18th June 2019

I am in Noida today at Radha Govind Dev temple, many devotees are chanting with me. Yesterday, I was very fortunate to have darshan of Jagannath Baladev Subhadra during snana yatra of Jagannath at Jagannath Puri. I was watching through doordarshan. They were giving commentary of Jagannath in Oriya language, something I could understand.

One thing that they were emphasizing was, today is ‘janam divas’ of Jagannath. Today is the appearance day of Jagannath, Haribol!

Yesterday was ‘janam divas’ of Jagannath. On snana yatra day Krishna becomes Jagannath. He transforms as Jagannath on snana yatra day. During commentary they were emphazing, today is ‘janam divas’, appearance day of Jagannath, so its confirmed, Krishna appeared as Jagannath, Jai Jagannath!.

I had the opportunity to witness darshan of Jagannath, so that was preparation, as we always say, preparation for next morning chanting. It helps me. I had darshan,I was remembering some of those things during my japa this morning.

I offered mangal arti and became pujari of Radha Govinddev, Gaura Nitai and Jagannath here in this temple. Jagannath here was not giving darshan, the curtains were closed because they were taking rest. As doctor’s prescription ‘bed rest for Jagannath’ for next week or so. I was surprised, we did not disturb Jagannath while worshipping Radha Govind dev and Gaura Nitai.

So, for next two weeks from snana yatra to ratha yatra you could remember this pastime of Jagannath being not well. Lord is getting recuperated. We serve special diet to Lord Jagannath also lot of juices. He is only with Laxmi and selected servants and care taker.

As you know in Jagannath Puri all the temples gates are closed and there is no darshan. Don’t go to Jagannath Puri now, you will not be allowed to enter temple, there is no darshan. So we need to meditate on Jagannath who is not well. We should also be concerned oh! Lord is not well. Oh! What could we do, how could we recover Him. These should be our thoughts towards the Lord, so its meditation. You know or you have heard these pastimes.

The subject came to my mind the devotee are bathing Jagannath and this is month of jyeshta. There is cool breeze, this morning. So, while Lord was being bathed there was cool breeze coming through the window of His shower bathroom and He is affected with that and He gets sick. Then His pastimes of becoming sick begins, that is His pastime.

When we get sick it’s not pastime but when Lord gets sick that is His pastime. We get to remember that pastime meditate on that pastime of not being well.

Jai Jagannath! I am sure many of you have Jagannath on your altar. You are looking after Jagannath, taking special care of diet and no public darshan of Jagannath. So like that you have to take all those precautions while taking care of Jagannath.

Then today we have done announcement this morning, today is disappearance day of Shyamananda Prabhu or Shyamananda Pandit. Shyamananda Pandit ki jai!

He is also ‘Pratah Smarana’ worth remembering in morning. Again I was thinking to talk about Shyamananda Pandit to you. Again during my japa I was chanting I was recalling and remembering Shyamananda Prabhu and some of his life and teachings. While chanting I was doing this, it’s perfectly alright to remember devotees during chanting. They are fully Krishna consciousness, their activity were in relationship with the Lord. So when we remember such devotees we are remembering Krishna. So it is fine perfectly alright. We could remember such devotees, their life and teachings during chanting of Hare Krishna.

Some 500 years ago his mother had given birth to many children some sons, some daughters. But they did not survive they died and this happened repeatedly many many times. So, his parents were very unhappy, suffering. So they were Dukhi. Now another child was born, Shyamananda so they named him Dukhi. Your name is Dukhi, when anyone wants to call he said ‘Dukhi is born’. That was his first name. Infact, Dukhi made his parents sukhi as he survived and he turned out to be a brilliant boy. And he became very learned studying Sanskrit and shastras. Specially, he was fond of hearing Gaura Nityananda pastime. He used to hear with great pleasure and he used to share pastimes of Gaura Nityananda to everyone around him.

Then,as he was becoming more and more serious student and making progress in Krishna consciousness, then he had aspiration of initiation from some bonafide spiritual master. So his parents encouraged him. Very rare I wish all of you had parents like Dukhi Prabhu’s [laughter]. So they encouraged him . He was told to go from Orissa to Bengal to Ambika Kalan and find his spiritual master there.

So Hridaya Chaitanya was residing at Ambika Kalan and he took initiation from Hridaya Chaitanya. He was disciple of Gauri Das Pandit who was Subal sakha in Krishna’s pastimes. You could understand what kind of acaryas, associates were there on the earth at the time of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

So Gauri Das Pandit, his disciple Hridaya Caitanya and now his disciple Shyamananda Pandit. When he received initiation his spiritual master named him Krishna das. People started calling him Dukhi Krishna das. Not only Krishna das but Dukhi Krishna das. So, later after spending some time in Ambika Kalan, he was instructed to go to Vrindavan.

Vrindavan dhama ki jai!

and take instructions from Jiva Goswami in Vrindavan .

So Jiva Goswami was kind of Gaudiya Sampadaya rakshak, caretaker, protector. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had left and Shad Goswami were also getting old. And one by one all of them were leaving the planet. Jiva Goswami was head of Gaudiya Sampradaya. Everyone was then directed to Jiva Goswami for taking instructions. Dukhi Krishna das had become student of Jiva Goswami.

Srinivas also had come from Bengal side and Narrotam was also there. Amongst others these three special students were studying under Jiva Goswami. Shyamananda,, Srinivas and Narottam. So at one point, Jiva Goswami gave a very unique assignment to Dukhi Krishna to sweep Seva Kunja .

Seva Kunja is part of Vrindavan where there is Radha Damodar temple. Not far from there all that area is Seva Kunja, where it is said and confirmed that Radha and Krishna perform Their pastime including rasa dance. Jiva Goswami told him ‘you go every morning and sweep Seva Kunja’.

Svacha Vrindavan campaign, you become sweeper. So he was doing it religiously.

So one morning Dukhi Krishna das was doing his sweeping service in Seva Kunja. He was surprised to find an ankle bell which was dazzling and shining. He picked it up and he realized it would possibly be from Radharani’s anklet. He wanted to return to the owner to Radharani. May be he went to Lailta or Vishaka ‘Oh! I found some ankle bells I think it’s from Radharani’s anklet please take and give it to Her.

When that happened , he had honestly, he did not hide it or steal it. So they were pleased getting the ankle bells back. Then as a reward, made a permanent sign of ankle bell tilak by Radharani on the forehead of Shyamananada. Now as he received special benediction he began to be known as Shyamananda Pandit.

There is whole parampara which originates from Shyamananda with very special tilak even to this day. You go to Vrindavan you will find the followers of Shyamananda Pandit, Shyamanada sampradaya with special tilak on their forehead.

Nitya lilapravista ,Shyamananda Pandit entered pastimes of Radha and Krishna. So finding that ankle bell was part of nityalila. Shyamananda was not supposed to be part of nitya lila, he was part of another lila. But still he was part of nitya lila because of his devotion. Finding the ankle bell was the proof that he was part of that lila. Finding ankle bell or coming in contact with ankle bell then going to Lalita and Vishaka this is all part of antaranga lila, nitya lila. He had entered the pastime.

Nitya lila pravista Shyamananda Prabhu ki jai!

Then as we were talking, 500 years, back time was passing yet another personality departed. Krishna das Kaviraj Goswami disappeared and then Jiva Goswami made samdhi of Krishna das Kaviraj Goswmai in Radha Damodhar temple. And followed by that departure called isthagosti of all the Gaudiya vaisnava acaryas, followers. Big istagosti was held at Radha Damodhar. What to do? Let us make some strategy of spreading Krishna consciousness. So during that time these three personalities were given title. Narottam das became Thakur.

So first generation was Shad Goswamis. After six Goswamis, Jiva Goswami was incharge. Then there were Acarya traya, there were three acaryas of Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya. They were Shyamananda Prabhu , Srinivas acarya and Narottam Das Thakur.

So they were empowered like this then they were given special instructions by Jiva Goswami. To print Gaudiya Vaisnava shastra. Then these three Acarya- traya were send to Bengal. There journey began from Radha Damodar temple. They were heading towards Bengal to distribute literatures in East India, Orissa and Bengal. As they were very close to Bengal, a tragedy took place, all the Goswamis shastras were stolen by dacoits which was arrangement of the king. Srinivas Acarya said ‘I will take care , I will handle this situation.’ Shyamnanda ended up in Orissa back in his home state. Narottam goes to East Bengal Kheturi gram and both of them did lot of preaching, propagation, establishing temples, making devotes and establishing Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya. Let us take inspiration from these acaryas and keep practicing and propagating Krishna consciousness and specially chanting.

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

Shyamananda Pandit tirobhava mahotsava ki jai!

Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!

17th June 2019

Snana Yatra

We are in Noida. Yesterday we celebrated snana yatra here. Official snana yatra festival is today in Jagannath Puri, Jagannath Puri dhama ki jai.

They must be getting ready for maha maha bathing abhsihek- snana yatra of Jagannath Baladev Subhadra today.

Today, as I said snana yatra as I said earlier, leading later in two weeks time there will be ratha yatra festivals. Series of yatras and festivities and today is beginning of those festivities in Jagannath Puri, snana yatra of Lord Jagannath.

Why snana yatra done on this day in Jagannath?

Reason being today is the day when Krishna manifested as Jagannath. We expect you to know the pastime which took place in Kurukshetra. When Dwarkavasis and Vrindavanvasis had assembled and Rohini was narrating to the Dwarkavasis about the state of affairs of devotees of Vrindavan specially how they had been missing Krishna. This she has been narrating to residents of Dwarka.

Rohini, of course, the mother of Balarama was sharing the realizations, the experiences on this day to Dwarkavasis in Kurukshetra. As she was about to begin her narration, she did not want Krishna Balarama to hear this narration. She appointed Subhadra at the door, and was told not to allow Krishna and Balarama. Rohini was thinking that Krishna and Balarama They will not be able to handle or tolerate. They could be disturbed hearing the transcendental suffering of Vrajavasis. This would be too much for Them to hear this. So Rohini never wanted that Krishna Balarama to hear these pastimes.

So Rohini’s was addressing and Subhadra was at the door Krishna and Balarama for sure came at the door. Subhadra did try to stop Them but They overpowered her. They said ‘ok We will not go inside but We could stand at the door.’

And Krishna Balarama and Subhadra heard about the residents of Vrindavan. Now all the three are hearing the pastime as Rohini had predicted They could not handle that was too much for Them to digest. There was agitation in Their hearts. Externally, They were getting transformed there was change in Their whole personality and form. Krishna becoming Jagannath with Balarama and Subhadra.

So, this form They assumed as They heard Rohini speak about devotees in Vrnidavan. And that transformation as I said earlier happened today.

Krishna assuming form of Jagannath, we could say it’s lila of Krishna appearing as Jagannath took place today. Hence, snana yatra takes place today. So, this was just one pastime one episode that was briefly narrated to you and that happened today and lasted for a while then They assumed Their normal regular forms.

The form that Krishna Balarama and Subhadra had assumed as They were hearing Rohini that became immortalized as it’s said every lila of Lord is eternal. This was one lila that took place on this day. Lord Krishna is worshipped in Jagannath Puri as Jagannath.

And by the arrangement of Srila Prabhupada and Hare Krishna movement, Jagannath Swami is remembered and worshipped all over the world. We all are devotees of Jagannath, worshippers of Jagannath because Caitanya Mahaprabhu worshiped Jagannath, Baladev, Subhadra or He preferred to perform His last pastimes in Jagannath Puri.

So, when we of course, whole world takes darsana and then Gaudiya vaisanavas take darsana. Caitanya Mahaprabhu takes darsana. What do we see when we take darsana of Jagannath? What is that darsana reminding us of?

The whole world does not understand but Jagannath gives the darsana or true darsana to Gaudiya vaisanavas, as we take darsana or try to understand Jagannath through the vision of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

To understand Jagannath or as we take darsana what reminders He is giving to us?

He loves His devotees so much. The other day we were talking, Lord was saying to Duravasi Muni,

sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyaṁsādhūnāṁ
hṛdayaṁ tv aham
mad-anyat te na jānanti
nāhaṁ tebhyo manāg api
[SB 9.4.68]

The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. These are feelings of the Lord. And these feelings are exhibited, manifested in the form of Jagannath. This is what is in our minds as we take darsana of Lord, who is He is thinking of?

So, we say I love the Lord, you all love the Lord but as we take darsana, Lord is showing us or expressing us communicating that I love My devotees. This is two way traffic, this love this exchange. It’s not that living entity only loves Krishna but Lord doesn’t love us. No!Lord is showing I love My devotees. He says I love My devotees. So this is the darsana we are getting on Jagannath Puri.

So, when we take darsana of Jagannath His feets they have entered the truck. His main body but half of the hands are still out from elbows. So, when we take darsana, why is He is extending His hands forward. Some realizations of the acaryas, Lord is trying to pick the child, embrace the child, kiss the child. Lord is extending His hands to love us, accept us and embrace us.

Those Gaudiya vaisnavas who chant, chanting this Hare Krishna maha mantra this revives our love for Krishna resulting in understanding Jagannath, understanding the form of Jagannath, understanding heart of Jagannath, understanding what is on the mind of Jagannath thus having two way communication or reciprocation with Jagannath. This is the result of chanting and hearing about Jagannath.

prema pumartho mahan

Attaining love of Godhead is goal of human form of life that is achieved by chanting Hare Krishna, worshipping Jagannath, serving Jagannath, performing snana yatar of Jagannath and performing ratha yatra of Jagannath. Thus, by chanting and worshipping Jagannath we achieve love of Godhead.

So you may be taking part in snana yatra wherever you may be. Some devotees must have reached Jagannath Puri or at your homes if you have Jagannath deities take part in snana yatra. Hear the pastime, perform snana yatra.

Today we have 627 devotees are chanting with us. Congratulations and best wishes on snana yatra. Every snana yatra, ratha yatra is incomplete without chanting of Hare Krsna mantra. Chanting accompanies all other activities.

Jagannath snana yatra mahotsava ki jai!

16th June 2019

Today’s participants are 527 cannot be very proud with this number. You did lot of chanting on Nirjala Ekadasi and now it’s declined. You thought ‘we did it, we did it, we chanted 108 rounds, we chanted 64 rounds we are fine.’ Some of you are from hero to zero, so far this conference is concerned. Those who are chanting like Yugadharma is chanting from Kaundanyapur, those who are chanting are still heroes and those who are not chanting they are kind of zeros, proving to be zeros. Don’t do this.

So what should we talk about today? Yesterday, we were remembering dahi chida festival of Panihati. Not far from Panihati there lived a very special associate of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, called Narasimhananda brahmachari. Sivananda Sena also lived there. Of course, all the associates of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were liberated souls. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is performing pastimes with all these unlimited number of devotees. It’s like spiritual world has descended on earth in Navadvipa or where ever these different disciples were residing. When we hear these lilas or pastimes of Gauranga we get glimpse of spiritual world and some experience also.

And the way, Lord deals with His devotees and reciprocates with them or exhibits different pastime is also meant to teach us lessons or to reveal Lord’s intimate relationships with His devotees.

I was trying to philosophise or setting the scene. What I want to share was that Narasimhananda brahmachari, he said to Sivananda Sena ‘you know I am going to get Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to our town. He will be here in three days time.’ When Sivananda Sena heard this, he said ‘If Lord is going to here in our town, I want to cook for Him, I want to feed Him.

Infact, Narsimhananda through his meditation on the Lord, he was inviting Lord to his town. He was telling, “Oh! now Lord is this far, He is now in Panihati today by tomorrow He will there in our town.” Like that there was no prior communication with the Lord with any other means, no correspondence or no telephonic, no sms and Lord had agreed to come to this town. Nothing of that sort had happened. But Narsimhananda knows and he is appealing to Lord, he is dragging the Lord to his town. And these two prabhus Narsimhananda and Sivananda Sena are preparing for the reception of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

And finally, as Narsimhananda brahmacari has scheduled or predicted, there He was. They saw Chaitanya Mahaprabhu coming in the direction of their town. He was coming closer and closer and He was right there. They both fell flat as His lotus feet. He was received and He was brought to Narsimhananda brahmacari’s house. And there was time for madhukari, bhiksha-lunch of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

There madhukari meant lunch, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was not going door to door. He was going to eat His lunch at Narsimhananda brahmacari’s residence. So Sivananda Sena had cooked big feast for Gauranga Mahaprabhu. He had prepared three plates because on the altar of Narsimhananda brahmacari there were three deities. There were Lord Narsimha, Lord Jagganath and Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was also personally present today.

So, for the three Lords Sivananda Sena had prepared three plates.

So when finally Lord was made to sit and honor lunch prasad what happened was Lord Gauranga ate all that prasad. He ate His own plate and He also ate Lord Narsimha’s plate and Lord Jagganath’s plate. Narsimhananda brahmacari was surprised. Oh! Lord! how would other two Lords eat? You ate Their food also. He was kind of complaining or expressing displeasure.

Narsimhananda brahmacari said ‘I understand you are non-different from Lord Jagannath, so you ate His plate understandable, but why did You eat Lord Narsimha’s plate of prasad also?

Narsimhananda brahmacari was a great devotee of Lord Narsimha. He used to have dialogue with Lord Narsimha and reciprocate with Him.

Seeing this Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had changed Narsimhananda brahmacari’s name. His official name was Pradumnya brahmacari. Seeing devotion of Pradumnya brahmacari and his realization for Lord Narsimha, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was the one who changed his name from Pradumya brahmacari to Narsimhananda brahmacari. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu always addressed him Narsimhananda brahmacari. So, Narsimhananda brahmacari was not happy that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had eaten Lord Narsimha’s prasad or bhoga.

Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami writer of Chaitanya Craitamrita makes comment that Narsimhananda brahmacari was not sure about Narsimha tattva or Bhagavat tattva. He was considering ok, Lord Chaitanya and Lord Jagannath are same. Jei gaura sei Krsna sei Jagannath

That’s fine but Lord Narsimha He is different. He is not same as Lord Jagannath or Lord Gauranga. So, Narsimhananda brahmacari had this doubt. So Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami has explained that is why, that’s the reason Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He not only ate the plate of Lord Jagannath but also Lord Narsimha to clear that I am not only non-different from Jagannath but also non different Lord Narsimha. To clear his doubt a lesson is taught to us also.

This is my comment Lokanath Swami’s comment that this ignorance exhibited by Narsimhananda brahmacari is for our sake, may be Lord has put some kind of illusion into the head or heart or thoughts of Narsimananda brahmacari. Through him, Lord is making him instrument or middle person, Lord is clearing this doubt not necessarily Narsimhananda brahmacari’s doubt but our doubt, my doubt or your doubt whole world’sdoubt has been cleared. The question has been answered by Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu by displaying this particular pastime.

There is another significant pastime in connection with Narsimhananda brahmacari. After Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, visited Narsimhananda brahmacari’s home and honored prasad and spent some time. He travelled on. He has come from Jagannath Puri and He wants to visit devotees of Navadvipa so He leaves for Navadvipa goes to Kuliyagram from there He had gone to Ramkeli.

He had met Rupa and Sanatana. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to go from Kuliya to Vrindavan that time Kuliya was in Navadvipa. So He wanted to go from Navadvipa to Vrndavan. Narsimhananda brahmacari again he had this realization that Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is going to be traveling from Kuliya present day Navadvipa was called Kuliya. From Kuliyagram He is going to travel to Vrindavan, he knew this so he immediately started constructing road for Chaitanya Mahaprabhu mentally including he was spreading flower petals without stem.

Chaitanya Caritamrita states, so that when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would walk on it, He would not get hurt. He was building that road ahead of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s travel or journey to Vrindavan. While he was in the middle of constructing the road as he had started construction 10 miles, 20 miles but at a point he came to the conclusion that he came upto Kanai Natashala then he was not able to construct further. He had built road from Kuliya gram to Kanai Natshala, which is considered kind of Bengal – Bihar border he was not able to construct further. Then he meditated and he realized that Lord is not going to go to Vrindavan this time.

So, what is going to happen is that when the news spreads that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is going Vrndavan then thousands and thousands of Navadvipavasis are going to be join Him. And Lord is not going to be happy with the big crowd travelling with Him, so He is going to drop this plans to go to Vrindavan.

So, instead of going to Vrindavan He will just return to Jagannath Puri. So Narsimhananda brahmacari had realized this in advance, no one knew what is going to happen whether Lord is going to Vrindavan or not going to Vrindavan. But Narsimhananda knew he told everybody “You will see, Lord is not going to go to Vrindavan, He will only go to Kanai Natshala. And from there He will go to Jagannath Puri, you will see.”

Infact that is what happened Mahaprabhu did not go to Vrndavan He went back to Jagannath Puri.

Ok I stop here. Will leave for airport I am going to Noida Delhi.

Hare Krishna

15th June 2019

Panihati Chidha Dahi Utsava

Today is Panihati Dahi Chida Festival. Some of you are a bit sleepy or tired but as soon as there is Prasadam, ‘Maha-prasade govinde’ and everyone wakes up. This is a wakeup call. They want to talk about Prasad, Dahi Chida Mahotsva.

Everyone is focused now on prasad, eager. Now this could be prasad for your ears, shravan utsava. Not necessarily jivah utsava but Shravan utsava.

Okay, so Dahi Chida you understand Dahi Chida? Yogurt and chipped rice, flat rice they call it, chivda, we call poha in Marathi. So Dahi and Chida mixed and there was a festival- Dahi Chida. There was also Dudha Chida, there were two kinds of Chidas. Some rice was mixed in yogurt and some flat rice was mixed in the milk and all the participants there were given two clay pots. One with Dahi Chida, one with Dudha Chida but the festival is known as Dahi Chida and they do not normally say Dudha Chida but there was also Dudha Chida during that festival.

So, this festival took place at Panihati which is on the banks of Ganga and not far from Kolkata, so that you know where is Panihati.

Today is a Panihati Dahi Chida festival and thousands gather there. There is also ISKCON at Panihati now. Now there’s ISKCON Panihati, just now started and devotees from Kolkata as well as from Mayapur, they go to Panihati Festival and hold a big Dahi Chida festival. Big Dahi Chida distribution today, to thousands.

I’m sure all our ISKCON temples around the world are going to celebrate Panhati Festival and you are all welcome to join in Panhati Festival in your temples, your respective temples. You could also hold this festival at home, invite family and friends, neighbours and enjoy Panihati Dahi Chida Festival.

And this one time when Nityananda Prabhu was asked by Gauranga Mahaprabhu. He asked that in Jagannath Puri, “You please go to Bengal and You preach. What are You doing here? Go to Bengal”

yare dekha, tare kaha krsna- upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa

(Cc. Madhya 7.128)

You know then Nityananda Prabhu took some special devotees, His associates called Dvadash Gopalas and left for Jagannath Puri for Panihati.

So chanting and dancing on the way Nityananda Prabhu’s sankirtana party arrived at Panihati and the next two months they had amazing, nonstop, ecstatic chanting and dancing festivals. So, on this day Nityananda Prabhu was sitting underneath a big banyan tree and many of His associates and devotees were sitting around Him and in front of Him was Raghunatha Das also in the crowd, but in the back.

Raghunatha Das, he was attempting to leave the family, get out of the family and go to Gauranga. Go to Jagannath Puri but all his attempts of going to Jagannath Puri had failed because his father was keeping a constant watch and stopping Raghunatha from going to Jagannath Puri. So, that Raghunatha Das Goswami had now come today to Nityananda Prabhu to Panihati to get His blessings so that he could succeed in leaving family and join Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannath Puri.

So when Nityananda Prabhu noticed that in the crowd at the back Raghunatha Das was sitting, Nityananda Prabhu started “Hey you thief! What are you doing in the back there? Come forward!”

And then Raghunatha Das came forward. He bowed down before Nityananda Prabhu. Still at the lotus feet of Nityananda Prabhu while Raghunatha Das Goswami was still on the ground doing sastang dandvat pranam unto Nityananda Prabhu, Nityananda placed His lotus foot (He must have kept one foot) on the head of Raghunatha Das and blessed Him. “May your desires be fulfilled.”

Of course, Nityananda Prabhu also wanted to punish Raghunatha Das. Punishment for what? Because he was kind of hiding in the back. He had not stepped forward. He was a backbencher. Nityananda Prabhu thought he must be punished for hiding in the back. So what was the punishment.

Nityananda Prabhu said that “You should feed all the devotees assembled here with Dahi Chida and that is the punishment and of course they are going to be more and more people coming and as many would gather, as many would get the smell of Dahi Chida, wherever they are going, to be attracted and come to this spot. All of them must be fed with Dahi Chida.”

This was order of Nityananda Prabhu or a punishment to Raghunatha Das. So Raghunatha Das, you know, he arranged or organized a big Dahi Chida festival. He was very wealthy person, son of a landlord, so there was no dearth of wealth. So, he managed to have big quantity of chipped rice and all the yogurt available around there, he purchased and he started feeding devotees Dahi Chida and also Dudha Chida.

Soon the first quantity or whatever he prepared of Dahi Chida/Dudha Chida exhausted then he managed to get/buy more, more Dahi and Chida. More and more merchants were coming and setting up their shops and Raghunatha Das was purchasing and that was being made into Dahi Chida/Dudha Chida and was being distributed and more merchants were coming to sell. And more people were coming, more and more people were coming to honour prasad.

Merchants after they had sold their Dahi and Chida, they got lot of money for it, from Raghunatha and they were enjoying free food for life. Prasad was free. Raghunatha Das was purchasing Dahi Chida. He had to pay for Dahi Chida, shopping. But those shopkeepers were enjoying Dahi Chida, free Dahi Chida. There were lots of people enjoying Dahi Chida festival.

Yeah, so there’s a description, very wonderful pastime you could read in the Chaitanya Caritamrta. There were devotees honouring prasadam on the banks of Ganga, there were devotees everywhere. When there wasn’t enough space to stand and eat on the banks of Ganga, then the eaters who were honouring prasadam, they were entering into the waters of Ganga and the water was knee-deep and waist deep and they were chest deep. They were in the water and they were holding their cups in their hand and they were trying to eat. So there were people everywhere, on the bank of the river, in the river, big Mahotsav Dahi Chida Festival.

Everyone was experiencing that they were in Vrindavan on the bank of Yamuna and there’s Balarama here.

Nityananda Prabhu is Balarama and all those, who are eating prasad were like cowherd boys and Nityananda Prabhu here, Balaram in the middle and everyone is sitting or standing around and honouring prasadam. It was like being in Vrindavan and enjoying Krishna prasad in association of Krishna and Balaram there.

And in seeing this scene, thousands eating, honouring prasadam, they were happy. They were delighted. Nityananda Nitya, He is full of ananda. He is ecstatic and He is dancing and then you know what happened, when Nityananda Prabhu dances, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu makes His appearance. Wherever Nityananda Prabhu dances, immediately Chaitanya Mahaprabhu joins and that is what happened in Panihati. Gauranga appeared and both of Them were there now.

So Nityananda Prabhu welcomed Gauranga and Nityananda Prabhu is showing Chaitanya Mahaprabhu around. “Look so many people! See how they’re relishing, enjoying Dahi Chida festival.”

And then Nityananda Prabhu was taking few grains of Dahi Chida from devotee’s clay pots or from their plates. Some are sitting and some are standing and Nityananda Prabhu is throwing it in the mouth of Gauranga.

All those who are honouring prasadam, those Dahi Chida eaters, they were seeing only Nityananada Prabhu, they weren’t seeing Gauranga-Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So, they were seeing Nityananda Prabhu picking up few morsels of Dahi Chida and throwing it into the mouth of Gauranga, so they were seeing the hand of Nityananda Prabhu then they were seeing some grains being thrown but then they were seeing that those grains were not falling on the ground. There was someone gobbling up. Someone was eating them. Someone was taking them. They were all surprised. “What is going on?”

They were seeing only Nityananda Prabhu and He was feeding someone but they were not seeing who that person to whom Nityananda Prabhu was feeding. Devotees were surprised, amazed. The food offered or prasad offered to that unseen person, that was not falling anywhere but just disappearing.

So like this, the amazing festival of Dahi Chida on this occasion today, we had a feast just now as we heard this pastime and this is food for your soul.

Nice prasad right? You like this prasad, prasad in the form of this lila, this katha is prasad. So did you all enjoy this prasad? I hope so!

So please keep contemplating on this lila and the taste of this prasad and during the day you could please hear this pastime again and again. And why not? You should for sure host Dahi Chida festival at your home or go to ISKCON temple and join Dahi Chida Mahotsav on this occasion.

Some countries are celebrating today, some will celebrate tomorrow, but at the end of the day there will be celebration of this Dahi Chida globally. That’s how we take part and enjoy.

Chant

And also hear this Dahi Chida mahotsav katha or pastime then you’ll relish prasadam. Then you should have more. By chanting and by hearing, it will taste very sweet. And when you taste very sweet Dahi Chida then you’ll also begin relishing the holy name more and more.

So then both become sweeter. You chant

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

And then prasadam becomes sweeter and you relish sweeter prasad and then the holy name sounds more sweet. They compliment each other and hence, their beauty and sweetness.

Farewell. Nice day, sweet day.

HARE KRISHNA

14th June 2019

Dvadasi, the day after Nirjala Ekadasi

Lots of reports are still coming through, but I do not think we can take note of these reports now. We are talking. Some devotees did not only chant their japa, they read Bhagavad Gita and studied Bhagavatam. All reports are amazing and very pleasing. Some matajis are hearing this report and they’re clapping their hands, expressing their joy and congratulating all the chanters.

Noida had a very special celebration yesterday because they managed to gather more than a 100 devotees and they were all chanting together. I’m sure most of them chanted their 64 rounds and that’s a very unique gathering and celebration which others can also plan in the future.

Other ISKCON centres and temples in our zone should organize and get the congregation and initiated devotees together. It is easier to chant and complete your sankalpa. It is now too late for this year, but for next year you can make such a plan.

Someone reported that it is also very special that there is no internet all day. No Facebook all day.
Someone reported fasting from Maya and we said, “Actually, is very special report.”

12th June 2019

Glories of Ganges, Gangamata Gosvamini and Baladeva Vidyabhushan

Today is a very auspicious day. Today is Ganga puja. It’s appearance day of Ganga, Ganga Maiya ki jai!

Today is also appearance day of Gangamata Gosvamini ki jai! And today is also disappearance of Baladeva Vidyabhushan. He departed in Vrindavan. There is Samadhi of Baladeva Vidyabhushan in Vrindavan. So these are the three most auspicious occasions, they coincide with this day. So we remember these personalities.

Ganga Maiya ki.Jai!

We could also say, Gangayai namah! Don’t say Gangaya namah, its wrong. So we say Gangayai like Radhayai, Sitayai. That is different from Ramaya, Sivaya, this is Sanskrit pronunciation, grammar which is also associated with the name of Ganges. While offering our obeisances we are going to say Gangayai namah! So remember Ganges and offer your obeisances. Ramaya is okay, Sivaya is okay, but we can’t say Radhaya. Radhayai, Sitayai, Gangayai, like that, this is how it works.

So just don’t commit offenses by pronouncing this pranam mantra wrongly. If you are residing at the bank of Ganges you should go, take holy dip in Ganges today or at least try to manage to get Ganga jal (water) and drink few drops of Ganga jal today, on her appearance day or at least we should remember and we are trying to remember her by talking, remembering about Ganga Maiya.

Glories of Ganges are unlimited and glorious. Jai Ganges!

This is how you address, when you are addressing Ganges you should say Jai Ganga! or Hey Ganga! Thus, you offer obeisances and say Gangayai namah!

pada nakha nira janita jana pavana keshavadrta vamanrupa jai jagadish hare

Jayadeva Gosvami also has glorified Lord Vaman and Ganges in his Dashavatar sotra. Water of Ganges emanate or originate from the lotus feet of the Lord or toenails of the Lord and that water that has washed the lotus feet of the Lord that is Ganges. Ganga is also out of this world, not part of this world. It is also considered perspiration from the body of MahaVishnu and that is Karanodak Jal and some of that jal (water) has entered this universe when Vaman deva becomes Trivikrama.

As He takes second step,His lotus feet touch the covering of the universe and that thick covering of universe was punctured, there was a hole made by Lord’s lotus feet, touch and the water. Karanodak jal started dripping in and that’s how Ganges appeared in the universe. Thus Ganges was then flowing in the svarga, in heaven only. Then king Bhagirath, he made lot of efforts. So many stumbling blocks were there in his attempt in bringing Ganges from heaven to the earth. And because he became responsible for bringing Ganges on earth from heaven, Ganges has another name called Bhagirathi, the person who made all attempts to bring Ganges here on the earth. And by his efforts only today Ganges reached, touched this earthly planet and that place is Gomukha which is on the top of the Himalayan Mountains.

So, today is also called as Ganga puja day, as Ganges was welcomed on this Bhumi planet. She was welcomed and worshiped on this day, Ganga puja day. And then Bhagirath was to bring Ganges to West Bengal, where his forefathers 60,000 of them, sons of king Sagara and their ashes were lying and waiting to be liberated or immersed in Ganges all the way to Ganga sagar, so he had to bring that Ganga from Gomukha to Ganga sagar and Bhagirath did that.

And then Ganges is flowing through Bengal, Ganges is flowing through Navadvip dhama and Ganges is integral part of Navadvip Dhama and Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu performed His lilas at the banks of Ganges. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu treated and worshiped Ganges as mother Ganges or He had two mothers, mother Saci and mother Ganges. Ganga Maiya ki jai!

Gangamata Gosvamini, you could see her name is also Gangamata and she appeared on Ganga puja day. On the day Ganges appeared on the earth, that day another great personality appeared and her name was Saci initially and later on she was given name Gangamata Gosvamini. This is great personality, Gangamata Gosvamini is considered Acharya, and she is one of our Gaudiya Vaisnava Acharya. There are not so many ladies or women Acharyas in our parampara. One is Nityananda Prabhu’s wife, Jahanva mata and then Gangamata Gosvamini and they were Acharyas and they were initiating disciples.

Gangamata Gosvamini was kind of born devotee and her life was type of renunciation from the childhood, although she was born as a daughter of a king. She was a princess and she had no interest in the kingdom, specially she had no interest in getting married to some mortal, she wanted to marry Krishna only. And her parents wanted her to marry, but she had no interest. So they were appealing to her and hoping that she would get married but she did not. As a result, her parents left the bodies and she continued as a princess or in charge for a while, which also later on she renounced that. And she moved to Jagannath Puri. After spending little time in Jagannath Puri she moved to Vrindavan and she came in contact with Haridas Pandit, exalted devotee of Vrindavan and she was being trained under tutorship of Haridas Pandit in Vrindavan. She was wearing simple clothes, although she was princess and she had certainly lots of wealth at her disposal but she did not wanted some expensive banarasi saris though she could have done so, but she was happy with simple clothing and no ornaments, no golden bangles and jewelry. Very simple renounced life she was leading and Haridas Pandit wanted her to do madhukari, go door to door and beg for alms. Again although she was princess, she was going around, begging for alms. And by seeing all this, these kind of activities, this kind of sadhana, life style of renunciation & devotion Haridas Pandit was pleased and finally she was initiated by Haridas Pandit in Gaudiya parampara. Then after some time in Vrindavan she was asked to go to Jagannath Puri and propagate Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s cult or Gaudiya Vaisanavism. So, she came to Jagannath Puri and she started residing in Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s home. You know where Chaitanya Mhaprabhu also had stayed for some time, same house of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya now Gangamata Gosvamini was residing in Jagannath Puri.

When we were in Jagannath Puri, during yatra last year, all our devotees were brought to Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s home and the pastimes or activities of Gangamata Gosvamini also recited or reminded to all the pilgrims that time. When Gangamata Gosvamini was residing at Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s residence, the king of Puri, he donated property, just across from where she was residing, that property or place was sacred, well known place, known as Sveta Ganga, there Ganges is present in Puri, donated that land to Gangamata Gosvamini. So one time there was special occasion to go to Ganges and take Ganga snana and every one was going from everywhere including Jagannath Puri pilgrims were going to take bath in Ganga.

Gangamata Gosvamini could not go although she wished to go, she wanted to go , but as she was instructed by Haridas Pandit never ever leave Jagannath Puri, so she could not go to Ganga river and take bath that one day. And then what happened was that day or towards the end of that day late in the night river Ganges appeared in Jagannath Puri and Gangamata Gosvamini was immersing in Ganges water, she was floating and the water of Ganges was rising and rising and there were waves in the water and as a result eventually Gangamata Gosvamini ended up swimming and floating, she ended up in Jagannath Puri temple in the middle of the night. And pujaris were wondering, now they were hearing some sound, Jai Gangamaiya ki Jai, Har Har Gange!

They were hearing so many sounds coming from inside Jagannath temple, so they opened and were surprised to see Gangamata Gosvamini there with Jagannath, Baladeva, Subhadra in the Garbhagriha. And they thought, what are you doing here? Do you want to steal some ornaments of Jagannath, that’s why you came in the middle of the night?

So all those pujaris were accusing her and all those false allegations that she was a thief and causing those entire disturbance and this is time for Lord Jagannath to sleep. What are you doing here? And then she was arrested and imprisoned. Pujaris complained to the king and king ended up in putting her behind the bars. Then Jagannath appeared in the dream of king of Puri. He said, ‘no, no, she is not a thief. She is My pure devotee. And I am the one who made all these arrangements, even bringing Ganges in Jagannath Puri, so that she could take bath in Ganges on this auspicious occasion. And I am the one who brought her in front of Me. You are offenders, you all pujaris and the king, you should release her immediately. And accept her as your spiritual authority. She is Acharya of Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya.’

So, Lord Jagannath warned the king and all the pujaris like that. And of course she was released and she stayed on and on in Jagannath Puri. And in the dream also, that ‘you accept her as your spiritual master’ and then Gangamata Gosvamini started giving initiations. Residents of Jagannath Puri and pujaris were getting initiated by her. And like that this is the wonderful life and teachings of Gangamata Gosvamini. She was one of the rare souls, great souls, mahatmas and this is her appearance day today.

Baladeva Vidyabhushan is known as Gaudiya Vedanta Acharya. Gaudiya, Vedanta Acharya and Baladeva Vidyabhushan. What a name! Wonderful name and title of Baladeva Vidyabhushan! Vidya was his bhusan, vidya was his decoration, vidya was his alankar and vidya was beautifying him.

AchintyaBhedabheda tattva of Gaudiya Vaishnava was presented by Baladeva Vidyabhusan and he was born in Remuna Orissa, where Khirachora Gopinath is worshiped in that area his birth took place.

Today is his disappearance day. Then he moved from Orissa to Vrindavan. In Jaipur, Radha Govind was not being worshiped properly as per Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta. Even the king was disturbed. There were Ramanandis, followers of Sri sampradaya, Ramanuja sampradaya, they were in charge of worship and they were not allowing Gaudiya vaisnavas to worship Radha Govind. They had separated Radha from Govind. They were thinking, no no, Radha cannot be worshiped with Krishna, with Govind, because they didn’t understand Radha tattva. Gaudiya understand Radha and Krishna. They thought, Gaudiya vaisnavas cannot worship Radha Govind. You are not authorized. Your sampradaya has not written commentary on Vedanta. Where is your bhasya, commentary on Vedanta sutra? If you don’t have commentary on Vedanta sutra then you are not authorized. You cannot be accepted as authorized parampara. So the king of Jaipur also was not happy with the disturbance caused by Ramanandi, the followers of Sri sampradaya. Then he sent message to Vrindavan and Baladeva Vidyabhushan then contacted Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur. He was Gaudiya Vaishnav protector, but he was too old to go to Jaipur. So he sent Baladeva Vidyabhushan to Jaipur and Baladeva Vidyabhushan had shastrarth dialogue, debate with Ramanandis and he defeated them all by proving the supremacy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and their siddhanta.

Then Govind did the prompting, the dictation and Baladeva Vidyabhushan was taking notes. This was the commentary on Vedanta sutra. The commentary on Vedanta sutra was revealed unto Baladeva Vidyabhushan by Govinda, Govind Deva.

So when that commentary was ready and this was the first ever commentary of Vedanta sutra of Gaudiya sampradaya, so Baladeva Vidyabhushan named this commentary as ‘Govinda Bhashya’. This bhashya, commentary of Vedanta sutra, who is author of this? Govinda! Govinda! Govinda Himself has written this commentary, so he gave the credit to Govinda and commentary became as Govinda Bhashya.

So, once Gaudiya vaisnavas had their own commentary on Vedanta sutra and then they were accepted as authorized, authentic. Then Gaudiya vaisnavas were allowed to worship, take charge of worship of Radha Govinda and they also brought Radha which was by now placed elsewhere and now Radha and Govinda were being worshiped on the same altar in Jaipur and the Gaudiya vaisnavas were worshipping Radha Govinda.

So this is the glory of Baladeva Vidyabhushan. Baladeva Vidyabhushan ki jai!

He settled the situation and also made our parampara authentic. This is respectable and superior, in fact the super most siddhanta called Achintya Bhedabheda tattva, this is the great contribution of Baladeva Vidyabhushan. We are eternally indebted to Baladeva Vidyabhushan for this commentary and this authenticity.

Hare Krishna!

11 June 2019

Austerity: to advance in Krishna consciousness

When we undergo austerities like we do on Nirjala Ekadashi, that means we are minimizing our bodily needs or demands of our mind, body, demands of the family, so many demands, we minimize them. Live simple life with few facilities, bare minimum, most minimum and think high, remember Krishna, chant Hare Krishna, simple living high thinking, that’s the life of tapasya- life of austerity of devotees of Sri Krishna.

We should not be doing one day but we should be doing every day. This austerity, this tapasya is purifying and that’s how we make advancement in Krishna consciousness.

This land of Bharat varsha is land of tapasya, ‘tapobhumi’, rest of the world is ‘bhogabhumi’. There is svarga, heaven or hell, there is some kind of bhoga, enjoyment or suffering. Suffering is also bhoga, there is reaction for sinful activity. But here in Bharat varsha, this is tapobhumi, land of austerity and purification. So, by hearing this the devotees from Ukraine or Russia or from America or Mauritius, they think, oh this does not apply to us. We are not Bharatvasis. We are not Indians, so this is not meant for us. This is wrong thinking. Don’t think like that. By studying Krishna consciousness in different countries or wherever Krishna consciousness has reached and practiced, those lands are Bharat varsha. That is Bharat varsha and those who are practicing Krishna consciousness they are in true sense Bharatvasis, residents of Bharat.

Bharat, Mahabharat!

So you are part of Bharat varsha. You are Bharatiyas by the action.

So performing austerities is one and all for us wherever we are. This chanting of Hare Krishna is big tapasya we are doing, and not to think of anything else. And for this to get up early and begin chanting, this is tapasya. And to sit down and chant Hare Krishna is a big tapasya, not running around, walking and going here and there, no, sit in one place. Or sit down and only hear holy name and not to hear other topics, this is tapasya of the body as well as tapasya of the mind. We need our mind very austere in order to chant.

Tapasya for the body, tapasya for the mind, tapasya for the tongue.

Lord Sri Krishna has described tapasya of three kinds, three different levels, bodily, mentally, vocally, ‘kayena manasa vacha’. This world has seen amazing tapasvis, austere practitioners of Krishna consciousness; this was very common like in Treta yuga, Satya yuga, they used to do meditation, sitting in one place, like Valmiki. He was instructed, Okay stop this killing or looting people. Just sit down and chant Rama Rama Rama! Then he practiced like that, followed the instructions of his guru maharaja, Narada Muni by sitting in one place and chanting for long time. He sat down and he was not moving here and there, and of course there was,

sita atapa bata barisana e dina jamini jagi re
[Bhajau re mana by Govinda Dasa]

He kept sitting through winter season and rainy season and all kinds of seasons. And all the attacks, wind was blowing and showers of rain and he just tolerated, just kept chanting in all odd situations. And he was not defending, eating stopped. Sleeping, I don’t know how they manage sleeping. They use to sit down and meditate for years, long time. There is no eating, only air and only Hari nama, only Rama nama he was drinking and no question of mating and no defense. They used to be in the middle of the forest. The tigers and snakes and jackals are all around, but they are not scared. They are not defending, instead depending on the Lord and not defending and just in their business, activity of chanting the Holy name of Lord and remembering the Lord and they have forgotten whereabouts.

vyavasayatmika buddhih ekeha kurunandana [BG 2.41]

Their buddhi, their determination, great determination, fixed determination, it is called vyavasayatmika buddhih ekeha and just fix on the Lord, Lord’s Holy name or Lord’s pastimes, they are fully focused. Of course, the tigers would not eat them up but the ants are coming and crawling all over the body and eating and as a result there was an ant hill around the body of Valmiki Muni. So they are tolerating all the biting of worms and germs and ants and they were fix on the Lord, totally oblivious to the surrounding and what is happening to their body, inconvenience to the body, they are tolerating, they are beyond the body. They are just absorbed in Krishna, in Sri Rama. And doing some pranayam, deep breathe, slowly breathing in, slowly breathing out, long deep breathes also extends one’s life; he lives long one who takes long deep breathe. And this is done in mode of goodness and in passion you will run and fast breathing and that minimizes your life span. So take deep breathe and chant,

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

That deep breathing, pranayam also helps to concentrate. So this yogi, Valmiki Muni is doing this, taking air in, besides the Holy name only the air, surviving on air.

Of course, you know this also that we cannot imitate those yogis of Satya yuga or Dwapar yuga, or we cannot imitate Valmiki Muni, same thing with Dhruva Maharaj.

So yogi, either they sit in padmasan or they stand on one foot, that is also one asana. Stand on one foot means you are not going to move around, because so many demands are arousing in you, oh I want this, I want that, so many desires, so many pushing’s, ashapash and then for that the body has to be sent ‘go there, go shopping, go travel, make money, all these things’ for this run around has to be done.

So the yogis used to minimize all this pushings.

vacho vegam manasa krodha vegam jivha vegam udaropastha vegam [NOI Verse 1]

There are six pushings mentioned in Upadeshamrita, the mind is pushing and anger is pushing and making you run around and belly is pushing and genitals are pushing, all these pushings and then passion is there and then running around, busy with the ugra karma and no time for Hare Krishna Hare Krishna.

So we cannot imitate those yogis from the past, meditaters from the past, but whatever austerities we could manage, whatever type of simple living that can be practiced that we must do. So, we cannot imitate those yogis from past, from Satya yuga, Treta yuga, but at the same time we should not imitate the present day materialists, the way they are busy, in their simple thinking and high living. High livings, but thinking simple or no thinking, just do it!

So we should not imitate or become the followers of the present day materialists or scientists or all those folks.

The materialists are trying to, high living life style, death style, live in a style and die in a style, so we don’t take inspiration from those materialists and their leaders. Some people from west, also coming to senses and they are changing their lifestyle.

Last time I was in America and there was one group of people, they said, ‘Swamiji we follow the formula called KISS formula’. I said, ‘I am a Swami. I have nothing to do with this Kiss. What is this Kiss?’ They said, ‘No, No, not that kind of kiss.’ Then I said, ‘what is this Kiss formula you are following?’ And they said, ‘Keep It Simple Stupid formula! Kiss, so this formula we are following. Simple living high thinking!’ So India is trying to lead smart life and smart cities, they are also saying, ‘don’t work hard, work smart’, like that. But if there are anyone smart, that are the devotees, devotees are smart.

Jeyi Krishna bhaje seyi bada chatur

One who worships Krishna, he is chatur (smart), everyone else is fool number one or number two or number ten or they are all not smart. Devotees are smart.

Okay! so be wise, be smart and chant Hare Krishna and be devotees of the Lord.

Hari Hari! Gauranga!

Chant with focus and concentration

Hare Krishna!

Today we have 586 participants, 17 from Nashik road, we must spread the word around. We must get more devotees from Nashik and Nashik road. Noida has 45 participants, Mauritius has 45 participants, and numbers have dropped. I don’t see so many on the screen. Numbers are dropping. In Mauritius there were several hundred devotees, so please pass the message, and take advantage of this opportunity. I am happy to see all of you here doing japa.

“Jyot se jyot jagate chalo. Prem ki ganga bahate chalo.”

You could ask others to join, you are fired up you could touch other prabhus and lit them up, wake them up. That’s all meaning of “jyot se jyot jagate chalo, prem ki ganga bahate chalo.” Let the Ganga of prem flow and let everyone take advantage of this. Let everyone be part of it. Let everyone drown and absorbed in drinking the nectar of the holy name.

So, I think today must be Sunday, number is smaller under 600. Today less participants, so it is understood that it’s Sunday.

”jiva jago ,jiva jago gaurachandra bole”

Gauranga is calling jiva jago, body is awake now awaken the soul. We wake up and we just never sleep. The body needs sleep, because we work hard for Krishna (laughs), body is resting, maybe for 6 hours. Prabhupada also says about 6 hours sleep. Elderly people sleep for 6 hours but the soul is not sleeping. When we have rested, the body wakes up, the soul is ready to go again to serve Krsna. He is ready to attend mangal arati, chant our rounds and the soul is now awake, it is nourished.

Once we wake up we are searching, maybe something in the past, someone wakes you up, shakes you up, or you come into contact with a devotee or spiritual master.

om ajyana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri guruve namah

Spiritual master is waking you up giving you ‘jnananjan’, some knowledge. Uttishta Jagrata, the vedic statement also says. Once you are spiritually woken up, you should stay awake, become Krishna conscious, chanting and doing other devotional practices.

I see many of you sleeping while chanting, chanting half mantra and then sleeping for 30 seconds or sometimes longer. And then you wake up and start chanting again. So, you have not really woken up? You are not chanting in full consciousness. Yesterday we made reference to the archer, how the whole activity of chanting is compared to the shooting or an archer. How he holds his bow, how he is focused. He poises his body, his mind, and soul to focus on his target. So, we need to practice our chanting and be focused, chanter is the jiva and is the archer and the arrow is the body, mind and intelligence. Target is the Lord’s abode, Lord’s lotus feet. The atma, the archer, the soul reaches back to Godhead. This is a wonderful illustration, chanter follows the example of the archer, just copy him, look at him how he is focused and his concentration.

Yesterday after the japa talk we continued the discussion here with the devotees chanting with me in Nagpur, talking about the archer. The archer he is holding the arrow in his hand, fixes it to the bow and then pulls the string from the back with all his strength, he must be focused and conscious to perform this action, he cannot be distracted from the target. Then he shoots. So, one archer can be totally focused.

And another archer he does archery with no concentration, he does everything mechanically, no focus. He may just carry the bow and arrow not doing anything. Some of us can be compared to this archer, we perform the act of chanting only for the sake of doing it, chanters just hold the japa mala, moving back and forth, relaxed mood, watching television, engaging in gossip, reading the newspaper while chanting, this is not what Bhagavatam is teaching. Our acaryas have not taught us like this. It is not like the ideal archer.

We get instructions from the scriptures and sastras like viddhi – you do this and nishedha- don’t do that. When King Parikshit in the very beginning as soon as he met Shukadeva Goswami he enquired.

yac chrotavyam atho japyaṁ
yat kartavyaṁ nṛbhiḥ prabho
smartavyaṁ bhajanīyaṁ vā
brūhi yad vā viparyayam [SB 1.19.38]

He wants to know, what we should worship? And what we should not worship? What should we chant? And what we should not chant? What should we do? And what we should not do? Tell me, what is right and what is wrong.

Be like the ideal archer in action that is how you should be, this is the “do part”; what we are talking about here today is the don’t part. Unfortunately, we do not have much time now, just started the topic, what not to do. How to chant, things not to do while chanting and chanting should not be done in this way.

Few years ago, the devotees did a drama in the Krishna Balarama hall in Vrindavan, they depicted one character, one mataji on her style of chanting, and they demonstrated this on stage. This mataji she could never sit and chant. She was all over the place chanting, and whilst chanting she was very busy doing other stuff. While chanting if the phone rang, she would drop the chanting and answer the call. She had this big bead bag, in the bead bag her keys would be there, the phone and all little accessories. The bead bag was like a little office, everything will go in there, letters, telephone bills etc. She would be really busy and very distracted whilst chanting. She would chant, snik snik hare hare.

So, this group chanting is helpful, we get you all to sit down on the asana and chant. So, if you join this conference there is no chance of chanting casually like the lady in the drama.

Devotees are also writing to share their experience, realizations and benefits of this group chanting. So, we should take advantage of this conference. There is this devotee from America Hardik Patel, he used to be chanting like that moving from here to there. I got him to sit down and focus. Once you sit down to chant, you have more control better vibes. More focused. Many of you are writing about the benefits of this group chanting, no time to read all now, but I will read it.

The lady we talked about is like a gossip manager, can open a dialogue in the middle of chanting, just like that I could see some devotees from Nashik having a chat. That mataji from the drama, using her chanting bag as an office, used to mechanically chant, not focused. So, one day while chanting she looked in her bag for her japa mala, there was no beads there, she lost her beads. You can just imagine the style of chanting, her mind, and intelligence just chanting with no concentration- she did not realize the beads were no longer there. No focus, she was lost.

Between yesterday and today we tried to demonstrate the right way of chanting like the archer, not like the lady who lost her beads. The do’s and the don’ts. Chant with focus and concentration.

Hare Krishna.

Be focused like an Archer while chanting

Our devotees from Melbourne they have been chanting with us on Saturdays. Are you there today also? Identify yourself. We chant everyday but some chant only on Saturdays.

I was wondering about Mauritius devotees, their numbers have gone down, can someone check? I see Vrsabanu Prabhu. Numbers have gone down from 50 to 30 now. Otherwise we chant every day Saturday, Sunday or Monday we chant every day.

We have to chant the prescribed number of rounds “kritanya sadha hari” prescribed number of rounds.

sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-kritau [Shad Goswami Ashtakam]

The six goswamis of Vrindavan they have set this standard. Our Acarya Namacarya Srila Haridas Thakur had prescribed 47 rounds, but he chanted big number 300000 names of Lord every day . Even in his old age he struck to his prescribed rounds. I asked Srila Prabhupada on one morning walk why we chant 16 rounds, he replied 16 is minimum, you can chant 16,000 who can stop you.

So we need to chant, this is “yuga dharma” in this age we have to chant the Hare Krishna maha mantra.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare.

There is a statement in Bhagvatam that compares this activity of chanting or recitation of mantra to the activity of shooting bow and arrow using bow and arrow,Dhanur vidya. So there in the statement it is explained that Pranav, the mantra that we chant is the bow, is danush. The living entity jiva, is the arrow baan, and the laksha, the destination the target of this arrow is the Lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

It is a Bhagvatam statement so it certainly truth, a statement the fact, just to understand this we also say that chanting of Hare Krishna mantra is sadhan and sadhya. It is means and the goal.

The Lord comes in this world or as we chant Hare Krishna the Lord makes His appearance, so He becomes the means sadhan and that Lord carries the jiva or living entity back with Him back to Krishna or back to Godhead. The living entity is brought to the lotus feet of the Lord. Sadhan and sadhya which is mantra is non- different from the Lord. The holy name is non -different from the Lord.

Fixing the arrow to the bow that is quite an act and expertise and there is art, it is a science. Putting the arrow and bow together and also be focused on the target. Dronacharya was teaching his students this Dhanur vidya and they had to shoot at the sky, the mountain, the bird hanging from the tree.

And there is a boatman in his boat riding through the ocean and the target is Boston and the captain of the boat has to focus on his target, his guide is the light house, this is where the Boston is and he is thinking, I have to get there. In order to get to his target, he must ensure that that the engine is right and he remains on the right course even the winds are blowing unfavorably. His boat may be going this way sometimes that way. But he must steer his boat in the right direction towards the light house. He must make sure that the course is right. This is what we call as attentive chanting. To throw this living entity in the direction of the Lord. Because we don’t want to hit the Lord. Srila Prabhupada has explained in the purport, we should not think in the term of bow and arrow and we are shooting and the destination is the lotus feet of Lord. We should not be attacking violently; shooting should be like a flower. We are making offering of ourselves, the living entity at the lotus feet of the Lord.

Then of course there is the baan the arrow is ready, that’s why it is said,

jiv jago, jiv jago, gaurachandra bole

Gauranga from spiritual sky is calling come, come in My direction. So, Gauranga is calling you or He has come as you have addressed Him by calling His name. Gauranga is very merciful, He is magnanimous. You are receiving His ahaituki -causeless mercy, you don’t deserve but the Lord is so kind. He comes and calls you wake up, wake up sleeping souls. The soul has to wake up if you are talking of bow and arrow activity. The arrow is there and you have to be aware and it has to be willing to reach the destination and reach the lotus feet of the Lord or abode of the Lord- going back home, back to Godhead.

So the bow, the arrow and the lakshay, the destination make sure that they are perfectly aligned and in good shape, the right mantra, which we have we have the best mantra the maha-mantra. Other mantras are there. Every devi and devata have their mantras. Mantras are there to please different Gods and Goddesses.

In karma kanda section of the Vedas, different mantras are there, you could chant and go to heaven, pitri lok depends what you pray for. Some pray for bhuta and pischas, written in karma kanda section of the Vedas. If our desire is to go all the way to Vaikuntha to Goloka then we must chant the corresponding mantra to go back to Vaikunta. By the Grace of Gauranga and the parampara we have the best mantra- The maha mantra.

The bow, the arrow and the destination. The bow we have is the best.The mantra, the bow is perfect .The arrow is the living entity, the jiva is willing and ready and wants the Lord’s lotus feet. With devotional service and we have really woken up and we must also not cause offenses, Nama apradha are there. We are committing offenses against the holy name. The mantra is a personality, the mantra is Krishna Himself but if the living entity is committing offenses against the holy name, then what hope is there for the living entity.

Focus on the target In dhanur vidya, the string is pulled and is released as a result the arrow gets a boost from behind and if it is done with full attention full focus then that arrow will reach the destination and the target. Something that must give the boost is the holy name but if we are offensive and do not have faith in the holy name then the living entity will not be going towards the Lord.

So remember the successful archer always successfully hits his targets and his whole act of shooting, his mind, his body, his intelligence and his focus is on his target and when everything is aligned, the arrow the bow and the target and then he becomes successful . So remember that when we are chanting we should remember the successful archer, his mind, body and soul is focused. Like that there is a bow, arrow and the target the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Keep this in the mind when chanting always remember the archer and his focus, if he is not aligned and focused he will not hit his target. Stay focused on the chanting remembering how the archer aligns everything to hit the target. Remember the Bhagavatam and the activity of bow and arrow – keep this in mind when chanting.

Question: who is the archer?

Answer : Who is the dhanudari here, the arrow is there, the bow is there, the destination. The archer is the living entity. Thinking of the one who is chanting, he is dhanudari he is the archer, you are the archer and you are also the bow at the same time. Good question. Bow and arrow focus on the target. Archer is the chanter of the holy name.

yatra yogeshvarah krishno yatra partho dhanurdhara
tatra shirr vijayo buthirdhruva nitir matir mama [BG 18.78]

In the case of Arjuna battling on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is the archer, living entity is archer and the Lord has come. His bow is the mantra and who is giving him the mantra? Sri Krishna is right there giving the mantra, Lord is even driving the chariot, the Lord is acting like the danusha, Lord is acting like mantra.

Oh! You have some mantra for me? Arjuna is getting confused in the middle of the battle, the Lord is giving intelligence from within.

In our case, dadami buddhi yogam. Lord gives advice in the form of mantra. So there was a team, Arjuna is archer, Lord is dhanusha which is physically Gandiv is the hand of Arjuna, but the real bow is the Lord. In the case of Arjuna the Lord is personally there, to give him a boost so that his arrows can reach the target, that time his enemies they are stumbling blocks so they had to be removed.

Arjuna was hitting the enemies, as they were getting hit, they were getting killed and they were all getting liberated, they were all going back to Godhead. They were becoming associates of the Lord. Arjuna the archer was not only bringing himself to the lotus feet of the Lord but all those whom he was killing they were also becoming bhan/arrow and going to the Lord.

Okay so another question.

Question: Who is the Lord and who is the living entity?

Answer: Bow is the Lord and the destination is the Lord and the living entity is you, the chanter. Holy name is the bow the holy name is the destination, means and the goal. The holy name brings living entity back to the form of the Lord. Living entity is entering the past times of the Lord and the holy name brings the living entity back to the Lord, back to spiritual sky back to their eternal action of serving the Lord.

No more questions are coming up only comments, I will read them. If there are other questions you can discuss it among yourselves. If there are very difficult questions and you have no answers then refer it to us. Otherwise keep chanting.

Hare Krishna

Do meditate, but meditate upon Krishna

Hari Bol to you all!

637 participants today! I am very happy and enjoying this conference and chanting with you all. Especially when I see you chanting, I do not hear, but I do see you chanting. Your lips are vibrating or moving, so that seems very pleasing. You all are doing right thing at right time. Right thing is we know, I am sure you also know, that you are and we all are spirit souls and for all living entities our occupation is, our dharma in this kali-yuga is chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, that we are doing.

As I see you practicing dharma, doing the right thing, that gives me great pleasure.

So, you are doing the right thing, that is chanting Hare Krishna. You and we all have to just do it rightly or correctly. You are doing the right thing, but do it in right way, correct way. So we always say, we meditate upon Lord’s Holy name and Lord’s pastimes, Lord form etc. This is mantra meditation, it’s time for dhyana, time for meditation. So do it dhyanapurvak, with attention, in a meditating way. That is the right thing to do, right way to do.

In fact, everyone in this world meditates, get absorbed in, concentrates,contemplates, everyone in this world does that. Every living entity does that, dhyana or contemplation or meditation. So worldly people also do dhyana all the time and they do dhyana of maya and devotees also do dhyana or they are expected to do dhyana, meditate upon Sri Krishna. So we do not say, ‘do not meditate, do not think or contemplate or concentrate, but we only say, devotees of Krishna say, meditate upon Krishna. Do meditate, but meditate upon Krishna.

Lord Sri Krishna talked about this dhyana in Bhagavad Gita, very famous statement.

dhyayato visayan pumsam sangastesupa jayate
sangat sanjayate Kamah, kamat krodhobhi jayate
krodhat bhavati sammoha, sammohat smrti vibhramah,
smrti bhramsat buddhi naso, buddhi nasat pranasyati [BG 2.62]

So Lord has talked how to do meditation, if it is visaya or objects of senses, meditation on the objects of senses, then that leads to attachments, one gets attached to those objects of senses.

sangah tesu upajayate, the attachment is developed.

This principle applies to both kinds of meditation, the mundane meditation and spiritual Krishna consciousness meditation. If your objects of senses are mundane objects and you meditate upon them then you develop attachment to those mundane objects of senses, mundane places, mundane personalities, mundane objects of eating or sleeping or mating or defending. So likewise, if we meditate upon Krishna, the spiritual objects of our senses, the senses of spirit, spirit also has senses, the body also have senses, so the body’s senses contemplate, meditate on the objects of mundane senses, then that kind of attachment. The spiritual senses of the spirit soul, they contemplate on the spiritual objects and that’s Krishna, then we develop attachment to Krishna. So we develop detachment to maya and we develop attachment to Krishna by meditating upon Krishna or meditating upon the spiritual objects of our spiritual senses.

Then Krishna says,

sangastesupa jayate sangat sanjayate kamah, and then if we are attached to the objects of senses, we are contemplating on the objects of senses, then it gives rise to kama, the lust. While you contemplate on the spiritual objects of our senses that is Krishna, even Krishna’s devotees, Krishna’s pastimes, then we develop attachment to those spiritual objects and then we revive our prema for the Lord. In other case kama, sangat sanjayate kamah, but there is also sangat sanjayate premah. Prema also could be revived by the contemplation and attachment to the spiritual objects of the senses.

As another statement from Chaitanya Charitamrita, that clarifies this point,

atmendriya priti vancha tara bale kama (Cc. Ädi 4.165)

atmendriya priti, if we are busy in gratifying mundane senses, contemplating on mundane objects of senses or relishing mundane objects then the outcome is kamah upajayate, kama is developed.

While,Krsnendriya priti tara bale prema, but if our senses are engaged in serving the Lord’s senses or Lord’s form or Lord’s pastimes, then that would result in prema, love of Godhead.

Yeah, so moving forward Krishna has said, we are referring Bhagavad Gita,

dhyayato visayan pumsam, sangastesupa jayate
sangat sanjayate kamah, kamat krodhobhi jayate

And if our lusty desires are not fulfilled, there is some hindrance or some delay, etc. then we become angry, kamat krodhobhi jataye.

If we are frustrated, this is what goes on all over the world, exhibition of kama and that’s why there is quarrel and there are wars and battles and fighting and all that goes on because of kamat krodhobhi jayate. Your desires are not fulfilled and then you exhibit this anger and this whole world is angry, terrorists are angry, everybody is angry here, develops anger.

So kamat krodhobhi jayate, or we could also say, premat krodhobhi jayate, if our spiritual desires are not satisfied, if there is some hindrance, some delay, we may also be feeling frustrated and become angry, but that is spiritual anger and devotees like Hanuman, and like that, so devotees also may take action for fight with those who are against Vishnu and Vaisnavas or their plans, Vishnu’s plans, Vaisnavas plans, if someone is causing hindrance then devotees also become transcendentally angry as Hanuman became angry on Arjuna.

In fact, Krishna was inspiring Arjuna, so that he will become angry for battling, fighting. So this anger, this krodha, this spiritual anger like Lord Narasimha becomes angry, so that’s spiritual anger is there.

So moving forward, what Krishna has said in Bhagavad Gita so kamat krodhobhi jayate, krodhat bhavati sammoha, if you are in angry state then you become bewildered, you cannot think straight and you are illusioned and you end up taking wrong decisions. Then Lord also has said,

sammohat smrti vibhramah
smrti bhramsat buddhi naso

And gradually you forget your real identity and that result in loosing intelligence, there is loss of intelligence. You cannot act any more intelligently. On the contrary the spiritual practitioners, they may become angry also, as Prabhupada said preaching is fighting but that anger, the spiritual anger, the devotees, they do not loose intelligence, however devotees are given intelligence. Lord says that in Bhagavad Gita,

tesam satat yuktanam bhajatam priti purvakam dadami buddhiyogam (BG 10.10)

Those who are always practicing Krishna consciousness, always chanting Hare Krishna, always engage in devotional services, reading Prabhupada books, performing nama sankirtana and like that, distributing prasadam, holding festivals, doing jare dekho tare kaho krsna upadesa, as devotees remain engaged in all these activities then Lord guarantees to such a devotee I give intelligence, dadami buddhiyogam.

So, the materialists, they lose intelligence in this process of contemplation, this that and objects of senses, but devotees they end up getting intelligence, they become intelligent. Lord provides them very sharp intelligence, they become equipped with.

So in these two ways, two kinds of meditations, one is meditating on maya or worldly objects, at every step there is step down, you are coming down, you are declining and you are falling down, one from dhyayato visayan pumsah, sangastesupa jayate, there is fall down, sangat sanjayate kamah, you developed lust, fall down, you become angry you fall down, you are bewildered, you fall down, further fall down and Lord finally says in that statement that buddhinasat pranasyati, when you have lost your intelligence, pranasyati, you are destroyed. You really fall down, go deep down into the hell and lower regions. There is regression at every at every step and total fall down.

So while devotees, new devotees, you are the chanters of the Holy names and contemplates upon the Lord and Lord’s pastimes Lord’s devotees, you are studying their life and teachings, you keep doing this specially, chant,

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

And you are doing that right way, and you are contemplating and meditating deeply meditating upon the Lord then the outcome end result is progression. Other side other ladder, there is regression, they are coming down, down, down into the hell. And here you are going up and up and you are going higher and higher and now you are blessed with intelligence. Lord has given you intelligence, dadami buddhiyogam, then what happens, yen mam upayanti te, then those chanters of the Holy name, devotees, practitioners of Krishna consciousness, they are endowed with spiritual intelligence and how do they use that spiritual intelligence?

Mam upayanti te, mam means Myself, upa means near, they come near to Me, near where I am that is where they come. They come back to Me, come back to home. So then they achieve the goal of human form of life, achieve Krishna and attain Krishna.

So what we talked just now about is applicable to each and every one of us, regardless of which country, continent, nation, religion, gender, economic status, regardless of all these considerations and this principle that Krishna has talked about, they are applicable and that is why the whole world is following,

mama vartmanu vartante manusyah partha sarvasah
(BG 4.11)

Krishna has declared that mama vartmanu vartante, I have set this system and there is no way, they can do things independent of Lord, independent of the system of the Lord. Every single person, every single human being on this planet is following this program, this system that Lord has created and so then they are either following the mundane path, mundane contemplation, mundane entertainment, trying to acquire objects, trying to relish those, then we know what the outcome is, end result is, the fall down.

So as Lord has said, surrender unto Me, give up all other varieties of mundane activities or even some kind of mundane religion or mix bhakti or jnanamisra bhakti or karmamisra bhakti, give all that out,

sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraj (BG 18.66)

And that is what we do, we chant Hare Krishna, we take shelter of Krishna. And then He also says do not fear, I will take care of rest, I will make you free from all sins.

Nāmāśraya kori’ jatane tumi thākaha āpana kāje [Gītāvalī 6].

So take shelter of Holy name, meditate by chanting and be happy.

Hare Krishna!