Date : 19th October 2015
Venue : Govardhan Eco-village, Wada

Forest Govardhan Eco-village and you are going to be making plans or strategies, working out strategies of how to distribute books, of Srila Prabhupada ki….. jai!!

So that got me interested and I dropped in (laughter) I don’t know how I fit in here. We all fit in here, this is a sankirtan moment and book distribution is sankirtan. It’s not only kirtan but it is sankirtan, “samyaprakarena kirtan” wholesome kirtan. And there are all the glories in the books of Srila Prabhupada’s books -Bhagvad-Gita as it is and Bhagvatam as it is. So all are glories of Shri Krishna or glories of the Holy Name.

“nama-sankirtanam yasya sarva-papa pranashanam” (12.13.23)

This is how Bhagavatam ends, “nama-sankirtanam yasya, sarva -papa pranashanam”

So conclusion is, the kirtan and these books of Srila Prabhupada are sankirtan or we could also say Sankirtan that came from lotus mouth of Srila Prabhupada, his realizations. He poured his heart into those dictaphone machines all night long or starting from somewhere in middle of the night as we all slept. Prabhupada would get up and speak his realizations into the Dictaphone machine and then some disciple would transcribe and then some editing and layout and here is a heart of the press, the book. So and then someone opens the book and reads the book what is he hearing? The kirtan performed by Srila Prabhupada. So the books are packed with kirtan, so distribution of those books of Srila Prabhupada is kirtan, is sankirtan. This world is in very bad need of is these books.

“Kaloh Nasht Drasham aisham” okay prior to that Shyam tyaktva swapanam gatha Lord departed for his own planet, taddinat – from that day the kali advented then what happened? Kaloh Nasht Drasham aisham people lost the eye-sight, just during flood-day light and they have eyes but they do not see like, they have become blind, okay then we could also say they have become krodha andha, krodh-andha, krodha is making them andha or lobhandha and kamandha and madandha and what not andha. All these things are making them andha- blind. Then Lord, out of his causeless mercy, adhuna means now or then, when kali advented then “Puran ark udita” Lord appeared in the form of Bhagavatam, brilliant as sun. Lord appeared in the form of Bhagavatam. Idam- means this, idam bhagavatam nama puranam brahma-sammitam. This is called “idam bhagavata? nama” this is called Bhagavatam and this is Brahma samhitam, Srila Prabhupada translates Brahama samhitam as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Bhagavatam is Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Just few days ago, I was just looking at the dictionary meaning of samhitam, what is this samhitam? And the dictionary meaning is, is equal to, as good as or it has same value as what? Brahma samhitam, the Brahma, Parabrahma and then, there is Bhagavatam, Bhagavatam is same as Krishna; it has same value as Krishna, same value. It represents Brahma, so Brahma samhitam.

So when we, distribute Gita or Bhagavatam and then Nectar of Devotion, this is all Brahma samhitam and these are glories of the Lord. Certainly they are the glories of the holy name, all over

“adav ante ca madhye ca harih sarvatra giyate”

Hari has been chanted, has been glorified in the beginning of Srila Prabhupada’s books, you could say in the middle end everywhere “harih sarvatra giyate”. So people of this age of kali, I mean we were one time very much in the middle of the age of kali and I am sure from wherever we were Maharashtra, Gujarat or wherever we were born, from there we have come here, today Govardhan Ecovillage. Do you think Srila Prabhupada’s books made the difference or Srila Prabhupada’s books they have brought you all the way to this point, yes-no? How many of you would say so? Everybody, Haribol !!!

Then, now we have become, you have become sadhus “sadhava sadhu-bhushana” these are your ornaments, titiksavah karunikah, the tolerance and compassion. So someone was compassionate and he gave you Krishna, in the form of Srila Prabhupada’s books gave you this knowledge opened your eyes. You were blind, right? And then “caksur unmilitam” someone did the operation, someone gave the book and immediately, as soon as he had the books then he had the glasses sastra-caksusa hey !! Now I could see, I could see! So someone kindly guided you, gave you book then you read or others explained those further explained those books or points.

So I think it is our turn, it’s your turn now, to be kind to our brothers or fellow human beings and give them helping hand, give them knowledge, give them knowledge packed poured into those books in the form of word-meanings and translations and purports. Give those books out and yeah this will be very pleasing to Srila Prabhupada and then

“yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado”

And Lord also has said that towards the end of Bhagvad Gita, He says, what is that? No one is dear to me as dear as he or she, who shares this samvadam, this conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. This conversation which is very confidential, beneficial and that person becomes very-very dear. Of course.Lord is pleased with them and they are very dear to him. So this knowledge distribution, book distribution is not a business or sometimes it is also said if there is any business authorized, transcendental business that gaudiya vaishnavas do that is book distribution. All Acaryas,

“nana-sastra-vicarannaika-nipunnau sad-dharma-samsthapakau nana-sastra-vicar”

Big pile of scriptures in the middle and Goswamis are sitting around and they are doing nana sastra vichar and they are writing, they are contemplating, they are sharing and then those three Prabhus were the first, travelling sankirtan book distribution party from Vrindavan, the grantha-mandir, eventually these books were piled in a cart and Narottam das Thakur, Shyamananda and Srinivas Acharya, 500 years old, original Sankirtan party, transporting books.
And I think we also, did some, atleast Prabhupada sent us from Vrindavan to Mayapur in 1976. He also asked us to start a bullock-cart sankirtan party. And Srila Prabhupada, he did even inauguration of that Bullock cart Sankirtan Party. And what were we doing, we were distributing, those days we would not have so… many-many books as we have them now or English books they were getting printed but certainly we did not have them in vernacular language. Prabhupada used this word, he wrote me a letter. So travelling and travelling anyways, our party has reached Kanpur, our destination was Mayapur. So there I wrote to Prabhupada that our Party needs, we could use some financial assistance and Prabhupada sent me a reply. And he said, “Outside help is no good” (Guru maharaj laughing). And, he said “you should distribute books in vernacular language and raise your funds and that way manage”.
And Prabhupada enclosed Sankirtan newsletters, says “your god brothers from the west look at the scores, they are distributing books and this is how they are also maintaining our institution, you do the same with the Bullock-cart Sankirtan”.

So that was a big challenge it took quite some time but eventually our padayatra Sankirtan book distribution party also not only they, So, okay on the way, there were bullock-carts, it’s not a carts, it’s a chariot, it’s a ratha pulled by the bulls and there is a kirtan in the front, it’s amplification and the deities are in the chariot. Prabhupada is seating on the front and there is a driver and I was just there last week in the Trupati ratha, I also drove.

And as people hear kirtan even bulls unless we do kirtan the bulls are not very enthusiastic to pull the cart (laughter). And as the kirtan is heard by all people, passersby or those who are in the field or wherever they are, immediately that gets the attention and then they look and something is moving on the road and they, they come running, they come running and ones they are there, there is darshan, there is a charanamrita and we distribute books. I just did that, few days ago and then we made all those who had bought the books and there were lot of people, so many on my right side, so many on my left side and we took a photograph and they were very happy, carrying books.

Then also the bullock cart sankirtan party in 1976, we had a much simpler set up but even then as we entered the village, we would have a group of brahmacharis, they would perform kirtan in the front of the cart and other few this side, few other side going from house to house and would cover the whole village. Kirtan is on and of course we would also do bhiksham dehi, bhiksham dehi…we would have been also begging for alms or whatever they could give atta or potatoes or yeah chilli for you and collecting grains and vegetables and distributing books also along with the kirtan party.

Later on in 77, the BBT travelling sankirtan party, Gopal Krishna Maharaj, while my bullock cart sankirtan party was on the road, then I also was asked to while overseeing the bullock cart sankirtan party I would also be travelling for the BBT vehicle sankirtan party distribute books and from time to time see how the bullock cart is running or walking as this was, Prabhupada had approved that. Prabhupada had approved, I do the bullock cart sankirtan and then Gopal Krishna Maharaj’s intervention he also wanted me to do the BBT travelling sankirtan party so when we had a van and we had installed the speakers on the top of the van and sound system and we would go to towns and villages. We would start from one end of the town, we would put on Prabhupada’s kirtans out loud and brahmachari’s with the book bags, door to door, shop to shop and kirtan then I would get on the mike and also make announcement encouraging “the book distributors are coming and we are from here and please they have gift for you, book for you, Gita for you, go for it and this and that”.

And those were the days, Bhagvad Gita “daha rupeya madhe Bhagvat Gita” (Marathi). Same Bhagvad Gita, we have distributed in 10 rupees. Aamogh-lila you remember Amogh-lila? Once, he travelled from I think Pune or Mumbai to Pandarpur, Akshaynanda swami also and he was distributing books. “ghyah-bagha daha rupai fakta daha rupai fakt daha rupai” (Marathi). So we would announce, I would announce and distributors would distribute books, again the kirtan on. So that was nice mostly that was a formula that we would apply wherever we went.

Put on the kirtan and along with a vehicle kirtan parties the book distributors would move and they would give all the encouragement. Hye!! look, look our vehicle is here, our party or we are here and as devotees heard they are inspired, they were getting, all the strength from the sound vibration of “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” .

And so big support for those books distributors, they are not by themselves and you know, there is no one around me just me and only me, it’s me to face the maya, all the forces by yourself. This is also not advisable, Prabhupada always sent us in pairs even for life membership program in Mumbai that we would be doing and we always went in pairs. That gives you strength, so having a party, what to speak of having a bigger party and then, what to speak of having a kirtan on loudspeaker and when all the books are sold out you come back and fill up your bags again and then go out and as it’s to be a transcendental fun, and then move to the next town to the next town and to the next town.

And so last time that our party had travelled to and by that time we had a name for our party called Narada muni travelling sankirtan party. We started with BBT but then we gave a name because we were travelling so extensively like Narada muni would move, swiftly. So it was month of November 77. That reminds you of something? Yeah, so we were on the road and we had gone to Himalayan Mountains and Badrikashram for long time we had no news of Srila Prabhupada’s health and those days no mobiles or no SMS and ohh what not? Even telephone forget it even calling from Delhi to Vrindavan, not so easy but we were at Himalayas .

So we finally decided to return to, to climb down and return to Vrindavan . And as soon as we arrived in that Krishna-Balarama temple we went straight to Srila Prabhupada’s quarter and we requested secretary that we are allowed to have darshan of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada kindly allowed. And our whole Narada Muni travelling Sankirtan Party, brahmacharis mostly, we were all brahmacharis, I was only sanyasi, I had taken sanyasa.
So Prabhupada on the bed, lying for months he was in the bed only. Only occasionally they would make him sit for some feeding, some drinking or just for a change, otherwise mostly lying down. So as we sat around Srila Prabhupada in that such a state and as he knew that we have just returned from a traveling sankirtan, those days traveling sankirtan means book distribution, Book distribution party is here.

And immediately Prabhupada opens a dialogue. And this is just may be 5-6 days prior to Prabhupada’s departure on 14th of November he departed and we are talking about 5-6 days prior. So immediately Prabhupada is enquiring, ohh!! which book is selling the most? And which books are we carrying selling? The whole dialogue, this is how books were on in his heart or on his mind and books….books….that’s why distribute books, distribute books, distribute books . And I will never die so far the books are being distributed that makes me, gives me life or I feel young. And otherwise also, secretary always used to tell us, there is a pile of mail that Prabhupada would receive and the first mail that he would be interested about reports of the book distribution. Those mails are first reported to Srila Prabhupada.

So with us also I personally experienced that how dear it was to his heart this book distribution. I had also humorously mentioned to Srila Prabhupada same time that while we were at Badrikashram “Srila Prabhupada, we showed your Bhagvad Gita to Srila Vyasadeva” I said. Because while at Badrikashram, we had visited the cave of Srila Vyasadeva’s cave. There is a Ganesha Gufa not far away from there. So because we were carrying Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagvad- Gita, so I thought, he resides there. We did not see him but for sure he saw us and sure he also saw Prabhupada’s Bhagvad- Gita. So I threw that humorous statement. We showed your Bhagvad-Gita to Srila Vyasadeva, Prabhupada. Prabhupada was happy to hear. So, the very first conversation of we talk more, but it began with the book distribution and which books, and which books is selling the most and these enquiries.

So, it’s important that you, you the second generation, and also third generation, I see some more new bodies, some older and some older sons and some have departed also. That we know how our founder Acarya His divine grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabupada , what value what importance he gave to this book distribution activity and of course, he was instructed to do so, not whimsically, he had this idea of. If you ever get money what you do with that money? Print books. So this was Swami Bhaktishiddhant Saraswati Thakura’s instruction.
And finally there was money and then there were books and he did not want them to be just printed and stored and take a photograph, looks nice, good stock. Fill in the stores, print out and pack the godowns and the other part is emptying the godowns, distributing books. So, yeah also, of course read books, read books of Srila Prabhupada more you read, you will realize the mahima, the mahatmya, the greatness of those books and you could be more convinced. This book is the most valuable thing in the world I want to give this to others share this gift. And this is kari kar para upakar giving others, giving Srila Prabhupada’s books to as many people as possible; there is the demand all over. There is a big demand everywhere.

I was just in China two months ago and we had opportunity to distribute Prabhupada’s Chinese Bhagvat Gita as it is (everybody clapped and said Haribol) and we ended up with distributing 1200 Bhagvad Gitas in 10 days (Haribol). And that was nice and that also was kirtan and book distribution or program was mostly kirtan little talk. Mostly kirtan and then those who were coming for kirtan party and they had to pay entrance fees which included the cost of the book. They were giving books free but that was part of the entrance fees. So we were doing kirtan, chanting and distributing books at the same time.

Srila Prabhupada ki… Jai!!
Srila Prabhupada transcendental book distribution ki…… jai!!
Nitai Gaur Premanande Hari Haribol!!

Venue: Nagpur
Dated: 17 Jan 2015

Srimad Bhagvatam Canto 3, chapter 26 and text number 29 and 30.

“taijasat tu vikurvanad buddhi-tattvam abhut sati
dravya-sphurana-vijnanam indriyanam anugrahah” (S.B 3.26.29)

taijasat — from the false ego in passion; tu — then; vikurvanat — undergoing transformation; buddhi — intelligence; tattvam — principle; abhut — took birth; sati — O virtuous lady; dravya — objects; sphurana — coming into view; vijnanam — ascertaining; indriyanam — to the senses; anugrahah — giving assistance.

Translation and purport by Srila Prabhupada ki ………jai!

Ya! this chapter is entitled Fundamental Principles of Material Nature (SB 3.26) so these are Fundamental Principles, intelligence is one of them that’s being described here.

Translation: By transformation of the false ego in passion, intelligence takes birth, O virtuous lady, that’s the address oh! Sati. The functions of intelligence are to help in ascertaining the nature of objects when they come into view, and to help the senses.

Purport: Intelligence is the discriminating power to understand an object, and it helps the senses make choices. Therefore intelligence is supposed to be the master of the senses. The perfection of intelligence is attained when one becomes fixed in the activities of Krishna consciousness. By the proper use of intelligence one’s consciousness is expanded, and the ultimate expansion of consciousness is Krsna consciousness. Maharaj says it’s the end of this purport but I think we will take one more verse just to expand this thought further or for more elaboration.

“samsayo atha viparyaso niscayah smrtir eva ca
svapa ity ucyate buddher laksanam vrttitah prthak” (S.B 3.26.30)

Translation: Doubt, misapprehension, correct apprehension, memory and sleep, as determined by their different functions, are said to be the distinct characteristics of intelligence.

Purport: Doubt is one of the important functions of intelligence and raising questions is sign of intelligence, blind acceptance of something does not give evidence of intelligence. If you accept things blindly, you could be less intelligent that’s why you are accepting things blindly. So apply your intelligence to understand, ask questions you may have some doubts also the points under discussion, so you probe deeper into the matter with the help of intelligence.
Maharaj says anyways I started talking already not finished the purport what I was just trying to say is in Vedanta Sutra also there is approach like this or commentaries of Vedanta sutra. There is vishaya and there is samsaya. Vishay is object or subject, next thing is samsaya or doubt this is purva paksha. Vishaya, samsaya, subject, doubt the is purva paksha, the opinions, prior thoughts, preliminary thoughts they are addressed and then Siddhanta is established, there is one more, five point approach, five steps, before a matter is settled or the matter is settled or subject matter is settled or understood . So vishaya, samsaya, subject and the doubt, purva paksha, siddhanta.
“pariprasnena sevaya” (B.G 4.34) Krishna has also advised
“tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya”
You approach spiritual master, spiritual authority and do what? Pariprasnena – you ask questions because you also have some doubts, doubts must be clarified otherwise doubts could act as your enemies, doubts could be your enemies and then Krishna does say- “samsayatma vinasyati” (B.G 4.40) One who remains full of doubt forever, to have doubt is good thing even sign of intelligence but to maintain those doubts not to address those doubts with the help of intelligence, then you are doomed.
Krishna says “samsayatma vinasyati” atma or person who maintain samsaya, maintaining doubts then he will be finished “samsayatma vinasyati”. So raising questions expressing doubts is a sign of intelligence. The blind acceptance of something does not give sign of intelligence doesn’t prove that you are or that person is intelligent because he is not raising questions so that his doubts could also be addressed, one becomes free from doubts. That’s why Arjuna also addressed Krishna as O! Madhusudhana, O! Killer of Madhu demon so in the comments given by Acharayas there, why he is addressing Krishna as Madhusudhan, you are killer of madhu demon now you become killer of my doubt, kill my doubt O! Madhusudhana. Sudan is killer, Madhusudhana.

Purport (remaining): Therefore the word samsaya is very important; in order to cultivate intelligence, one should be doubtful in the beginning. But then he is also faithful in beginning “pariprasnena sevaya” there is service attitude or he has faith in the person he has approached, he has faith in him. So doubting in the beginning with a faith also, he has faith. He is not doubtful and faithless, no. Doubt is welcome but being faithless is dangerous, you would not go anywhere or you would not become free from doubt if you doubt the person you have approached, so first have faith in the person that you have approached and then ask questions so that you could become free from doubts.

Doubt could be a big stumbling block anartha, anartha nirvitti. But doubting is not very favourable when information is received from the proper source. Prabhupada has already stated that in the purport. In Bhagvat Gita, Lord says that doubting the words of authority is the cause of destruction “samsayatma vinasyati”.
As described in Patanjali yoga system “pramana-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidra-smrtyah”. By intelligence only one can understand things as they are. Very profound statement sounds just a statement but quite a statement. By intelligence only one can understand things as they are or one could understand things as they are or you could or one could understand Bhagvat Gita as it is. May be that person was not very intelligent that’s why there is dialogue between Moses in bible, Moses and the Lord. So when the Moses approached the Lord, Lord was not in the front but he considered that the Lord was there he wanted to know about the Lord. Moses is a person a historical person, he existed one time long time ago he said, “O! Lord please reveal unto me” or something like that and then Lord just said, “I am what I am” you wanted to know who I am “I am what I am, okay!” (Laughter). He said everything and he did not said nothing at the same time “I am what I am”, it’s true, right? I am what I am. He was not fully surrendered so he didn’t reveal what He is.
“param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan” (B.G 10.12)

Lord reveals things unto Arjuna very confidential things, most confidential things. “aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate” (BG 10.8) and like that he goes on and on Lord has said so much or everything in nutshell so then to understand things the subject as it is, this is the function of intelligence, by intelligence only one can understand things as they are. So with intelligence only one could understand Bhagvat gita as it is “AS IT IS” as it was, as it is, as it would be, will be, would be understood only by intelligent person or with the help of intelligence.

Somehow Srila Prabhupada had walked into the assemble of where Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakur was seated on a aasan and he was addressing a group of his followers or disciples and there comes Abhay Babu and Narendra Malik. So Abhay Babu bowed down, he was offering his obeisance’s and he had not even sat, settled properly, in the middle of this obeisance’s and then sitting or settling Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati O! you, you are intelligent , you seem to be an intelligent person, you should propagate this Krishna consciousness in the English language in the western world or all over the world.

So Prabhupada was identified and described as intelligent person, you are intelligent. So that intelligent Abhay Babu understood Bhagvat Gita AS IT IS, because understanding things as they are or as it is, is a function of intelligence. And then one takes to Krishna consciousness, it is a sign of intelligence, if you takes to Krishna consciousness that is a sign that you are intelligent person otherwise less intelligent “Krsna jei bhaje sei bada catur” one who worships Krishna is catur, he is intelligent hosiyar.

And my mother was not happy (Laughter) when I took to Krishna consciousness, when I was little boy and she would bring me to the temple in the village and she used to ask me to fold your hands, fold your hands and please pray, please pray and O! What should I pray and she used to say “O! God O! Lord give me ‘intelligence’ (laughter)” please pray to the Lord for intelligence. So it may not be instantly but eventually when Lord heard my prayer (laughter) and gave me intelligence as a result I took to Krishna consciousness and mother was not happy (Laughter).

What kind of intelligence God has given you? She was not expecting that kind of intelligence. So there is a difference between intelligence and intelligence and there are lot of intelligent people also, around the world. So they posses intelligence of a kind, a kind of intelligence, it’s a kind of intelligence, but they are not intelligent because they do not take to Krishna consciousness, because they are also not understanding things ‘as they are’. The power of discrimination is a function of intelligence, power to discriminate this from that, good from bad. So materially intelligent people they also discriminate, who does not discriminate? Even a cat has intelligence and does exhibit the power of discrimination.
The cat exactly knows when to steal or drink the milk, there is a pot of milk right there the cat sits around, as if not interested in the milk (laughter) sometimes closing eyes like a yogi not interested while the owner of the milk is around the cat shows, “no! I am not interested your milk is safe don’t worry” as soon as, the lady walks away , she walks out, immediately the cat goes for the milk and drinks it all, this is the power of discrimination. Cat exactly knows what to do, when to drink when not to drink so this is also intelligence, the power of discrimination. So the intelligent people so called intelligent people of this world they discriminate, in the dry stool and wet stool, both are stools, dry and wet, take a pick, you have a choice, dry and wet fresh to go, steaming (Laughter).

So Caitanya Caritamrita says “yei bhalo yei manda yei sab brahm” those who stay in Mayapur then bhalo bhalo this is good bhalo, not good dull so this kind of discrimination mundane material discrimination bhalo-manda yai sab brahm, this all illusion, both illusion. So under the spell of illusion materially intelligent people discriminate good from bad but then both infact bad thing or take a pick between hell and heaven they would prefer to going to heaven but what is that, not very intelligent decision “ksine punye martya-lokam visanti “ (B.G 9.21) at one points all the pious credit would be exhausted and you are back to square one you come back again, not very intelligent thing to do. So this whole religion, religious mantra and this whole worshipable objects and all that to go to heaven big chunk of the dharma, dharmic principles, the process just to go to heaven.

But not very intelligent thing, to do, to go to the heaven because the heaven is bhalo –good and the hell is bad this kind of discrimination because they both are bad that’s why Krishna says “sarva-dharman parityajya” (B.G 10.66) Dharma that makes heaven as your destination that’s not very intelligent thing to do, that’s why abandon reject it. “mam ekam saranam vraja” surrender unto me.

“Kamais tais tair hrita jnanah prapadyante anya-devatah” (B.G 7.20) Krishna also says those who surrender unto others, other demigod “Kamais tais tair hrita jnanah” their intelligence is stolen by ‘kama’- the lust, as a result they surrender unto others Demigods. ‘alpa-medhasam’ – less intelligent, Lord says – those who worship Demigods and they want to go to heaven they are alpa medhasam, medha- means intelligent and alpa- means less so less intelligent. They are less intelligent they go for Demigod worship and they want to go to heaven and this is all karmakanda. This is dharma part of Vedas but karmakanda section- pious activities or yagya performances so this is less intelligent thing they are not intelligent karmakanda party is not intelligent party, less intelligent.

Ofcourse materially intelligent people atheists or scientists they are even lower grade then comes karmakanda party they also less intelligent then the materialistic and then spiritualists. But karmakanda “karmakanda jnana kanda keval visayer bhanda” karmakanda jnanakanda is visayer bhanda- it is a pot of poison not very intelligent thing to do to drink a pot of poison.

“manushya-janama paiya, radha-krishna na bhajiya, janiya suniya visha khainu”. Our Acharyas say you have attained this rare human form of life, “manushya-janama paiya, radha-krishna na bhajiya” but you are not worshiping Radha and Krishna. So than what are you doing “janiya suniya visha khainu” you are only drinking poison or even poisonous vapours you are inhaling the smoke, he may be thinking by smoking I live life king size, live life king size, got that part? Living life of what size? King size life, you live, you live how? By smoking particular brand of they are advertising like this. I keep saying this from time to time. I read that advertisement that says live life king size you smoke our cigarette and then when we drove further I read one more sign that says cancer hospital this way (Laughter).

So just now we are living our life king size and next thing is cancer hospital this way or you are in I.C.U intense care unit – what a lifestyle. So not very intelligent thing to do, so not very intelligent person would go for that glamor or that dazzle or that advertisement is cheating but very intelligent people they know, how to get you? How to brainwash you? How to sell there product? They know your weaknesses, they are very intelligent people, these advertisement industry. They know your weakness and then they advertise things, they tell you just they have truth and you are cheated because you are not very intelligent and don’t understand things as they are you don’t get the full picture. You only think of action but reaction part you don’t think of.
The shake hand is good; beginning is good but then comes the slap (Laughter). To buy product you pay some price, suffering that comes that’s free, free suffering is free its part of the package (Laughter).

“ye hi samsparsa-ja bhoga duhkha-yonaya eva te
ady-antavantah kaunteya na tesu ramate budhah” (B.G 5.22 ).

Budhah- budhiman, ‘na tesu ramate budhah’ Intelligent person ‘na tesu ramate’ he doesn’t indulge in those acts. ‘ ady-antavantah’ there is a beginning but soon there is an end very miserable, terrible horrible way there is an end. You initiated you began a project any sense gratificatory project but soon it will be suffering misery. ‘ ye hi samsparsa-ja bhoga’ bhoga is there is some enjoyment is there, senses coming in contact of sense object ‘ye hi samsparsa-ja’ ja – means giving birth. Senses coming in contact with the sense objects something takes birth that’s bhoga enjoyment takes birth but then He says ‘duhkha-yonaya eva te ‘ that very source that gave you enjoyment will give you misery next moment or next day or one of these days will be misery suffering ‘duhkha-yonaya eva te’.

So complete picture the coin as both sides, so like that the world is full of ‘dvandva’ dvandvatmak the world is dvandvatmak- full of this dual nature, hell and heaven, you get both happiness and distress, you get both, what else? (answer) day and night both, birth and death you get both, honor-dishonour you get both, winter and then soon it will be summer giving some relief you get bored. So like that there could be hundreds and thousands of items that could be put in this list, this dvandva list -dual nature. So it’s not a very intelligent adi and anta- beginning and ending, beginning and ending also, you began enjoying what is to be expected? this enjoyment is going to end but you begin enjoying and you keep enjoying and keep enjoying and keep enjoying all the time only enjoying this only possible, when we are beyond this happiness-distress, day-night and like that hell-heaven, victory-defeat, loss-gain, KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS is beyond. Krishna is beyond Krishna consciousness is beyond its an eternal happiness, constant happiness, happiness forever, no beginning no end it is beyond this, that is why Krishna says “dvandvatito vimatsarah” (B.G 4.22) advised to Arjun ‘dvandvatit’, Arjun go beyond keep going go higher go beyond go beyond ‘dvandvatit’ go beyond this happiness-distress, beginning-ending, hell-heaven like that man-women, local and-westerner.

So we were talking about karmakanda this jnanakanda materialistic people are certainly less intelligent but even so called religious people they take to religion but they take to karmakanda demigod worship and they go all the way upto heaven which is close to Vaikuntha, Vaikunth is closer from heaven but then they fall down again. So this is not very intelligent thing to do those practices, those religious practices, karmakanda but then this jnanakanda is also advaitvad. So the Lord has addressed them or described them also as less intelligent. “avyakta vyakti mapanam manyate mam abuddhaya” the impersonalists mayavadis advaitvadis the practitioners of jnanakanda so much into jnana, but their jnana is in fact ajnana, their knowledge is ignorance, they yet do not have the complete picture. So they manyate they think they consider, Krishna says they only consider, what all they consider that “avyakta vyakti mapanam” – the God is infact ‘avyakta’- unmanifest. He is all-pervading, He is bright effulgence brahmajyoti, He is Brahma avyakta, but then they think from this avyakta brahma effulgence, sometimes they had this photographs also, the pictures we get to see. They says ‘om…….’ this is in the background somewhere ‘om……..’ this person who is now playing flute what is his origin ‘om…….’ some impersonal avyakta unmanifest, he is playing flute. “manyate mam abuddhaya” the less intelligent, again talking about less intelligent, think that way ultimately ‘I am what I am’ (Laughter) alright I am all pervading Brahman and then occasionally I take a form.

“avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam” ( B.G 9.11)
Krishna says they are fools rascals they think this way that I take form and that form is not an eternal form but that form is temporary that form is there now but soon it will merge back again into its original existence. So it is jnanakanda and that is also described as “mama abuddhaya” less intelligent people think like this. So the materialist’s pure unalloyed materialists they are certainly less intelligent the karmakanda practitioners are less intelligent they want to go to heaven and even impersonalists are less intelligent.

Intelligent party is “jnanavan mam prapadyate” (B.G 7.19) the person who is truly in knowledge, knowledgeable ‘mam prapadyate” they surrender unto me they come to me and so that’s a vaishnav, the devotee of Krishna. So one should be using intelligence to understand things as they are or to understand Bhagvat gita as it is, understand Krishna the Personality of Godhead as He is. There is Brahma, there is Paramatma and there is also Bhagvan. And Bhagvan the Personality of Godhead with all opulence’s He is source of Paramatma, He is the source of Brahmajyoti, Brahma effulgence. So understanding these things is sign of intelligence.

So we will complete the purport: By intelligence only one can understand whether or not he is the body, the study to determine whether ones identity is spiritual or material begins in doubt. Question about ‘AM I THIS BODY?’ this is a question, a doubt ‘am I this body’. When one is able to analyse his actual position the false identification of the body is detected. So when you have the power of discrimination because you have a proper intelligence, fully evolved intelligence with that you are analysing and you understand this is body and this is spirit.

With the help of intelligence you could understand, discrimination between body and the soul this is ‘viparyasa’ this is a Sanskrit term when false identification is detected then real identification can be understood, right? That’s what we call ‘naiti naiti ..not this not this not this not this’ oh! This one, this is analytical study it’s called Sankhya yoga. This is matter, this is matter, matter, this is sprit, this is demigod, this is demigod, this is demigod, this is Supreme Personality of Godhead. Real understanding is described here as niscayah, today’s verse talks of niscayah or proved experimental knowledge is niscayah. You have come to conclusion niscayah. This experimental knowledge can be achieved when one has understood the false knowledge. So false knowledge and real knowledge, Isopanishad also says you should be well verse with avidya and vidya. You should know maya in order to know Krishna also, this is maya, this is maya, this is maya and this is Krishna.

So when we understand Krishna we also understand maya or when we understand maya, then we go for Krishna. So this is complete knowledge, knowledge of vidya, knowledge of knowledge and knowledge of ignorance, you know what ignorance is and then you are knowledgeable person. You know what ignorance is, what knowledge is. This experimental knowledge can be achieved when one has understood the false knowledge. By experimental or proved knowledge, one can understand that he is not the body but spirit soul.

Smrti means “memory,” and svapa means “sleep.” these are the words or terms from this verse svapa and smrti are there, sleep is also necessary to keep intelligence in working order. That’s why Krishna says one who sleeps too much or too little cannot be yogi. Yogis are intelligent you have to be intelligent or sleep has a role to play to keep your intelligence sharp when you have not slept properly or enough then your brain doesn’t function you go crazy infact, you do not sleep, night after night, after night, night you don’t sleep, you cannot function and materially. So as sadhakas practitioners of Krishna consciousness they have to get a proper sleep but too much sleep is cultivating ignorance sleeping means ignorance, you are ignoring God, you are ignoring Krishna. He exists but you are just ignoring, there are so many ways by which you just ignore him. Sometimes people say he just ignored me you know, ignored me, we were in the same party…he just ignored me, just ignores me, he doesn’t pay any attention to me, he doesn’t approached me, didn’t say hello to me, didn’t shake hand with me, he just ignored. You understand the meaning of ignorance.. As if I don’t exist, he just ignored me.

So those who are ignorant basically what they are ignoring, they are ignoring the Lord, they are ignorant of the Lord, they are ignorant of the existence of the Lord. From that ignorance one becomes ignorant. So sleep is what? Its state of ignorance, you are ignoring the Lord. Six Goswamis of Vindavana, they would hardly sleep ignoring the Lord, sleep is ignorance of Lord, how could I just ignore him, want to be conscious of Lord, I want to be Krishna conscious, conscious of the Lord, if I would just sleep I will be ignoring him. So they would just keep staying awake “kaupina-kanthasritau” (Sri Sri Sad-goswami-astaka) wearing just most minimum clothes kaupina loin cloth, kantha – some tattered quilt it’s translated as tattered, some kaupina loin cloth, bodily maintenance is over, don’t have to go for shopping those shirts made in England tailored and matching, so much thought is gone into this business. Dead body and the decoration of the dead body.

So so much human resources are invested in this business and solidifying the existence of this body. O! I am this body, I am this body, I am this body and the decoration of the body take photograph, take photograph (laughter). Okay my family members, family photo, it’s my family. So the six Goswamis of Vrindavan, infact they were the big personalities they were ministers in Hussein Saha’s kingdom but as they came in contact with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, they had very little association at Ramkeli. One time Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went out of his way infact to give association to Rupa and Sanatana and Vallabha also they were three brothers and Jiva goswami was small child that time.

This Rupa and Sanatana, they were big ministers and they just spent just little time “sadhu-sanga, sadhu-sanga—sarva-sastre kaya / lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya”. Lord has gone there as Sadhu as a devotee and little association and sidhi and there is perfection. “lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya” these great souls Rupa and Sanatana “tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat” quickly-‘tyaktva’ they rejected, abandon, kicked, speedily-‘turnam’, ‘asesa-mandala-pati’ their wealth, they were aristocratic they had palace and tons of gold coins those were not papers bills (Laughter) not much value, real gold coins big piles. “tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat” ‘thuu…’ they spit at all that and joined Krishna consciousness instantaneously, joined Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.

And then they were “bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya” and then they were protecting, they became protectors ‘bhutva dina-gana’ dina-gana- poor people, poor in consciousness, there is poverty of consciousness, they are lacking consciousness, the whole world is poor, poor are poor and rich are also very poor. So those who were dina, dina-gana, they became masters or protectors of these fallen people, poor in consciousness, Karunaya out of their kindness or their mercy, they were being merciful to all the people. But for their livelihood “kaupina-kanthasritau” they were big-big ministers prime ministers but gave up everything and “kaupina-kanthasritau” and what about their thoughts or consciousness, they had Gopibhava their consciousness is like gopi. “gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau muhur” the nectar how much? Abdhi- ocean, full of nectar of Gopibhava, gopi like consciousness, gopi like thoughts, ocean full of thoughts broad-minded, big-hearted and ‘magnau’ – they became absorbed in these thoughts ‘muhur’ – all the times.

“vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau” we offer our obeisance’s unto these six Goswamis of Vrindavana ,Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Gopal Bhatta Goswami, Raghunath das, Raghunath Bhatta and Jiva Goswami. So this consciousness of thoughts of devotees of the Lord and then there is no bodily concept, sleeping is wasting of time why should I sleep. They had to be forced please please take some rest and for us please get up! (Laughter) 12 hours its 9:30, please get up you much be hungry atleast to eat, get up and eat again and sleep again (Laughter).

As if a Kumbhakarna program he used to get up one when he was hungry he used to get up and when his belly is full, he is sleeping again. Two programs eating and sleeping. And they would eat to sleep, eat and sleep. Some people eat to live and some people just live to eat. Things are also there some people just eat so that they could just survive, to keep the body and soul together, they would eat. Some sleep, sleep is also necessary, to keep your intelligence sharp. We cannot imitate six goswamis practically they were not bodies; they were acting like souls, like all the souls in the spiritual sky. And infact they were those kinds of spiritual souls, manjaris and gopis they were. If there is no sleep the brain cannot work nicely. In Bhagvat Gita it is specially mentioned that the person who regulates eating, sleeping and other necessities of the body in the proper proportion becomes very successful in yoga practices, yoga process. These are the some of the aspects of the analytical study of intelligence as described in both the Patanjali yoga system and the Sankhya yoga system of Kapildev in Srimad Bhagvatam. Any question?

Question: If mind is defeating intelligence what to do?
Answer: Practice makes man perfect women also (laughter) if mind is defeating intelligence that means we are not practiced enough. Failure is pillar of success, so you can review this situation, may be you were defeated but not as badly as before you almost won but last moment you were fall flat. So like that every time Krishna says ‘abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena ca grihyate’ (B.G 6.35) vairagya –cultivate detachment and practice try to get rid of this, get rid of this never give up don’t give it up. Pray to the Lord for strength, my mother also used to pray. So you are intelligent but not sharp so you can sharpen the tool, take some time to sharpen the tool. Then Lord also “dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te” (B.G 10.10) He says I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

Venue: Mauritius
“evam vidho brahmacari vanaprastho yatir grhi
caran vidita-vijnanah param brahmadhigacchati” (S.B 7.12.16)

Translation and purport by Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada ki……..jai

Translation:
By practicing in this way, whether one be in the brahmacari-asrama, grhastha-asrama, vanaprastha-asrama or sannyasa-asrama, one must always realize the all-pervading presence of the Supreme Lord, for in this way it is possible to understand the Absolute Truth.

Purport:

This is the beginning of self-realization. One must first understand how Brahman is present everywhere and how He is acting. This education is called brahma-jijnasa and is the real concern of human life. Without such knowledge, one cannot claim to be a human being; rather, he remains in the animal kingdom. As it is said, sa eva go-kharah: without such knowledge, one is no better than a cow or an ass.
The person may be in brahmacari-asrama, grhastha-asrama, vanaprastha-asrama or sannyasa-asrama, each varna – each ashram there are some different prescribed duties. For Brahmanas studying- teaching, then kshatriya “kshatat trayate iti kshatriya” ‘kshat’ is getting wounded or hurt, so kshatriya is a person who protects others or citizen from getting hurt. The citizens are fighting amongst each other for nothing, so he intervenes he has his force in place to make sure that there is no fighting, unnecessary there is no killing, no quarrel. It’s said if someone is using knife, he has killed the person, wounded the person so that the wound gets healed it gets cured finished.

But someone’s tongue very sharp like a razor not able to control then he hurts someone by talking in insulting way, then there is a wound in the mind. Person gets wounded gets hurt, like Dhruva Maharaj was hurt. His step mother Suruchi had to say something ‘oh! You wish to be the prince it’s too late baba, you have not taken birth in my womb forget the throne’. So that was a big insult for Dhruva Maharaj and Prabhupada says specially kshatriyas they can’t tolerate such insults.
So Dhruva Maharaj being son of kshatriya he took this very seriously, the mother was trying to pacify put some little bandage on his wound caused by step mother of Dhruva Maharaj. She could not see as he was deeply hurt, wounded just by the words, words are sharper. The other kind of wound gets healed wound caused by knife or gun this is not the point, the point is duty of kshatriya and being kshatriya he protects others and citizens from getting hurt getting wounded. He maintains law and order these are the prescribed duties of kshatriya.

And then next is Vaisya “Krishi goraksha vanijyam” krishi – he does farming, (Maharaj says) lot of farms in Mauritius. Srila Prabhupada where he would goes to Australia, to America he saw so much land just lying vacant, why not use it to grow some food but ofcourse people are not interested they rather work in industry in factory.
So “Krishi goraksha vanijyam” such a nice duty, do farming, take care of cows, a little trade some extra grains share with others get something in return. So these prescribed duties of different members of different varnas and then there are ashrams. Brahmacari what does brahmacari do? He studies; brahmacaris primary business is he is a student under a teacher he is learning he is studying. Lord Krishna also studied at Sandipani Muni’s ashram.
“brahmacari guru-kule vasan danto guror hitam” (S.B 7.12.1) brahmacari goes to ashram of a Guru, he stays there ‘dasavat’ – like a menial servant he resides there, ‘nico’- in a very humble way he stays, Krishna stayed very humbly He was sitting on the floor, He was going to do madhukari in morning. So Brahmacari has to do such thing he is studying and ‘vasan danto guror hitam’- for the benefit of Guru, for service of Guru, for pleasure of Guru he is functioning.

Srila Prabhupada even adds, once Krishna was told by Guru’s patni ‘hye! Go get some wood fire wood, I have to cook for the boys in the ashram there is no fire wood’. So Krishna and Sudama had to go to get fire wood they had to go to the forest. So this is all ‘guror hitam’ so that’s the duty of brahmacari.

Then grhasta mainly grhastas are doing ‘dana’ – charity he is householder, he is also money holder. Brahmacari has no money, vanaprashta may carry some thing and he may also depend on the mercy of the Lord as he travels. He is taking care of his family, dependents but not just bodily maintenance soul maintenance he is also maintaining soul. What is the difference? Prabhupada is pointing that out – animal kingdom, ‘without such knowledge, one cannot claim to be a human being; rather, he remains in the animal kingdom’. If person does not belong to any varna or any ashram, why you are not ready for sannyasa? Go for grahasta ashram. You don’t belong to grhasta ashram by staying in griha just because you have house, wife, children that does not become a ashram. You may be grhasta but not in grhasta ashram there is a difference. The difference that we know we have heard the grhamedhi ‘yan maithunadi- grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham’ all that you are enjoying is tuccha- it is very low, something that you spit at thuu… ‘grhamedhi sukham hi tuccham’ so grhamedhi is that person who is addicted to sex life.

So Prabhupada is talking without such knowledge…, this is the beginning of self-realization. One must first understand how Brahman is present everywhere and how He is acting. This education is called brahma-jijnasa and is the real concern of human life. Without such knowledge, one cannot claim to be a human being.

So take care of family fine but you have to first know who your family is? Who your wife is? Who your child is? Do you know? (Maharaj is asking) who is your wife? It’s difficult to understand how soul could be your wife. The real person is the soul if the soul leaves the body then that body is no more your wife, immediately ‘hye ! Get her out’ cause the body starts smelling so bad, right? So as soon as soul leaves the body it’s useless you burn the body then you realize then you cry ‘oh! My wife she has gone she has gone’ that’s the soul that has gone.

Krishna Balaram ki…………..jai .

Venue: ISKCON Noida
Dated: 3rd Jan 2015

“Om namo bhagvate vasudevaya”

There’s always something to keep us busy, so I am happy to have you here this evening, we are here at Govinda dham. You are very important persons because you are God’s people, God’s devotees, God’s parts and parcels and God’s servants. God is great so you being servant of great God is a very big position. You know I work for Birla’s, just because I work for Birla’s are big so, I am somebody in Birla so I am also very big, very important. Like that people just because you work for Birla’s or Ambani’s whatever other firms are there or companies. If that makes those people big then if you are God’s servant you work for God, at least you have come here, you are God’s people whether you are serving now or not, would like you to serve God because you are His servants.

Anyway regardless even if you have not taken up serious service unto God of course He has name, what is His name? Krishna, yes one big name, principle name otherwise He has thousands of names Vishnu, Sahastranaam so many big names. So being people or devotees, servants, associates of God, that is very very big position, infact there could be no better bigger position than being servant of God or servant of even some of His devotees, some of the devotees of Lord are friends of God, God’s friend, He’s my friend, Modi he was my friend we were working in hotel together or selling chaai together something like this people like remembering 20 30 40 years ago.

As soon as someone becomes big then people small people try to identify, he’s my friend and I know him. We went to the school, room-mates they like to make their connections, thus having connection with big people that makes you big. Devotees you could also be friend of ‘suhrdam sarva-bhutanam’ (Bg. 5.29) they are best friends suhrdam. We are different souls, we have different relationships with the Lord.

Basically we say we are servants of Lord but some servants are friends, God’s friend. Some servants or souls are even parents of God. Lord gives them that position or that post and He becomes the child or son of God. We don’t know as of yet who we are whether we are servants or friends or parents of God but certainly we are God’s, we belong to God. Yes? Is that ok with you? You accept this? Whether you accept or not, this is a fact, you are property of God, you belong to God. So that makes you VIP’s, you are all VIP’s very important or VVIP’s.

So we are happy once again very important souls, so many souls have assembled here, we feel happy to meet other souls and more the souls better it is, so many souls coming together. So when we come to the temple we come and we are souls everywhere even in the factories or industries or government office you are souls but no one remembers you as souls no one treats you as souls, you are treated as bodies, this is my ID, this is how I look like and all thoughts are mundane thoughts and mundane material jobs and like that. So but here as you come, we see you as souls each one of you is one individual soul spark.

So when one soul meets another soul on the soul platform spiritual platform they become happy. Are you happy? someone in the back. So we still have that presentation? anyway we will go through this and then we will talk little more. I am not quite familiar with but it is going to appear on the screen but I liked the topic its ‘Mera Bharat Mahan‘ at the back of lorries they write “Mera Bharat Mahan” my India is great, India is great, Incredible India.

So, is India great? How is it great? Why is it great? What do you mean by great and like that we will, that’s the approach. So there’s something to look at, something to give you, something colorful give your eyes and mind busy or focused then something to hear also. What I have to do? I am very new to this technology. I am using this just to open a topic, some other prabhu has prepared this kind of search for Bharat. So one time India was this size the presenter of this slide he thinks India was but infact one time the whole planet was Bharat-varsha not just what you see. At present it has been further reduced smaller shrunk so many countries are part of this map, geographical map are not part of Bharat India. But going into the past distant past, Hastinapur was capital of Bharat, “Maha…….Bharat” is greater India. Hastinapur used to be the capital of Bharat-varsha and this is some 5000 years ago and there was that Mahabharat big battle and that was world war because the kings from all over the planet were part of that war.

So, that’s Mahabharat means history of great India 5000 years and this is very, Bharat is a land for millions trillions of years, this is a different calculation that world is not aware of. We’ll not talk about that now, so Bharat thinks like that these are, the one understanding the time factor Bharat is way ahead of the rest of the world. You are taught the Darwin’s theory of evolution, so according to them its a different approach which is a incomplete and concocted and we say mental speculation and lot of imagination but what we understand from the history from Mahabharat scripture or many other scriptures, Ramayan is also history, it is a historical fact depends, ek tha raja aur ek thi…raja tha Ram aur rani Sita rani kahani history are narrated like that.

So Ram was on the planet about a million years ago not million but little less, million is 10 lakhs, 10 lakhs makes it million years. Because Ram was on the planet during Treta yuga we are now in kaliyug and kaliyug lasts for 4 lakhs and 32,000 years is a duration of kaliyug and twice as long duration is dwapar and three times is treta and four times is satya yug and then these four yugas put together makes one Mahayugaa and one such 1000 yuga cycles makes one day of Brahma only one day, not even day and night just the day and then night is also that long. You multiply that by 7 that makes one week of Brahma, multiply that by 4 that makes one month of Brahma and multiply that by 12 that is one year and he lives 100 years and this 100 years life span of Brahma is but just one breath of Lord Krishna Mahavishnu, He’s called Mahavishnu, one breath.

So this is a different calculation, we are talking about rest of the world, the Modern world is not aware so we talk Bharat these are the thoughts or idealogies or philosophies lifestyle. Everything is big and grand and old but old is gold. So, going by these calculations I was in Los Angeles in California, Los Angeles some years ago and they were celebrating bicentennial, 200th anniversary of California or I think Los Angeles may be city Los Angeles was founded 200 years ago, they were having big celebration and I had met one of those enthusiastic celebrator or one who was celebrating and then he was saying, “I know, I know, our Los Angeles is very old”. But he was saying Los Angeles is very old, he was thinking by stretching it oo….old, that would make it older. So I asked how old is it? Its 200 years old. So for them 200 years was very old and here we talk of Sri Ram was on the planet 10 lakh saal pehle Ayodhya town, that’s Los Angeles city and this is Ayodhya city. A million year but a million is also nothing just a drop in the ocean when you talk of the whole life span infact Time is eternal, kaal is eternal.

So, when you consider all this, when you know lot of things, then this amoeba business has now placed in with the facts presented by Mahabharat or Bhagvat Gita or other scriptures, the sages and sages they never tell lies, rushis, munis mahatmas they never do any cheating gambling, its called gambling, mental speculation, I think according to me…this is gambling, so they speak the truth and nothing but the truth. So Bharat, search for bharat, so they have shown previous one; this shows kab kab bata Bharat someone has done some studies and all these different countries one time according to this presenter he thinks Bharat is only this much big but we already said its much bigger picture. “Who is great me or Mahatma Gandhi?”, Prabhupada is saying this. Mera Bharat Mahan, Prabhupada is in London, why have you come here? So one time as topic has come here why have we come, so Prabhupada was talking to the reporters news media press, they ask this question why have you come here to our country, Prabhupada’s response was, it’s not here, but what I had gathered what his reponce was, “You came to our country.” You came, now I have come but then Prabhupada also said that you came and whatever was valuable you thought or your leaders, viceroys were thinking this is valuable that is valuable you are all stealing and bringing that over to England but in that attempt your leaders, those who were ruling India that time they forgot the most valuable items of the real wealth of the country they left behind. And when Prabhupada was asked, “Oh! what is that the most valuable that you are talking about our viceroys did not take note of that, they left behind”, Prabhupada then said, “the culture, culture sanskriti of Bharat”, that is the wealth of Bharat or teachings of the vedas or puranas, Bhagvat Gita this is the wealth of this country, most ancient thought are there in the vedic scriptures and in the past as it is Indian youth they migrate they go overseas for overseas education, they also take loan and by hook or crook they want to go to Australia, to America for overseas education. I am foreign return, I have a degree from here there to get a better job or whatever.

So these are the modern trends, Indians are going overseas for so-called higher education but there was a time the whole world came to India to study and that was certainly higher education, spiritual education, studying vedic texts in universities like Takshashila, Nalanda these are some big big names and many other. So, students scholars they would come and then they would go back, yes I am Bharat return, India return, look at my degree. Even Jesus Christ was, He was in India He had come to learn, that’s what biography of Jesus proves.

So Prabhupada was pointing out the knowledge, this is the intellectual property, these days they call intellectual property. Usually we think the buildings and this and bank balance this is property but there’s something called intellectual property. So, the intellect or intelligence or intelligent desings, intelligent ideas or thoughts, deeper thoughts, eternal truth all this was the wealth, so Prabhupada says this is the wealth of our country and certainly we are talking just the plain truth, its straight forward, the Holy Name Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, this is the wealth of golokera prama dhan Harinam Sankirtan is a golokera prema dhan spiritual wealth, real wealth that could make the soul happy. Why do you need wealth for? To become happy you need wealth, you make money to become happy but then the Holy Name in fact could make you happy.

So money could make your body happy, money could make your senses happy, money could make…like that wearing this kind of cloth, mera joota hai japan ka meri patloon englisthan ki, around the world in dollars, you don’t know this song? So anything important in the decoration of the body or this is for the body to make some pleasure some entertainment. So people acquire wealth, make money to satisfy the body and the mind and the senses and in this attempt the real You real YOU is ignored, forgotten which is the soul that we have been talking about in the very beginning. You are the soul when you come to the temple we see you as souls you as atma, Lord is parmatma He is Bhagwan and we are the souls.

So all this, run around, make money and then not taking care of yourself, parents say friends say take care, take care of yourself, take care but unless you know the self, your real self how are you going to take care of yourself? So we do not spend our wealth unfortunately in taking care of our real self. Something deep within is what we are, deep within, we are not floating at surface, we are within this body deep that is the soul. So I was telling Prabhupada’s point, this is the wealth Hare Krishna Hare Krishna is also wealth amongst all other valuable gifts of India. This makes you happy, your soul is made happy by chanting the Holy Names of the Lord. Prabhupada made his claim when he went to America, he was teaching, propagating, spreading the Holy Name and so many Americans they had started chanting Hare Krishna, they were not happy before, in America they were not happy and don’t think just being American you could be happy.
No, this is not true.

So, they were frustrated and they were looking for some alternatives, all the wealth their pleasures were at the disposals but still not happy. But then Prabhupada gave them this mantra, Hare Krishna Mantra and they started chanting, even some of those frustrated young boys and girls of America they became happy, so Prabhupada used to say they were hippies and they became happies. They were hippies and now they are happies. So Prabhupada demonstrated all that wealth of America, land of opportunity. So everything was at their disposal even name and all that was there still not happy. What is wrong? The ignorance you do not know who you are and don’t know how to take care, why have you come here is the topic, so Prabhupada was saying I have come because your leaders they did not realise what is real wealth of the India Bharat and they left it behind so I have come, you are asking me why I have come, I have come to do the home delivery of that wealth and to do so, to deliver the gifts of Bharat, the wealth of Bharat, he traveled all over the world and what he started began some 50 years ago ISKCON was founded in 1966, so in one year Iskcon will be celebrating golden jubilee celebration of ISKCON (Haribol!) 2016 next year please be with us, lets celebrate this together 50th anniversary of Iskcon. So for past 50 years, what Prabhupada started sharing and delivering this, the gifts of Bharat, ancient India prachin Bharat. Present day Bharat is not much of Bharat, lot of things are same as west and be Indian- buy Indian, where are Indian we don’t see so much of Indian clothing here. So, west this was there understanding, misunderstanding I would say, their wrong perception thinking India as a poor country.

When first time I traveled to America was in 78, first time I traveled to America. So, and then, so those days when they would ask where have you come from?, a common question, so we would say I have come from India, Oh! that India that beggar’s country, poor country. So this was the impression. It was also because that whenever our leaders or Indians went, they went to get something, take something, beg for something. So that also gave wrong impression, they must be poor people, they are always coming with a begging bowl.

Srila Prabhupada was one he was convinced that India is the richest nation, Bharat is the richest, enriched in culture and knowledged in so many ways. So India could contribute that wealth, share with rest of the world. So this is what he did, he shared the most valuable gifts of India with rest of the world, he exported ways to call him, he was a exporter and importer also. Exported the most valuable export quality goods or items, like Bhagvat Gita is export quality and Hare Krishna is certain export quality, the lifestyle and culture is export, he exported there and then he imported American sadhus, European Brahmin, he traveled back to India with American, European, Australian Brahmins with sikhas and kanthi malas and Brahmin threads and tridands and chanting of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna.

So, Bharat is not some tract of land with man-made geographical boundaries which is decided and divided by some demoniac sense gratifiers in order to satisfy their personal desires or name fame profit adoration or politics. Bharat is a principle, devotee who has prepared this, Bharat is a principle, it is a way of life, it is a philosophy and its living application, it is a land of dharma, land of God, land of devotion and like that. So, Bharat, just by name Bharat, ‘bha’ refers to the light surya gives light so surya is also called bhaskar, ‘kar’ means to do, he does the light, he gives the light so he is called bhaskar.

So, Bharat is that land where people are absorbed in; Bharat break it into bha and rat, bha means light rat means absorbed, people of this land are absorbed in light, torch light of knowledge, they are not in darkness. Tamaso ma, vedas say “tamaso ma jyotir gamaya” get out of this ignorance, go to the light, come to the light, so those who come to the light then they become delighted in the light, then they become, then they are Bharat vasis.

So, it is not just because you have taken birth in Bharat doesn’t make you Bharatiya in true sense. Talking of Bharat is a principle, its a way of life, philosophy and all that. One may be living within the geographical boundary of Bharat may not be an Indian but one may be living outside the geographical boundary of India but may be a real Bharat-vasi if he is strictly practicing, so here’s one real Bharat-vasi amongst us who was not born in Bharat (Haribol) Srila Prabhupada’s direct disciple (Haribol) Prabhupada initiated and then imported him to India, he is not born Indian but by his life style and philosophy and principles which he follows, the values he cares and foreign practices he is genuine Bharat-vasi, Bharatiya than so many so-called Indians, they are called, they are so-called but they are not really Bharat-vasis they are called, so-called, they are so-called. Mera Bharat Mahan, Gopal Krishna but he eats beef, his name is Gopal Krishna but he eats beef so what kind of Bharatiya he is. In Ahmedabad, once I met, we had gone to some business man to make him a life member so we went, he said I am a Brahmin we were happy to hear he was a Brahmin but then he said I eat beef, he did not say he eats, he said I relish beef. You know what beef is? You don’t have to know, somehow it has become popular. He said I relish and I take great pleasure in eating, he was so shameless.

On one hand, I am a Brahmin, I relish beef. So, would you call him Bharatiya? Is that Bharatiya? Like that, some people I am chaturvedi, chaturvedi means I am student of four vedas. So, in the past their family they were students of the four vedas, adhyayan adhyapan learning and teaching but now they are only so-called chaturvedis, only so-called because what to speak of studying and knowing four vedas, probably they don’t know even know the names of four vedas. Please say what are the four vedas? (Rig veda, sam veda, atharva veda, yajur veda) Ok good, so you are chaturvedis (laughter). So names only, chaturvedis, trivedis and dwivedis, dwi means two, two vedis three vedis, infact now they are nirvedis (laughter) no vedas.

So this is unfortunate situation in our country today. Just because I am born Hindu, I am a Hindu, same also with Christianity, because I am born in Christian family, I think I am Christian, born in Muslim family Muslim but they do not practice that’s the trouble. We say no difficulty, you ok? If you are Christian, practice Christianity, the Bible will immediately tell you the ten commandments, ten principles, thou shall not kill, thou shall not kill. Prabhupada always said talking to Christians, what kind of Christian are you? You don’t follow, someone was Christian he joined the Krishna Conscious movement then he came to India and he was asked by some Indian or some Hindu, Oh! why have you, why did you get converted and have become Hindu, that devotee said, no, no, I am a better Christian now, I am a better Christian, I was born Christian not practicing but as I have joined Krishna Consciousness Movement, I am better Christian. This is the fact, following all the principles, thou shall not kill, love thy Lord with all thy heart, with all thy strength is another Biblic statement, love thy neighbor as thy self and so many principles we had heard and read before but not practiced now I am practicing I am better Christian. So, what kind of Indian so called Brahmin relishing beef and then whole India now has become major exporter of beef also, big boat loads of beef or meat is exported everyday to the middle east and so many other countries of India by slaughtering animals unfortunately cows also.

So, where is the spirit of Bharat? Values, the principles? Some years ago in the Parliament there was a Indian Parliament this issue of animal killing and slaughtering was being discussed and there was some reporting that the Indian slaughter houses, machinery to cut the throats of animals, the blades they are not sharp, they are blunt, as a result it takes longer time to cut the throats of animals, so what to do was being discussed, what to do. So what they could have passed resolution ok no more killing, no more slaughter of animals in India, they could have passed resolution animals are suffering while they are slaughtered, instead the whole Parliament discussed and they concluded that we should modernize our slaughter houses, modernize we should import from Ireland some countries they are leading Chicago, children in the school were taught; sansar ka sabse bada katal khana kaha hai? Chicago, we had to do the matching, the names of cities and what are they known for, sansar ka sabse sundar shehar- Paris and like that sabse bada katal khana- Chicago and this and that.

So Chicago was biggest slaughtering at least this was 50 years ago when we were in school. So the members of the Parliament, lets import from this country that country, lets modernize our slaughter houses so that when animals are slaughtered, will pain less, animals will not suffer. In favor of this proposal, majority of them voted in favour of this proposal, that’s not Bharat. How kind were the leaders of this nation? The members of the Parliament were very kind to import some modern machinery so that while killing animals would suffer less so that’s very kind of them, they were very kind. So where is the Mahan Bharat? Searching for that Bharat, that spirit, Bharat, this is not tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, this is going back remain absorbed in darkness, stay ignorant.

So, ok who cares name may be this or that but so called Bharatiya his name is gopal krishna but eats beef, so there are some ‘mahatmanas tu mam partha’ (Bg 9.13) what makes great Indian great soul means mahatma because taking shelter of “daivim prakrtim bhajanty ananya-manaso” with unflinching faith he is worshipping and knows also “bhutadim avyayam” the Lord is source of all the, what is mahan? to take shelter of mahan Lord is mahan, I think we started there. So to be connected, be associated, be part of that mahan be servant of that mahan, friend of that mahan. So India is also mahan, Bharat mahan, Mahabharat, beacause of God centered, Krishna centred India. God centred, God’s thoughts, high thinking, simple living and high thinking and there’s more but I think we should stop somewhere here.

Mera Bharat mahan is a big topic, we are just taking some angles or some limited approach because time is limited and life is short, also miles to go before we sleep the woods are lovely dark and deep one western poet had to say, we have so much to do long way to go. So, mera Bharat mahan, Lord appears, Krishna Ram so many incarnations here in this part of the world, hum us desh ke vasi hai jaha Ganga behti hai Jamuna bhi behti hai and all the vedic texts the sages rishis, munis they did their experiments within their hearts and they have come to so many conclusions, they were scientists rishi munis were scientists.

So we should understand the Bharat, India and their talking to improve the Indian tourism and the visa on arrival, we already manage to go 22,000 visas they granted the westerners and they want, prime minister also talking that the westerners should be exposed to Indian culture and India’s ancient places like Varanasi, Mathura, there are 100’s and 1000’s of places here, they take way back into history, thousands of years they think 200 year old Los Angeles is very old, then they could visit so many places, hundreds and thousands of years old.

So, the attempt is being made so that westerners could also realize the value, the wealth of this great nation and this wealth its not Indians’ wealth, this is God’s, this is God in fact Krishna. Because of Him, Bharat mahan, when you take God consciousness Krishna consciousness out of India, so nothing that makes it, the rest is the waste. Even in India, India becomes like a waste, wastage, wasting life, wasting human form of life, the gratification, industrial civilization. So much science here Bhagvat Gita is a science and the great sages, munis they were scientists. There is also so much astronomy, astrology and all this are there part of vedic education and Lord Krishna went to school, Sandipani munis, he was learning, so many herbs ans sciences, that’s the science, science of self realization, that’s original science, science of soul, science of self. Ok I think we will stop here and if you have any thoughts, discussion points we could…

Question – Its shown on television about astrology, is astrology a science should we trust it?
Answer – I don’t know what exactly they show on the television, I never watch so I don’t but astrology is a scientific, even the sun eclipse the moon eclipse that is also part of the predictions, astrological calculations and there’s also bhavishya puran talks of the future of the world. The astrology science it exists but whether the present day astrologers are competent to understand the whole science and whether their predictions could be true or not true that could be a question. There’s nothing wrong with astrology science as such but the astrologers may not be qualified, competent or realised, so their predictions may or may not come true but there’s nothing that doesn’t make this astrology as science nothing wrong with that. Next year in December there will be winter and very cold this is my prediction, this is also part of the astrology because somethings are, there are cycles and they are repeated like that once in year or once in every age ‘harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha’ (CC Adi 7.76).

So this is everytime there is a age of kali, chanting is the way. Sukhdev Goswami, he was much more than astrologer, personality like Narada Muni, they know past and because they know past, they could also know the future, future depends on the past. So Sukhdev Goswami said ‘kaler dosa-nidhe rajann’ (SB 12.3.51) ok Parikshit, now the age of kali is about to begin ‘kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet’ just by chanting Krishna’s name, one could become free from the bondage. Because he knows age of kali, the symptoms of agle of kali everytime the age of kali, same symptoms making things complicated and everytime this age of kali’s solution is chanting Hare Krishna. So Sukhdev Goswami becomes astrologer because he knows these are the symptoms of, before it was predicted, at the beginning of age of kali, he predicted, everything that was predicted has come true. He also spoke about Lord Buddha, appearance of Lord Budhha was talked about 5000 years ago when Sukhdev Goswami spoke he talked about the appearance of Budhha. So after he talked some 5000 years ago and Budhha appeared. So there’s a whole universal time table or schedule this happens this time, that happens this time. So, knowing history and the past, he could also say future.

So this is one aspect of astrology also and then basically as you sow so shall you reap, that is always the law of karma, so by knowing you did this, you did that, you did this in the past, you eat too much, there could be diarrhoea or indigestion, action and reaction, cause and effect. So they are related, cause and effect, this cause then this would be the outcome effect of this. So by knowing your past and action reaction, by knowing action, you could talk of reactions. Shastras also say “mamsa” means mam and sa there are two parties myself and yourself, if you kill me today, I’ll kill you tomorrow, this is the law of karma.

So, one lady with her daughter were sitting while I was flying from Moscow to Delhi and mataji elderly, so when it was time for dinner during the flight, airhost was going around and he asked swamiji, swamiji, what will you have? fish or chicken? you have a choice fish or chicken. Atleast in India, they would ask swamiji veg or non-veg but there was no choice, fish or chicken. So, ofcourse we don’t take any food cooked outside. So I was just sitting chanting and those the lady and the daughter, one had a fish other one enjoyed chicken, I was sitting and chanting swamiji was sitting. So when they enjoyed the meal and their belly was full with fish and chicken, the elderly lady wanted to take advantage and she extended her hand, swamiji bhavishya jante ho? (laughter) So, I was not very happy with them because shamelessly they ate fish and chicken just next to me sitting there and so I did not respond, I kept chanting but I was then thinking if she asks me again, I wanted to keep my answer ready and so that did not happen but my answer was you ate fish so in future you’ll become fish (laughter), the daughter had chicken, she would become chicken in next life.

So, I am not a big astrologer but this is if you eat me today, I’ll eat you tomorrow, by that law of karma cause an effect. Also, the future could be predicted but if you are chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare and also clapping and if you approach some astrologer, he would not be able to do the calculation, they are going to go wrong because what was otherwise going to be your future, that is not going to be your future anymore because what happened? because you chanted Hare Krishna. All those future reactions and births that is natural, this action that reaction, in this life or the next but its not going to leave you alone.

As you sow so shall you reap, again the Bible says. Jaise bovoge waise paoge, so all the astrologies are kind of based on this principle. So now in the past, you could talk of the future but we the Krishna Conscious person, he changes his future Krishna says, ‘mam ekam saranam vraja’ (Bg 18.66) You take shelter of me and then He says, ‘aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami’, I will make you free from all the reactions which are waiting in the corner, tomorrow is the turn of some actions in the past will have its turn, its the reaction and then something that you did in the distant past day after tomorrow is that reaction and next week is that reaction, next year is that reaction, so all that future reactions which are in a waiting list action reaction this all Krishna says I’ll take care “aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami” I’ll take care I’ll neutralise and get rid of all those reactions and then only it is possible then prediction of such devotee its again astrology, ‘punar janma na vidyate’ (Bg. 8.16) he doesn’t take birth again and then he goes to Krishna, Krishna lok, goes back to home, back to Godhead. So there’s no reason for him, ok I think this is some kind of answer to your question. Should we stop here?

Venue: Braj Mandal Parikrama
Occasion: Govardhan puja
Dated: 2008

“hantayam adrir abala hari-dasa-varyo
yad rama-krsna-carana-sparasa-pramodah
manam tanoti saha-go-ganayos tayor yat
paniya-suyavasa-kandara-kandamulaih” (S.B 10.21.18)

These are the words of Gopis of Vrindavan glorifying Giriraj, Gopis are saying – we are very unfortunate we have no association of Krishna, but look at this Giriraj ‘rama krishna carana sparasa pramodah’ see how happy, how jubilant is Giriraj, don’t you see? See Giriraj is so happy. Yes yes he is very happy we are unhappy but He is happy. Why Giriraj is so happy? ‘ram krishna carana sparasa’ this Giriraj gets the touch of the lotus feet of both Krishna and Balarama. As soon as Krishna and Balarama touches Giriraj with their lotus feet’s Giriraj feels very much excited, ecstatic and expresses all the joy. (Maharaj says) In that context as Maharaja (His Holiness Radha Raman Maharaj) mentioned Giriraj as Haridasavarya- best of the Haridasas.

So that is His devotee position, Giriraj in position of a devotee. Then during that first ever Giriraj puja, first day of this puja and they are making big big offerings- annakuta mahotsava. And that time Lord Giriraj was on the top of the mountain and Lord Giriraj manifested and said ‘sailo smi’ – I am this mountain Lord declared ‘I am this mountain’. That time our little Krishna seven years old He was in the crowd, all the Braj vasis had assembled and Krishna was also in the audience and He also was getting ready to worship Giriraj.

So one Lord Krishna was among the Braj vasis amongst them and one Krishna Giriraj was on the top of the mountain declaring ‘I am here, I am the Lord Giriraj bring more bring more bring more offerings’. Giriraj was eating He was 16 miles tall that’s Lord, 16 miles tall Lord Giriraj Govardhan, He must have big belly and he was asking for more offerings bring more- anyor anyor. Lord had so many hands and He was reaching out khir in one kunda and then He was reaching another kunda, some puris thousands of puris He had in His one hand. He was emptying kundas after kundas, piles of halva and puris and then malpuha and what else?. So He proved He was the Lord Giriraj, only Lord could eat that much, just by seeing how much He was eating you will have to simply admit, Oh! He must be the Lord, Jai Giriraj.

When He had finished they say He had to clean His teeth the brush or tooth pick, you know tooth pick? So He was using whole bamboos long, tall bamboos and He was feeling satisfied. So Jai Giriraj, we have opportunity to also its cause less mercy of the Lord that we are here in this human form we are in Vrindavan on the day of Govardhan puja and we are doing what residents of Vrindavan did more than 5000 years ago that is worshipping Giriraj. May Lord ‘ashesha klesha nashaya’ this morning we were praying – He is the destroyer of unlimited sufferings of all of us. ‘paramananda dayine’ –He gives unlimited ananda. Are you interested in having ananda, having some happiness bless? Anyone interested? Not many people are interested? Some are still thinking they are following on the footsteps of Kunti Devi ‘vipada santu tah sasvat” (S.B 1.8. 25).

You can get happiness by worshipping Krishna in the form of Giriraj. Govardhan’s position in Vrindavan is at the top, top level superior to all the forest of Vrindavan is Giriaj. And that little Lord seven years old, He did a miracle everyone was amazed as He lifted Giriraj. So may we always mediate on the Lord Giriraj, Lord holding Giriraj on His little finger. That way Lord has honored Giriraj by holding him on His finger and Giriraj became the cause of reunion between Lord and all residents of Vrindavan for seven days and seven nights. So may Giriraj also bring us closer to the Lord unite us with the Lord. So you may always worship Giriraj and surrender unto Giriraj. ‘sarva dharman parityaja mam ekam sarnam vraj’ – give up all varieties of religion worshipping Demigods this that so many varieties just surrender unto me that is also what is to be understood from this puja.

Those who do parikrama of Govardhan they make little homes on the parikrama path using some of those rocks or shilas of Giriraj they make little home and they stand before that home newly built little home and they pray. You may like to pray also? The pray is ‘My dear Lord whenever I am finished with my body with my material existence let my soul run rush to Vrindavan, may you Giriraj give me residence just at your foot hills’. May Lord Giriraj Haridasvarya fulfill all your desires and give you pramananda. Jai Giriraj dharan ki…..Jai.

So the last place that Srila Prabhupada when he was ill during this month, Srila Prabhupada wanted to come to Govardhan on this day of Govardhan puja day. This shows our founder acharya’s meditation on Giriraj and his attachment to Giriraj he was lying in the bed but he was thinking I would like to go to Govardhan and take part in Giriraj Govardhan puja at Govardhan.

Jai Srila Prabhupada ki….jai
Giriraj Govardhan ki……….Jai
Vrindavan dham ki……………Jai
Nitai Gaur Premanande..Hari Haribol

Venue: Vraj Mandal Parikrama
Dated: 2008

(Maharaj says) – So when devotee was walking with Umbrella and he was trying to hold it over me, immediately I was reminded of one past time. When first time Krishna has to leave for cow-herding then mother Yashoda approached, “Krishna! Please take this umbrella and also take a pair of shoes”. Krishna refused, “No ! No no ! I can’t wear the shoes, cows don’t have shoes. But if you insist that I wear the shoes then bring the shoes for all the cows first”. So Nanda Maharaj had 900 thousand cows and each cow has four feet, so how many shoes are required? 36 Lakh! So which Bata-Tata company would provide those many shoes? (Laughter). So mother Yashoda gave up the idea of insisting, you wear the shoes idea.

She said, “O! At least take the umbrella, it’s very hot out there”. Again Krishna’s condition was first get the umbrella for cows. So how many umbrellas required? 9 Lakh. Then Krishna says, “The cows have feet but they don’t have hand. So we would require someone to carry the umbrella. So we need 900 thousand (9 lakh) people also working next to the cows holding umbrella”. Mother Yashoda also gave up that idea (Laughter). Who could manage 9 lakh? So during all the cowherd pastimes of Shri Krishna in Vrindavan, He always walks bear-feet behind the cows.

Do not think you are the only ones going on Braj-mandal parikrama without shoes, Krishna also has gone around without shoes around Vrindavan. So He has gone around without shoes without umbrella. And He little preaching to mother Yashoda. He said, “Mother! ‘Dharmo rakshati rakshitah’. If we protect Dharma then that Dharma will in-turn protect to us”. So Krishna says “serving cows taking care of cow this is our Dharma”. Then our own protection is guaranteed if we take care of the cow, protect the cow, serve the cow. So Lord Krishna not only has delivered talk, discourse on this topic but He has practically demonstrated throughout His Lilas the importance of the cows and importance of serving the cow. So cow is the center of our culture and religion. Krishna’s one of the principle pastimes is Gocharan-lila cow-herding, calf-herding pastime. What does our God do? This morning question also came up? What does God do every day? That minister or that priest, he was not able to even settle that question. But we know the answer is very simple. I know you also know the answer now; we already have given you some clue. So what does Krishna do every day? He is cow-herd boy, He is herding the cows. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Master or Controller of all the universes all that He does in Vrindavan during the day is He is herding the cows, taking care of the cows.

‘namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-dhitaya krishnaya govindaya namo namah’

So this way Krishna has established the importance of the cows and the brahmanas in Krishna consciousness. So we are doing puja of cows today as it was instructed by Krishna to Nanda Maharaj on this occasion. So Krishna said worship cows, brahmanas and Giriraj. So we have done some Puja of the cow ‘Go-mata ki Jay!’ And we should worship serve the vaishnavas, brahmanas.

‘vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca kripa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo vaishnavebhyo namo namah’

And then soon we will be worshiping Giriraj and this way we will to this day Krishna’s instruction get followed. Giriraj Govardhan ki Jay ! So the cows and the Govardhan they are very closely connected closely related. You could hear if you hear the name ‘Govardhan’ there is cow connection right there in the name of Govardhan. So cows become healthy or they become hale and hearty because of the grass that is available at Govardhan, the water, the shades of the trees as all are available at Govardhan.

So cows enjoy being around Govardhan. The cow-herd boys also are very very happy being around cows and Govardhan. So let us contemplate meditate upon Govardhan and Krishna, cow-herd boys and the cows around Govardhan. So that one day we also would be promoted, we will also get assignment as the cow-herd boys. You may say, “No! I am an engineer, come on I am a doctor! I cannot be a cow-herd boy”. But Krishna is a cow-herd boy. If you want to just be a doctor or engineer, just continue in this world. But if you want to come back home then be prepared to be the cow-herd boy, herding cows, taking care of cows. Anyone interested coming back, going back home, back to Krishna going to Vrindavan ? Haribol. Then pray to this Dham, pray to these cows, Giriraj so that you will have, you will become eligible; you will have that adhikar of entering Krishna’s pastimes and being a cowherd boy.
Go Mata ki jay! So before you leave it was offer your obeisance to the cow deep within your heart and pray to the cow, touch the feet of cows.

Venue: Vrindavan

Dated: 28.7.11

“sa vai bhavan atma-vinirmitam jagad bhutendriyantah-karanatmakam vibho

Translation: My dear Lord, You are always unborn. Once, in the form of the original boar, you rescued me from the waters in the bottom of the universe. Through Your own energy You created all the physical elements, the senses and the heart, for the maintenance of the world.

Purport: This refers to the time when Lord Krishna appeared as the supreme boar, Varaha, and rescued the earth, which had been merged in water. The asura Hiranayaksa had dislocated the earth from its orbit and thrown it beneath the waters of the Garbhodaka Ocean. Then the Lord, in the shape of the original boar, rescued the earth.

“sa vai bhavan atma-vinirmitam jagad bhutendriyantah-karanatmakam vibho

She must have chanted it properly right? Who is speaking? Dharni uvaca- Dhara -Dharo uvaca. Earthly planet spoke they also know Sanskrit and these are the prayers offered by Dhara-Dharni-Dharti so many names khsiti. Beginning with “namah parasmai purusaya mayaya” (S.B 4.17.29) it starts prayers are being offered to Prithu Maharaj, Maharaj Prthu. He is very angry (bell rings of the temple Maharaj says) confirmed Jayapataka Maharaj says. So earth is responding to Maharaj Prthu in his angry mood. So many prayers we have been hearing those prayers “nityam bhagvat sevaya” day after day after day and after many days today we are hearing this prayer, also from mother earth. And she says my dear Lord “you are always unborn once in the form of original Boar you rescued me from the water in the bottom of the universe. Through your own energy you have created all the physical elements the senses and the heart for the maintenance of the world”.

Lord has been addressed here as, ‘vibhu’ Oh! Lord, vibhu means He is very powerful from that comes vibhutis, opulence’s you are full of opulence’s vibhu. Another address is also, ‘aja’ –oh! Unborn, Lords birth is ‘aja’- ‘ja’- means to take birth and ‘a’- means no, He does not take birth, you are ‘aja’ – you are never born. There was no time when You did not exist; in the battle field of Kuruksetra Lord was talking we exist now and we never cease to be. The Lord’s birth is not birth of this world, birth of this world ends with death “jatasya hi dhruvo mrutyur” (B.G 2.27) both are there if you are born you must die. But that is not applicable to the Lord only demons of course think that the Lord dies or He could be killed. One who thinks like this is a demon, one definition of demon is one who thinks that Lord could be killed he is, who is he? He is a demon. Demons went to Vrindavan also attempting to kill the Lord but He was not born He is ‘aja’ could He be killed? No not possible cause He is not born. And He is ‘adi-sukarah’ original Boar He is ‘adi-purusa’ He is Adidev He is ‘adi’- He is the first one ‘adyam puran purusam navyavanam cha’ (B.S) He is like that. So this is realization of mother earth mother earth is speaking to Prithu Maharaj and because she has glorified the Lord she has spoken the truth. What she had to say had been recorded noted down, when she spoke it was relevant then it is relevant today and it would be relevant for all the time to come.

So Srila Vyasdev has taken note of this prayer and today we are hearing and we are, is there some benefit of hearing this? Yes? You don’t have to eat any more ‘peta bharega’. So I was in trouble (Maharaj says not me mother earth) and that Hiranyaksha that demon tried to exploit me and he became the cause I was dislocated, Srila Prabhupada is translating – was dislocated from the orbit and I fell all the way down rasatala I went up to rasatala. And O! Lord you are the one you rescued me in another form, what was that form? In Varaha form. So she is talking to Prithu Maharaj and saying you rescued me, you in the form of ‘adi-sukarah’ you rescued me, you helped me on your tusk you had two tusk and I was sitting there like a tiny mustard seed. You were huge like a mountain you were also like a moon and you helped me and I was like a black spot, the Dasavatara stotra (Maharaj sings) “vasati dasana-sikhare dharani tava lagna sasini kalanka-kaleva nimagna kesava dhrita-sukara-rupa jaya jagadisa hare”.

So that is one darshan, darshan of the Lord Varaha holding earth on His tusk and becoming known as Dharnidhara, one of the names of the Lord is? Dharnidhara you heard that name. You know Giridhar because you stay in Vrindavan, Murlidhara, Gadadhara but He is also Dharnidhara, He held Dharni on His tusk. “sasani ka…” sasi – that is moon, ‘kalanka’- that is black spot and as He held this earth on His tusk this Varaha rupa. He was sitting in Mathura, Lord went all the way down He lifted earth rescued earth by holding on the tusk He comes up and He sat on the bank of Jamuna at place called Vishram Ghat in Mathura. Lot of endeavors so time for little break rest, so Lord did His vishram little rest. Where did He took His rest at Vishram Ghat, because He took rest there the name of that Ghat has become Vishram Ghat its resting place, whose resting place? Lord Varaha’s resting place is at Mathura Vishranm Ghat, where is earth? Earth is on the tusk. Where is He sitting Mathura this is the proof of what? Dhama is not part of any country or any planet. Mathura Vrindavan did not fell down; Mathura Vrindavan is ‘achuta’ like Lord – infallible, earth could fall we are reading here but not Mathura Vrindavan, earth may come to end one day but not Mathura Vrindavan,

Mathura Vrindavan dham ki…………jai.

So lot of people say why is He always appearing in India? Why Lord is appearing in India all the time? But those who think that He appears in India are in ignorance. He appears in Mathura which is not India; India will come to an end but not Mathura Vrindavan. Thus Lord comes down He comes with His own abode or He even doesn’t have to come down He is here He just has to appears from ‘aprakat lila to prakat lila’ and then so many pastimes in Vrindavan Krishna is performing His pastimes. And then His pastimes with the Gopis and rasa dance was about to begin and then Krishna decides to disappear He took Radha with Him and He took off and the Gopis were searching looking for Krishna where are you? Where are you? And they are asking everybody. So of course the Gopis thought look at these bushes, look at this grass some small tress they thought these are the hair on the body of this earthly planet, the hair are standing on their ends. Why? Because earth must be in ecstasy which is one of the symptoms, but when you see tiger (laughter) the hair also stand on that’s for the mundane people. But the devotees their hair stand on their ends when Lord touches them, when the soul and Supreme soul comes in contact there is union there is a yoga, there is a link through that pure devotional service and body becomes trembling and other symptoms are there the hair ‘romanca -kampasru-taranga-bhajo vande guroh sri-caranaravindam”.

The Gopis were thinking because Lord has touched you O! Earth that’s why the hair on the body of the earth in form of these bushes and trees and grass is standing erect. And because they were looking for Krishna for sure for sure why are these hairs standing one end on the body of mother earth, because Lord has just now touched, He must have touched this region with His feet He must have gone this way. Is it that or they were also wondering is it because just now He touched and He went this way or they also have another idea. They say ‘aho varaha vapurah parirambhanena’ (S.B 10.30.10) or because long long time ago this Varaha vapusha with His body of Lord Varaha Boar He had touched earth lifted earth held earth on His tusk. And is it because of that touch it was long long time ago even now because of that touch, that touch is still causing some ecstasy –hair standing on end so is it because of that Varaha’s touch long long time ago or He has just now touched you and He has gone He has disappeared into the forest which one, they (Gopis) are thinking like this. So that time Gopis had remembered Varaha lifting earth touching earth and earth feeling very excited and ecstatic and possibly this ecstasy is from that time. And they also added or because Lord also touched earth with His lotus feet when He was Vaman Dev and He was to take three steps of land. So with His first step He covered entire earth and another step and for third step there is no space. So with the first step He had touched the earth, so is it because of that touch? Vaman Dev’s touch or Varaha’s touch? That even today you are in ecstasy your hair are standing on end. The Gopis were remembering Varaha and Gopis were remembering pastimes of Vaman Dev as they were looking for Krishna.

Lord Varaha Dev ki…………jai

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu one time, was that Murari Gupta? He exhibited Sukar, “kesava dita sukar rupa jai jagadhish hare”. Suddenly Caitanya Mahaprabhu wasn’t there and in front of Murari Gupta there was Lord Varaha, and on His tusk He was holding something, a lota water pot, on His tusk He held little pot and He considered this pot is what? This is earth pot is round so He picked up a pot round object and put it on His tusk and Oh! I am Lord Varaha I am lifting earth. Murari Gupta was amazed to see Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibiting Varaha rupa, well they are the same. “Nato natya dharo yatha” Kunti Maharani says “My Lord you are like a actor” actor he plays different roles every time every time new same person but he looks different, he has different name he has different town, different country, different language everything different. The good actor it takes long time is this Amita.. (Laughter) it takes long time to realize, hye! Is this the same one he acts so perfectly that you can’t even make the connection who they really are? So it’s very appropriate that Kunti Maharani says “Nato natya dharo yatha” “My Lord you are natya dhar nata natya dhar” the actor acting in different ways same person,so Varaha, Prthu Maharaj, Sri Ram.

We are talking of Varaha Dev in Navadvipa one of the nine islands is called Koladvipa, Kola means Varaha and Varaha was worshiped there in Satyuga by one Brahmin called Vasudev. His mode of worship was simple ganga jala and some flowers but he had lots of devotion, he was rich in devotion with all his heart with all his strength he was worshipping deity of Varaha in Koladvipa Navadvipa on the banks of Ganga. So although he was worshipping the vigraha of Varaha but He was interested in seeing “varaha adi sukaraha” the moving talking dancing whatever Lord does moving His tail the deity form was not moving His tail and He was just motionless. But he wanted Lord to reveal himself, so he was crying and praying without you O! My Lord My life is worthless, O! Please reveal unto me. So finally Lord takes little extra time “little dera but no andher” devotees from India they say little ‘dera’ little delay but there is never disappointment there is no darkness there is no end of the tunnel. You go on “utsahan niscayad dhairyat tat-tat karma pravartanat karma pravartanat” all that (Nectar of instruction 2) Lord wants you to go that extra mile to make that extra endeavor.

So this Vasudev Brahmin he was unstoppable he had his goal to see the Lord Varaha and Lord had no choice how long could He hide Himself. When the time had come his devotion complete, full surrender and Lord revealed so that revealing whatever form of deity that he was worshipping that form became so gigantic like a he was looking up to the Lord, if he had a hat it would fall off (laughter). So big like a mountain huge tall mountain and He had all ornaments the deity had no ornaments but the original form of the Lord had ornaments and the effulgence and He was moving the tail now. His body was fragrant He is a boar He is a sukar, what the boars are like no one likes to go near, if it comes your way you try to run away or you close your nose. But adi- sukarah is not like that He is transcendental fragrant as Krishna’s form is very very fragrant infact the fragrance in the world Lord is the cause. Whenever you smell something “gandhah prthvyam ca” (B.G 7.9) Lord says in Bhagvat Gita in prthvi in the earth there is fragrance right? “Lord says that fragrance is myself”. So where ever there is fragrance that is due to the Lord.

So this Vasudev he had darshan of huge mountain like Varaha Dev then he was offering prayers thanking for darshan. And this Varaha now appeared in Koladvipa as original Varaha He revealed unto this Vasudev and said “O! Brahmin” this was Satyuga he was worshipping in satyuga, Lord said in Kaliyuga I will be appearing as Guaranga and you also appear and there is going to be lots of kirtan and chanting and dancing. And this Brahmin was in ecstasy to get the news, he had darshan of Varaha in Satyuga and again Lord invited him, that when I appear as Guaranga you will also appear and take part in my Sankirtan movement. (Maharaj says) it’s not mentioned in what name form this Vasudev Brahmin appeared in Caitanya Mahaprabhus pastimes but one point is here Caitanya Mahaprabhu is showing to Himself as Varaha to Murari Gupta. And then Satyuga He appears as Varaha and declares “I will appear as Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the same abode of Navadvipa” and you will be part of my sankirtan movement.

Varaha…., Krishna’s appearance, Rams appearance, Caitanya Mahaprabhus appearance it’s a quite a elaborate description as the circumstances in which Lord appears what about Varaha how did He appear? From the nostril of Brahma Lord appears. He is “aja”- He is unborn He doesn’t have to take birth from womb, O! He may choose to take birth from womb; He may take birth without womb He could take birth from womb that means He is “purna” but not that He has to take birth from a womb. So Lord took birth from womb also I was born from womb of my mother —they try to make the connections. “atma vat manyate jagat” O! Me too if your Lord appeared form the womb I also appeared form the womb. Worldly people try to bring Lord to their level, misunderstand Him all together. So Varaha proved that He could just appear from the, Brahma did that what you call? Sneezing ok Brahma was sneezing when we sneeze something else comes out (laughter) something nasty comes out. When Brahma he did sneezing (Maharaj laughs) Varaha appeared and He was small size in beginning soon He had assumed the gigantic form of Varaha. And this Varaha He battled with Hiranyaksha, Hiranyaksha had another brother called Hiranyakasapu Lord appeared as Lord Narsimha all variety of forms Varaha Narsimha. (Maharaj says) we were in Simhachalam last time we went to see Narsimha temple there but deity there is not only Narsimha its Narsimha and Varaha combined, what is the name? “Varaha – Narsimha” the deity has two Lords in one form reason being that Prahlad Maharaj was interested Oh! Lord I am seeing you as Narsimha and you killed my father but I would also like see your form that killed my uncle (Laughter). Lord fulfilled the desire of Prahlad and showed Varaha, he was very much interested please please show me the form with which you killed my uncle-chacha, Hiranyaksha chacha (Laughter) was killed by you please show me. And Lord showed both the forms at Simhachalam.

So Varaha He appears He has two complexions or colors one is known as Sveta Varaha other one is known as Rakta Varaha, whitish and reddish. It was Gargacharya when he had gone to Gokula and the name giving ceremony was taking place in Goshala of Nanda Maharaj he was doing it hidingly. And that time Gargacharya said Lord appears “Krishnatam gatah” now He has assumed the form “Krishnatam gatah” blackish fresh monsoon clouds they are fresh now loaded with water and hence you know what kind of complexion. All clouds are not, Krishna is not of the color of the cloud because clouds change their colors, so it has to be fresh monsoon cloud means lots of water drops and as a result dense dark. This is rainy season – this is varsha ritu then comes Sharad season the clouds are of different complexion, how do they look like? They are white, in Krishna book Srila Prabhupada says these clouds have stolen water but then these clouds do the charity today they are very charitable this morning they were whole heartedly giving charities to Vrindavan Dhama in other places. So by giving charity, sometimes people make money black money, corruption then they have not very good image but then they became charitable they give food for life they give donations. By giving and giving and giving and giving they get image what image? Bright image white image they are not black any more. So Srila Prabhupada writes in Krishna book like this, these clouds are holding water but they share by the autumn season time –sharad season time the clouds are all Balaram color. They are now Krishna color then they become Balaram color. So Gargacharya said Lord has now appeared “Krishnatam gatah” bluish black but He appears in other three Ages in three different colors “sukla rakta pita”. He appears sukla in Satyuga, rakta- rakta Varaha in Treta Yuga and pita yellow complexion in which Age? Golden yellow in Kaliyuga, “Krishnatam gatah” Dwapar Yuga He appears.

So Gragacharya has also remembered Varaha when he mentions Lord appears in reddish complexion, he is remembering Varaha Lord is on his mind and he talking of Varaha. So four Ages four complexions in Treta yuga He appears as reddish complexion. Time for Krishna’s appearance (Maharaj is asking the devotees) are you getting ready? Are you thinking, planning? so banners outside opportunities this abhishek that abhishek perhaps we are not going to do fund raising here don’t worry (Laughter). So as Lord was getting ready to appear in Vrindavan “Golokam cha parityajya” giving up Golok come here to Gokul that time the other forms of the Lord “nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu” there are so many other form of the Lord “ramadi murtisu kala niyamena tisthan” (Brahma samita). They have their own abodes in the spiritual sky each Lord has His own planet His own abode. So when Krishna is about to appear from each of these planets of different incarnation of the Lord that incarnation goes in the direction of Golok and merges in Krishna. From every planet they are all coming and they merge in Krishna and when finally Lord Sri Krishna appears all the residents of other planets of different incarnations they kind of identify- our Lord has appeared. They see their Lord they see Varaha in Sri Krishna, they see Narsimha in Sri Krishna, they see Ram in Sri Krishna and see their -our Lord has appeared.

So they cannot be separated “aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate” (B.G 10.8). Pastime of Caitanya Mahaprabhu Mahaprakash Lila of the Lord it lasted for seven kalas- 21 hours Lord was showing His all forms all possible forms devotees were seeing this was in the house of Srivas Pandit Srivas angan. They would always say “You are Lord you are Lord” Lord would never admit He would plug His ears-don’t talk shut up but one day because everyone was realizing news was licking out. He was trying to conceal the fact that He is Supreme Personality of Godhead but then He was not able to hide it. One day He said ok ok Lord ran into the house of Srivas Pandit He went all the way to the altar of the Deities, He sat there and told Srivas call all the devotees of Navadvipa then Srivas with the help of so many devotees they called all the devotees. Everyone from Navadvipa had come and there was enough space by the Lord’s Yoga Maya, in the beginning there was small hall. But as more and more people poured in automatically by Lords will the hall was getting bigger and bigger and bigger in size. Initially there was only Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in front of all of them but soon there all the forms as per relationships of each of devotee in the assembly. As per their worshipable deities their eternal relationship different mellows- sakhya bhava, vatsalya bhava, madhuraya bhava, according to different bhavas each one was seeing their Lord. And amongst them was Murari Gupta and Murari Gupta saw there was no Caitanya Mahaprabhu he was seeing Sri Rama like that everyone assembled there was seeing their worshipable Lords forms.

They were chanting “Sri Rama jai Rama jai jai Rama” someone was chanting Govind Govinda – Tirupati Balaji devotees. Somebody from maharastra “vitthal vitthal vitthala panduranga vitthala”. They were all chanting different glories different prayers and although everyone was singing- (Maharaj says) just understand this – each one was realizing that there is no one else here just me and Lord. If someone next door somebody chanting “Sri Rama jai Rama jai jai Rama” other one chanting “govinda govinda” someone chanting “sri rama”, hye! You shut up you know (laughter) quite quite I am chanting let me chant first then you. There was no need there was no complaint there was no shutting up or no silence please. Simultaneously all those devotees in assembly they were glorifying the Lord with different prayers and obeisance’s and this and that. And they completely oblivious to the surroundings and who else was there what else they are chanting they did not care, they did not care and for 21 hours not one two hours how many hours? For 21 hours straight without interruption the darshan went on. All those devotees were in complete Samadhi they did not remember- no eating, no sleeping, no natures call nothing. They were just there they were in the spiritual sky with the Lord and they have nothing to do with body and bodily deeds.

So Varaha also was there, Narsimha they were all there seeing Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, so when Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya is appearing all are becoming part of Him they are always part of Him “nato natya dharo yatha”. So very soon Lord although described as ‘aja’ He will be taking His birth for the pleasure of His devotees He takes birth. To give pleasure to Devaki, Vasudev, Nanda, Yasoda and that is one of His relationship vatsalya He becomes child and He gives role of His parents to His devotees. ‘you become my parents now I have played role of father for a change I like to experience becoming child myself you become father you become mother’. And He becomes perfect child and then He takes birth in Mathura- night of astami the black fortnight ok.

Varaha Dev ki……….jai.

Grantha Raj Srimad Bhagvatam ki..jai

Day 2 – May 24, 2012

Location – Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh, India)

H H Lokanath Swami Maharaja  started the class with a Kirtan from Tukarama Maharaja’s  abhanga – Govinda Govinda  mana  lagali acchand. In this he explains that there is no difference between Govinda‘s body and Govinda Himself, Govinda‘s form and Govinda Himself. So Tukarama Maharaja enjoyed taking darsana of the Lord very much.  Did you also felt pleasure by taking darsana of the Lord? He says my heart is full of bliss and it is now overflowing through my eyes in the form of tears. Now, Lord has touched me and I don’t want anything else.

Na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadish kamaye

mam janmani janmani isvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi.

Did all of you perform kirtan whole day today?  Did you do your japa? Today there wasn’t anything else to do except darsana and kirtan. There was no prasadam today.  So did you all observe upavasa (fasting) today?  By mere refraining from food, upavasa is not done. Something else is also to be done, must be done, only then upavasa is observed and upavasa is complete. Without eating food or having only fruits, without taking grains, we sometimes call this as upavasa but only with these upavasa is not complete, upavasa then remains incomplete. What has to be done for complete upavas?  Upavasa means close to the Lord. This is called upavasa . Vasa or Nivasa means place of stay, place to reside, this nivasa, that nivasa, so Nivasa with Krsna is upavasa. Stay close to the Lord. That is the meaning of upavasa. Remember this throughout your life.  Upavasa means to remain close to the Lord. Now, Ekadashi is approaching, that too the toughest one, Nirjala Ekadashi. What will happen that day? Only intake of air is allowed. But, why only intake of air, you can chant as well. The air also will be utilized in breathing and with each breath chant the holy name.  Nirjala Ekadashi. How is the Ekadashi? Nirjala – even without water. Some of you may still be on the way back to your temples or to your homes. Are you missing your home?

Real home is this, where there is the Lord. This Tirupati is our home. I too went for darsana today. After darsana, Tirupati Balaji have their own channel, they came for an interview.  So I said, it feels like, we have come back to our home.  Where there are mother and father would you  call that a home or not?  Initially that is our home, but later when wife comes, it is different. Initially home implies the place where we have our father and mother. That is home.  Our father as well as our mother is here. Lord is our father, our mother and He is our everything? mam sarva deva deva. He is all in all. That is why devotees who go to Vrindavan for Vrajamandal Parikrama, afterwards, wear a T-shirt and move around which says ‘I Lost My Heart in Vrindavan’.  I lost my heart, where? In Vrindavan. Then, let’s go again, where my heart is. My heart is lost. So, Lord, Lord’s (dhama) abode is Vrindavan, is Mayapur, is Jagannath Puri, is Pandharpur, and is Dwarka. Lord’s abode is our hometown too. That is why Tukarama Maharaja also went, where? To his hometown. Where did he go? His hometown was Dehu. Other people were saying, here is your hometown, where are you going? Those with less intelligence – in bodily consciousness, identifying themselves with their body must have thought – ami jato amcha gava, you are saying I am going to my hometown but your hometown is right here. You could go by walk or even by a bullock-cart, but you are taking a flight and saying I am going to my hometown.  Tukarama Maharaja also went to his hometown. Lord’s abode is our abode. Where is our motherland, fatherland?  Vaikuntha is our motherland, fatherland. This is the fact which we have forgotten and under illusion identifying ourselves with several designations. This is my birth place. I am this and these are my own people, these are outsiders or strangers. Aham-mameti, I & mine.

We haven’t recognized ourselves, that we are the spirit souls. We count the elements of this world, but we forget to count our own selves. Once there was a group of travelers, desiring to cross the river and they did cross over to the other side. After reaching the other bank of the river, they wanted to be sure that everyone was has reached. Like today everyone is not here. Some devotees are saying we lost him, don’t know where he is. So when these travelers reached the other bank of the river, they thought let’s count. How many were we? We were 51. Then everybody was made to sit down and one person started counting 1, 2, 3, ….11,……….35,……49, 50. Oh! Only 50 of us are here. Then another one spoke out, Oh! You don’t know how to count, I will count. 1, 2, ……..44, 47, 48, 49, 50. Only 50 persons. Each person took his turn and counted the heads and it came to 50 only. So one is missing.  So we have lost one person. They were thus discussing among themselves and lamenting whom have we left out.  Meanwhile a sage was passing by and saw that troupe lamenting. Para dukkhe dukhi. So he came close and inquired what the matter was? One of them spoke that when we started we were 51 and now we are left with 50 heads only, so we have lost  one member of our troupe. Then the sage began to count 1, 2, ……………..47, 48, 49, 50, 51. Then he told them that while counting each one of you counted everyone else there but failed to count yourself and thus you all always ended up counting only 50. We have forgotten ourselves. So the study of the whole world is going on – cosmology,  geography etc. So external help is required to find out who are we? Ke ami, who am I? My family members, in reality who are they? Who is who? What is our relationship? Do we have any relationship with each other? If we are related to the Lord, then we are also related to each other.

So did you walk up your way up to the hill top? Did you get darsana of the Lord? Now keep that sight (darsana) in your mind, in your heart. Preserve it carefully. Whom we saw, the Lord, we have an eternal relationship with him. Keep hearing about Him, then the darsana will remain fresh. Premanajana cacchurita bhakti vilocanena, santah sadaiva hrdyesu vilokyanti / yam syamsundaram acintya guna svarupam, govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami. These are the words of Lord Brahma. Now you all got darsana, but how much darsana did you get? As much is the Lord! Lord is 100%. But how much percent darsana could we get? How much percent of His darsana did the Lord give us? Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajami aham. This is Lord’s reciprocation. As much as we surrender mam eva ye prapadyante. Lord Himself says as much as the living entity surrenders that much I manifest, I give darsana. bhajami aham, Lord says I serve the living entity.  I take care of the living entity. Lord Brahma says Govindam adipurusam tam aham bhajami. Same verbal root, bhaj dhatu. bhajami aham, tathaiva. And here the Lord says, I serve the living entity as much as they surrender unto Me. I respect, honor the living entity.  Living entities are very dear to the Lord. You are dear devotees of the Lord. You are very dear to Him. Krishna loves you. Mostly when we say I love you, we are forgetful of Lord Krishna. If we say, I love you Krishna, O Lord, O Krishna, O Govinda, then Krishna also says I love you.  tams tathaiva bhajami aham. There is exchange, give and take. This is yoga (connection), bhava (mood), this rasa (mellow) – in friendship, in servitorship. Lord relishes the mellow and the living entity also relishes. So we all went for darsana but all of us did not get equal darsana. Thousand people went and each one among the thousand got darsana at different levels. Each one had different state of mind, mood was different, and preparation was different from one another. We should prepare ourselves and then proceed for darsana. Not that we go suddenly and get darsana, He (Lord) should also give darsana.  One is giving darsana and another one is taking darsana. Two activities are simultaneously involved. The one whose darsana we are going to take should be ready to give darsana, only then it is possible for us to take darsana. If the giver is not ready, how could we take darsana? Someone might be thinking, Oh! I have come from such far away place; the organizers have also taken so much money, now you are not giving darsana. Come on hurry up, let’s go back. Lord thinks, I was preparing you for darsana, making you eligible to take darsana and you stood up and left in midway.

There is an instance of Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Once there was a lecture going on about Lord’s name, form, qualities and pastimes. In the middle, a disciple stood up and went away, after short while he came back. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur inquired where did you go? The disciple replied Maharaja, I went to take darsana.  Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, Oh really, you went for darsana? How was your darsana?  You went and stood in front of the Lord. The disciple replied yes, yes, exactly that is what I did. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur continued and you closed your eyes and then opened your eyes. So, how was your eye exercise? Our darsana can remain limited to a mere eye exercise. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur was trying to impress, I was preparing you for darsana. Trying to make you understand how is Lord. Narada muni also had said this to Dhruva Maharaja. You should prepare. You should prepare and then go for a darsana and see how much darsana you are getting and how much darsana He is giving, how much eligibility you have earned. Without any preparation darsana may not be possible. Now this is homework for darsana. This tirtha yatra – pilgrimage is also homework. Giving up all our other businesses, occupations, engagements, we are running after Lord. 24 hours.  24 hours we are preparing ourselves. We have left in search of Supreme Lord. Pilgrimage means search for Lord. Meeting the devotees first. Before going to see the Lord, meet the devotees of the Lord, yattirtha buddhi salile na karhicit janesu abhijnesu sa eva go kharah. Lord Krishna said this in Kuruksetra, but not to Arjuna. Not during the battle of Kuruksetra , but when Lord Himself went on pilgrimage. Lord Himself went on pilgrimage from Dwarka to Kuruksetra. Not all alone by Himself but accompanied by Balarama, Subhadra, Vasudeva, and Devaki. All queens were there like Rukmini and all ministers were there as well. It was the time of solar eclipse. So many sages, philosophers came to see the Lord.  Many great souls came to see the Lord. That time Lord spoke these words, those who visit places of pilgrimage and whose intelligence, understanding is restricted to the salile, water body – where there is river, lets immerse ourselves into it and then run to the railway station, this is  tirtha buddhi salile. Na janesu, of whom they do not have understanding?jna means knower, abhijnesu means one who has complete knowledge,  jnana vijnana sahitam, unto such devotees, saints, acaryas, they have no respect. They do not approach them. They themselves go for darsana, for bathing, without a guide. Doing this is dhama apradha.  Lord is like this, He performed His pastime here, abhijnesu janesu, those who have knowledge, but such (generally common) people have no faith in them. Straightway go on their own. So Lord said yattirtha buddhi salile Na hi karhicit, those people whose understanding about place of pilgrimages is to just go around like a tourist without any spiritual guidance, such people have been termed by Lord as sa eva go kharah. Who are they? First one is go meaning cow or bull and the second one is kharah, what does that mean? A  donkey, kharah means donkey. We don’t want to say this, but Lord said like that, for those who themselves are going on their own without guidance, without hearing and chanting, without preparation. This is the preparation. Mentally, physically, spiritually, this is the sadhana – practice. Then as a result – go for darsana, meet the Lord, see, how much you could meet, what kind of feelings are invoked. How to offer prayer? Sukha sampatti ghar ave kasta mite tan ka, we have come walking from a long distance, kasta mite tan ka. What to say of sampatti – property. Many come to Tirupati Balaji, invest a little and desire to have lot in return. This sounds like a business deal. Not with such a mood, but with proper mood, with feelings. Not in a business type, give and take mood but devotional mood. If Lord is hungry for something, He is hungry of what? Who says that the Lord does not eat, feel hungry? The Lord is hungry of what? It is because we don’t feed Him like Sabri, He does not eat. If you feed Him like Sabri, then it is not possible that He will not eat. This whole yatra is meant to awaken proper mood. This devotional mood cannot be found in any market place. It is within us. Within the spirit soul, this mood is there. By observing proper practices, rules, this has to be awakened. You may call it as our mood or prema – love, love for the Lord. Lord is hungry for love, feelings. By such awakening only, the soul will be satisfied, brahma bhuta prasannatma, fully satisfied. So by the end of this yatra, in the remaining days, your soul should feel happy. This yatra is meant to turn our souls into great souls (mahatma). Whatever may be the arrangements from morning till evening and evening to morning, these practices are there, japa has to be chanted, some rules and regulations have to be followed. Like in this yatra, there is no tea. Cannot even drink tea, may sound strange. What kind of yatra is this? It is not strange. It is one of our 4 regulative principles. Hopefully you all are practicing this even before commencement of yatra. This is the time for getting used to such practices. Practice with the aim to awaken the right mood from within. This will be the achievement of this yatra. If you attain love, then you have got the worth for what you paid for yatra. Don’t think you have been cheated. Earn something here. Earn Krsna. Deposit everyday by chanting Hare Krishna mahamantra. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare. Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Day 7 – May 29

Location – Rameshvaram (Tamilnadu, India)

Ramanujacharya fed mahaprasad to the fish in Chandra pushkarni and although their bodies stayed back but they attained their eternal constitutional form and returned to Vaikuntha. You also can attain your transcendental form.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Namacharya Haridas Thakur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, all the Gaudiya Vaishnava acharyas and Srila Prabhupad are feeding the people of this universe the holy name. Ramanujacharya fed grains to the fishes – Anna para bramha. We have been fed Krishna in the form of His name. We are hearing His name, assimilating it and becoming Krishna conscious. So one day when we shall leave this body, whatever has to happen to this body, people will take care, but we will accept our actual svarupa, constitutional form and return back home, back to god head. This is our prayer.  From one perspective we are leaving the association of this dham but what will go with us is the holy name. You will become old. Then you will not be able to do tirth yatra, yajna, etc. This holy name is simple and till the end of your last breath naam sankirtana is possible. So this is Veda vani – harer naam eva kevalam, so please become strongly established in the holy name. To not have complete faith in the holy name is also one of the 10 offences of the holy name.  In spite of hearing all the glories of the holy name, still maintaining attachment to the material world is an offence against the holy name.

You are all chanting and dancing in the kirtana, then all your sins are getting destroyed. This body is called a tree and there are the birds of sin on this tree. If you want to chase away birds on a tree, you clap your hands. Of course someone can throw a stone and fire a bullet, but easiest way is to just clap hands. Then we give up some hesitation and start dancing. When love increases for the holy name, for Krishna, then we give up hesitation. Then all the sins on the tree of this body start leaving us. Till we have less love, we hide and chant and do not bring our beads in public. Srila Prabhupada asked one lady in Delhi, do you chant? She said, I chant in my mind. Srila Prabhupada asked her, do you also eat in the mind?

The result of this yatra is the attainment of the holy name, or the taste for chanting and the taste for hearing Krishna katha. When there is chanting and dancing going on, we do not fall asleep.  This is Yuga dharma. But during katha, we may fall asleep. Of course katha is also dharma.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has distributed the pearls and diamonds of the holy name. For the Vishvarup darshan (Mangla Arati darshan of Lord Ranganath) only 80 devotees can take darshan so all were running to grab the opportunity to see the form of the lord. Some were standing since morning 1:30 am. But as soon as the doors opened even the late comers stormed in ahead of them. There were no rules and regulations being followed. Everyone was just running and jumping over from the barricades to take darshan.

So there was day 1 of the yatra and then there is the last day of the yatra. So today is the concluding day of the yatra and some of you will be leaving toady evening itself, whereas some will leave tomorrow morning and some tomorrow night. Have you stayed in such a big family even? It is said, ‘One kitchen one family.’ So this was a very big family. Not just this but everyone on this planet is our family. They all belong to Krishna and I belong to Krishna so they also belong to me.

Sadhu sannyasis leave behind a small family but then we get a bigger family, he vishva chi majhe ghar, vasudhaiva kutumbakam. When we will go back to the dham, then all the dham vasis will become our family members. Our narrow vision broadens and we become more accommodative in yatra.

Today on our All India Padayatra is in Badrinath dham, while we are in Rameshvaram. Iskcon padayatra is active since last 27 years. So some members of our family are in Badrikashram.

Every Hindu wants that in this lifetime I must complete the four dham yatra. One of this is Rameshvaram. Three years ago we went to Badrinath and there Kedarnath is the jyotirlinga. Last year we went to Dwarka and there Somnath is the jyotirlinga, and here Rameshvaram is a jyotirlinga.

For Rameshvaram, some can say Ramasya ishvarah – the Lord of Rama is Shiva. Some can say ramah ishvar yasya sah. Ram is the Ishvar of Siva. So in two ways you can understand this word. Like Haridwar is also understood as Haradwar.

Lord Rama came to Chitrakut, Ramtek, and Nasik on the banks of Godavari. Then He went to Kishkindha, he was walking as a Vanvasi. On the banks of Godavari, Sita was kidnapped. And searching for Sita, Rama and Lakshman came to the banks of Pampa Sarovar and met Shabari. They saw Jatayu and performed his last rites. Then they met Hanuman at the same place. He took them on his shoulders, to the peak of Rishyamukh Parvat where Sugriva used to reside and Hanuman was his minister. Rama and Sugriva had the same problems. Their wives had been kidnapped. Both of them did friendship in the presence of Fire.

So first Lord Rama helped Sugriva and killed Bali. Then the army of monkey which belonged to Sugriva, helped lord Rama. Someone from the army found a bag of ornaments. There are some ornaments here that fell down from the sky and a lady was shouting Rama…Rama. She threw this bag here. When Rama heard this, he felt very strongly that this must be Sita. With this thought His throat became choked and His eyes were full of tears. Thus He was not able to see the ornaments. So he called Lakshman and asked, do you recognise if these are Sita’s earrings. Na ham janami kundale, no I cannot say, I have never seen her face. But when he held the ankle bells he immediately recognised, yes these are certainly the ankle bells of Mother Sita. I used to see them whenever I offered my obeisances. So they started searching.

Hanuman came here to Rameshvaram and Jatayu’s brother Sampatti showed him the direction in which Raavan had taken Sita. So Hanuman took a flight from Gandhamadan Parvat with so much speed that some trees, stones etc. Flied along with him. Rama was very happy when Hanuman returned and with great pleasure He embraced Hanuman. This was the best gift. Would you also like to have the embrace of the Lord? You will have to serve him like Hanuman. It is not so cheap. Who says Rama will not embrace. We don’t do service like Hanuman. Rama is ready to embrace.  Then Rama proceeded towards Lanka with a huge army, mostly of monkeys and a few bears. Their commander was Jambavan.

With all his army the Lord came to Rameshvaram. Lanka is 800 miles or 100 yojanas from here. How to cross? Some said we can swim across, or go by boats. Then Vibhishan came and proposed let us make a bridge. When Hanuman had reached Lanka, he had heard the chanting of the name of Sri Rama. He was shocked to hear this chanting of Sri Rama in Lanka but then he came to know this is the house of Vibhishan. Vibhishan helped Hanuman and gave him the address of Sita in Ashoka van.  Vibhishan was always giving good advice to his brother. Sri Rama is unconquerable. He is the King of Ayodhya, the place who’s king can never be defeated.  Please forget about fighting with Him.

Ravana became upset with him and told him, you are my enemy therefore you do not want to support me in my war, you go away from here. So Vibhishan left Lanka and came to Rameshvaram with Hanuman and with him also came four ministers. He was received by Lord Rama in the place called Kodanda Rama .There the whole army of Lord was sitting and discussing about how to proceed. When they saw Vibhishan coming, they became ready to fight with him. But Vibhishan said, I have come to take shelter of you, please accept me. And lord Rama gave him shelter. And on today’s day the temple is closed because today is Pattabhisheka (Coronation ceremony) of Visbhishan. Lord Rama did coroneted Vibhishan even before Ravans’ death.

Lord Rama sat on the peak of Gandhamadan Shikhar and fasted for three days, requesting the sea god, but there was no reply. So He became angry and He took his bow and aimed towards the sea. The whole Indian Ocean started getting distracted as if tsunami waves are coming. The aquatics were getting disturbed, so the sea god came forward and apologised. Then Rama put forward his proposal of making a bridge.

Then all the monkeys and bears started making a bridge. These monkeys were not ordinary; they were all demigods and great devotees. They would stamp the stone with the name of Sri Rama, by the touch of His name, all the stones started floating. What happened to the law of gravitation? The stones were nirjiva (dead matter) and by associating with the holy name, they started floating as if they got life in them.  If we get associated with the name of Rama, we will be liberated as well. Everything outside the dham is bhava sagar. Keep chanting constantly and then when you go back to Mumbai, you will not drown in the ocean of ignorance or else you will drown.

The bridge made by the Lord was 800 miles long and 80 miles broad. Once they reached there, both the armies fought with great valour and it are described in detail in Ramayana. Ravan was killed on the day of Dassehra.

Because Ravana was a Brahman Lord Rama had to atone for Brahman hatya (the sin of killing a Brahman). Before he left for Lanka lord Rama offered flowers and water to Shivlinga and said, I am going to kill your devotee, so please forgive me. When the lord offers respect to His devotees, then his position increases even more.

First they sent hanuman to get a Shivalinga, but it was getting late, so Sita made a linga and by the time Hanuman came back, till then the Puja was done. He became disappointed that I brought Shivalinga from so much distance but the worship is already done.  So he was pacified that the one you brought will be served first and then the one made by Sita will be worshipped. In this temple both the Shivlinga’s are worshipped.

As long as we chant and hear Krishna katha, we are in the present tense. We are not affected by the kaal (Time). Hearing is not the end, it is just the beginning, now remember the katha and assimilate in your heart. And the yatra also does not get over here, it begins now.

Day 6 – May 28

Location – Sri Rangam (Tamilnadu, India)

Lord Shri Rama stayed on this planet for 11,000 years and we find the whole description in Ramayana. Shri Krishna stayed on this planet for 125 years. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu performed Lila for 48 years.

Here Sri Ranganath is performing pastimes daily in the form of deity with the Acharyas. Tirupati, Kanchipuram. Rameshvaram they all have become dham due to the presence of the Lord’s form as archa vigraha.  Tirupati Vaikuntha, Kanchipuram Vaikuntha, Sri Rangam Vaikuntha and Rameshvaram are Ayodhya. Yad gatva na nivartante. – Krishna says in Bhagvad Gita that one who comes to my dham, except you all, he does not want to go back.

There is Vaikuntha dwar (the Vaikuntha door) and whoever enters that on Vaikuntha Ekadashi gets transferred to Vaikuntha. From Vaikuntha you may go to Goloka, but do not go to Devi dham. Become Vaikuntha vasi. Become strong and then go ahead in life. Take the mood of Vaikuntha wherever you go. Do not degrade.

Srila Prabhupada left Vrindavan to preach in the western world, but his mind was always absorbed in remembering Vrindavan and Sri Sri Radha Damodar. Out of all the dham, most dear is Vrindavan. It is very unique. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also did South India yatra and he came here to Ramesvaram, Kanchipuram, Adi Kesava, Trivandrum, Kolhapur, and Pandharpur and moved ahead. Although he was going to these dham, His main objective was to establish naam sankirtana. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Sri Krishna Himself. Sri Krishna chaitanya radha Krishna nahe anya. He is Krishna so where would he stay. Thus His mind would always run towards Vrindavan. He accepted initiation from Ishvara Puri in Gaya. That time He wanted to go to Vrindavan. But could not go. Then he took sannyaas at the age of 24.

We are entangled in Maya – I and mine. In these four syllables there is whole Maya – aham and mama. My house, my wealth, my family, if nothing then – my dog.

But our kartavya (only duty) is Hari Kirtanam. Kartavyam hari kirtanam. What should I be doing – chanting. This is one important lesson of this yatra. Once you go back- do not forget this lesson. What is the use of running around in the yatra if you did not learn kartavyam hari kirtanam? If you have duties towards family etc. then do them also with this kartavyam hari kirtanam. If you cannot do this, then

gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat

daivana tat syn na pati ca sa syan na mocayed yau samupeta-martyum

One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worship able demigod. (SB 5.5.18)

If you have become guru, mata, pitas, then you have to liberate your dependents. You have to remove them from the jaws of death of this lifetime as well as future deaths. This is actual kartvya or duty towards your near and dear ones. If you do not do this then whatever you do, even animals do. Food, clothing shelter is provided by parents in every species.  Only human species can liberate their dependents. Dharmena hina pashubhir samanam without Krishna consciousness human being is equivalent to animal.

So keep these memories of yatra fresh by hearing, remembering, reminding each other of the yatra, tell others, kathyanatas ca maam nityam tushyanti ca ramanti ca.

Saints and acharyas have worshipped the arca vigraha of the dham and they have done many other works of preaching. This is the responsibility of Acharya. They are the representatives of the lord. Thus they advertise about the lord. Here is the lord so they advertise and then they write books, their realisations, they print. So in this dham Ramanujacharya preached almost 1000 years ago. After 5 years in 2017 is Ramanujacharya’s  1000 birth anniversary.  In 1017 Ad Ramanujacharya was born. So 2017 is 1000 th Birthday.

Acharya has vani and vapu. Even if they leave the body, they still remain amongst us in the form of their instructions, their messages. So Ramanujacharya’s body is still here. No other acharya has such darshan in the world. Tukaram does not even have a Samadhi. There are samadhis of so many acharyas. But Ramanujacharya is sitting right here smeared with saffron, sandal paste, camphor, sitting in lotus position. He is a very dear acharya. Very dear to the lord. When he was in Kanchipuiram, he was very dear to Varadaraja.

At that time the Acharya of Sri Rangam was Yamunacharya. He was the spiritual master of Yamunacharya. Of course he had many gurus – Shailapurna, Mahapurna, Goshthipurna many such saints. He took shiksha from Yamunacharya. When Yaminacharya left, there was no acharya in Sri Rangam. So the devotees and the other priests were thinking who will be the acharya after Yamunacharya. Ranganath thought if Varadaraj’s acharya could come here and take up the responsibility, it will be very nice. So this was the thought of devotees as well as the Lord Himself.

So the lord wrote a letter to Varadaraj Swami, please send Ramanujacharya to Sri Rangam. The letter was taken by the devotees. Varadraja read the letter but refused to send Ramanujacharya. He is dearer to us than our life and breath. So Varadaraj replied, sorry we cannot send him. So Ranganath devised a plan to bring Him here. He sent some devotees who are good singers and they performed for Vradaraja Swami by singing beautiful compositions and glorifications and dance. So they performed dance and singing in front of Varadaraj and he became very pleased.  He said ask from me whatever benediction you want,   I will give. The performers asked, are you sure you will fulfil your promise? Vradaraj said yes, why not, sure.

Please send Ramanujacharya to Sri Rangam. Varadaraj had not even thought that they would ask for Ramanujacharya. You can take Sridevi, Bhudevi or my crown, etc. But they did not want anything else. So although he did not want to agree, but to keep up to His name He had to agree.

So those devotees brought Ramanujacharya to Sri Rangam. In the evening it was time for the Lord to take rest. But Sri Ranganath immediately ran towards Ramanujacharya to welcome Him. But the utsav vigraha moves out only when there is palanquin. At night there were no preparations for a procession.  But the Lord insisted and the pujari had to carry him on his shoulders and the lord came out to greet Ramanujacharya. For 20-30 years he remained as the Acharya here.

We also visited the Jagannath Mutt during harinaam sankirtana. Murali Bhatta was telling that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu carved the deity of Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra, which are now present in Jagannath Mutt. Sometimes we feel that there are so many topics that with just one mouth we cannot speak all these topics. Thus there are prayers by devotees, praying for thousands of mouths. Ananta shesha has thousands of mouths and He is glorifying Krishna with all those mouths. Near every mouth of Ananta Shesha there is a crowd to hear the glorification of the Lord. Every mouth is chanting a different topic – Krishna’s name, form, qualities, pastimes, abode,  then Ram Lila, description of Ayodhya, Vaikuntha, Goloka, so on and so forth. Advaitam achyuta anadi annat rupam.

Reading from CC-ML- 9.110

One time Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was discussing Krishna katha with Venkat Bhatt

Being a Vaisnava in the Ramanuja-sampradaya, Venkata Bhatta worshiped the Deities of Lakshmi and Narayana. Seeing his pure devotion, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was very satisfied. Constantly associating with each other, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Venkata Bhatta gradually developed a friendly relationship. Indeed, sometimes they laughed and joked together. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told the Bhattacarya, “Your worship able goddess of fortune, Lakñmé, always remains on the chest of Narayana, and she is certainly the chastest woman in the creation. “However, my Lord is Lord Sré Krishna, a cowherd boy who is engaged in tending cows. Why is it that Lakshmi, being such a chaste wife, wants to associate with My Lord? (CC ML 9.109-112)

Venkat Bhatt might not be aware but Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu knew that there is a forest called Belvan or Srivana in Vrindavan, where Lakshmi Devi is performing austerities to get the association of Krishna. Or wants entry in the rasa dance. She felt, can I also sometime play with the lord like the Gopis do.

“Just to associate with Krishna, Lakshmi abandoned all transcendental happiness in Vaikuntha and for a long time accepted vows and regulative principles and performed unlimited austerities.”(CC ML 9.113)

Still she could not get Krishna. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told him what the wives of Kaliya said.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu then said, “‘O Lord, we do not know how the serpent Kaliya attained such an opportunity to be touched by the dust of your lotus feet. Even the goddess of fortune, for this end, performed austerities for centuries, giving up all other desires and observing austere vows. Indeed, we do not know how the serpent Kaliya got such an opportunity.’”  (CC ML 9.114)

So they felt great happiness that glories to our husband on whom Krishna has stepped. But although Lakshmi is performing austerities in Srivana since so many years, she could not receive this favour. The srutis personified also attained Krishna and they became Gopis. But Lakshmi could not attain. So Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked Venkat Bhatt right here in Sri Rangam, what is the reason for this.

Venkat Bhatt could not give any answer to this so Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told some reasons. She is supposed to accept the dressing of the Gopis. Her opulent dressing will not work in this case. Gopis are not so bothered about their appearance. Once they hear the sound of Krishna’s flute, they just run towards Krishna as soon as possible. But Lakshmi is always dressing up very opulently and if flute vibrates, she will say keep playing, but I am not ready yet. So there is a difference between Gopi bhava and Lakshmi bhava. With Lakshmi bhava Narayan is attained, but to attain Krishna, much higher bhava is needed. So Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was making him understand that she does not accept Gopis bhava, and not just that, she also needs to follow in the footsteps of Gopis. Ei nivedana dhara sakhir anugata kara seva adhikar diye kara nija dasi -make me the follower of Gopis and Radharani  and give me the adhikar to do service.

Lalita vishakha adi jata sakhi vrinda, ajnanya koribo seva charanarvinda—when shall I go to serve Radha and Krsihna.  Whatever instructions they will give me I will do that service. So Lakshmi is finding it difficult to accept this anugatya – following in the foot steps of Gopis. Gopis are very innocent and simple by nature. But Lakshmi is sometimes strict. We know that from many pastimes.

In Chandrapushkarni, Lakshmi goes every day to pick flowers but because they are too high, lord Narayana steps on the branch and she can pick them. With these same flowers Lord Narayan decorates Lakshmi’s hair.

Near that Chandrapushkarni King Dharma Varma also performed austerities. It is here only that when the fish of Chandrapushkarni ate the remnants of Ramanujacharya, they left the fish body and attained their original four handed form and went back to Vaikuntha.

One should pray intensely at all these places. All prayers are fulfilled here. But we do not even know what to pray for. We must see how the pure devotee of the Lord prayed.

Kulashekhar alavar wrote the prayer krsna tvadiya pada pankaja. He was a king and then he gave up everything. His prayers are found in his book called Mukunda mala stotra. Srila Prabhupada wrote his commentary on this.  It is a famous work. Whoever will read this mukunda mala, they will obtain the topmost designation i.e. the dust of the lotus feet of the lord.

When Prahalda Maharaj was told to ask for a benediction, he said I am your servant and not a merchant.  If at all you want to give me something, then please take away all material desires from my heart.