearing Rama’s pastimes. Recitation of, and whatever was happening with citizens of a town, same effect in the court of Sri Rama. There was pin drop silence. What kind of silence? Even if pin is dropped we could hear the sound of pin’s getting dropped. Its amazing thing, pin drop silence! Now there is not even bomb drop silence, so much noise. That eve bomb is dropped, you would not hear. And there used to pin drop silence and full attention.

And then commentators on Ramayan they say, that Rama took notice that He was seated while listening to recitation of Ramayan by these two great reciters, and He was seated on very exalted seat or asan. Rama felt this is not fare. I am audience, listener, I am recipient of this katha. I have to be down, down to the earth, on lower. So Rama with great care, without getting anybody’s attention, He was making sure not getting attention of anybody, not disturbing recitation. He very gently gently, He stood up and then He stepped down and another step down and down and He took another, more humble, lower seat in the audience and recitation continued. So our recitation also to be continued…..

Nitai Gaur premanandeHariHari bole! Jay Sri Rama!

Mayapur is our home
Prabhupada gave us this Mayapur festival
Venue: Mayapur
Dated: February 15
Occasion: Disciples gathering

Together we have something like this at different places, some kind of tradition or like a family reunion. We all from time to time or during festival we come back home, Mayapur is our home. Not house, house is a different. It is home. And wherever else we are now that is like home away from home. So from those homes away from home, when we occasionally come back home here and we get to meet. I get to see you and you also get to see each other, your brothers and sisters. And ofcourse we are part of bigger family, Prabhupadanga family.

So I am happy. You have come home. I have been coming every year to attend this festival. First festival was held in 1972 which I missed. I was in Bombay writing my chemistry exams (laughs). When Srila Prabhupada was here organizing 1st ever ISKCON Festival in 1972. So then I came first time in 1973 and since then I never missed any festival. Haribol

So, I love festivals, we all love festivals. And Prabhupada gave us this Mayapur festival. Initially, there were two, Mayapur and Vrindavan festival. We come to Mayapur and then go to Vrindavan. Now this is Mayapur festival and Vrindavan festival during is Kartik. In month of Kartik for Vrindavan festival more devotees come.

So only one year I remember, during Prabhupada’s days must be 1975. We had come from Bombay, most of us, many of us, too many of us came from Bombay. And when Prabhupada found out that only few has left behind and most of us are here. Prabhupada said what are you doing here who is taking care of the deities and temple and future construction and fund raising? So then, we had to go back. I think we stayed for 1 or 2 days. I was sent to Kolkata to do return train bookings and we all had to back for pleasure of Prabhupada. But I did come for few days so I didn’t miss that year. Today’s talks were padyatra centered, lot of padayatra..padyatra including Yashoda Dulal Prabhu’s padyatra in Gujarat following in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi. In 1977 we had come for the Bullock cart Sankirtan Party. We arrived at around noon time and that time there was only one building. I think the long building which is called the chakra building was under construction or it was nearly finished but practically to use there was only one building, Lotus Building. Radha Madhav were on ground floor, Radha Madhav Temple.

So we had parked our Bhaktivedanta Swami Bullock Cart Sankirtan Parties Cart and bulls parked in front of the Radha Madhav Temple. I think it was the noon time, there was Radha Madhav bhog aarti. So we took darshan and we were immediately we went to see Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada was already in town. He had arrived and Prabhupada used to stay on 2 nd floor of the Lotus Building. You have seen Prabhupada’s quarters on the 2 nd floor? If you haven’t seen, you should go, visit, and take darshan of Prabhupada’s quarters. So we climbed up 1 st story and 2 nd we went up the stairs and as were about to come to the 2 nd floor and turn to Prabhupada’s quarters Hari Sauri prabhu who was a servant. He found that we were very eager to go and see Srila Prabhupada, he says oh!you can’t go, Prabhupada is not available, not free. But luckily, what happened that time, Prabhupada had gone to use rest room, bathroom and Prabhupada came out and as he was about to enter his living room, living quarter he saw us battling with Harishabri prabhu (Laughter). And Srila Prabhupada came to rescue us, let them come. So, Hari Sauri was, our path was clear.

So we enter Prabhupada’s quarters, Prabhupada had taken his seat. We offered our obeisance’s and as we sat Srila Prabhupada, there are so many garlands, big pile of garlands which had been offered to Srila Prabhupada earlier by other devotees, disciples. So he asked I don’t remember either Tamal Krishna Maharaj or Hari Sauri, garland them. So, we were all garlanded. Big big garlands. We were looking at each other with big pride, we were honored we were greeted by His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupada ki Jai. And we had a talk we gave report. I wasn’t here for most of the time but I was hearing some reports of padyatra, padyatra ministry and some other reports.

So amongst many thinks those were reported to Srila Prabhupada our experience of being on the road with a Bullock Cart Sankirtan Party from Allahabad to Mayapur. Because reporting of our Vrindavan to Allahabad, Prayag was already done, I had met Srila Prabhupada at Kumbha Mela in 1977 Jan, so then onwards, Allahabad onwards. So amongst different queries Srila Prabhupada was making he asked me how was the Journey? And I in humors manner said ‘it was easy journey to Mayapur Planet Srila Prabhupada’. The easy Journey to Mayapur Planet by his book title easy journey to other planets. So I took that other planets and put Mayapur there. Easy Journey to Mayapur Planet. Prabhupada was happy to hear. There were difficulties also overall it was easy journey, coming back home. Then Srila Prabhupada had, first he had instructed us to walk from Vrindavan to Mayapur which we did. And we had no clues where next we would go. So in mayapur, Prabhupada said go to Jagannath Puri now.

So next destination became Jagannath Puri. So that was in 1977 our meeting, Bullock Cart Sankirtan devotees meeting with Srila Prabhupada, Hari Hari! So 44 years lot has happened in Mayapur from scratch, one time there was nothing. Little hut in the beginning and then Lotus building only and then long building, chakra building and gradually, you could see the whole empire that has come into being even skyscrapers. And on top of that is off course TOVP. You should take a tour, Istadev prabhu coordinates this tour. He could personally take you on the tour and show up and down, in and out and he knows all. He is part of TOVP construction project, he has a role to play. He also does fund raising for it, if you have some funds, please take a pledge.

So that Temple, it was prediction of Nityananda Prabhu-hoibe vikas, prakash. Nityananda prabhu, while he was taking Jiva Goswami on the tour of Navadvipa. Nityananda prabhu became the guide and he was giving tour to Jiva Goswami and during that tour, there will be one astounding Temple.

“eka adbhuta mandira ei haibe prakasa
gaurangera nitya-seva haibe vikasa”

Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s seva will manifest here or Gauranga will manifest and whole world will come and serve. Gauranga, Gauranga. How many of you were here for the Chakra Installation? On the top of the temple is a chakra, Russian made and golden brilliant effulgence illuminating the sky. They were installed just a week ago, on the 7 th and there was an astounding festival. So that has happened, chakras already there.

Some devotees just take darshan of chakra and that is considered as good as taking darshan of the deities. Like Namacharya Srila Haridas Thakur was not allowed as he was born in Muslim family, not allowed to enter in Jagannath Mandir. But he did not mind from wherever he stayed. What is that place? Siddha bakul, so from there he would take darshan of chakra at the top of Jagannath, nilchakra. And so he was taking darshan of the chakra and offering his obeisance’s.

So that chakra has already been installed. Giving us confidence that now rest would also happen. Deities would be moved. So for sure 2022 as you come for Mayapur festival, naturally you will come that year all the deities, pancha tattva and Prahlad Narsimha and Ashtsakhi Radha Madhav they will be shifted to the new temple, in a new altar. Even if the construction, all construction not completed, still it has been decided that deities will be moved and their worship would began. It is a huge temple, could accommodate 10,000 devotees at a time. Hari Bol!!!

But I am sure, it’s gone to be a full, house full. I mean I was thinking we should make a target of bringing 50,000 devotees that year. Hari bol! It is my thought. I was thinking, reason also, why 50,000 because 2022 is going to be a 50 th anniversary of Iskcon Mayapur’s 1 st ever festival. 1 st festival in 1972 to 2022, this is 50 years. 50 th anniversary of Bhajan Kutir or Iskcon, Prabhupada entering and there was also that year in 1972 itself, Prabhupada did ground breaking ceremony. Not only ground breaking but he had dug hole and even Anantsesa was installed, Prabhupadaa was so eager and anxious, that land was just acquired few months prior to that year’s festival, 72 festival. So its 50th anniversary and is also a 100 th anniversary of meeting, first ever meeting of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur and then the Abhay Babu. They met in 1922, so one hundred, after 100 years, this temple is getting opened. So it’s a 100 th anniversary of that first ever meeting of two Prabhupadas. Then Bhaktivedanta swami was not known as Prabhupada but later on we fondly called him and he allowed us to address him as Srila Prabhupada ki jai. So this is mother temple. And all other temples are like a children temple. This is original.

So in this way the prediction of Nityananda Prabhu also will come true as we finally open this temple. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu made one prediction and that prediction was, prithvite ache yata nagaradi grama, sarvatra prachara hoibe mora nama My name will be chanted in every village, in every town. Which town you are from? London. It reached London, Moscow. Any other countries? Ukraine, Mexico, Russia and like this you could see. I mean prediction has come true, it is true. It has happened, It is a history. And again, as I am a padayatri and padyatra talks are going on. The mission of padyatris is to bring the holy name to all the cities, all the towns of this planet. GBC has made this kind of vision, mission statement for padyatris. And padyatris, thus far or by 2016 which was 50 th anniversary of Iskcon, padayatris had walked 2,50,000 km. Two and a half lakhs of kilometers padayatris have walked. And padayatris, they do not just walk, what do they do? They chant and I always say this, padyatris have not only brought the holy name to every town or every village or not all but many many, but they also bring the holy name in between the towns, in between the villages. Not only to the town, and another town but in between the town, in between the villages.

So, Srila Prabhupada’s padyatra is making this prediction come true, more than true. Beyond the villages, in between the villages and towns. So, you could imagine how many many hundreds and thousands. How many villages? Do you have any count? He used to keep track when Jaya Vijay was incharge, he used to keep track of address, name of the village.

So, the holy name has reached. So this one prediction of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Prabhupada met that come true. So that was Chaitanya’s prediction. And the prediction of Nityananda prabhu is the temple. Temple, astounding temple would be built. So by 2022, yet another prediction and this one of Nityananda prabhu. This prediction also will come true as we opened TOVP which is Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir by 2022 ki Jai. So, also credit goes to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Srila Prabhupadaa. This planet has changed so much in last 50 years. That change may not be very obvious for us now but as time goes on, who will notice the difference? The world will notice the difference. What’s this Hare Krishna Movement of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is doing to this world? It’s a revolution as Prabhupada said Revolution in consciousness. And uniting the entire world or uniting people of this planet.

So the way, the Hare Krishna Movement unites people, the souls or meeting of hearts and minds, no other entity or organization could do or has done thus far. They may be talking of some kind of brotherhood, brotherhood? Yes, brotherhood. Or talks of peace and unity but it’s very superficial, no deeper understanding as Krishna Consciousness makes us understand that we are brothers and sisters. When different persons claim that we are bothers, what does that mean? There’s something in common. What is in common? Father and Mother. Okay father and mother are in common. That makes two persons or three persons brothers, they have common father.

So, hindi-chini bhai bhai. People of China and people of India are brothers. There was this slogan one time hindi-chini bhai bhai, hindi-chini bhai bhai. I was so small and did not know much hindi, I knew marathi. But I could make out, how is it possible. Hindi is a language, chini is sugar. Something that you eat and it is said bhai bhai, they are brothers. Hindi language and sugar that you eat are brothers. This was my from word meanings I was deriving that meaning but hindi, people of Hindustan, people of India are called hindi. We are hindi in Hindustani and chini means Chinese people are called chini.

So later on I understood people of China and people of India are brothers. But still, there is a common father is Mr. Modi, or X something, his name? Is he the father now? So only after understanding, studying Bhagvad-gita as it is, then I understood.

‘aham bija-pradahh pita’

I am father of all the living entities. And only Krishna could make that claim, I am the father of all the living entities.

So Krishna consciousness movement is establishing the brotherhood with full understanding. It is eternal truth. We don’t have to become brothers, we are brothers already. We all are already brothers and sisters, we had forgotten. And then Krishna, Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai, they are just reminding us, they appear to remind us. So we are a family and our family base is Mayapur, Vrindavan.

So we have forgotten, neglected our family, attempted to break the ties with our family but could never work. And so finally we are coming to senses and we are on the way back home. And this all begins with chanting of
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare – Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said ‘My name will reach every town, every village.’ That would be beginning but that is not an end. People will chant Hare Krishna everywhere and with that the rest is accomplished. So what has happened to the first batch of devotees, the first batch of souls since last 50 years. So this will keep happening for next 10,000 years. This is the program for next 10,000 years, Krishna consciousness movement will go on spreading as we do, yare dekha tare kaha Krsna upadesa amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa (CC Madhya 7.128) This is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s instruction again. He gave us mahamantra, this prediction; he also said I order you ‘yare dekha tare kaha Krsna –upadesa.’ And then on behalf of Gauranga, Srila Prabhupada or parampara was on the job. For first 500 years there was some introduction in the middle but then some 150 years or so you could say Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur onwards the movement, it has been picked up and Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur founded Gaudiya matha and started propagation of Krishna consciousness. It was more of kind of Bengal, Orissa limited. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna and khol, kartal and chanting. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, he established 60 temples, Maths all over India and 4 outside India, overseas. And then he was inspiring, instructing his followers, his disciples to go to the west and spread Krishna consciousness there. So first time, Abhaya had gone to see

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, infact his friend brought him there. Oh! I have seen so many sadhus, he may be just another one. Oh! no no no, he is different. His friend convinced him and then finally Prabhupada had gone, Abhaya babu had gone and very first instruction at meeting ‘you look very intelligent, spread this Krishna Consciousness all over the world.’

You think this instruction of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta was some whimsical or some accidental thing? No. It was inspired by Gauranga. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is waiting. My prediction has not come true, holy name has to reached every town every village. Who is going to do this? You. And then, so that seed, idea, thought was planted in the heart and Srila Prabhupadaa accepted, Bhakti Siddhanta as his spiritual masters. After the meeting he was returning home and he worked on this a lifelong, life time in preparation then Prabhupada goes to the west, and in 1966 foundation of Hare Krishna Movement with bunch of, they had by now become serious. They were just hippies. But, how many of you are ready to follow four regulative principles? What are they? Prabhupada had not said that in a formal way that one this, two that. No meat eating. What? No meat eating? What else to eat? That’s all that we have been eating, and you say no meat eating, we should starve? So any one is ready? How many of you are ready to follow four regulative principles Prabhupada asked and how many do you think were ready? All those who were present they are ready. Here, anyone is ready? Hari Bol!! So with those handfuls of his followers Prabhupada founded this International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

And then Prabhupada travelled 14 times around the world. Prabhupada had not taken any flight while he was in India, America he went by Cargo Ship. First flight Prabhupada took was from New York to San Francisco. First time he flew in the airplane was in 1966. And there he had commented the sky scrapper buildings look like match box. One match box on top of another one, another matchbox is on top of another one. This is Prabhupada’s thought. He is looking outside through the window and it looks like a matchbox topped on another one.

So you could see the first festival was attended by 50-60 devotees. I have written a book for your information, Festivals, Mayapur festivals, Mayapur Vrindavan festivals, in association of Srila Prabhupada. You have seen the book? Please, get a copy read it, distribute it then you will understand those beginning days, pioneering days of Prabhupada in Mayapur and those festivals. So there were 50-60 devotees in 1972 and how many are there now right here they are more than 100 devotees. So there were entire festival was attended by 50-60 devotees and they were saying so many devotees. How many? How many? So many 50-60. Wow! They were surprised, 50-60 devotees? Wow! Wow!

So from 50-60 devotees in 1972, so by 2022, we should have 50,000. We should make a target of 50,000 devotees.
Haribol stadium would be built which will have capacity of 100,000 part of the master plan. So, this is something good that has happened to this planet, over this planet that this International Society for Krishna Consciousness has been founded, established by Srila Prabhupada on behalf of Gauranga Mahaprabhu to execute the will of Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So what happens is the prediction comes true. People chant Hare Krsna everywhere. And then what does Hare Krsna chanting do? cheto darpanam marjanam. All that is bad, whatever that may be bad, all bad is removed, dropped.

And what is left is pure soul with the pure thoughts and high thinking and the quality, in other words the quality of human beings. Hare Krsna Movement works on making quality human beings. Quality people, godly qualities. We don’t work on making people God. And let’s not forget it, you want to become God? God’s post is not vacant so, you would not try to aspire, for it.

You want to be god? Yes, one person was interested. I am sure not many but one said that Prabhupada this person is interested in becoming God. And Prabhupada asked him you want to be God? Yes yes yes, make me God. This person thought finally I met, I wanted to be God and if he is asking me you want to be a God? That means he must be competent to make me God. He must be capable of making me God. So yes, please make me God. Then Prabhupada said you want to be God, yes? What does that mean? That meant you are not God now. You want to be God. Then Prabhupada said one who is not God cannot be God. God is always God. God never becomes God. One day Krishna became God or Ram became God. He wasn’t God and overnight he became. So this way that person’s all aspiration and dream of becoming God was smashed. He had no hope of becoming God. And he did end up becoming good devotee of God and that was Giriraj Swami. When I joined in Bombay, Giriraj Maharaj used to share his early encounters which Srila Prabhupada I used to translate his talks. So, there is no question of becoming God. So, but we could become Godly. Not become God, but become godly, God’s qualities.

So this Hare Krishna Movement is giving rise to birth to Godly people, Krishna conscious people, and Godly people are good people. They are best people on the planet. They are the well-wishers of everybody and they are friends of everybody. So Hare Krishna Movement’s work is a topmost welfare work. And we wish everyone,

om sarve bhavantu sukhinah
sarve santu niramayah
sarve bhadrani pashyantu
maa kashcid dukha bhag-bhavet

May all be contented. May all be free from disabilities. Let everyone experience auspiciousness. Everyone includes everyone. Let everyone be free from all diseases, no disease including no mental disease. Let everyone be free from all diseases. I had gone to hospital opening program. I was kind of guest, chief guest. So that time I offered this prayer, let everyone be from disease (laughter). And the owner of that hospital oh! Maharaj!! What would happen to my hospital? I have opened 50 bed hospital and we would like all the beds to be occupied and you are praying let
everyone be free from disease, no sickness (laughter). So, this Hare Krishna Movement Prabhupada again and again is talking to the audience please understand this movement. Understand this institution Hare Krishna movement, join this movement.

So we are joining and jointly we are making efforts to solve the problems of everybody on the planet. All the big big brains, presidents and prime ministers and this and that; they have no clue, they have no idea. They are themselves blind and they are leading other blind, blind following blind. Well, there is a ray of hope here, on the planet for the entire humanity? This Krishna consciousness is only hope, no other way, no other way,
no other way.

harer nama eva kevalam
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy. Is this making you happy? Are you happy? Hari bol!So thank God, that God is Gauranga. Thank Gauranga that you have come in contact with this Hare Krishna Movement. I thank him for making this prediction. I thank Gauranga to empower Srila Prabhupada to make His prediction come true. And as a result we have come in contact with Hare Krishna Movement. It is the best that has happened to us since long long long time. We had been going round and round and round and up and down. Going round and round up and down, but now we could get out of here. Not get out of Mayapur, get out of this cycle. In fact we had broken all the bonds, we are free from illusion and we are in Mayapur. It is not a small accomplishment. We are in Mayapur. Mayapur dham ki jai. Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai.

Now you all skip, it is your victory, param vijayate shri krishna sankirtanam. All victory to this sankirtan movement. So get further inspired, get further attached to Gauranga and the holy name and to devotees. That’s very important also. We do not only love God, we also love devotees of God. That is more important. We don’t love and serve devotees of God then Lord say no no, you are not my devotee. I want to see you loving and serving my devotees. If you say I am a devotee of your devotee then Lord says ‘you are my devotee.’ But if you go straight to Him and say I am your devotee, get lost. You are my devotee. No no no, I am sorry. Correcting your statement, no no I am devotee of your devotee my Lord then you are my devotee. And you could see in Jagannath His hands are, you see His hands? What is He trying to do? Pick you of and then embrace you, those who become devotees of His devotees. Becoming devotee of God is easier; becoming devotee of devotee is tougher. Those who love only devotee are kanishtha adhikaris, Srila Prabhupada wanted at least we come to the madhyam adhikari levels, second class. And that meant we serve the Lord, we are friendly with the devotees of the Lord. And we are kind to the new comers, faithful and we maintain some safer distance from those who are enemies of God and God’s devotees. Those who are animical. To serve the devotees of devotees, you have to be more humble. I have no anuraga, no attachment, liking for your holy name. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that at the end of verse of the 2nd Siksastakam.

Then He says,
trinad api sunichena
taror api sahishnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih

Immediately, I had no attachment, no attraction for your chanting. And in 3rd verse Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is providing a reply or a method or a solution, how to develop attachment. So that he could do kirtaniya sada hari, he could chant all the time. So what happen suddenly, now we are chanting all the time. What happened or what is expected to happen is the trinad api sunichena, is humble, trinad api sunichena, humble than straw in a street. Taror api sahishnuna, tolerant than those trees, amanina mana dena, respecting others and not expecting respect for oneself or ourselves. And this happens and we always see in such a state of mind, this always comes to my mind, the end part of the translation. In such a state of mind one could chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. In such a state of mind, so what is that state of mind? Is trinad api sunichena, being humble, tolerant, respectful, respecting others, not expecting respect for oneself. Such a state of mind, this is a state mind we have to
cultivate, we have to develop this mind set. And when that happens, then it could chant, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare
.
So, you are welcome again and again. Enjoy your stay by participating in temple programs, kirtan melas, parikrama, Gaur purnima festival. All this in association of devotees and by doing so we will get charged. Our batteries will be charged.

kirtaniyasadaHari is done by su-medhasah
Venue: Mayapur
Dated: 16 Feb, 2018

We are in Mayapur and we are busy with kirtanmela also. So we have this verse selected from 11th canto, chapter5, verse 32. I am confident that you are familiar with this verse. You have to be. You are Gaudiyavaisnava, you have to know and understand this statement of Bhagavatam. There are only few enough mentions ofCaitanya Mahaprabhu in Bhagavatam and this is one of them.And how does He look likeetc, few things have been introduced in this verse.

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki .. Jay!
NavadvipDhamki ..Jay!
Harinam sankirtana ki jay!
SrilaJagannatha Das BabajiMaharajtirobhavatithimahotsavki .. Jay!
SrilaRasikananda prabhu tirobhavatithimahotsavki ..Jay!
SrilaTamal Krishna Gosvamimaharajtirobhavatithimahotsavki.. Jay!
So we have quite a few topics to cover and we have limited time. So please repeat.

krsna -varnamtvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah (S.B 11.5.32)

In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.

Purport- This same verse is quoted by KrsnadasaKaviraja in Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Chapter three, verse 52. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has given the following commentary on this verse. “This text is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32).Because Prabhupada is writing commentary on Caitanya Caritamrta, so there he writes that, this text is from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Now he is quoting JivaGosvami or his connection and references. SrilaJivaGosvami has explained this verse in his commentary on the Bhagavatam known as the Krama-sandarbha, wherein he says that Lord Krsna also appears with a golden complexion. That golden Lord Krsna is Lord Caitanya, who is worshiped by intelligent men in this age. That is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam by Garga Muni, who said that although the child Krsna was blackish, He also appears in three other colors—red, white and yellow. He exhibited His white and red complexions inSatya and Treta ages respectively. He did not exhibit the remaining color, yellow—gold, until He appeared as Lord Caitanya, who is known as Gaurahari.Gaurahari !! Gauranga!!!

Ok, we will read that much now and will see how it works and say few comments.

So this conversation is going on between king Nimi and nine Yogendras, Nava-Yogendras. So conversation with one after the other one, then the other one. King Nimi is now inquiring from Karabhajan Muni. And the inquiry is text 19th of the same chapter, some dozen verses earlier king Nimi had asked.

kasmin kale sabhagavankimvarnahkidrsonrbhih,
namnavakenavidhinapujyate tadihocyatam (S.B 11.5.19)

So this was the inquiry. Kasmin kale saBhagavan, in which age Lord appeared? Kim varnah, in what complexion?kidrsah, how does He look like? Additional information.Namnava, and the names of those Lords appearing in different ages, please tell me?

Vidhinapujyatetadihiucyatam, please say, ucyatam, and by what process all those different Lords in different incarnations would be worshiped, the mode of worship. And Karabhajan muni has replied how Lord appears in Satyayuga, Tretayuga and then, we will just touch upon that, and how He appears in Dvaparyuga.

dvaparebhagavansyamah pita-vasa nijayudhah (S.B 11.5.27)

In Dvaparyuga Lord will appear BhagavanSyamah, His color would be Syam, and Syama is Radha. Pita-vasa, and He will wear golden robes. Nija-ayudhah, He will be holding Srivatsa and others laksanairupalaksitah, by these symptoms He would become known. So that is distinctly clear. Karabhajan muni is referring to Sri Krsna. So after Dvaparyuga covered, then this verse he is talking.

Krsna-varnamtvisa-akrsnam

What would Lord do, that is also inquired. What will be His activities? So this Lord appearing in the age of Kali, kalauapiyathasrnu, before this verse Karabhajan muni has said, now listen I am going to talk about Lord who appears in age of Kali. Having said that then he says this, krsna-varnam, Lord will appear and He will do krsna-varna,varnaalso refers to description. He will describe Krsna. He will say Krsna KrsnaKrsna, Krsna-varnam. Tvisa-akrsna, tvisa means complexion, what kind of tvisa, complexion? A-krsnam, not blackish, meaning sounds like whitish right? Not blackish, whitish. Golden is closer to white, so conclusion is He is in golden color.

Sangopagastraparsadam, sa-anga, He will appear sa-anga, sa-upanga, sa-astra, sa-parsada. Sa means along with, four items mentioned. And what He will do? Well already told, Krsna-varnam. So yajnaih, He will perform yajna, sacrifice. Which kind of sacrifice? Karabhajan muni doesn’t only say, Oh He will perform yajna. He did not stop just saying yajna but he wants to mention which kind of yajna. There are verities of yajnas, sacrifices. So he mentions, sankirtana-prayair, the yajna, sacrifice known as Sankirtana, He will perform.

Yajanti hi su-medhasah, and inquiry was also- by what way people of those different ages would worship Lords appearing in those different ages. So in the age of Kali, yajanti hi su-medhasah, Lord is to be worshiped by performance of Sankirtana yajna.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

I think its clear right? Not much interpretation is required. So su-medhasah, specific mention, the intelligent people would worship the Lord in the age of Kali by performance of Sankirtana yajna. So I could tell all you assembled here are very intelligent. How do I know? Because you are performing Sankirtana yajna or you come all the way to perform Sankirtana here. And of course wherever you were there also and on the way also and here also and kirtaniyasadaHari is done by su-medhasah.

So tvisa-akrsnam is also mentioned.
Namomahavadanyaya Krsna- premapradayate,
Krsnaya Krsna Caitanya namneGauratvisenamah.

RupaGosvami offered this beautiful prayer at the lotus feet of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Prayag when they met there. He composed and offered. And he was offering this prayer again and again. Getting up, offering prayer and dandavat and trembling, voice getting choked up as he was reciting this because he was reciting with full realization, who that person is who is standing right before him.

And this small prayer is quiet a prayer. It talks about the Lord, to know Lord means to know His name, know His form or complexion to know His activities and His qualities.

Sri RadhikaMadhavayorpara, madhuryalilagunarupanamnam,
pratiksanaasvadanalolupyasyavandegurausricaranarvindam.

Our gurujan, acaryas, they are always absorbed in doing what? In Radha-Madhava’s name, qualities, pastimes, like that. So this prayer namomahavadanyaya talks about these four aspects of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Beginning with namomahavadanyaya, I offer my obeisance’s unto mahavadanyaya, Lord who is most magnanimous, most generous, charitable, never ever Lord has appeared like this. This much magnanimity He had never exhibited. And we know the reason of Krsna’s now being magnanimous more as Krsna Caitanya than Krsna, because He is not just Krsna but He is also Radharani. Sri Krsna Caitanya Radha Krsna nahianya.

So that is qualityof Caitanya Mahprabhu, namomahavadanyaya. Krsna-premapradayate, I offer obeisance’s unto the Lord who is pra-da, the giver of Krsna-prema. This is lila, pastime of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu to propagate, distribute love of Godhead.

So we covered quality, we covered pastime, and then Krsnayanamah. Namah is constant, everywhere, four times you have to say namah, I offer my obeisance’s unto the Lord whose qualities are like this, I offer my obeisance’s unto the Lord whose pastimes are like this and now coming to the name. Krsnayanamah, I offer my obeisance’s unto Krsna, but which Krsna?
Krsnaya Krsna Caitanya namneKrsnayanamah

I offer my obeisance’s unto Krsna whose name is Sri Krsna Caitanya. So this is the name of the Lord.
Remaining is now, the complexion of the Lord. Gauratvisenamah, gaura-tvisa, here tvisa is mentioned,tvisa a-krsna, and in the prayer offered by RupaGosvami says Gaur-tvisenamah. His complexion is Gaur, He is Gaur varna. Syamasundar of Dvapar Yuga has become Gaurasundar of age of Kali.

So that Lord has kindly appeared, that is what Karabhajan muni is talking. In the age of Kali what did He do? He performs sankirtana yajna. He started a few hundred meters down the road, one thousand meters, Srivasaangana. The whole inauguration of sankirtana movement; sankirtanaika-pitarau Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda prabhu. Two prabhus together are founding fathers of this sankirtan movement, and kirtan started just round the corner, from here.

Initially Lord along with His anga and upanga and astra and parsadas He was doing kirtan indoor. It was a private affair, not accessible for the general public. There was whole screening process. Any impurity, out! You are not allowed. And this went on for long long time. All night long there were kirtans and roaring and amazing dancing of Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

So AdvaitAcarya was happy and not happy. Not happy because he was the one who invited Lord, Lord please please time has come. Dharmasyaglanirbhavati Bharat, when there is decline in religious principles then Lord appears. So Advaitacharya has seen state affairs of the country and the world and now only Lord could fix the situation. Lord could put order to this disordered situation. So with that aim he had invited Lord to come. So Lord had come but He was just continuing His kirtanthe way He used to. He always does in spiritual sky, in Goloka there is Vrndavana and Navadvipa, in Navadvipa there is kirtan eternally going on. So from Navadvipa He comes here and with same associates, parsadas and anga and upangas, and sastras, He was continuing.

So one day Advaitacarya had to make a very humble appeal unto Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahapranbhu. Lord please make this available to the entire world. And then,

udiloarunapurababhage,
dwija-manigoraamanijage,
bhakata-samuhaloiyasathe, gelanagarabraje.
Tathaitathaibajalokhol,
ghanaghanatahejhanjerarol,
premedhaladhalasonaraanga,caranenupurabaje.

Then there was kirtan, all over Navadvipa, in every town, village of Navadvipa. But that was not sufficient. Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu takes sannyasa and He goes all over India spreading the Holy name everywhere. But He left some homework for SrilaPrabhupada to do. Then SrilaPrabhupada, ‘You are very intelligent, –yeah, you are performing sankirtana, must be intelligent. — Please spread this Krsna consciousness in western world’. So Prabhupada goes, bringing the Holy name everywhere. As a result, as we receive the Holy name, then we begin running, coming back to home, back to Godhead. As soon as we receive the Holy name, as soon as we receive, our journey our travel begins.
That is what has happened. From nama to dhama. So we receive the name and we end up in dhama, so that is what has happened. You are welcome. And what you are doing here is what Caitanya Mahaprabhu always does in Navadvipa, Mayapur. He taught that also to the whole world. The process of Krsna realization or attaining Krsna, attaining ultimately His dhama and that process is sankirtana yajna. So you are at the right place at the right time doing the right thing.Chanting during this kirtanmelaki .. Jay!

So much to say, I wish I have five mouths, if not thousand, but what to do? We are always limited.
So after Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s manifested pastimes got over, chapter closed, there was a big flood. MayapurNavadvipa was flooded. Literally kind of ocean water over here and everything stand still. No one was coming going, nothing was happening here for several hundred years. And then things gradually changed. Flood situation was under control.

Then Jagannatha Das Babajimaharaj comes to Navadvipa. Soon Bhakti Vinod Thakur was transferred from JagannathPuri to Krsnanagar, District magistrate. And he gets association, instruction, guidance from Jagannath Das Babaji. Taking siksa from Jagannath Das Babajimaharaj.

Then Gaur Kishor Das Babajimaharaj also from Vrndavanhe migrates here to Navadvipa. He becomes siksa disciple of Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur. And Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur asks his son Vimala Prasad to accept discipleship of Gaur Kishor Das Babajimaharaj. So there were times, may be 150 years ago, all these four great acaryas of our sampradaya were physically together at Bhakti Vinod Thakur’s house or where his samadhi is. Like six gosvamis of Vrindavan would gather together in a courtyard of Radha Damodar temple. So like that Jagannath Das Babaji, Gaur Kishor Das Babaji, Bhakti Vinod Thakur and Bhakti SiddhantSarasvati Thakur, he was the junior in these four members and they would sit together, have association and I am sure they also do nana sasravicaranaikanipunau,scrutinizingly studying the sasras, and discussions and debates.

So this is how the discovering the pastime places in Navadvipa and reestablishing the glory of Navadvipa began with four of these, beginning with SrilaJagannath das BabajiMaharaj. No one knew which pastime where, this that? Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur was breaking his brain and trying to find references, research, wandering everywhere and the gadgets he was referring to. Even the place of Caitanya mahaprabhu’s birth was not sure, because few hundred years ago, flood was everywhere. So you could imagine.

So Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur, searching and finding out and establishing different pastime places of Gauranga and another pastimes also from previous ages. So amongst those, birth-place he was working hard. So with the help of Jagannath das BabajiMaharaj, he was able to. He was elderly and he had to be carried in the basket. And the team was going here there and Jagannath Das BabajiMaharaj was like a detector, he would detect. Like sometimes the water detectors, before digging the well, the farmers; you know some farmers are experts, they know, they get another person of another village, they are water detectors. They know, they make them walk all over and then ‘dig here, you will find water’, so like that.

So detecting Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s birthplace, so as they arrived, walking and walking to that location, which is now known as Yogapitha; Jagannath Das Babajiwas 130 years old, immediately became ecstatic and started jumping, GauraGauraGauraGauraGaura… JayapatakaMaharaj would tell in more dramatic manner, what all that transpired.
And that is how it was finally concluded, this is birthplace of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and credit goes to Jagannath Das BabajiMaharaj. Hence when we offer our pranam mantra to him, what do we say?

Gauraavirbhavabhumestvamnirdestasajjanapriyah. This holy, sajjan, sat-jan, and he is also sarvabhauma, he is very dear and respected by all vaisnavas and he indicated, pointed out to which place? Gaur avirbhavabhumi, bhumi means location, place, land, Gauraavirbhav, Sri Krsna Caitanya avirbhavbhuminirdesta, he pointed out, ‘It’s here, it’s here’. So that was contributionamongst so many innumerable contributions of SrilaJagannath Das BabajiMaharaj Ki.. Jay! His Samadhi is in Navadvipa town. As you will go on Navadvipamandalparikrama, one day you will also getdarshan of his Samadhi.

Then quickly, Rasikananda, he was disciple of Syamananda. He was Grihastha, from Orissa. Quiet amazing personality! He was powerful influential personality. Many of his disciples were animals. He would initiate animals. Like Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Jarkhanda forest, He made the animals to chant and dance. So some of Rasikananda’s followers, specially one elephant, he went wild, creating havoc, and all the villagers were in trouble. They ran to Rasikananda, ‘please do something’. And Rasikananda approached this elephant and said hey elephant, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna KrsnaKrsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama RamaRama Hare Hare! And elephant calmed down bowed down with tears gliding down from eyes and chicks. Rolling in front of Rasikananda.HariHari!! What an empowered man.

SrilaTamal Krsna GosvamiMaharajki… Jay! So we are celebrating 16th disappearance anniversary of Tamal Krsna Gosvamimaharaj. I was there 16 years ago on this day. Anyone of you was there also? Yeah. What a loss. I was shocked. So Tamal Krsna Maharaj was my dear brother, one time my GBC. When I was just a bhakta in Bombay, Tamal Krsna Maharaj was GBC. He was very strict; GBC has to make sure all the standards are maintained. I was brahmacari. One day I was getting late to come to mangal arati so I hurriedly put my doti like sannyasis do. Not a brahmacari style. I had no time. I thought I would just, like gopis would just ran you know with their saris, whole upside down. I hoped that would be accepted, my ecstasy. So I came to temple and was about to bow down. Tamal Krsna maharaj walked closer to me. I offered my obeisances and as I looked up, he was there. ‘Are you brahmacari?’ ‘Yes’ ‘Sannyasi dhoti? No.’ He said, ‘Go!’ I thought I could go after mangal arati and do the. He said ‘No, Now!’ And he stood there till I departed. HariHari!!

He was sole GBC of entire India that time. I think he was the first GBC of India. SrilaPrabhupada gave him sannyasa in Jaipur at Radha Govinda temple. That was the time the queen of Jaipur also donated set of Radha Krsna deities. Prabhupada named them Radha Govinda and send them to New York.

So Tamal Krsna Maharaj had come back to Bombay and in mean time something happened with me and I was getting ready for marriage. It was arranged. Temple president was involved. And my parents were very happy, thinking that I am becoming normal. So they also had come and everything was. But then on the day of ceremony girl’s parents came. And they had parked car some distance away from temple. They said to her we have some jewelry and saris for you. Please come to the car. They brought her to the car. Made her sit down in the car.And they kidnapped her. And I was very much down. Thinking why bad things happen to good person like me. So my GBC took note that I am kind of undergoing some depression. So I am very thankful to Tamal Krsna Gosvamimaharaj for consoling me and lifting me up and he proposed, he said ‘you marry Krsna’. Then idea of my taking sannyasa kind of came out of that. Marry Krsna, take sannaysa. So Tamal Krsna Gosvamimaharajki Jay!

So then after several years in Bombay, he went back to America and kind of book distribution that he managed, SrilaPrabhupada’s book distribution, in ideal way, a revolution. He had 6 buses, 20 vans and 150 brahmacaris with him and some sannyasis also. And he named that party as Radha Damodar party, distributing hundreds and thousands, amazing, winning those marathons. I think must be around that time he had an idea of making an offering to SrilaPrabhupada for SrilaPrabhupada’s pleasure and he was thinking of offering a garland. Not of flowers but garland of jivas, souls. So he with his staunch, strong preaching made 108 devotees. And made some kind of mala and offered them at SrilaPrabhupada’s feet. HariBol!

This land, the very first piece of land for ISKCON in Mayapur was acquired by Tamal Krsna Gosvamimaharaj.Prabhupada had assigned him that task. Srila Prabhupada was in Kolkata. And he sent Tamal Krsna maharaj to Mayapur. And he was very expert and the great determination and what not. By hook or crook he wanted to manage to get. He managed to get a piece of land from a muslim. Prabhupada was in Kolkata, waiting. It was late night and Prabhupada was waiting and waiting. He was very anxious to know what the outcome was. Did he manage to purchase the land? Is the deal complete? He wasn’t coming so Prabhupada was concerned, why he is not here, something went wrong? So Tamal Krsna maharaj returned. Lights were on in Prabhupada’s quarter. Knocking on the door in the middle of the night and as Prabhupada opened the door Tamal Krsna Maharaj handed the papers. ‘Here is land for you, Srila Prabhupada. Mayapurland’HariBol!

Tamal Krsna maharaj was vey much attached to Srila Prabhupada. So much affection for Srila Prabhupada and he always preferred to be around Prabhupada, serving. And he did in a very special way. Sometimes I think that Tamal Krsna maharaj had some kind of access to SrilaPrabhupada’s mind and heart. Knowing what is on Prabhupada’s mind and in his heart. Then he would try to fulfill Prabhupada’s wishes and desires.

Final year he wrote a book, drama of final year. ‘Final lesson’ is the name of that book. He wrote many books. Servant of the servant is a biography of Srila Prabhupada, history of ISKCON. And TKG diaries are world famous, something that TKG knew, no one else knew, because there were just him and Srila Prabhupada lot of the times. So he was making notes, TKG diary. So he had come to Mayapur in 77. And from that time till 14th Nov 77 in Vrindavan, he never left Srila Prabhupada’s company. He was like a shadow of Srila Prabhupada, going following everywhere and offering from here going to Bombay and idea of going to Rishikesh, Tamal Krsna maharaj was involved. And then back to Vrindavan when Prabhupada thought no no I may be leaving this world. So Tamal Krsna maharaj managed and Bhakti CaruMaharaj was also there in Rishikesh. And last year of Srila Prabhupada on the planet, Bhakti Carumaharaj also spent lot of time with Srila Prabhupada and Tamal Krsna maharaj.

And when Prabhupada was getting little better, Prabhupada’s idea of traveling to America to Gita Nagari came up. Prabhupada was on the way to Gita Nagari but then he stopped in London and his health went from bad to worst and he had to rush to Bombay and then to Vrindavan. And all this time Tamal Krsna maharaj was with Srila Prabhupada.

Writing will of Srila Prabhupada, Tamal Krsna maharaj was instrumental getting that written. And on and on, he had the mission, very tough mission, China. There were some difficulties in America I think. Inter relationships with different zones. And then Tamal Krsna maharaj had to surrender his zone in America and then he went to China. And he was surrendered soul, he did go to China to tough hard nuts there he did crack. As I was coming down here so many Chinese devotees. Are there few hundred Chinese devotees here? And of course there are thousands in China. So this was the work, initial planting the seed of Krsna consciousness in China. China was opened and Krsna consciousness making inroads in China, the communist China. This was Tamal Krsna maharaj’s very special mission.

And in 2002, Tamal Krsna Maharaj did something special. He had been doing that for few years. He was conducting kirtans in his apartment. He had large apartment in Conch building which could accommodate over 100 or 150 devotees. And he was inviting them every night and something like what was going on in Srivasaangana, selected group of devotees, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting and dancing; Tamal Krsna maharaj was organizing thosekirtans night after night after night. Very amazingkirtans! I remember him going everyday to Ganga also those days, to see him going to Jamuna and coming back everyday.

So that kirtanmela which is happening now in Mayapur and elsewhere also, I make connection, Tamal Krsna Maharaj started thosespecialkirtans in his quarter. And that was happening many years, year after year and after his departure GBCs continuedthose kirtans, reading of Caitanya Caritamrta and kirtan as a memory or remembering Tamal Krsna maharaj and his programs, his kirtan activities and then gradually graduallykirtanmela started everywhere. Kirtanmelaki Jay! So kirtanmela which are now happening in Mayapur also has connection with Tamal Krsna Maharaj. He did kirtans in Mayapur.

So all day there are ceremonies celebrating disappearance of Tamal Krsna maharaj beginning at 10 o’clock at his Samadhi. You all are invited, welcome to go there, offer your prayers,obeisance’s, chant and hear his glories. Keep remembering this great soul, great brother of mine and many of us.

When Prabhupada departed I felt certainly a big loss and one more time I had a similar feeling when Tamal Krsna maharaj left, I also had the feeling of great loss.

I was told that before he left, that morning when he left, he offered his obeisances to Garuda. But he was not allowed to go outside Brajamandal realm. Before he could cross the Brajamandal border, oh ok not different. Gaur mandal. Then he was checked, you can’t go out. Stay here. So Tamal Krsna maharaj is here in Navadvipa, in Vrindavan. Or he is with Srila Prabhupada. He caught up with Srila Prabhupada that day. He was one of the parsads of Srila Prabhupada.

SrilaTamal Krsna Gosvamimaharajtirobhavtithimahotsavki Jay!
SrilaJagannath Das Babajimaharajtirobhavtithimahotsavki Jay!
SrilaRasikananda prabhu tirobhavtithimahotsavki Jay!
SrilaPrabhupadaki Jay!
Nitai Gaur premanandeHariHariBol!

Bhagvata Katha 2017: Day Seven

Venue: Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, Swargate, Pune.

Date: 31 December 2017

Topic:  The principles of Vaishnavism (Vaishnavata ka pratik).

jaya radha-madhava  jaya kunja-bihari
jaya gopi-jana-vallabha, jaya giri-vara-dhari
jaya yashoda-nandana, jaya vraja-jana-ranjana….

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

om namo bhagvate vasudevaya

My obeisances to Vasudev. May Lord Vasudev accept our humble obeisances. Also namsakar to all of you who are dear devotees of Lord Vasudev. Jivatam is always dear to the Lord. How dear He is to us is different, but we are always dear to the Lord and our relationship  with the  Lord is always there. The Lord has brought us here which  is also due to His love for us. It’s His mercy that we are coming here for six days and today the strength is more.  I welcome all those who have come today for the first time.

It’s said that when we become devotees of the Lord’s devotee, then we become His devotee. We are servants of His servants and that is what He likes. I am also serving you all by reciting this katha. Somethings are yet to be shared, and actually there no end to the lila and katha of the Lord.

Whatever I said was related to Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We have a very close relationship  with Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu who appeared just 532 years ago. He is the latest avatar and Lord Himself.  Every day we say, sri krsna caitanya radha krsna nahi anya. There is no one equal to the Lord, as He said in Gita

mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya (BG 7.7)

There is no Truth superior or equal to the Lord. There are lots of avatars of the Lord, but Sri Krsna is Lord Himself.

Lord Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu both reside in Golok. Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to establish the dharma of Kaliyuga for all of us and that’s Harinama. ISKCON is Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission and  it’s established to fulfil the HIs desire. It’s spreading all over the world and many people are coming together through this mission. When the devotees come together they……

mac-citta mad-gata-prana bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca (BG 10.9)

….. discuss the lila and katha of the Lord. When we go back to our temples we will talk about it to others, that’s also bodhayantah parasparam. Prabhupada was ordered by his spiritual master, to preach in English in the West and translate the books in English. Then Prabhupada told his disciples to print books. That is all an expansion of the mission. Now preaching is continuing in more than one hundred  languages.

Printed books are not just kept in godowns(storerooms) but they are distributed all over. In the month of December ISKCON devotees distribute the books on a large scale and that’s called the book marathon. In 1976 Prabhupad’s disciples distributed 7 million books. That’s 40 years ago, but now more and more books are being distributed. In the national capital region (NCR) more than 5 lakh Bhagavad-gitas have been distributed. In 1966 with the help of some English boys Prabhupada established ISKCON and it’s spreading all over. This is also expansion (vistar).

In the period of 500 BC, animals were killed in the name of Vedas. So karma kanda was going on. Then Lord Buddha appeared and established,

ahimsa paramo dharmah

If animal killing is recommended in the Vedas then we reject the Vedas. He established voidism (sunyavad). This siddhanta is not accepted by the Vedas. He wanted to stop karma kanda. Prabhupada said this siddhanta was meant only for that time. It was an emergency siddhanta. However, this siddhanta is still being followed and accepted and its expansion is going on. When Jesus came animal killing was also going on, yet one of the ten commandments in Bible states  “thou shall not kill.”

Adi Sankaracarya came 1200 years back he preached jnana kanda called advaitvad. a-no, davit-two. That means that the jiva and Lord is one. That is  also called nirakarvad or nirgunavad. This siddhanta ofnirakarvad is also called mayavada. In the Padma Purana, there is a famous verse wherein Siva tells Parvati that he will appear in the age of Kali as a brahmana to preach asat-sastra.

mayavadam asat-sastrampracchanam-baudham ucyate mayaiva kalpitam devim kalau brahmana rupinah.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu strictly warned all of us,  mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa

“Anyone who follows the principles of Mayavada philosophy is certainly doomed. He said Lord is there and we all should worship Him.”

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto  mad-yaji mam namaskuru

Always think of the Lord and become His devotee. Worship Lord  and offer homage unto Lord.

But the mayavada philosophy says,  brahma satyam jagan-mithya jivo brahmaiva naparah Brahman alone is real and this jagat is mithya, and the jiva is non-different from Brahman.’the Advaita philosophy,

Preaching of sunyavad was going on, then  Sankaracarya came and he preached about advaitvad. Then came the acarayas of the 4 sampradayas, one after the other. All four acarayas appeared in the South and all  the avatars of the Lord appeared in the North.  These four sampradayas are Vaisnava sampradayas as they all serve and accept Lord Krsna, Vishnu, Ram. It is important to note that they take shelter of the Vishnu tattva and not of the demigods

1.The Sri Brahma Sampradaya whose Sampradaya Acarya is Sri Madhvacarya.

2.The Sri Laksmi Sampradaya whose Sampradaya Acarya is Sri Ramanujacarya.

3.The Sri Kumara Sampradaya whose Sampradaya Acarya is Sri Nimbarkacarya.

4. The Sri Rudra (Siva) Sampradaya whose Sampradaya Acarya is Sri Visnu Swami.

They all emphasised dvaitvad. There is a need understand all these siddhantas.

mamaivamso jiva-loke  jiva-bhutah sanatanah

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. We are not Lord, we are two not one.

Lord Krsna has 64 qualities and we living entities have 50 qualities. We are qualitatively same as the Lord, but quantitatively we are very small. advaitvad and dvaitvada are together. Out of the four acaryas, Madhavacarya emphasised on the two – dvaitvad, not one. He had defeated advaitvad. He preached vishista dvaita siddhanta.

Then Vishnu Swami who belongs to Kumar Sampradaya preached about dvaitadvaita siddhanta. They preached about Lord being ‘sakaar’-that means having form.

Srila Baladev Vidyabhusan wrote commentary on the Vedanta sutra which called Govind bhaiya and his siddhanta was called ‘acintyabhedabheda siddhanta’.  There is a difference in the Lord and jiva . That isbhed and then there is no difference between Lord and jiva, that’s abheda.

If we get two buckets of sea water – one small and one big. They will be the same qualitatively but quantitatively different.   So our relationship with the Lord is eternal.

Navadvipa jabe ami pragat hoibo tava sampradaya svikar karibo

Bhatki Vinod Thakur in his book Navadvipa parikrama khanda writes,  

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu took two special qualities of each sampradaya and then the Brahma Madhava Guadaya sampradaya was complete.

Krsna murti nitya jani tahar sevan sei ta dvitya sar jaan mahajana

These four acaryas also appeared  in Gaur lila as, Sri Ramanujacarya – Ananta, Sri Visnuswami –Vallabha Bhatta, Sri Nimbarka – Keshava Kashmiri. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said,

aishwarya bhava has a lot of fear and reverence, but less love. In this bhava the devotee does not love the Lord very much. It is like a relationship between a servant and a boss.

There are two types of sadhana . 1. Vaidhi and 2. Raganuga. In raganuga bhakti there is reciprocation of love between bhakti and the Lord. Lord wanted to relish this bhava so Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared.

bhagavan more putra mora mitra mora prananath

Vatsalya. Sakhya and Madhurya are the main rasas and there is a lot of reciprocation of love between bhakta and the Lord or Lord becomes a bhakta.

panca-tattvatmakam krsnam bhakta-rupa-svarupakam
bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam namami bhakta-saktikam (CC Adi 1.14)

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu has five features. He comes with all those five features  to preach His message. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the form of a devotee, Nityananda appears in the form of a devotee’s spiritual master, Advaitacarya is the form of a bhakta (devotee) incarnation, Gadadhara Pandit is the energy of a bhakta, and Srivasa is a pure devotee.

anyadharman tiraskritya puraskritya mahotsavan 

Narada muni said to Bhakti Devi,  “I will establish you in every house, in everybody or every society. Mahotsavan – I will organise festivals. And with the festival as the forum, I will propagate you, establish you everywhere.

When Srila Prabhupada established ISKCON, he started many festivals like Sunday festival, first ratha yatra festival in San Francisco in 1966 in which 10,000 people participated. In a recent survey is was found that 600 Jagannatha Ratha yatras were organized.

What do the devotees do? They take up the mrdanga and sing and dance. Such festivals are going on everywhere all over the world. No festival is complete without sankirtana.  Aindra Prabhu started akhanda sankirtana and now it’s going on. It was predicted that people over the world will come to Mayapur and chant Jai Sacinandan Gaur Hari.

We always say in Prabhupada’s pranam mantra  gaurvani pracharini. He preached the message of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world protected and saved those who were affected by mayavadand sunyavad. We were also saved. Gaurvani closed the mouth of mayavad, sunyavad and advaitvada. We did not talk about Charvak siddhanta

“yavat jivet sukham jivet rinam kritvã dhritam pibet” 

“As long as you live, live happily. Incur debt but drink ghee.

Take loans car loan, this loan that loan. Beg, borrow, steal but make sure that you live happily.

“bhasmi- bhutasya dehasya punaragamanam kutah.” 

Once you die your body is destroyed, who comes again so just enjoy. There are so many follower of Charvak, mayavad, sunyavad, advaitvad. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu rejected all this siddhanta and gave us complete knowledge.  His message is for each and every person all over the world.

”This is my own and that is a stranger’ – is the calculation of the narrow-minded. For the magnanimous-hearts however, the entire earth is but a family’.

He is merciful and beyond the dualities of poor-rich, man-woman. Those who follow these dualities are narrow minded, laghucetasam. Laghu means small and Guru means heavy.

There is a Marathi  phrase , he vishwachi maze ghar , which means that this world is my house and that’s also the world view of Lord.  Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu made a plan so that His message reaches all over the world.

Prabhupada registered ISKCON and with its 7 objectives.

1. Propagate spiritual knowledge all over.

Material knowledge is going all over.  “Why are you calling us sudra? We are not Indian.  Being sudra is also not bad.’ samsidhi hari tosanam’. The best secret is to please the Lord.

1. Propagate Krsna Consciousness

Make Krsna the centre of our lives. As a mother sees her son’s toy and thinks of her son, our Krsna consciousness should be like that.

1. Encourage the sankirtana movement
2. Erect holy places of the pastimes of Lord Krsna

Prabhupada had established so many temples, gurukuls, goshala, farm houses and named them. Krsna loves cows so Prabhupada started goshala in foreign countries. Where people were gobhaksak, he made them goraksak.

1. Teach a simpler and natural way of life.

However all the opposites are going on. There is high living and no thinking or low thinking. The mantra is – just do it. The effect of high living and no thinking is that mental diseases are increasing. India is also becoming number one. The President said in Delhi yesterday that 1 in 10, that’s 10% of the population is affected by mental diseases. He also warned us to be careful of the epidemic of mental diseases. It is going to come, so we need to do something.

At the malls we see the word ‘life style’ .I don’t understand what it means, I have no idea. But I say its ‘death style’. We all are suffering from diseases and from five star hotels to we are going to five star hospitals. Krsna Consciousness is the only way. There is no other way, no other way, no other way. Turn towards Krsna. Honor Krsna Prasad. Your mind also will become pure. wWe become hatever we eat. The mind does thinking, feeling and willing. So whatever we think ,like that we become. We use our senses for gratification and thus we get mentally diseased. We always have to keep our senses engaged in Krsna consciousness.

andha yathandhair upaniyamanas

Prahalad Maharaja says that blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch. Our leaders are blind and we follow them without thinking. Like sheep we follow each other and fall in a ditch.

na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum

The goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Visnu. 

The leader is the one who takes us to our goal, but today’s leaders don’t know about the goal. During Prabhupada’s time, the leaders were engaged in freedom work. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur said that it was not needed. Here in katha we are distributing books. Harinama preaching is going all over and when we hear the harinama, our mind becomes pure and high thoughts come to our mind. And we just fulfil our basic needs. In China it was written – after you work spend time with us – which means earn full day and then spend money in our malls. Cheating is going on all over. Maya is cheating, Kaliyuga is cheating us. We are become follower of Kali-kalirchela.

All these members  and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power.

These are the names of different countries all over,  Kirat-Bihar, Huna-germany, Yavan means turkey like that. People there will accept Krsna consciousness and become pure. Prabhupada did that.  He circled the globe fourteen times. So the world is becoming pure. The 4 regulative principles. where

dyutam panam striyah suna  yatradharmas catur-vidhah

The personality of Kali was given permission to live in four places –  the place of gambling, the place of prostitution, the place of drinking and the place of animal slaughter.

Meat eating destroys daya (compassion). daya dharma ka mula hai. Somebody said that we are making our stomach a graveyard, eating all sort of animals and then we ask for peace or santi. Fighting is going on everywhere and that’s also due to eating meat. Gambling and mental speculation destroys Satya (Truthfulness). Intoxication destroys Tapa (Austerity)

Lord Rsabhadeva told His sons: One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one’s heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.

Illicit Sex destroys saucha (Purity). In 1966 Prabhupada asked his followers if they were  ready to follow the 4 regulative principles and to our surprise, all the boys and girls said, “Yes Swamiji, we are ready.”

One who follows these 4 rules, all the 4 pillars of dharma becomes strong and dharma gets established.

Todays is a special day. Everyone is waiting for the new year, parties going on all in Pune. This is also our party. We have gathered here today to chant and dance and welcome the new year. We  are hearing katha and lila of the Lord.

Do you all want to be happy in the new year. Happy new year to all of you! How can we be happy? Chant Hare Krsna and be happy.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

Everyday chant the holy name, those who are not chanting can make sankalpa today that we will chant the holy name every day in the New Year. Thank you.

Nitai Gaura Premanande…..Hari Hari Haribol.

Bhagavat Katha 2017: Day Six

Venue: Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, Swargate, Pune.

Date: 30 December 2017

Topic:  The definition of Bhakti rasa (Bhakti rasa ki paribhasa)

sri krsna caitanya radha krsna nahi anya.

We are remembering Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His associates and His different Lilas. Sometimes the basis of the katha becomes Bhagavad-gita, sometimes Srimad-Bhagvatam and sometimes Caitanya Caritamrita, Caitanya Bhagavat. Our discussions are based on these books. There is  just one day left of this Bhagavat katha. Is that good news? You must be counting the days as to when the katha will be over. You will be free. How many of you would like the katha to continue? Haribol. Your ruci for this katha is increasing and that means that the ruci for the Lord is increasing. Katha is Lord, Lila is Lord.

visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8) 

Everything we do is useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead. What do we get from katha? Someone asked, “What will we get from chanting?” More chanting. So when you hear katha you will feel like hearing more katha.

mac-citta mad-gata-prana bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mam nityamtusyanti ca ramanti ca  (BG 10.9)

Pure devotees, whose characteristics are mentioned here, engage themselves fully in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Their minds cannot be diverted from the lotus feet of Krsna. Their talks are solely on the transcendental subjects. They are daily engaged in glorifying the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Their hearts and souls are constantly submerged in Krsna, and they take pleasure in discussing Him with other devotees.

radha-krishna prana mora jugala-kisora jivane marane gati aro nahi mora

The divine couple, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna, are the life and soul of the devotees. They are their only shelter  and they are always satisfied in the  Lord. Everywhere people are dissatisfied, because whatever they  achieve in this material world is not for the soul. There is lobha (greed) all over, that brings about dissatisfaction.  We have to satisfy our soul then we will become atmaram (self satisfied) . Katha is Krsna and katha is for the soul. Hear katha with all your heart and meditate on the topic of the katha. Then you will be satisfied and happy.

Raise your both arms while you take Lord Gauranga’s name and dance

gauranga bhajile gauranga japile hoy duh?khera abasana re

Today is the sixth session. We welcome all of you – susvagatam.

yesha krsna ratih sthayi bhavo bhakti raso bhavet (Nectar of devotion 2.1.5)

Krsna rati or rasa of bhakti bhava . Bhakti-rasa is a mellow different from the ordinary rasa enjoyed by mundane workers. I am trying to talk about the bhakti rasa as presented by the sad- goswami’s  of Vrndavana.

There are two types of  rasas (mellows) of devotion.

The five primary rasas (santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya.  They are the main rasas. There are seven secondary types of rasas known as Hasya (humourous mood), Adbhuta (astonishment), Veera (chivalrous mood), Karuna (compassionate mood), Raudra (angry mood), Bhayanaka (mood of awe and dread) and Vibhasta (ghastliness).

The loving dealings and reciprocation and relations  between the Lord and the living entities is rasa. We all have a relationship with the Lord. With sambandha jnana, dharma begins. One is isvarya jnana misra rati  and other is kevala rati. Isvarya  rati  means the Lord is great and we are small. In this bhava, the jiva remains away from the Lord. It’s based mainly on isvarya jnana of the Lord. Kevala rati means pure devotion.

An example of santa rasa is the 4 Kumaras. Once they were situated in santa rasa, but once while on yatra of Vaikuntha  they smelt the tulsi at the Lotus Feet of the Lord.

In Vrndavana there is sakhya bhava. There is also sakhya bhava in Dwaraka  and Vaikuntha but its mixed with isvarya bhava. We can see vatsalya bhava in Mathura. Vasudev and Devaki gave birth to a child and they are offering obeisances to their child. This is also vatsalya bhava. 

gopala gopala devakinandana gopala
yasomati-nandana, braja-baro-nagara, gokula-ranjana kana 

There is a difference between vatsalya and sakhya bhava. The vatsalya, sakhya and madhurya bhava in Goloka dhama is supreme.  We will see there is a difference in the madhurya bhava also. The madhuryain Golok is supreme. There is madhurya, sakhya in Dwaraka, but its level is different. They are good at their respective places, but there is  a difference on the divine level in love. Good, better and best like that. So this is rasa sastra.

parakiya-bhave jaha brajetepracar

The mellow of conjugal love is the most excellent of all rasas and is propagated in Vraja by Sri Krsna in the form of the divine parakiya-bhava [paramour love]. The conjugal relations are also there in Dwaraka with the Queens, but it is svakiya bhava. In Vrndavana however it is the supreme parakiya bhava. The conjugal mellow decreases  in Vaikuntha. There is madhurya rasa between Laxmi and Narayana, but its at a lower degree than Vrndavana and Dwaraka.

mata more putra bhave karena  bandhan atihina jnane  kare  lalan palan

This is the vatsalya bhava of Vrndavana. “Sometimes mother ties me to the mortar out of love.”

bandha ukhadala yalaha ukhadala nanda ghar cha chor (Marathi)

This does not happen in Vaikuntha. Who can think of punishing  the Lord? That only happens in Vrndavana.

madhurya rase krsna nista 

Krsna is mine, He is my Krsna-this is mamta. Krsna is mine, and I am His, Can you say that? Yes, we all belong to Krsna. This is determination and service. In vatsalya bhava, sometimes devotees’ think that they are the caretakers of the Lord. This bhava is also there between the Lord and His devotees.

priya yadi  mane karaya …

Sometimes Radha and the gopis do not talk to Krsna, they say bad words to Him, and do not even look at him. This is a higher mellow.

We keep saying prema, Krsna prema. How to reach from sraddha to prema?

adau sraddha tatah sadhu- sango ’tha bhajana-kriya
tato ’nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha rucis tatah  (CC Madya 23.14.15)

adau  sradhha is faith. Everything begins with faith. Then we have sadhu sanga like you all are here for katha. Bhajan kriya  is then taught. We follow kriya and then comes anartha nivrutti. We get rid of all papa vasana (kama, krodha..). One is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. We become nistavan, we were sraddhavan now we have become nistavan and that stage is irreversible. From there we move forward.  Ruci in the Lord’s holy name increases and then we develop asakti. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sadhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles.

Then bhava arises in us-santa, dasya, sakhya, madhurya, vatsalya. Bhava is the prior stage of prema. Just as we see a little light before sunrise, that’s bhava. When the sun rises it is prema. When premabecomes more solid is called sneha. When we  boil sugarcane, it becomes jaggery and then when you  boil it further, there is more purification. You get solidified sugar. When sneha becomes more solid it is mana, pranaya then raga, bhava and mahabhava.

Radharani is Mahabhava Thakurani Radha. These are all the rasas of the spiritual world.  Each one of us has an  eternal relationship with the Lord with Him in the centre. The relationships of this world are temporary.  Kya bharosa isi jindagi ka. It is just for some time. We study some books, but we don’t learn anything.There is so much knowledge, but we don’t read

maya-mugdha jivera nahi svatah krsna-jñana: jivere krpaya kaila krsna veda-purana.

Who will read Gita, Bhagavad and Caitanya Caritamrita?

There is one brahmanda/universe and at the bottom is Garbhodakshayi Vishnu. From His umbilical comes a lotus and on the lotus is Brahma. Once he said

 iti shodasakam namnam, kali-kalmasha-nasanam;
natah parataropayah, sarva-vedeshu drisyate. 

Lord Brahma said, the sixteen words, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare; Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, are especially meant for completely destroying all the contamination of Kali. To save oneself from the contamination of Kali-yuga, there is no alternative in all the Vedas except the chanting of this sixteen-word mantra. So the best you can do in Kaliyuga is chant the holy name.

The  10 topics of Bhagavatam

Sarga – Primary creation by the Lord.

Upasarga –  secondary creation by Brahma. He is empowered by the Lord.  He is not just the secondary creator, but he is the first acarya of our sampradaya. He is on the top. He is jnavan.

In the Brahmanda  and coming from the stem of the lotus from Garbhodakshayi Vishnu  are the 14 planetary systems.  In between, there is Earth, which we call Bhurloka. At the equator below the earth is Atal Loka; Vital Loka; Sutal Loka; Talatal Loka; Mahatal Loka;Rasatal Loka; Patal Loka.Generally we say tribhavan- svarga, bhulok and patal.

urdhvam gachchhanti sattva-stha madhye tishthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-v?itti-sth? adho gachchhanti tamasah

Those situated in the mode of goodness rise upward; those in the mode of passion stay in the middle; and those in the mode of ignorance go downward.

Srimad-Bhagavatam has wonderfully described the hellish planets or narkaloka. When Parikshit Maharaja heard it, he was scared. We can ask who has seen narka, but we cannot hide from it. Above that there are Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka. Those who follow karma kanda they go to svarga loka, jnana kanda go into the  brahman effulgence and yogis go to Tapolok. All these lokas are inside the universe.

a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah  punar avartino ‘rjuna

One who attains to Lord’s  abode,  never takes birth again. But from heavenly planets one has to return.

ksine punye martya-lokam visanti  (BG 9.21)

One who is promoted to those higher planetary systems enjoy a longer duration of life and better facilities for sense enjoyment, yet one is not allowed to stay there forever. One is again sent back to this earthly planet upon finishing the resultant fruits of pious activities. You  even reach Svarga loka but you can’t always remain there. Once your pious deeds are over, you have  to come back to Pune, back to square one. Krsna says this and you have to follow it.

There are antakoti  brahmas and our brahma is the smallest. He has four heads. As the size increases, the number of Brahma’s heads also increases,  5 heads, 6 heads…. The universe is in the shape of an egg. Prabhupada would say that it is shaped is like  a football and we are inside it and it has a cover. Each universe has a very thick cover. Ksirodaksayi Vishnu resides in our hearts.

isvarah sarva-bhutanam  hrd-dese ‘rjuna tisthati (BG 18.61)

The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart.  It’s not that He only resides in the heart of Indians, but in everyones’ heart, including he hearts of animals.

vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca panditah sama-darsinah

The humble sage/pandit, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater (outcaste)

Katha-Upanisad states that in our heart there is a tree and on that tree there are two birds – one is jivatma  and other is Ksirodaksayi  Vishnu (parmatma).

There is the Viraja River on which Karanodakshayi Vishnu lies down. From him comes the various universes. Once we cross the Viraja River, we face the brahma jyoti – effulgence coming from Lords body.

koti surya samaprabha – The Lord  is as lustrous as a million suns.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jñanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate (SB 1.2.11)

Lord is the source of  Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan and  we can’t separate them.   They are  different forms of the Lord.

goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto

Lord Krsna resides in Golok. Then there is Devi dhama, Mahesh dhama, Hari dhama, Vaikuntha dhama. These are all spiritual kingdoms. The brahmandas are the material kingdoms of the Lord. Lord Siva stays in Mahesh loka.Then there is isvaraya dhama. That’s Vaikuntha. Laxmi and Narayan reside there.

We are jiva tattva. All the Lords are Vishnu tattva. Siva is neither jiva nor Vishnu tattva. Brahma Sahmita says that if the Lord is milk, then Siva is curd. He has his different tattva. From Krsna comes Balarama, from  Balarama Sankarsana, then Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Narayana and then the purusa-avataras–Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu.Mahavisnu.

Eka pada vibhuti is Devi dhama. That is the material world and tripada vibhuti is the spiritual world. As we move above Vaikuntha, we get Ayodhya dhama and Golok dhama. In Golok dhama is Dwaraka, Mathura, Navadvipa and Vrndavana. There are two parts in Golok.

ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha-bhedam gatau tau (CC Adii 1.5)

Although Radha and Krsna are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Sri Krsna Caitanya.

The place where Radha Krsna lila takes place is Vrndavana.  Where there is Gauranga, it  is Navadvipa. Both are Golok.

caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam (CC Adi 1.5)

Radha and Krsna are two different personalities then they become one. That’s Gauranga Mahaprabhu who stays at Navadvipa dhama. Krsna and Radha’s pastimes were taking place in Golok, but once He developed a desire to taste the bhava of Radharani so Radha and Krsna become one as Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Names of Radha Krsna are wealth. There is a locker in Golok dhama where the jewel of Harinama is kept. Five hundred years ago Caitanya Mahaprabhu came and opened the locker and brought that mahamantra for all of us. That’s why he is called the most merciful, udara, mahavadanyaya.

vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo

By all the Vedas am I to be known

This is all sastra. If we can’t see, then we need to get operated on and the ointment of knowledge has to administered.

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
cakshur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

The acarya or the spiritual master,  opens  our eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.

cakhu-dan dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei  divya-jnana hrde prokasito

The acarya opens our darkened eyes and fills our heart with transcendental knowledge. So divine knowledge is given to us by the  Gaudiya  Vaisnava acaraya.  A lot of knowledge is being distributed all over and that work is done by ISKCON. 

Krishna Govind Govind Gopal Nandalal..singing the glories of Krsna

Jai jai yasoda dulal girivardhari gopal

Nitai Gaura Premanande…..Hari Hari Haribol.