Topic: The Glories of Rathayatra Mahotsava

Date:  30th July 2024

Speaker: HG Vedant Chaitanya Prabhuji

Small Talk by HH Lokanath Swami Gurumaharaj:

It is wrong to think about sense gratification. How will we meditate on the Brahma Jyothi? There is no dham, or Lord on whom we can meditate. This is not a subject of meditation for the Vaishnavas at least. We should meditate on Lord.

Bg. 2.62

dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ
saṅgas teṣūpajāyate
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ
kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate

Translation

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

aishvaryasya samagrasya

viryasya yashasah shriyah

jnana-vairagyayosh chaiva

shannam bhaga itingana

 

Translation

“Full wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation – these are the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Vishnu Purana 6.5.47) By these six opulences one can ascertain what is God.

So we should meditate on Lord who has all the wealth and fame, so Hare Krishna Mahamantra is Lord. This mantra is full of all this six opulences. 

CC Madhya 17.133

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś
caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto
’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

 

Translation

‘The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.’

Our mind wanders after different sense objects:

Bg. 6.26

yato yato niścalati
manaś cañcalam asthiram
tatas tato niyamyaitad
ātmany eva vaśaṁ nayet

Translation

From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.

We must engage our mind in Krishna. Take the help of your brain. Chanting is not a fool’s task. So, you slept also in between. Your brain is nit functioning that means. Brain can tell whether I am sleeping or awake. We can use our brain to decide whether we are awake or sleepy. If sleep in between our japa that means we are fools.

Bg. 7.15

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

Translation

Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me.

Maya steals our focus or knowledge. It makes us fools. So be cautious and take the help of your brain. Meditate on holynames, when you do that, then you can meditate in the form of the Lord and when we do that we will meditate on the qualities of Lord then we can remember the pastimes of Lord, and then we meditate on his associates as well and then finally we mediate on Dham. So we can remember the holynames, qualities, pastimes, associates and Dham of the Lord. So we have a variety as all of them are Krishna himself; his names, qualities, associates who are his relatives and dham- is his expansion. Keep chanting. If you are sleepy, then stand up and chant and then sit again and chant. Wash your face with cold water, do something when you are asleep. Think something to remove sleep. Ask someone to wake you up. Don’t get angry when someone wakes you up. Appreciate someone if they wake you up. This give and take is only called yoga or connection with Lord. Establish your relationship more and more.  We are chanting to deepen our relationship with Lord. Remember Lord while chanting, this is the process. What we should not do? Don’t think about Maya. We have to do only this, we have to think about Krishna and forget Maya while chanting. We must do nothing apart from this. Our life will be successful, and this self-realization is the goal of life. We have to go Back to home, back to Godhead. Do these do things-meditate on Lord and forget Maya. We have to practice this everyday and every second.  Don’t think about sense objects, words, smell, form, ras and touch. We have to stay away from them. Material touches which are their in malls, form, ras and smell he should leave this. We should not engage ourselves in this completely. Think about Lord that is Su-Vichara. Then there is Ku-vichar which is not thinking about Krishna. From Suvichara we will have good morning and night also. On the basis of these good wishes, we will have good morning. So Vedant and Chaitanya together. The essence of Vedas is Chaitanya. His words is his introduction. Now hear him nicely.

HG Vedant Chaitanya Prabhuji:

Dandvat Pranam to Gurumaharaj and all the devotees.

Introduction of  courses from Rupanuga Vidyapeeth Pandharpur.

So we should do these types of organised courses. Although these lectures are available on youtube, but it is important to listen carefully. Generally, we don’t listen properly, but when we listen in these courses which has exams, then only we study properly. Exam fear makes us study. They should read and listen. We just read for the sake of it. So this is a systematic study and then we can understand the subjects properly. We are creating these courses to give a platform for devotees to learn scriptures. This is run by the will of Srila Gurudev. We have created a school-college kind of environment and please float these courses in different groups. 

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

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhutale

srimate bhaktivedanta-swamin iti namine

namas te saraswate deve gaura-vani-pracharine

nirvishesha shunyavadi pashchatya desha tarine

jaya sri-krishna-chaitanya
prabhu nityananda
sri-adwaita gadadhara
shrivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

In bhakti our progress is dependent on our interest in hearing and how much we can chant. This determines our success in bhakti. These things cannot happen separately, it goes hand in hand. So we talk about senior devotees and many people think that we are senior devotees so we don’t need to do these courses. I want to ask them why do they think so? So we should be senior in Namrata, tolerance and knowledge and a person how is senior in this things is actually senior. If someone is demanding seniority then that means that person is not senior at all. So we have to become senior in these things and if you follow these things, then we can consider that person as senior. One should not demand respect but command respect, Guru Maharaj says this. His character, behaviour should reflect that. So these symptoms are automatically shown. We don’t need to ask for it. He excels in naam ruchi, knowledge etc and then if they command respect then that is not right. They give respect rather than receiving it. People will treat you as senior rather than you demanding for it.  These devic gunas can come when we have mercy of senior vaishnavas but we cannot develop these qualities on our own. Devotees say that we can get  angry even when we are in ISKCON for so many years. So, we should continuously do practice to give up these bad qualities. If the guru and Vaishanava  are pleased, then these qualities develop. We can’t bring these qualities on our own. These are the intrinsic quality of the soul. We have taken dirty upon us, just like dirt fade aways the shine of the diamond. We should remove the dirt to show the shine of diamond. So, by hearing, serving, staying at holy place, we can remove the dust layer of maya. Then we become tolerant and we become humble. So all these layers should be removed by service, hearing, worshipping dham vaas and chanting.

Bg. 7.25

nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya
yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho ’yaṁ nābhijānāti
loko mām ajam avyayam

Translation

I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible.

When someone listens to katha of Krishna with great concentration, then these anarthas wash away. We give respect to others, leave our pride etc. So it shows in person whose Avranas are removed. Sravana is very important. In SB

ŚB 1.2.17

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām

Translation

Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.

So listening is important for removing this anartha layers. We should listen very carefully with great attention and we should hear each word carefully. Many times, deer roams in the jungle and he hears very carefully so that he is aware if the lion comes. If they does not hear properly, then the lion can eat them and his life is gone. So, they listen carefully. If we don’t hear carefully then there is no point in listening. So the deer loves his life so dearly but when we don’t hear and listen properly then we are not able to break the shackles of so many lives. So Sukadev Goswami asks Parikshit Maharaj to please hear with great attention. 

A person who is very humble then we understand from Guru. Till the time the disciple is not humble then till that time we cannot make them understand about the confidential knowledge. So Gurumaharaj said that this shloka tells about the patrata of a person. If we don’t have a patrata, then how can we accept the mercy of Guru. This patra is

CC Ādi 17.31

tṛṇād api su-nīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

Translation

“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”

We can understand the patrata of a person by assessing these four qualities. Guru can always give mercy but if we do not have patrata then what is the use?  These four qualities are important to imbibe in us so that we can develop the patrata. A person who is humble only he can take knowledge. 

Once HH Sivarama Swami said, if we don’t develop a heart-to-heart relationship with Gurudev UNTIL that time Guru doesn’t reveal the confidential knowledge. Guru cannot express themselves fully if trust is not built. People who win the trust of people, only they can succeed in devotion. Only those people can understand the knowledge. Trust is next to love. It is not easy to win someone’s trust, it takes years and years of time, when a person serves the Guru, then he gives the knowledge to us.

Sri Guru-vandana

Text 3
cakshu-dan dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei,
divya jnan hride prokasito
prema-bhakti jaha hoite, avidya vinasa jate,
vede gay jahara carito

Translation

He opens my darkened eyes and fills my heart with transcendental knowledge. He is my Lord birth after birth. From him ecstatic prema emanates; by him ignorance is destroyed. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.

Kripa is of two types-Kapta and Nishkapta kripa. Kapta kripa is when he praise you but this Nishkapta Kripa happens when we get scolding from guru. We think our service is good, but if we don’t reach that level actually then Guru knows and then he talks in that way. In Srimad Bhagavatam, What is that life without scolding of Guru. We need to make ourselves qualified to receive that mercy.

So we can take up one question.

Ques 1. So if we feel insulted by seniors then what should we do? So they treat VIPS and they don’t treat us properly. So what should we do? They say that your behaivior is not good and all.

Ans1. In your home, we don’t treat our housemates as VIPS. So similarly when we become residents of the temple, we should leave it there only. This is not a big thing. So when a guest comes in the house, then we treat them differently. Seniors should know we should not hurt anyone’s ego. We feel bad when someone tries to find fault. This is Lord’s mercy that someone is taking out mistakes in us. So we should take it us mercy of Krishna. It is a way of cleansing us. So if you can’t bear that then you can distance yourself from that person.

 

 

Date: 31 July 2024 

Speaker:  HH Lokanath Swami Maharaj

Topic: Appearance of Lord Chaitanya

HH Lokanath Swami Maharaj:

Please chant!

CC Ādi 2.3:

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda
jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Translation:
All glories to Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Śrī Nityānanda! All glories to Advaitacandra, and all glories to the devotees of Lord Gaurāṅga!

You know this verse?
It is in the beginning of every chapter of the Caitanya Charitamrita compiled by Srila Krishna Das Kaviraja Goswami.
Basically he is saying the victory of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityanand Prabhu and Advait Acharya. There are so many devotees whose glories he wants to say. That’s why he said Gaur Bhakt Vrinda. You all are also in the group of devotees of Gaur Chandra. If you become a devotee then you are also glorified in the last line. 

Today is ekadasi which is a benediction itself. Srila Krishna Das Kaviraja Goswami also gives us a benediction in the beginning of Chaitanya Charitamrita. We will discuss about this, who is lord Chaitanya and why did he appear?
CC Ādi 1.4:

anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam
hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ
sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ

Translation:
May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.

 
Srila Krishna Das Kaviraja Goswami is also a Manjari who has appeared as an associate of Lord Chaitanya. So, if anyone knows lord Krishna, it is Radha, Gopis and Manjaris. So, he knows who is Lord Chaitanya. That’s why he is telling us. 

Srimad Bhagavatam is a graduate study and Chaitanya Charitamrita is post graduate. So, I was thinking Vyasa Dev has compiled Srimad Bhagavatam and Chaitanya Charitamrita is considered more deeper a subject. So, Srila Krishna Das Kaviraja is higher than Vyasa Deva. As Vyasa Deva know only Krishna. But Srila Krishna Das Kaviraja Goswami knows Lord Chaitanya. So, he has the authority to share such knowledge. 

anarpita — not bestowed; carīm — having been formerly; cirāt — for a long time;

Lord Krishna appears once in the day of Brahma. He appears at the end of Dvapur yuga and now in the first Sandhya of Kali yuga, hardly 500 years ago, he appeared as Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. 

Krishna is the Avatari. He appeared once in a Kalpa. Lord Chaitanya appeared later to relish and share the pastimes of Lord Krishna.

samarpayitum — to bestow; unnata — elevated; ujjvala-rasām — the conjugal mellow; 

bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.

 BG 4.2:

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa

Translation:

This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.

But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appearing to be lost.

karuṇayā — by causeless mercy; avatīrṇaḥ — descended; kalau — in the Age of Kali;

he gives up his abode and comes out of his causeless mercy, seeing the suffering of the living entity.

Cc. Ādi 1.5: 

rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinīśaktir asmād

ekātmānāv api deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau caitanyākhyaṁ

prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ

rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitaṁ naumi kṛṣṇa-svarūpam

Translation:

The loving affairs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one in Their identity, previously They separated Themselves. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Lord’s abode has two parts:  one is vraja Vrindavan; where Radha Krishna and the gopis reside and doing pastimes.
second is Navadwipa; they are combined as lord Chaitanya.

The identity of Lord Chaitanya can be known as, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya: “Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is a combination of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.” Where lord Chaitanya gave darshan as Radha and Krishna is also known as Vrindavan. 

Sri krishna Chaitanya is the combined form of Radha and Krishna. He has the complexion of molten gold. His charmis as the thundering light.

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari

vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye

Translation:

I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.   

 rādhā — of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; bhāva — mood; dyuti — the luster; suvalitam — who is adorned with; naumi — I offer my obeisances; kṛṣṇa-svarūpam — to Him who is identical with Śrī Kṛṣṇa
 I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself.”

538 years ago, Lord Chaitanya appeared in the mood of Srimati Radha Rani, as he wanted to know the emotions of Radha. There are many mellows. But the vishrambha parts of these mellows are the ones that lord wanted to relish and preach. 

Once, in Dwarika, Rukmini asks Krishna that there are some things that I know and Srimati Radha rani knows even more about you that even you don’t know. Krishna says how is this? I know everything. He said its true what pangs of separation Radha feels she alone knows that. So, lord desired at that moment in Dvarika. I want to know her more. So, after winding up his pastimes and in going back in Vaikunta Krishna thinks, “I don’t know Radha. I want to know her love, her devotion, her experiences. He thought like this in Goloka and he desires to appear again.”

Srila Krsna das Goswami explains the reason for the lord to appear.

The primary reason is:
BG 4.8:

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge

TRANSLATION:
In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.

 

But the main and confidential reason is:

 

CC Ādi 1.6:

śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā kīdṛśo vānayaivā-
svādyo yenādbhuta-madhurimā kīdṛśo vā madīyaḥ
saukhyaṁ cāsyā mad-anubhavataḥ kīdṛśaṁ veti lobhāt
tad-bhāvāḍhyaḥ samajani śacī-garbha-sindhau harīnduḥ

Translation:
Desiring to understand the glory of Rādhārāṇī’s love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appeared from the womb of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī, as the moon appeared from the ocean.

He wants to give the conjugal mellow. He appeared in Mayapur and gives the love of Vrindavan. In this mellow, all other mellows are included. Krishna is thinking that all the awe and reverence that is in the heart of the devotees actually create a barrier. So, he is happy and not happy as well. He wants the devotees to love him like a friend, I will be happier.

CC Adi, 4.25:

sakhā śuddha-sakhye kare, skandhe ārohaṇa
tumi kon baḍa loka, — tumi āmi sama

Translation:

“My friends climb on My shoulders in pure friendship, saying, ‘What kind of big man are You? You and I are equal.’

CC Ādi 4.21-22:

mora putra, mora sakhā, mora prāṇa-pati
ei-bhāve yei more kare śuddha-bhakti
āpanāke baḍa māne, āmāre sama-hīna
sei bhāve ha-i āmi tāhāra adhīna

Translation:
“If one cherishes pure loving devotion to Me, thinking of Me as his son, his friend or his beloved, regarding himself as great and considering Me his equal or inferior, I become subordinate to him.

 The older ones of Vrindavan loves Krishna as their son. Krishna feels so happy with their love. Like when Yashoda runs after Krishna and ties him up. he enjoys it more. This is the topmost mellows.
He appears in kali yuga to relish and distribute these mellows.
 samarpayitum — to bestow; unnata — elevated; ujjvala-rasām — the conjugal mellow; sva-bhakti — of His own service; śriyam — the treasure;
 

He appeared to give his service and his bhakti.

Srila Krsna das Kaviraj Goswami is giving us, Gaura devotees, a benediction, his well wishes, his blessings in the Mangalacharan.
May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart.
May He encourage you, enthuse you and give this foremost mellow. What all should he give. He has given his opinion.

Chaitanya Manjusha:

ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa tanayas tad dhāma śrī vrṇdāvanam
ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū vargeṇa vā kalpitā
śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇaṁ
śrī-caitanya mahāprabhor matam idaṁ tatrādarāḥ na paraḥ

Translation:
The Personality of Godhead Śrī Krishna, Who is known as the son of the King of Vrajadhāma i.e. Śrī Nanda Mahārajā, is the ultimate worshipful Lord of all Lords. Similarly His residential abode namely the holy place of Vṛndāvana is as much worshipful as the Lord is Himself. The ways of His worship maybe various but the one which was conceived by the circle of the damsels of Vrajadhāma is unsurpassable by any other devotee. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Purāṇam is the unalloyed guidance for this purpose of approaching the worshipful Lord and that is the sum total opinion or cultural philosophy of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

He is asking us to read Srimad Bhagavatam and relish it. He showed by his own example. God became devotee to devotee.

CC Ādi 7.6:

pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ
bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam
bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ
namāmi bhakta-śaktikam

Translation:
Let me offer my obeisances unto Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who has manifested Himself in five as a devotee, expansion of a devotee, incarnation of a devotee, pure devotee and devotional energy.

As a devotee he loves Vrindavan and he goes there.  He stayed in Jagannath Puri for 12 years in the mood of Radha Rani, always hearing from Raya Ramanada, Swarup, recitation of Chandidas, Krishna Krnamrita. By giving up dharam, Artha, kama, and moksha and accept the fifth purusharth- love. A devotee literally should spit on these four purusharthas. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu advised us to give up these and accept the love of Lord.

CC Madhya 19.53:

namo mahā-vadānyāya
kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

 

Translation:
“O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

He is the most merciful. He is more merciful than Krishna.

He spread the love of Krishna by chanting and kirtan Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Krishna himself becomes Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. I bestow in the lotus feet of him. 

So, May He bestow upon you the top most mellows, residence in his holy abode, achieve love of God head. May that be our topmost goal and may we become his devotee.

Srila Bhakti Siddhant Sarasvati Thakur inspire Prabhupada to spread the Krishna Consciousness in the whole world. Lord Chaitanya himself inspired in the form of Srila Bhakti Siddhant Sarasvati Thakur.

Its our duty to propagate this further in our society. 

Cc. Madhya 7.128:

amara ajnaya guru haya tare ei deśa

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa

Translation:

Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.

 This instruction is given by not only to the brahmin, but also for all of us.

Srila Prabhupada has done so much for us. Now it is our duty to give this benediction to everyone.

Cc. Ādi 9.41:

bharata bhumite manusya janma haila jara

janma sārthaka kari’ kara paropakāra

Translation:

One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.

 

Hare Krishna!

 

03 August 2024

How to live and leave

Speaker: HG Harikirtan prabhu

HG Padmamali prabhu: After around one month of Guru Maharaj’s Vyaspuja, HG Hari Kirtan Prabhu is with us. We remember he had delivered two continuous sessions on Vanaprastha Ashram prior to Guru Maharaj’s Vyaspuja. Prabhu ji has left his renowned position as Civil Engineer and now he is working on Guru Maharaj’s different projects like ISKCON Nagpur and Bhuvaikuntha in Sri Pandharpur Dham. He is serving in Guru Maharaj’s temple projects as a full time devotee. He is the co-president of Iskcon Nagpur. 

HG Harikirtan prabhu: When HG Padmamali prabhu was speaking about myself, I remembered HH Guru Prasad Swami Maharaj, who visited Sri Dham Pandharpur recently. When we shared his details, Maharaj commented, please pray that I could get freed from all these designations. Very Similar feeling I had when Padmamali Prabhu gave my introduction.

Today’s topic is also in line with the previously discussed topics – How to live and leave nicely. This life is a journey towards death. 

āścarya-vat paśyati kaścid enam

āścarya-vad vadati tathaiva cānyaḥ

āścarya-vac cainam anyaḥ śṛṇoti

śrutvāpy enaṁ veda na caiva kaścit (Bg. 2.29)

Translation: Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.

Death is the final examination. Death as a topic has always attracted me. Death is certain. Srila Prabhupada used to say “As sure as death”. We may make plans, plans of outing, strategies for growth and profit, that may happen or may not happen. It is not certain, however well planned. We may hear, someone left the world unexpectedly.

But there are no un-expectations about death. Yudhisthira Maharaj was asked what is the most strange in this world? He replied, everybody knows that they need to die one day still they lead their life in such a way, as if they are never going to die.

ahany ahani bhūtāni

gacchantīha yamālayam

śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti

kim āścaryam ataḥ paraṁ (Mahabharata, Vana-parva 313.116)

Translation: Hundreds and thousands of living entities meet death at every moment, but a foolish living being nonetheless thinks himself deathless and does not prepare for death. This is the most wonderful thing in this world.

During the Autumn season, the tree shades away all it’s leaves as if it’s completely dead, it shows no symptoms of life. And then as soon as there is a spring season it blooms once again. We have seen in childhood, how a caterpillar who wants to become a butterfly. It enters it’s pupa and it struggles.

Then it comes out as a beautiful butterfly. It’s a transition phase. We have taken so many births and each life was a failure. We failed the final exam of death in every previous birth. This is proven by our birth itself. Our last memories are bringing us back into this world.

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ

tyajaty ante kalevaram

taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya

sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6)

Translation: Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail.

anta-kāle ca mām eva

smaran muktvā kalevaram

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ

yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ (BG 8.5)

Translation: And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

Both verses have smaran in them. Our goal should be to engage our mind in Krsna, to bring it in the shelter of devotees. Any other accomplishment that we have attained, will be snatched from us at the time of death. 

yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet (Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu – 1.2.4)

Translation: Somehow or other just engage your mind in loving Shri Radha Krsna every moment. This is the only goal of sadhna!

This morning I was discussing with Guru Maharaj, how I had a dream this morning. In that dream I was struggling to get a cab, as I had a meeting scheduled with Guru Maharaj and he was waiting for me. Later on when I woke up I realized that I was lying on my bed at a Guest house in Pilibhit. When I got up I realized that with this all stress, what I had was illusion. 

The life is like a stage. We all are just playing our part. In the end the curtain falls and all the characters are back to original positions. This is a golden opportunity for all of us. Guru Maharaj is so merciful. Daily in the morning, he tells us Jiv Jago.

jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole

kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole (Jiv Jago Jiv Jago 1)

Tranlation: Lord Gauranga is calling, “Wake up, sleeping souls! Wake up, sleeping souls! How long will you sleep in the lap of the witch called Maya?

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is calling us. But we are replying No, I like to sleep and I want to continue sleeping. We are entrapped in the desires of this material world. How do you prioritize? Do you give highest priority to Krsna? When your garment is worn out, you will have to change it. This body is like a car. We may get it repaired to some extent, but at one point one has to stop using it and replace it with a new one.

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo

mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca

vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo

vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham (Bg. 15.15)

Translation: I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.

Krsna is the controller. Stronger the relationship, more is the chance that Krsna will listen to our prayers. HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj as well as Chanakya Pandit has said, always remember two things: How uncertain is Death and the Holy name. One thing we should always forget, that is the misconduct done to ourselves by other Devotees.

Once a devotee was admitted to the hospital and she was going to be given anesthesia. She tried hard to remember the Lord, but in the end that didn’t become possible. Whereas there was another devotee who was a good devotee and was having a regular chanting habit. She had a brain stroke and she had an operation.

She forgot everything but could recall Hare Krsna Mahamantra even after her operation. And as the time passes, she could recall everything. So this depends upon our personal relationship with Krsna. That is the original goal of life. 

The mind remembers everything from our past life. Bhagavad Gita is a true manual for us to understand everything. Raghavdas Brahmachari was travelling in a car and while driving the driver went to sleep and the car got smashed. Raghavdas Brahmachari died and Srila Prabhupada said that whatever devotion he performed in his life will be carried to his next life in more advanced way. In his next life, he became a mataji. That mataji remembered everything that she was a Brahmachari in her previous life. 

Raghavdas Brahmachari was attached to a girl. When that mataji remembered her previous life, she went to that girl to meet her and she saw that she was having the same features as that of that girl. Because Raghavdas Brahmachari was thinking of that girl and because of that consciousness, he got those features in his next life. 

In 1973, Raghavdas Brahmachari died and that mataji was born in 1975. This episode of Raghavdas Brahmachari is available on google. So our mind remembers everything and our consciousness is carried to our next life. The devotees made his astrological chart when he died. When Dhruv Maharaj was going to Bhagavad dham, he saw death personified.

Ugram Viram Maha Vishnum Jvalantam Sarvato Mukham

Nirisimham Bhishanam Bhadram Mrutyur Mrutyum Namamy Aham (Narsimha Mantra)

Translation: May my head be protected by the moon colored one, who is the greatest among humans. My obeisances unto the ferocious and powerful, the great Visnu, the fiery one, who’s faces are on all sides, the fearful one, Nrsimha, who causes the death of even death personified, (or who can overcome death).

These attachments will not let us enter Bhagavad dham.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-

sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170)

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

If we have intense attachments for material things, then we will not reach our goal. Dissolve your subtle body and surrender to the Lord. After listening, be determined about your intense sadhu sanga and Bhajan. Death can come any day. Ask yourself, what should I do to get attached to Kṛṣṇa. I will remember the Lord’s form, activities and pastimes. If the mind gets attached then there will be punarapi jananam (Repeated Birth and Death). Also don’t get attached to the service and only obey the instructions of your spiritual master.

Hare Krsna.

 

04 August 2024

Glories of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Speaker: HH Lokanath Swami Maharaj

Hare Krsna. Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur is singing this Gaura Aarti. I remember how we used to fight to sing the Gaura Aarti in the Sri Sri Radha Rasbihari Mandir. A loving fight, of the good old days. This Aarti praises Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Both Bhoga Aarti and Gaura Aarti are composed by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur. As soon as the temple doors opened, many devotees would start singing together. Then some would continue singing and some humble devotees would stop singing out of shyness. I used to be in the queue of those who kept singing.

(kiba) jaya jaya goracander aratiko sobha

jahnavi-tata-vane jaga-mana-lobha

jaga-jana-mana-lobha

(First Refrain)

gauranger arotik sobha

jaga-jana-mana-lobha (Gaur Aarti 1)

 

dakhine nitaicand, bame gadadhara

nikate adwaita, srinivasa chatra-dhara (Gaur Aarti 2)

Translation: (1) All glories, all glories to the beautiful arati ceremony of Lord Caitanya. This Gaura-arati is taking place in

a grove on the banks of the Jahnavi [Ganges] and is attracting the minds of all living entities in the universe.

(2) On Lord Caitanya’s right side is Lord Nityananda, and on His left is Sri Gadadhara. Nearby stands Sri

Advaita, and Srivasa Thakura is holding an umbrella over Lord Caitanya’s head.

 

He is describing the scene so beautifully. Here are some names of Gods and Goddesses. But we have thirty crore Gods and Goddesses and all of them have come now for Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. But they had come for Krsna also and for Lord Narasimha also.

 

bosiyache goracand ratna-simhasane

arati koren brahma-adi deva-gane (Gaur Aarti 3)

Translation: Lord Caitanya has sat down on a jeweled throne, and the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, perform the

arati ceremony.

 

suta uvaca

yam brahma varunendra-rudra-marutah stunvanti divyaih stavair

 vedaih sanga-pada-kramopanisadair gayanti yam sama-gah

dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yogino

 yasyantam na viduh surasura-gana devaya tasmai namah (SB 12.13.1)

Translation: Suta Gosvami said: Unto that personality whom Brahma, Varuna, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts praise by chanting transcendental hymns and reciting the Vedas with all their corollaries, pada-kramas and Upanisads, to whom the chanters of the Sama Veda always sing, whom the perfected yogis see within their minds after fixing themselves in trance and absorbing themselves within Him, and whose limit can never be found by any demigod or demon — unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead I offer my humble obeisances.

 

narahari-adi kori’ camara dhulaya

sanjaya-mukunda-basu-ghosh-adi gaya (Gaur Aarti 4)

Translation: Narahari Sarakara and other associates of Lord Caitanya fan Him with camaras, and devotees headed by Sanjaya Pandita, Mukunda Datta, and Vasu Ghosha sing sweet kirtana.

 

Vasu Ghosh is famous for his singing. Vasudev Ghosh used to sing very beautifully, and it is described that he is singing the Aarti. 

jaya jaya jagannātha sacīra nandan

tribhūvana kore jār caraṇa vandan (Jaya Jaya Jagannath 1)

Translation: All glories, all glories to the dear son of Jagannatha Misra and Saci Devi! All the three worlds offer prayers unto His lotus feet.

 

vāsudeva ghoṣa bole kori joḍa hāt

jei gaura sei kṛṣṇa sei jagannāth (Jaya Jaya Jagannath 5)

Translation: Vasudeva Ghosa says with folded hands, “He who is Gaura is He who is Krishna is He who is Jagannatha.”

 

We sing many songs written by Vasudev Ghosh. There is also a ulādhvanī.

sankha baje ghanta baje baje karatala

madhura mridanga baje parama rasala

(Second Refrain)

sankha baje ghanta baje

madhur madhur madhur baje (Gaur Aarti 5)

Translation: Conchshells, bells, and karatalas resound, and the mridangas play very sweetly. This kirtana music is supremely sweet and relishable to hear.

 

Blowing the conch is a symbol of pride. So here the glory of the Lord is shown. That is why the priest blows the conch at the beginning of every Aarti.

 

bahu-koti candra jini’ vadana ujjvala

gala-dese bana-mala kore jhalamala (Gaur Aarti 6)

Translation: The brilliance of Lord Caitanya’s face conquers millions upon millions of moons, and the garland of forest flowers around His neck shines.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is fair and beautiful, his body parts are beautiful. The English sentence “Millions of moons” comes from here. The radiance of millions of moons is emanating from the lotus face of Lord Chaitanya. This radiance is beyond the imagination of the worshipers of Brahma Jyoti. The radiance of Lord Chaitanya’s face conquers millions of moons, and a garland of forest flowers shines around his neck.

siva-suka-narada preme gada-gada

bhakativinoda dekhe gorara sampada (Gaur Aarti 7)

Translation: Lord Siva, Sukadeva Gosvami, and Narada Muni are all there, and their voices are choked with the ecstasy of transcendental love. Thus Thakura Bhaktivinoda envisions the glory of Lord Sri Caitanya.

Brahma, Narada Muni and Srila Sukhadeva Goswami have also come here to pay their respects. The center of this Hare Krsna movement is Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This is my opinion. Just some time ago, Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu appeared in form and Srila Prabhupada propagated his movement. We have two Bhagavatas – Srimad Bhagavata and Chaitanya Bhagavata. Srila Vyasadeva again appeared and preached Chaitanya Bhagavata.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself has established this Sankirtana movement. His open lotus-like eyes are now showering compassion. People of this world also want to look like him and he is not alone. There are two Bhagavans – Gauranga and Nityananda.

 

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti

bhagavān iti śabdyate (ŚB 1.2.11)

Translation: Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.

Gauranga Nityananda Bol Hari Bol! We can say this only twice. Once I did kirtan in Delhi temple and chanted Hari Bol! many times, others were also doing it. It was Radhastami day. Then when Srila Prabhupada met me in Mayapur, he forbade us from doing this.

ajanu-lambita-bhujau kanakavadhatau

sankirtanaika-pitarau kamalayataksau

visvambharau dvija-varau yuga-dharma palau

vande jagat-priyakaro karunavatarau (Caitanya-bhagavata 1.1.1)

Translation: I offer my respects unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu, whose arms extend down to Their knees, who have golden yellow complexions, and who inaugurated the congregational chanting of the Holy Names. Their eyes resemble the petals of a lotus; They are the maintainers of all living entities; They are the best of brahmanas, the protectors of religious principles for this age, the benefactors of the universe, and the most merciful of all incarnations. 

Krsna Balaram and Ram Lakshman, these two always appear together. Like that time also Krsna has become Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Balaram has become Nityananda.

Vrajendra-nandana jei, saci-suta hoilo sei,

balarama hoilo nitai

dina-hina jata chilo, hari-name uddharilo,

tara sakshi jagai madhai (Hari Hari Bifale 3)

Translation: Lord Krishna, who is the son of the King of Vraja, became the son of Saci (Lord Caitanya), and Balarama became Nitai. The holy name delivered all those souls who were lowly and wretched. The two sinners Jagai and Madhai are evidence of this.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is born in the house of Jagannath Mishra. And Nityananda is born as the son of Hadi Pandit. Life is very boring. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gives life. Chaitanya means conscious – The one who gives life. He is the protector of the religious principles of this age, the benefactor of the universe, and the most compassionate of all incarnations.

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām

dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge (BG 4.8)

Translation: To protect the righteous, to annihilate the wicked, and to reestablish the principles of dharma I appear on this earth, age after age.

King Nimi asked in what form will God appear in the next age. And how will He be worshiped? In reply Karbhajan Muni said, this is given in the 11th chapter of Shrimad Bhagavat and is very famous.

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (ŚB 11.5.32)

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

We are all foreigners here. We have to go back to our real home which is Bhagavad Dham. This question has been answered in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the language of the Gods. The Lord also uses this language and sings in this language. This is how the Lord will be worshiped in Kaliyug. In Kaliyug, people are very degraded. 

But if there is Kaliyug, then Satyug will also come. Some time ago Darwin also came. He said that we all have originated from amoeba or humans have evolved from monkeys. This is about 1000 years ago. And forget about Mahabharata. It comes in the 10th chapter of Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna says to the Lord, whatever you are saying is absolutely true. A cycle of four yuga’s is one day of Brahma. Seven cycles of such four yuga’s are his one week. And a thousand such cycles means one breath of Mahavishnu. So is God not great!! 

We shall stop now. Hare Krsna.

Topic: Importance of Chaturmaas

Date:  06th August 2024

Speaker: HG Anant Sesha Prabhuji

Hare Krishna.

My humble obeisances in the divine lotus feet of Guru Maharaj and all the devotees.

oḿ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaḿ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhutale

srimate bhaktivedanta-swamin iti namine

 

namas te saraswate deve gaura-vani-pracharine

nirvishesha shunyavadi pashchatya desha tarine

 

vancha-kalpatarubhyash cha
kripa-sindhubhya eva cha
patitanam pavanebhyo
vaishnavebhyo namo namaha

 

jaya sri-krishna-chaitanya
prabhu nityananda
sri-adwaita gadadhara
shrivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Today we will hear about chaturmaas. It starts from Dev Shyani Ekadashi every year which means, Maha Vishnu enters sleep for four months. In Madhurashtakam it is said:

Geetham Madhuram, Peetham Madhuram,

Bhuktham Madhuram,Suptham Madhuram,

Roopam Madhuram, Thilakam Madhuram

Madhurathipather akhilam Madhuram (Text 4)

 

Translation

Sweet is thine song, Krishna, So is what you drink, Sweet is what you eat, Krishna, So is your sleep, Sweet are thine looks , Krishna, So is thine Thilaka, Hey king of all sweetness in this world, Everything about Thee is sweet.

All the actions of Lord are sweet. In this world, our sleep is different from the sleep of Lord. Our sleep is Tamoguni. Our senses become action-less, we forget everything in our sleep

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When Lord sleeps, the world does not stop, his sleep is also divine. When we sleep, we snore but when he inhales millions of planet are produced and when he exhales many Vedas are produced. Sravana, Ashwin, Bhadrapada, and Kartik are the names of these four Chaturmaas. HG Srutakirti Prabhuji said that Srila Prabhupada says that my disciples cannot even chant 16 rounds properly and follow the four regulative principles, then what is the use of other rules and regulations. Do the simple things that I ask you to do. He said just chant 16 rounds and follow the four regulative principles. We have different vratas in Kartik maas, Purushottam maas, Chaturmaas, Bhishma Panchak so we should follow the bare minimum in these periods. But some devotees say that we should follow what Srila Prabhupada has said strictly. But we should also note the context in which Srila Prabhupada has said anything and to whom he has spoken to. So Srila Prabhupada didn’t encourage other fasts that much. Some devotee also said that  Srila Prabhupada has not said to sing Damodar ashtakam in Damodar mass. So we have to understand the context in which he said. Rupa Goswami has mentioned about Chaturmaas in his book The Nectar of Devotion. Sri Krsna, when he appeared as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, also used to follow Chaturmaas with his associates in Nilachala Dham. Sanatana Goswami also emphasised the need to follow Chaturmaas. 

In Chaitanya Charitamrita, Srila Krishnaraj Kaviraj Goswami writes:

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Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went to South India from Puri, then Vrindavan and for the last eighteen years he stayed in Puri. Since he stayed there, so all the associates also stayed there.

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Every year all Bengal devotees Advaita acharya, Nityanand Prabhu etc used to live with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Chaturmaas in Puri.

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He used to always dance, do sankirtan and he used to give prem bhakti to all. Gadadhar Pandit, Vakreshwar Pandit, Shankar Haridas had their permanent residence in Puri. 

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Ramananad Raya so they lived with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu for eighteen years.

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Advaita acharya, Nityanand, Mukund, Srinivasa Thakur all of them used to live with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu for four months. They used to come from Nawadwip, Kulin dham and many other holy places.

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Four months they stayed with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and saw Rathyatra from beginning, they came one month before Purnima, Gundicha Marjan and stayed until the end of Chaturmaasa. 

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In the first month, Janamastami and Nanda utsav are celebrated- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to come  in Gopa Vesha. 

 

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They filled big pots of milk and butter and celebrated Janamastami. It is like Janamastami in Nilachal Dham. Just imagine you got the opportunity to celebrate Janamastami with Lord! 

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Jagannath Mahiti who is male but  became Yasoda and another devotee Kutiya became Nand Maharaj. So all the associates perform a Drama for Janamashtami.

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Pratap rudra, Kashi Mishra, Sarvabhauma Bhattachrya, everyone came and saw Krsna’s appearance.

Everyone started dancing.

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All is mixed: milk, ghee, haldi and then it is thrown on each other. They are pools of milk and curd in which everyone is playing. So we don’t celebrate Janmashtami like this. Advaita Acharya said that you all are not Gopas as you all do not have a lathi and you all  do not know how to use it as well. So Advaita Acharya says that if you are a Gopa you should know how to play with it. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took it as a challenge and  played with it and rotated it like a chakra. He used to throw it up sometimes and sometimes between his legs, shoulders etc.

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Everyone was astonished to see Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So he was moving the chakra like a ball of fire and he proved that he is gopa. Nityanand Prabhu also did the same. They acted as like Krishna Balram only. Pratap Rudra brought Jagannath’s vastra and all make turbans out of it and this is how they celebrated.

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So in the similar way, all the festivals which come up in Chaturmaas like Janamastami, Vaman Dwadashi, Kartik Maas, Vijaya Dashmi are celebrated by them.

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Now they have taken the form of  monkeys and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became Hanuman himself.

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He breaks a branch of tree and he breaks into a palace.

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“Where is that, Ravana” in anger? I will kill him said Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

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In sharad purnima, Diwali, Damodar Maas, Uthana Ekadashi, he performs lila in this way. So then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asks everyone to go to their respective places after the Chaturmaas. In Festival of Devotion three day leave was difficult to take for devotees but the associates of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took four months leave Puri dham. 

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In Gundicha Marjan they meet again next year. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu  meets every devotee personally like Sri Advaita Acharya, Nityanand Prabhu and all. Following the footsteps of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami also performed these pastimes. Initially I didn’t wanted to share this pastime, but what to do? I cannot stop myself from narrating this pastime. Srila Santana Goswami in his book Hari Bhakti vilas mentions about lakhs of limbs of bhakti and Rupa Goswami in Nectar of Devotion says that he has mentioned only sixty-four limbs of bhakti. Srila Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati, Bhaktivinod Thakur used to strictly follow this. Sri Chaitanya Maharaprabhu, reached South India in Ranganath and when he came to know that Chaturmaas has began so he stayed in Venkata Bhatta’s home. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Bhativinod Thakur, Srila Prabhupada also used to follow this Chaturmaas till he was in India. So we should do our basic devotional activities and after that we should follow this Chaturmaas. This is not final but we should do it regularly. So how can we know that a person is progressing from Tamoguna to Rajoguna and then Rajoguna to Satoguna? So that person will have vyakulta to attain Krishna and how can they please devotees, how will I progress in Krishna Consciousness. So a devotee thinks what else can I do for Krishna? What else can I do? So he takes vow in his life. We should practice as per our calibre, we should do as much as we can do in the direction of Guru and devotees. Santana Goswami says: 

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In Hari Bhakti Vilas,

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We should pay our obeisances to Lord who is sleeping. His bed is filled with jewels.

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Hey Jagannath, all world sleeps when, you sleep when you wake up, everyone wakes up. Please be happy with us.

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We should pray to Krishna to increase our bhakti. Four months should be followed properly. Santa Kumar says:

Shloka

Dev shayani Ekadashi or Aashad Purnima comes first then Guru Poornima and then we follow it till Kartik Purnima.

Shloka

Why should we do Chatur maas?

If we don’t follow Chatur Maas then that person should be considered as dead. Sanatana Goswami tells that in Shravan we should not eat green vegetables, in Bhadrapad maas we should not eat curd, Ashwin maas we should not have curd and urad dal in last month should be avoided.

Shloka

Those who does not follow Chatur Maas goes to hell. Those who over-eat, they go to hell.

Shloka

Rules are there, homah, chanting, Srimad Bhagavatam should be read, we should do this with extra sankalapa. We should to stuti of Lord. We should sing glories of Lord during Jhulan Yatra. Many stutis, ashtakams are there- Bhisma stuti which can be recited. 

Visnu 

Shloka

Those who do it with Bhakti bhaav they achieve the highest destination. Even if we think in our mind, then also it is beneficial. It is not like doing offence based on the holyname. Sins of hundreds of years of life are destroyed by taking sankalpa of Chatur maas. 

Shloka

We should sleep on the floor in Chaturmaas, so he attains the destination of Vaishnavas. 

Shloka

Lord tells Yudhistra about Chatur maas and the fruits which on can get after following it. We should leave salt if we want to have good voice. We should leave oiling; you don’t need face washes and all. Do not have flower and bhoga related things and all the rasas should be given up. If one follows yoga in Chatur Maas then he attains a higher destination in the heavenly planets. If one leaves all the rasas then he can never be bad looking and he attains a beautiful form and never smells bad. 

Sri Sri Gurv-ashtaka Eight Prayers to the Guru (Text 4)

catur-vidha-sri-bhagavat-prasada
svadv-anna-triptan hari-bhakta-sanghan
kritvaiva triptim bhajatah sadaiva
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

Translation
The spiritual master is always offering Krishna four kinds of delicious food [analyzed as that which is licked, chewed, drunk, and sucked]. When the spiritual master sees that the devotees are satisfied by eating bhagavat-prasada, he is satisfied. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.

Legs also glow. Milk and curd if we leave we will attain Goloka. Cooked meals if we skip then we attain a son. If we sleep on the floor we attain bhakti.

If we do not speak, we attain a day in Brahma loka. Srila Bhaktisiddhant Saraswati Thakur used to have rice through his mouth kept on floor without using his hands. We can touch the lotus feet of Lord Vithal in Pandharpur. Those who broom the mandir of Lord and he attains Rajpaath. If someone does Parikrama of the temple three times, then he is carried by hamsa to Vaikuntha after his death. If someone plays kartal in temple, he will reach Gandharva loka. If someone tells about Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad gita and one who makes flower garlands for the Lord he attains the abode of Lord who is like Vyasadev. Chaturmaas- naam japa sankalapa is important. Guru’s permission is important. Four months we should wake up early. We should donate in this month. We should follow all Ekadashis- nirjala. Tulsi seva is important. We should pray to Tulsi. We should pray obesiances to Tulsi to receive the mercy of Lord. Swadhaya, sadhana and  seva sankalpa and we should do some service of the Lord, Srila Prabhupada by serving his mission. We should do this for atleast four months. We should go in Kartik maas to temple. If someone goes to temple daily at 4am and do some seva so it is equivalent to doing service in dham. So if you do this for long periods it will become your lifestyle just twenty one days challenge.

Shloka

People will follow Navratri and they do bhoga. Our bhakti should be multipled after every Chaturmaas. 

So I will stop here as time is up. I will cover this up next time.

 

  

 

Date:  7 August 2024 

Speaker:  HG Amogh Lila Prabhu ji

Topic: How to balance health, sadhana and service

HG Amogh Lila Prabhu Ji

Hare Krishna!

 Maharaj is the best example for today topic. Maharaj is extraordinary in his sadhana. Always good in service, always absorbed in chanting, walking more than 300000 miles while building temples in Noida and in other places by doing padayatra. 

How can we balance our health and sadhana and then seva? 

Health is very important. As if we are healthy then we can do good sadhana and good service. Srila Prabhupada said, “one materialistic thing we can ask from lord, that is good health. Srila Prabhupada was very health conscious. He would sleep only 2 hours, have morning walks and 2 hours massage with mustard oil in the noon. Two hours of sleep, may not be sufficient, but Srila Prabhupada has to do the translation, so he started the morning walk for two hours. Srila Prabhupada once showed a devotee how to do push ups as the devotee was a little weak. Srila Prabhupada showed him practically and told him this will make your core stronger.

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati would make his healthy disciple to do fast so they can be lean and thin. Grihasthas look good when they are healthy. But Brahmachari should be lean and fit. If someone has any hormonal disbalance, then it is an exceptional case. You can see Maharaj’s picture in his younger days, he was very fit and lean like the six Goswamis. Srila Prabhupada was very conscious about the health of devotees.

We have 5 elements in our body: earth, water, air, fire, and ether. We should eat all elements.

We have earth so for this we should eat our food, like chickpeas, chapati, rice etc. We have water then we should have some liquids. We should take at least 3-4 litters. We should eat like the water and food should be chewed so much so that it become liquid. Then we will have not had constipation which creates gas and that makes us sleepy. So, they sleep while chanting and in class. 

We have fire in us that is through the sunlight. We should do early morning chanting with thin clothes or less clothes, so we get good sunlight. Fruits also have fire element in it. 

The air element can come through Pranayama. Our six Goswamis would do pranayama before chanting Gaytri. 

Ether is obtained by fasting. We usually eat so much before fasting, then on fasting they eat all fasting foods and then next day they eat again. This is not good. Today they do intermittent fasting. They don’t eat after 6 pm till 9 am next morning. If we follow this, we may get rid of many diseases. We can take some water in between. We keep snaking every day, you never see fungus on biscuits as even fungus know that there is no nutrition in these. This is a dead food. We can take Jwara Chapati for fibre. We should take more vegetables as compared to grains. 

We should take all elements. As we age, we should lessen our earth intake. So, eat less and nutritious food. Early morning, we should take alkaline food, like coconut water or coconut milk. We should drink milk, when we have exercised. Milk with ghee helps in building bones. But if you sit all the time then milk won’t digest and cause harm. 

We should also care about sadhana. Once a devotee asked to give him the toughest service. Srila Prabhupada said to him that to attend the entire temple program from morning to evening. He was thinking that may be Prabhupada would send him to Africa, Australia or Pakistan for preaching as a toughest service. But to attend the entire temple program is most energizing and most difficult task. Once Kripalu Maharaj came to Mayapur, someone asked him how are the Iskcon people so successful even after Srila Prabhupada has left. He said the first thing is they do Guru Vandana everyday and second thing is they chant and hear Bhagavatam every day. That’s why Iskcon is successful.

Once Srila Prabhupada asked a devotee that why he is not coming for Mangala Aarti? Devotee replied he can’t as he is in Maya. Srila Prabhupada said, “Ok! So, bring Maya with you to attend Mangala Aarti. But you must come.” 

Once Srila Prabhupada was asked when we are allowed to not to come for Mangala Aarti. Srila Prabhupada said, “ When you are dead.”

So, the sadhana of the devotee what makes Iskcon great. Srila Prabhupada said we should always come to mangal arati only they are excused who are dead. The challenge is not getting up early but going to bed on time. Look at our politicians, like Narendra Modi, who sleeps only 3 hours. Even actors are now days getting up early. 

Srila Prabhupada said you should sleep less and eat less, but you should chant 16 rounds every day. If you are not chanting then you are in the spiritually diseased condition. 

Another thing is reading books now. We are always on phone, not discussing and reading. Few years ago, there was pleasant scene, everyone was reading. Devotees used to sit in groups here and there in the temple to read the books. Recently we move our fingers horizontally to flip the pages of the books. Now we are using our finger vertically on the mobiles. That is why we are not getting Krishna Prema. 

Because of not reading, we can’t preach. We just tell people to come to temple what else we can say. Because we never read or hear. Reading and chanting is sadhana. 

We should take care of our sadhana, then comes seva which helps us digest all our sadhana. Srila Prabhupada has defined bhakti as devotional service. One lady would bring water every day from Yamuna to Radha Damodar for abhishek. Srila Prabhupada said just by this one service daily, she can go back to godhead. Spioritual master will be pleased by serving Krishna. 

Once Srila Prabhupada came at an airport, he was nicely welcomed but he asked for Jayananda Prabhu, who was cleaning the car for Srila Prabhupada. He said Jayananda knows my heart. 

So, we should do service every time. We go to the temple there is always service one who want to serve will find service.

Once Shrutakirti Prabhu ji saw that everyone is crying on seeing Prabhupada. How much the devotees loved Prabhupada. But I don’t have that Love for my Spiritual Master. So, he confessed Srila Prabhupada that I don’t have such tears. I am serving you from more than two years, but why don’t I have that feeling for you?

Prabhupada replied, “They have tears in their eyes because they have seen me after a long time. But the privilege of that tear is to get some service to do. That is more important.”

The knowledge digest by render service. So, we must render some service.  

We can’t do 64 rounds daily. So, Srila Prabhupada had set the parameters of 16 rounds and some service. 

A grihastha should come to the temple at least on weekends and do some service. A devotee who wants to do service always find a way to do service. Like one devotee came and asked is there any service? All service was allotted. So, he went in the Tulasi garden and tended to them, watering them. He brings dry cow dung and put it in the roots of Tulasi plants. By this, the plants of Tulasi are fructify so nicely in some days. Then he brings paint and painted all the pots. So, there is always service.  

When all the service was taken by Sita and others. Hanuman didn’t have anything to do. He becomes so sad. Lord Rama asked him what happened. So, the lord said, “whenever I yawn, you can click your fingers.” So, he started doing that. Mother Sita was amused to see his serving attitude. 

Some time we have to balance our service and sadhana. We should take care of our diet also. If one has done the course of Bhakti Shastri by staying in Vrindavan, then he must do some service or preaching after returning from there. So, we should always balance our health, sadhana and service.

Hare Krishna!
 

Topic: How to do Prepation for Katha?

Date:  13th August 2024

Speaker: HH Lokanath Swami Maharaj

Pre-Japa Talk

This platform provides an opportunity to present all of you at one level together. Whether you are a temple devotee, or grihastha or congregation, young or old, someone is from Mauritius or from some other country- so all these distinctions doesn’t matter. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given us all an equal opportunity so we should take advantage of it. We should chant with full concentration. You cannot complain- it is indeed an equal opportunity; equal rights are available whether you are a women or man it doesn’t matter. You are neither a male or female, you all are souls.

CC Madhya 20.108-109

jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’

sūryāṁśa-kiraṇa, yaiche agni-jvālā-caya
svābhāvika kṛṣṇera tina-prakāra ‘śakti’ haya

Translation

“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy.”

Every living entity is the servant of Lord. They can be a friend of the Lord, or the lover. So all of you are entities.

CC Madhya 19.170

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

Translation

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

When we are free from our designations, then we are happy. So what you see in the mirror is not you. To mi itna vesa– there is a saying in Marathi, we are sprit souls. Hari Hari! Wear the specs of the shastras, study Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. When you have the knowledge of soul, then only you can realise this knowledge. Ofcourse, while we are chanting, we have to realise about the soul, then we will understand- “Who am I?”

 

We are Krishna’s. We are not of our parents, our parents are also of Krishna. We had so many parents in so many lives, so out of them no one is:

Bg. 14.4

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

Translation

It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.

Krishna is our father and mother, so you can remember all these things, or chant with this understanding. 

Japa Talk:

So from tomorrow the katha will start, so I thought we should do some preparation for that. Four kumars are talking about some rules and principles in Padma-Puran Mahatamaya, so let’s here from them. They are also world famous orators and in Haridwar they organised a special katha where they were the speakers, so they themselves are Maha-bhagavatas. One is devotee bhagavat and other is book Bhagavat. Before starting the Srimad Bhagavat, there are some instructions for the management as well. Some are for the speakers and some are for listeners. Since you all are managers so you have to also note these points. I also have to do something. They said:

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, text 1

Kumaaraa uchuh

Atha te sampravakshyaamah saptaahasravane vidhim.

Sahaayairvasubhiscaiva praayah saadhyo vidhih smrtah.

Translation

Now, we will tell you the procedure by which the seven day discourse is to be conducted. Generally, it is said that this procedure is conducted by the help of associates and wealth. 

These four Kumaras talk about the procedure to read Srimad Bhagavatam. They speak together- not spearately. That’s why it is mentioned Kumarah uchuh- uvaca means one person said and uchuh means together they said.  We will tell the procedure to read Srimad Bhagavatam.

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 2

Daivajnam tu samaahuya muhurtam prscya yatnatah.

Vivaahe yaadrsam vittam taadrsam parikalpayet.

Translation

For the seven days discourse to conduct, first, an should be respectfully called over, and with effort ask him for the proper time and date. Then as much of wealth that is required for a wedding, should be kept handy

First of all, he said that one who knows the future ask them what date and time is auspicious for katha so since Purushottam maas is starting. So this is a special occasion. So there is no need of seeing any muhurat. So wherever there is a need to spend money, Kumaras say  don’t be ungenerous for stay and katha. Please collect money as you collect in weddings in which we take a loan. At the time of wedding we collect money by some or other means and it is celebrated with great pomp and show. So similarly do Srimad Bhagavat katha like that. Collect funds as much as you can for Srimad Bhagavat katha. They say that the katha is going to begin- so spread this news.

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 5

Dese dese tathaa seyam vaartaa preshya prayatnah

Bhavisyati kathaa chaatra aagantavyam kutumbibhih

Translation

Moreover, a clear message should be sent to every place, that an exposition of Bhaagavata is to take place here, so everyone should come with their family. 

Do this special endeavour to spread this news worldwide. Put this is in invitation card- Katha is going to begin. Everyone should come with family and friends. 

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 6

Dure hari kathaah kecid durecacyutakirtanah.

Striyah shudraadayo ye ca tesaam bodho yato bhavet.

Translation

So that, those who are away from Hari’s stories, and those who are away from chanting Krishna’s names, women and people of low cast, to all such people it becomes known.

Make a list by remembering some devotee mandali, and invite them specially women, shudras. This katha is for everyone.

Bg. 9.32

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim

Translation

O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras [workers] – can attain the supreme destination.

This Bhagavat Katha is for all four varnas and all four ashrams. Then the Kumaras continue:

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 7

dese dese viraktaa ye vaishnavaah kirtanotsukaah.

Teshveva patram preshyam ca tallekhanamitiritam

Translation

In every place, where there are those who are renounced, those who are devotees of Vishnu, those who are eager to chant Hari’s names, to them also letters should be sent, with this message, it is said.

Those who are renounced and knowledgeable Vaishnavas, who are kirtan and katha enthusiasts should also be invited. This invitation which you send write:

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 8

sataam samaajo bhavitaa saptaraatram sudurlabhah.

Apurva rasarupaiva kathaa chaatra bhavisyati

Translation

A rare congregation of pious men is due here for seven nights. And an exposition of Bhaagavata full of unprecedented nectarine charm will also take place here.

This seven days katha will happen and this katha will be nectarian.

ŚB 1.1.3

nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ
śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam
pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayam
muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ

Translation

O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its Nectarian juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.

Hi Rasikas, drink this nectar.

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 9

shribhaagavatapiyusapaanaaya rasalampataah

bhavantasca tathaa shighramaayaata prematatparaah

Translation

You, who are of a loving disposition and always greedy to drink the nectar of Bhaagavata, are requested to come soon. 

Srimad Bhagavatam says- people who are desirous for this nectar, lampat means desirous

Gurvastaka Text 5

sri-radhika-madhavayor apara-

madhurya-lila guna-rupa-namnam

prati-ksanasvadana-lolupasya

vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

Translation

“I offer obeisances to the lotus feet of the spiritual master, who is very eager to relish at every moment the unlimited sweet or conjugal pastimes, qualities, form, and names of Sri Radhika and Madhava.”

Guru also are bhakti rasa lampat. They relish it every moment. Please call them also. If they are busy, write this also:

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 10

Naavakaashah kadaachicceddinamatram tathapi tu

Sarvathaagamanam kaaryam ksanotraiva sudurlabhah

Translation

If there is no chance at all, then also you must try and come even for one day. An instant also to be here is difficult to get. 

We are very busy, we don’t have time to die, so tell them please to come atleast for a day. Please come atleast for a second, then also it will be beneficial. This is a rare opportunity. 

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 11

Evamaakaaranam tesaam kartavyam vinayena ca

Aagantukaanaam sarvesaam vaasasthaanaani kalpayet

Translation

In this manner invitation should be given to everyone politely, and living place should be provided for all those who are coming.

Send this invite on my behalf, then when everyone reached Noida and from there they reach Shuktala, there should be arrangement for their accommodation. Generally people put “Beware of dogs sign” instead of “Atithi devo bhava” and this is till where the human society has progressed. Please remember this. So where can katha be organised?

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 12

Tirthe vaapi vane vaapi grhe vaa sravanam matam

Vishaalaa vasudhaa yatra kartavyam tat kathaasthalam

Translation

In a place of pilgrimage, or even in woodlands, or in ones’ house, the hearing to this is recommended. Where there is a spacious stretch of land, that place should be selected as the exposition site. 

It can happen in tirtha kshetra or a forest if that place is Vrindavan that is the best or at home, but whatever place you chose, 

 

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 13

Arvaakpachaahato yatnaadaastirnaani pramelayen

Kartavyo mandapah prochaih kadalikhandamanditah

Translation

Five days in advance, enthusiastically, bed spreads etc., should be put together. A high dais decorated with banana stalks should be erected. Srimadbhagavat mahapuran mahatymam, Chapter six, text 13

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 15

Phalapushpadalaivirsvagvitaanena viraajitah

Chaturdikshu dhvajaaropo bahusampadviraajitah

Translation

The awning of the dais should be decorated with fruits flowers and leaves. On all the four sides flags should be planted and it should be decorated with many valuables. 

 there can be decoration of mango leaves, flowers, today they have paper ones also, flags can be put on the top of a temple or where the katha is organised, so all should be done since everyone is coming. Those who have taken the pledge of katha who are known as Katha-Vratis, they should come. So, take this pledge of vrata. You are taking katha vrata- for grihasthas- one women vrat, for Brahamcharis- Brahmacharya vrat. So you also take this katha vrat. All of you are katha vratis. So we have to imagine seven planets above Earth and seven lokas below Earth. So in these loka:

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 16

Urdhvam saptaiva lokaasca kalpaniyaa savistaram

Tesu vipraa viraktaasca sthaapaniyaah prabodhya ca

Translation

In front of the dais a place with seven seats should be properly made. There, the Braahmanas and non-attached people should be seated with persuasion. 

 We have to imagine seven planets above Earth and seven lokas below Earth. There has to be special places for these kinds of Katha. In those special places, Viraktas, Mahatmas, Vaishnavas and Sajjans- there seating should be looked after.

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 17

Purvam tesaamaasanaani kartavyaani yathottaram

Vaktuscaapi tadaa divyamaanasam parikalpayet

Translation

First of all, for the Braahmanas and dispassionate people, seats should be prepared, consecutively. And then a seat of high quality should also be prepared for the exponent of Bhagavatam. 

After their seating look after the seating of other devotees.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 20

Virakto vaisnavo vipro vedasastravishuddhikrt

Drshtaantakushalo dhiro vaktaa kaaryotinihsprhah

Translation

A dispassionate Brahmana, who is a devotee of Vishnu, who can explain the Vedas and scriptures, is an expert in giving illustrations, is discerning, and unattached, such an orator should be selected.

The speaker should be knowledgeable, but most importantly he should be a Vaishnava. He is should be an expert in scriptures, and serious- dhira-gambhira. He should have no desires.

CC Madhya 19.149

kṛṣṇa-bhakta — niṣkāma, ataeva ‘śānta’
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī — sakali ‘aśānta’

Translation

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

He should have no desires. So how he should not be this also has been described:

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 21

nekadharmavibhraantaah straishnaah paakhandavaadinah

Shukashastrakathaaccore tyaajyaaste yadi panditaah

Translation

Those, who are confused with many principles of different religions, who are fond of women, who preach heresies, should be avoided as a candidate for the exposition of Shuka’s Shaastra, the Bhagavatam, even if they are learned.

Bg. 2.41

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām

Translation

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.

Bg. 18.66

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

Translation

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

He should leave all religions, one who is not after women, one who is not Pakhandi or a show-off, 

bole taisaa chaale tyaachi vandaavi pauule 

One who acts as he speaks should be respected. – Saint Tukaram

Stay away for such vaktas. A picture of Lord or deity should be kept. He should be the goal of the katha.

 

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 26

krsnam uddishya mantrena caretpujaavidhim kramaat

pradakshinanamaskaaraan pujaante stutimaacaret

Translation

One must perform worship systematically towards Krishna by chanting mantras, then consecutively circambulate, then bowing down with folded hands, and at the end of the worship sing Krishna’s praises. 

Which mantra you should say? Although it is not mentioned.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

What should be the goal of the mantra- should be Krishna. This is just the preparation for the katha. Then circambulate, after worshipping deities and circambulate, and be happy after this. Are you happy? Then they say:

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 30

shrimadbhaagavataakhyoyam pratyakshah krsna eva hi

svikrtosi mayaa naatha muktyartham bhavasaagare

Translation

This, by the name of Shrimad Bhagavata, is Krishna manifest Himself. O Lord! In this mundane worldly ocean, I have sought Thee to rescue me. 

This Srimad Bhagavatam is Krishna himself. This is Vanga-maya murti. This is Krishna himself. Oh Bhagavatam, Hey natha- Please accept me. Please bestow your mercy upon me. Sukadeva Goswami should also be remembered. The four kumars say: 

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 33

shukarupa prabodhajna sarvashastravishaarada

etatkathaaprakaasena madajnaanam vinaashayam

 

Translation

O Shuka incarnate! You who are an expert in enlightening others, you who are well versed in all the scriptures, by revealing this story, kindly eradicate my ignorance.

Srimad Bhagavatam is the essence of all shastra, and he is the expert in explaining this. So this Srimad Bhagavad Gyan Jyoti should be lightened in my mind and the ignorance in my mind should be removed. 

Guru-Pranam Mantra

om ajnäna-timirändhasya jnänänjana-saläkayä

caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

Translation

I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.

Our Adi-guru is Sukadev goswami. We should establish knowledge in place of no knowledge. That is this agyan?

Bg. 7.19

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

Translation

After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.

When we become knowledgeable. How much knowledge we should have? Vasudev Hari- is everything. He said it himself in Bhagavat Gita. In katha, when kirtan takes place listeners hear and then they remember Lord. 

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 37

lokavittadhanaagaaraoutrachintaam vyudasya ca

kathaachittah shuddhamatih sa labhet phalam uttamam

Translation

The person who hears the story with full concentration and with a pure mind, giving up all thought of the world, wealth, money, house and children, he achieves the best result. 

What we have heard we should do meditate on that which is very important to do. This is the best fruit. We should learn how to give katha. Then there is  no entry in Vaikuntha if we don’t give kathas. 

 

ŚB 1.5.11

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’ṅkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

Translation

On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.

This Sravan kirtan, gopis, gopas, Nand Baba. In the hands they have work and in the mouth they have the names of the Lord always. Yasoda Mai also sings the glories of the Lord, while churning butter for the Lord. Only those who do katha only they can enter the pastimes of Lord. 

CC Ādi 17.31

tṛṇād api su-nīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

Translation

“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”

We should make changes in our habits. Think more about Lord and remember him. Katha-vratis  should stay away from 

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 47

aamam krodham madam maanam matsam lobhameva ca

dambham moham tathaa dvesam duryecca kathaavrati

Translation

A person who has vowed to hear the story, should expel his desires, anger, pride, seeking of honour, jealousy, greed, and hypocrisy, infatuation, and animosity. 

From all these things we should stay away. This is the most difficult thing to do. With the help of katha it is possible.

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 48

vedavaishnavavipraanaam gurugovratinaam tathaa

striraajamahataam nindaam varjayedyah kathaavrati

 

Translation

A person who has taken the vow to hear the story of Bhagavatam, should avoid to rebuke Vedas, Vishnu devotees, Brahmanas, teachers, cow, people who have taken a vow, and also women, king, and great people. 

All this is maya- kamam, anger, lust etc. 

Bg. 7.14

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te

Translation

This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.

But if we take the shelter of katha then only it is possible to stay away from these things. We should delay such things. That’s why it is said: Please don’t criticize the Vedas, Vaishnavas, Guru, Cow, Vratis, women and king or Maharaj. So what should we do? So no one is left. Truthfulness, cleanliness, speaking less and softly, which is very necessary. Don’t do gossiping

Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran Mahatymam, Chapter Six, Text 48

satyam shaucham dayaam maunamaarjavam vinayam tathaa

udaaramaanasam tadvadevam kuryaatkathaavrati

Translation

One who has taken a vow towards the exposition, should practice, truthfulness, purity, compassion, silence, simplicity, humbleness, and likewise also, big heartedness. 

Be merciful on everyone. Vasudeva kutumbatam- we have so many people in our family. How many sages were there in Naimisharayna? 60,000. So, we should think that they are my own. All people are my family- this is highest thought- this is the thought of all vaishnavas. My house can fit all the world- this is the highest thought.

Gaur premanande haribol!

 

Date: 14 August 2024 

Speaker:  Various

Topic: Gratitude and Appreciation of Vyasa Puja Festival

HG Istadeva Prabhu Ji:

We are very happy to celebrate this Amruta Mohatsava in Vrindavan and many brijvasis came and glorified Guru Maharaj. They didn’t see you on your bodily stage but that you are a brajvasi. We will first see a glimpse of the Vyasapuja then a small powerpoint presentation of all the service and then we will hear from some selected devotees.

I let you know that you have contributing for the foundation of the temple. We have to make the Guru Maharaj’s dream project. This is just the beginning.

HG Navdvipa Chandra Prabhu ji:

Many devotees work for the collection of offering for Guru Maharaj.  We got total of 1502 offering. Krishna Bandhu group have sent over 700 offerings. Total of 2280 offering we have collected. The top five countries are as follow: India, Mauritius, USA, South Africa and Russia. There is a big team after all these works.

HG Hari Kirtan Prabhu Ji: 

 This is just a beginning. There is a long way to go. We will celebrate the Vyasa Puja till next Ashadhi. We are very thankful for your contribution. I am expecting some more contribution from your hard money. As Srila Rupa Goswami Said we should donate 25% of our income. We are not demanding 25%. We are just asking a little part of your income for the service of Guru and Gauranga. We couldnot be able to celebrate the Vyasa Puja in Pandharpur this time. But we are hoping to celebrate the next program in Pandharpur Dham. And we will get ready the two floors of the temple till then. Then we will get more space to celebrate. Keep contributing for the project. 

HG Sadhna Mataji: 

I liked the celebration of devotion of 75th Vyasa Puja of Guru Maharaj. The arrangements and accommodation are very nice. I have got the opportunity to meet with so many Godbrother and god sisters from abroad. The offering of so many deities to Guru Maharaj is just so amazing. I can realise that my Guru Maharaj is someone that is great personality. I am not a good devotee, I have so many faults, but somehow, I am connected to HH Lokanath Swami Maharaj, so he will take me along with him. This is the greatest achievement of my life. He is such a great spiritual master. 

Hare Krishna! 

HG Sundar Gopal Prabhu Ji:

This is the amazing experience. I don’t have any plan to attend the ceremony. But I came due to the inspiration of HG Krishna Bhakta Prabhu JI. He came France 10 days ago; there we got a chance to meet him. It is really a great experience to be in Vrindavan for three days. I was there for five more days. When Guru Maharaj leaves after three days, I feel not good there. I was feeling separation. Maybe we did a wrong choice to come to Vrindavan due to the heat. Then we go to Radha Damodar Temple and Radha Madanmohan Temple to take darshana. Once a monkey came and sat on my shoulder and took my glasses. Then we took a flight and go to Pandharpur Dham. That was even more blissful than the celebration in Vrindavana. I want to thankful for all the arrangements; prasadam, accommodation, transportation, translation. Everything is just amazing. 

HG Pranayi Keli Mataji:

Hare Krishna!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to glorify you. This is the second time; I was attending the Vyasa Puja of Guru Maharaj. Last time, it was 70th Vyasa puja in Pandharpur. The Vyasa Puja festival is the best amongst all the festivals I have attended in Iskcon. Highly recommend to those who have not yet attend the Vyasa Puja Festival ever. It seems like the festival arranged by Srila Narottama Dasa Thakur at the village Kheturi for thousands of devotees. It is not only the festival of devotees, but the festival of kirtan also. Devotees are like bumble bees who are drinking the nectar of Sri Hari.

It was 5 am in the morning when I have entered in the Pandal and I hardly move from there the entire day. But I did not feel like to move from there. It seems time has stopped there. Everyone of us can realise that Guru Maharaj has done the great service for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. He has taken the instructions of Srila Prabhupada for his entire life. Srila Prabhupada’s mission is the only aim of his life. He is such a dedicated and divine personality. Thank you so much.

HG Dhira Prasanta Das:

I want to thank all devotees who put up a festival. This festival was really an eye-opening experience. This was my third live attended Vyasa Puja. The first one was in 1990, which was Guru Mahraja’s 40th Vyasa Puja and that was held in Delhi. After that I was presented in the Vyasa Puja of 1997 and the third one was the latest one. 

It was a great experience to meet the devotees I have never met earlier. I have seen HG Jaya Vijaya Prabhu ji after 25 years.

I was missing the lotus feet of Srila Gurudeva. I am happy to be a part of this festival.

HG Anand Prada mataji:-

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya

cakshur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah (Sri Guru Pranam)

 

Pranam at the lotus feet of Gurudev

Pranam to all the Vaishnavas here.

Guru Maharaj, only few days went to your occasion but this occasion is not only for few days but for the whole year and is very heartful for all the mankind like a child is eager to meet his father and a Devotee is eager to meet God similarly, your Vyas Puja is an eagerness for us, it is a bliss for us and we all Disciples waiting for this for whole year, where we get the vapu and vani association of yours and also the association of our God Brothers and Sisters, and we can see the emotions of there for you And there is any disqualification in our service we get the opportunity there to correct it and on this occasion, we got the association of all the devotees and sant like Krsna has multiple qualities, Gurudev you also have multiple qualities which shows your quality. On this occasion, we get the opportunity to hear about your qualities and by listening that we get encouragement to do our service better and we also ……. Gurudev this 75th Vyas puja of yours is above all the abode. It’s like Shironami to us and all above that the environment of Vrindavan is bliss and the Pravachan from the Vrindavan sants about you is bliss. You got the Prasadi of Radha Raman Lal and Radha Damodar. Radha Damodar temple where Prabhupada wrote Shrimad Bhagwatam before went to America. And it is blissful to hear from Prabhupada Disciple about you. And also we made a record and got an award for that. We are very lucky that we get you as our Guru and you also the deity of Calmness, kindness. Gurudev You have heeded the orders of your Guru and spread the Padayatra all over the world. Not every disciple is capable of knowing the Guru completely. We have to make such efforts that the Guru’s words come true. We have to understand the feelings of Guru Maharaj. One is an excellent disciple of Guru Maharaj who without saying anything Understand the desire and self-realization of his Guru. We are very fortunate to have you as our Guru. Bless me that I may be able to perform all those duties towards you. You all remember that Guru Maharaj told in Vyas Puja the liking towards him towards the Padyatra. What more do we want to hear from our Guru than this?

 

HG Ajay Gaurang Prabhu:-

Hare Krishna 

Dandwat parnam at the lotus feet of Guru Maharaj and all the Vaishnavas.The best thing I felt was Guru Maharaj Ji when I reached there you said that I love you all. I am yours and you are mine and This has become the biggest thing in my life that you are mine and I am yours. So like Guru Maharaj you say my Prabhupada then it means that we can also say my Guru Maharaj! Guru Maharaj, when you said this sentence with so much love, I became heartful after hearing that sentence.

After that Guru Maharaj, all the Prabhupada Disciple came and they were all singing praises of Prabhupada but your love for him when Bhakti Vikas Swami Maharaj came, So, looking at the love with which you were meeting Bhakti Vikas Swami Maharaj, it seemed as if you wanted to show us what kind of love there should be between Guru brothers. That there is no competition among them but there should be love among their Guru brothers. I want to meet all my guru brothers and guru sisters, all those whom I have seen on the ground, my guru brothers and guru sisters from all over the world, we all came there on a pilgrimage. I was able to personally meet and see everyone whom I had seen onsite. And as you want us to live like a family, so Guru Maharaj you have given us a family. Yes, it means that through this we can share things with each of our God Brothers and Sisters. And after coming to Guru Maharaj Vyas Puja, I came to know how many Guru brothers I have, how many Guru sisters I have, I am not alone. If I ever need anyone, I can talk to my Guru brothers and Guru sisters.

Guru Maharaj, the idea was that we could fear the fate of a world record that became a Guinness Books word record, we could be a witness to it. It was a big deal that we had him there on the spot. And we had the privilege of seeing that and thirdly, one more thing which we liked, All the Goswamis of Vrindavan, all the Goswamis of the main temples, all of them came there and praised you there. Guru Maharaj, you are famous in the entire Vaishnav world and not only! Not only in ISKCON, you are the crown jewel of the entire world. It must have been our good fortune that we got your shelter and your blessings. I got an opportunity to do some service and I could not do it. I had some personal problems. Guru Maharaj your dream is the Bhe Vaikuntha project and I have made that also my dream, I always think of that day and night. Guru Maharaj, please give us strength so that we can complete it, but I have not been able to do so yet.

Prostrate at your feet Guru Maharaj. 

 

HG Mayapur Dham Prabhu:-

Please accept my humble obediences at the feet of Gurudev 

Guru Maharaj is an ocean and his senior disciples are like rivers. Rivers are pouring so much water into the ocean and the ocean is on the water. And we all fill it with a little water from the rivers and offer it to the ocean. So Guru Maharaj gave us a chance so I am not able to understand whose gratitude it is? So this is all fairy in my thinking, I enjoyed the practice and worship a lot. And the love that Maharaj had for his Guru brothers, then Maharaj also wants to teach us that How much love and respect should there be towards someone? And Maan Samman Trinath…. And Maharaj’s entire life should be written in praise of his Guru brothers, even if it was his own village. Have you been with him or have you been your own disciple? And to our younger disciples, we are not even born Guru Maharaj, we are here yet. And you take out so much time to listen to our praise. This is your gratitude Guru Maharaj! What is our gratitude? As soon as Ajay Gaurang Prabhu ji told, I am just one of those who walk holding his dhoti. He guides me and I will try to do something, Hare Krishna! Thanks and regards! Please give us strength so that we can do something.

 

HG Krishan Bhakt Prabhu:-

 

Ajay Gaurang Prabhu and Mayapur Dham Prabhu, together we all have to do this Project. Recently I had talked to Prabhu ji. All our big supporters are in your name, so we have to complete this as soon as possible so that we can complete the Guru Maharaj Ke Bhe Kunth project.

 

HG Jaithirth Prabhu:-

 

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj

Dandwat parnam 

I am at Mathura Vishram Ghat. Whatever praise we have been hearing of Maharaj since morning is special. I am hearing that especially at Yamuna Maharani’s place. If you look at it that way, Guru Maharaj is the shadow of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself. Haven’t we seen Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? But seeing Guru Maharaj in the form of his shadow. Then the incarnation for the purification of the sinful ones. So we all are of fallen life. So all of us saved by Guru Maharaj. We are getting to see this special grace of Guru Maharaj. How many Guru brothers and sisters have been praising Guru Maharaj since morning. And I don’t have any qualifications or eligibility. But still, by the grace of Guru Maharaj, Because of you all Vaishnavas for the last 20 years, I have got the opportunity to serve. And during the journey, I would have received the merit of serving all of you Vaishvans and a worthy contribution to serve all of you Vaishvans. All this is due to the grace of Guru Maharaj. Guru Maharaj’s 50th Golden Jubilee Festival was held in Govardhan in 2022. Had experienced it. And at this time our 75 Vyas puja is going to be done by Guru Maharaj, where is it? So there were changes in it many times. And many times we saw that all of us devotees were fully prepared and at the final stage. And then posted at the final stage and then the transfer takes place and again the new one. And again we have to start the service from scratch. Preparations for Vyas Puja started this time in Members of Vrindavan, so I felt that this time Radha Rani herself wants to praise Guru Maharaj. And then after that, when program was held in Devkinandan Thakur ji’s ashram Vrindavan, everything was finalized there also and at the end moment, when Guru Maharaj gave instructions that now instead of doing all this there, you should do it in ISKCON Gaushala, there too. Tried to do all this in a short period of time. And whenever this program happens, we started preparations there and whenever you have a program, the service starts from accommodation. This is the first accommodation I have ever seen and this time also I got that service, so what was the problem this time in such scorching heat. This time it was about 40 50 degree heat but still by the grace of Guru Maharaj we were able to do that service. Like all the devotees to meet Chaitanya Mahaprabhu! Like many devotees used to come from Navdeep to Puri to meet Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Maharaj used to serve the Lord. And I also got similar service like I got Naam Chek Teerth, similarly I tried to serve Guru Maharaj in accordance with the same name. And I want Guru Maharaj to give me more service so that I can serve more Vaishnavas. And this time Krishna Bhakat Prabhu gave me 75 Tirth seva. If I served, then somewhere Guru Maharaj has given me the name. And during this time, Lord Krishna, a devotee of Lord Krishna, gave me a chance to serve 75 places of pilgrimage, so as my name has also been kept, the way I have served the places of pilgrimage. So I got a chance to go to many places of pilgrimage and serve and whenever I went to any pilgrimage, I used to pray for Guru Maharaj. And when I used to go there and pay obeisance to the Tirtha, this time on the Vyas Puja of Guru Maharaj, all the Tirtha came together and came to Guru Maharaj for the puja. Many devotees contributed to that, we contributed only to 75 Tirthas. We had taken the blessings of serving only 75 Tirthas but more than 108 came to serve the Guru Maharaj. When our seniors and our Guru brothers were coming one by one to serve Guru Maharaj, one by one, on one pilgrimage! So Guru Maharaj also told them to visit the holy places one by one and then gave the darshan of all of them to all the devotees in this manner. So in this way Guru Maharaj gave us an opportunity of special service. And also when I went to different places of pilgrimage, many places of pilgrimage have their own different experiences, but I would like to share one with you when I went to Pushkar. So when I reached Pushkar Tirtha in Pushkar, there was a huge crowd in the entire ghat, so I went there and started sleeping wondering where to go and take bath? So there exactly in the middle of Pushkar Sarovar and a saint was chanting with one hand raised, So I thought that we should go to this monk. So we went there and took a bath and sat for an hour and chanted there. So after some time the same monk who was standing in the water and chanting came to us and said to me? So we have to say that when I saw you doing it, I felt like coming to you and talking to you. So he told us that you are very fortunate that you have the blessings of Guru, So I said that this is the prayer given by Guru Maharaj through which we can chant. So I told them that when you were standing here in the water, I was attracted towards you and you came towards me. So in this, in the attraction of both of you, is Hari Naam the center point of attraction in both of you and in me is Hari naam. You were doing Hari Naam so I was attracted. And I was doing Hari Naam so you got attracted. Guru Guru Maharaj is distributing Hari Naam all over the world. A few days ago Guru Maharaj was telling us that Prabhupad loved when he used to do his Kirtan. That’s why Prabhupada asked me to do kirtan. That’s why Guru Maharaj had said that he was doing kirtan only for the pleasure of Prabhupada. So in this way the mission of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is being distributed by Guru Maharaj as the main Acharya. As I said first, Guru Maharaj is walking with us like the shadow of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.  And this is the special grace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Prabhupada on Guru Maharaj that Guru Maharaj! Prabhupada made Guru Maharaj of Seva devotee Guru Maharaj his commander-in-chief devotee. Senapati is also a great devotee Gurudev who is distributing Hari Naam all over the world. And this time with the grace of Guru Maharaj I got the advice of Amrit Chowki, a major scripture of Rupa Goswami. I was able to present it to him and also gained the knowledge of the nectar of devotion. So there was a wonderful atmosphere and all!

 

HG Achyuta Govind Prabhu:-

Hare Krishna 

Dandwat Pranam Guru Maharaj, I am very grateful to you. So your vyas puja was always held in Pandharpur and I never came to Pandharpur, for some reason or the other, when I came to Vyas Puja in Vrindavan, I felt that you had done this for all us poor devotees who cannot come to Pandharpur, you know. That he will not continue to come there and he will never come to Pandharpur, otherwise this time he kept his Vyas Puja in Vrindavan. And I was very surprised to see that I had never seen such a statue in the cow shed that we used to go to and saw. Because of you that cowshed has become such a big pilgrimage place that it will become a big pilgrimage place in the times to come. Guru Maharaj, I am just a small servant of you. And I am like your son. And I’m not in that state as you call your dad Adityanath. That a son is good who, after knowing his father’s wishes, can fulfill them accordingly, I am not like that. But due to your blessings I am doing a little bit of service. And it is because of you that our name appeared in the entire world book. And all that came because of you till now I have not seen anything like this in Guinness Books Word of Records that some spiritual names are appearing in it. I would like to thank you for this. We are all very grateful to you. You recited to us the nectar of so many proper teachers. As you gave the name Amrit Utsav so  It was raining nectar in this festival. Whoever is listening, is feeling that nectar which we will maybe never realize in our life. And you made so many senior Vaishnavs appear before all of us at one place. All this is commendable and Guru Maharaj! Later I just request you to bless me so that I can save you a little better in the coming years. And i want that Till now I have not even been able to become a part of the 1000 project but I will do tourism so that I can become a part of the 1000. Guru Maharaj, many thanks to you and all the devotees.

Many greetings to you and all the devotees!

 

HG Shyamalangi Mata ji:-

Hare Krishna Please Accept My Humble Obsession Guru Maharaj 

So this, Guru Maharaj, this Vyas Pooja, Bhooton na Bharti…..means we have never seen Vyas Pooja like this. As far as I know Guru Maharaj 50th Vyas Puja was held in Nagpur. So I joined you there and I got a chance to serve there and it was the Diamond Jubilee so there was so much service which was done very well. When I met Guru Maharaj on the evening of 14th, the first thing Guru Maharaj asked me was, which devotees have come from Dubai? Whether the President there got the invitation or not, Guru Maharaj takes so much care of each and every thing. And Guru Maharaj will come there to see how everything has been arranged, then all the devotees thank him very much and how much service the Noida team has done. Tell me, you were wishing for the program too, right? Like, on the day of Ekadashi, the day when Vyas Puja was performed, it was the day when Prasadam was served. Prasadam is being distributed to you, so I was thinking that Maharaj’s Vyas Pooja will continue and we all will continue and we will go at 4 PM for Parsadam and the devotees that time also serve there. We have not done any service or I have not done any service Guru Maharaj i just attending your program. Thank you so much to everyone, I also want to thank Dinakumpa Mataji I really saw her as a compassionate mother and I never saw her in front, she was doing such good service even though she was in the background. I saw her first in the hall and she was sitting at the back and still she gave the best service And I missed Sita Mata ji there. In Pandharpur I always met Sita Mata ji, while in Vrindavan I missed her a lot. Guru Maharaj, as everyone used to say, from online to offline, as we meet online, we meet offline. everything is dear to humans and you have given us so much opportunity and you are so smiling, right? Yes, whenever we used to attend a jam, you always used to ask everyone if you are coming or not coming to Vyas Puja. So like Guru Maharaj you say, if Krishna Janmashtami happens then that is the post which Krishna invites. So I would like to tell everyone that those who did not reach should never miss the Vyas Puja of our Guru Maharaj. This is a special celebration for us Guru Maharaj is a special one and we are looking forward to it.  And I like that we also celebrate the 100th Vyas Puja of Guru Maharaj like this. Thank You so much Please accept my humble obediences.

 

HG Kaunteya Prabhu:-

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj 

Dandwat parnam at your Lotus feet

I am feeling very happy to see Gurudev and othes. So Guru Maharaj, we have come to Mauritius. We reached here on the 11th. In the middle we tried to meet you. So we came to know that Guru Maharaj is currently busy in book writing. So when we reached Vrindavan from Pandharpur, Guru Maharaj, it was extremely hot. But by your grace we were able to face it even though it got a little worse but still. Whatever discomfort our body is unable to bear, but our mind should remain completely at the feet of Guru Maharaj. So Guru Maharaj thank you. I want to tell you about some talks when we were in Vrindavan. So when we reached Vrindavan, on the first day we wanted to pray for Guru Maharaj. That all these programs should be good and there should be no hindrances. So we prayed to Shri Radha ShyamSundar, a great leader like Krishna Balram. bowed with grace, prayed and bowed to the abode. And he felt something to us that something more had to be done. So Guru Maharaj that day we reached Nand village and there is Sri Sri Krishna Balaram temple in Nand village. So we reached there and Joe was there. The Brahmins who have won over you asked us where you people came from and we told them that we came from Mauritius and for the Vyas Puja of Guru Maharaj. And he blesses us. Your Vyas puja has turned out very well, the Vyas puja of Maharaj who is intoxicated by the people is very special. He gave us Maha Prasad  Guru Maharaj. So they continued with the same bringing mode. And after 3 days of Vyas Puja, we went to Pandharpur Dham And traveled there. And then Arvade after that we again continued praying for you. Then after that we went somewhere from Naimisharanya to Naimisharanya to Ayodhya to Prayagraj. After Prayagraj, we went to Kashi and after that we went to Chitrakoot in between and the style was in the mood, mostly for you Guru Maharaj.  Sita Mata Ji had met her in Pandharpur and now we are very lucky. It’s just all because of you. Whenever I come to India I want to visit her. I felt that we should visit her.

You have now the main project is Baikunth. We are helping in our own way as it is said in Ramayana that even small squirrels were carrying something, yet Lord Ram was appreciating it. Guru Maharaj, you also feel good from the small service we are doing. It’s just because of your mercy we can write the books. You gave us instructions in 2022. And this Book completion was possible only because of you. I am requesting all of the devotees, God Brothers and God Sisters, all the Vaishnavs, please bless me. Please accept this small offering for Guru Maharaj. And whatever Lakshmi we collect, we will donate it to the Vaikunth Project. I’m just trying! At least we can serve Guru Maharaj.

 

 

HG Raj Laxmi Mata ji :

Maharaj, on your 75th Vyas Puja, senior devotees have said a lot, I am an insignificant devotee, what can I say. He made us grateful by initiating. I could not come to Vrindavan, but I saw the entire program live, in this way my mind was present here.

 
I was able to see everything, Vyasa puja was arranged well, I thank everyone. Maharaja, please bless us.

As Srila Prabhupada said i can’t think small similarly guru Maharaj can’t think small.
Krishna Bhakta Prabhu: 

So many thanks to all the devotees, now it is time for the festival of gratitude. Appreciation to all those who served and especially who served in the 74lakth pledge for the in the Bhu Vaikunth project. Tolal 5.5 crore collected, out of which 1.5 crore was given for Vyas puja at Vrindavan and Pandharpur. Four crore was given for Bhu Vaikunth Project construction work. You can see on its result, the work of the foundation has been completed and the pillars that are being erected at ground level right now are the main temple of Radha Pandrinath or the main temple hall with the altar. Daily updates are given by the Bhu Vaikunth construction team. Which are shared on Facebook, Instagram and zoom.

All this has happened because of your cooperation. And if your cooperation was not there by chance, then maybe we would not have been able to complete this construction. And this is the beginning, The initiation has been done, now the initiative has started and it is not going to stop now. As some devotees were saying that you always keep on coming, not for Rs. 75,000 but for Rs. 75 lakhs till this project is not completed. All centers, all IMP zones, outside of IMP, be it Gujarat, the whole of India or any part of the world, we have to collect from everywhere and complete it. In the coming two years, we have to complete Guru Maharaj’s dream project – i.e. three things, stay in Pandharpur, visit Chandrabhaga and visit Pandrinath who is Vitthal. 

And that’s not all, Guru Maharaj A ghat was built for all the Varkari devotees. Good bathing arrangements were made for the women and everyone. After these three things, Guru Maharaj said that after taking a bath, where would they take the prasad. So, this project also has a prasadam hall on Prabhupada ghat, and every day from 12 to 3 PM, all the pilgrims who come here, take prasad to their full. We are very fortunate that because of the guidance of Guru Maharaj we are able to serve in this project. Just like these different projects, 75k thousand and zoom, in 2019 when we were in America, HH Hanumanth was giving instructions to his followers on zoom conference, since then Guru Maharaj did not miss even a single day on Zoom conference, be it airport, car… The upcoming 100th Vyas Puja, Na Bhuto Na Bhvisayati”, all the projects will be completed in Pandharpur and all the devotees will be able to stay here. Thanks to all the devotees who served with their body, mind and money. Many devotees came and those who could not come also sat on the official YouTube channel the whole day. Just like materialists sit for cricket matches, T20 India Pakistan.
But here the whole devotee’s community remained seated from 6 in the morning till evening and kept listening to the glorious tales of Guru Maharaja.

HG Anant sheh Prabhu Ji: I have one thought in my mind, it was around March-April, I checked with a astrologer regarding Guru Maharaja, when HH Gopal Krishna Maharaj had not departed from this world, there was talk of the festival. Astrologer predicted that with this 75th Vyas Puja, Amrit Mahotsav, the glories of the Guru Maharaja will spread worldwide. Prabhupada disciples, worldwide leaders, other temples devotees, other temple devotees participated in this Vyas puja. 

So, I will close by saying what Krishna Bhakt Prabhu, now the project cannot be delayed as it has started. This has become a concern of the Guru Maharaja. Guru Maharaja said, you are mine, I love you. Now whatever is the sankalp of GM, it will be done because his sankalp power is very strong. We all have to serve whole heartedly so that we can help to complete his project.

This time there was a change in the venue, many Guru brothers faced difficulties, for that I request for forgiveness as chairman and request to next year Vyas puja team that devotees should be given timely information to avoid inconvenience. Raj Laxmi Mata ji is handicapped but due to great dedication for Guru Maharaja she sold her house and donated that amount for the project.

Date: 21 August 2024 

Speaker:  HH Vrindavan Chandra Swami Maharaj

Topic: Krishna Kathamrita

 
HH Vrindavan Chandra Swami Maharaj:

You all hear Katha all the time. I have been asked to give a 7-day Katha here. So, I will speak a verse and discus today.

SB 10.1.9:

kasmān mukundo bhagavān
pitur gehād vrajaṁ gataḥ
kva vāsaṁ jñātibhiḥ sārdhaṁ
kṛtavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ

 

Translation:
Maharaj Parikshit asks, Why did Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, leave the house of His father, Vasudeva, and transfer Himself to the house of Nanda in Vṛndāvana? Where did the Lord, the master of the Yadu dynasty, live with His relatives in Vṛndāvana?

Purport:

These are inquiries about the itinerary of Kṛṣṇa. Just after His birth in the house of Vasudeva in Mathurā, Kṛṣṇa transferred Himself to Gokula, on the other side of the Yamunā, and after some days He moved with His father, mother and other relatives to Nanda-grāma, Vṛndāvana. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was very much eager to hear about Kṛṣṇa’s activities in Vṛndāvana. This entire canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of activities performed in Vṛndāvana and Dvārakā. The first forty chapters describe Kṛṣṇa’s Vṛndāvana affairs, and the next fifty describe Kṛṣṇa’s activities in Dvārakā. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, to fulfill his desire to hear about Kṛṣṇa, requested Śukadeva Gosvāmī to describe these activities in full detail.

 

We know Krsna was born in the prison house of Kamsa in Mathura. Devaki was very happy as she knew that the lord will appear in her womb. So, she was giving birth regularly even though they were in jail. They still had children regularly eager for the lord’s appearance. They were very happy when the lord was about to appear. But they were very scared too. They said, “you are appearing, but this world is such that one is always afraid of this Snake like death where ever we run in the universe. but if one takes shelter of your lotus feet then they become fearless and death himself runs away from such a person. but yet how unfortunate we are that we are still afraid. So, please hide yourself from this demon.” 

We can imagine her plight, whose 6 sons were killed cruelly by Kamsa. 

One can ask that Devaki knows the lord will appear so why is there fear?
This is motherly love. A great symptom of parental mellow. So, even when one knows he is lord she is worried for him if it was an ordinary child, I could hide but how to hide an extraordinary child?

 Parikshit asked why he went to Vraja? someone can say out of fear. This is denied by Parikshit as his name is Mukunda, one who gives liberation so how come he is not liberating his parents also. He should liberate Kamsa by staying in Mathura. So why he had to leave? 

Krsna left because his parents were scared and for them, he left. Krsna said if you are afraid of Kamsa send me to Gokul. He appeared as a 4 handed form before and he explained their previous lives of Devaki and Vasudeva. You were Sutapa and Prishni and after severe austerities, they asked the lord a child like him. But Lord couldn’t find anyone like him, so he appeared himself. Sutapa couldn’t muster the strength to ask the lord to be their son. So, they asked for a son like you. He became her son 3 times. So, I have appeared like this form to prove to you that I am the same person who had given you benediction. It is very difficult for the parents to give up their child. But if the child will die in our care, then rather to send them away.

Once in Agra, two ladies came to the court of Akbar fighting for a child. Both claiming to be the mother. So, Birbal said let me split the child into two parts. Then you both can have it. Immediately one lady said don’t do that rather give the other lady the child. So, Birbal knew she was the real mother, who couldn’t bear any pain on her child. 

When Krishna was born, he was immediately transported to Gokul. The Yadavas were Vasudeva’s relatives and Krishna would refer to Nanda Maharaj to as relatives. He promised to come back to save him and his relatives.

Where did the Lord, the master of the Yadu dynasty, live with His relatives in Vrindavan? 

Parikshit Maharaj is surprised, so, he is asking about Vrindavan pastimes and Mathura pastimes. So, we know now that Krsna left for Vraja to lessen the fear of Devaki and Vasudeva. So, Vasudeva put him on the bed of Yashoda in Gokula and came back. Vasudev and Devaki didn’t get enough paternal mellow like Nanda and Yashoda. He did many pastimes in Gokul. 

When he was only 6 days old, he killed Putana. Kamsa had seen the pregnancy of Devaki and seeing her Glow. He knew this was his death. At one time, he thought he should kill her itself? But of fear of defame, he didn’t do that. He waited for the birth, but it was a girl. Kamsa wanted to kill the girl too. Devaki held her to her chest. As this was not her child but someone else’s child. So, she was more hesitant to let her die. But she slipped from Kamsa’s hand and gave him the warning,” you are going to kill me, but your killer is taken born already”. Now Kamsa discussed it with his counsellors. They instructed to kill all the babies taken born in the time era. So, Kamsa ordered Putana to kill all children born within last 8 days. But she was killed by Krishna. 

When lord was 3 months old, there was a nice festival being organized for his birth anniversary. So Yashoda put him to rest under a cart as there was lot of hustle bustle everywhere. So, this demon Sakatasura came and entered in the cart in order to crush the lord. So, the lord kicked the cart childishly and upturned the cart and killed the demon. 

Next Trinavarta came in the form of a cyclone. So, he could easily pick up the lord and no one could see or hear the child being kidnapped and he wanted to carry the lord to Mathura and kill him in front of Kamsa. So, Yashoda had the lord in her lap. She was very blissful. She lifted his hair and kissing his face. All the animals and birds were watching the lord. All the calves were seeing. Mother Yashoda just asked do you want to go tend the calves! So, Krishna started to crawl towards the cows. Another time the lord wants to fly with birds. So, she was throwing him up and catching him soon. The mother started feeling the lord get heavier. She felt like she is holding a mountain peak. She couldn’t keep him in the lap. So, she kept him on the ground, thinking you are the mother of all of earth. I am unable to hold him, so you are also his mother. Please hold him for a while. She started doing something. But her mind was thinking that what happened to my child! How he gets this corrected by some doctor. Jiva Goswami said that mother is beyond this world. Then, immediately the wind started. She was not worried about the baby being picked up, but she was scared for his soft skin getting hurt. So, before she could come, Trinavarta picked up the baby. One Acharya said that the lord increased his weight because he knew the demon is coming. So, he started getting heavy. Also, the lord thought that if the demon is coming in the form of wind. So, I should become heavy as the mountain otherwise the demon will pick up his mother also.

One can ask why did the lord fly with him? 

The lord is trying to say that even if the enemy comes to one’s door, one should stand up and greet them. But if they still continue to hurt you, then you can deal with them accordingly. So, as he was moving towards Mathura, he started feeling the weight. He was confused, is this baby or a boulder? So, he finally thought this is boulder in shape of a baby. So, I should throw it down. So, like babies when they go up in height, they hold on tightly to anything out of fear. Meanwhile all the Gopis of Vraja came to Mother Yashoda after hearing her crying. Here, the lord held him harder even when he wanted to let go. Finally, the lord killed him his pieces fell all over Vraja. Krishna throws the demon in Vraja, so that mother Yashoda will get pacified that the demon is no more and Krishna is safe.  All the Gopis said this evil person died because of his own evil intentions. So, like this there are many pastimes. we will hear more again tomorrow.

Hare Krishna!

Speaker: H.H. Loknath Swami Maharaj
Theme: Importance of celebrating festivals

Sub-Theme: Appearance of Lord Balaram

“All people love festivals, and why wouldn’t they? We come from a divine world and once resided in Goloka Dham. In the past, while we were in Goloka Dham, we participated in its festivals.

A festival is celebrated every day there. When God walks, it seems as if He is dancing. When He speaks, it seems as if He is singing. We made a significant mistake; we were looking towards the material world and ended up coming here. 

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

Translation: 

“According to their karma, all living entities wander throughout the entire universe. Some are elevated to the higher planetary systems, and some descend to the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets the opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.” [CC Madhya 19.151]

Krishna makes some living beings fortunate. All of you are counted among those divine beings. When Krishna makes us fortunate, we get the company of saints, and our faith is awakened. 

sādhu-saṅga’, ‘sādhu-saṅga’ — sarva-śāstre kaya 

lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya

Translation: 

“The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.” [CC Madhya 22.54]

In the company of saints, we are engaged in worship, which increases our fortune. We also celebrate many festivals. When we were with God, the same God appears in this world and gives us His company through festivals. God is at the center of all festivals. Even today, there is a festival, Ekadashi Mahotsav. 

mādhava-tithi, bhakti-jananī,

jetane pālana kori

kṛṣṇa-basati, basati boli’, 

parama ādare bori 

Translation: 

“The holy days like Ekadashi and Janmastami are the mother of devotion for those devotees who respect them. Let the holy places of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes be my places of worship, and bless me.” [Verse 2 from ‘Suddha Bhakata Carana Renu’ by Bhaktivinoda Thakura]

Jhulaan Yatra is organized at Radha Kund. Zulaan Yatra is a spiritual play of God. During Madhurya Leela, God swings continuously. As you can see behind me, boys and girls are swinging. God keeps playing like this; He has no other job.

There was a spiritual exhibition where a foreign lady observed different deities. Some gods were seen performing their duties—Brahma was creating, Shiva was destroying, and the rain gods were fulfilling their roles. Then she saw an exhibition where Krishna was playing and stealing butter. She commented that this must be the Supreme God who plays voluntarily, while the others are just performing their duties.

When God brings us into contact with devotees, making us fortunate, we get the opportunity to participate in His Leela. This is the grace of God. Participate in such Leela. During Chaturmas, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would call devotees from Navadwip, Mayapur, Shantipur, Pulin Gram, Ambika Kalana, and other places to come to Jagannath Puri and join in the Ratha Yatra.

nīlācalanivāsāya nityāya paramātmane

balabhadrasubhadrābhyāṃ jagannāthāya te namaḥ

Translation: 

“I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Jagannath, along with Lord Baladev and Srimati Subhadra. The eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Jagannath, resides in Nilachal, Purushottam Kshetra, and is the paramatma, the Supersoul of all living entities.” [śrījagannāthastotra] 

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu inspired the devotees to reside in the same Dham where Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra reside. You should also reside there, with great comfort. During those days, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu celebrated various festivals and organized cultural events for the devotees. Many dramas took place. In Madhya Lila, there is a short but sweet pastime.

dadhi-dugdha-bhāra sabe nija-skandhe kari’

mahotsava-sthāne āilā bali ‘hari’ ‘hari’

Translation: 

“Having dressed up like cowherd boys, all the devotees carried pots of milk and yogurt balanced on rods over their shoulders. Thus they all arrived at the festival grounds chanting the holy name of Hari.” [CC Madhya 15.18]

Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Nityananda, and their associates, dressed in Gop attire, brought curd and milk to the place where the demonstration was taking place, chanting “Hari Hari” all the way. Chaitanya carried a ceremonial rod and kept chanting “Hari Hari.” 

iṅhā-sabā lañā prabhu kare nṛtya-raṅga

dadhi-dugdha haridrā-jale bhare sabāra aṅga 

Translation: 

“As usual, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu danced jubilantly. Everyone was covered with milk, yogurt, and yellow turmeric water.” [CC Madhya 15.21] 

Just as Nand Baba celebrated his first Janmashtami on the day of Navami, Mahaprabhu also celebrated a similar festival and demonstrated it. Nand Baba threw all the milk, curd, and turmeric over each other. Rivers of milk and curd flowed there. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu repeated this demonstration.

advaita kahe, — satya kahi, nā kariha kopa

laguḍa phirāite pāra, tabe jāni gopa 

Translation: 

“At this time Śrīla Advaita Ācārya said, ‘Please do not be angry. I speak the truth. I shall know that You are a cowherd boy only if You can wheel this rod about.’” [CC Madhya 15.22] 

All the VIPs were present, including Raja Pratap Rudra, Sarvabhaum Bhattacharya, the priest of Jagannath Puri, and the temple president. Advaita Acharya was also present. Advaita Acharya instructed Nimai to show wooden rod whirling as they used to do during Go Charan Leela. 

tabe laguḍa lañā prabhu phirāite lāgilā

bāra bāra ākāśe pheli’ luphiyā dharilā 

Translation: 

“Accepting Advaita Ācārya’s challenge, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took a big rod and began to wheel it around and around. Again and again He threw the rod into the sky and caught it when it fell.” [CC Madhya 15.23]

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took the rod and demonstrated a play with it. Sometimes He threw it into the sky and caught it, sometimes He tossed it between His hands. Everyone was amazed and praised Nimai, affirming His divinity. 

pratāparudrera ājñāya paḍichā-tulasī

jagannāthera prasāda-vastra eka lañā āsi 

Translation: 

“Following the orders of Mahārāja Pratāparudra, the temple superintendent named Tulasī, brought one of Lord Jagannātha’s used cloths.” [CC Madhya 15.27] 

Padicha Tulsi, the president of Jagannath temple, brought used clothes of the Lord to Nimai.

bahu-mūlya vastra prabhu-mastake bāndhila 

ācāryādi prabhura gaṇere parāila

Translation: 

“This valuable cloth was wrapped around the head of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The other devotees, headed by Advaita Ācārya, also had cloths wrapped about their heads.” [CC Madhya 15.28]

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wore those clothes on His head like a turban. 

parama-āveśe prabhu āilā nija-ghara

ei-mata līlā kare gaurāṅga-sundara 

Translation: 

“In great ecstasy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to His residence. In this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, known as Gaurāṅga-sundara, performed various pastimes.” [CC Madhya 15.31] 

kānāñi-khuṭiyā, jagannātha, — dui-jana

āveśe vilāila ghare chila yata dhana 

Translation: 

“In ecstasy, Kānāñi Khuṭiyā, who was dressed as Nanda Mahārāja, and Jagannātha Māhiti, who was dressed as mother Yaśodā, distributed all the riches they had stocked at home.” [CC Madhya 15.29] 

Kanani Khutiya and Jagannath Mahiti, who were present, played the roles of Nand Maharaj. During the Janmashtami festival in Gokul, all the cows and many gifts were donated. Similarly, Kanani Khutiya and Jagannath Mahiti donated various gifts to Brahmanas. 

dekhi’ mahāprabhu baḍa santoṣa pāilā

mātā-pitā-jñāne duṅhe namaskāra kailā 

Translation: 

“Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was greatly satisfied to see this. Accepting them as His father and mother, He offered them obeisances.” [CC Madhya 15.30]

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sought blessings from those playing the roles of Nand Baba and Yashoda. 

Mahaprabhu celebrated another festival during Diwali. Many festivals were celebrated in Chaturmas, and Mahaprabhu participated in all with devotion. Mahaprabhu has set a standard for us. From today, the Jhulaan Yatra begins, and you should join until Purnima. Baladevji will appear in Purnima. Prepare for these festivals as well.

Sub-Theme: Appearance of Balarama

It is beneficial to participate with your body, mind, and resources, not merely as a spectator.

ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ

kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam

indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ 

mṛḍayanti yuge yuge

Translation: 

“All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.” [SB 1.3.28]

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat 

kiñcid asti dhanañ-jaya

mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ

sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

Translation: 

“O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.” [BG 7.7]

There is no one higher than Me, except for Balaram. Balaram is like Krishna; He is Krishna. He is Krishna’s light and is considered Krishna’s elder brother.

Kamsa tormented everyone—Vrindavan residents and Mathura residents alike. 

Krishna instructed Yogamaya to go to Vrindavan as one of Devaki’s children was in her womb as the seventh son. To avoid danger, the seventh child should be transferred to Rohini’s womb.

Everyone wondered how a child was born in seven days and how Rohini became pregnant if Vasudev was in jail. To resolve these questions, Narada, Vashisht, Vyas Dev, and Brihaspati came.

Balaram was born in Gokul. There were showers of flowers, drums were played, Apsaras danced, and Gandharvas sang. Just as we narrate Janmashtami stories, similar events took place during Balaram’s birth. Vyas Dev came to have darshan, bowed to Him, sang His praises, and revealed all answers about the child.

This is the 5251st birthday of Krishna. Krishna played His Leela for 125 years and then returned to His Dham in 3102 BCE. Today, adding 2024 + 3102 + 125 gives 5251 years.

This is not mythology but history and fact. We know where and when God was born, whether day or night, as proven in the scriptures.

janma karma ca me divyam

evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti so ’rjuna 

Translation: 

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take birth again in this material world but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” [BG 4.9]

Krishna says those who understand His birth and death through the scriptures will never return to this world.

etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyāṁ

sva-dharma-pariniṣṭhayā

janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām

ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ

Translation: 

“The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” [ŚB 2.1.6]

They will remember God at the end of their lives and will not have to be born again.

God appears in different forms with the mission to take us back to our true home.