ISKCON’s hearing marathon, Sravan marathon is on

BRIHAD BHAGAVATAMRITA– Day one

Date    : 18 February 2017

Venue :  Mayapur

Haribol..Guarharibol…Gauranga!!

We are happy that Mayapur Festival coordinators, organizers have organized this Sravana Utsav. This sravana utsav has  added a feature to Mayapur Festival. We are happy, are you happy that this Sravan Utsav is happening here? Haribol. Even I am happy you are attending and you are here today. We welcome you. ISKCON marathon, hearing marathon, Sravan marathon is on. You are getting lots of doses. This is 3rd one? You had breakfast and lunch and now this is dinner and another speaker is preparing meal for you or nectar for you. You had been taking advantage of this hearing, this nectar and becoming nectarean in your consciousness; which is called Krsna consciousness. By the end of this Sravan Utsav, you should becoming mahatmas. Your atma should become maha. Not just big body, maha body but maha atma. We come to dham. What is the main business? To hear and to chant specially in Mayapur dham. Sadhu sanga, nama sankirtan, bhagavat shravan, dhama vas and vigraha aradhana are the five limbs, maha angas of our devotional practices . So sadhu sanga, nama sankirtan, bhagavat shravan, we do that in dham. That is dham vas. And then we are worshipping,

Radha Madhav ki jai!!
Pancha Tattva ki jai!!
Prahlad Narsimhadev ki jai!!
Srila Prabhupada ki jai!!

Every speaker has a topic of course naturally. And we also have a topic which you have been hearing and reading about, part of the promotion. What is our topic here? Brihad Bhagavatamrita. Brihat means grand, very big. Brihad Bhagavatamrita, and ‘amrita’ is nectar and Bhagavatamrita, nectar of Bhagavat. Srimad Bhagavatam is also nectarean. This is yet another scripture that we are talking about. Brihad Bhagavatamrita, which is the essence of bhagavat. If you have been thinking that Bhagavatam is nectarean, then you wait till you hear Brihad Bhagavtamrita  and you will be amazed. The necatrean nature of this Brihad Bhagavatamrita, it’s essence of Bhagavad, it is further condensed, boiled down. Like Prabhupada said, ‘boiling down the milk’. Milk is nourishing and sweet but when you boil it down, it is more nourishing and more sweet, nectarean; like that ksheer of kshirchor Gopinath.

So this is a work compiled in 16th century by Sanatan Goswami. He is senior most of our Goswamis of Vrindavana.

‘vande rupa sanatanau raghu yugau sri jiva gopalakau’

Those six Goswamis and amongst them Sanatana is considered foremost. Although we are rupanugas but even Rupa Goswami considers Sanatana Goswami as his spiritual master. So that Sanatana Goswami, he has left treasure in Hari bhakti vilas, Sri Krishna Lila Stava Dashama-charita the commentary on the 10th Canto of Bhagavatam. Among all the scriptures, the granthas that he has compiled, Brihad Bhagavatamrita is at the top. This is his main contribution. Sanatana Goswami is associate of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Gaura lila. He is also one of the manjaris in Krishna lila, Lavanga manjari and there is another name also, Rati manjari. We get to hear from that Sanatana Goswami. We could say much more but we have to somewhere say that Sanatana Goswami has left behind this Brihad Bhagavatamrita for us. We are thankful, grateful. And by his mercy, we beg at his feet as we go through, do little study of this Brihad Bhagavatamrita, the secrets or essence of Bhagavat will be revealed unto us.

Srila Prabhupda has recommended study of his Brihad Bhagavatamrita. He says, ‘must’. I’ll read that out to you what Srila Prabhupada wrote in the purport of Caitanya Caritamrita, adi lila chapter 5th, 203, that is – ‘Sri Sanatana Goswami Prabhu, the teacher of the science of devotional service, wrote several books, of which the Brihad-Bhagavatamrita is very famous; anyone who wants to know about the subject matter of devotees, devotional service and Krsna must read this book’. Strongly recommended by Srila Prabhupada.

Elsewhere in Antya lila, Caitanya Caritamrita, Srila Prabhupada writes again. First Sanatana  Goswami compiled the book called Brihad Bhagavatamrita to teach people how to become devotees, execute devotional service and attain love of Krsna.

Gopiparanadhana Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada’s  dear disciple who also used to assist Prabhupada with the translations, commentaries of Srimad Bhagavatam; he took trouble, he was knowledgeable. He is no more as you know. This is his work, he translated Brihad Bhagavatamrita in English. And BBT has kindly printed and it is available for some time now which will be using here as we make the presentation. So we are also thankful to Gopiparanadana Prabhu.

Little introductory statements about Brihad Bhagavatamrita. What does it refers to, what is its origin. Who is its speaker and listener, like that.

We want to read from Brihad Bhagavatamrita itself.

‘bhagavad-bhakti-shastranam ayam sarasya sangrahah’

This is compilation or collection of ‘bhagavat bhakti sastra saar’. These terms are self explanatory, if you try to understand as they are. If you could understand as they are without need of translation. It is very difficult to translate. You lose its import or deeper meaning. But anyways we will also try to as much as necessary and possible, try to translate or explain.

‘bhagavat bhakti sastra’, that you understand, Science of devotional service. And this is the essence compiled collected.

‘shrinvantu vaishnavah shastram  idam bhagavatamritam’

So the name Bhagavatamrita comes here. There is an appeal here, ‘srnvantu  vaishnavah’, vaishnavas may listen to this,

‘sastram idam bhagavatamritam srnvantu’

So first of all, this sastra, this Brihad Bhagavatamrita is for vaishnavas; not mukti kami, bhukti kami, siddhi kami. There are some other kamis, parties. But this is for the vaishnavas. We’ll not define vaishnavas, who is vaishnav. You all are vaishnavas here? If you are vaishnavas, raise your hand. What happen? Some of you are not vaishnavas? You are vaishnavis (Laughter). All vaishnavas, vaishnavis raise your hands. Still some of them are not sure. I was going to say, ‘If you are vaishnavas or vashnavis, please stay, other may vacate.’ Because this is only for the vaishnavas and vaishnavis. ‘su gopyam’, because something very confidential is going to be spoken.

‘su-gopyam praha yat premna jaiminir janamejayam’

and spoken with love and devotion. Who has spoken?

‘jaiminir janmejayam’

Jaimini has spoken this. Jaimini rsi is the speaker and he has spoken to Janamejaya. Who is Janamejaya? Son of Maharaj Pariksit.

‘munindraj jaimineh shrutva bharatakhyanam adbhutam’

’Originally this Brihad Bhagavatamrita is a part of Mahabharata or it is a supplement of Mahabharata. You understand supplement? At the end of the book, there is a supplement or book is published and other small or bigger supplement, additional supplement is published or spoken. So the popular Mahabharata that we know or read about which is available and famous was spoken by Vaisampayan. Vaisampayan is the speaker and again Janamejaya, same person is listener, hearer.  That is Mahabharata that is available now we all read. But there is another Mahabharata which was spoken by Jaimini. That Mahabharata is not available. The supplement  also was not available. And that has been made available by Sanatana Goswami and that is Brihad Bhagavatamrita. Present day Mahabharata which is available, which everyone reads also has a supplement called Hari vamsa. Mahabharata and its supplement is Hari vamsa. Jaimini spoke Mahabharata. And then he came up with supplement,  that was Brihad Bhagavatamrta. It wasn’t available. It was revealed unto Sanatana Goswami or Sanatana Goswami, who is knower of the past, present and future, he grasped it. It was made available unto him.

 ‘divya jnan hrde prokasito’ and then he put that into writing and that is Brihad Bhagavatamrta.

So this Brihad Bhagavatamrta which was spoken by Jaimini to Janamenjay was originally spoken by King Pariksit. After King Pariksit finished, completed hearing Srimad Bhagavatam from Sukadeva Goswami and he was getting ready to  say bye to the world  and that snake, bird snake was making progress, coming in the direction of King Pariksit, then and there comes Uttara, mother of King Pariksit. And she wants to hear, ‘Please, tell me what did you hear from Sukadeva Goswami?.’ She had no access, she was not there. She was in the palace but she came running and rushing towards the scene. She knew this is purnahuti, the completion of the recitation of Bhagavatam must have taken place. Before my son leave the body, leave the world, I would like to see him. So she has come to see him. And then she making a special request, ‘Please share the nectar with me, share Bhagavatam with me.’ And then King Pariksit spoke. At least King Pariksit had 7 days. And how much time now Uttara had? Who knows, maybe 7 moments or 7 seconds or 7 minutes?

So within that short span of time, we don’t know how. King Pariksit has spoken and Uttara heard it and here it is. And here it is with us that speech, that narration of King Pariksit.  He is fully Krsna conscious. He is diving, swimming in the ocean of rasa, rasautsava for him. So that King Pariksit is speaking this.

‘uvaca sadaram raja parikshin matri-vatsalah’

uvaca raja Prariksit, raja Pariksit uvaca. You understand? ‘raja pariksit uvaca’, king Praiksit, ‘uvaca’ said. ‘sa adaram’ sa-with, adaram-great respect for his own mother.

He is also described as ‘matri vatsala’, so much affection he had for mother. And mother,

‘shrutaty-adbhuta-govinda-kathakhyana-rasotsukah’

And that mother is utsuka, very very eager. For what? ‘rasotsukah’, very eager to hear the rasa, drink the rasa of ‘govinda-kathakhyana-rasotsukah’.

The Sanskrit is full of adjectives, so many adjectives. ‘govinda katha’, what kind of Govinda katha? Adbhuta Govinda katha, amazing, wonderful Govinda katha, ‘rasotsukah’, she is eager to hear. Are you eager also? Not so much? Haribol!! That is one of the qualifications of listener or hearer. He has to be utsuka, very eager.

So this Brihad Bhagavatamrta has been compiled in two parts. That’s two parts. And it has two heroes also.

Narada Muni is the hero of the 1st part. And Gopa Kumar is the hero of the second part of Brihad Bhagavatamrita. You all know Narada Muni. He is a global trotter. Narada Muni ki jai!! Some of you probably are preachers. We preach on only one planet. But he preaches inter planetary travels, one planet to another planet. Not just only one country to another or one continent to another. One planet to another planet and he could go to this world to another world. Trans World  Airlines- TWA. Sometimes in the past, in America there was an airline called TWA, Trans World Airlines; means transcending this world. But that didn’t even transcend this planet, what about transcending this world. But they just had given the name Trans World Airline. But Narada Muni is a transcendental traveler preacher. He could transcend these universes and go beyond, go to Vaikuntha also. And  shuttling between this universe and that universe. That Narada Muni is the hero, explorer, seeker of the truth in the first section. Second section is the Gopa Kumar, he is simple but  pure hearted devotee, very naive personality. He also travels and explores higher and higher realms.

The first section of Brihad Bhagavtamrita, there are 7 chapters called Bhauma, means this planet.

Second is called Devya, means devaloka, the heavenly planets.

Third is called Prapanchatit, prapancha; made of five great elements, this material existence. Prapanchatit, beyond this prapancha.

The fourth one is called Bhakta, the devotees.

 Fifth one is called Priya means dear.

 Sixth chapter is called Priyatam, most dear devotee.

And seventh chapter is called Purna, the complete.

We have of course limited time. There is no way we can complete the study of the entire Brihad Bhagavatamrita. We would be doing little samplings. We’ll take little sections, little portions and relish that. That is what we could do. If you were here to stay forever, then we could have. Even dog could take part in it.  Haribol!! You saw it?

So Narada Muni, he comes across or hears  about some devotee.  He goes there, he glorifies that devotee, that person to his heart’s content. ‘You are topmost. You are the best. There is no one parallel to you.’ He says all these. But then that devotee says, ‘No no no, that’s not true. Look there! That one, he is even greater, better, superior, higher, great person, devotee. Please go to him.’

Then Narada Muni rushes there and he glorifies that person so much. But then that person says, ‘No no no not me, I am sorry. Look there! that one.’.  Narada Muni runs there. Unlike this, every time he meets devotee, he says, no no no, so and so is better,you better meet him. So he begins his travel and explorations and evaluation, glorification of a Brahmin in Prayag; who was holding a festival. Saligrama sila was being worshipped. Lots of Prasad distribution, you go there. But that Brahmin says, ‘No no no. That King is in South India.’ He goes to South India. But that King, rajarsi, saintly King devotee says, ‘No no no not me. Go to heaven.’

So on bhumi, first chapter Bhauma, they talk of this Brahmin in Prayag and King in South India. Narada Muni goes to heavenly planet, that the King had said. He says, ‘Indra, he is extra ordinary devotee.’ Then Indra says, ‘no no no. You go to Brahma. So Indra and Brahma in heavenly planets. Then Brahma says, ‘no no no. Go to Kailash. Shiva is the one,

‘vaisnavanam yatha shambhuh’

When he goes to Kailash, Shiva said, ‘no no. That Hari dham, Vaikuntha dham, those devotees are even superior to me.’ As Narada Muni was in Vaikuntha, they say, ‘no no no, go down there. You see that bhakta? Prahlad, Sutala planet? And Prahlad says, ‘no no no, Kimpurusa varsa, Hanuman is great servant of the Lord.’

So bhakta Prahlad and Rama bhakta Hanuman says, ‘you better go to that Bharata varsha, the earthly planet. Those Pandavas, oh! They are great devotees. Lord spends so much time with these Pandavas.’ Narada Muni ends in Hastinapura. But then Pandavas say,’ no no no. You know He spends only some time with us, comes and goes. But there is one devotee. He is always with one devotee and that is Uddhava. Uddhava is a great devotee. He is like a shadow of the  Lord. Whenever Lord goes, he goes. He wears the same clothing as Lord, mahaprasad of the Lord. He never goes to the tailor. When Lord discards some cloths,  he picks up and puts them on. And he also very much looks like the Lord, svarupa siddha. He is minister of the Lord, friend of the Lord, cousin of the Lord and what not. He is the one. And these days, you’ll find him in Dwarka.’

So Narada Muni goes to Dwarka. So just now, we summarized five chapters. With this speed, now we are going to slow down. I wish few days that we have together to recite, hear, study this Brihad Bhagavatamrita, we’ll read this chapter 6 and if possible 7 also or part of 7th. The 6th chapter is called Priyatam (The Most Dear Devotees). Priy-a-tam, good, better, best like that. So there is Priya, dear devotee is mentioned in earlier chapters. Now in this chapter, there is talk of Priyatam.

Is the translation, everything going on okay? The Russian devotees and translation?

So this is now. It is throughout but here also. ’sri pariksit uvaca’, Parikshit says, and he is speaking unto who? Who is speaking to? Uttara, mother Uttara, Parikshit’s mother.

shri-parikshid uvaca

tac chrutvarye maha-prema- rasavesheëa yantritah

maha-vishëu-priyo viëa- hasto ‘sau vismritakhilah (Chapter 6, text 1)

He says, ‘arye’, addressing his mother, ‘Oh noble lady’. When Narada Muni in Hastinapura, he heard about and he rushed to Dwarka, ‘maha prema-rasaveshena yantritah’.

So when he heard about Uddhava, Pandavas had already glorified Uddhava. By hearing about Uddhava, qualities of Uddhava, devotion of Uddhava, Uddhava, Uddhava, ‘maha prema rasa aveshena’. He became full of ‘maha prema rasa’. No translation required, no? this is better to say, ‘maha prema rasa aveshena’.

‘avesa’, he was filled with maha prema rasa. Now this ‘maha prema rasa’, the thoughts of Uddhava was now controlling him, handling him. He was being governed by those ‘maha prema rasa aveshena yantritah’. He had no freedom. He was governed by what? ‘maha prema rasa’, was making him dance, talk or whatever. He had no freedom. Narada Muni is described as ‘maha Vishnu priyo’. ‘maha vishnu’ or ‘bhadrinarayana priyo’, He is at that level bhakti, devotee. He had the vina in the hand. But because he was overwhelmed with this devotional ecstasies and feelings, although he was holding but he was not able to play. He was so excited. He is running, rushing, jumping to,

‘sada dvaravatavasa-bhyastantah-pura-vartmana

So he has reached Dwarka. No one is telling him,he just went straight, turns left, right there and he ends right in front of palace of Sri Krsna. How did he manage? He didn’t stop and said, ‘Hey! Please tell me which way to go? I want to go to Krsna’s palace.’ He didn’t enquire but he reached, exactly in front of the palace of the Lord. Reason being; he had visited Dwarka many times in the past. So he knew how to get there. He had practiced going there. In the Bhagavatam, we know how many times he had gone. Quite often Narada Muni would go. He was going door to door, home to home to see weather Queens were happy. So because of his frequent visit to Dwarka, previous visits, he was able to reach the final destination which was for him Sri Krishna in Dwarka, in one of His palaces.

I’m just reminded, some devotees, I heard this in London. Someone had died. And they were driving to the cremation ground. They were being guided by GPS. So go there, 5km away, turn left, this that. And when they reached at the cremation ground, the GPS said, ‘You have reached your final destination.’ (Laughter). Devotees had heard this many times before but today that day, they have really heard this; ‘You have reached your final destination.’ This is where finally you end. Narada Muni’s final destination was Sri Krsna, His lotus feet. So he has reached there.

‘prabhu-prasada-deshantah-praveshashcarya-vahina

Prasad is the palace. It’s amazing how he reached.  It is because he had gone there many times in the past.

bhutavishöo mahonmada- grihitash ca yathetarah

And when he reached here, he was like a ghostly haunted person. The way he was acting, behaving and doing all of sorts of things. All assembled there, ‘What is happening with our Narada Muni?’ So what did they see?

bhumau kvapi skhalati patati kvapi tishöhaty aceshöah

Narada Muni was, while trying, coming in the direction to reach the palace, they were watching him coming. He was stumbling, he was tripped, ‘patati’ he was falling down and then getting up. But once he is up, he is just motionless like a pillar. The next moment,

kvapy utkampam bhajati luöhati kvapi rodity athartah

His body is trembling, shaking. Then next moment, ‘luthati’ he collapses and begins rolling on the ground. The next moment he is crying in great distress.

‘kvapy akroshan plutibhir ayate gayati kvapi nrityan

Then other moment he is shouting out loud. See the changing from moment to moment. The next moment he is with his vina. He is singing, nicely singing and playing, he is also dancing. And his is all happening because

sarvam kvapi shrayati yugapat prema-sampad-vikaram

Because he had acquired the sampati, the wealth of what? What kind of wealth? ‘prema sampati’. As a result there are all these transformations, vikar taking place in his personality.

‘he man-matar idanim tvam savadhanatara bhava’

As King Parishit was about to begin his narration of this 6th chapter, he says, ‘

‘sthiratam prapayanti mam sa-dhairyam shriëv idam svayam’

My dear mother, pay full attention. Be attentive, be steady, fixed, focused ‘sa dhairyam’, with all patience. What now I have to say, please listen to this.

So it is also reminder for us, the listeners. ‘sadhu savdhan, vaisnavas savdhan’.

In that chanting tape, Prabhupada said, ‘Sit properly’.

The army, the policemen, just before the parade or something, they assembled, talk to each other, gossiping or space out. And the commando comes and first thing he says, ‘savdhan!. Then immediately they stopped everything else, ready for the next command. They say, ‘Left! Left! Left! Right left!’ They follow that command. He says savdhan. King Parikshit also to his mother, ‘savdhan uttara bhava’. Be savdhan and listen to this.

The morning that Narada Muni arrived in Dwarka, that day was very special or very unusual morning in Dwarka for Dwarka vasis in Krsna’s palace. Something abnormal was going on.

‘tasminn ahani kenapi   vaimanashyena veshmanah

antah-prakoshöhe suptasya  prabhoh parshvam vihaya sah (text 4)

So that morning  Lord Krsna, He was in some kind of distress. He was suffering. He was up, He has woken up. But He was still lying on the bed with His face covered with the cloth or pillow. And all those who normally come and meet Him, greet Him and take up in palace work, affairs, activities, they all had come and they are all waiting. Uddhava, he had gone in the chamber where Krsna was sleeping but not up, realizes that He wants His own time space. He didn’t want to be disturbed, Uddhava goes outside and he sits at the entrance of the palace. There is some kind of terrace arrangement and he is sitting there. Around him are,

baladevo devaki ca rohiëi rukmiëi tatha

satyabhamadayo ‘nyash ca  devyah padmavati sa ca

These personalities are also sitting. You are painting a picture of that morning? Dwarka, the palace, Lord Krsna is still on the bed. Where is Uddhava? At the entrance and he is surrounded by Balarama, Devaki, Rohini, Rukmini, and many queens have also come including Satyabhama, which is one of the big names  among the queens. ‘padmavati sa ca’, and there is a lady called Padmavati. It’s a new character for most of you. ‘kamsa mata’, she is the mother of  Kamsa. Her name is Padmavati. What is she liked for? What is she known for?

pravritti-hariëi kamsa-mata dasas tathaparah

She always like to gossip, famous for prajalpa, spreading rumours and there are so many ladies, dasis also sitting around, waiting for Lord to get up. So that they could serve.

Sanatana Goswami, not only he wrote  and compiled Briahd Bhagavatamrita texts but he wrote a commentary called ‘Author commentary’. He wrote a commentary on his own work, own scripture called, ‘Dik darshini’, so that the readers will have a deeper understanding of the subject matter giving an additional facts, circumstances, missing links. So Gopiparanadhana prabhu has also not only given the original Brihad Bhagavatamrita texts and translation of it, but commentary also. Not fully but partially translated. Some parts of the Dik darshini are included. The commentary of this verse is part, precisely why Krsna was disturbed. Parikshit will reveal to his mother a little further in his narration. It’s only mentioned that Krsna was disturbed. And King Parikshit didn’t say more. He wants to save this for little later thinking, ‘If I say everything now, my mother Uttara will be disturbed. This is too early. I will reveal this little later on.’

And in the same commentary Sanatana Goswami writes about this famous or infamous character Padmavati. In Padma Puran, there is a little mention that, first she is Ugrasena’s wife. Her father is King Satyaketu. So one time, Padmavati had gone to her father’s place, sometime soon after her marriage with Ugrasena. There comes a messenger of Kuvera who was a demon called Drumila. And he had disguised himself as Ugrasena. He did whole make up like Ugrasena. And Padmavati thought, ‘This is my husband coming.’ But he was the demoniac messenger of Kuvera. He came and he did his business. He seduced her. And the child born of this union, illicit union was Kamsa. Now you know why Kamsa was what he was.

tushëim bhutash ca te sarve vartamanah sa-vismayam

tatra shri-naradam praptam  aikshantapurva-ceshöitam

So when they all were siting, waiting, already going through the extra special, extraordinary situation at palace, Sri Krsna was up but not leaving the bed. They were facing that situation and here comes Narada Muni. They were surprised the way he was acting. And they had never seen him acting like the way he was acting that morning. It was obvious for them that something was seriously wrong. All the residence of that palace, Uddhava,  Balarama, Rohini, Rukmini and others, they thought there is something seriously wrong. But they couldn’t conclude what exactly was happening.  They were not coming to any conclusion. ’What is wrong today? Why is our Lord not getting up, meeting us, greeting us, involving us?’ Nonetheless they now had to attend to Narada Muni’s arrival. They were already in some kind of trouble and here is another one. Here comes Narada and he is also acting very abnormally. And then, they have to face that situation.

utthaya yatnad aniya  svasthyam nitva kshaëena tam

premashru-klinna-vadanam prakshalyahuh shanair laghu (Text 5)

So when they saw Narada Muni, they all got up, went forward, ‘This way, please come, please come.’ And they brought him to that entrance they were themselves waiting at. They were trying to make extra efforts to calm him down, normalize him. They took a cloth and wiped his face which was all wet with the tears. And then gradually they started addressing, talking with Narada ji gently and simply they spoke . What did they speak?

adrishöa-purvam asmabhih kidrisham te ‘dya ceshöitam

akasmikam idam brahmams  tushëim upavisha kshaëam

They said, ‘Never ever we had seen you the way you are looking today. ‘ceshtitam’, your behavior, suddenly what happen! Never in the past we have seen but today you are acting like this. ‘tushnim upavisha ksnam’, please sit down here. Quietly calm down, calm down.’ He was made to sit down.

shri-parikshid uvaca

sa-gadgadam uvacashru-  dhara-milita-locane

yatnad unmilayan natva sa-kampa-pulakacitah (Text 6)

Narada Muni replied in chocking voice. He had all the symptom, they were kind of subdued, withdrawn. But as soon as he was asked, ‘What is wrong with you?’ As he wanted to respond and immediately he reverts back into the previous mindset. And all those symptoms are again becoming visible. That body begins trembling, tears are there. Narada uvaca, and Narada now gives the reason, ‘I had no choice. I did not do anything so that I would act the way I am acting. But I will tell you what is the cause. Why I am acting like that.’

So Narada Muni, he is remembering what he had heard in Hastinapura. What Pandavas had said about Uddhava.

shri-narada uvaca

manojna-saubhagya-bharaika-bhajanam

maya samam sangamayadhvay uddhavam

tadiya-padaika-rajo ‘tha va bharet

tadaiva shantir bata me ‘ntaratmanah (Text 7)

Uddhava  is the one very fortunate, most favorite devotee of the Lord. And Narada Muni says,’ Please please arrange my meeting with Uddhava.’ Trouble is when he was full of tears and trembling all this, although Uddhava was right in front of him, he didn’t recognize him. He says, ‘I want to meet Uddhava. Could you please arrange my meeting with Uddhava?’ Then in second thought, he says, ‘Oh! If that is not possible or maybe I don’t deserve meeting with him, then atleast, ‘tadiya padaika’ some dust from the feet of the great devotee Uddhava. Could you please get me some dust from his feet’ and if I get either darshan, if not darshan, atleast dust. Then I will be peaceful, pacified, satisfied. Oh! Please, please arrange my darshan with him.’

Narada answered the question about cause of his strange behavior. He started explaining reason for his strange behavior. He will be talking more what transpired, what happened which resulted in his strange behavior.

So Narada Muni will be sharing and Uddhava like those previous devotees, each one, ‘no no no, not me.  You know there is someone else.’ So Uddhava is also going to say, ‘no no no, not me. Those vraja vasis, those cowherd boys and parents of the Lord and the gopis and Radharani. They are the Priyatam. They are the greatest of all devotees.’ And then others will be also talking. Balaram is going to talk. Rohini is going to be speaking. Padmavati is also going to contribute. And while all they are talking, who is hearing? Lord Krsna is not far from there. He is listening to all of this. Then what happens to Him. What is transpiring and transformations and finally when He gets up, what He would be talking and doing. It’s quite a drama.

Venue: Bhaktivedanta Manor
Date: 2nd May 2016

There are nice arrangements here, three mridanga players and one harmonium player, dozen kartal players. Good size audience also sitting relaxed. Yes, you are relaxed, but that was not the case 50 years ago. When Srila Prabhupada started his kirtans in the Western world, there was no one but him and him alone in New York chanting on the footpath. In India we call footpath. I don’t know in America how they call them, Sidewalk? So Prabhupada would sit there, literally sit there, no asana. Prabhupada had all the traffic, honking of horns and what not. There was no one to play mridanga with him. Prabhupada just with his hand cymbals sitting there and chanting Hare Krsna (Maharaj chanting Hare Krsna in Prabhupada tune)

There was no mridanga, no chorus either, no one to follow. So he was looking very strange to Americans. Sadhu from India with shaved head, paint on the face, wearing bed sheets. But the maha mantra was certainly powerful and will always remain so powerful. And has the direct connection, relationship with all the souls. So, as Prabhupada was chanting, he had many of those Americans, ladies and gentlemen would stop to hear Prabhupada. They had no idea of what he was singing. But, something would just grab them and stop them. Then he would stop at the middle, just as we sing and stop. So Prabhupada would sing and then he would stop and talk. That’s what we are doing. And then he would show them photographs of Radha Krishna and he would explain. This is the God, flute player, Krsna The Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then, they were ignorant Westerners. They would ask, “If that is God, what is the girl doing there? Next to God, what is the girl has to do?” (Laughter) They had no idea, no clue. That was not some girl from New York, from anywhere out of this world. (Laughter). Krsna is not from this world, so isn’t Radharani.

So Srila Prabhupada was picking up his followers from footpaths. He would announce as it was announced here, ‘Tomorrow morning there is Srimad Bhagavatam class’. So he would announce twice a week here, his satsang programs at storefront. Later on it became known as Matchless Gift. Still it is known as The Matchless Gift, 26 Second Avenue. So that’s where his followers gathered twice a week. Prabhupada would make them sit down and talk to them. Get them up, stand and teach them the dance called, which became known as ‘Swami step’. In ISKCON we see that as soon as the kirtan begins, the bodies begin moving. That is ‘Swami step 50 years ago Prabhupada taught. He would feed them, get them to sit down and feed them. Who would cook? He would be the one who would be cooking for guests’ arrival. He would be cooking for hundred guests or sometime more. They all sit down and then there was no one else to serve. Who would be serving? Swamiji would be serving. They would have full belly up till neck and they would walked out. Who would be cleaning? Swamiji. Not only the hall but the pots in the kitchen. That’s how single handedly with so many trials and tribulations. So it started with one person 50 years ago and then now it is all over the universe, all over the world. International Society for Krishna Consciousness ki jai!!

We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of ISKCON. Sometimes there was a report in the Newsweek magazine that said, “The fastest growing religion in former Soviet Union is Hare Krishna! Haribol!!! God knows where they got the statistics. We didn’t know. (Laughter) They said there are 700,000 followers of Hare Krsna in Russia. Quite a big number. Srila Prabhupada had gone there in 1975. In the very first visit he initiated also Ananta Shanti prabhu. He just passed away few years ago though. So Prabhupada started there also. He initiated one Russian, now it is flourishing all over including all over Russia.

I just heard today Radha Gokulananda deities were in New Delhi on the stage. Prabhupada held pandal program in 1971. He had just arrived with his Western followers and he was travelling from city to city holding big big pandal programs. You understand pandal? It was LIC ground in New Delhi, very prestigious location. Radha Gokulananda were presiding deities in that pandal which was attended by thousands. And from there they were transported to London. They are presiding over here now. So from Jaipur to New Delhi pandal festival to Bhativedanta Manor. Radha Gokulananda ki jai!!! So like that another pandal was held in Mumbai and they had another set of deities. They would transfer them to one of ISKCON temples. Radha Govinda, the first temple of ISKCON. They were also part of another pandal. Srila Prabhupada, he was empowered and chosen. He became ‘nimitta matram bhava savya-sacin’ Krsna said that. “You become nimitta matram.” This battle is going to be fought and won. He was just becoming the instrument. Arjuna “You just become instrument.” So Arjuna did. So that was Sri Krsna. When He appeared as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu 528 years ago.

‘namo maha vadanyaya krsna prem pradayate
krsnaya krsna caitanya namne gaura tvise namah’

‘sri krsna caitanya namne’, of the name Sri Krsna Caitanya. I offer my obeisances unto Sri Krsna Caitanya namne, Lord whose name is Sri Krsna Caitanya. And ‘gaura tvise’ I offer my obeisances unto Gaura tvisa, means golden complexion. When He appeared as Sri Krsna, He was Shyamsundar, Ghanshyam. ‘Ghana eva shyam’. Now He has appeared as Gauranga. So I offer my obeisances unto that ‘gaura tvise namah’.

‘namo maha vadanyaya’, I offer my obeisances unto that Lord who is now the most magnanimous.
‘namo maha vadanyaya’

What kind of God if He is not magnanimous? God has to be magnanimous. But this Godhead Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is most magnanimous among all the avataras. ‘sarasiromani kevala ananda kanda’.

‘sri krsna caitanya prabhu doya koro more
toma bina ke doyalu jagat-samsare’

‘toma bina ke dayalu’, who else is there dayalu, magnanimous, kind, charitable as you are? No one comes closer. Not Sri Rama, not Sri Krsna.

People are more fallen in this age of Kali. So Lord becomes more kind. The might of kindness that Krsna exhibited is not sufficient for uplifting the people, the fallen people of this age. So that Sri Rama, that Sri Krsna appeared as Sri Krsna Caitanya becoming very very kind.

namo maha vadanyaya krsna prema pradayate’ and I offer my obeisances unto the Lord who is ‘krsna prema prada’.
So what is so special about this? Sri Krsna Caitanya, He is ‘krsna prema prada’, krsna prema da; giver of Krsna prema. ‘krsna prema pradaya’, unto such Lord I offer my obeisances. So this short prayer mentions the name of the Lord, form, gaursundar form, name, naam, guna, rupa, His quality. He is magnanimous and His lila is giving Krsna prema. Naam, guna, lila of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is mentioned in this prayer, compiled and offered by Rupa Goswami first time ever in Allahabad, Prayag.

So that Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu met Srial Prabhupada, ‘nimitta’, empowered him. And we call Srila Prabhupada also as the senapati bhakta; commando in chief of sankirtan army. You all are army man and he is commando in chief.

As per instructions of his spiritual master, he went to the West. His target was New York, the capital of the age of Kali. Kali’s capital is New York. He was heading towards New York. This is where senapati bhakta showered the bombs of the holy name.

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

The other bombs, they cause destructions. This holy name bomb if you want to call it, this becomes the cause of construction.

‘ceto darpana marjanam bhava maha davagni nirvapanam’

This world is on fire, this samsara dava nala. And we are being caught in the middle of the fire and burning. Life is on fire, senses are in fire. So what does this maha mantra do, maha mantra bomb? ‘bhava maha davagni, devagni means fire, nirvapanam’ extinguishes the fire. The forest fire is extinguished. Then what happens? You know the forest fire, in the forest whatever, only destruction, ashes everywhere, the barren land. But in same place as the holy name is chanted, extinguishes the fire. And in that place,

‘sreya kairava candrika vitaranam’

The lotuses begin blooming. There is the fire, sometimes ago the fire in our heart and our life. There is no fire, this holy name extinguishes the fire. In same location nice creepers, the bushes, nice greenery, the lotus, ‘Shreya kairava candrika vitaranam’

So we are calling this bomb but it does different kind of job. The outcome is different. The commando in chief, we talk about army in our temples also there are Temple Commander. Each ISKCON has temple commander. Sounds like army (Laughter). We have bullets also, not only bombs. What are these bullets? Gulab jamuns (Laughter). It melts your heart. No destruction again. No holes in your heart.

Books are called time bombs not only bombs. In due course of time, those books are being distributed profusely all over the world. Millions of books have been distributed. So Srila Prabhupada was empowered to kind of executing the will of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It’s a big mission. Supreme Personality of Godhead’s mission will. We could call predictions also, to make Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s predictions come true.

‘pritivite ache yata nagaradi gram, sarvatra pracara haibe’

Whose name will be chanted? ‘mora naam’, Krsna’s name. He says ‘mora naam’, My name. So He is Krsna, so Krsna’s name. ‘mor means peacock in hindi or Sanskrit. ‘mayur’ names won’t be spread now. Peacocks name won’t be spread. Lord’s holy name. So after departure of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, 450 years, nothing was happening. Everyone was wondering atleast in India, ‘What happen to the prediction? Is this going to come true? The holy name is still being chanted only in Mayapur, in Jagannatha Puri. Some places, asta prahar kirtan here, there and Orissa, Radha Kund, Shyam kund.

So holy name, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is ‘dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge’ So He appeared, Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared, Krsna appeared. Why the Lord appeared? ‘dharma samsthapanarthaya’ What is dharma for this age of Kali? Yuga dharma. Which yuga is this? Kali yuga. Every Kaliyuga, every times Kali yuga comes. Yuga dharma of Kali yuga is harinaam. Everytime, I don’t know whether you took note of emphasizing. Everytime Kali yuga appears, yuga dharma is harinaam. So this is not the first time Kali yuga has appeared. You don’t have to invent a new will. It already exists. You just check out what was done in the previous age, previous Kali yuga. Everytime there is a Kaliyuga. In Brahma’s one day there are thousand Kaliyugas, thousand Satya yugas, thousand Treta yugas, thousand Dwapara yugas. Everytime there is a Kali yuga,

‘harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha’ (B.N.Puran 3.8.126)

So Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared and He did the inauguration of chanting the holy names of the Lord. ‘hari hari’ He would chant all the time. Lord was chanting and dancing, not doing rasa dance but sankirtan ; dancing in the kirtan. ‘kirtaniya sada hari’, all the time chanting and dancing. Early morning He would chant. He gathered all the devotees of Navadvipa.

‘udilo aruna puraba bhage dwija mani gora amani jage
bhakata samuha loiya sathe gela nagara braja ‘ (Arunodaya-kirtan)

He would gather early morning hours all His followers, devotees and, ‘tathai tathai bajalo khol’ so many mrdangas. There were 108 mrdangas, but they were sounding like one mrdanga is being played. Here we could count this one, that one (Laughter) which one to follow. Singer is struggling trying to follow (Laughter).

They would play hundreds of mrdangas sounding like one one mrdanga being played. ‘tathai tathai’

When mrdanga is played, “dhik tam dhik tam dhig etan” that’s one of the bold. ‘kathayati mrdanga’ ‘mrdanga uvaca’, Mrdanga says, when it is ‘dhik dhik’, I condemned you. You are condemned. Kirtan is going on here but you are not here. Those who are not in the kirtan, ‘dhik dhik dhig etan’. I condemned you, those who are not part of this kirtan. Mrdanga talks, conveys his feelings, his expression. Here Mahaprabhu in the middle of kirtan, ‘nupur baje’, His tight ankle bells and around His ankles, that’s jingling, tingling. So all these instruments being played must be played very expertly. That in between taals, there is a time for hearing the tingling and jingling of the bells allowing some space in between.

‘prema dhala dhala sonara anga, carane nupura baje’

That golden form moving to and fro. More than that Mahaprabhu is not just doing some steps. He is Nataraj. He is best of the dancers. There is no match. And very complex steps also. Not just simple new bhakta. He is expressing all the emotions, the dancing. He is tuned in by the emotions and feelings. Feelings are expressed through the dance, through the gestures. So Mahaprabhu would dance. So the morning kirtan and then kirtans all the time, chanting and dancing. Mahaprabhu had gone mad. They were not understanding Mahaprabhu. They would think, ‘there is something wrong. May be He needs some massage, some oil for cooling down. He has become mad, pagal.’
One time, He approached His spiritual master, Isvara Puri,

‘kiba mantra dila gosani kiba tara bala
japite japite mantra karila pagala’ (C.C 1.7.81)

‘What kind of mantra have you given, oh dear spiritual master’. ‘kiba mantra dila gosani kiba tara bal’ There is so much bal, there is so much strength in this maha mantra. It has made me pagal. I have gone mad. What kind of mantra is this? This mantra takes charge of me and handles me anyway and every way. And Mahaprabhu would also do kirtan all night long, nocturnal kirtans. Whole things started at Srivasa Thakura’s, Srivasa angan. Srivasa is Narada Muni. Narada Muni appeared as Srivasa. Narada Muni is famous for his kirtans. So when he appeared as Srivasa at his house, kirtan started. Whole sankirtan movement started at Srivasa Thakura’s residence, courtyard. All night long they would sing, dance.

Then Mahaprabhu took sannyas and He travelled all over India. South India, more in South India. Wherever He went big crowds, hundreds and thousands of people would come. Who knows? God knows from where they were coming. No invitations, no posters, no banners, no SMS. The word would spread, ‘In such and such town or village tonight, there is kirtan.’ They would all come in big numbers. And Mahaprabhu in the middle of that huge crowd and talk less and chant more. That was the program. They would sing. Mahaprabhu would not give big lecture. He would just get them to chant and dance. In the middle of the crowd, He was very tall, tallest amongst all assembled there.

You have seen Pancha Tattva? Who has seen Pancha Tattva in Mayapur? Good number. You know the size of Mahaprabhu. In the middle is Mahaprabhu, so that size, actual size of Mahaprabhu 500 years ago. Of course, He could be taller. It’s up to Him. He was Vaman, then He became Trivikrama. You know that Vaman dev, He was a dwarf.

‘Ok, go ahead, take three steps.’ And then He kept growing and growing. Then He started taking steps. With that height and size, in one step He covered the earthly planet. And second step, He covered the entire universe. So Lord could be smaller than the smallest and taller or bigger than the biggest. So that’s size, Pancha Tattva size. 500 years ago, He exhibited that size. So that size, Mahaprabhu in the middle of the large crowd. So He would stand out, easy for darshan, right? Wherever they are standing, Mahaprabhu is visible. The first feature, He is tall and another special feature, the Personality of Godhead, Their arms are long not like us, the human have. Arms reaching the knees, that’s why Lord is called ‘ajanu lambita bhujau’ ‘janu’ means knees. ‘ajanu’ means upto. ‘bhujau’ means two. One ‘bhuja’, ‘bhujau’ that’s two reaching ‘ajanu’, reaching the knees. So then Mahaprabhu do ‘bahutule’, raising arms. First of all, He is tall and then the long arms are raised. Even more easy to see and take darshan. Not only that. He would jump high in the sky called ‘ udanda nrutya’. There are different ways Mahaprabhu would dance. One is the ‘udanda nrutya’, He would fly. Then everyone taking darshan of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. They were not just taking darshan, they were witnessing, watching or taking photographs, selfies. (Laughter) They would be integral part of that kirtan. They were also performing or they were made to perform by Lord’s will. All present had no choice but also chant and dance. By His will only they had come there. They had no idea what brought them there, what is going to happen next. Why are we going there? Who is going to come? They are just going. Because Lord is in the heart. So Lord was making that connection from within. It’s easy for Him to communicate, right? He is in the hearts of all the living entities. “All those villages, five, ten, twenty villages, Mahaprabhu is deciding, ‘Today I am going to invite people of this village, that village, that village.” And He is sitting in the heart. “Okay, get up! Begin walking, go, go, go, go, go! And they have come there and Mahaprabhu makes them sing and dance like a puppet in His hands. Hariiiii bol!! Just like He is lifting all of them and they go down. Again lifting, shaking and doing different things, getting all nonsense out and purifying them. Like cloths in a washing machine. Cloths go through a lot inside. They come out clean. So there is a purification. They become pure devotees in one program. In one program, it was sufficient to become pure devotees. What kind of kirtan are they performing?

There was another time, the devotees have come from Bengal to Puri to attend rathayatra festival. And then spent 4 months with Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannatha Puri. So as parties were arriving, King Prataparudra was on the roof of his palace. He was witnessing arrival of kirtan party. But he didn’t know everybody, many new faces. Sarvabhauma Battacharya was with him. ‘Oh, that one! Who is he? That one! One with the beard? ‘Oh, that’s Advaita Acharya’. ‘And those bluish garments? Who is wearing? Who is that? Who is that one?’ ‘That’s Balarama, Nityananda.’ ‘balarama hoilo nitai’. Like that, who is that, who is that? Like that he was being introduced from a distance. ‘Who is that one? who is behind that one?’ That time King Prataparudra made observation. ‘I have heard kirtan before, same mantra, same khol, mrdanga, kartal. So many things are similar like any other kirtan. But this, there is something special about this chanting that these devotees are doing. Please tell me, what is this kirtan? What kind of kirtan is this?’ And then he was told. ‘ Yes, this is prema kirtan. ‘krsna prema pradayate’. Mahaprabhu appeared and we offer our obeisances unto that Lord because ‘krsna prema’, he is the giver of Krsna prema. So how does He give Krsna prema, in what form? Does He give some few kilos of Krsna prema? The bag full or pocket full? In what form does He give Krsna prema?

This Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This is Krsna prema.
This is Krsna prema, full of Krsna and Radha, names of Radha and Krsna. The name is not different from the form.

That’s the understanding.
‘abhinnatvan nama naminoh’,

Nama and nami, not two. ‘abhinna or bhina. ‘bhina means different. ‘a’ means no. No difference between nama and nami. So Krsna, person Krsna, name not two, one. So when the holy name is chanted.

So these prabhus were doing this Krsna prema kirtan, pure kirtan, offenseless kirtan. They were experiencing love of Godhead, Radha Krsna prema as they chanted. So that was Krsna prema kirtan performed. That is also our goal.

One time Mahaprabhu was returning from performance of kirtan. Summer time, and Mahaprabhu was thirsty. Walking and walking as they were returning to their home base kirtan party. Mahaprabhu ahead of party, party was behind. And He was passing through market place. So He came across some dairy products. There is a butter milk shop, butter milk was being sold. Mahaprabhu goes there and asked, “Is there anything to drink? Can I have anything to drink?” So the shopkeeper, he filled up one glass, ‘Have it’. So Mahaprabhu, instead of looking to glass which was being offered to Him, He was looking at the whole pot. (Laughter) So shopkeeper thought probably he needs the whole thing. ‘Have it!’ So the shopkeeper ignored it. Mahaprabhu lifted huge pot to be sold all day long to others. Mahaprabhu lifted and He drank the whole pot. You couldn’t drink. He drank. That’s the difference between Him and us. That proves who He is, was then Supreme Personality of Godhead. So after drinking, He was satisfied and He was ready to go. But the shopkeeper said, ‘Oh….money?!’ Mahaprabhu said, ” There is no money. Empty pocket, no pocket.’ What to speak of empty pocket but no pocket. But he said, ‘My people are right behind Me. They are grihastas and others businessmen. They must be loaded.” So He would make them pay the bill. So Mahaprabhu proceeded and followers were there in front of the shop, passing by the shop. The shopkeeper said, “Oh!!! ‘What’s wrong? What happen?’ ‘Was that your leader? he described. He said, ‘He drank all my buttermilk but no payment. All drink but no payment. He said, you will be making the payment. They were travelling and preaching. They were on the road quite some time. They had pockets but they had no money, empty pocket. That was genuine, that’s a fact. So, they show their empty pockets. ‘Sorry, we can’t pay.’

And they were leaving also to catch up with Mahaprabhu. The shopkeeper realized that now buttermilk is no long and there is nothing to sell, better go home. So he was thinking the pot is empty, he was trying to lift that with his left hand. That requires less strength. ‘Bayen Hath Ka Khel’, they call, like Krsna lifted Govardhan Hill, not with the right hand. Right hand is supposed to be strong. Lord just used His weaker hand, left hand. And not the entire hand with all fingers. Finally lifted on the weakest finger. So this shopkeeper, he was trying to lift his pot. Rubies, diamonds and what not! As followers were leaving, the shopkeeper said, ‘Tell your leader that today’s buttermilk is my offering unto Him, free seva. Just convey my message.’ So when he had said that, then ready to go home. In the meantime his pot got filled.

This lila is compared to that fruit vendor lady that had come to Gokul selling her fruits. And then, baby Krsna managed to hand few grains. Most of the grains were all dropped on the way too. But the lady was sitting and selling fruits. And then she gave all, empty whole basket, ‘Have it, have it, have it.’ At the end, then the whole basket was filled with. So that Krsna filled there and Caitanya Mahaprabhu now had filled this buttermilk pot. Haribol!! Then this man, shopkeeper ran and said, ‘This is the job of that leader! Who else?’ Then he caught up with Mahaprabhu and offered obeisances to Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu gave a deep embrace to him. And then, just by that touch, now his heart became filled with Krsna prema. He was so much loaded with love of Godhead that he couldn’t even stand erect. Because he was loaded, he fell on the ground and was rolling on the ground. He was exhibiting all the symptoms, the tears, trembling. So he had the best of the whole world that day. He got lots of wealth which he could bring home. And his heart filled with Krsna prema by Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
So Mahaprabhu did that 6 years travelling around, His madya lila spreading the holy name. Then the holy name was to be spread all over the world and Prabhupada was chosen, made ‘nimitta matram’. Prabhupada, he became founder of International Society of Krsna Consciousness. Prabhupada did say that, Caitanya Mahaprabhu purposely, He didn’t spread. He could have spread the holy name personally all over world. But He left this job of spreading the holy name all over the world or beyond the boundaries of India. He left this job up to ISKCON. This job was left to International Society for Krsna Consciousness. And that is what is happening, spreading and spreading the holy name . And as we chant everywhere, we have become known as Hare Krsna. These are Hare Krsna people. Why they are Hare Krsna people? Because they chant,

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

Okay we’ll sing one song and then Hare Krsna Hare Krsna.

Use all  your  talent for serving the Lord
Date: 26 Feb 2017
Venue: Mayapur dhama
Occasion: Disciple gathering

 

‘gauranga’ bolite habe pulaka-sarira
‘hari hari’ bolite nayane ba’ be near

When will that opportune moment come to me when there will be shivering of the body as soon as I chant Lord Gauranga’s name? And after the shivering, while chanting Hare Krishna, when will there be tears pouring down from my eyes?

Easy to sing but to practice this is not easy, like in Vrindavan they say Radhe Radhe but it was difficult for Sukhdev Goswami  to say Radhe. He was talking for seven days but he did not say Radha even once because  as soon as he would  say Radhe then all gone he would loose  external consciousness  and his voice would chock.

We go on saying Gauranga, hye  Govind!!!  Who said that? Draupadi and immediately unlimited sari came.

“nayanam galad asru dharaya”
“nayane ba’ be near” very important lines filled with meaning  something to think upon

So Lord Appeared Nitai Chandra appeared not far from here. But we don’t fully realize where we are now, once we realize that we are in Mayapur dhama the Lord’s eternal dhama then we would have those signs but we don’t realize.

That time Ganga was flowing right here 100 and 1000s of people had come because it was  lunar eclipse to take holy dip in Ganga and they were all chanting Hare Krsna. This was the scene at the bank of Ganga. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu  took birth in morning as Holy Name.

ara kabe nitai-cander koruna hoibe
samsara-basana mora kabe tuccha ha’be
vishaya chariya kabe suddha ha ’be mana
kabe hama herabo sri-brindabana

When will that day come when Lord Nityananda’s causeless mercy is bestowed upon me so that my desire for material enjoyment becomes very insignificant?

When my mind is completely purified, being freed from material anxieties and desires, then I shall be able to understand Vrindavana and the conjugal love of Radha and Krishna, and then my spiritual life will be successful.

Material attachments, liking and desires when I would feel like spitting at them and when they will become insignificant.

We come to Mayapur so many times, this is my 44th time I m coming to Mayapur I am breaking all the records. When that time will come so that I could see Mayapur and  Vrindavan as it is. This will happen when all mind sense gratification would stop. Then  that person will feel presence of Guarnaga here. Right now Guaranga is performing Lila at 12.30 pm he is going to Radhkunda, in Mayapur also there is Radhakunda. At yogapita there are Radha Madhav deities and Prabhupada gave the same name to the deities Radha Madhav.

rupa-raghunatha-pade hoibe akuti
kabe hama bujhabo se jugala-piriti
rupa-raghunatha-pade rahu mora asa
prarthana koroye sada narottama-dasa

When shall I be very much eager to study the books left by the six Gosvamis? One has to learn of the conjugal loving affairs of Radha-Krishna through the teachings of these six Gosvamis.  Narottama dasa always wishes to understand this conjugal love under the direction of the six Gosvamis.

Six goswamis are first generation and Narottam das Thakur  second generation so he is praying for their mercy. For us also they are worshipable acharyas. So we could pray to the acharyas Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Thakur and others.

In 1917 Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Thakur founded guadiya math. It’s said  “serve Gaur name, Guar kama and Guar Dhama” Hare Krsna movement is like essence of Gaudiya math.

Bhakti Vinod Thakur is seventh goswami. What six goswami did for Vrndavan Bhakti Vinod Thakur did for Mayapur, he wrote so many books. With help of Jagganath Das Babaji Maharaja he pointed out the birth place of Caiatanya Mahaprabhu. Bhakti Vinod Thakur was carrying Jaganath Das Babaji Maharaj  to that place and finally the whole world knew about the birth place of Caitanya Mahaprahu.

So today we have here second generation seniors, juniors and few children. So the acharyas would have dharma sabha and the  six goswamis would sit together and do what ??

“nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau”  in the courtyard of Radha Damodhar  temple and study sastras.

So our  acharyas would meet here in Mayapur and that resulted in Caitanya gaudiya matha foundation and eventually it took form of ISKCON. So we are indebted to the acharyas. So can you imagine we belong to such a great lineage.  So we have assembled here and made connections with the acharyas and all the way to Viswanath Chakrawarti Thakur and all the way to Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

So this Guar Pornima is 531st, 531 years ago Caitanya Mahaprabhu  appeared.  Like sun appears and disappears Caitanya Mahaprabhu  does His lila -manifest or unmanifest.

Bhagirath Muni brought Ganga and Shiva held her so he is called Gangadhara. Ganga flows from Gangotri to Gangasagar. When Ganga was going from Gangotri to Gangasagar she heard Gaur Pornima is coming so she stayed here and celebrated Guar Pornima here. So Ganga was here for Guar Pornima festival. So long long long long ……long time ago Ganga was passing from here. So I mean to say Guar Pornima is being celebrated since a long time.

Some years ago I was Angeles, they were celebrating 200th birth day of the city. I asked how many years old is the city they said long long years …how many ?? 200 years. I thought they would  say millions of years.

So point is this dhama is eternal. It’s safe to b here, better leave Pune, Kolkata, New Zealand and New York they will be no more all will be drowned. Markandye rishi he saw all turned into dust but here this dhama was eternal.  It’s wise to come here, this is our home and  finally we should  come back to dhama.

Once a devotee said while sharing his realization  in Vraj Mandal Parikrama, when I was in new Zealand I always heard and thought of going back home but now as I am in Vrndavan I feel like I am at home. So this idea of going back home is disappeared.

Everything is temporary . When I will become purified and free from all designations, Narottam Das Thakur is praying.

We reside in the  body, “ nava-dvare pure dehi”  we are residing in house with 9 gates.

“yantrarudhani mayaya” we are always traveling in the body this yantra this machine, so that creates all attachment. So when I will give up this attachments  and see Vrndavan Mayapur and become eligible to stay in Mayapur Vrndavan. So Prabhupada has given us this mayapur dhama, 50  years ago no one knew Mayapur. I found out Mayapur 44 years ago, Sikhimahiti Prabhu found out Mayapur 41 years ago. People of Bengal did not know about Mayapur and now millions  know about it.

Once a jambojet filled with devotees all over the world and devotees were singing maha prasade govinde in the plane, no air host all devotees serving each other. Then all the devotees stood up to dance and captain came ohh! please stop or we will have to do emergency landing and days are not far when each town and village will know about Mayapur and there will be Haribhakta all over.

We were kind of first international batch coming to Mayapur  and now many are coming.  Master plan of Mayapur is coming up, long term plan next 50 years how Mayapur  would look like and TOVP  completion.

We have joined Srila Prabhupadas family we should pray to Lord, thank Him we got connected to parampara. So keep marching forward don’t look back,  what is the destination?? Mayapur dhama..ki jai

Stay busy chanting Hare Krsna and following 4 regulative principles strictly, studying bhagvat.  Use all your talents for serving Lord and go on padayatras  that’s also our mission, Prabhupada told me to do padayatra.

Haribol

Venue: Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir
Date: February 25, 2017
Speaker: HH Lokanath Swami
Subject: Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.10.15-17
Transcriber: Madhumati Priyasaki dd

Verse:

Sri-prahrada uvaca

varam varaya etat te
varadesan mahesvara
yad anindat pita me
tvam avidvams teja aiavaram

viddhamarsasayah saksat
sarva-loka-gurum prabhum
bhratr-heti mrsa-drstis
tvad-bhakte mayi caghavan
tasmat pita me puyeta
durantad dustarad aghat
putas te ‘panga-samdrstas
tada krpana-vatsala

TRANSLATION
Prahlada Maharaja said: O Supreme Lord, because You are so merciful to the fallen souls, I ask You for only one benediction. I know that my father, at the time of his death, had already been purified by Your glance upon him, but because of his ignorance of Your beautiful power and supremacy, he was unnecessarily angry at You, falsely thinking that You were the killer of his brother. Thus he directly blasphemed Your Lordship, the spiritual master of all living beings, and committed heavily sinful activities directed against me, Your devotee. I wish that he be excused for these sinful activities.

PURPORT
Although Hiranyakasipu was purified as soon as he came in contact with the Lord’s lap and the Lord saw him, Prahlada Maharaja still wanted to hear from the Lord’s own mouth that his father had been purified by the Lord’s causeless mercy. Prahlada Maharaja offered this prayer to the Lord for the sake of his father. As a Vaisnava son, despite all the inconveniences imposed upon him by his father, he could not forget his father’s affection.

LECTURE:
varam varaya, this is the prayer. I pray, aham varam varaya, I beg for benediction. te- to You unto You. Who are you? – vareshat. You are vareshat, vara eshat. You are the Master of the benediction, Maheshwara and Ishwar, the top most Ishwar, unto You I beg for benediction. Aham varam varaya, I beg for benediction. So, the Lord of course always hears the prayers of powerful, (curtain opens) Nrsimhadev bhagavan ki Jai!, He immediately gives darsana.

Then the Lord finally appeared in this age of Kali as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki Jai!! and continued to give benediction. So, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He got the benediction from his spiritual master as he went to Gaya and he was given this “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”. namo maha vandanyaya…maha vandanyaya, not only vadanya- magnanimous, or benedictor not an ordinary kind, but not only that mahavandanyaya very kind,

namo maha-vadanyaya
krishna-prema-pradaya te
krishnaya krsna-caitanya-
namne gaura-tvishe namah,

He is going to give prema-prada, giver of prema. Krsnaya Krsna Caitanya namne, now His name has become Krsna Caitanya, Krsna has become Krsna Caitanya and gaura-tvishe namah and his complexion is no more Shyam, ganashyam but Gaura sundar. Antah Krsna inside Krsna, bahir, outward, gaura, inside shyam complexion, but outwards he is guara,- Radharani outside and Krsna inside, “Radha bhava duti sa Lalitam naume Krsna swarupam”, that’s Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is His lila. He is setting an example, i.e. “tasmat gurm prapadhyata”. You must have spiritual master so the Lord is accepting a spiritual master. When He descended He had brought the gift of the holy name “goloka eva premadhana harinam sankirtana” or even before he appeared on Gaura Purnima day. He appeared in the evening. But during the day, His chanting was already on. He started the benediction, benedicting the whole. He was little baby and He also started getting the ladies to chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. One day He was crying and then Saci mata started “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna “ and the child stopped crying and enjoying the hearing and chanting and throwing the hands and legs, ecstatic, news spread around and ladies were very curious. Really this happens? When he cried and then the chanting starts and he stops crying? When he was not crying they tried pinching him to get him to cry and then they start chanting and then it worked, when they chanted, ah it worked! It’s working. He stopped crying!

What would the child do when he eventually grows big can be seen or observed when he is in the cradle. There is some symptom from which you could predict. This is what He would want to do when He grew older- chant and dance and benedict the world. So, he received the mantra and as Mahaprabhu returned from Gaya to Navadvip he was already chanting and dancing and by the time he reached Navadvip he was no more Nimai Pandit. He was a Pandit, scholarly, very grave you know as pandits are. He was a different person altogether. Everyone was wondering, what’s wrong with this Pandit and he is not Nimai Pandit any more chanting and dancing, gone mad.

Mahaprabhu in fact goes back to the spiritual master. He has another meeting with him. He enquires from him, “kiba mantra dila, gosani, kiba tara bala japite japite mantra karila pagala”,(CC-Adi:7.81) What kind of mantra have you given? Oh, Guru Maharaja. Japite japite karila pagal. Pagala, Pagala baba in one temple in Vrndavana, mad baba. What kind of mantra is this? It has so much power. This mantra has taken charge of me, and making me chant and dance and this happens and that happens to me. I cannot even stand. I fall and crawl and roll. Do your chanting and this is the result of pure chanting? Mahaprabhu’s chanting was pure chanting, offense less chanting.

Then the chanting started in the courtyard of Srivas Thakur. Kirtana started in Srivas Angan. Where did it start? Don’t say angam, it is angan, There is some pronunciation difference and angan means courtyard. Not Angam, means part of the body. Lots of devotees end up saying Srivas angam not angan. Srivas Angan, Angan. (Maharaja makes devotees repeat) Good, you passed the test.

So those nocturnal kirtanas, only pure devotees were allowed in. There is screening at the entrance and as soon as they enter some tinge of karma, jnana and siddhi. Immediately those things will beep, beep and be beeping out. So Mahaprabhu in the association of the purest of the pure devotees, the core group, was chanting and dancing. So, it was limited to Srivas angan and it was limited to the pure devotees only. But Advaita Acarya was not very happy with that program. Kirtana was nice, but it was indoors and not accessible to one and all. So Advaita Acarya approached Mahaprabhu and made a humble appeal, “ Lord please come out with this kirtana. I am the one, I prayed and you responded to my prayer and you are here. I was seeing the fallen condition of this world. I saw dharmasya glanir bhavati decline in religious principles. Then I wanted you to come and do dharma samasta apartaya, to establish the principle of religion once again, but you are not doing that. You are just… I didn’t ask you to come and dance in the midst of pure devotees. Impure, contaminated and fallen souls also should be benefitted.” Then Mahaprabhu heard that prayer and then kirtanas were happening all over Navadvip mandal. “… jage kelo nagara braje”. Early in the morning when the sun is rising in the east Mahaprabhu will gather so many, many devotees and non-devotees and He will begin his chanting and dancing.

Tatayi tatayi Hatayi hatayi …gana gana…(instruments are being played) preme…, Mahaprabhu with his raised arms and he has the bells tied around his ankles. Preme dola dola sonar anga- now it’s His anga form, golden form, swaying. Could go wild also, going round, going high, up and down all things would happen as He performed kirtana. Bhakti Vinod Thakur is saying note “carane nupura bhaje” yes, ankle bells. All the instruments are playing so wonderfully, tactfully, expertly, and these instruments allow the tinkling of the bells could also be heard. Those instruments are not even drowning the sound of the tinkling of the bells around the ankles of Gauranga. Must be really good drummers and mrdanga players otherwise we should hear, only hear mrdanga, not Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, what to speak of other instruments.

So, Mahaprabhu takes sannyasa because he wants dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge – to establish dharma in the age of Kali. So the Lord is going to take sannyasa and travel all over. He goes to Katwa and takes sannyasa – free, no more bonds, no strings attached and He is free to fly and move. He wanted to go to Vrndavana, but then He was tricked and brought to Shantipur. There were more kirtanas there. I just wanted to remember Mahaprabhu’s kirtana pastimes in different locations. Which different places did He chant and dance, going over the pastimes. It’s also our kirtana mela time here and it would be to inspire us to do kirtana, keep doing kirtana. And what is making us chant and dance? Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the cause of all that we are doing now.

Because Mahaprabhu chanted, we are chanting or He is making us chant. That’s his kindness. And because he danced, one of the dances of Mahaprabhu, even one of the kind of kirtana is called uddanda, uddanda kirtana. A kind of normal kirtana, everyday affair, but sometimes there was uddanda kirtana. Uddanda1 He would really be mad, and His ecstasy would become so very intense and He would really fly high in the sky. That was also happening at Shantipur and once He is up in the sky, He would drop, coming crashing down and hitting the ground. Sacimata was watching those kirtanas. That kind of uddanda kirtana, landing on the ground kind of kirtana. She was praying to mother Earth, “Dear Earth, please, please make sure my Nimai…. Although He was Sri Krsna Caitanya may be for the world He was Sri Krsna Caitanya, but for the mother, Saci He was her Nimai …. doesn’t get hurt. Mother Saci is praying to mother Earth, Please, could you kindly oblige.”

Then Mahaprabhu as per His mother’s desire heads to Jagannath Puri and temporarily forgets Vrndavana. That was his destination, but HIs mother wants Puri. So, Mahaprabhu arrives there and Mahaprabhu is always moving, whatever description that we get to read about Him, He is moving from place to place. There is no talk of His walking to any place. He never walked. He only danced. Every step is a dance and every word is a song. So, he is singing a song, Hare Krsna song. As soon as he sings the song, in kirtana, others are also singing. Those three brothers, Govinda Gosh, they were singing. Swarup Damodar is singing and Mahaprabhu listens. As soon as he listens, Krsna makes an appearance. As difficult as it is to say because He is Krsna, but Krsna makes His appearance. He becomes Krishna Conscious and all these symptoms are visible and in His personality.

nache kande gai, Krishna das Kaviraj Goswami says Caitanya Mahaprabhu is also nache- dancing, kande-crying and gai singing. These were the three things he was predominantly doing. Nache kande gai. As soon as the kirtana begins, He begins dancing. He is excited. In Jagannath Puri, kirtanas continue there and Sarva Bhauma Bhattacharya has been liberated. Mahaprabhu wants to begin his extensive travels. “Radha rabhave Gaura avatar. “Hare Krishna nama Gaura karila prachar”. He is in Radha Bhav. He has appeared in Radha Bhav to experience Radha’s emotions. He assumed Radha’s emotions and with that mood and mission Mahaprabhu leaves Jagannatha Puri and his Madhya lila pastimes, next 6 years from now he will come back and leave twice.

So, the South India tour begins and then He comes back and goes on an East India, Bengal and Bangladesh tour. Then he goes back. , He goes to North India on tour to Vrindavan through Jarkand forest.

On the South India tour he is chanting and continues. We always see Mahaprabhu, as soon as we say Mahaprabhu, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu there is one image which always comes into our mind and what’s that image? Krsna’s image as soon as we see Krsna’s flute playing. With Ram it is immediately the bow and arrow. There are so many pastimes, so many other forms and darsanas, but then it is always bow and arrow Sri Ram. As soon as we say and remember Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu we immediately remember which form? (audience answer inaudible) Haribol! Haribol!!!

It means he is ready with the kirtana, braje rasa lila navadvipe sankirtana. Kirtana mela…braje rasa lila means flute playing. The flute appears as mrdanga. I heard or read that the flute from Krsna‘s pastimes appears as a mrdanga in Gauranga’s Sankirtana pastimes. So Mahaprabhu goes to South Inida and his chanting and dancing continues. He also chants Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna hey. Hey means addressing, Hey Krsna. Krsna Keshava Krsna keshava Rama Ragahava Rama ragava rama ragahava rakshamam. This is also Mahaprabhu’s chanting, “Hariharaye nama Krsna yadavaya namah gopal govinda ram srimadhu sudan”. Different chants are there. These are some of the famous ones.

Hare Krishna mahamantra and Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna hey, hariharaya are some of the mostly chanted mantras or names by Mahaprabhu and his associates. So even as Mahaprabhu is going from village to village and to the in between villages of course he is also doing padayatra. We could say or do little promotion of padayatra here Mahaprabhu is doing padayatra as a walking festival.

Taking all the trouble to connect with the souls to deliver his mercy benedicting the whole world. He is going on foot and practically knocking on the doors, “I’m here I’m here! jiv jago, jiv jago, gauracanda bole” is here wake up wake up. “kota nidra jao maya-pisacira kole”, so as he is going, he is not only chanting. stana asthana nahi vicar, “patrapatra-vicara nahi, nahi sthanasthana”, chanting the holy name anywhere and everywhere. So this is the right place, sthana or asthana this not the good place. He is not even considering that. Sthana Asthana nahi vicar. This is not the consideration. Patra, this party deserves to hear. These are not deserving candidates. There is no such discrimination. Anywhere everywhere and to anybody, everybody jare dako jare dhako tare kaho, so as he is going the people, the travelers, passersby, they were immediately, instantly attracted to Mahaprabhu.

Even before they hear His chanting, His beauty is the killer, all that demoniac nature is finished just by seeing Him. You are gone. Ajanu lambita bhujo. He was out of this world, not from this world. He was in this world, but not from this world, and of course He is not that He is the another person. The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared with all His beauty and His 6 opulences. Those who looked at him, His one glance was enough, to arouse all the ecstatic feelings. They have become suddha bhakta, a pure devotee. Just look at him. He has become a pure devotee. Just one darsana, one glance at him and of course this must be the causeless mercy of Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

This is His arrangement. We are taking darsana, but he gives darsana, then you take darsana, right? But I am going for darsana! I’m going for darsana! Fine, you are going to go and take. If He gives, then you take, right? So, everyone gets a different degree or amount of darsana. Everyone doesn’t get the same darsana. Partial darsana “ye yatha mam prapadyante”, Lord is also doing calculation, normally he does this, “tams tathaiva bhajamy aham”. But here Gauranga Mahaprabhu looks at him, and He gives Himself fully, “Take Me! Have Me. I’m yours!” and He appears in their hearts.

Hryadaya kantare suratuva saci nandana. When would that day be mine? When would that day be mine? When would that day be mine? But Mahaprabhu, as he was travelling He was giving His darsana, and immediately they would want to go with Him. They would forget where their town is or what was their earlier destination. By seeing Mahaprabhu, and then hearing, chanting with him, just momentarily, they have just become His. Mahaprabhu would perceive Himself like a big magnet and all these iron particles being dragged behind. But no, no, no he would embrace them off, “ Please proceed on your way, I will go this way.” And then he will come to that day’s final destination. It is 9 ‘o’ clock . What happened? Gauranga!

We are not even half way through what I have. We need Brahmas night here. For evening programs so many people would come – there was no promotion, no advertisement, no billboards, no hand bills, Mahaprabhu will go to some village and that evening people would come from so many surrounding villages to that program. He is there surrounded by hundreds and thousands of people, because He is very tall like our Pancatattva Gauranga’s height. That’s the life size, actual size. He could be bigger or smaller also.

So all around Him, He would stand out, everyone is only up to his vest or shoulders and He would stand out and everyone could see Him and then he would raise his arms, ajanu lambita bhunjau …and then He would jump so everyone would see Mahaprabhu and He would inspire them to chant and dance and raise their arms. “You please chant also, Haribol, Haribol! Haribol!”

So He was like the puppeteer and all others were puppets. He is picking them and dropping them and all the others were jumping, dancing and by the end of one program they all have become pure devotees. (audience clap). They have become enriched, as their hearts become filled with premadan which is “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”. So Mahaprabhu returns to Jagannatha Puri and the kind of kirtanas He would perform in Jagannatha Puri especially during Ratha-yatra time. Jagannath is in chariot He is Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Radharani. His time has come. The private personal reason why He appeared, radha bhav and there is a dealing going on between Krsna and Radha and the kind of words he utters only Radha and Krsna knows. Except one more person found out also and he is Rupa Goswami and he wrote, Sri Krsna manobistam, able to access to the mind of Gauranga.

Those kirtanas during the Ratha-yatra were extraordinary kirtanas, a very special Ratha yatra mood. Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu ended up going to Vrndavana now. In Jarkand forest that kirtana was with all animals, tigers and deers and everyone around was chanting and dancing. The whole forest was transformed and it was no more Jarkand forest. Mahaprabhu saw a deer and tiger next to each other walking, rubbing shoulders and the next scene he saw was them embracing each other. Then they were kissing each other. Mahaprabhu says, “Hey this is Vrndavana! This is Vrndavana” Vrndavana dham ki, Jai! “I was on the way to Vrndavana, but this is Vrndavana”. The consciousness, no enmity, no envy. It’s like that. See the power of holy name. Only the Lord could do such a thing, He is also the personality of Godhead. He could even transform lower creatures into pure devotees.

Then Mahaprabhu ended up in Vrndavana and in Vrndavana Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami says, “on the way to Vrndavana his ecstasy grew hundred times, normal ecstasy became hundred fold or greater on the way. When he reached Mathura, it was one thousand times greater, and as he enters the forest of Vrndavana, it was one hundred thousand times greater, height and depth and vastness of that ecstasy.” So that’s how ecstatic the Lord was as He toured Vrndavana. On the way, he was greeted in Vrndavana “Our Shyamsundar is here!” Gaurasundar was there, but they all thought it is our Shyam sundar. The cows were coming, surrounding and liking his body expressing their vatsalya. The birds were there also pacamgay the 5th high pitched note. They were singing. Peacocks were dancing. Mahaprabhu was embracing the trees. The next tree will say, “Me too” and He had to run to that tree and embrace it. Like that He was passing tree after tree. Those trees were showering their flowers upon Gaurasundar. They didn’t have to buy flowers for pushpa abhishek. But pushpa were not coming from Singapore or Hawaii. They were right there – shaking and trembling in ecstasy and their fruits were being offered.

Mahaprabhu sees a peacock. He sees the neck of the peacock and the complexion resembles the complexion of Krsna. He collapses and starts rolling on the ground and the two Prabhus had a difficult time catching up with him. Finally they managed.

Mahaprabhu is circumambulating Govardhan hill, and with His tears hHe was doing the Abhishek for Giriraj. Many a times those who go on Govardhan Parikrama carry a pot with a hole, but they sit in the car with that so that it would last longer (laughter) one kilometre per liter.

Mahaprabhu was shedding His tears all around and bathing Govardhan hill and He was also chanting. One time while sitting on the banks of Yamuna and chanting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” His complexion changed. He was no more Gaurasundar. He was Shyamsundar. He became so much Krishna Conscious, that his real color manifested.

Then Mahaprabhu was on the way back, at Prayag he did also kirtanas. The waters were low, but it was described that Mahaprabhu flooded the Ganga with all his kirtanas. Varanasi also had special kirtanas and all Varanasi vasis became mad and there was a big crowd running after him and He finally returned. That’s where he remained and spent 18 years in ecstasy as he chanted and heightened. Swarup Damodar was singing and as he sings louder, Mahaprabhu will jump higher. Uddanda kirtana.

So, may that Gauranga, benedict all of us, the whole world that is our prayer. Prahlad Maharaja is praying to Nrsimha, “Please, I know my father offended You, but please excuse him, and give him a benediction.” So, likewise we could pray to Gauranga Mahaprabhu, even if you don’t pray, that’s His mission, causeless mercy. He is known for His causeless mercy. We could still pray. Pray for ourselves and pray for our family members, forefathers and people of the world so that Mahaprabhu’s benediction in the form of the holy name, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” reaches far and wide.

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki, Jai. Gauranga! Gauranga!

Prabhupada’s Kolkata connections
Kolkata is janma bhumi and the whole world is karma bhumi of Srila Prabhupada
Dated: 14 August 2015
Venue: Kolkata
Occasion: ISKCON 50th Anniversary Kolkata

Hare Krsna, a pretty serious group here in Kolkata. All hundred countries representatives are here today. Many of you must have come here for first time in Kolkata, I welcome you all here. And many Prabhupada disciples and grand disciples are here. Haribol! Quite a grand number.

Yesterday HH Bhakti Purosottam Maharaj was saying “the grand disciples are more dearer to Srila Prabhupada than us.” Haribol

Father loves his children but father loves his grand children more, that’s the experience of the world also. So not only we direct disciples of Prabhupada love him but what about you all, do you all love Prabhupada also? Haribol. I know how much you love Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada is our loving spiritual father and yours loving grand spiritual father. In his home town we have assembled, Kolkata dhama ki…jai. We have a different relationship or approach with Kolkata then most of the other people of Kolkata. For us this is a holy place birth place of Srila Prabhupada and today you are going around exploring Kolkata. I was also thinking as you are going around Kolkata you are going back to the old days, how Kolkata was 100years back. What happened here? What happened there? And for us what happened in relationship with Prabhupada in Kolkata?

Kolkata is Prabhupad’s janma bhumi, have you heard this term before ‘janma bhumi’, janma is birth and place is place. And then Prabhupada has his karma bhumi also, janmabhumi-place of birth and karma bhumi- place of activities. Of course place of activity of Srila Prabhupada is all over the world, he went 14 times all around the world.

I was thinking as we are going around Kolkata visiting Prabhupad’s pastime places. When I went to New York for first time in 1978, the day after our arrival we took a tour of places in New York we were visiting all places of activity of Prabhupada his karma bhumi. We were just Giriraj prabhu that time and myself and there were few others who had travelled with me that time from Mumbai then to New York. We had one more disciple of Prabhupada called Puru Prabhu, he was incharge of Prabhupada museum in New York. He used to take devotees around places of New York. So we had a nice tour as you all are going Kolkata having tour of his janma bhumi places, we had visited his karma bhumi places in New York. We had visited Tompkins Square Park. Haribol. There is a tree under that tree Prabhupada used to give a talk to assembled devotees. First public chanting took place at Tompkins Square Park.

Then we visited 26 second Avenue the matchless gift shop, ISKCON’S first center ever. Now we have over 500 centers, in every town there is a center and 1000s of namahatta center. But ISKCON’S very first center was in New York-The matchless gift shop, we visited that. Then we went to Bowery, the drunkards of New York that Pabhupada used to mix and mingle, travel and preach, that’s called Bowery.

Then river side the yoga center where Prabhupada used to do his kirtan. Like that we went around New York visiting Prabhupads places. Here you including myself going to visit Prabhupad’s house. My guide here told me, half of the town was owned by Suvarna Malik family, Suvarna means gold. People used to say you are Abhya Mohan Dye then what’s this Malik. Prabhupada said Malik is a title given by mohammadin rulers. When Prabhupada was born and brought up but prior to that there was ruled by mohammadin for almost 1000 years. So this title was given by Muslim rulers. Prabhupada was explaining Malik means Maalik they used to be the maalik – the owners –big land lords, business men and the whole economy was in their hands. Prabhupada was staying with his grandfathers they were Malik. Even the person who took Prabhupada to meet Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur in 1922 at Gaudiya matha in Bagbazar was also Malik.

The MG road as we were coming here we saw MG road- Mahatma Gandhi road, Prabhupada’s house is on MG road. In 1896 Prabhupada was born Guar Mohan Dey his father and Prabhupada recalls how when he used to get up he used to hear “ding ding ding….” What was that ding ding ding? Bell ringing and counch shell blowing. Prabhupada would get up these sounds were like alarm bell, bell is ringing and conch shell is blowing and Prabhupada would get up. This was the home atmosphere, father devotee and deity family and worshipping family. Well we say life time preparation prior to his departure yesterday 50 years ago from Kolkata. Again Prabhupada was born in Kolkata, he was given instruction to go to the West and preach in English language that instruction also came in Kolkata and he also departed for the West from Kolkata quiet a coincidence, Kolkata connections.

So life time in preparation, that preparation did not begin with the instructions of Bhakti Siddhanta ‘you to the west preach in English language.’ But I was thinking that life time preparation began with his birth in Kolkata and even coming in contact with Bhakti Siddhanta Sarawati Thakur he was preparing that was also part of life time in preparation before he was leaving for the West. The way he was born and brought up, as he was born this boy is very special boy he will establish over 100 temples. So this prediction also took place at Kolkata.

Guar Mohan Dey very religious, very pious gentleman, so many sadhus coming to his house. So they would come to Guar Mohan Dey’s home also. Sadhus coming for prasad, sadhus coming for satsanga and Guar Mohan Dey would appeal to these sadhus “please bless my son so that he becomes devotee of Radha Rani.” There are so many tuitions going on all over but Prabhupada was getting Mridanga lessons. They had their own small Radha Krsna deity and Prabhupada and his sister together would worship Radha and Krsna. The boyhood days worshipping Radha and Krsna. He used go to Radha Govind temple, did you visit?

We hear in lilamrit, Prabhupada as a small boy would spend hours in the temple, attend arti. Little Abhya used to just stand and stare at pujari offering arti to Radha Govind and for hours he would look at the deities of Radha Govind, Radha Govind ki….jai

So later on Prabhupada installed RadhaKrsna deities in ISKCON Kolkata, he named those deities Radha Govind and then in New York first deities he installed he again gave the name Radha Govind deities, Haribol. So these are the connections whatever Prabhupada did, his life time preparation he had been doing himself learning and latter on he taught to the whole world.

When he started temples in Mayapur and other places and here he started food for life. No one should go hungry in radius of 10 miles around the temple. This spirit he had picked up in Kolkata as he was born and being part of. He himself ofcourse was lover of prasadam. He used to love kachoris and he used to fill his pockets, hands are full, mouth is full of kachoris. Because they used to see his mouth always filled with kachoris, he was called as kachori mukhi. He is kachori mukhi- his mouth is always filled with kachoris.

He wanted his own ratha, elders were organizing big big ratha yatra festivals, big chariot, big Jagganath. But he wanted his own ratha yatra festival. So Guar Mohan Dey was going around looking for a chariot, either they were too big or too expensive. So in time they were returning home disappointed they could not find any ratha, but as they were returning home they saw in a small lane there is a ratha and they entered that lane. One lady was selling the ratha and bargain was stopped at deal was closed and price was affordable and Guar Mohan Dey immediately bought that chariot. And Prabhupada would organize ratha yatra festival in Kolkata with his friends and he used to insist, hye! When we conclude ratha yatra we must have prasad distribution. His elder sister Bhavatarini Mataji, Pisima as they call her here, she used to cook for Prabhupada. Many Prabhupada disciples have seen her she used to spend lot of time in Mayapur and Vrindavan. So Abhaya used to instruct his sister, hye! You have cook prasad.

Kolkata’s one name before Britishers rule was Govindpur. So as he was growing he went to school, Motilal school, britishers could not pronounce Motilal such a nice name so they spelled it Mattilal. Motilal School founded by Malik family so Prabhupada went to that school. Then he went to Scottish church college, as he was growing he was getting influenced by independence movement Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Prabhupada used to attend some of their gatherings. And on another side Mahatma Gandhi also, Prabhupada was getting influenced. He started wearing khadi clothes and then around that time Malik took Prabhupada to see Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. They both offered obeisance’s to him and they had not even sat properly, Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur said “you seem to be very intelligent you should preach Bhagvat dharma all over the world” that instruction came and then Prabhupada was having debt independence is a priority. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, no no there is another kind of independence we have to fight for and then Prabhupada said “I was defeated.” And in that very first meeting he was convinced that “Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur is my Guru Maharaj.” Then he executed the will of his Guru Maharaj, for that 50 years ago on 30th August 1965 he departed for the West from Kolkata. So this is quite a historic place for us. And ISKCON Kolkata has explored all the hidden treasures they have discovered. We are very thankful to ISKCON Kolkata authorities.

I would just say that when Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited birth place of his guru maharaj Iswarapuri it’s in Bengal, which he visited with all owe and reverence. And one thing he did he took some mud with him. They call it dirt; dirt is not a good word. So he took some mud from there that mud have touched the lotus feet of his Guru maharaj. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu did this. And then everyday Caitnaya Mahaprabhu would take few particles of that scared mud from his Guru maharja’s birth place and he ate that honored that . So this way we could see how significant is the birth place of spiritual master and how that should be honored, remembered and contemplated upon and take inspiration from also. We should also take lot blessings from this place. This place will bless all of us to carry on Prabhupada’s mission.

Srila Prabhupada ki…jai
Kolkata dhama ki…jai
Radha Govind dev ki…jai

If we could become sadhus, that’s perfection of our life
Venue: Surathkal Voice
Date: 15 June 2016
Harinam Sankirtan ki…. jay!!
Janardhan Bhagavan ki…… jay!!
Udupi Krsna ki….. jay!!
Srila Prabhupada ki….. jay!!
ISKCON Youth Forum Surathkal ki…… jay!!

So this kirtan, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also travelled through Surathkal some five hundred years ago. He went to Udupi and then to Belgaum, Kolhapur, Pandharpur, Satara, Nasik and back to Jagannath Puri. This land has been blessed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It is also called God’s own country, Parasuram Ksetra. We went to very nice Parasuram temple other day.

Did you all go? So Caitanya Mahaprabhu very kindly appeared into this material existence.

“golokam ca paritya ca lokanam trayakaranath”

The scriptures say, “lokanam tranakaranath“. “lokas’, the people are afflicted, suffering in this material world, tranakaranath’. In order to give them relief from the suffering, Caitanya Mahaprabhu left His Goloka behind and entered this existence. He appeared just for you! Each one of you, each one of us. There was no other purpose of His coming into this world. He had His family, old mother also and young beautiful wife, Vishnupriya. He abandoned. He took sannyasa. So only Lord, only incarnation that took sannyas, that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He gave up the comfort zone. He came to Katwa, He took sannyas. And immediately He wanted to go to Vrndavana. He took sannyas, no bondage, free. Free like a bird to fly. So the very first place He wanted to go to was Vrndavana, which is our original place also. We are all from Vrndavana.

Mahaprabhu is playing the role of a devotee and he would like to go back to home, back to Godhead, back to Vrndavana. But instead of going to Vrndavana, He changed His plans. Mother met Him at Shantipura. Advaita Acharya made the arrangement for Sacimata to meet her Nimai. And then Sacimata proposed, “Why don’t you stay in Jagannath Puri instead. Vrndavana is so far away.”

So Mahaprabhu accepted the proposal, mother’s proposal and decided to reside in Jaganntah Puri. So He had come to Puri. He was there for only two months and then He left again. He told all the devotees, “I must go. I have to find my brother Visvarupa. He had taken sannyas and he was travelling somewhere in the South. I would like to go, catch up with him.” He just gave that reason, excuse and then He started travelling. He travelled all over South India, walking not flying. Char dham air yatra (Laughter). I just recently, while Hare Krsna devotees were doing Padayatra all over India, there was an advertise in the paper that said, ” Char Dham Air Yatra“. Four dhams travel by air. So Mahaprabhu, no air yatra, no train journeys, no travelling by buses. Sometimes He would take a boat to cross rivers on the way. But mostly walking. As Rama also had walked before all over India during His vanvas. While He was in exile. And also Krsna walked all over Vrndavana forest all day taking care of His cows. So did Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is Krsna. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, proprietor of the whole universe, owner, controller, source of everything. And He is only walking. Not only on walking but dancing, meaning He was enjoying His walks, His travels. He was dancing at every step and chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. And sharing this holy name with everybody that He came across. He was connecting everybody with the holy names. “Take Krsna in the form of the holy name.”

‘radha krsna bolo sange calo’

This is Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s prayer. ‘radha krsna bolo sange calo, ei matra bhikha ca’; Give me alms. ‘bhiksham dehi, bhiksham dehi’. What is bhiksha? You just chant Hare Krsna. This is bhiksha.

So Mahaprabhu was appealing to everybody to chant Hare Krsna. In the evenings, he would have big gatherings. Every night people from nowhere, somewhere, they would come in big numbers. Village of one thousand population would get hundred thousand people. So this way also He was exhibiting His opulence; showing He is the Lord. He could manage getting large gathering, getting to gather. No posters, no banners, no adds, no SMS. Sitting in their hubs, He could inspire as many as He could. And there is no limit how many can inspire instantly. That’s the Lord. And then He would perform His kirtans. Large gathering around Him and Lord is in the middle with raised arms.

‘ajanu-lambita-bhujau kanakava-datau, sankirtanaika-pitarau’
‘sundara lala saci dulala, nacata sri hari kirtan mein’ He is dancing in Hari kirtan.

The beautiful Gauranga chanting, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare and getting everyone to chant and dance. He would inspire them saying Haribol!! As if He would lift them and drop them like the puppets. It would be great if Mahaprabhu would also pick us, pick and drop, pick and drop and make us dance. It would be nice. He is doing that in fact. When you chant and dance, you do. You must be chanting and dancing, this is Mahaprabhu’s program. He did the inauguration of this program 500 years ago and that program continues to this day. And He said, “One day will come, My name will be chanted.”

‘prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama, sarvatra pracara hoibe mora nama’

My name will be chanted in every town and villages of this planet. What is the name of this village? Surathkal. My name would also be chanted in Surathkal. That was prediction. And prediction has come true, as you are chanting and dancing in this village.

So 50 years ago, Srila Prabhupada was only one chanting on the streets of New York. And then he would invite those who he met on the streets and parks to come to his satsang, storefront called ‘Matchless Gift shop’. You heard that Matchless Gift shop? So the whole movement started from that Matchless Gift shop. You have seen? You could go see sometimes in future. First time I went to New York was in ’78. And the day after I arrived in New York, I went to see that Matchless Gift and many other places and pastimes of Srila Prabhupada in New York, the Bowery and there are many, China Town. And then some of his followers were becoming serious practices. They started chanting Hare Krsna also. One day Srila Prabhupada gathered the more serious one of his students together and proposed that we could together do something. He was thinking of the Hare Krsna Movement organization or foundation of Hare Krsna.

But then he said, you have to follow, chant Hare Krsna and also follow four regulative principles. Prabhupada for the first time in a formal way, these are the four. No more meat eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no gambling. Are you ready? And you are not ready. There were all assembled young American boys and girls were ready. Prabhupada initiated them also eventually.

They were just a handful young American boys and girls. He founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He just had a storefront. He had just one temple and maybe numbers of followers you can count on the fingers of two hands. But he named his society International Society. It was just a local. Not even regional, not national, he named it International Society for Krishna Consciousness. So Hare Krsna movement is celebrating 50th anniversary of ISKCON this year. ISKCON golden celebration jubilee ki jai!!!

Srila Prabhupada was trying to get some Indian young boys to join him but they were not joining. Prabhupada was approaching different gentlemen. He would ask, “how many children you have?” “I have eight sons.” Those days, it was common to have. Now it is ‘We two and ours two.’ That family planning. So he would say, “Please give me one son.” No one was coming forward. He was in Jhansi before going to America, he was giving ads in newspaper.

“Students wanted, youths wanted. I will train them as brahmacharis and will send them all over to propagate Krishna consciousness.” No response. One gentleman was travelling on the same train as Prabhupada in same compartment with his son. That person said, ‘Swamiji, Swamiji please bless my son, please bless my son.’ Every now and then he was appealing, ‘please bless my son, please bless my son.’ He was not leaving Prabhupada alone, ‘Please bless my son, please bless my son.’ Then Prabhupada said, ‘ Give me your son!’ (Laughter) And after hearing that, that person took his son away in another compartment where Swami ji wouldn’t never ever find them. He was hiding. ‘Oh not such blessing!!’

So after spending many years in the West, Prabhupada returned to India, 45 years ago, 1971 around this time like April, May. He was holding festivals in different parts of India. And one such festival was held in Mumbai, Cross Maidan near church gate station. That time I remember I also was a student like you are a student now. I was studying Chemistry and Physics in Mumbai. I was fortunate to attend that festival. The advertisement was, “American sadhus are here, European sadhus are in town”. We all went to see American sadhus, European sadhus. They were sadhus. I was convinced they were sadhus. It was not just gimmicks or something to catch up the imagination. They were genuine sadhus. And Prabhupada was maha sadhu or Prabhupada, at whose feet all the masters sit. He was their spiritual master.

Radhanatha Maharaj was also there. He was American but was not Hare Krsna sadhu that time. He was in the audience like I was. So later on we both ended up also becoming some thought of sadhus. So that was 45 years ago. So we are happy that you also become sadhus. Sadhu is a big post, big ‘padvi’. If we could become sadhus, that’s perfection of our life. If we could become sadhus. This life is meant to become sadhus. And you could be brahmacari sadhu or grihastha sadhu.

‘grhe thako, vane thako, sada hari bole dako,
sukhe duhkhe bhulo nako, vadane hari nam koro re’

Please keep chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. And study Bhagavad Gita and become devotee of Lord Krsna. And whatever else you may do. Be engineers, be doctors, be this be that, be jawan, be kisan whatever. That is secondary. Primary is becoming ‘mad bhakta’ ‘man mana bhava mad bhakto, mad yaji mam namaskuru’ (B.g 18.65).

So all those who stay in ashram, some continue to stay in brahmacari ashram. Some also return to their family, to their parents. It’s a tradition. ‘upakurvana brahmachari, he takes vow, ‘so many years I will be in brahmacari ashram and then I will take up some job or be grihastha but devotee. Brahmacari devotee, grihastha devotee, vanaprastha devotee, sannyasi devotee. Or Brahmin devotee, kshtriya devotee, vaishya devotee or sudra devotee. You may be having different talents, different inclinations.

‘mam anusmara yudhya ca’, you could be fighter, administrator. You could be farmer, you could be this and that but to all those activities ‘mam anusmara’ while remembering Me, you perform those activities. ‘yoga sthah kuru karmani’ This is Krsna consciousness. So Hare Krsna movement is providing this opportunity for Indian youths to undergo such training, become cultured, develop their personalities, personality development, man of characters. Character is lost, everything is lost, right? This is what is lacking. So take advantage. There is no gurukul system these days. ISKCON is doing something, “brahmacari gurukule vasan danto guror hitam” (S.B 7.12.1). Some gurukul like experience, not full fledged but something, some exposure.

Okay, I am happy you are in association of good company of sadhus. And then you also will become yogi sadhu and give association to others. Attract them to Krsna, bring them to Krsna. That’s the idea. So that we become happy. Everyone wants to be happy but Hare Krsna movement is letting everyone know how to become happy. Wish you happy New Year, that’s not enough. Wishing is nice. I wish you happy New Year but we say how to be happy. We say chant Hare Krsna and be happy.
Okay Hare Krsna.

Venue: Malaysia
Dated: 10th Dec 2016

We welcome you all the assembled devotees joining us this morning, remembering Krishna’s pastimes in Kuruksetra which took place on this day. Specially the pastime of speaking what we call Bhagavad Gita , the song of God, Sri Krishna. That is also pastime right? Reciting Bhagavad Gita , speaking Bhagavad Gita is amazing, amazing pastime.
So, repeat after me,

dhrtarastra uvaca
dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah
mamakah pandavas caivan kim akurvata sanjaya

TRANSLATION:

Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, desiring to ?ght, what did they do?

PURPORT: Bhagavad-gita is the widely read theistic science summarized in the Gita mahatmya (Glori?cation of the Gita). There it says that one should read Bhagavad-gita very scrutinizingly with the help of a person who is a devotee of Sri Krsna and try to understand it without personally motivated interpretations. The example of clear understanding is there in the Bhagavad-gita itself, in the way the teaching is understood by Arjuna, who heard the Gita directly from the Lord. If someone is fortunate enough to understand the Bhagavad- gita in that line of disciplic succession, without motivated interpretation, then he surpasses all studies of Vedic wisdom, and all scriptures of the world. One will ?nd in the Bhagavad- gita all that is contained in other scriptures, but the reader will also ?nd things which are not to be found elsewhere. That is the speci?c standard of the gita. It is the perfect theistic science because it is directly spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna.

Just now, I remembered. Prabhupad was travelling from Amritsar back to Delhi with his followers. Must be late 60’s or early 70 or 71. The train stopped at Kuruksetra train station and through the window Prabhupada was pointing, right there, battlefield of Kuruksetra took place and right there in between the 2 armies the chariot stood and Krishna spoke.

So, meaning also the history the historical event there was a time in Krishna’s Lila, one day He was very much there, in Kuruksetra. Kuruksetra existed and exists now and Krishna was there in that Kuruksetra. “Dharma ksetrekuruksetre”. Not just mentioned Kuruksetra but mentioned Dharma ksetra. And one who said is Dhritarashtra and he had to say this. He could just say Kuruksetra.“ My sons and sons of Pandu have assembled in Kuruksetra “he could have just said that. But he didn’t say just Kuruksetra, he had to say dharma ksetra. Srila Prabhupad explains why it is so. Because he is thinking that my sons are not dharmic, not spiritual. But this place is place of dharma, this place is place of spirituality. So this place will not go in favour of my sons. Sons of Pandu are spiritual, dharmic. They are Krishna conscious. So this will certainly do favour or this place is in favour of sons of my brother Pandu and not in favour of my sons. So, while thinking or saying “Kuruksetra”, he had to say yes yes this place is of dharma. But my sons are not dharmic. So he is already kind of realizing the outcome of this battle. So he has his doubts about the outcome of the battle.

So he is enquiring. “kim akurvata sanjaya”. Dhrtara?tra is sitting in Hastinapur, 700 miles away from Kuruksetra and next to him is Sanjaya, his secretary, his minister and he is enquiring from him. “you tell me what is going on there in Kuruksetra and what do you think is going to be outcome of the battle.” This is how the very first verse begins like that. This is the question. Ofcourse all that Sanjay is going to be talking, that talk is there. In the conclusion of Bhagavad gita, the last verse of Bhagavad Gita we find the answer to this question. Please tell. And he says

yatra yogesvarah krsno yatra partho dhanur dharah
tatra srir vijayo bhutir dhruva nitir matir mama

Very perfect, question begins with question and ends with the answer to that particular question. Oh! you had asked me what happens. In the battle someone wins and someone is defeated. This is normally one of those things or both of those things. One party is victorious and other party is defeated.

Gita begins with Dhrtarastra uvaca and ends with Sanjaya uvaca. The first question is addressed to Sanjaya. Sanjaya says yes I could tell. Battle is about to begin and they are in middle I could say yes for sure. He is giving the conclusion. Wherever there is Krishna, what kind of Krishna, Yogesvarah Krishna and where ever there is archer, Dhanurdhara, the holder of dhanushbaan, arch and bow. Like Arjun there. Yatratatra –where there. Where you will find the combination of these two, Krishna and His devotee, Yogesvarah and dhanurdhar, Arjuna there you will find “Sri”, opulence, there you will find Vijaya, Victory. Other things also he has said. We don’t have time to get into “Mahabharat” in great details.

So, jayas tu pandu putranam yesam pakshe janardanah
Certainly the victory vijay of Panduputranam is guaranteed. Why it is so?

Esam pakshe Janardana, because in their party there is Janardana. They are Janardana party, Krishna Party. So Victory is guaranteed. Harihari.

So big army has assembled in Kuruketra which is dharma ksetra – Pandav party and Kaurava party.—11 akshauhini divisions on Duryodhana side and only 7 akshauhini divisions fighting on Arjun’s side, Yudhishthir side. The Ksatriya’s from all over the planet they have assembled. This is world war. Historians have not taken note of. That is why they say the first world war 1918 Second World War 1940’s early. What about this world war. Then what about this? This is the first one, then second and third one, they could have said. This was literally the world war and Srila Vyasadev has written the history. He is a historian. And there is a detailed account. There is history with all great details. So they decided to begin the war on ekadashi which is today. It received the name, I don’t know when. “Mokshada Ekadashi”. Mokshada means giver of Moksha. Ekadashi that gives Moksha for sure we could say that on this day, his ekadashi day.

Arjuna said

“nasto mohah smrtir labdha tvat-prasadan mayacyuta
sthito ‘smi gata-sandehah karisye vacanam tava”

After hearing Bhagavad Gita, towards completion of dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, which is described as adbhut, wonderful, amazing dialogue towards the end. As Arjuna had been hearing for some time. Not long time may be 45 min or so. Arjuna came to conclusion or this was his realisation. I have become free from illusion. Nasta – destroyed. What is destroyed?–Moha, my illusion is destroyed. Gata sandeha – all the doubts vanished. Sthito smi – I am now properly situated and now go ahead. Just order me. Karisye vacanam tava- I will obey your command. Ofcourse the command was already there, mamanusmara yudhya ca-while remembering me fight the battle.

Ofcourse at the beginning as he had arrived, everyone arrived, Arjuna arrived and he had said fighting no no, i will not fight and he became quite and sat down on the chariot. So he was not ready to obey the command in the beginning but then after hearing the whole message, inspirational speech then he said, ‘aaa, now I am ready to go “, this is the outcome of hearing BG becoming free from illusion. That is the point that we are also trying to make. Becoming free from illusion attaining moksha. Ajuna attained Moksha on this day . It did not take whole day, just morning hours. Not so many hours, less than one hour. So what time was Krishna spoke BG, 3 o clock in afternoon? After lunch? As they arrived, as armies arrived. And this is dharma ksetrakuruksetra and what is going to happen there is dharma yuddha , religious battle. In fact it is dharma sansthapanaarthaya – to establish dharma. This battle, for establishing the purpose of establishing dharma. Dharma yudha always commences when the sun is rising in the morning on the eastern horizon and they go on up until the sun set.

So “senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me acyuta” I mean just see Arjuna said to Lord, you Acyuta, infallible one. Get closer please, closer to the enemy camp; I want to see who is here wishes to battle with me. He was fired up. His blood is boiling. They want to fight with me, bring my chariot closer O! achyuta. It means that you never fall down but I am going to be falling down from my consciousness. I am in a high spirit now but soon I won’t be the same Arjuna. So in advance you are Achyuta, you are infallible one but I am going to be falling down from my position in next coming moments.

So, ‘tatah svetair hayair yukte mahati syandane sthitau’– Krishna is chariot driver , he doesn’t even own the chariot. Its Arjuna’s chariot and Krishna is just Parthasarthi, he is only Arjuna’s chariot driver. So, already Sanjay is doing this narration, relaying that to Dhrtarashtra. See chariot is arriving on the scene. He is getting attention of Dhrtarashtra. Specifically to that chariot, whose white horses, “svetair hayair yukte mahati syandane sthitau” syandane is chariot, mahati is great beautiful amazing nicely carved well-built chariot which is being pulled by white horses and sthitau- situated are 2 persons in that chariot ‘madhavah pandavas caiva’ Madhava, Krishna, the other one is Pandava , Arjuna. And what did they do. “divya sankhau pradadhmatuh” they blew their divine conch shells they blew. They are blowing conch shells to inspire those who are sleeping.
So “pancjanyam hrsikeso devadattam dhananjayah”

And the conch shell blown by Sri Krishna is called “Pancajanya” and conch shell blown by Arjuna is called Devadatta like that. And which conchshell was blown by Bhima you will find that the name and Nakula and Sahadeva also blew their conch shells and like that, great detail the whole history blow by blow has been described. As they are seated, Arjuna said now please bring that chariot forward here Krishna has become, as said in Chaitanya Charitamrita He has become Rajjudhara. Murlidhara in Vrindavan and in Kuruksetra he has become Rajjudhar. Rajju means rope,lagaam, reins. In His left hand the ropes and right hand the whip. He did that and Arjuna’s chariot was in between the two armies and then Krishna says. It is the only thing Krishna says in first chapter of bhagavad gita. First chapter is “Setting the scene” and part of the scene Krishna speaks only a few words. And these are the only words Krishna spoke and they are,

“Pasyaitan samavetan kurun iti”

You wanted to see. Just go ahead and see. In fact Arjuna could have seen but Krishna wanted to show him. He doesn’t allow Arjun to just see on his own. Krishna is bringing attention of Arjuna, “Ok see. You wantd to see”. Ok I am seeing. You are seeing all assembled Kurus to be underlined or to highlighted. You are seeing Kurus. You are also Kurunandan. Not only here Dhrtarashtra’s sons are kurus but sons of Pandu are also kurus. They are technically divided into kurus, kauravas and pandavas. Pandavas are also Kauravas. They are also in the line of Kuru dynasty. So this is what Krishna is putting this thought into the head of Arjuna. So as Arjuna has now seen and he is pointing out who he is seeing and by seeing all of them. Arjun is also going to fall asleep. Somewhat getting into ignorance.

Arjun says “Sidanti mama gatrani”. My limbs are all trembling. I am perspiring, Arjuna has said all this in the first chapter. “mukham ca parisusyati” my throat is drying up. And as far as Gandiva is concerned,
“gandivam sramsate hastat”

Right out of my hand its slipping and you want me to fight. How could I fight? A few minutes ago he was like “with me they want to fight, who are they?” and in the next few minutes he is trembling and Gandiva is falling off. And so his body, his mind, his thoughts is gone case.

“sreyo nupasyami hatva sva janam ahave”

By killing svajanas. He is into svajanas. These are my people our people. “hatva sva janam ahave” in a terrible battle like this, killing your own people. I do not see any benefit in battling our own people. “na ca rajyam sukhani ca” I don’t want battle, no victory . I am not interested, no no …he goes on and on talking.
So the first chapter of Bhagvad gita is not Bhagavad Gita. It is Arjuna Gita. He is not letting Krishna speak. He is speaking and speaking with every thought, with every statement he utters he distracts himself he deviates himself from Krishna. He is doing all the mental speculation. What about this dharma? what about that dharma? What about kula dharma? What about so many duties and obligations? And he says “Now you tell me, whatever is most beneficial for me, you tell me. I cannot figure it out on my own, O Krishna. And then he says “sisyas tea ham sadhi man tvam prapannam”. I am a soul surrendered unto you. Please instruct me. And then Krishna takes over. Krishna takes charge of the situation and Krishna begins speaking.

Sri bhagavan uvaca,
Asocyan anvasocas tvam, this lamentation where is this all coming from?
“nanusocanti panditah”

You are talking like a pandit, very learned person. Pandit never laments. Learned person never laments but you are full of lamentation. What kind of pandit you are? What kind of learned person you are? Means you are not learned. All that you spoke where is this dirt coming from ? This is fit for dustbin. Kasmalamidam. A person like you great dynasty and this and that. This is not befitting. Krishna is expressing His amazement. He is amazed. I am amazed. Arjuna what’s going on with you? what are you talking, nonsense? Talking like a fool. And then

“dehino smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara
Tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati”

Lord speech begins in 2nd chapter. In Bhagavatam also, the speaker of Bhagavatam, Sukadev Goswami, he does not speak in the first canto of Bhagavatam. From second canto onwards Sukadev goswami begins speaking. Like something similar. In Bhagavad Gita also Krishna does not speak in first chapter except that few words that we pointed out to you earlier. His formal speech, song of God, begins from the 2nd chapter of Bhagavad Gita and beginning with, you are not this body. This is the foundational knowledge. Krishna is imparting unto Arjuna. And talking of killing, you say you don’t want to kill your svajanas, your own people, your relatives. Krishna is kind of challenging, ok go ahead kill them. I want you to kill them. Kill the sleep. So Krishna says

nainam chindanti sastrani nainam dahati pavakah
na caiman kledayanty apo na sosayati marutah

You are talking of killing and not killing but in fact you cannot kill. Your relatives cannot be killed. They are souls. They are atma and atma cannot be killed. And he is talking about 4 great elements and he is not talking about the fifth one. Four cannot do the job of killing. Sastra, all the weapons they are made of earth mostly earth metals. No weapon could cut the soul and the fire, fire cannot burn the soul. The body in the cremation ground is burnt. Water cannot make the soul wet. Fire cannot make it dry. So all those four elements of no use. It could do nothing, the soul cannot be altered in anyway, no cutting, no burning. Not drying in the air and no making it wet with the water. Like that it goes on.

The 2nd chapter is the summary, Bhagavad Gita summarised. And then Krishna gets into different yogas – karma, jnana, ashtanga yoga. Your backbone head straight. Sit properly. Prabhupada said during Japa yoga time sit properly. So Krishna is describing the ashtanga yoga and is describing the mind also. The nature of mind.
Uddharedatmanatmanam natmanamavasadayet.

You have to lift your mind. Make sure that it doesn’t fall down give a lift to the mind. That mind could be your friend, could also be very easily your enemy. And like that, some psychology, the mind. Lord is talking about the mind. Because in yoga mind has a big role to play.

Mana eva manusyanam karanambandha-moksayoh

Such a bold statement, clear statement. The mind could make you baddha, bound. The same mind if it acts like a friend, it will become cause of your liberation. Mind could become both of these. Karanam bandha mokshaya, Karanam- cause, bandha- bondage, moksha – liberation. And like that Krishna goes on and then Arjuna says

“cancalam hi manah krsna pramathi balavad drdham”

The mind is so obstinate so flickering. Krishna “I agree, I am the one who made the mind. I know the nature of the mind. But then Krishna says

abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena ca grhyate

By practice Arjuna, by constant practice wherever mind goes from there from there drag it back. And put under atma. Or engage in Krishna and Krishna consciousness. Such was the program of Ambarish. Mind always fixed on the lotus feet of Krishna by practice. And then He concludes, I also have to conclude very soon. Time for “MahaprasadeGovinde”. Now everyone is up. This mantra wakes us up in ISKCON. There is another mantra. “OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA” puts you to sleep. “MahaPrasade” you jump. MahaprasadeGovinde. Krishna says after talking about this yoga that yoga Yoginaamapisarvesam mad gaterantaratmana, sradhavanbhajateyo mama sa me yuktatamomatah .Yuktatamah the best of all yogis is the bhakti yogi.

And then the next 6 chapters is the core of Gita, the middle of Gita talks about the Bhakti yoga. Krishna talks of devotional service. Devotion, devotional service. Talks of the opulence’s of the devotional truth, His own opulence’s. By hearing all this thus far, its only 10th chapter. Arjuna has only come to his realisation.

‘param brahma param dhama’

You are the Supreme Brahma. adi-devamajamvibhum. You are adi deva and you are all in all Vasudeva sarvamiti samahatma sudurlabha, Arjuna has also become that rare great soul realising that Vasudeva, Sri Krishna is all in all and he says whatever you have said and whatever you are talking O! Sri Krishna all that you are talking about, every single thing, every sentence, every word, every letter that you are uttering is nothing but the truth and I accept this .But then for the sake of others, the opulence’s are exhibited. Universal form is there which Arjuna was not interested in but for the sake of others, prove it. So, Krishna has shown all the opulence’s. And seeing that Arjuna is not into that darshan and is kind of all over. Then again he prays no please Lord the earlier darshan. Go back go back, then ok 4 handed, no not this, then 2 handed ok now stop there. And then Krishna says

su-durdarsam idam rupam drstavan asi yan mama
deva apy asya rupasya nityam darsana-kanksinah

The form that now that you are seeing Arjuna , this is very rare darshan. Now that you are seeing even the demigods, gods and goddesses, they are very very anxious to get darshan of this rupa. The one that you are seeing now. And then Krishna goes on after the middle 6 chapters, then 3 modes of material nature, very important chapter. Divisions of faith, very important. Purushottam yoga very important. Ofcourse Krishna cannot say something that is not important. Only important things, Lord is talking. And then He says now we are going to talk. I have talked about some confidential things guhyam, guhyatar more confidential. Now I am going to talk about Guhyatam, the most confidential thing. And then 18th chapter Krishna says

man-manabhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te pratijane priyo si me

Man mana – remember Me, mad bhakti become My devotee mad-yaji worship Me, mam namaskuru offer your obeisances to Me Arjuna if you do so or anyone else also. Krishna is talking to Arjuna but His target audience is all of us. All the people of all the times including Malaysian people everywhere. So those who do this man-manabhava mad-bhakto..
I tell you the truth O Arjuna, they will come back to Me. They will come back to home back to Godhead. If they did this this this that.

Satatam kirtayanto mam yatantasca drdha-vratah

He has also talked about Kirtan mela, satatam kirtayanto mam . Those who are always chanting my glories and kirtan is kirti, from glories comes kirtan. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama RamaRama Hare Hare. So you will come to Me. I say this. This is the truth. I take a vow of bringing you back to Me and I say all these because you are very very dear to Me. So all the souls are dear to Krishna. So He has spoken the Bhagavad Gita addressing all the souls, all of us. He did that on this day Gita Jayanti day, Gita’s birthday. That Gita took birth from the mouth of the Lord. From the mouth of the Lord Gita appeared. And that Gita Srila Prabhupada has kindly shared with the entire world and he has presented Bhagavad Gita as it is. Most of the speakers, presenters do not present it as it is which Prabhupada did talk in this purport and in others purports we have motivations interpretations misleading and cheating and this and that.

evam parampara praptam, in parampara, disciplic succession, Srila Prabhupada has delivered Bhagavad Gita as it is to the whole world. And Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said “Jare dekho tare kaho Krishna upadesh.” Upadesh means instructions. Krishna upadesh is Bhagavad Gita. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also said I order you. I order you to share this Bhagavad gita to anybody and everybody you meet, you come across. Srila Prabhupada gave us that program to start.

So for the pleasure of Sri Krishna and Srila Prabhupada we distribute books, distribute Bhagavd Gita and make our life perfect. We become dear to Krishna by doing so, by distributing Bhagavad Gita.
Srimad Bhagavad Gita ki Jai.

The Teachings of Srila Prabhupada
Date: 2 Jan 2017
All glories to the assembled devotees.

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesha-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

We will sing Radhe Jaya Jaya Madhava Dayite written by Rupa Goswami. In this song, Rupa Goswami has described the glories of Srimati Radharani and requested Her to shower Her mercy upon him.

radhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite gokula-taruni-mandala-mahite

O Radha! O beloved of Madhava! O You who are worshiped by all the young girls of Gokula! All glories unto You! All glories unto You!

damodara-rati-vardhana-vese hari-nishkuta-vrinda-vipinese
vrishabhanudadhi-nava-sasi-lekhe lalita-sakhi gunaa-ramita-visakhe
karunam kuru mayi karuna-bharite sanaka-sanatana-varnaita-carite

You who dress Yourself in such a way as to increase Lord Damodara’s love and attachment for You! O queen of Vrndavana, which is the pleasure grove of Lord Hari! O new moon that has arisen from the ocean of King Vrsabhanu! O friend of Lalita! O You who make Visakha loyal to You due to Your wonderful qualities of friendliness, kindness, and faithfulness to Krsna! O You who are filled with compassion! O You whose divine characteristics are described by the great sages Sanaka and Sanatana! O Radha, please be merciful to me!

om namo bhagvate vasudevya

Srila Prabhupada ki…jai. I once again thank you all for coming for the katha.

vayam tu na vitrpyama uttama-sloka-vikrame
yac chrnvatam rasa-jñanam svadu svadu pade pade (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.19)

One can never be satiated even though one continuously hears the transcendental pastimes of Krsna, who is glorified by excellent prayers. Those who have entered into a transcendental relationship with Krsna relish the descriptions of the pastimes of the Lord at every step.

We are trying to sing the glories of Srila Prabhupada.

vaisnavera kriya mudra vijneha na bujhaya — however learned or intelligent a person may be, he cannot understand the activities of a vaisnava. [CC. Madhya lila 23.39]

We are the people of the world, so we can understand the people of this world. But understanding the Mahabhagavats and the Lord’s realization is also difficult.

ahah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah (CC Madhya 17.136)

No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Sri Krsna through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.

To understand nama, rupa, guna, lila of Lord is difficult and the polluted senses can never understand them. Serve the Lord with the tongue; sing the glories of the Lord then there will be ceto darpan marajanam. The mind and the senses will be purified.

samo damas tapah saucam ksantir arjavam eva ca
jñanam vijñanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam (Bhagavad Gita 18.42)

Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness-these are the qualities by which the brahmanas work.

These qualities are manifest in the body of a Vaisnava. Therefore a perfect Vaisnava is also a perfect brahmana, as indicated by the words brahmanyah sila-sampannah.(SB 7.4.31-32) A Vaisnava is always determined to understand the Absolute Truth, and to understand the Absolute Truth one needs to have full control over his senses and mind. Prahlada Maharaja possessed all these qualities.

Control the senses and the mind and of course, intelligence, the driver of our life.

yantrarudhani mayaya

This body is a machine made of the material energy and in that machine a soul is sitting. The driver is intelligence. In this analogy, the chariot is the body, the horses are the five senses, the reins in the mouth of the horses is the mind, the charioteer is the intellect, and the passenger seated behind is the soul residing in the body.

The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated on a machine, made of the material energy.

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

To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

When I was a child, my mother would take me to the temple and say, ‘put your hands together and ask the Lord for buddhi (intelligence)’. I repeated as she said and after some time the Lord gave me the proper intelligence. I joined ISKCON and served Sri Sri Radha Rasa Bihari established by Srila Prabhupada in Juhu.

ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham
mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah (Bhagavad Gita 4.11)

All of them-as they surrender unto Me-I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Prtha.

Understanding Srila Prabhupada and his caritra is difficult. The thoughts of a man, not his clothes or his external appearance, tell us about his caritra. A Wise man and a fool can be distinguished once he starts talking. To know Srila Prabhupada means to understand his thoughts, his views, his vision and his teachings.

So today’s topic is: Teachings of Srila Prabhupada. About his life. We have been listening for 6 days. I tried to shed some light on his life.

In his pranam mantra we say, namo om visnupadaya. He is the servant of the lotus feet of Visnu. He spreads the holy name all over the world. The mantra only mentions the West and how he saved us from impersonalism and voidism. Buddha preached about voidism and its very dangerous. According to Buddhist philosophy, there is only a void after the completion of this material life, but Bhagavad-Gita teaches differently. Actual life begins after the completion of this material life.

mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa (CC Madhya 6.169)

Srila Vyasadeva presented the Vedanta philosophy for the deliverance of conditioned souls, but if one hears the commentary of Sankaracarya, everything is spoiled. Be careful.

Tukaram maharaja said, ‘advaitachi vani nako kani tyahuni bahira baracha me’,

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

Those who are actually knowers of the Absolute Truth know that the Self is realized in three different phases, as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan.

aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva sannam bhaga itingana (Visnu Purana 6.5.47)

Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is thus defined by Parasara Muni as one who is complete in the six opulences—who has full strength, fame, wealth, knowledge, beauty, and renunciation. Lord is full of 6 opulences. Lord is jnanavan-knowledgeable . Bhagavad-Gita says, ‘Sri Bhagavan uvaca’, means jnanavan uvacha, He is beautiful – ‘sundar te dhyana’

mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah (SB 1.1.10)

In this iron age of Kali, man has but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed. Our brain is dull so anybody can cheat us. Srila Prabhupada’s teachings are not his teachings, but the teachings of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada would say, ‘Like a post man; just deliver the letter’. So the acarya’s work is to spread the teaching of the Lord as it is.

So Srila Prabhupada was successful because he presented the Lord’s message as it is. Arjuna heard Gita and what was the effect?

nasto mohah smrtir labdha tvat-prasadan mayacyuta
sthito ‘smi gata-sandehah karisye vacanam tava

Arjuna said, My dear Krsna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions. “I’m ready to follow your orders”.

So one who reads Gita presented by Srila Parabhupada has the effect of karisye vacanam tava and crores and millions of souls all over the world are ready to follow the orders of the Lord.

Srila Prabhupada said, ‘We are not God. You are not God. We are the servants of God’. He has introduced us to the service of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada’s mission is for the establishment of dharma.

dharma-sthapana-hetu sadhura vyavahara

A devotee’s behavior establishes the true purpose of religious principles.

aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam
ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena va kalpita
srimad bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pum-artho mahan
sri-caitanya mahaprabhor matam idam tatradarah na parah

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, is worshipped along with His transcendental abode Vrndavana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopis of Vrndavana. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the spotless authority on everything. Pure love of Godhead is the ultimate goal of life for all men. These statements, for which we have the highest regard, are the opinion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Lord Caitanya recommended that the greatest achievement of human life is to achieve the grace of the Lord, love of God. He said, prema pumartho mahan: to achieve love of Godhead is the highest perfection of life.

We know there are 4 purusharthas : dharma, artha, kama, moksha. But above all of these is prema purushartha. Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us this fifth prema purushartha; ahaituki bhakti, ‘O Lord give us Your bhakti’.

The goal of every soul is to go back to Godhead, through bhakti bhava. Srila Prabhupada translates bhakti as devotional service. ‘I have lot of devotion’, then show it by serving the Lord.

Dr. N.D.Desai (Srinathji Prabhu) A successful Bombay engineer is no more amongst us. He always found fault in Srila Prabhupada. But after 6 years he understood Srila Prabhupada and soon surrendered unto him. Srila Prabhupada said: “I’m in my books; if anyone wants to know me, then read my books”.

We can get the association of an acarya through vani and vapu seva. When he is present amongst us, we can serve him, that is vapu seva. So vapu is not there, but vani, his books, are always there. We can read them and understand.

we always wondered when seeing Srila Prabhupada reading his own Krsna book. Srila Prabhupada would say, “I didn’t write this book, what ever the Lord said, I wrote. Lord Krsna Himself made me write”. He gave all the credit to the Lord.

Srila Prabhupada is transparent media, through him, we know the Lord. Srila Prabhupada said these books are windows to the spiritual world. It’s also called sastra caksu, direct darsana of the spiritual world. Whatever we want to know about the Lord can be known through his books.

Our acaryas have completed all the experiments in their hearts and given us the books. There is no chance of mental speculation or experimentation.

The FOUR golden rules are :

Books are the basis.
Preaching is the essence.
Utility is the principle.
Purity is the force.

His books are the gifts he has left for us. Guru/Rishi-Rin (Obligations towards Teachers/Sages or Knowledge debt) It’s called, the debt of the rishis.

In Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada said, “Print as many as books as you can, in all languages then Krishna consciousness will spread”. His Guru Maharaja had ordered him to write books in English. So he said to his disciples, “Print as many as books you can in as many as languages as you can.” So his books are translated into 70 languages.

Printing books and distributing books is the basic service of ISKCON. All information is there in his books about the Lord’s abode.

na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah
yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama

That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world. It’s all fact, it’s not mythology.

pañcajanyam hrsikeso devadattam dhanañ-jayah
paundram dadhmau maha-sankham bhima-karma vrkodarah

Lord Krsna blew His conchshell, called Pancajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhima, the voracious eater and performer of herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell, called Paundra in the battle of Kuruksetra. It’s all historical fact. Gita is the song of the Lord.

It is said that the body is the ratha and the senses are the horses, like that if we mentally speculate then everything is finished.

During my last visit to China I was doing programs in different cities. The entry fee was the purchase of a Bhagavad-Gita. In this manner 1200 Gitas were distributed in China. So they are also reading patram pushpam. No more snake soup; they only drink carnamrita. No more eating mice. They are becoming strict vegetarians. In a country like China, where they eat black and white ant bread, they are now not only vegetarian but also Krsnatarian. They offer the food to the Lord and eat prasada. What to eat, how to eat; Prabhupada taught the whole world.

Food can be in mode of passion, ignorance and goodness, but prasada is beyond the three modes. Prasada is good for your mind, body and soul. Food for soul is prasada.

Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. No author has written ‘as it is’. They can’t write that because their Gita is not as it is. Only the Lord’s devotee can talk about the Lord. Everybody is not a devotee even if they dress like that. They are bhukti kami, siddhi kami, all of them are not peaceful.

There are many babas who show some magic. They may also be called dharmic, but they perform yajna. They are kami. They cannot understand the Lord.

krsna-bhakta—niskama, ata eva ‘santa’
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami, sakali ‘asanta’

Because a devotee of Lord Krsna is desireless, he is peaceful. Fruitive workers desire material enjoyment, jnanis desire liberation, and yogis desire material opulence; therefore they are all lusty and cannot be peaceful.

Technology has progressed a lot in the West. They are materially strong, but spiritually blind. Srila Prabhupada said, “The West is blind and the East is lame. One is blind and one is lame. They can help each other. Technology of the West and the culture of East can work as a team.” This was Srila Prabhupada’s proposal. Utility is the principle. We are using everything in the service of the Lord: internet, aeroplane, microphones.

Srila Prabhupada was talking with scientists on a morning walk and established a scientist’s community to explain and discuss with them that “Life comes from life; life does not come from matter. Darwin’s theory of evolution says, that some chemical reactions take place and life comes from it. They have no knowledge of life. They say the Amoeba was the first living entity and then evolution took place and the Amoeba became a monkey and then man came into the picture. Srila Prabhupada heard this, he said, “No! No! Darwin may have come from a monkey but we have not. We have come from Brahma. The most evolved first entity was Brahma. He was very intelligent and that is why he had 4 heads.” Scientists say that an explosion caused creation.

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate (Bhagavad-Gita 10.8)

I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me.‘I’m the controller of the material creation’. If there is creation, then here must be some creator. HH. Swarupa Damodar Maharaja was a scientist. He spoke to the scientists discussing these topics with them. Now they call this creation, an intelligent design. A design needs some intelligent person.

Srila Prabhupada stressed the 4 regulative principles.

Dharma has four pillars; daya (compassion) is the foundation of Dharma. Meat eating destroys compassion, intoxication destroys austerity, purity is destroyed by illicit sex and truthfulness is destroyed by gambling. No meat eating will establish compassion, no gambling establishes truthfulness, no illicit sex establishes purity, and no intoxication establishes austerity. This is all explained in Srimad-Bhagvatam.

Hare Krsna Kirtana is the dharma of Kali-yuga. The main teaching is this.Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare; Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

iti shodashakam namnam, kali-kalmasha-nashanam;
natah parataropayah, sarva-vedeshu drishyate.

The sixteen words-Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, 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. It all comes from sastra not and from fertile brain of Srila Prabhupada.

ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam
indrari-vyakulam lokam mrdayanti yuge yuge (SB 1.3.28)

All the lists of the incarnations of Godhead submitted herewith are either plenary expansions or parts of the plenary expansions of the Supreme Godhead, but Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.”

Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Prabhupada has taught this in his books. People think Krsna is one of the 33 crores demigods, pick whichever you like. Krsna is avatari; He is the source of all avatars.

sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. So we need to surrender to the Lord.

Prabhupada also gave us Deity worship and Deity worship standards

So all of you read Srila Prabhupada’s books and his lilamrita.
Thank you very much for coming to the katha.
You must be inspired by the katha.
Are you ready to follow Srila Prabhupada now?

Devotees from Bengal meet Caitanya Mahaprabhu

We are at the old Radha Kunjabihari temple. Old is gold.
Lets sing, jaya radha madhava jaya kunjabihari

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

om nano bhagvate vasudevaya

I welcome you all to Radha Kunjabihari! This morning in the auspicious atmosphere of the Radha Kunjabihari courtyard, we all have gathered for Gaur katha. I welcome all you Gaura bhakta vrndas.

I welcome all the youth present today and the older ones. The older ones will move on and the youth will remain to spread the mission. Throughout India the youth are joining ISKCON and taking up the responsibility of preaching. There is no need to fear. The next 50 years are covered.

vrdhavastha cinta magna

We, the old people keep worrying. Now ISKCON’S old people need not worry as the youth are coming forward and they are taking the responsibility under the guidance of Radheshyam Prabhu. Thanks to all the youth, now we can peacefully do our bhajan.

Forty years back this was not the picture; this is also the krpa of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

“Oh! Swamiji you are giving sannayasa to young people. Sannayasa has to be given in old age.” A reporter posed that challenging question to Prabhupada. Prabhupada replied, “Who is old in your view? One can die any time. Sooner or later, he will die. If he does not die in morning, he may die in the evening. Is there any guarantee that these young people will not die. They can also die at any time.”

In the 20th and 21st centuries people are dying younger and younger. In Africa due to AIDS youngsters are dying at the age of 20 and 30. The average life span of an African is just 32 years. Old person should take sannyasa, but the young can also die at any time, so they should also be given sannayasa. We ask – how old are you and not – how young are you. So you are old enough to take sannayasa. When I asked Prabhupada for sannyasa Prabhupada said, “You are already a sannayasi. You want undergo the formality?” Brahmacharis are nearly sannayasis. So I thank all the intelligent youngsters who are taking up Krishna consciousness.

yajanti hi sumedhasah

Become intelligent. One who does not accept Krishna consciousness is a fool. Prove that you are intelligent by taking up Krishna consciousness.

ye hi samsparsa-ja bhoga duhkha-yonaya eva te
ady-antavantah kaunteya na tesu ramate budhah

An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them. Material sense pleasures are due to the contact of the material senses, which are all temporary because the body itself is temporary. A liberated soul is not interested in anything which is temporary.

divacarthe hyaa rajan kutum bharne nava

They earn money and spend it shopping. A mall in China was advertising, ‘after you work spend time with us’. It means spend your money with us. Earn money for bhoga and bhoga is the cause of roga.

To buy happiness we spend money, but sadness and sorrows are free. You will get a complete package. Happiness gets converted into dukha in this life or the next. As you sow, so shall you reap. Sukha or happiness comes and goes. One who is Krishna conscious is always happy. You should go near the Lord. If devotees go away, then papa will come near.

A lot has changed since Prabhupada’s time. More and more people are becoming intelligent by taking up Krishna consciousness.

I was the first one amongst the Bombay students who joined in 1972. There were many colleges, but no one was joining. Now the situation is different. Thousands of youngsters are joining ISKCON and the credit goes to HG Radheshyam Prabhu. Radheshyam has revolutionised youth preaching in India. There is an explosion all over. VOICE and BACE are two of the many fancy names. It is not just limited to Pune. It is all India limited. They come here, steal some ideas and put them into practice all over .

Radheshyam is also very generous. He gives his ideas and helps everyone in youth preaching. A Youth festival had taken place in Pune. It was in the courtyard of Bharatiya Vidyapeeth and 20,000 youths had come. That was dedicated to the ISKCON’s 50th Golden Jubilee. This is a ray of hope. If youngsters are joining here, they can join in other places also. This is all the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu made Prabhupada instrumental in preaching.

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesha-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

In the pranam mantra only the delivering of the Western countries is written. When the pranam mantra was formulated at that time preaching was taking place in the West. Many people asked why only the West is mentioned in the mantra since preaching is going on all over. So to protect us Prabhupada established ISKCON.

We will now read from Caitanya Caritamrita.

I will welcome others also, I just mentioned Radheshyam, but I also welcome the fans of Radheshyam. Devotees have come from other places. I appreciate that they have come all the way. All of you and each one of you, I welcome you and thank you. We are very happy to have you all here. Become Intelligent.

krsna shakti vina nahe tara pravartana

Without Krsna Shakti no one can preach the message of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. You have to bring about that revolution, transformation because you need Krsna Shakti. Become powerful and get connected to the power house. The light is glowing, but it needs a connection to power house. We are all small bulbs according to our capacity. We should serve. The squirrel also had some capacity and Hanuman also had some capacity. So stay connected

evam parampara-praptam

The power house is Krsna and the parampara. Once mental speculation comes in between there will be a short circuit or even a disconnection. The thoughts of the mind brings about obstacles. The wires of light are bad or good conductors of a current. We should be a good conductor and remain connected to the power house. We have to make our soul powerful. A strong soul is mahatma. Once mano dharma -mental speculation arrives, it is all finished. It’s also gambling dyutam. The cheating starts and then you start cheating others. There is ordinary gambling, but mental speculation is a more serious gambling. Makta (gambling) gutka (eating tobacco) fatka (fighting) zatka(shock as in receiving a punch) is all there, but mental speculation is even more serious because it causes a short circuit.

Jato mat tato path — As there are a number of beliefs, there are a number of ways. This has caused all the problems. Then they proudly say, ‘I am Indian’. We are not proud. So we don’t say that we are Indian.

The devotees from Bengal were coming to see Caitanya Mahaprabha. About two hundred devotees were coming from Bengal. All of them were greatly advanced and specifically devoted to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

All of them have already arrived on the bank of Lake Narendra and are waiting there. The King is asking, “Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, please show me, one after another, all of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s devotees who are coming from Bengal.” Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya requested the King, “Go up on the roof of the palace. Gopinatha Acarya knows every one of the devotees. He will identify them for you.

ami kaho nahi cini, cinite mana haya
gopinathacarya sabare kara’be paricaya (CC Madhya lila 11.72)

“Actually I do not know any of them, although I have a desire to know them. Since Gopinatha Acarya knows them all, he will give you their names.” Gopinath is from Navadvipa. The King was from Cuttack. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was from Navadvipa, but he had shifted to Puri. So Gopinath knew everyone. He was called by the king to introduce the devotees. After Sarvabhauma said this, he went up to the top of the palace with the King and Gopinatha Acarya. At this time all the Vaisnava devotees from Bengal drew closer to the palace.

damodara-svarupa, govinda, — dui jana
mala-prasada lasa yaya, yahan vaisnava-gana (CC Madhya lila11.74)

Svarupa Damodara and Govinda, taking the flower garlands and prasadam of Lord Jagannatha, proceeded to where all the Vaisnavas were standing. Svarupa Damodara and Govinda are special associates of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They are both going toward the devotees. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu first sent those two persons in advance. The King inquired, “Who are these two? Please let me know their identities.”

bhattacarya kahe, — ei svarupa-damodara
mahaprabhura haya inha dvitiya kalevara (CC Madhya lila 11.76)

Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya replied, “Here is Svarupa Damodara, who is practically the second expansion of the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is Lalita and Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Radha Krsna. “The second person is Govinda, Lord Caitanya’s personal servant. He was ordered by Isvarapuri to go and serve my disciple, your god brother Caitanya. The Lord has sent garlands and remnants of Lord Jagannatha’s food with these two persons simply to honor the devotees from Bengal.” At the beginning, Svarupa Damodara came forward and garlanded Advaita Acarya. Govinda next came and offered a second garland to Advaita Acarya.

The King inquired, “To whom did Svarupa Damodara and Govinda offer the two garlands? His bodily effulgence is so great that He must be a very great devotee. Please let me know who He is.” Gopinatha Acarya replied, “His name is Advaita Acarya. He is honored even by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and He is therefore the topmost devotee.

Here are Srivasa Pandita, Vakresvara Pandita, Vidyanidhi Acarya and Gadadhara Pandita. “Here are Acaryaratna, Purandara Pandita, Gangadasa Pandita and Sankara Pandita. Here are Murari Gupta, Pandita Narayana and Haridasa Thakura, the deliverer of the whole universe.

“Here is Hari Bhatta, and there is Nrsimhananda. Here are Vasudeva Datta and Sivananda Sena. “Here also are Govinda Ghosa, Madhava Ghosa and Vasudeva Ghosa. They are three brothers, and their sankirtana, congregational chanting, pleases the Lord very much. “Here is Raghava Pandita, here is Nandana Acarya, there is Sriman Pandita, and here are Srikanta and Narayana.” Here are Mukunda Dasa, Narahari, Sri Raghunandana, Cirañjiva and Sulocana, all residents of Khanda.

Every devotee is a great person. A book can be written on each one of them.Here just the names are given. Like we have Lilamrita for Prabhupada, we can have a lilamrita on each of these devotees. Radhanatha Maharaja with all his efforts and constant reading, can talk on each associate of Caitanya Prabhupada for hours together. Remembering the associates of the Lord is like remembering the Lord. Glorifying them is like glorifying the Lord.

Are you visualising? Is it transforming from audio to video? To remember you have to hear. Without hearing there will be no remembrance. His Holiness Prahladananda Swami says to remember whatever we hear we should make a picture – like a road with 200 devotees coming. Svarupa Damodara and Govind are coming with a garland in their hands and then they come face to face. An introduction was done. Paint it – three of them on the terrace. Maharaja said if you want to remember anything, you should paint it, then it’s easy to remember.

Our heart has a screen called smritipatal, paint on it as many paintings as you like. Thereafter you can retrieve any of the paintinga at any given time. After sravanam comes mananam, then remembering becomes very easy. There are five types of sampan – smaran and anusmaran (rememberance), dharana (concentration), dhyana and samadhi(mediation). Samadhi means full of thoughts. Have you ever seen the gopis in Samadhi? No! They are always running – radhe braj devakecha lalite. They are always in samadhi of remembering Krsna. Samadhi is full of smaran- remembrance. If you want to keep remembering someone, then you have to hear about them.

Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami says, “How many names shall I speak to you? All the devotees you see here are associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is their life and soul.”

The King said, “Upon seeing all these devotees, I am very much astonished, for I have never seen such an effulgence. Caitanya Mahaprabhu gifted to us the wealth of the holy name. I have never before seen such ecstatic love, nor heard the vibration of the holy name of the Lord chanted in such a way, nor seen such dancing during sankirtana.” Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya replied, “This sweet transcendental sound is a special creation of the Lord known as prema-sankirtana, congregational chanting in love of Godhead.

Anyone who worships Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu by congregational chanting should be understood to be very intelligent. One who does not do so, must be considered a victim of this age and bereft of all intelligence. Once we accept ourselves as devotees of the Lord then mayavad is finished. nirvisesha-sunyavadi does not accept the energy of the Lord. Each associate of the Lord is shakti (energy) of the Lord even we are the shakti (energy) of the Lord.

The glories of the Lord’s associates is very special. We should also become devotees of the Lord’s associates. The Lord says that if you are a devotee of my devotee then you are my devotee. If we hear about devotees of the Lord then the Lord accepts us.

The King said, “According to evidence given in the revealed scriptures, it is concluded that Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Lord Krsna Himself. Why, then, are learned scholars sometimes indifferent to Him?”

The Bhattacarya replied, “A person who has received but a small fraction of mercy from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu can understand that He is Lord Krsna. No one else can.”

Bhattacarya was one of them. Initially he also did not consider Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Lord. But by the causeless mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu he was transformed. Being a pandit is not a big deal, but without the krpa of the Lord nothing is possible. People were not aware of the glories of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Then the King said, “Instead of visiting the temple of Lord Jagannatha, all the devotees are running toward the residence of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.” Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya replied, “This is spontaneous love. All the devotees are very anxious to meet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. “First the devotees will meet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and then take Him with them to the temple to see Lord Jagannatha.” The King said, “The son of Bhavananda Raya named Vaninatha, along with five or seven other men, went there to obtain the remnants of Lord Jagannatha’s food.

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said, “Understanding that all the devotees have come, Lord Caitanya gave the sign, and therefore Vaninatha and the others have brought such great quantities of maha-prasadam.” The King then asked the Bhattacarya, “Why have the devotees not observed the regulations for visiting the pilgrimage place, such as fasting, shaving and so on? Why have they first eaten prasadam?”

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said the scriptural injunctions for shaving and fasting are indirect orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, when there is a direct order from the Lord to take prasada, naturally the devotees take prasada as their first duty.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave us Caitanya Caritamrita, Caitnaya Bhagvat, he gave us Gaur Nitai. Padayatra is going every door to door not just village to village. Gives darshan to each house Krishna Balaram becomes Gaur Nitai. They say Lord has raised his hands you also raise your hand. Read Caitanya Caritamrita, distribute books. We can’t imagine life without Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

ISKCON Pune has done many programs as an offering to the Golden Jubilee throughout the year so as a final offering in the series of offerings of the year, the katha is a grand offering – purnahuti.

ISKCON Pune devotees has organised all this under the guidance if HG Radheshyam Prabhu. Lot of books have been distributed – 150 Bhagvatam sets has been distributed. 25,000 plates of prasada has been distributed. There is daily harinamas. There is no stock of Prabhupada Lilamrita and people have registered for many different courses.

Thank you

Date: 1 Jan 2017

All glories to the assembled devotees.

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesha-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

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

Prabhupada introduced Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the whole world; Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a chhanna or secret avatar. He does not reveal that He is Lord Krsna. This is described in the Bhagavatam. He is the Lord, but plays the role of a devotee in order to teach the whole world. He is going to teach bhakti to the whole world. Whenever Kali-yuga comes, then every time there is harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam. This is the programming of Brahmanda and the arrangement of the Lord.

It was easy for Sukadeva Goswami to say, “Oh king, Parikshit Maharaja, this kali is full of faults.”

kaler dosa-nidhe rajann: asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya: mukta-sangah param vrajet

One can go to the supreme planet (param vrajet) simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. This is especially meant for the people of this age (kaler dosa-nidhe). It is the special advantage of this age that simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mahamantra one can become purified of all material contamination and return home, back to Godhead. There is no doubt about this.

We will be free from Maya by doing kirtana. Is Sukadeva Goswami any astrologer? He knows this concept that if Kali comes, Harinama is the only solution.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu did kirtana and established dharma in Kali-yuga. And that work was taken forward by Prabhupada by establishing ISKCON. Caitanya Mahaprabhu only did kirtana in Bharatvarsa, but what about preaching outside India? So Prabhupada said that Mahaprabhu has left it to the ISKCON devotees. In Caitanya Mangal, Lochan Das Thakur says mora senapati bhakta will come and preach the harinama sankirtana in the whole world. That senapti bhakta is none other than Srila Prabhupada. The whole world is experiencing the results of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON. This song which we will sing is about Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We will sing and as you hear and sing, if you hear very attentively you will understand.

This song describes the kirtana of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

sundara-bala saci-dulala
nacata sri-hari-kirtana men
bhale candana tilaka manohara
alaka sobhe kapolana men

om namo bhagvate vasudevya

I welcome you all. It is Sunday and it is also New Year. The Bible says that the Lord was creating the material world for 6 days and then on the last day He rested. So we also rest on one day and that day is Sunday. But you are making that holiday into a Holyday. Prabhupada is a holy man who gave us holy Sastra and holy prasada. Bhagavat katha is going on here as well as Srila Prabhupada kathamrita mahotsava. Every day we discuss different topics. His katha is related to the Lord, so that’s also Bhagavat. There are just two more days left.

Today we will talk about Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Prabhupada, how Caitanya Mahaprabhu guided Prabhupada. The whole world knows Ram katha, but they don’t know that Krsna came as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In 1486, 530 years back, Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. Nobody knew the purpose of His appearance. Only a few people in Bengal knew. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has predicted, prithivite ache yata nagaradi gram, sarvatra prachar hoibe mora nama – in as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My holy name will be preached. (Caitanya Bhagavata)

That means His name will reach all nagars (cities) and grams (villages) on the earth. Then the Lord disappeared. 450 years had passed, but nothing related to the prediction happened. Harinama was just continuing in a few places in Bengal.

Then Prabhupada was ordered to preach Bhagavat dharma in the West. He went in 1965. The first public program was in Tomkins Park. Slowly it spread to more than 108 countries. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction came to fruition. I am not saying that harinama has spread to every town and village, but it has spread to most of the towns and villages. Our Senapati Bhakta proved the truth in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction.

Prabhupada is a Guru from a bonafide disciplic succession – Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya. We find a list of the complete disciplic succession of the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya, beginning with Lord Sri Krsna, up to and including the current Sampradaya Acarya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.

Bhaktivinoda Thakur had also said a devotee will come who will preach the holy name all over the world without distinction of caste and creed. When Prabhupada was born in 1896 on Nandotsava, the astrologer had predicted that he will became a great sannyasi and at the age of 70 will go abroad and build more than 108 temples.

There are some slokas describing that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Lord Krsna Himself.

asan varnas trayo hy asya grhnato ’nuyugam tanuh
suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah(SB 10.8.13)

When Gargacarya was naming Krsna Balaram he said to Nanda Maharaja, “Your son Krsna appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past, He assumed three different colors — white, red and yellow — and now He has appeared in a blackish color.”

In Kali-yuga Lord will come as pita varna (yellow form).

suvarna-varno hemango varangas-candanangadi
sannyasa-krc chamah santo nistha-santi-parayanah (CC Adi Lila 3.49)

“In His early pastimes He appears as a householder with a golden complexion. His limbs are beautiful, and His body, smeared with the pulp of sandalwood, seems like molten gold. In His later pastimes He accepts the sannyasa order, and He is equipoised and peaceful. He is the highest abode of peace and devotion, for He silences the impersonalist non devotees.”

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam
yajñaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah (SB 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.

aham eva kvacid Brahman sannyasasramam asritah
hari-bhakti grahayami kalau papa-hatan naran

“O learned brahmana, sometimes I accept the renounced order of life to induce the fallen people of the Age of Kali to accept devotional service to the Lord.”

I will take away people’s papa budhi (sinful intelligence) by taking sannyasa . This has all happened.

The Aharveda Caitanya Upanishad says:

janavitire navadvipe golokahe dhami govinde

Lord Govinda from Goloka will appear at the bank of Jhanavi (Ganga).

In the Adi-Puran and in the Narada Puran, the Supreme Person says:

aham eva dvija-srestho nityam pracchanna-vigrahah
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena lokam raksami sarvada

I shall advent in the form of a Brahmana devotee [aham eva dvija-srestho] and I shall hide my factual identity [prachanna vigrahah]. I shall deliver all the worlds [lokam raksami sarvada]

In the Garuda-Purana, the Supreme Lord says:
aham purno bhavisyami yuga-sandhyau visesatah
mayapure navadvipe bhavisyami sachi sutah

I will take birth as the son of Saci [bhavisyami sachi sutah], in Navadvip-Mayapur [mayapure navadvipe]. I will come in my complete spiritual form in the first part of Kali-Yuga.

I will stay at Jagannatha Puri after sannyasa. I will become Laxmikanta, two wives Laxmipriya and Visnupriya. So He is called Laxmipati.

Nrsimha Purana says Gopal will become Gauranga in Kali-Yuga and He will like sankirtana.

Bhavisya Purana says. When He will do kirtana, He will have tears in His eyes.

Vayupuran Purana says – I will begin sankirtana and my complexion will be golden, so I will be called Gauranga. At the bank of the Ganga I will appear.

golokam ca parityajya, lokanam trana-karanat;
kalau gauranga-rupena, lila-lavanya-vigrahah.
In the Markandeya Purana, the Supreme Lord declares:

“In the Kali-yuga I will give up My own eternal abode Goloka Vrndavana, and I will assume the form of the most handsome and playful Lord Gauranga to rescue all the living entities in the universe.”

There is no need for any mental speculation. It is all written in black and white and explained in the Sastras.

radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini saktir asmad
ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha-bhedam gatau tau
caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam
radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam (CC Adi 1.5)

Radha-Krsna is one. Radha-Krsna is Krsna and Krsna’s pleasure potency combined. When Krsna exhibits His pleasure potency, He appears to be two— Radha and Krsna. Otherwise, Radha and Krsna are one. This oneness may be perceived by advanced devotees through the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This was the case with Ramananda Raya. One may aspire to attain such a position, but one should not try to imitate the maha-bhagavata.

He gives darsana as Radha and Krsna to Ramananda Raya.

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

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

So it was Srila Prabhupada who introduced and presented such a Lord Caitanya to the whole world.

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

Prabhupada performed our eye operation and gave us darsana of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

My God brother HH Jayapataka Swami writes,

yadi prabhupada na haita tabe ki haita (e) jivana bahita kise?

nitai-gaurera apara karuna ke dita sakala dese

If Prabhupada had not been there, then what would have happened?” Who would’ve given the bhakti? Who would have distributed the unlimited mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu all over the world? And would this Katha be happening? No! We would be somewhere, but definitely not here. There are 8 slokas in the song written in glorification of Srila Prabhupada. We will sing it tomorrow.

The kirtana which Caitanya Mahaprabhu started was spread by Srila Prabhupada all over the world. Even in the African countries, the people there are doing kirtana, not only indoors but publicly with karatals and mrdangas.

They are not going out on the streets for a day. No! They are doing it every day. It is immaterial for them whether people photograph them or not. They are doing it because kirtana is their life.

sankirtana eka pitaro, the father of sankirtana Himself is Lord Caitanya. So the sankirtana mission is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. Chant and be happy. Happy New Year to all. We do not just simply wish you a happy New Year, but we tell you how you can be happy. So just chant and be happy

Prabhupada has spread the holy name all over through Padayatra and Ratha-yatra Ratha-yatra is organised all over the world. The culture and bhakti bhava related to Ratha-yatra has spread to the West.

I want to tell you more about how Srila Prabhupada gave Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the whole world, but time is up.

We will continue tomorrow.
Thank you.
Meet you tomorrow.