Gauranga is Krishna is Jagannatha.
Prayers of Vausdeva Ghosh,
13 June 2018
New Vraj Dham Hungary

You know Nilacala? Everyone knows Nilacala?
How many of you know about Nilacala? How many of you know Nilacala? Some do.

So Nilacala is Jagannatha Puri, but to understand more ‘Nila’, ‘Nila’ means blue, and ‘acal’ means: not moving, so “acal” means immovable, and there is a mountain. So Nila-cala is a bluish mountain and Jagannatha Puri is on the top of that bluish mountain, hence the name Nilacala – Jagannatha Puri.

So, in Nilacala, in Jagannatha Puri, the Lord holds symbols of shankha, chakra, gada, padma. Well, normally we see two hands of Jagannath, but also He could have four hands, holding all the 4 symbols. And then same Jagannatha in ‘nadiya nagare danda kamandalu kara’ When He appears in Nadia, then He is Sachinandana, then he takes sannyasa, and holds symbols kamandalu and danda, He is holding ekdand, “ekdhand”, not three dhand, and kamandalu.

keha bale purabete rabana badhila
golokera vaibhava lila prakasa korila

Translation:
Some wise souls say that in ancient times he killed Ravana. Some say in Goloka he enjoys glorious pastimes.

So Lord Jagannatha, when He appeared in treta-yuga, “ravana vadhila” -He killed Ravana, Jay Sri Ram! Jay Sri Ram!
Golokera vaibhava lila prakasa korila-And then the same Jagannatha appeared in Dwapara-yuga. In Dwapara-yuga He appeared in Gokul and He displayed and manifested Goloka pastimes in Gokul, or He exhibited the appearance of Golok in Gokul.

Sri-radhar bhave ebe gora avatar
hare krsna nam gaura korila pracaR

Translation:
To taste the ecstasy that Radha feels in Her love for Him, He has now incarnated here in the form of Lord Gaura. As Lord Gaura He preaches the chanting of the holy names of the Hare Krsn a mantra.”

And then, the next stage, the age of Kali appeared, and in this age “Sri Radhar-bhave”, Lord assumed the mood, bhava of Radharani and He appeared as Gaura Avatar, gora or gaura same things, Golden avatar Gauranga.

Gauranga!

hare krsna n?m gaura korila pracar

And then, in that advent He propagated Hare Krishna Mahamantra and while He was propagating, spreading the Holy name all over Indian continent we could say, He also predicted that this names will be chanted in every town, every village, including in Hungarian villages and there will be one village or valley called “Krishna Valley”. There also my name should be chanted. This prediction of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has come true and we have Srila Prabhupada, he is doing that and now on behalf of Srila Prabhupada you are taking it far and wide.

hare krsna nam gaura korila pracar
jei gaura sei krsna sei jagannath

Translation:
Vasudeva Ghosa says: Folding my hands, I declare: Gauranga is Krsna and He is Jagannatha.
You see this name Vasudeva Ghosh. He was one of the very close associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,

kiba nara hari adi kori camara dhulaya”

And then “sajaya mukhunda vasu, gosa adi gaya” those names “vasu ghosh, adi gaya”, they were singing, some are offering camara. This is during the arti of Gauranga.

arati korena brahma adi deva gane

Brahma is offering arti, Nara Hari is offering camara and Vasudeva Ghosh is singing, “vasudeva ghoaa bole kori joda hat”. So this song that we are about to sing is 500 years old and compiled by Vasudev Ghosh. During the arati of Gauranga he used to sing, so he is in this song in the end, “kori joda hat”. He said that with my folded hands I want to submit something and what is this submission? Which is also his realization?

Jei Gaura, sei Krishna, sei Jagannatha

Jei Gaura means one who is Gauranga, sei Krishna is Krishna and sei Jagannatha is also Jagannatha. So one who is Gauranga is Krishna is Jagannatha.

71st Vyasa Puja offering to Jayapataka Maharaja

4 April 2020

Today we are celebrating Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja’s appearance day, birthday, Vyasa puja day. Vyasa puja which is being celebrated today in Mayapur and it is not as big it is in previous years. It will be celebrated in a low profile. Every year Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja’s vyas puja is a huge celebration but due to this corona virus issues this Vyasa puja is taking place with very few devotees. Of course his disciples and other devotees are also celebrating this Vyasa puja in their respective homes as well as temples. Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja has thousands, thirty to forty thousands of disciples, so they must be celebrating and also my disciples, I would encourage them to celebrate Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja’s vyas puja.

You must have noted that Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja’s appearance day is on ekadashi also Srila Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja appearance day is on ekadashi and also I was born on ekadashi. Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja and I, both were born in 1949, he is just a few months older than me. Age wise he is a few months older but when it comes to knowledge, experience, maturity he is much more mature and experienced. Srila Prabhupada and Gauranga Mahaprabhu have their special mercy on Jayapataka Swami Maharaja. He joined Srila Prabhupada’s Hare Krsna Movement many years ago, way before me. I guess he joined in 1968 in Canada and I joined in 1971.

There is one important thing which is being talked about him. When he was newly initiated devotee, whenever there was kirtan he would sing and shout the Hare Krsna maha-mantra very loudly. He would create a commotion while doing kirtan, singing the Hare Krsna maha-mantra loudly. He not only shouted the maha-mantras in the temples and asram but whenever he was – on streets, lanes. He would forget where he was and would loudly chant Hare Krsna. That was his way. Neighbors and passersby would get annoyed. They would go to the police and lay a complaint that some individual from the Hare Krsna movement was being a nuisance. “He is disturbing us and disturbing our peace”. When Srila Prabhupada came to know about this behaviour. Srila Prabhupada decided to send Jayapataka Swami Maharaja to somewhere. Srila Prabhupada decided to send him to Bharat, India. “In India we will send Jayapataka Swami Maharaja to Mayapur”. On reaching Mayapur he can do whatever loud chanting he wants to. He is welcome. No one is going to complain about this behavior in relation to this shouting and chanting the maha-mantra loudly.

Jayapataka Swami Maharaja was not a swami then, but he was the oldest among the ones at that time. Then Srila Prabhupada sent him to Mayapur. Amongst the disciples whom Srila Prabhupada had sent to India Jayapataka Swami Maharaja was the first one. Acyutananda Swami was also sent to Mayapur, but Jayapataka Swami Maharaja was one of the first ones or possibly the first one whom Srila Prabhupada sent to Mayapur. He was given responsibilities of the temple. He was also handling the Calcutta temple activities. Gradually he also became a Governing Body Commission (GBC). There was a time when Gopal Krishna Maharaja and Jayapataka Maharaja were the only two GBCs in India. After the steadily the number increased. Srila Prabhupada gave Maharaja the very big responsibility of building the Mayapur temple project. The responsibility of constructing the TOVP project was also given to Jayapataka Swami Maharaja with some other devotees.

Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja ki jai!!

I love Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja. I was thinking when we were little younger we felt both love and hate. Sometimes he had love and other times there was envy because of our anarthas. But now not only I like him, I love him. May my love towards him always increase. My love of brotherhood, love among my god brothers and love for Jayapataka Maharaja must increase day by day. This is what I want to pray today.

Jayapataka Maharaj has become a miracle. Even in his present health condition, operations, diseases, he is always active. He is always busy, thinking about how to increase preaching. He attends each and every meeting. Some of the members may miss some of the meetings but Jayapataka Maharaja is very dutiful. He never misses a meeting. He is a miracle. Jayapataka Maharaja is a miracle, just miraculous. And whenever there is a magic there has to be a namaskar.

So dandavat pranam from all of us.

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

Vyasa Puja offering to Jayapataka Maharaja by Lokanath Swami
23 April 2021
Online

Jayapataka Swami Maharaj, on the occasion of your 72 birthday and Vyasa Puja day, please accept my greetings and my humble obeisances. I was thinking,

“vipada? santu t?? ?a?vat”

You had been seeing calamities after calamity mostly health related, but the way you handle those calamities I do not see no one sees you getting panicked.

“dhiras tatra na muhyati ”

We are reminded, you remain undisturbed under all those circumstances. You even had an experience of near death out of this body experience. Of course you appreciate the care of the doctors but you have so much faith in the prayers of the devotees, I say doctor’s care but you are more into the prayer of devotees.

You are supposed to be handicapped as a result of these calamities, but now we are amazed to see how you are carrying on with your devotional services, your obligations towards TOVP or zonal responsibilities or making devotees and maintaining devotees or writing books. All these projects are going on undisturbed and your contributions are exceptional for anyone and everyone to take note of. Its amazing. You are like a miracle of ISKCON. I’m very proud of you Maharaja and I pray to Srila Prabhupada and entire parampara, and especially to your dear Gauranga, to give you long, healthy life of active devotional service and I pray that you please keep me in your prayers.

Your dear brother and servant Lokanath Swami here.

Jayapataka Swami Maharaja Appearance day, Birthday, Vyasapuja day ki Jaya!

Gaur premanande, Hari Hari bol.

Rama Katha
18th April 2021

You are all okay? We hope and pray that you are all okay and well, and also that you stay that way. So the whole world is in a problem due to the Corona virus. There are so many other problems anyway but the coronavirus is dominating the scene. So be careful and be alert of all dangers.
Also remember, I was thinking that Kunti Maharani also prayed and actually Kunti Maharani is known for her prayers, this you all know. The first prayers in Srimad Bhagavatam are Kunti Maharani’s prayers and in those prayers she says:

vipadah santu tah sasvat
tatra tatra jagad guro
bhavato darsanam yat syad
apunar bhava darsanam (SB 1.8.25)

Translation
I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.

You can all remember this prayer and so Kunti Maharani is very clever and cunning. She is saying ‘Oh Lord what you should do is that you should continue sending calamities and problems again and again.’ In both situations, vipadah and sampad. Sampad you know what that means, sampati is success. Vipadah means problems and calamities.

So let all the calamities come and sasvat means again and again. So let the calamities come again and again is what is meant by tatra tatra. Bhavato darsanam yat syad. So when the problems come then what shall we do? We will run towards you and we shall call you.’

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

My Lord, Krishna. When problems arise then Krishna’s name naturally comes out of our mouths and we run towards the Lord. ‘So I will run as well’ Kuntidevi says. I don’t if we will all run as well but Kunti Maharani is saying that she will certainly run. So during this coronavirus we don’t know whether we will run towards Krishna or towards the hospital.

Actually we should run towards both. First remember Krishna and then afterwards remember the doctor or the hospital. So one must remember prayers to the Lord and the care of the doctor. With the help of both we will become well.

bhavato darsanam yat syad

‘Whenever problems arise I will take your darshan and I will go to your temple and pray. Wherever that temple may be because you are all pervading, being everywhere.’

So it may not be possible to go to the temple so from wherever we are- Nowadays in Kali Yuga one should call the Lord from wherever he is stationed.

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

By our chanting like this the Lord says ‘I become present there.’

Naham vasami vaikunthe
Yoginam hrdayena ca
Mad bhakta yatra gayanti
Tatra tisthami Narada (Padma Purana)

Translation
Oh Narada! I do not reside in vaikuntha nor am I in the hearts of the yogis. I reside where my devotees glorify my name, form, qualities and my transcendental pastimes.

So Kunti Maharani had already said ‘tatra tatra’ so wherever we may call the Lord, in that very place the Lord will appear for us and come there. Apunar bhava darsanam. So we may understand what Kunti Maharani is saying by learning sanskrit. This will make the meaning of the words easy to understand.

But the bhava, feelings of love of Kunti Maharani in this prayer of her’s, her Krishna bhavana, if we can know and understand that, which we can do if we are serious, is the real success. Otherwise

vaishnavera kriya mudra vijneha na bujhaya (SB 9.5.20 purport)

Translation:
Even the most learned man cannot understand the activities of a Vaishnava.

This has also been said to illustrate that to know the activities of the Vaishnava or Vaishnavi through any other means but devotional service is very difficult. So we must try more and more so that we can attain the bhakti bhava, feelings of love and devotion that Kunti Maharani has. So she is saying that problems will keep coming whether we pray to keep them away or not. It is not our choice. So Kunti Maharani is saying that ‘if the problems come we will approach you and come closer to you by calling you.

We will then want an interview and meeting with you so that guhyam akhyati prcchati can happen. (Revealing one’s mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially from NOI text 4). We will be able to discuss heart touching talks with you.’ The talk could be about some joyful matter that we may speak to you about.’ And then what will be the outcome or fruit of such talks?

Apunar bhava darsanam. This is the smartness of Kunti Maharani. So what will be gained at the end? Na punar bhava darshanam.

Translation
‘I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.”

So first she said ‘bhavato darsanam yat syad. Seeing you means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.’So in these difficult times all of you should remember this prayer as these times are especially hard. Also this is also not a new thing, these problems keep appearing in this material world.

punarapi jananam punarapi maranam Punarapi janani jathare shayanam
Iha sansare khali dustare?krupaya pare pahi murare (Shankaracharya)

Translation:?This ocean of sansara is really difficult to cross oh Lord, kindly save me and help me cross it.
Repeated births and repeated deaths And repeatedly sleeping in the womb of mother.

So this is obvious and therefore I thought to remind you of this. Anyway this is the time to remember Lord Rama. This does not mean that during the time of saying what we said, we had forgotten Lord Rama or that we said something against the principles set by the Lord. Rather whatever we said or what the Lord made us say, that was also connected to Lord Rama or Rama lila.

So Ramanavami Mahotsava ki jai! So if Rama Rama happens (death) we need to be saved from this ‘mara mara’ happened again. Mara means to die and so we have to be saved from this repeated death. This is what we are doing – Karo (perform activities) and then Maro, dying. Then again we take birth and perform activities and again we die.

So we have to call out Lord Rama’s name and Rama’s lila. These pastimes you are about to recite m or you may have already recited Rama lila today. So mother Yashoda also used to tell Krishna pastimes of Lord Rama. Sukadeva Goswami also narrated Rama lila to king Parikshit. Ramayana and also Mahabharata are in skanda purana and there the Ramayana mahatmya is written.

Mother Yashoda used to narrate the pastimes of Lord Rama to baby Krishna. We did mention to mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters that they should always tell the story of Lord Rama to their children and younger siblings. In this way they will become noble and principled. At the moment the whole world is becoming degraded, characterless.

So just think that even mother Yashoda used to narrate the tale of Lord Rama to her child Krishna. That is the tradition of this bharat bhumi, India. Everyone has always heard and told the story of Lord Rama. When we were young our mother used to also tell us the story of Lord Rama or otherwise our older brother or father or school teachers would tell the story.

But now the telling of Lord Rama katha is not even allowed in schools. Krishna katha cannot be told. So as this has became a secular state, this situation has arisen and all religions have become so-called equal. This was called demon-crazy by Srila Prabhupada. This kind of democracy was called demon-crazy. So crazy people have made this constitution and have made this country a secular state.

The Lord has been told to get out! So Rama out, Krishna out. Maya is in and Krishna is out. Hari Hari. Ravana has been told to come in and Rama has been told to get out. So in this way Yashoda used to tell Krishna Rama katha. ‘Darling son there was once a king, king Rama, and there was a queen, Sita. And when they became forest dwellers, they reached Panchavati from Chitrakoot.

‘My son,’ she would say. And Lord Krishna would answer ‘hmm hmm’ and she would continue. So she must have told him the story in this way and then she continued, ‘I have come to beg alms. Then Marichi came in the form of a golden deer. He was able to change his form into anything he wanted.’ So Yashoda must have told Krishna this as well.

Then Sita really liked a deer, ‘I want that deer. Oh dear Rama, bring that deer near me.’ So the Rama went to chase that deer and bring it back. Then There was a cry ‘Lakshman!’ So then Sita sent Lakshman, ‘go go.’ Then Ravana appeared begging alms as Sita Maharani came forward and the evil Ravana had taken the form of a brahmana and he had come to make her cry. He had put on all his make up in the form of a brahmana and was carrying a stick and begging pot and he cried ‘I come begging alms.’

‘As Sita came forward that demon kidnapped her!’ In this way Yashoda is telling the story and as she spoke about how Sita Maharani had been kidnapped by a demon, the supreme Lord was lying on his mother’s lap and was drinking cow’s milk. He would say ‘I will not drink my milk and sleep till you tell me a story. Tell me a story, tell me a story.’

So Yashoda is telling him the story and giving him his milk as she speaks. The Lord is drinking his milk and is also tasting the nectar of the story, katha. Then suddenly as the demon came and kidnapped Sita, as soon as Krishna heard this, he jumped up from Yashoda’s lap and stood up shouting ‘Lakshman! Where is my bow and where is my arrow? Now I will show my strength and I will vanquish this demon! Vinashaya cha dushkritam. I will do this so hey Lakshman, let’s go!’

So child Krishna was listening to the tale of Rama, Lakshman and Sita and so he took on the mood of Rama. Child Krishna became Rama by taking on the mood of Lord Rama the mood of the Lord’s anger. So just like in the bhajan, the Lord comes as Rama or sometimes as Shyam. He doesn’t come as Sai Baba so you should always be careful and alert of this fact.

I am supposed to speak on Rama lila but look what I am speaking of instead. So when I was thinking of reciting this Rama lila after the japa talk was over, I was wondering what lila of Rama’s I should speak on. So there are so many pastimes that come to mind. So baby Krishna would say ‘tell me about Rama or Sita.’ And then there is Lakshman lila so the Lord would say ‘tell me about these things.’

Then there are so many other lilas of the devotees of the Lord. ‘You have not spoken to me anything about Hanuman yet. Tell me about Hanuman and narrate to me Hanuman lila.’ There are so many lilas, so how many you know? In the sastra it is said that just like the waves of the ocean cannot be counted, can they be? No, not even a computer could not count these waves.

They are asankhya, innumerable and there are so many new waves being formed. One set and another set, then another. In the same way there are so many pastimes or we could say that there are innumerable pastimes of each incarnation of the Lord. And how many incarnations are there? So sastra says this also, that the incarnations in themselves are innumerable just like the waves of the ocean.

Just like these waves in the ocean cannot be counted, it is impossible – so in the same way the incarnations of the Lord cannot be counted. How many incarnations are there? Nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu. The Lord incarnates in various incarnations, nanavatara. So we cannot say ‘okay, there are one thousand or one hundred thousand or a million incarnations of the Lord.’

No, the incarnations are innumerable and countless and as such, the Lord’s lika’s, pastimes are likewise innumerable. Then there is one personality who is actually the supreme Lord himself, and he becomes satisfied by reciting the Lord’s pastimes and that is Ananta Sesa. He is also called Sahasra Vadan and he has one thousand mouths.

And through his thousand mouths he constantly speaks the glories of Sri Hari. And from his one thousand mouths there are one thousand different pastimes being vibrated, not that from his one thousand mouths he is speaking the same lila. When there is a function, many times the speaker, when he is speaking they put a speaker, a loud speaker as they call India or a box speaker.

The purpose for this is that the sound can be heard from some distance away, however it is the same thing being said, just one thing. If you go to any corner of the place the same thing will be heard which is being spoken through different speakers. But when Sahasra Vadan Ananta Sesa speaks the pastimes of the Lord, then a thousand different pastimes of a thousand different incarnations is being recited at one time.

At the beginning of creation, the planets need to be supported in their orbits by some source of energy or some personality. So who does this in supporting the planets? Each planet has it’s own set place in which it moves about but that planet is being held in it’s place.
This Ananta Sesa is the one who maintains the planets upon his hoods which recline with the planet’s held on them. So in this way the whole world is placed upon the Lord’s hoods. Hari Hari. So the Lord himself who is maintaining the whole creation with all it’s planets was saying, ’till when will I have to support this burden and hold all these planets and the whole creation?’

Actually for the Lord it is not at all a burden and actually the whole creation is just like mustard seeds upon his hoods. So he is holding them all like mustard seeds, one mustard seed on one hood so maybe he will not even remember that he has put a planet which is like a mustard seed upon his hood. It is just like a small fly which sometimes sits upon our heads (laughter).

So for the Lord this is like child’s play, which it is. It is not a big deal for the Lord to maintain all these planets or the creation but he was still asking that ’till when will I have to carry them on my hoods?’ So he was told to do two things at one time. One was to carry the creation upon his hoods, so that’s one thing.

The other thing he was told to do is constantly speak the glories of the Lord’s name, form, pastimes, qualities and abode. And he was told ‘just as soon as you finish speaking about these and everything has been spoken, covered, then you do not need to hold the planets upon your heads anymore.’
So Lord Ananta Sesa, Sahasra Vadba started to think ‘okay, I have a thousand mouths and so with these thousand mouths I will run a marathon. This mean all day and all night I will continue speaking of the Lord’s name, form, pastimes, qualities and abode. Then it will all be finished quickly and then I will not have to do this work of holding the creation on my heads.’

So then he started speaking the Lord’s pastimes and so he went on speaking and speaking and still he is speaking but this lila narration is not ever going to end. We have become a little tired hearing the pastimes of the Lord, we are finding it a little bit burdensome ‘since when is Maharaja speaking on this katha and when will Maharaja become tired so we can have some rest?’

So this Sahasra Vadan is certainly not tired but his intention was that he would finish all the pastime narrations quickly so he would not have to carry the creation on his heads. But this is not happening even up till this day. Rama’s pastimes are so vast and also Lord Rama is always performing his pastimes. Rama’s lila is eternal and also he does not repeat the same pastimes again and so every time there is some new innovation in the pastimes.

So the pastimes therefore become eternal and go from one universe to another universe. So Rama lila and the Lord’s other lila’s are always happening and the Lord comes as Rama and then as Krishna and then Nrsimha or Varaha. So there is no end to the incarnations and nor their pastimes. So there is an ocean of pastimes, unlimited.

So we are tiny souls and therefore just one drop of the ocean of these pastimes is enough for us. We as the soul are so small, and therefore a drop of this ocean of pastimes, within that we can bathe. Just as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says ‘sarvatma snapanam.’ We have a whole bath, Abhishek in this ocean and we can dive into this one drop of the ocean of the Lord’s pastimes.So we keep flicking drops from this ocean of nectarean pastimes towards you through narration of the Lord’s pastimes and that is enough. So listen to these pastimes carefully and drown in them, dive and bathe in them as well, the Lord’s pastimes, his name and his dham, abode and in prashad. In this way become Rama devotees.

Are the devotees of Noida listening? Is my voice reaching you all? So look, my voice is even reaching Noida, this is how much influence I have (laughter). Hari Hari. This is the influence of being online. So the internet should also get credit for this, including the scientists and whoever else is involved is arranging the internet for us to be online. This is actually the best use and otherwise all else is abuse of the internet and whatever other facility, which most people do. But Hare Krishna devotees use the internet in the proper way. So working from home is happening at the moment, and so sit at home and perform your business from there online, E-commerce. The Hare Krishna devotees are doing the same at the moment and for them, working from home means working from within the temple.

Sitting in the temple, in the ashram, whatever work they have to do to aid preaching, they are doing.
Yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’ upadesa (CC Madhya lila 07.128)

Translation
Instruct everyone you see to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna
So with Rama Navami coming up, it is time to hear and chant the lila’s, katha of the Lord. We are sitting here in the temple and preaching and there they are sitting in Russia, the mataji’s, and they are listening. Are you listening Nandini? You understand a little Hindi, yes? And in Ukraine Arjuna is listening.

In Mauritius Chintamani Dham Mataji is listening and like that someone is in Solapura and then somebody else is in Pandharpura or in Noida. So do bhajan of Lord Rama.

Understanding the Super Excellence of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

So that is the theme, understanding the super excellence of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Srila Prabhupada ki jay!

He was and he is Gaudiya Vaishnava, coming in the line of disciplic succession and we are getting connected. So we are making this presentation, I won’t say this is complete presentation but some introductory presentation to make the point that Gaudiya Vaishnavism is super excellent like,

mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva [Bg 7.7]

Translation:

O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

Krishna said no one is equal to me and no one is superior to me. So Krishna is super excellent personality of godhead. So like that there are different features of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, so we have picked up a few items which are listed here. Achintya-Bheda-Abheda tattva or philosophy or the commentary on vedanta sutra is of Gaudiya Vaishnavas is super excellent, so that one. And Gaudiya sampradaya is super excellent and raganuga sadhana bhakti.

And Goloka dhama, amongst all the dhamas and there are many of them, is the topmost realm, super excellent and that is Gaudiya Vaishnavas preference, they don’t settle on any other level they go all the way to the top, topmost abode, super excellent abode Goloka. Mellows of bhakti, Gaudiya Vaishnavas only settle for the topmost rasa, madhurya rasa. That is what Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu relished and shared.

Super excellence of Srimad Bhagavatam ki jay!

And Chaitanya Charitamrita amongst all the scriptures, there are plenty of them. Srimad Bhagvatam is super excellent. And of all the personalities of godhead Krishna and Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are the topmost. Gaudiya Vaishnavism is Krishna consciousness.

Our presentation is based on the statements of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from Caitanya-matta-manjusa by Srila Viswanatha Cakravarti Thakura.

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

Translation

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

So the last line says, sri-caitanya mahaprabhor matam idam, this is the mat or opinion of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. What is his opinion? It is listed in the previous three lines and then tatradarah na parah, there is nothing superior or better than this opinion. Aradhyo bhagavan, when it comes to aradhana,

aradhananam sarvesam
visnor aradhanam param
tasmat parataram devi
tadiyanam samarcanam [Padma Purana]

Translation

Although in the Vedas there are recommendations for worshiping many demigods, Lord Visnu is the Supreme Person, and worship of Visnu is the ultimate goal of life. The Vedic principles of the varnasrama institution are meant to organize society to prepare everyone to worship Lord Visnu.

The topmost worshipable deity is vrajesa-tanayas, son of Nanda Maharaj. His dham, tad-dhama vrndavanam, that is the topmost dham and this is the opinion of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Then talking of the mode of worship, Sri Krishna is to be worshipped but the way you worship, which way? Radha’s way or Gopi’s way. Gopi’s mood and bhava, this is the best bhava, super excellent and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu recommends you to try to imbibe that spirit, that bhava and follow that mode of worship. Vraja-vadhu-vargena va kalpita, then talking of scripture srimad bhagavatam pramanam, Srimad Bhagavatam is the authority, why? Because Srimad Bhagavatam is spotless puram which other scriptures are not, there are some spots. Some puranas are in mode of goodness, some in passion or some in ignorance but Srimad Bhagavatam is spotless puran and prema pum-artho mahan. The popular purusharthas are dharma, arth, kama and moksha but according to Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu prema pum-artho. You should be striving for prem and not some economic development or ending in moksha. So this opinion of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the topmost, matchless and super excellent. So we are taking the basis of this statement of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

So we will be presenting you starting from zero. There are different vaad or isms siddhantas. Buddha presented voidism, ultimately we have to become nothing, do not even exist, zero.

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine

Translation

Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Chaitanya deva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

We always not only hear, say, sing this Prabhupada pranam mantra and that time we say shunyavad and this is shunyavad. Nirvisheshavad, that is one vad that is coming, the next one. The other one is shunyavad, shunya means zero. So what did Prabhupada do? Nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine, western country was saved by Srila Prabhupada and how did he do this? Gaura-vani-pracharine, he propagated Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s message and by doing so he saved the population of the west from the onslaught of shunyavad and nirvisheshavad.

So 2500 years ago, Lord Buddha was on the planet and he preached voidism for some reason. Then Shankaracharya appeared, Shiva appeared as Shankaracharya and before he appeared he spoke to Parvati,

mayavadam asac chastram
pracchannam bauddham uchyate
mayaiva kalpitam devi
kalau brahmana rupina [Padma Purana 6.236.7]

Translation

Mayavada or Advaita philosophy is an impious, wicked belief and against all the conclusions of the Vedas. It is only covered Buddhism. My dear Parvati, in Kali-Yoga I assume the form of a brahmana (Adi Shankara) and teach this imagined philosophy.

Kalau brahmana-rupina, I will be appearing in the form of a brahmin, I will appear in Kerala in the town called Kalady. Mayaiva kalpitam devi, my concoction, my speculation, my speculative theory I am going to present and name of that is Mayavad. This Mayavad is shastras for sure bug what kind of shastra? Asac chastram, it’s a false. Pracchannam bauddham uchyate, this is covered Buddhism or voidism. I am gonna make little progress and going to elevate everyone, stop them from getting into voidism. I will lift them and I will be making presentation of the philosophy, nirvisheshavaad which is also called Mayavad and it is asac chastram.

Here we go, we had a zero before and now we have one, that’s progress right? Zero to one. So what is this one? Advaitvaad. Aa means no and dvait means two, no two entities or personalities, everything is ultimately one. So what are these two parties which are one according to Shankaracharya? Living entity and supreme personality, so they become one or becoming one is the goal, merging into brahman. Buddha dev said don’t even exist, zero and Shankaracharya said don’t become void but just exist and don’t do anything. Doing is maya, seeing is maya, everything is maya, the form is maya, Brahman Satyam Jagat Mithya. So some progress was made from zero to one but still higher to go.

Then 1200 years ago Ramanujacharya appeared and then Madhvacharya, Nimbarkacharya and Vishnuswami. They appeared in four authorised sampradayas, Brahma, Sri, Rudra and Kumar sampradaya. They wrote commentaries on vedanta sutra and their philosophy has become known as dvaita siddhanta of Madhvacharya, visista siddhanta of Ramanujacharya, shudha dvaita siddhanta of Sri Vishnuswami and dvaita advait siddhanta of Sri Nimbarkacharya. Basically they are all talking of two now. It dosen’t sound like that they are, the siddhanta that we just read, they are talking of two. Living entity and Lord, two, eternally they are two.

mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutah sanatanah

Statement of Sri Krishna where he says, “Okay we are part and parcels of Lord”. Living entity is the part and parcel of the lord and how long do they remain parts and parcels? How long? Sanatana. “mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah”. Jiva loke- in this lokas, jiva bhutah-living entities they are mama-my parts and parcels, for how long? Sanatana-all the time. Eternally they are parts and parcels. So this is vaisnava siddhanta. Especially, this two, two was emphasized by Madhvacharya. So when you see photograph of Madhvacharya, he shows like a victory. Victory over this mayavada. Defeat it and vaisnavism became victorious.

So, he was very much fought, all of his childs fought against shunyavada. Specially against this advaita impersonal presentation. So advaita advaita advaita. Okay from zero to one to two. For that was not everything, still some more progress has to be made or while emphasizing, making the point two two two two. Living entity and the Lord are two. Okay understand two. Not one, two. So this two was too much emphasized.

The Gaudiya vaisnavism did more a balancing act. Separated too much. Too much distance from each other. Stay away, stay away. You are two, you are separated. You are a living entity, you just tiny creature, stay away. so , Brahma, Madhva and then Madhva was already there. So the Gaudiya Vaisnava, Vaisnavism added a dimension and there was a evolution from zero to one to two to two and one. Simultaneously two and one, simultaneously one and simultaeneusly one and different. So it was our Baladev Vidya Bhushan ki .

He also wrote a commentary. At one point we did not have, Gaudiyas did not have our own commentary on vedanta sutra. Gaudiyas were thinking, there’s no need to write another commentary on vedanta sutra. Srimad Bhagvatam is a natural commentary on vedanta sutra. This understanding of Gaudiya Vaisnavas, so they were not writing. But as a result, the others were not taking as seriously, the Gaudiya vaisnavas. Where is your commentary on vedanta sutra? So there were challenges in Jaipur. Whole history and then Vishawanath Chakraborty Thakur. He was the guardian of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism, gaudiya parampara. So he dispatched his disciples Baladev Vidya Bhushan,you Go and then whole debate and then he compiled Gaudiya Vaisnavas commentary on vedanta sutra or he did not write, did not take credit for writing.

It was written by or dictation was given by Govind dev. Jaipur’s or Rupa Goswami’s Govind dev. And he was just writing and Govind was speaking. Radha Madan Mohan ki. And then, so when compilation was completed, he gave the title, they say Govind Bhashya. This Bhashya, this commentary, whose commentary is this? Govind. Govind gave commentary. Govind made the commentary. So that’s how Gaudiya Vaisanavas commentary is known as Govind Bhashya, which was compiled. Baladev Vidya Bhushan became instrument and the philosophy now was “Achintyabhedabhed”. Achintya- Inconceivable, also fact, bhedabhed-bhed and what , abhed. Bhed is what difference, abheda means no difference. There is difference, there is no difference. So qualitatively, living entity and the Lord, Supreme Personality and living entity are quantitatively same and quantitatively they are different. So this way abhed and bhed was established and it took some. How long did it take? Some 2000 years. From zero to one to two, one and two simultaneously. One and difference.

What I meant was style now, there’s no more evolution or any further progress to be made. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sealed the deal. This is it.

So what we see, you are seeing. This is Mayapur dham. Nawadwip dham ki. And the personality in blue, bluish garments is Nityananda Prabhu and the other one in white robes, that is Jiva Goswami and Nityananda Prabhu gave tour to Jiva Goswami of Nawadwip, Nawadwip Parikrama. But before that happened 500 years ago, all these four acharyas, Vaishnava acharyas that we mentioned to you. Even we showed you how they looked like. They all one by one, during whenever they were on the planet, they were visiting Mayapur Nawadwip and each one of them had darshan of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur talks about this is in Nawadwip Mandal, Nawadwip dham Mahatmya. Scripture that we used as a guide book when we go on Nawadwip Mandal parikrama. So in there, he talks about these acharyas visiting and take a note Ramananujacharya visited some 1000 years ago. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu only appeared 500 years ago. So how come he managed to get darshan. So understanding is Nawadwip is the Lord’s eternal abode and is always there. His …either manifest or unmanifest, prakat or aprakat. So during aprakat lila when lord had not officially appeared or come, not remove the curtain. So before lord making an appearance. So these achayras were encounters with the lord, darshans.

So Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur talks that when he met Nimbarkacharya, once they were going so Nimbarkacharya visited Nawadwip and had darshan encountered dialogue with Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, “You know what I’m gonna do is, I’m gonna accept two of the best qualities from each of these four Vaisnava Sampradaya. They are authorised sampradayas.”

“Sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah”

You have to be connected with authorised parampara so these are the four authorised paramparas. So, that is not only Mahaprabhu said, but he also did that and what are the two qualities from 4 of those sampradayas Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accepted within his sampradaya. This is a list based on, information based on Nawadwip dham Mahatmya.

So from Sri sampradaya, he accepted this two qualities, Ananya Bhakti and Bhaktjan seva.

From Madhvacharya Keval Advaitcharya niraas. Means he was a crusader, he really fought for the khandan. Mayavada khandan,mandan, mundan. So that spirit of Madhavacharya, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accepted within his sampradaya. And then he also said saying,

“mayavad bhashya sunile, hoile sarvanash, mayavad bhashya sunile, hoile sarvanash ”

If you here mayavad bhashya, you are doomed, you are finished. So this was Madhvacharya’s. He was into this. So that became a part of Gaudiya Vaisnava spirit and fought. So that was from Madhva, keval advaita nirasaan. And nitrya mutri krishna seva. Deity worship. Madhvacharya’s deity worship standards are excellent. So Mahaprabhu accepted that.

From Rudra sampradaya, tadiya-sarvasva-bhava, surrendering, raga marg. A path or process or raga marg. From Kumar sampradaya, ekanta-radhikasraya and gopi-bhava.

So Gaudiya sampradaya become enriched, but then Mahaprabhu took 2 good qualities from other sampradayas making his own sampradaya richer or excellent and matchless. That is a speciality of Gaudiya Vaisnava parampara, Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Sadhana bhakti has two parts, Vaidhi sadhana and Raganug sadhan. We go behind. Anu -to follow, to go right behind, what raga, we follow raag. Raag- attachment. Attachment with the Lord. Raganuga. We are Rupanuga, like that.

So, Krishna’s contemplation before his descent as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So in Goloka, Krishna is still there and he wants to come down to the earth. So before appearance, thinking, who is thinking? He could think right. He is a thinker .God is thinking . Contemplating. Stop, Think, Proceed. Right. Before proceeding to come down here, he has stopped and he is thinking. Okay what are his thoughts. So this is based on Chaitanya Charitamrita (Adi lila 4.15) .

r?ga-m?rga bhakti loke karite prac?ra?a
prema-rasa-niry?sa karite ?sv?dana

Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is contemplating on ‘I want to relish this raga marga’, bhava bhakti marga, gopi bhava, radha bhava, ‘I want to relish and propagate and share this.’ Love weakened by sense of majesty doesn’t satisfy me. I don’t become subservient to such Love. Some other process called aishwarya mishrit or jnana mishra bhakti, there’s understanding that the God is Great and all people in bhakti and all in reverence.

So Lord is thinking, the Love weakens by the sense of majesty. The God is Great. I don’t become subservient to such love. On the contrary, if someone thinks me as his son, if someone thinks me as his friend, if a devotee or someone thinks me as his beloved, he’s equal or inferior then I’m satisfied with him. So this is the Lords thought.

OK, so Sri Prabhupada ki Jay !!!

Srila Prabhupadas Radha Damodar Temple and Srila Prabhupadas lifetime Preparation to come to west, to establish Krishna Consciousness, do foundation registration, do propagation, so prior doing that in Radha Damodar Temple in Vrindavan, Sri Prabhupada all his superexcellent, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, he’s contemplating upon and he’s realizing and as that revealed onto him. So there’s a Srila Prabhupadas Kitchen, doesn’t look like but there’s a kitchen where Prabhupada used to sit and there’s a window and Prabhupada could see through Rupa Goswamis Samadhi, Bhajan Kutir and Srila Prabhupad’s preparing and want to establish the super excellence of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, propagate that and all lot of these things which we are presenting. Srila Prabhupad presented the best.

And then talking about Dhama, topmost Dhama is Golok dhama and Nija Dhama. Golok Dhama and at the bottom where we are? Where Washington DC is? Which part of dhama is this? Devi Dhama. Durga Devis Dhama.

(Hari Hari)

The President is Lord and other guys see as a strings you know as puppeteer. And all of us, each one are puppets. Whether President or citizens, etc, everyone is controlled by Lords energy Durga. So the Devi Dhama here and above this devi Dhama, above the Brahmanda is Mahesh Dhama. Half part of Mahesh Dhama is Devi Dham, the lower half. The upper Half is part of Vaikuntha, it’s as good as Vaikunth, and lower half is part of Devi Dham. So there’s Mahesh Dham, Sadashiv functions in different way being in upper part, and the other half lower part which is dark side or ignorant part or the destructive part (Kal bhairava) of Shiva functions in different way. So Mahesh Dham and Hari Dham and above that is Ayodhya Dham (Sri Ram Dham) and above that is Golok Dham. In Golok comes Dwarka where Krishna is Complete and there’s Mathura where Krishna is Purnatar (more Complete) and there’s Vrindavan where Lord is Purnatam (most Complete) and that Vrindavan realm has two compartments, one is Vrindavan and other one is Nawadwip. So in Vrindavan, one part is Radha Krishna their personalities, they perform their pastimes and the other division of Golok, they combine forms, sri Krishna Chaitanya, Radha Krishna, so that is another part. And Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, gave up Golok, one of the puranas mentions this, that Gaurang Mahaprabhu left Golok behind and entered this world to relieve us. So Golok Dham ki Jay ! assert at top and then the Vichar (Consideration) means to Consider, to analyze, to understand Rasa. Lord is made up of Rasa. He’s full of Ras vigraha.

(Hari Hari)

You see 5 rasa there. This all Chaitanya Mahaprabhu talking to Sanatan Goswami in Varanasi for 2 months the dialogue was on. So it’s based on the Chaitanya Charitamrit, 19 Chapter, the verses are mentioned. Shanta Rasa has Krishna Nishtha and Trishna tyaag (giving up thirst or attachment). Then he becomes Shanta i.e Shanta Rasa Bhakt. You could say the other two items are there, what is added is Seva Bhav. Shanta Ras is not into Seva, he just sits and appreciate or doesn’t have service attitude. But as soon as one is blessed with Dasya Rasa he gets up and he begins acting serving the Lord. Moving forward or going upward Sakhya Ras, what is additional is Vishrambha sakhya. Vishrambha means equality or becoming Samaras. The same Rasa or no distinction level, merging thoughts and same feelings and like that is called Vishrambha. And then Vatsalya has additional aspect called Palak gyan. One who is dealing with Lord in Vatsalya Ras, Vatsalya Parenthood of Nanda Baba and Yashoda, they become palaka, they become protectors and maintainers of the Lord. We’re the maintainers, they think like this. The palak and palya. Palya is Child, and one who does palan is Palak. And there’s a devotee. Devotee becomes Palak. And Madhurya Ras as Nijanga Dan. In one’s body there’s no reservation, there’s no holding back or full surrender. All that they do is only for Lord. Their mind, Body, Soul, everything for the pleasure of the Lord. And that is Madhurya which is the most sweetest Rasa. You could see this Prabhus, one time they were in Shant Ras, but then they made progress and they achieved the status of Dasya Ras. So in Vaikuntha there is predominance of Dasya (service attitude). So there’s a praise for Laxmi Narayan

yam brahmA varuNendra rudra maruta: stunvanti divyai: stavai:
The demigods and others are there for the Dasya Ras. Now this is something interesting that Aishwarya means Sakhya. So Krishna even Declared that you are my friend. So Sakhya Ras between Arjuna and Krishna, but this is Aishwarya mishrit. Then Lord showed universal form to Arjuna and he realized and said sorry to Krishna and to accept his Apologies as he was to lie down on krishnas bed and eat with Krishna in one plate. And realized and said that this is not proper. You are so great and I’m nobody. So this is Aishwarya mishrit Sakhya.We could say Vishrambha Sakhya Ras.

The coward boys would say to Krishna that Who do you think you are? So Lord used to say we’re friends. So this is Vishrambha Sakhya. They never pray to Krishna. After seeing lords universal form Arjuna started crying, and begging for forgiveness. He said I was thinking that I was friend and no no no this is not true. But the friends, they will never apologize, because they’re friends. That’s all. And here is Aishwarya mishrit vatsalya.

So in Mathura, Krishna and Vasudev, Devki and Krishna appeared on Janmashtami night, the parents started offering prayers to the baby Krishna. So this is Aishwarya. But does Yashoda offers prayers ? No, she was strict. Punished him softly when needed. So this is Vishrambha Vatsalya. On this Aishwarya mishrit Madhurya Ras aand Vaikuntha Lokas. But in Vrindavan there’s Vishrambha Madhurya Rasa. So this Vishrambha Vatsalya, Vishrambha Madhurya Rasa, Vishrambha Sakhya Rasa.

So what I am thinking is to stop it here. There are also more aspects than which have been discussed here.

Say something about Bhagavatam or Bhadra purnima. Bhadra is the name of the month, sravan, vaishakh, chaitra then bhadrapad. Lord Krishna also appeared in bhadrapad. So something else also happened 500 years ago in the month of bhadra. So bhadra purnima, full moon night of the month bhadrapada, Srimad Bhagavatam recitation by Sukdev Goswami was completed. The first ever official Bhagavatam was recited in Hastinapur on the bank of Ganga, now it is known as Sukhtal. So there Sukdev Goswami, he started his Bhagavatam recitation in navmi, ninth day of Bhadrapad and seventh day was purnima when completion of Bhagavatam took place. 12th canto of Bhagavatam was recited on the last day and he did more than 12 cantos.

The last chapter of Bhagwatam, pages must be, 335th chapter Bhagwatam has, so this is the last chapter and the title is Glories of Srimad Bhagwatam. 13 th Chapter’s 13th Text, if on the full moon day on the month of Bhadra one places Srimad Bhagwatam on Golden Throne, and gives it as a gift, he will attain the supreme transcendental destination. Hari Bol ! Not a big deal. So Iskcon for some years now have been celebriting, observing Bhadra poornima festival. This day Bhagwatam was completed and was ready to go and was being offered to the whole world. So, Iskcon around the world is appealing to take part in this festival campaign of distribution of Whole Bhagwatam sets. So, this year the poornima is on 13th September if I remember. So this is august now, so next month it is. So, day and night, I would also like if you joined this campaign and get a set of bhagwatam for yourself or if you have one, so get one or many for others to give that as a gift.

prausthapadyam paurnamasyam
hema-simha-samanvitam
dadati yo bhagavatam
[SB 12.13.13]?sa yati paramam gatim

Translation:
If on the full moon day of the month of Bhadra one places Srimad-Bhagavatam on a golden throne and gives it as a gift, he will attain the supreme transcendental destination.

One who gives Srimad –Bhagavatam as gift attains supreme destination, Jai Golok dhama ki jai.
Just introduced you to Golok dhama. Last year thousands of sets were distributed , I was last night at Baltimore, they distributed 7000 sets. Baltimore is number 4 in the world. Baltimore ki jai. In India also some temples did hundreds and some temple did thousands of Srimad –Bhagavatam sets distribution. We would like to see that happening in Washington DC also.

Radha Madan Mohan ki…jai
Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai

This super excellent scripture. Srila Prabhupada carried to West his japa mala, he had his personal copy of Caitanya Caritamrita and he was carrying 200 sets of Srimad –Bhagavatam. Mahabhagavat Srila Prabhupada ki jai.

Mahabhagavat Srila Prabhupada travelled with Srimad- Bhagavat. Books are the basis. Bhagavatam is the basis of Krsna Consciousness. So we all have to spread Krsna consciousness all over. So we will do it. If you want to change the world the person you have to change is your own self. As I reached I was said to speak few words in support of this campaign.

Bhadra Pornima Bhagavatam distribution campaign ki jai
Srila Prabhupada ki jai

Initiation Class
Leicester
Live streaming
4th April 2021

All those getting initiated today, for your information, if you did not know that all of them were inspired and most casual to receive initiation from His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja but Lord had different plan. Maharaja suddenly left us behind and he has moved on to wherever Srila Prabhupada is or Radha Madhava is. Then it is our duty or his God brothers’ duty to do the needful.

We miss His Holiness very much. I do not know where we could feel in the gaps or be the substitute. But here you go. This is the best we could do or Pradyumna could do, that he has approached me and recommended these eligible and qualified candidates to be accepted as second initiates four of them and one receiving the first initiation.

Srimati Priya mataji, Rakshita Radhika mataji, Priya Darshan prabhu, Vrajaraja Krsna prabhu are the candidates receiving second initiation today. Sheetal mataji, the good wife of Priya Darshan prabhu, receiving first initiation. Thank you for that reminder, Pradyumna prabhu, all this is happening on appearance day of Srivasa Thakura.

The sankirtana movement kind of practically began there in the courtyard of Srivasa Pandit, who was non than Narada Muni who himself appeared. Why is he called Narada? Srivasa Pandit was Narada. They simultaneously exist like that. He was giver of Narayana so he is called Narada. Da means giver so Narada, as Srivasa Pandit was giving out Supreme Narayana. Supreme Narayana is Sri Krsna or Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

How was he giving Narayana or Supreme Narayana, Sri Krsna, to others? In the form of the holy name.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

It is certainly a very auspicious appearance of Srivasa Thakura. There are so much could be said about Srivasa Thakura, Srivasa Pandit, one of the members of the Panca Tattva. We could certainly say that by his merciful arrangement or merciful glance upon all of us, including those initiates.

They are receiving or I could say that are getting promoted today and they will be receiving yet another mantra which is Gayatri mantra. So they would be becoming brahmins, officially.

janmana jayete sudrah samskarad bhaved dwijah

When we are born we are sudras. In India we call manusya prani. Manusya is one of the pranis, or one of the creatures. As sudra we are in ignorance, as children also when we are born, we do not know what is what and our whereabouts. So in that sense also. Sudra by birth and as one undergoes samskaras, purificatory process, then one becomes dvijah, twice born or second birth. First birth parents give then spiritual master on behalf of parampara and the Supreme Lord gives the second birth we are birth within the birth.

veda pathad bhaved viprah

It also says as one studies veda patha, studies the Sastras, the Vedas, the Puranas, for us Gita, Bhagavat, then one becomes vipraha, means learned or learned brahmin or dwijah the second birth. First initiation is also kind of second birth. Then further promotion you are getting brahminical initiation. So that is you will also have to, I do not know when you will be arranging that, formalise finally with the fire sacrifice. The mantras, the fire, yajna and svaha and stamp of approval finally happens with that. I leave that up to Pradyumna prabhu to organise.

It may or may not happen today but we are initiating this second initiation process by, first of all, talking about brahminical initiation ans second initiation. What us a brahmin will have to be also stated or job description of the brahmin. Which are the qualifications of the brahmins? pathan paathan, yajan yaajan, studying and teaching and accepting dakshina and giving charities and performing yajnas and teaching others or getting others involved with the yajna. Of course, the yajna that we performed is mostly sankirtana yajna. We do swaha swaha from time to time, we are not against, it is part. But the main yajna that we do perform is sankirtana yajna. This are the six activities or qualities of a brahmin.

In 18th chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Krsna is talking about the qualities of all the members of the varana. Brahmins, ksatriya, vaisyas, sudras. Beginning with the qualities of the brahmanas in the 18th chapter, text 42,

samo damas tapah saucam
ksantir arjavam eva ca
jnanam vijnanam astikyam
brahma-karma svabhava-jam [BG 18.42]

You could go back if you have not already visited that verse or not familiar or no memorized. Not just memorization but cultivated that spirit and developed sense control and mind control, the austerities. I would just wind up saying this the knowledge and how to, practically, apply that knowledge that is called vidyan. Brahmin is quite a post and position and responsibility. He is considered as the head of the society.

In sastras, the brahmins are called the uttama anga. Uttama means the best of the topmost. Anga means the limb or part of the body. So brahmin is uttama angah, so the best. You could also say the top. The head is at the top. Another parts on the side. The arms division, they are ksatriyas, they are administrators. Then belly are vaishyas and the keg are assisting all divisions of the society. So brahmin is the head. He gives the direction to all of the parts the body or components of the society.

So, its quite a responsibility. Prabhupada would say that, “The present society is a headless society, headless society. There is no head, there is no brahmin.” Like a headless chicken. The head has to be there. It was Prabhupada’s idea that he wanted to put head on the top of the society. The society is considered the body, then the brahmin as the head. He was cultivating brahminical culture within his International Society for Krsna Consciousness. His ideas was to provide what the society was lacking. The society was lacking brahmin, knowledge.

This is the of Kali so there is a dominance of “kalau sudra sambhavah.” In Kali Yuga we find mostly the sudras and what are sudras known for? They are known for their ignorance. As brahmins are known for their knowledge, the sudras are known for their ignorance. “Kalau satva haram pumsam.” Satva means the essence and also means goodness. So, in the age of Kali, the goodness is taken away. Society is deprived goodness. Society minus goodness is ignorance. A society minus brahmanas is full of sudras.

Srila Prabhupada wanted brahmins to guide the society, to guide the human race. Qualified brahmins, not born brahmins. Krsna has different idea. Krsna says,

catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [BG. 4.13]

“Maya srstam”, by Me created catur, four varanas. What are those? Brahmins, ksatriyas, vaisya, sudras are the varanas. How would they be classified or distinguished or categorised, who is who, who belongs to which varanas? “Guna karma,” according to gunas, their activities and their qualities. What gunas, what qualities Lord is talking about? Basically, our foundational qualities are 3 in number: sattwa guna, rajo guna, tamo guna – goodness, passion and ignorance.

When there is predominance of goodness in our life – the goodness predominating brahmins – then goodness is minimised, it becomes ksatriya and some passion is also mixed with that. Goodness is further minimised, it become vaisya and some passion and ignorance is also there. And the most minimal amount of goodness, then you are sudra, you are ignorant. Mostly full of ignorance and passion and tiny bit of goodness, occasionally some good thing they may think or do.

So, we are happy that two matajis and two prabhus, or sometimes, two prabhus and two prabhuvis. This is a technical or official way that they could be called prabhuvi. Two prabhuvi and two prabhus. They had been cultivating Krsna consciousness and practicing Krsna consciousness for quite sometime now. So, they are found to be or authorities have found potential in them of being a brahmin, full fledged brahmins. Not that they are already full fledged brahmins but this is the meaning of initiation also: we initiate, we begin. Then we revive and finally, we thrive. Then all the qualities are fully manifested.

The potential is there so they are being awarded this brahminical initiation or the Gayatri mantras. We are happily will be offering this Gayatri mantra which is confidential. Hence, we will not say that publicly. Everybody is here, whole public is here. Of course, in India, you get to hear the public chanting or they would even write the Gayatri mantra on the wall and anybody and everybody could read. But this is supposed to be confidential.

Now on the turn to Sheetal mataji, the candidate for first initiation. After we have dealt with that, then privately, on a separate forum we will share the Gayatri mantra to those four candidates for the second initiation. Becoming brahmins, so go on studying and teaching, “pathan paathan.” Read books, read books. Then distribute books, distribute books; or distribute the knowledge in those books.

Gayatri mantras are pancaratriki vidhi mantras. This will make you eligible and qualified to worship the deities and we understand there is a demand of brahmins. Pradyumna prabhu, “brahmins wanted! Brahmins wanted!” So, as you become brahmind, qualified and duly initiated, equipped with the Gayatri mantras, you could worship the deities.

sruti-smrti-puranadi-
pancaratriki-vidhim vina
aikantiki harer bhaktih
utpatayaiva kalpate [Brs. 1.2.101]

Pancaratriki vidhi is essential for worshipping the deities.

Right, I was asking Sheetal mataji, “you are chanting, right? You have been chanting Hare Krsna maha mantra?”

– Yes, Hare Krsna.

– Okay, good. Because I am signing up for life here (laughter). Otherwise, there is a one way traffic going on here which is I am the one. So, you will be formally receiving this Hare Krsna maha mantra as part of your first initiation. Initiated chanting of Hare Krsna maha mantra. And you will be also taking vows. Hari bol.

The four regulative principles, you will be taking vows very soon and also on the occasion of first initiation, the ten offences against the holy name are to be remembered or recited as a reminder to the candidate that the offences are to be avoided to get a full benefit of chanting the Hare Krsna maha mantra.

This is the age of Kali. The process of Krsna realisation, I would not say God realisation because we know the name of God, so why we should we call Him God? We call Him Krsna. Krsna realisation. So the process of Krsna realisation is chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

Lord personally appeared just few days ago, on Gaura Purnima day, 5035 years ago. And what did He do? He appeared and He had come with a gift of the Holy name. Lord was personally chanting that Holy name and He declared that this is the only way.

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau
nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyata

There is no other way, there is no other way. The holy name is the way to go forward or go back to Godhead or to realise Sri Krsna. Kali Santarana Upanisad says something similar, om. This is a vedic mantra so, it begins with,

“hare krishna hare krishna
?krishna krishna hare hare
?hare rama hare rama
?rama rama hare hare
iti sodasakam namnam?kali-kalmasa-nasanam?natah parataropayah?sarva-vedesu drsyate

‘After searching through all the Vedic literature, one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Krishna.’”

This is Brahma talked and Narada heard. Same Narada again, who has appeared as Srivasa Thakur. In the beginning of the age of Kali, he goes to Bramha Loka, goes to his father and his spiritual master. He says, “now what to do? What should the people of this age of Kali do, so that they could realise Krsna, realise God. I am a preacher and as I go around I have to give them the right mantra, right process. So, please, dear father, dear spiritual master, please, tell me what should I tell others?”

So, in response to his query, Bramha said what I said earlier, (the verse om hare krsna…) These 16 names will do what? Kali kalamasa nasanam. All the kalamas, all the faults, flaws, defects of this age of Kali will be rectified or destroyed by the chanting of these 16 names.

The sastras are full of such recommendations. This Hare Krsna maha mantra is kind of custom made just for the people of the age of Kali. This is dharma, in fact. The chanting of Hare Krsna maha mantra is the dharma of this age of Kali. We, human beings, are expected to be dharmic or spiritual-religious people, accept religion. So which religion to accept? Caitanya Caritamrta says,

avatari’ caitanya kaila dharma-pracarana
kali-kale dharma – krsna-nama-sankirtana [CC Madhya 11.98]

Harinama is Kali’s dharma. Dharma in the age of Kali is chanting of Hare Krsna. I think it becomes so very easy, of course, we have to accept Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the original and Supreme Personality of Godhead. Okay, we do as He said or, we do as He did. And He is the supreme authority, Supreme Lord personally has come. He has taken up the role as a devotee, He has become Gaura bhakta or He has become bhakta. He is all the time just chanting and dancing. This way,

apane acari jagate siksah
siksartham ekah purusah puranah

Siksastmakan, in order to teach. The oldest and original person, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He, Himself chanted and danced. And He also did japa and kirtan. He has set an example and He is also guru.

krsnam vande jagad guru

Original guru is Krsna. He had also predicted that this holy name will reach every town and every village, all over the world. Kindly, Srila Prabhupada had made that arrangement. He founded the International Society for Krsna Consciousness. He was travelling all over. He was doing global trotting and he set a team of his senior disciple to England and this is how the propagation began in England. Then spreading in London, and everywhere and had reached Leicester.

I do not know where Sheetal mataji came in contact with the holy name but it has reached you (Sheetal mataji). Just see the long journey. Holy name has been travelling and travelling and the holy name is Lord. That is something we also have to realise. This Hare Krsna mahamantra that you will be receiving is Lord Himself. During initiation as we give this mahamantra, we are giving you Lord. How Lord? In form of the holy name. “Abhinatvat namanaminau.” There is no difference between nama and nami.

So, Sheetal should be saying, “thank God for catching up with me. I had been going up and down and, round and round. But Lord has finally caught up with me with you.” And I should say the same thing as Pradyumna prabhu, as part of the introduction, was saying, “50 years ago, the holy name caught up with me also.”

Srila Prabhupada was in Mumbai, there was Hare Krsna Festival which I had joined and Prabhupada had come there with American and European sadhus. I had gone to attend that Hare Krsna Festival and that is where I came in contact or,the holy name caught up with me, 50 years ago.

Today is, in fact, the grand finale of the festival, just in few hours. At 7 PM IST, we will have a celebration. We will be sharing our memories. We will have Giriraja Maharaja and Radhanath Maharaja, Visakha mataji and Yadhuvara prabhu and Ksudhi prabhu. From Sweden we will have Vegvan prabhu and his good wife, Padmavati. In fact, Padmavati and Vegavan were married 50 years ago, on stage as I was just in the audience there.

The holy name was very kind and so now we are formalizing that communication, that connection with the Supreme Lord, in the form of the holy name. Communicating and relating with the soul, Sheetal’s soul. Sheetal is body and there is a soul. Two souls, one is anu atma and the other one is vibhu atma – the Supersoul or the holy name and then atma, the soul. They are united as one chants the holy name with devotion and this is called bhakti yoga.

10th Birthday of Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan

ISKCON Nashik
10 March 2021

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Swami Maharaja Ki jaya
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya

As I said I would be present in this program, so here I am. We got the calendar of Radha Madan Gopal 2021 is already here, beautiful darsana and so many beautiful pictures. Hari Hari!!. Today, the devotees of Nasik and so many devotees from different locations, I am not in Nasik but today I have become a devotee of Nasik on the 10th anniversary of Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan. Hari Hari!!

I do remember, in Nigdi Sri Sri Radha Govind was installed, and the next day there was the installation of Radha Madan Mohan in Nasik. We were all there, the program in Nigdi was not over, so Radhanath Swami left me there and I could not be in Nasik that year. So, one after another, one day for Radha Govind and two or three days later for Radha Madan Mohan. Radha Madan Mohan ki Jaya!!

The deities were installed or there was the appearance of the deities. There is no difference, the Lord’s form is God Himself. We pointed fingers to show that, look over there is God. There is no difference between the form and God Himself, and also the name of the God and God Himself. It is difficult to understand this.

Abhinatvat nama namino

Means God is non-different from His name. ‘Krishna jinka nama hain’. There is no difference between the name of God and God Himself; this is easy to understand. So, I pay obeisance to the Lord that appears in the form of deities.

sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nanashringara-
tan-mandira-marjanadau
yuktasya bhaktams cha niyunjato pi
vande guroh sri-charanaravindam [Sri Gurvashtakam 3 verse]

Translation:

The spiritual master is always engaged in the temple worship of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. He also engages his disciples in such worship. They dress the Deities in beautiful clothes and ornaments, clean Their temple, and perform other similar worship of the Lord. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.

So Lord appears in the form of deities, Sri Vigrah. So, 10 years ago in Nasik Radha Madan Gopal appeared. It became a birth place, like Krishna’s birth place is known as Mathura. But where the Lord appears it is said to be His birth place. Iskcon Nasik and this ‘brahma utsav’ mean Lord’s birthday. Happy birthday to you Radha Madan Gopal.

So, today is Radha Madan Gopal 10th birthday. So, would we ask ‘oh Krishna how old are you’? Like the western says; they do not ask how young you are rather they ask how old are you? So, I was about to say our Radha Madan Gopal is now 10 years old. But some time earlier some devotees were singing,

govindam adi-puru?am tam aham bhajami

Our Mahatma prabhu, my god brother sung it melodiously and devotees were trying to follow the same tune. Only he can sing in this way.

So, how old is Govind or Radha Madan Gopal but before that they are ‘purusam’. There is no time that Govind or Radha Madan Gopal was not ‘adi-purusam’. It is also called ‘adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca’. He is the oldest, Krishna is ‘adi-purusam’ ‘nav yavanam ca’. Today’s youth have to become old one day they have no choice but Krishna never becomes old. He remains young .

So, Their Lordships are 10 years old and slowly they will be 100 years and more 500 years. And their Lordships will always be there. The generation will come and go in Nasik but Radha Madan Gopal will stay the same. We are all engaged in the service of their Lordship Radha Madan Gopal. By singing also we render service either govindam adi-puru?am or

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

Bhakti is when we engage our senses to be pure in the service of the Lord. God who is the Lord of our senses ‘Rishikesh’, we engage our body and senses

‘kayena vaca manasa vaca’

When we serve the Lord or ‘Pranair arthair dhiya vaca.’ So, God is pleased when we render service. So, we can serve the Lord in different ways. So, The Lord is in Goloka dhama, there are many lives serving the Lord along with the Gopi, Nanada baba, Sudhama and friends and many servants. Likewise in Goloka Vrndavana, the Lord appears and the service goes on and He gives souls like us the opportunity to serve Him. How merciful and generous Radha Madan Gopal is. By singing also we render service.

There are some foolish people who speak rubbish, they say that God doesn’t have form. These are Mayavadis, impersonalists. They say, “Yes, God exists but He doesn’t have any form”. Srila Prabhupada used to say, “You have form but God doesn’t, how is it possible”. Srila Prabhupada wrote,

om purnam adah purnam idam
purnat purnam udacyate
purnasya purnam adaya
purnam evavasisyate [Isopanisad Invocation]

Translation
The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.

Here Prabhupada wrote that God is complete but if you say that God doesn’t have form then God becomes incomplete. So God definitely has a form. Christians always say that Man is made in the image of God. So God made humans as He is, as His form is. They also say that Jesus is sitting next to God’s right hand in heaven or spiritual world. So this shows that God is there then only Jesus can sit next to His hand.

God or Radha Madan mohan appears as it is or as they are in this world. Lord incarnates, avatari, comes down. It means as God incarnates in this material world as He is in the spiritual world. It’s like when a person living on the 10th floor comes down by stairs or lifts, he seems to be the same as he is on the 10th floor. So when he comes down you can shake hands with him, talk to him or can also take a selfie with him, similar is the case when God incarnates in this world.

ramadi-murtishu kala-niyamena tishthan
nanavataram akarod bhuvaneshu kintu
krishnah svayam samabhavat paramaha puman yo
govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami [BS 5.39]

Translation
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Krishna and the different avataras in the world in the forms of Rama, Nrisimha, Vamana, etc., as His subjective portions.
Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai!

In some days we will celebrate Gaura Purnima. On this day God appeared as Nimai or Gauranga. Before Him Krishna was there at the end of Dwapara yuga. So God appears in different forms in this world and this is His mercy.

kali-kale nama-rupe krsna-avatara
nama haite haya sarva-jagat-nistara [CC Adi 17.22]

Translation
In this Age of Kali, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, is the incarnation of Lord Krsna.
In Kaliyuga, Krishna appears in the form of His name, which is also a form. So God appears as name, form, lila or deity.

naham tisthami vaikunthe
yoginam hrdayesu va
tatra tisthami narada
yatra gayanti mad-bhaktah

Translation
I am not in Vaikuntha nor in the hearts of the yogis. I remain where My devotees engage in glorifying my activities.

Language is Sanskrit but you can understand. The Lord says that I appear at that place where My devotees glorify Me. This happened when the Gopis lost their Krishna, they came at the bank of Yamuna and sang Gopi geet.
Gopis sang a song called Gopi Geet. So Lord Krishna appeared in between them. Wherever Lords kirtans and kathas take place, which are form of Lord, He himself appears there. We can experience Lord. Lila is also form of Lord Himself. The Sastra is full of sentences, lila kathas. When we read, say or listen to some sentences, so as through this, Lord takes a form (Vangmay), or the lila and kathas are a form of Lord.

ajanu-lambita-bhujau kanakavadatau

As we say this, the Lord is taking a form. How is Lord? Whose arms extend down to Their knees, who has golden yellow complexions. So as we describe, this is how the appearance of Lord is being made.

Sankirtanaikapitarauas we do sankirtana, so the Lords sankirtana form takes place.

Kamalayataksau -The Lords Eyes are like Lotus.

When will I see the face of Nanda Maharajas child (Lord Krishna), who has wore a Kadam flower mala in this neck, who has Kasturi tilak on his head. So as we will read, say or listen to the description of Lords beauty, the Vangmay form of Lord will keep taking place as per the description. Same as some artist draw an art piece as per his imagination. It is also believed that from sound comes the form. In Bible it says, in the beginning there was a word, now the word is Lord. There’s no difference between the words and the Lord. So the Lord exists and His name exists.

If we want someone’s introduction or if someone introduces themselves, they say the Mr and Miss followed by name, etc. If you want to see them then they show you a photograph. If you want to know where they live, then they state their address. If you want to know their lila (activities) then know where they work or what profession they have. But if you say, the person is very Idiot or good, this is the introduction to their quality. So in this way to get a person introduced we need to know his name, profession, activities, address, qualities etc. So this is the same case in relation with Lord.

Description of Lords pastime, qualities, name, beauty give introduction about Lord Krishna. We can get this introduction from listening to kathas and sankirtans. The sadhus keep singing and listening to this Lords descriptions. It’s said in Guruashtak that, at every instance, at every moment, the sadhus keep tasting and drowning in joy of the Lords descriptions. So with this descriptions, we can identify Krishna, and also Lord takes the form as described by us devotees and appears in between us.

At your home there’s a chair and a table. When someone asks what is this You say that’s a chair and a table. You won’t say that’s a wood. Once upon a time it was wood, but now it has took a different form and is introduced differently. So Shri Bhagvan tells Uddhav in Srimad Bhagavatams Eleventh Canto that Vigraha is made from eight types of different metals. There’s one chapter in which Uddhav and Sri Krishna are discussing about Vigrahas Aradhana. Uddhav is very curious to know and this is also Uddhav Geet. Bhagvad Geet of Kurukshetra and Uddhav Geet which is told by Bhagvan to Uddhav in Dwarka. So in this discussions about Vigraha, it’s said that from eight types of different metals, we can make Lords Idol.

It is also said that we can also make Lords idol in our heart, because heart is also a type of element. It is very subtle. So when we do meditate about Lords Vigraha with our whole Heart, the Lord appears in our Heart, as we set Lords Vigraha in our mind. It is also a form of God.

So before it was stone, but now it’s stone no more. Before it was Sangemarmar stone, the Jaipur’s artists made an idol of it. Then we bring those idol and then we do Pranpratishtha in them. The idol look is made similarly as look of Lord actually is. The imagination of actual Lords look is not just any fake imagination. The artists try their best to make Lord look like how the Lord actually is. Description of Lords look is there in sastras. The artists make idols accordingly.

When the idol reaches Nashik, so the devotees and acaryas gather, and the mantras are chanted, homa is done, abhishekam and all these rituals are done. Then Pranpratishtha is done in Bhagvans vigraha.

Radha Krishna Pran Mora Jugal Kishor

Our Naath, Radhas Prannaths Pranpratishthais done with all the sacred and holy rituals. All acaryas and Gurus pray to Lord to stay there in the idol form and accept the idol as His look. The Lord listens to their prayer and becomes Radha Madan Gopal and stays in the idol.

As Yashoda Ma used to say to Lord ‘Uthi Uthi Gopala’ in Vrndavan, so as the same we do. We wake up Lord in the morning and pray him to bring peace and joy in the world. Then we do Lords praising -stuti and then Bhagvan is offered BalvBhoga (sweet breakfast). Bhagvan accepts it. Then it’s time for Lord to bathe. In Pandharpur during kakda arati and bathing time, the Lord Panduranga (Krishna) is in the form of Bal Krishna (Baby Krishna), so the sweet breakfast called as Bal Bhog is offered to Lord. Then in the noon the Lord grows up a bit, so then He’s offered RajBhog (Lunch as offered to King). So in Pandharpur, in between Lords abhishek, the Lord is offered the makkhan (Butter). After abhishek Lords sringar (Makeup) is done. Then sringar darsana arati is done and so Lords daily routine goes on.

Sri Vigraha means Lord Himself. Always remember. This is called Krishna conciousness, to be Krishna conscious. To understand that the vigraha is Lord Himself. Srila Prabhupada trained us to do sastang pranam as soon as we enter into the temple and do Lords stuti and Lord hears it. There are very eminent stories of sri vigraha with which the devotee can understand and experience the Lords existence there.

Saint Surdas from Vrndavan who was blind, but still used to go for Lords Vigraha darsana. People used to think why he come for vigraha darsana everyday even if he is blind. But Surdas used to do see and do darsana from his heart. Someone asked him what do you see? He replied, “Today my Lord is naked”. As they were the summer days, so Lord only wore underpants that day.

So everyone was astonished, saying ‘’wow you can see, you can have darsana?”
And Radha Madhana Gopal which was previously known in Vrndavana by Sanatana Goswami’s Madana Mohana. Radha Madana Gopal or we may say Madana Mohana also, there are so many pastimes, so many conversations and sometimes discussions.

Krishna would say “Hey you will only feed me with these dry breads, at least add some salt. Don’t you know I am the son of Nanda Baba. He possesses thousands of cows and so much milk yogurt, butter and I am the only one to eat all. You are not feeding me properly, you giving only plain bread and curry without any spices”

Sanatana Goswami replied “hey keep quiet and don’t be fussy. Can’t you see that I’m old, so whatever I have I offer you accept it”

So, Lord Gopal went to Orissa from Vrndavana walking and became Sakshi Gopal.
So when the young brahmin came and wanted to take Lord Gopal to Orissa, he prayed to Him “Dear Lord please come with me and be my witness”.

Then Lord replied: “What? We need to go to Orissa? But I am in deity form and I cannot walk”. The young Brahmin said “Oh you’re able to talk but you would not be capable to walk?” Lord Gopal then replied “Okay, you defeated me, let’s go”.

So in this way the deity form of the Lord Gopal walked to Orisa. When Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took renunciation (sannyasa) and was going to Jagannatha Puri peacefully. In Cuttack Nityananda Prabhu narrated the pastime of Sakshi Gopal to everyone. Before Cuttack He was in Remuna and there, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu narrated the pastimes of Ksheerachor Gopinatha and Madhavendra Puri. And Gopinatha stole milk (ksheera) for Madhavendra Puri. There’s a difference between kheer and Ksheera ; Ksheera means condensed milk and kheer is rice cooked with milk. So, what we prepare for mangal arati is kheera that is sweet rice. Rice and sweet and milk, but when there’s no rice but only milk by boiling the milk it becomes thick and slurry this is called ksheera.

Ksheerachor Gopinatha stole ksheera (condensed milk). So, the Lord woke up the brahmin who slept after eating Ksheera and said “Wake up ,you have not given Madhavendra Puri condensed milk (Ksheera), go now. Come with me, I will give you a cup of ksheera take it to him”. When the Pujari went there, he saw the cup full of ksheera which Lord stole and hidden it behind Him. The pujari took it and went away. There are some kinds of Pujaris that do not share the mahaprasad, they eat all themselves. Maybe he might be similar. So the pujari took the cup and called out loud in search of Madhavendra Puri. He met Madhavendra Puri, gave him the cup of ksheera that Gopinatha stole for him. He honored the ksheera and thanked the Brahmin and God.

This is the pastime narrated by Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself to the devotees in Remuna. Like this, there are so many pastimes. Madhavendra puri is the first spiritual master (adi guru) of our gaudiya lineage (sampradaya). Our lineage starts from him. During his lifetime there have been a lot of pastimes related to the deities.

In Vrndavana, God once came in his dream and said “Go to Jagannath Puri, bring sandalwood (chandan) for me because I’m feeling too hot, I can wrap them and feel better”. This is a whole chapter to narrate.

So, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu narrated the pastime of Ksheerachor Gopinatha.The deity form of the Lord is not less than an incarnation. The deity form of the Lord is God Himself. And He gives us a chance to serve Him. When I joined ISKCON in 1971, it was blissful with a lot of cleansing of the heart process (ceto darpana marjanam) by worshiping the deity form of the Lord.

Prabhupada explained that by worshiping the deity, our bodily conception of life is decreased and we become more favorable to God’s form and our mind becomes more steady, we become more attracted to God’s form and be detached from our body. We can say that it’s an immediate effect of worshiping the deity form of God (vigraha aradhana). Then we dress up Radha Rasabihari and finally at the last we place His hair and crown. Then finally we offer God garland then we show the mirror ; sometimes behind the curtain or sometimes even while the curtains opens. During those days, Prabhupada used to come during the Sringara darsana. I got the opportunity to do sringara for Radha Rasabihari and Prabhupada used to come for that sringara darsana on time around 07hr15. Anyways, I wanted to say that when we show the mirror to the Lord and when He looks into it then the pujari can see God’s expression. His joy, His happiness that is the aim of life – to please God.

When God is looking at Himself in the mirror, He’s very Happy – “hmm I’m very nice, thank you head pujari”. Then we gave Srila Prabhupada caranamrita.

Radha Madana Gopal has blessed you all by appearing in Nasik. Now serve Him as much as you can. Worship God, His deity form. So keep Radha Madana Gopala in the center of all the activities – Krishna centered, vigraha centered. Keep doing.

So thank you by giving me a chance to serve and to express what I had. Thank you Radha Madana Gopala. Thank you Radha Madana Gopala. And thanks to all of you, servants of Radha Madana Gopala, the pujaris as well. I’m thankful to all of you.

Caitanya Mahaprabhus tour to Vrndavana

ISKCON Ujjain

27 March 2021

Devotees of ISKCON Ujjain ki jai

ISKCON Ujjain is very dear to all of us, to me, especially, because Sri Srimad Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja was and is very dear to me. So then, ISKCON that he founded become very dear. His dear disciples and followers also become very dear to us. Our connection with ISKCON Ujjain and all the devotees there is because of Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja ki, jai! He was also famous for his Gaura Katha.

Maharaja was born in Bengal like Srila Prabhupada, like Gauranga Mahaprabhu. So he also, of course, knew Bengali and he had access to Caitanya Caritamrta, Caitanya Bhagavat more than us. We, unfortunate folks, did not know Bengali. I know a little bit, I’m learning but Maharaja knew it all. So all the lilas were accessible to him and all the lilas were getting revealed unto Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja. He had been sharing these revelations with all of us, especially, with you all devotees and disciples of Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja.

I am sure you would have heard Gaura Katha by Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja today also if he was amongst us but that is not the case, unfortunately. Hence, we are asked to do that Gaura Katha instead. We will try to say a few words about Lord Gauranga, on the occasion of Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s.

Gaura Purnima mahotsava ki, jai which is tomorrow. Katha is happening before Gauranga Mahaprabhu appears as kirtan was certainly happening before Gauranga Mahaprabhu appeared. That day on Gaura Purnima He appeared during the day, that being “candra grahan,” moon eclipse during the day. There were lots of chanting and dancing, why not, on the banks of Ganga, right there in Navadvipa, Mayapur.

Likewise, appearance is tomorrow, prior before His appearance, Ujjain and, of course, the whole world is busy chanting and hearing and dancing as they hear and chant the glories of Mahaprabhu. This way we are preparing ourselves so that, hopefully and prayerfully, we would like for Gauranga Mahaprabhu to appear to us. One thing is His appearance in Mayapur, Navadvip. That is nice. But cultivate our life that Gauranga Mahaprabhu appears to us, to me. In order for that to happen we have to prepare and we are busy with that as we do Gaura Katha or

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

We do that these days before Gaura Purnima. This is the preparation.

We have Krsna and Balarama at Ujjain or I would say, otherwise, They had come to Avantipur and Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja brought also Krsna and Balarama deities to Ujjain. That way, ISKCON Ujjain is like Vrndavana or an extension of Vrndavana, non different from Vrndavana. I was thinking that I would recite or remember or share the pastimes of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Vrndavana. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, during His Madhya lilas, travelled to Vrndavana and took a tour of Vrndavana. He did not just go and stay in one place in MVD guest house. No, He went all around. In fact, He took a tour of Vraja Mandala, or He did Vraja Mandala prarikama, forests after forests, beginning with Madhuvan.

laksa-sankhya loka aise, nahika ganana
bahira hana prabhu dila darasana [CC Madhya 17.188]

This is Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya Lila, chapter 17, starting in the middle I could read, ami padhte pari (Bengali), I could read, I just read but we do not have time to read each verse. So here, it is said that as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was nearing Mathura, Vrndavana, He saw Mathura from a distance, immediately, Mahaprabhu did His sastanga dandavat pranama to Mathura, Vrndavana from a distance. He comes to Vishrama Ghat and takes a holy dip in Yamuna Maiya.

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu runs to Krsna janma sthana in Mathura. He is not just doing walkathon or just running. He was chanting and dancing on the streets of Mathura. He is now taking darsana of Kesava Deva at Krsna Krsna janma sthana.

As He take darshan of Kesava Deva, He becomes excited and ecstatic. All His emotions are aroused many fold. Mahaprabhu gets into a very special dancing called udanda nrutya like flying high in sky. By this time, word has spread throughout Matura Temple, Mathura Mandala. Now, those who had seen Mahaprabhu singing and dancing and running, the beauty of Gaura, .

ajanu-lambita-bhujau kanakavadatau
sankirtanaika-pitarau kamalayataksau
visvambharau dvija-varau yuga-dharma-palau
vande jagat priya-karau karunavatarau

Not only those Mathura vasis were seeing, taking darshan of that ajano lambita bhujau, Gauranga with His long and raised arms. “Kamalayataksau,” His lotus eyes, and “aruna vasan” He is wearing saffron robes and brahmin thread around and all those different features. Especially, the golden complexion had caught the attention of the Mathura vasis and the word has spread all around. Those folks, “oh, where is that Gauranga?” Of course I should say at this very juncture that although Gauranga had come or Gaura Sundara had come, but their realizations or their feelings were that Shyama Shyama Sundara had come. Gaura Sundara had come but they were all thinking that, “our Shyama Sundara is here! Shyama Sundara is here!”

Large crowd gathered at Kesave Deva mandir. As Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this bhakta avatara was absorbed in chanting and dancing, totally oblivious, of course to His surroundings, in His own world. Meaning that is what happens during kirtan, right? Chanting and dancing, sravanam, kirtanam smaranam. One remembers the Lord and this is bhakti yoga. Sankirtana performance is bhakti yoga. Yoga is a link. Who is linked with who? Atma is linked with Paramatma or the Supreme Lord.

panca tattvatmakam krsnam bhakta rupa

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is bhakta rupa, bhakta avatara. That bhakta rupa is worshipping Bhagavan. How? “sumedasa.” Lord was busy worshipping Lord of His heart as He performs that ecstatic kirtan and He was with the Lords as His role as a Gaura bhakta.

From there, He came across one person in the crowd who was also dancing. By now every one was dancing in association of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is how Mahaprabhu was Krsnalising them and making anybody and everybody participating in Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s sankirtana, he will be touched, his soul will be stirred up and his consciousness will be revived. They all will become fully fledged Krsna conscious entities or devotees. They were all transformed. But one amongst them was very special. He was dancing right in front of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He invited Lord to come to his home. He was Sanodiya brahman and gave bhiksha, gave prasadam to this sannyasi, the monk, Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

The Sanodiya brahmin was a disciple to Madahavendra Puri that is why he was so special among all assembled there. He was very special because of his connection with Madhavendra Puri. As Mahaprabhu is now at Sanodiya brahmin’s residence, all the crowds from Kesave Deva mandir, which is at Krsna janma sthana, they all had run to this brahmin’s residence. All that they want is, “We want darsana!” There is so much demand. When there is a demand there has to be supply. So Mahaprabhu has supplied that demand.

laksa-sankhya loka aise, nahika ganana [CC Madhya lila 17.188]

How many people have assembled? “Asankhya” innumerable, uncountable number, and they all wantes darshan.

bahira hana prabhu dila darasana [CC Madhya lila 17.188]

Mahaprabhu had no choice but to come out and gave darsana to all assembled Mathuravasis.

bahira hana prabhu dila darasana

As Mahaprabhu stepped out of the house of the brahmin and He was facing large crowd, Mahaprabhu raised His arms “bahu tuli” and He uttered, “Hariiiii boolll!” As they saw and heard Mahaprabhu, they all became mad and they all started jumping and dancing, “Hari bol, Hari bol!”

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Then the brahmin took Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu around just within vicinity of Mathura town. There are many place that we would not say now. As we go on Vraja Mandala parikrama, it takes us couple of days to go around visiting all places. There is also Mathura parikrama.

After that parikrama, Caitanya Mahaprabhu had, now, desire to do parikrama of the entire Vraja Mandala. Immediately, Sanodiya brahmin became guide of Mahaprabhu, “I could take you around, I could show you around.” Balabhadra Bhattacarya had accompanied Mahaprabhu. He was the only servant or assistant of Mahaprabhu. Like that two of them. Gauranga Mahaprabhu and two, plus two, that is, Sanodiya brahmin and Balabhadra Bhattacarya. They began the tour of Vraja Mandala.

The kind of description we read here in Caitanya Caritamrta, Chapter 17, Madhya lila, we get a little glimpse of the spiritual sky. Well, I should be more personal saying glimpse Vrndavana. As we normally hear that books and paintings are the window to the spiritual sky. As we read this section of Caitanya Caritamrta, then the window is opened curtains are removed, and you get to see Vrndavana and see Sri Krsna and see all the wanderings and activities and lilas and the dealings of everybody with the Lord. That is what is described here. Mahaprabhu is touring Vrndavana and again, everybody who bumps into Gauranga Mahaprabhu or Mahaprabhu gets their attention, they all think, “oh, Shyamasundara is here!”

There were cows grazing in Bahulavan. The journey started in Madhuvan, then there is a Talavan, there is a Kumudavan. The fourth forest is Bahulavan before the fifth on which is Vrndavana, where Radha Kunda, Shyama Kunda, Govardhana, Nandagram, Varsana, that is Vrndavana. Then there is a Kamavan, then there is Khadirbvan. These are the seven forests on the western banks of Yamuna. Then one cross is Yamuna, Mahaprabhu also had crossed Yamuna. Then there is a Bhadravan, there is a Bhandirvan, there is a Belavan, there is a Lohavan. Finally, the twelfth forest is Mahavan which is Gokula and then, finally returns to Mathura, where parikrama normally begins. So making one complete circle.

So Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is going around like that. The path that He traveled on are the one that we follow these days. We follow the footsteps of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and as we go around we also remember pastimes of Gauranga Mahaprabhu in different forests. This happened here, that happened there. And in Bahulavan this happened that the cows when they saw Mahaprabhu or they saw Gauranga, Gaura Sundara, they thought this is Shyama Sundara. All the cows ran, rushed forward, they all surrounded Gauranga and they all started licking the transcendental body of the Lord. Lord Gauranga in reciprocation was scratching, caressing them, in between their horns, on their necks.

All the cows wanted dealings like that so Mahaprabhu is managing. And it is not difficult for Him. Many cows so many hands also. He could exhibit thousands hands and simultaneously He could caress those cows, no problem. Because cows are not standing in the queue. “Okay, you are done. Next.” It is not like that. They all wanted merciful touch of Lord Gauranga or their Shyama Sundara. Then Mahaprabhu is proceeding with His chanting and dancing and Mahaprabhu.

Of course, everything is supposed to be living, only living, it is a lively dham. Mahaprabhu is inspiring them to chant Hari bol, Hari bol, Hare Krsna, or Krsna Krsna He, Krsna Kesava Krsna Kesava Pahi mam. And they are all responding, whole Vraja is chanting and dancing.

nama nache jiva nache
nache prem dhana

Like that, Bhaktivinoda Thakura in Harinama Cintamani, he describes this statement. Nama is dancing, name is dancing. Name is a person. Lord is dancing. Nama nache jiva nache. Living entities are dancing, everybody is dancing. Whole Vrndavana is ecstatic as Mahaprabhu is touring Vrndavana and inspiring them to also chant, dance.

Mahaprabhu is proceeding on His path and sees the sky is filled with the birds. There are many, many peacocks right in front of Him and in their own manner they are chanting. They are “panchama gai.” Panchama means high pitch. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Pa, panchama gai. Panchama mean Pa. Not Sa, not Re. But that note of Pa which is very high pitch. Devotees from Bengals they sing in high pitch and no one could follow that.

So, the birds were doing their songs and dance in the sky and the peacocks were dancing amongst the birds. Peacocks are known for their dance. For the pleasure of Gauranga Mahaprabhu, all as if these peacocks were greeting Mahaprabhu, “welcome, welcome, su-swagatam Gauranga, su-swagatam. Welcome back.” This is on their minds. They are also singing and dancing and they are all going backwards, like in a reverse gear. They are facing Caitanya Mahaprabhu and they are going backwards. So many peacocks, what a scene.

We wish they were some videos of those days. If they existed, I am sure Bhakti Prema Swami Maharaja would have enjoyed watching those videos. Me too, me too. There are no video but audio is there and that is Caitanya Caritamrta. The words are there. The words could be transformed into video if we hear the words, audio, with attention and devotion. Then that will take a form and we could see. That is the idea. The scriptures are meant for showing us, giving us darsana of the Lord and His lilas and His dhama.

Then Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu came across a dear and He was catching hold of the neck of the dear, like embracing. Mahaprabhu is shedding tears and the dear is also crying as he is touched by Gauranga Mahaprabhu. First He is moving forward from forests to forests. Mahaprabhu rushes forward and embraces a tree. Before that, as it is described, when the trees saw their Shyama Sundara who was Gaura Sundara, they became very jubilant. Their branches were trembling like they are ecstatic. Some water is dropped like tears of those trees. Some honey is dripping.

These trees want to reciprocare, they want to greet their Lord. As in Chaitanya Caritamrta says, “oh, our friend is here! We should be giving some gifts to Him.” So, what are they doing? The trees are shaking their branches and there is a shower of branches. Different kinds of flowers, Champak flowers, Parijata flowers and so on. As Mahaprabhu is going tree after tree, those trees whose turn has come and Lord is beneath them, they are showering Him with their flowers.

It is like a pushpa abhishek is happening. They are not ordering their flowers Singapore or Hawaii as we do when we have our Panca Tattva maha abhishek in Mayapur or other places’ pushya abhishek, then we import the flowers from other states. Trees have flowers of their own so they are doing abhishek. Trees with their fruits are also dropping fruits and Lord is getting

“patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayaschyati”

All these trees are making offerings of patram puspam phalam toyam. They are glorifying and greeting the Lord.

He is going on and then He notices on a branch of a tree in front of Him, at some distance, there are two birds, Shukha and Sharika. “Hey, they are talking something. I wish I could hear the subject matter of their talk.” As Lord was thinking like this, guess what happened? The Shukha and Sharika flew in the direction of Gauranga. Then Gauranga extends His arms and Shukha sat on one hand and Sharika on the other hand and the dialogue continues. For Gauranga Mahaprabhu it is made easy now and He could hear.

There is an amazing dialogue which Krsna Dasa Kaviraj Goswami has included in Caitanya Caritamrta is worth reading, understanding and remembering how Shukha, the male parrot, is advocate of Sri Krsna. He says, “My Krsna! My Krsna is this and that. He is Madana Mohana. He is attractive.”

kandarpa koti kamaniyan visesa sobham”

Like that he is saying. Then Sharika says, “hey, shut up! Your Krsna may Madan Mohan but my Radhika is Madan Mohini, do you understand?” Like that, they are debating. Shukha is trying to establish the supremacy of Krsna. Sharika is trying to make the points how Radharani is all in all. Even She is Vrndavaneshwari, the mistress of Vrndavana is Radha Rani.

Then Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is at Radha Radha Kunda. Those days Radha Kunda was not known. Mahaprabhu is enquiring, “oh has anybody seen Radha Kunda here?” “Oh no, no. We have not seen Radha Kunda. What is that. But this is Aristagram. Aristasura was killed here. And this is gori badi and this is a kali badi.” Badi means a field or farm. This is gori and that is kali. The gori badi was Radha Kunda and kali one is Shyama Kunda, Krsna is kala. They have forgotten Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda, they one knew gori badi and ki badi. As soon as Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard this He said, “oh this is gori badi.” He rushed forward to this little puddle of water and Mahaprabhu started taking holy dip there.

This way Gauranga Mahaprabhu gets the credits for discovering Radha Kunda. He is going to get other goswamis to discover many forgotten places of Krsna’s pastimes. Those times were different. Muslims ruled and Vrndavana was kind of abandoned. Many deities were hidden or thrown into different lakes or brought them to Jaipur, here and there. So those were the days and Mahaprabhu is here on a mission of reviving the glories of Vrndavana. He has come and He is going to be sending the six Goswamis of Vrndavana to discover more. He had already sent Lokanath Goswami also.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is doing Govardhana parikrama. From Radha Kunda He goes up to Kusum Sarovar and then beyond. The first time that He is able to have a darshan of Govardhana hill, Govardhana sila. Then Mahaprabhu, like a lightning, rushed forward and is embracing the sila. What you see behind here is Kusum Sarovar and you could see Gauranga Mahaprabhu embracing the sila. Did you see here? So I am in Vrndavana at the foothills of Govardhana. But I am not conscious of Govardhana like Mahaprabhu was. Of course not, unfortunately.

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taking darshan of Hari Deva and as He is doing parikrama of Giriraja Govardhana, Caitanya is reciting that verse from Venu Gita,

hantayam adrir abala hari-dasa-varyo
yad rama-krsna-carana-sparasa-pramodah

That verse, Mahaprabhu is reciting as He is doing parikrama of Govardhan. His tears are bathing many pilgrims. Like they do abhishek of Govardhana they have a pot with a little hole at the bottom, they carry while they are circumambulating and they are doing abishek. But how was Mahaprabhu doing abhishek? How was He bathing Giriraja? With His tears. Then He was rolling on the dust of Vraja, getting up and falling, struggling to complete the parikrama. Many more things have happened during Govardhana parikrama.

Rest of the Vraja Mandala parikrama. Everywhere He is greeted. He is on the banks of Yamuna. Yamuna thinks, “oh, my Lord is here! My Lord is here!” Then Yamuna waves are gushing in the direction of the lotus feet of Gauranga. Yamuna has bathed lotus feet of Gauranga. Yamuna is offering flowers, “lotuses for You, Lord.” Finally, He has gone to Gokula, Mahavan also.

So, you could imagine, everything is not described also in Caitanya Caritamrta. It is a very summarised report or account of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s tour of Vrndavana. Krsna Dasa Kaviraj Goswami writes, “I am sorry. This is how much I could write. Lot more has happened but it is not within my power to write all that. I have my limits.” Then he says that, before coming to Vrndavana, Gauranga Mahaprabhu as He used hear about Vrndavana, immediately, He would become hundreds time more ecstatic. From normal time, normal ecstatic would get multiplied by 100 as soon as He would hear about Vrndavana, wherever He was.

Now as He was on the ways to Mathura Vrndavana that ecstatic was getting further transformed and multiplied by 100. Then as He was finally touring Vrndavana He was more ecstatic, 100,000 times multiplied by the normal ecstasy. Then Krsna Dasa Dasa Kaviraj Goswami says who is going to write all this, who is going to understand lot of these things also, acintya, inconceivable. He says one person and that us Ananta Sesa sahasra badan. He could speak or write. And if this all werw to be written, there will be koti koti grantas, there will be crores of scriptures just to describe Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s tour of Vrndavana.

This is also anandan budhi vardanam. Mahaprabhu’s ananda, Mahaprabhu’s ecstasies, as a results of many pastimes and His emotions are shoreless or unlimited. Then talk also becomes unlimited. Then he says for sahasra badana undertakes this tasks of describing glories of Gauranga. We also leave this recitation up to you all and devotees of Lord Gauranga of all around the world, let us all chant. Firstly, let us all hear as you are hearing right now or as we have heard from Srila Prabhupada or as we have read in Caitanya Caritamrta or in Caitanya Bhagavat.

We would like to add Srimad Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja to the list as he has recited the pastimes of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. We a have to hear that, imbibed that, digest that, contemplate. Then we also recite. We do sravana and then we do kirtana. This combination of sravana and kirtana helps us to remember, smaranam. So, go on with this recitation: hearing and get into chanting or speaking, recitation of Gaura Katha as Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s appearance is nearing very rapidly.

Okay, thank you once again to all the devotees of ISKCON Ujjain and all the leaders and organisers, especially Bhakti Prema Swami Maharaja for this opportunity.

Gauranga! Sri Krsna Balarama ki, jai!
Sri Sri Gaura Nitai ki, jai! Srila Prabhupada ki, jai!
Radha Madana Mohana ki, jai!
Sandipani Muni ki, jai!
Srimad Srimad Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja ki, jai!
Gaura Bhakta Vrnda ki, jai!

Keeping the spirit alive
Kirtan 125 hours
ISKCON Soho Street, London
28th March 2021.

Is about to happen. The time is getting closer and closer, the sun is getting ready to set and the moon is going to be rising very soon also. So that was happening 535 years ago. The only difference I would say, the moon was not going to show its face. And the excuse was the moon eclipse. It was Chandra grahan, moon eclipse day.

As a result when there is a moon eclipse, sun eclipse, people run to holy places. They run to Ganga, Yamuna maiya ki Jai. And then they take holy dip there. So that is what was happening 535 years ago on this day, this time and all those who were taking holy dip in Ganga, in Navadwip, not far from Mayapur, Yogapith. They were all busy doing what? They were all chanting,

“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare”.

Lord was very kind. Chaitanya Bhagvat describes that, even sinful people, impious beings, human beings. They were all also running, rushing to Navadwip, to Ganga, to take holy dip and they were also made to chant the holy name. This is unusual and this was because of the causeless mercy of Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

So this way, Lord appeared in the form of the holy name before His own appearance. His appearance at sunset or moonrise, but He appeared in the form of,

“kali-kale nama rupe krsna avatar”

Krishna took avatar in the form of His holy name. So then, of course after Gauranga appeared and so many hundreds of years passed by and the holy name was not spreading as per prediction of Gauranga, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had predicted,

“Prithvite ache yata nagaradi grama sarvatra prachara haibe mora nama”

And everyone was worrying what is happening? Why is prediction of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is not coming true?

Gauranga was waiting for Senapati Bhakta.

Srila Prabhupada ki Jai

Srila Prabhupada appeared and then 1922, Prabhupada received instructions from his Guru maharaja” Go to the west and propagate Krishna Consciousness”, which included spread the holy name all over. So that is what Srila Prabhupada very successfully did. So the holy name, Hare Krishna Mahamantra ki Jai.

patita pavan Gauranga Mahaprabhu ki Jai

And specially Srila Prabhupada ki Jai, who propagated the holy name all over. He brought the holy name to England also, to London also, to New York also, to Tokyo also and all over. So this year, 2021 is a very special year. We are celebrating 125th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s birth or appearance year, this anniversary. And I’m very happy, very jubilant that Soho street ISKCON, Prabhupada’s ISKCON Soho street. Srila Prabhupada installed Radha Londoneshwar himself, the first deities that Prabhupada installed, so that temple is in honor of Srila Prabhupada, as an offering to Srila Prabhupada on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary. You have organised his 125 hour kirtan.

So this wonderful initiative, very inspirational and from that time you’ve announced your offering of 125 hours kirtan. Many others are stepping forward. I just received news from Mauritius, they also want to organize 125 hours kirtan and this temple and that temple and there’s going to be a lot of competition.

So congratulations team, there, for this 125 hour. I think you will announce that or they already know. So, I think every weekend or something like that you going to be chanting for so many hours and finally there will be grand total of 125 hours of kirtan. And you are engaging ISKCON’s Kirtan Minister to inaugurate this wonderful initiative. Of course I like kirtan, I love kirtan, so I will go for it. So all participants please chant with us and that way today. Today we are celebrating Gaura Purnima Mahotsav also, as we do this chanting of,

“ Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare”.

So Gauranga Mahaprabhu has kindly, I’m just remembering that today is birthday of Nimai, Nimai, Nimaiii. Sacimata’s Nimai was born today and you know normally when you go, visit the newly born baby, you go there with some gifts, right, birthday gifts. So today, ya sure, that day 535 years ago, there were lots of visitors and they were bringing gifts but I wanted to point out that Mahaprabhu for sure, he was giving gift to all of them and that was the holy name. And that was and is and will remain as a best gift. So what is this Hare krishna Hare Krishna. Okay, Lord gave the gift of the holy name. So what did he really give. He gave Himself to us, to this world. Holy name is non-different from him, from the Lord. “abhinnatvat nama namino”.

So , he is so very kind, that right now, right here, Gauranga Mahaprabhu is handing out this gift for all those who are assembled and are tuned in. Please accept the gift of the holy name on occasion of Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s birthday or Gaura Purnima festival. Okay, so, I know you’re going to relish this gift, enjoy this gift. So chant Hare Krishna and what? Be happy. So we wanted to see you happy, god wanted to see you happy, Srila Prabhupada wanted all of us to be happy, so please chant Hare Krishna and be happy. And also you please distribute, share this gift with others. It is Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s mission, then Prabhupada made it as his mission, continuous mission of spreading the holy name to more towns, more villages.

I was just thinking to, maybe, that to bring holy name to more towns, more villages personally. You don’t have to walk or do padayatra or busyatra. Now you could bring holy name to more towns, more villages through this internet.

Hare Krishna. So right now, I’m sure the holy name is going to be reaching towns and villages. And you also get ready. singing, chanting. Socializing is not good. So we are spiritualising this social media by chanting holy names of the lord and broadcasting his holy names of the Lord far and wide. So please join us and in the beginning we want to chant or sing.

Kirtan starts.

Wisdom Nectar from Srila Prabhupada Disciple

ISKCON Calgary

27 March 2021

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

Thank you Sacipran Gauranga Prabhu, all the way from Calgary Canada, remembering us and inviting us to this forum where you have been discussing experiences, remembrances of Srila Prabhupada and I am sure there are other topics also. And this is organized by ISKCON Calgary. I remember visiting Calgary long ago, in the early 80s, I did visit Calgary and I am visiting again today – I am in Calgary right now. So remembering Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada ki jay!

I am sure you knew this, this year is 125th birth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada was born in 1896, this is the 125th anniversary. And the whole world is having lots of celebrations and part of the celebrations is remembering Srila Prabhupada. So I suppose, what we are doing right now, right here is celebrating the 125th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada as we talk about remembering Srila Prabhupada.

And as I was here in my introduction, I thought it was too long. Mataji went on and on and on. So one item she did read was that I met Srila Prabhupada in 1971 and this is 2021, so how many years ago is that? 50 years ago.

So not just that, I first ever meeting of mine Srila Prabhupada happened 3days – 50years ago and 3days ago, 25th March I met Srila Prabhupada. Today is 27th and we are having a celebration in fact, every day at six o’clock. We are celebrating my meeting with Srila Prabhupada – it’s very special for me. How I joined Srila Prabhupada, Hare Krishna festival Cross Maidan Mumbai and the first thing I saw there was kirtana. We are talking about kirtan standard.

So the first thing that impressed me was kirtan on the stage performed by his American sadhus, European sadhus. This is how the festival was advertised “Oh American sadhus are in town, in Bombay town.” And I was just a college student and I was amazed to see; not just myself but this caught the imagination of all the folks of Bombay.

“American sadhus! Forget it! How can American be sadhus?”

So I had gone to check out whether that’s reality fact or fiction and I realized in fact that they are genuine sadhus. Srila Prabhupada had transformed Americans or revolutionized their consciousness, their appearance, they just not only look like sadhus but they behaved talked like sadhus and especially they were performing kirtans like sadhus with all their heart, with all their strength, they were chanting and dancing on the stage and that is where I picked up this kirtan 50 years ago.

So that festival lasted for 11days. Then I also started chanting and dancing from that time onward and to this day I am doing chanting and dancing. So I think that the mood of the chanter is also standard, so I picked up that the devotees were chanting with full absorption. They were not distracted although there were some reasons to be distracted, thousands around in the audience and other sounds there but they were in their own world. Chanting and dancing, so if there is a kirtan standard then that is the standard chant with attention, with meditation. That kind of mood, and of course we heard from Srila Prabhupada, he wanted us to chant like the crying of a baby. That is another standard, the mood crying like a baby. Like a baby cries for his mother, and a devotee chants for Krishna, who is also mother and father of us. So only when you cry like a baby – When a baby cries, he wants his mother to come to him, pick him up, feed him, or give him some gifts or toys. So chant like a baby cries for the mother.

So, Srila Prabhupada gave me this mantra,

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

And he did say, this was in Vrndavana during Kartik in 1972 in Radha Damodara temple, in between Rupa Goswami’s bhajana kutir on one side and the Samadhi mandir on other side and so that is where I received this mantra from Srila Prabhupada. Chant 16 rounds. Once I asked Srila Prabhupada “Why 16 rounds Srila Prabhupada, what is the significance of the 16 rounds?” and Prabhupada was trying to explain why we have fixed this number? Srila Prabhupada answered why 16 you can chant 16,000 rounds. Who could stop you? Minimum 16 rounds” And busy as Srila Prabhupada was, it was the first time I was experiencing it, so what to do. He used to ask me from time to time “Are you chanting 16 rounds, are you completing your rounds” I don’t know why, I was a good chanter but Srila Prabhupada he did care and he was making sure he was concerned if you were chanting 16 rounds.

Since 1977, Srila Prabhupada wasn’t well and in Bombay, in the guesthouse (one of those towers) on the fifth floor, Srila Prabhupada’s quarters are there. That is when Srila Prabhupada first time ever, moved into that new residential quarter of Srila prabhupada. But he was not well. He had returned from London and he meant to go all the way to Gita Nagari farm from Vrndavana – that’s the whole history, whole life and teachings of Srila Prabhupada.

But from London he returned because he was not getting better and in Bombay he was in bed and I used to chant for Srila Prabhupada by myself, which we took turns. With a little kartala, we sat on the floor and next to him, we were chanting, getting tired, falling asleep, waking up and chanting.

During my turn to chant, sing for Srila Prabhupada, I asked “Srila prabhupada, is anything that we have not done or that we should now do so that you could be cured and be healthier. What have we neglected something or not gone out of our way?” His brief and simple response was “chant Hare Krishna.”

“What could we do more so that you could be cured?”

Prabhupada said “chant Hare Krishna”

In Vrndavana also, during the last days of Srila Prabhupada, whenever I used to enter Prabhupada’s quarter, Tamal Krishna Maharaj used to say “Prabhupada! Prabhupada! Lokanatha swami is here, you would like him to chant for you?” Then Prabhupada would say, “Hmm yes”. Then I would chant, sing for Srila Prabhupada.

I think it was Srila Bhakti Sidhhanta Saraswati Thakura’s disappearance or appearance, I don’t remember which one, but Prabhupada wasn’t in Mumbai and celebrating that occasion, bhoga, arati and kirtan. So, I was assigned to sing that day. So I started singing, –
“Samsara-davanala-lidha-loka
tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam”

So like that I went on singing that Guruastaka, and then we did our first ever parikrama in late 80’s. That’s like 30 years ago. And then we had been every year, 30 day parikrama, with big number 1000, 2000, thousands of devotees of 30 days of camping out.

So after, I think 20 years of that parikrama, I decided to write my experience of Vraj-mandal Parikrama. So parikrama takes place for 30 days, so I have 30 days, 30 chapters. And those days, from beginning to finish, all the places that we visit and all the pastimes Lord has performed and we hear during that day, it is all there packed in Vraja-mandal. As you read the new kind of, hear the sounds and you smell Vraja and hear Vraja and you get some being there as you read this experience.

So we encourage you to actually have a copy of this book and the devotees who do not manage to come to Vrndavan to do parikrama, what they had been doing was, they sit back relax and read the chapter that keeps the maya away. And next day. So we follow our schedule and they find out where is parikrama today. Today we are at Radhakunda. So they open that Radhakunda chapter or Govardhan chapter or we are in Kamyavana, we are in Bhadravana. So they read that chapter. And then thus connected and this how they celebrate kartik vrata. So it’s available on amazon. So those interested. You can buy that. 10, 20 dollars or something.

Do nagar kirtans, do street kirtans public chanting, conduct festivals like rathayatra. Festivals, people like festivals, culture, events. So that mean, we have to bring Krishna to them, Hare Krishna to them or bring prasad to them. They may not come to where Krishna is, where Hare Krishna’s are. And ofcourse book distribution, that means you are going out and distributing books. Performing kirtans, distributing prasadam, holding rathayatra festivals and other programmes. Govinda’s visitors in restaurants. So this way, we get their attention.

Remember Srila Prabhupada. Remember Srila Prabhupada’s sacrifices. New generation could remember what Prabhupada has done for us. Krishna is kind of being home delivered by Srila Prabhupada’s Hare Krishna movement. So much grateful we should be for such contribution. Remain grateful, we are indebted to Srila Prabhupada. One time some disciples were talking to Prabhupada, said, “Prabhupada we are indebted to you, you have done so much us. Is there any way we could become free from such debt”. Prabhupada said, “ No, no. You can’t be free from this debt”. Then there was a pause and then said, “ yes, yes. You could do one thing”. What is that Srila Prabhupada? Prabhupada said, “You do as I did. Doesn’t mean imitate me, but follow in the footsteps. And that way you will become somewhat, to some degrees free from that debt”.

So younger generation, Prabhupada has so much faith and expectation from young generation, or second generation or third generation. And you know what the world is going through. So world needs Krishna. Youngsters need Krishna and Hare Krishna. Okay.