The Glories of Sanskrit (Sanskrit Mahatmya)

 Srila Prabhupad was keen on publishing his books at a high academic standard.He specifically instructed the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust to include a Sanskrit or Bengali pronunciation guide, an index of verses, and other features to assist readers in accurately reciting the verses in “every volume”.

“Every volume of Srimad Bhagavatam as well as Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita must be fully complete with an index, list of references, glossary, Sanskrit pronunciation guide, and index of Sanskrit (or Bengali)verses. This will be best.”

 Letter, February 6, 1975

Sanskrit is a highly “reformed” language. Every word is pronounced exactly according to its spelling. In English, some words are phonetically ambiguous (e.g., “c” in chair is pronounced differently than the “c” in cat), but in Sanskrit every syllable and every consonant and vowel accurately and precisely represent a unique sound. “Therefore it is called Sanskrit. [In] Sanskrit everything is reformed. It is not by that b-u-t but, p-u-t put, if you say ‘u’, then you must say b-u-t but and p-u-t put but not that sometimes put sometimes but,no, that will not be allowed in Sanskrit.

The pronunciation must be regular. You cannot change.

Sanskrit means reformed language.”

 Lecture, April 23, 1972

In lectures Srila Prabhupad sometimes stressed the vague and variegated phonology of the “whimsical” English language, and sometimes he pointed out that the definition of the
word “Sanskrit” is “refined” or “perfect”.“The real meaning of ‘Sanskrit’ is ‘reform.’ It is not whimsical, just like in the English language, ‘b-u-t but, p-u-t put.’ It is not like that. Every word, every syllable has a symbolic meaning.”

Lecture, January 19, 1969

Not only the phonetics, but the rhyme of Sanskrit verses, because of the very strict form of the shlokas, is unparalleled.

Shyamsundara: Today when we were looking at the Sanskrit shlokas, I suddenly realized that this very strict form of shlokas made it easy for the people to memorize.

Prabhupad: Yes, oh yes. That Sanskrit shloka is so made that if you repeatedly chant five, six times, it

will be memorized. And once it is memorized, you will never forget it.

Shyamsundara: Then you can pass it down and you don’t have to write it.

Prabhupad: No. That requires only memory. That was the system, shruti. Once hears from the spiritual master, it is memorized for good. The memory was so sharp, and the memory was prepared by this brahmacharya.

Shyamsundara: And the grammatical rules are so arranged to make it easy to memorize – natural rhythm.

Prabhupad: Natural, quite natural, natural rhythm. It’s not artificial.

Shyamsundara: Whereas our Western poems are all so many different lines, lengths, rhythms. You can’t remember them.

Prabhupad: There is no standard. There is Sahitya Darpana, there is a book. So many words; the first pronunciation five, second pronunciation seven, like that. There are different kinds of sandhi [ways of conjoining words].

Shyamsundara: So it’s meant for hearing and memorizing.

Vedabase; no date supplied

Modern languages are creations of mankind and are thus imperfect, but Sanskrit emanates directly from a spiritual source, and is also spoken in deva nagara, or the planets of the demigods. “Devanagri.” This language is spoken in the higher planetary system. Even in Vaikuntha this language is spoken. Devanagri, deva nagara. Just like Tokyo is a Japan nagara; similarly, nagara means ‘city’ and the citizens are called nagari, ‘those who live in the city.’ They are called nagari. So, devanagri. These letters are called Devanagri.

 
Lecture, April 23, 1972

The poetic, beautiful Sanskrit language is known as the “language of the gods.” “Yes, Sanskrit is spoken not only on Krishna-loka but also in higher planets of the demigods. It is called the language of God and the demigods. It was spoken also on this planet. When the people were all godly they used to speak in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the origin of all languages of the civilized people. It is most perfect, not only descriptive; the word ‘Sanskrit’ means ‘the most perfect.’ Because not a single word you can pronounce without having a bona fide principle. It is not like the English language:‘but/put’ with an irrational difference in pronunciation; no principles. Sanskrit is not like that.Therefore it is perfect. It is not whimsical.
English poetry has one line one-inch long; next line 600 inches long. Sanskrit is not like that. There are strict principles, and it is so beautiful. Therefore in Sanskrit no ordinary man can become a poet. No other language of the world can be compared with it.No other language of the world is so perfect as Sanskrit. Any language near to Sanskrit language is nearer to perfection. Sanskrit is pronounced the same way here or there, it is standard.”

Letter, February 1, 1968

Although it may take long to master Sanskrit, once it is learned, the student passes through “the gateway to education.”
“Anyone serious about studying the Sanskrit language should first learn grammar. It is said that simply to finish studying Sanskrit grammar takes at least twelve years, but once one learns the grammatical rules and regulations very nicely, all other scriptures or subject matters in Sanskrit are extremely easy to understand, for Sanskrit grammar is the gateway to education.”

Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 15.5, purport:

By learning Sanskrit grammar, “all the shastras are open.”
Formerly Sanskrit schools first taught grammar very thoroughly, and this system continues even now.A student was supposed to study grammar carefully for twelve years in the beginning of his life, because if one is expert in the grammar of the Sanskrit language, all the shastra are open to him. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was famous for teaching grammar to students, and therefore Keshava Kashmiri first referred to His position as a teacher of grammar.”

Cc. Adi 16.31, purport:
With knowledge of Sanskrit, a student can delve into the ocean of “Vedic literature without any translation.” Many Vedic texts are yet to be translated.“. . . if you understand Sanskrit grammar, then you can read all the Vedic literature without any translation. Simply by studying. Therefore the Sanskrit scholars are first of all taught grammar. And when one is expert in reading grammar properly, then all Vedic literature becomes very simplified.”

Conversation, May 6, 1975

 Vision for Sanskrit Education (Sanskrit Vidya Abhipraya)

Prabhupad envisioned that his adult disciples and the gurukul children would both learn Sanskrit. He wanted it to be a “compulsory” element of the gurukul curriculum.

“Sanskrit should be compulsory for all our children to learn, and anyone who has an elementary knowledge of the alphabet and grammar can begin to teach it.”

Letter, February 28, 1972

Prabhupad was displeased at the mispronunciation of Sanskrit by gurukul children, and he insisted that the teachers “teach the children perfectly Sanskrit and English.”
“You should teach the children perfectly Sanskrit and English instead of spoiling time and money. The children cannot pronounce correctly the Sanskrit. Let them read it correctly; that is wanted first. They must pronounce nicely English and Sanskrit. The English is no difficulty. If you can do this, then your education is all right. . . .You may introduce contests, but if the children and also the older devotees cannot pronounce Sanskrit correctly, it is all a useless waste of time.”

Letter, September 3, 1974

Prabhupad also wanted his disciples to hear and repeat the verses of the Bhagavatam after understanding the pronunciation.
“This is our program. We have come here not to exploit your country, but to give you something substantial. This is the Krishna consciousness movement. So read Srimad-Bhagavatam, pronounce these verses very nicely. Therefore we’re repeating. You hear the records and try to repeat.”

Lecture, April 14, 1973
Strategy & Implementation (Prayoga)

Every brahman was trained in the “science to pronounce a Vedic mantra.” “It is the practice of the brahmans conversant with the science to pronounce a Vedic mantra in the right accent. The combination of the mantra and Sanskrit words must be chanted with the right pronunciation; otherwise, it will not be successful.”

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.13.27, purport

Sometimes Prabhupad would dedicate a substantial amount of time during his lecture to arduously train disciples in the brahminical practice of invoking “transcendental vibration” by chanting a verse.

Pradyumna [chanting verse]: Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù.

Devotees: Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù.

Prabhupad: It is sandhi? Na ghaöeta artha. It has been lost? Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù. Na

ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù. Again, recite the whole shloka.

Pradyumna [devotees repeating]: Sri-Shuka uvaca, ätma-mäyäm åte räjan,

parasyänubhavätmanaù, na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù svapna-drañöur iväïjasä.

Prabhupad: Now read again.

Pradyumna: Whole thing?

Prabhupad: No, this same verse. Practice it. In this way you practice one mantra daily. Each mantra will purify you hundred yards daily. Go forward. These mantras are very powerful, given by Vyasadeva Goswami, vibrated. [. . .] So we should try to learn, get it by heart, at least one shloka, two shlokas in a week. And if we chant that –just like you are chanting so many songs – similarly, if we chant one or two verses of Srimad Bhagavatam, that will make you very quickly advanced for spiritual realization.

We are therefore taking so much trouble to get this transliteration, the meaning, so that the reader may take advanced step, full advantage of the mantra. It is not that to show some scholarship, that “I know so much Sanskrit.” No. It is just offered with humility to learn the mantra, because one who will chant the mantra – mantras are all transcendental vibration. Hare Krishna mantra is the maha-mantra, but they are also mantras, all the verses from the Bhagavad-Gita, the Srimad Bhagavatam, spoken by Krishna, spoken by Vyasadeva, an incarnation of Krishna. They’re also mantras, infallible instructions. So try to get it by heart, chanting. Either you chant by seeing the book or get it by heart, it is all the same. But try to chant one, two shloka daily. Chant!

Pradyumna [chants with devotees responding]: Sri Shuka uvaca, ätma-mäyäm åte räjan,

parasyänubhavätmanaù, na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù.

Prabhupad [correcting]: Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù. Like that. It is written like that?

Pradyumna: Ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù.

Prabhupad: Artha, artha separated?

Pradyumna: No. Together. Ghaöetärtha.

Prabhupad: No. Ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù. It should not be. Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù. Like that. Tä should be long. Tä. Ghaöeta artha-sambandhaù. Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù. Is that all right?

Pradyumna: Yes.

Prabhupad: So pronounce like that.

Pradyumna: Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù.

Prabhupad: Loud. Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù.

Pradyumna: Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù.

Prabhupada: Yes. Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù.

Devotees: Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù.

Pradyumna: Svapna-drañöur iväïjasä.

Prabhupad: Oh. Again pronounce.

Pradyumna: Sri Shuka uvaca [repeats verse].

Prabhupad: Very important verse. Now we shall go to the words and meaning. Again recite. Sri Shuka uvaca. [Devotees repeat the verse.]

Prabhupad: Once again. Do it again. [Pradyumna repeats the verse.]

Prabhupad: Again. [Devotees repeat again.] Anyone can recite? All right. See the book and recite.

Shyamsundara: Sri Shuka uvaca, ätma-mäyäm åte räjan, parasyänubhavätmanaù.

Prabhupada: Parasyä. The transliteration is the long “a.” You have seen? You just try to follow the transliteration. That will be easier.

Shyamsundara: Parasyänu…

Prabhupad: Parasyänubhava, bhavätmanaù. Ätmä.

Shyamsundara: Yes. Long “a”. Ätmanaù.

Prabhupad: Yes. Now, beginning.

Shyamsundara: Parasyänu . . .

Prabhupad: No. First line. [Devotees repeating.]

Shyamsundara: Sri Shuka uvaca, ätma-mäyäm åte räjan, parasyänubhavätmanaù.

Prabhupad: Read it again.

Shyamsundara: Sri Suka uvaca, ätma-mäyäm åte räjan, parasyänubhavätmanaù na

ghaöetärtha.

Prabhupad: Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù, svapna-drañöur iväïjasä. Next. Next. You read. Go on. One after another. [Continues with a devotee reciting, and Prabhupad correcting.] You read the transliteration. The thing is hearing the meter and repeat. That’s all. The writing is already there, transliteration.Simply you have to hear the written. Just like you have chanted so many verses, songs, by hearing. The hearing is very important.

A child learns another language simply by hearing, pronunciation, hearing.That is natural. If we hear one thing repeatedly, you will learn. You will learn. So one has to hear a little attentively. Then it will be easy. There is no difficulty. This is by hearing. So simply you have to hear.Therefore the whole Vedic shastra is called shruti. It is a process of hearing. Go on. [Recitation continues.]

Next. Each one of you. Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù svapna-drañöur iväïjasä. What is the aïjasä spelling?

Devotee: I-v-a-n-j-a-s-a. Iväïjasä.

Prabhupad: Long a or short a?

Devotee: Long a.

Prabhupad: Yes. Iväïjasä. Aïjasä. Aïjasä means wholesale. Go on. [Recitation and corrections continue.]

Na ghaöeta artha- sambandhaù, combined together it becomes na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù. Tärtha. What

is the spelling? Tärtha?

Devotee: T, long a, r-t-h-a.

Prabhupad: Of tha? What is the . . .?

Devotee: T-a-r-t-h-a.

Prabhupad: T-h-a. There must be r.

Pradyumna: Yes. Ghaöetärtha. G-h-a-t-e-t-a-r…

Prabhupad: T-a-r. Yes. T-a, artha. So you were missing that r. Na ghaöetärtha-sambandhaù. All right.

Next. [Recitation continues.] Get it next. Come here. So you have to study like that. So many shlokas, I am taking so much labor. If you do not read it carefully. It is not for that I am making business, for selling only, and not for my students. You must all read like this, practice. Why so much trouble is being taken, word-to-word meaning and then transliteration? If you chant this mantra, that vibration will cleanse the atmosphere. Next chant. [Another devotee recites verse]. Very good. Next, next. Bhanu Prabhu [he recites]. Thank you very much. He has pronounced very nicely. So he will teach you. Yes.

Next. [Another devotee recites.] Very good. [Another devotee recites verse.] Very good. Yes. In this way,each one of you, you chant and others will follow. Then in one or two days, you get the shloka by heart.You can chant. It is not difficult. Now read the word meanings and translation.

Karandhara: Sri-Shukau uvaca—Sri Shukadev Goswami said; atma—the Supreme Personality of Godhead;

mayam—the energy; ate— without; rajan—O King . . .”

Prabhupad: Rajan. It is address, addressing. Nominative is raja and addressive is rajan. Go on.

Lecture, April 20, 1972

This long discussion took place during his Bhagavatam class in Tokyo and is one of several instances when Prabhupad engaged his disciples in understanding the Sanskrit grammar, the word-for-word pronunciation, and the translation. He wanted his disciples to memorize and recite verses. Shatadhanya Prabhu recalls another incident that took place in Tokyo in 1972:

“One day Srila Prabhupad became very upset and spoke in a strong voice about how he had gone to all the trouble to include the Sanskrit shlokas and transliterations in the Srimad Bhagavatam, but the devotees were neither showing interest nor learning the correct Sanskrit pronunciation; they were ignoring the Sanskrit he had placed in his books. He adamantly said that from now on every devotee in ISKCON must learn to pronounce the Sanskrit and understand the shlokas.

“For the next three weeks, during every Srimad Bhagavatam class, Prabhupad called upon each devotee to chant the shloka aloud. He would take ten or fifteen minutes with each person, teaching how to pronounce every Sanskrit syllable in the shloka. He taught seven or eight people every day.“We were studying the Second Canto, and I remember even to this day the shloka that Srila Prabhupada drilled into us then, intensely, day after day. In fact, Pradyumna would tutor us during the day so that during the next morning we would not be embarrassed when we were called upon to chant.We were finally able to correctly chant all the shloka in the chapter ‘Answers by Citing the Lord’s Version.
“Before Prabhupad left Tokyo, he announced that there would be a final exam. In the temple room at class time, Prabhupad called on each devotee to recite the entire chapter in Sanskrit. Then Prabhupad went through all the trouble to make corrections and explain how we did. This went on for hours, and he told each of us whether our recitation was good or needed more work. Somehow I was the last one to chant. I took my turn and recited the whole chapter. Then Prabhupad looked at me and said, ‘First prize’.”

Prabhupad wanted the members of ISKCON to become proficient in all areas of devotional service. Pronunciation of Sanskrit was no exception. Prabhupad wanted his disciples to recite the scriptural verses “co-jointly as they chant [the] Hare Krishna mahamantra.” “I am happy to learn that you have begun to teach our students Sanskrit pronunciation. Please see that they can pronounce very nicely the Sanskrit verses in Bhagavad-Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Isopanishad, and Brahma-Samhita, and teach them to chant co-jointly as they chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra.”

Letter, April 17, 1970

Every mantra of the Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam is shabda-brahma, or the Absolute Lord in His form of transcendental sound. If the mantra is poorly articulated, then the sound form of the Lord is disfigured. Instead of invoking the Lord, the distorted sound may invoke inauspiciousness. Therefore Prabhupad emphasized that the devotees be educated “to pronounce in Sanskrit vibration”.

“Your teaching of Sanskrit pronunciation has been very much successful. I was just thinking of teaching our students the pronunciation of the Sanskrit verses in the Bhagavad-Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, etc. and by Krishna’s will you have already begun this. It will be a great help for me if the students are taught to pronounce in Sanskrit vibration. It will be another effect of transcendental sound vibration.”

Letter, April 5, 1970

Along with musical accompaniment, devotees could “sing also, like songs, with tamboura” the Vedic mantras, suggested Prabhupad.“Yes. You can sing also very nicely, sing also, like songs, with tamboura. It is very nice [sings]:
cintämaëi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa. Like that, it is very nice. In every temple there should be, one man should play on tamboura and chant. It requires nice pronunciation, and with the sound of tamboura.People are coming, offering darshana, and the singing is going on. That is the system in Indian temples. It immediately vibrates.”

Vedabase; no date supplied

In his strategic outlook for ISKCON’s future, Prabhupad knew that Sanskrit education was an essential scholastic tool for the gurukul children. It would enable them to firmly and deeply grasp the Vedic literature. Thus, he ordered the gurukul educators to “purchase minimum fifty copies of the primary Sanskrit book.”

“One thing is, I have just returned from the Dallas Gurukul school, and the young students there require to learn Sanskrit language. So I think you may purchase minimum fifty copies of the primary Sanskrit book for learning Sanskrit language from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Chowpatty and send to Dallas school as soon a possible. Ask them if they will donate, but if they will not donate then purchase outright minimum fifty copies of the first grammar or primary book for learning Sanskrit at earliest age.”

Letter, September 13, 1972

Not only for the children but for his adult disciples, too, Prabhupad encouraged Sanskrit classes, not for the purpose of becoming scholars, but to aid in their pronunciation of the mantras “in the proper accent.”

“Regarding Sanskrit class, it is very encouraging that Mr. Parikh is helping you in this connection, but the chief aim for learning Sanskrit would be how to pronounce the Sanskrit verses especially in our published books. . . . Therefore the main aim of this Sanskrit class should be how you can learn this chanting in the proper accent. It is not our aim to become a Sanskrit scholar.”

Letter, April 16, 1970

Anybody who reads Srila Prabhupad’s books can learn something about Sanskrit by studying the word-for-word synonyms given for each verse. Prabhupad was even willing to produce recordings of the verses to assist the readers in “pronouncing Sanskrit very nicely just by reading” his books.“The linguistics professor has correctly remarked. It was my intention in presenting the books that anyone who would read would learn Sanskrit. For example almost all of my disciples are pronouncing Sanskrit very nicely just by reading my books. He says that there is no pronunciation guide, but it is there is it not? The best thing would be a recording.”

Letter, September 26, 1975

In the following conversation with Dr. Patel, Prabhupad expresses his wish to explain the “Bhagavad-Gita grammar,” i.e., analysis of the Sanskrit syntax, to probe the meanings and formations of words and phrases in the Gita verses. The ISKCON devotees Harivenu Dasa and Yadu Dasa have fulfilled Prabhupad’s desire by authoring a book series called Sanskrit 12
Grammar in Bhagavad-Gita (see the Resources section for details). This series has detailed Sanskrit lessons, with practical demonstrations and examples from the verses of the Gita.

Dr. Patel: …teach Sanskrit through Bhagavad-Gita.

Prabhupad: Oh, that we are doing. We give each word’s meaning. Each word of any Sanskrit shloka, we give the meaning. That is right.

Dr. Patel: That is the way I learned myself.

Prabhupad: If one is serious to learn, he can learn. There is no difficulty, no: dharma-shetre kurukshetre. Now, if he inquires, “The word is dharma-shetra. Why it is written shetra?” then it is grammar.

Dr. Patel: That is what I say. That is the way I learned.

Prabhupad: So that, if he likes, he can learn it. Saptami, adhikaraëa saptami, sthana, shetra, shetre,

dharma-shetre. If he simply tries to learn the nominative case, the objective case, then he’ll learn.

Dr. Patel: [speaks something in Sanskrit]: Like that. All things in different ways.

Prabhupad: Sanjaya uvaca. It is nominative case. Dharma-shetre kuru-kshetre samavetäù, this is plural number, yuyutsavaù, plural number. Mamakau päëòaväç caiva. Päëòaväù is plural number, and when it is added with ca it becomes çca. The visarga. In this way he can learn. Eva, again sandhi. Mämakäù päëòaväç ca eva.

Dr. Patel: My meaning was that. My idea was that.

Prabhupad: Yes. So any serious student, he can learn at home. It is not very difficult. And after studying one or two or a dozen sentences, automatically, yes, he learns sandhi, he learns verb, he learns subject, object, everything. No time; otherwise, I would have made Bhagavad-Gita grammar. Yes.

Prabhupad: That is what I really meant when I say that.

Prabhupad: You can do that. You can do that. People will read it, Bhagavad-Gita grammar.

On the Bhagavad-Gita teach them grammar. Just like Jiva Goswami compiled Hari namamrita vyakaran, similarly, you write. You have got both the knowledge, Sanskrit, and through English, Bhagavad-Gita grammar. People will take it. I have no time; otherwise, I would have done it. Simply nominative case,objective case, shabda-rupa.

Conversation, April 13, 1976
 Diacritics

Although Prabhupad did not have enough time to write a complete Sanskrit grammar text, he did make sure to include the diacritic marks on the roman transliterations of the scriptural texts in his books. This assists the reader to “pronounce exactly” the Sanskrit verses.

Prabhupad: You are reading the transcription or original verse?

Hridayananda: Transcription.

Prabhupad: So this transcription is quite helpful in pronunciation. Everything exact it is coming. The diacritic marks: follow, you can pronounce exactly.

Conversation, June 10, 1976

Because the Sanskrit alphabet has more letters than the English alphabet, to allow those with no knowledge of Sanskrit to correctly pronounce the words, scholars introduced a system of using a combination of the English alphabet and dots and lines called diacritical marks. These can be seen on the letters ä, é, ü, å, ë, ï, ç, and others. The diacritics tell a reader exactly how the sound is to be produced. For example, the line over the top of the vowel a (ä) tells the reader to hold the vowel twice as long as normal.

Prabhupad instructed his publishing house to strictly adhere to this academic standard of “correct diacritic spelling” in all his publications.“In reply to Jayadvaita’s questions, henceforward the policy for using diacritic markings is that I want them used everywhere, on large books, small books, and also BTG. If there is any difficulty with the pronunciation, then after the correct diacritic spelling, in brackets the words “pronounced as _” may be written. So even on covers the diacritic markings should be used. We should not have to reduce our standard on account of the ignorant masses. Diacritic spelling is accepted internationally, and no learned person will even care to read our books unless this system is maintained.”

Letter, December 31, 1971

The diacritic system is known as the roman transliteration (“transliterate” means “to write in the corresponding letters of another alphabet”). It has been “internationally accepted by all scholars” for almost a hundred years. Each Sanskrit sound can be precisely transliterated without loss or ambiguity. All Prabhupad’s books contain diacritics on the transliterated Sanskrit words. “Diacritical marks must be maintained. These are internationally accepted by all scholars so I want that they should remain. If they are a botheration then leave out the Sanskrit words altogether or wherever there is a Sanskrit word, keep the English spelling for pronunciation (following it), e.g., Krishna pronounced “Krishna”. If you are printing children’s books you may avoid Sanskrit words, but in my speeches there must be Sanskrit. This changing from one standard to another is not good, either avoid Sanskrit, put English pronunciation in brackets or use the diacritical marks whenever there is Sanskrit.”

Letter, December 28, 1971

The roman transliteration enables novice Sanskrit students to read Sanskrit without knowledge of the Devanagri script, provided they are willing to “learn the diacritic marks.”
“You practice this diacritic mark. English transliteration is there. It is not very difficult. Simply if you practice twice, thrice, four times, it will come exactly, the pronunciation. You have to learn the diacritic marks. Then it will be all right.”

Lecture, March 27, 1976

Without diacritics, a Sanskrit word written in roman letters will probably have an ambiguous pronunciation. The word meaning changes if one ignores the diacritics.
“Devotees call the temple in Belgium ‘Radhadesa,’ but there is no actual place like that with reference to the name Radha. The name comes from Radhadesa, a part of Bengal where the Ganges does not flow, the place where Nityananda Prabhu appeared.”

—Bhakti Charu Swami

The following excerpt from the Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita describes the place called Radhadesa:

räòhe yäìra janma kåñëadäsa dvijavara

çré-nityänandera teìho parama kiìkara

SYNONYMS

räòhe—in West Bengal; yäìra—whose; janma—birth; kåñëadäsa—Kåñëadäsa; dvija–vara—the best

brähmaëa; çré–nityänandera—of Nityänanda Prabhu; teìho—he; parama—first-class; kiìkara—servant.

14

TRANSLATION:

The twenty-first devotee of Sri Nityanand in Bengal was Krishnadas Brähmaëa, who was a first-class servant of the Lord.

PURPORT:

In this verse the word Radhe refers to Radhadesa, the part of Bengal where the Ganges does not flow.

Cc. Adi 11.36

In this example, by ignoring the diacritics, devotees changed the word Radhadesa (“part of Bengal where the Ganges does not flow”) to Radhadesa (intending it to mean “the country of Rädhä”), which has a completely different meaning. By ignoring the dot (under òha in Radhadesa) etc., devotees changed the meaning of the word. A dot can change a lot.

Benefits of Pure Pronunciation (Shuddha Uccharanam Labha)

Pradyumna: Prabhupad: Sri Devotees: Devotee: Shukau Uvacha In regard to preaching/strong/em/strongg programs, devotees know that the pious Indians are naturally attracted to the pure recitation of Vedic mantras. If preachers can impress the public with spectacular recitation of “Veda-mantra,” they will be “received like God.”

“And wherever you go, in any part of the world, if you can chant this mantra, oh, you’ll be received like God. It is so nice. And in India he’ll actually receive like Gods if you chant this mantra. They will so offer their respects, so many. Veda-mantra.”

Lecture, April 20, 1972

Just like the Lord’s holy names, verses of scripture are also transcendental vibrations.

Their pure recitation brings all auspiciousness. By purely chanting mantras, “wherever you go, you will be all respected,” Prabhupad told his disciples.

Prabhupad: …transcendental vibration. So everything is there. If you do not practice, what can I do?

The transliteration is there, the accent is there, and now our Pradyumna is there also. Utilize time; become attracted. As Krishna is all-attractive, you become attracted at least to some. Krishna is all attractive.

You cannot become all-attracted. At least you become attracted to some. They are becoming attracted by good apartment, by shaving the beard, like that. You told me they are trying to remain young?

Sudama: Yes, yes. You have given us so many shlokas. Now we have so much to start. So many mantras,
Bhagavad-Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Isopanishad.

Prabhupad: Huge. So why you are not utilizing this facility?

Sudama: We’re missing the point.

Prabhupad: This evening you will have to chant these verses and you will explain. Who will explain?

You will explain? That’s all right. Then I shall speak. First of all let them hear from my disciples, then I shall speak. Is it all right?

Sudama: Yes, Srila Prabhupad.

Prabhupad: So now practice whole day how to pronounce these shlokas.

Pradyumna: Better all chant.

Prabhupad: Yes. And explain. Practice like this. Then wherever you go, you will be all respected.

Lecture, April 25, 1972

15

Prabhupad desired that his sankirtana devotees uniquely “demonstrate the chanting of the mantras” to attract the public to Krishna.“When we lead our world Sankirtana Party, at that time, if we can demonstrate the chanting of the mantras as they are stated in Isopanishad, Bhagavad-Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Brahma-Samhita, that will be our unique position.”

Letter, April 16, 1970

Prabhupad did not write books just for distribution. He also wanted his disciples to study them and practice “resounding the mantras.”

Prabhupad: Bhagavata? So from the very beginning, Om namo bhagavate, janmädy asya yataù.

[Pradyumna chants the verse one word at a time, with the devotees and Srila Prabhupad repeating, until Srila Prabhupad stops him at the word abhijïaù.]

Prabhupad [Chants the verse one word at a time, with devotees repeating]: Like that.

Pradyumna: Janmädy asya yato ’nvayäd.

Prabhupad: No, first of all let them practice. [Chants the verse one word at a time, with devotees

repeating.] Read like that.

[Pradyumna chants the verse one word at a time, with devotees and Srila Prabhupad repeating.]

Prabhupad: Again. [Pradyumna repeats, as above.] Next you. [Devotee recites whole verse one word at a time with devotees and Srila Prabhupad repeating.] Hm. Kirtananand Maharaj. [Kirtananand recites with the devotees and Srila Prabhupad repeating.] This word abhijïaù or abhijïaù [he pronounces it differently] both ways you can pronounce. So it is easier for you, as it is spelling abhijïaù, or abhijïaù, as you like. Yes. [Kirtananand continues and the devotees repeat.] Thank you. Viñëujana Mahäräja [recitation takes place]. Karandhara Prabhu [recitation takes place]. You [a devotee recites]. Any more? Anyone else? Hm. [Srila Prabhupad chants the verse twice, one line at a time, and devotees repeat.]

Prabhupad: So, if you chant these mantras, at least one in one day, your life will be glorious. This mantra, bhagavata-mantra, not only Bhagavata, every Vedic literature is a mantra. Transcendental sound. So practice resounding this mantra. So we have taken so much labor to put in diacritic marks, all the words, word meaning; utilize it. Don’t think that these books are only for sale. If you go to sell these books and if some customer says, “You pronounce it,” then what you will do? Then he will understand, “Oh, you are for selling, not for understanding.” What do you think? So therefore it is necessary now, you have got nice books, each and every shloka, verse, should be pronounced. Therefore we have given this original verse in Sanskrit, its transliteration with diacritic mark. These marks are universally accepted amongst the scholars. So all the scholars of Sanskrit, they agreed to use this mark for pronouncing Sanskrit language. Sanskrit language is very important, honored all over the world.

So if, those who are Indians, especially present in this meeting, that if you want to glorify your country, then you present this Vedic literature. I am therefore so much laboring hard that we, before my leaving this body, I may give you some books that you can enjoy after my death. So utilize it. Utilize it. Read every shloka nicely, try to understand the meaning, discuss amongst yourselves. Nitya bhagavatasevaya.That is our mission.

Lecture, July 6, 1972

In Jhansi, where Prabhupad started the League of Devotees, his very first disciple, Dr.Acharya Prabhakara Mishra, was a college principal and Sanskrit scholar. Prabhupad envisioned an institute for scholars from all countries to “learn and read Sanskrit.”“As such it is now necessary that men of culture all over the world may learn and read Sanskrit, the mother of all other languages of the Aryan stock. The League of Devotees, therefore, will maintain a Sanskrit academy and a degree college especially for the purpose of disseminating the benefit of this great language to all. Scholars from all countries will be welcome to remain as inmates at the institute.”

On the mission of the League of Devotees, 1953

Even after establishing the International Society for Krishna Consciousness twenty years after preaching in Jhansi, Prabhupad still contemplated launching “a bona fide language school” and paying Sanskrit scholars to train his disciples in Hindi and Sanskrit. He thought this would be a great aid in their preaching mission, especially in India.We want to introduce this program of teaching our students Hindi and Sanskrit for two reasons. First of all, as I have already explained in a previous letter, if we can establish a bona fide language school then our American and European disciples can acquire student visas for coming to India. This will solve our visa problem. Secondly, if our students can actually preach in Hindi, periodically quoting Sanskrit,it will be a very good credit for us and very respectfully received by the Indian people.

The curriculum can be two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening and the pundits can be paid Rs. 200 per month. Our students, however, must be prepared to apply themselves and actually learn the languages.”

Letter, December 21, 1973

Other benefits of purely uttering Sanskrit are cultural and physical. To speak Sanskrit means to be refined and cultured by definition. As the language of the gods, it brings divine grace. The Sanskrit sounds create beneficial vibrations for the näòés (the pathways of everyone’s life air) and strengthen the nervous system, thereby contributing to good health.

The Lord Accepts the Motive (Bhava-grahi Janardana)

One of the first arguments devotees offer against improving their pronunciation is: “Krishna is in my heart, and therefore He knows what I really mean to say; the Lord takes only the essence of a devotee’s attitude. He is glorified as bhava-grahi janardana.”“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as bhava-grahi janardana because He takes only the essence of a devotee’s attitude. If a devotee sincerely surrenders, the Lord, as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart, immediately understands this. Thus even though, externally, a devotee may not render full service, if he is internally sincere and serious the Lord welcomes his service nonetheless. Thus the Lord is known as bhava-grahi janardana because He takes the essence of one’s devotional mentality.”

Bhagavata 8.23.2, purport:

This is the Lord’s merciful nature. He pardons the mistakes in the “grammatical composition” of a devotee’s prayers, if the intent and service attitude is “pure for serving Krishna.”

“So even we offer Krishna prayer with broken languages, because Krishna is Absolute, Krishna will accept it.

Bhava-grahi janardana. Krishna sees how much your heart is pure for serving Krishna. Krishna does not see the wording, the grammatical composition of your prayer.”

Lecture, May 6, 1973

The story of the illiterate South Indian brähmaëa of Çré Raìgam teaches us a similar lesson. His fellow brähmaëas in his village laughed at him and made fun of his incorrect pronunciation of Bhagavad-Gita shlokas. But because of his intense bhäva (ecstatic love) for the Lord, he was shedding tears of ecstasy while thinking of the Supreme Lord driving the chariot of His devotee, Arjuna. As a result, the brähmaëa received the darshana (audience) of Lord Caitanya. With these arguments, one may justify laziness as being an indication of devotion: “I don’t need to learn Sanskrit grammar and pronunciation.” After all, Çaìkaräcärya has said:>aJa GaaeivNd& >aJa GaaeivNd& >aJa GaaeivNd& MaU!MaTae

SaMPa[aáe SaiàihTae k-ale/ Naih Naih r+aiTa duk*-Ha( k-r<ae

bhaja govindaa bhaja govindaa

govindaa bhaja mudha-mate

samprapte sannihite kale

nahi nahi rakñati òukåï karaëe

Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, you fool! Your grammatical word jugglery will not save you at the time of death.

Dvädaça Manjaréka Stotra

Prabhupad was tolerant of our mistakes. The Vaishnavas are addressed as sara-grahi,i.e., they accept only the essence and do not consider the mistakes in an offering. Bhava-grahi

Prabhupad accepted a pure service attitude. He forgave our mispronunciation of “guru” as“goru” (meaning “cow”) and took “the meaning of guru and not goru, even if it is spoken as goru”.“You are chanting, the mantras, but because it is not your language, sometimes it appears broken. Just like guru.

Sometimes you say ‘goru.’ ‘Goru’ means cow and ‘guru’ means spiritual master. So the difference in meaning is vast. The spiritual master is not a cow or a bull [laughs]. Because it is not your language, it does not matter, because bhsva-grahi janardana, Krishna, is within you. He knows what you want to chant. Therefore He takes the meaning of guru and not goru, even if it is spoken as goru. I don’t take offense because I know that your desire is something else. I do not protest that you are addressing me goru. I am not goru. So that is not a fault. Similarly, it is said yasmin prati-shlokam abaddhavaty api. If somebody does not know how to spell, how to say, but his idea is there, abaddhavaty api, because he wants to chant the holy name of the Lord, namany anantasya, ananta, His name is being chanted.”

Lecture, June 10, 1969

Here Prabhupad refers to Narada’s famous instruction to Vyasadeva:

TaÜaiGvSaGaaeR JaNaTaagaivâvae

YaiSMaNa( Pa[iTaëaek-MabÖvTYaiPa )

NaaMaaNYaNaNTaSYa YaXaae_iªTaaiNa YaTa(

é*<viNTa GaaYaiNTa Ga*<aiNTa SaaDav” )) 11 ))

tad-väg-visargo janatägha-viplavo

yasmin prati-çlokam abaddhavaty api

nämäny anantasya yaço ‘ìkitäni yat

çåëvanti gäyanti gåëanti sädhavaù

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

Bhagavata 1.5.11

The Lord gives preference to “the motive, not the pronunciation of the language.”

“Yes, you can sing prayers in Sanskrit, but prayers in English can be also pronounced because the Lord accepts the motive, not the pronunciation of the language. He wants to see spiritual motive. Even if some effectiveness is lost in translation, if the motive is there, it will make no difference.”

Letter, January 2, 1968

The Lord in our heart, Paramatma, witnesses all our mind’s acts. If we just pronounce the name of the Lord with the tongue, but do not meditate upon Him within our mind, then the effectiveness of our chanting is reduced. But if we are sincerely chanting the Lord’s names, “even it is not… perfectly pronounced, still, God will understand.” “Because God will take your mind, not your pronunciation. If you mean to pronounce God’s name,even it is not, I mean to say, formally or perfectly pronounced, still, God will understand that you are trying to chant His name. That is your perfection.”

Lecture, October 9, 1969

These statements are often misconstrued to justify improper pronunciation. However,the pure devotee actually wishes to offer the best service to the Lord. Reciting the pastimes of the Lord in the form of scriptural verses is also devotional service, and if our motive is to please the Lord, then we should endeavor to perform this service to the best of our capacity.

If one knows the proper method, one should perform the service appropriately. Prabhupad makes this point in the following letter: “everything perfect for Krishna.”

“It is not our philosophy to print errors. Of course, our spiritual subject matter is transcendental and therefore it remains potent despite mistakes in grammar, spelling, etc. But this type of translation may only be allowed if there is no other way to correct it, then it is all right. But if you know the correct order, then you must make it perfect. That is our philosophy: everything perfect for Krishna.”

Letter, January 20, 1972

1.7 Gravity of Mantra Recitation (Mantroccharanam Gambhirta)

Priests would ensure that their mantroccharanam (pronunciation of Vedic mantras) was precise by testing sacrificial hymns on animals. If the sacrificed animal regained a new life, the pronunciation was verified to be correct (Bhag. 4.19.27, purport). If the pronunciation was even slightly flawed, the result of the sacrifice could be reversed, as in the case of Tvañöä’s sacrifice.Although this incident depicts an extreme situation, it demonstrates the importance of pronunciation, which can cause even life or death. If mantras are improperly chanted, they can yield an opposite result. Tvañöä wanted to produce a creature to kill Indra, but he chanted one syllable long instead of short, so the sacrifice produced Våträsura, whom Indra killed.

hTaPau}aSTaTaSTvía JauhaveNd]aYa Xa}ave )

wNd]Xa}aae ivvDaRSv Maaicr& Jaih iviÜzMa( )) 11 ))

hata-putras tatas tvañöä

juhävendräya çatrave

indra-çatro vivardhasva

mä ciraà jahi vidviñam

TRANSLATION:

After Vishvarupa was killed, his father, Tvañöä, performed ritualistic ceremonies to kill Indra. He offered oblations in the sacrificial fire, saying, “O enemy of Indra, flourish to kill your enemy without delay.”

PURPORT:

There was some defect in Tvañöä’s chanting of the mantra because he chanted it long instead of short,and therefore the meaning changed. Tvañöä intended to chant the word indra-shatro, meaning, “O enemy of Indra.” In this mantra, the word indra is in the possessive case (ñañöhé), and the word indra-shatro is called a tat-puruna compound (tatpuruna-samasa). Unfortunately, instead of chanting the mantra short,Tvañöä chanted it long, and its meaning changed from “the enemy of Indra” to “Indra, who is an enemy.” Consequently instead of an enemy of Indra’s, there emerged the body of Våträsura, of whom Indra was the enemy.

Bhagavata 6.9.11

In the compound word indra-shatro, the ending of the word shatro is uttered short when it is in the possessive case (ñañöhi) and long when it is in the vocative case (sambodhana).

Tvañöä mistakenly uttered it long. He expected “Indra’s killer” to be born from the sacrifice,but the mantra he uttered meant “Indra is the killer of the person to be born.”In the above scenario, “long” and “short” do not denote dérgha and hrasva (see section 2.4.2 on vowels), but long (udatta) and short (anudätta) pitch accents on vowels (also in 2.4.2). Tvañöä spoke Vedic Sanskrit (vaidika bhana or vaidika sanskrit), in which the word meaning can change depending on the pitch in which a vowel is accented. Vedic Sanskrit occurs only in the shruti-shastra, the four Vedas, and it is also called shrauta bhana. The rest of Sanskrit literature is written in classical Sanskrit (laukika bhana or laukika sanskrit), which is not altered by vowel pitch accents.

The commentaries by Sridhara Swami and Vaàçédhara on Bhagavatam 6.9.11 explain this incident in more detail. They say that the version of the mantra given in 6.9.11 is different from the mantra used by Tvañöä. The mantra given in the Vedas and described by Sridhara Swami and Vaàçédhar was indra-shatrur vardhasva, and their explanations of the mistake are based on this. It was customary to change a Vedic mantra a bit when mentioning shruti texts in writing because the audience did not necessarily have qualifications (adhikara) in shruti. Hence the mantra from the Veda was changed in 6.9.11. Or it was changed owing to considerations of the verse meter.

Hence we see that there is no actual vocative in the Vedic mantra. Sridhara Swami mentions that the mistake was in the svaras, vowel pitch accents. As far as the letters were concerned, they were accurately chanted. The mistake in the svaras (vowel pitch accents) was that he chanted “indra” with the udätta accent, which changed it from what was intended (a tatpuruna meaning “Indra’s enemy”) to something else (a bahuvréhi) meaning “Indra is the killer of the person to be born.” /ememBhag. ) pitch accents on vowels (also in 2.4.2). Tvañöä spoke Vedic Sanskrit (/strong/em

Om Agyana timirandhasya Gyananjaya shalakaya chakshuh unmilitam yena tasmayi Sri gurave namah.

Namah Om Vishnu padaya Krishna presthaya bhutale, Srimade Bhakti Vedanta swamin iti namine, Namaste Saraswate Deve Gaura vani pracharine, nirvisesa shunyavadi paschatya desa tarine.

Jaya Sri Krishna Caitanya Prabhu Nityananda Sri Advaita Gadadhar Srivas adi Gaura Bhakta vrinda.

All please say together, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Thank you for this opportunity to say a few words on Global Varnashrama Mission. I will quote from Caitanya Caritamrita, Madhya lila, regarding Varnashrama, or the vision of Varnashrama.
(CC Madhya 8.58) “varnashramachara vata purushena param puman, Vishnur aradhyate pantha nanyat tat tosha-karanam.” The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varna and ashrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varnas and ashramas.

Harer namaiva kevalam, Varnashramaiva kevalam!
The quoted verse is originally from Vishnu Puran 3.8.9. As we talk of daivi varnashrama, we are reminded of another kind of asuri (demoniac) varnashrama. But here we are talking about daiva varnashrama. How did we get from…not we…whoever got into this asurik varnashrama.

Brahmana is described by the Lord as one who has vidya and vinaya (knowledge and humility). “Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini, shuni caiva shva-pake ca panditah sama-darshinah” (BG 5.18: The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].) These are the good qualities, qualities in mode of goodness. He has knowledge and he has humility. So in place of these good qualities, knowledge and humility, the brahmanas, they got degraded. Instead of humble, they became proud and arrogant. What mode would they or anyone who has arrogance and pride be? Not goodness. A little tint of passion, but lots of ignorance. This is how “kalua shudra sambhavaha” (In kali yuga, everyone is shudra). Not only shudras are shudras, in this age of kali, the brahmanas are also shudras.
There was a time when there were ‘rajarshis’ or saintly kings. Because of their association with the saints, they became saintly kings and then they were the first ones, the recipients of knowledge. “evam parampara-praptam imam rajarshayo viduh.” (BG 4.2: This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way.) Raja (king) is the first party, Krishna says (in Bhagavat Gita) to receive this knowledge. So as they did not get this knowledge anymore or could not imbibe this vidya, as a result in place of vidya, avidya took place. Avidya took place of vidya. (Knowledge was replaced by the lack of it). Then there were no more rajarshis (saintly kings). So there was a time when the Brahmana and kshatriya they were kings. Because of the brahmanas’ pride and arrogance, they degenerated into lower nature and the kshatriyas were not getting direction or knowledge of how to implement the principles of dharma. They were not even hearing it, then what to speak of implementing.
Gradually the state and religion got separated in the west and in India also. It was said, “We have nothing to do with your religion! You are such kind of people; look at your face. You are so called brahmanas. No qualities. You speak of ‘untouchables’. You say, “Hey, don’t touch us, stay away, stay away.” In India, they call it ‘asprushyata’ (untouchables) “don’t touch us, we are extinguished… (Laughs)… no no… not extinguished, but distinguished. We are distinguished personalities. Only brahmanas and nobody else. Stay away.” That kind of mentality they developed.
So Lord says in Bhagavad Gita,“chatur varnyam maya srushtam guna karma vibhagashah.” (BG 4.13: According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me.) This Varna and ashrama is not concoction or it hasn’t come from somebody’s fertile brain. It has come from the Lord. It is Lord’s creation. (maya srushtam: created by Me). So varma and ashrama. First you determine varna and then comes ashrama. Varnas are determined first and then the ashramas. They are governed by the three modes of material nature. “Prakrite kriyamanani gunaihi karmani sarvashah ahamkar vimudhatma karta aham iti manyate” (BG 3.27: The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.) They think they are kartas (doers); their aham (false ego) is there. These beings, human beings are governed by the three gunas. Prakrite kriyamanani…
So the goal is how to dovetail… I am in goodness, I am in passion, I am in ignorance. So how to dovetail, how to spiritualize my situation so that the goal is to transcend the three modes of material nature. Krishna talks next in the 9th chapter. “Mahatmanas tu mam partha, daivi prakritim ashritah.” (BG 9.13: O son of Prutha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.). Daivi varnashrama. Being handled, governed, dangled but the three modes of material nature… from that situation how to get into divine, how to spiritualize, how to devotail? (Is the goal). Utility is the principle. Making the goal of satisfying the Lord. Vishnur aradhyate. How to get into aradhana of the Lord… panthah… that path (how to choose), so that the result is ‘tat tosha karaman’ – Lord is satisfied by those activities of those situated in different varna and different ashramas. Eventually they transcend these three modes of material nature.
There is karma, gyana, yoga and bhakti. This is the ladder. All these components, or all these stages could be just described as “bhakti” (devotion). The whole thing could be just bhkati. You are evolving from karma, to gyana to making further progress… karma… karma yogi… then there is some knowledge and renunciation… now he is gyani… then some ahstanga yoga… some devotion is added.. then he becomes bhakti yogi. But if they get stuck at certain level, and they think that this is it.. I got it.. I achieved it… then they end up in becoming the respective yogis on the yoga ladder.
I was just reading, Prabhupada uses the word ‘stuck’… they get stuck at karma level and then they become karma yogi…Some come to level of ashtanga yoga or gyana yogi… so if they get stuck there, then they become known by the names karma yogis, or gyana yogis or ashtanga yogis. If they keep moving forward… upward mobility… then the whole process from beginning to finish could be called bhakti process. So our goal is to become vaishnavas, to become free from all the “sarvopadhi vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam” (from Narad Pancharatra, quoted in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.1.12: One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’)
Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Oh I have nothing to do with this.” “Naham vipro na cha nara-patir napi vaishyo na shudro, naham varni no cha griha-patir no vanastho yatir va, kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramananda-purnamritabdher, gopi bhartum pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasam.” (Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 13.80: am not a brahmana, I am not a kshatriya, I am not a vaishya or a shudra. Nor am I a brahmachari, a householder, a vanaprastha or a sanayasi. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Shri Krishna, the maintainer of the Gopis. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.) Who are you? I am das dasanudas. So we get established – this is it; this is it. We have nothing to do with this varna and we have nothing to do with ashrama. Hey, we are vaishnavas! We start jumping, we are vaishnavas, we have nothing to do with varnashrama. Naham vipro, naham… we are not this, we are not that. But it doesn’t go away like that. That is the philosophy, that is the vision, that is the goal to become vaishnava, free from designations, free from three modes of material nature. But how to get there? How to achieve that level or status? So that is where the varnashrama or daivi varnashram, divine varnashrama comes into the picture.
So the goal is daivi varnashrama. Then all the principles of varnashrama are strategy. There is vision, obstacles, strategy, resources, time line for any activity. Consider these five factors. What is the vision? The maharaja has a vision or ISKCON has a vision. This is varnashrama. This mission has a vision. Global Varnashrama Mission has a vision. To achieve any vision, there are obstacles, stumbling blocks. To overcome those, there is strategy – how to get over so as to achieve the vision and who would do it? The resources, manpower, we also need money. Economics has to be there.
When I joined the movement, I was a brahmachari. During Prabhupada’s days, most of us were brahmacharis or grihasthas. At least I was thinking – this is it. This International Society for Krishna Consciousness is going to remain this way. If there were some devotee wearing white clothes (householders), we thought that it was a black spot. That white was black. If someone was thinking of changing ashrama, so many brahmacharis would corner him and they would brain wash him. During Prabhupada’s time; one time I remember, one temple president of Vrindavan, he was thinking of changing ashrama and there was heavy preaching by other brahmacharis. Prabhupada came to know. He was annoyed with the attempts of these brahmacharis. If someone wants to change his ashrama, this is natural. Everyone is not going to end up becoming brahmachri or sanayasi.
Scene changed after 20, 30 and now 40- years. It is other way round. The saffron cloth has become black spot. All there is now is this white background (householders). Mostly white. Mostly grihasthas with few saffron spots. So lot of devotees did enter ashrama which was natural for them, grihastha ashrama.
So if we had varnashrama system strategy in place, then those who had to leave, those who could not remain brahmacharis or sanayasis, they could have stayed on within the family, within the society. But that was not the case. Devotees had to leave the society for economic reasons. That is the major factor, other reasons may also be there. So in order to keep all those, who came to Krishna Consciousness movement, there could have been planning about how to keep them in the house, which Prabhupada built for the whole world to stay. You need not step outside the house; you are taken care of whether you are brahmachari, sanayasi, whichever ashrama or varna you belong to, there would be a place for you in that house. There would be a situation for you, there would be some engagement for you. Economic arrangement for you, education for children, protection for the cows, the land is to be utilized, not lying around. Prabhupada would make comments, while flying over Australia or something, “see thousands of acres; no cultivation!” So land and the cows, Prabhupada always used to say, “land and the cows! Land and the cows!!” So you saw last year, Bhakti Vaibhav Maharaja came up with a documentary called ‘Lost Village.’ Did you see ‘Lost Village’? It was my village. Maharaja picked up my village.
So what is lost? Varnashrama is lost. The cows and brahminical culture and other aspects of that varnashrama are basically rapidly vanishing/ diminishing. So within our family and world at large, we are at a serious juncture. So much loss. Everything is kind of getting lost. It is becoming unbearable for mother Earth. Her fever is going up. Global warming. She is warming up. And as a result human race is suffering to such an extent that no one seems to have any solution. Big scientists, they have been promoting this industrial civilization. There are two types of economies in the world, one is industrial economy and the other is agricultural economy. Agricultural economy is the only real economy. The other one is just a trial and error. The trial is a failure. One big scientist, physicist in fact, he was asked, “What should be done now in this situation for the human beings on this planet”. He said, “They should look for another planet!” Like in a boat, if there is a hole and hence it is sinking, then there are life boats attached to that boat. So they say, now this is sinking, now is the time to look for lifeboat. This is impractical. No solution. The only solution we could say on the basis of ‘na anyat tat tosha karanam’… there is no other way or cause but to go for varnashrama charavata. Practice of varnashrama. And the goal is Vishnu aradhyate. Sometimes, those who get into varnashrama, they have forgotten this Vishnu aradhana. So that is how they went the other way. There is exit. They become asuric.
So while practing varnashrama, the goal of Vishnu aradhana has to be kept intact. The goal should remain in focus. I was just looking at the background information from Global Varnashrama Mission, and the very first quote I came across here, very interesting Srila Prabhupada’s quote, “Krishna consciousness movement is the movement of brahmanas and vaishnavas.” Sometimes we think the Hare Krishna movement is only for vaishnavas, sometime we think that way. Or it is only for the brahmanas because Prabhupada wanted to create brahmanas. Here Prabhupada is saying it is for both of them together, brahmanas and vaishnavas. So initially they are brahmanas. But to become Brahmana is not the goal of human race, or human form. To become vaishnava is the goal. But you cannot jump over, skip some steps. We need to go through the process of varnashrama. Varnashrama is the process of purification. Sansiddhi haritoshanma… there is another verse. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.13: It is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one’s own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.) Perfection is in Hari toshana. (satisfaction of Lord Hari). If Hari becomes santushta or satisfied, then what we have done is perfect.
Varnashrama is also the name of dharma. Varnashrama dharma, sanatana dhrama, bhagavat dharma, sankirtan dahrama as we say now. So by protecting dharma, there is statement that says, “dharmo rakshati rakshitah” from Vedic source, from writings of vyasadeva. Very popularly used. Very scholarly words. Dharmo rakshati rakshitah. Those who protect the dharma, they will be protected. So while protecting dharma, daivi varnashrama dharma, protection comes with it. No separate endeavor is necessary. Just protect, and you will be protected. Do everything in your mind to protect or practice. Protection is not just giving talks or speeches. With Gyana (knowledge), there has to be vigyana or implementmentation. So by doing this, the whole human race would be protected. It also applies to ourselves within our Hare Krishna movement. Protection: cow protection, children protection, elderly folks protection, land protection, deity protection, so many. This varna protection, that ashrama protection. This is all part of upholding the principles of dharma. Immediately there is an umbrella over you; you are protected.
So I have kind of overheard, something from a devotee talking. He is disturbed. He said that the body or the society is in very bad shape. Only lying down. Now if you want it to stand up, initially the crutches are used. You need crutches. But the crutches should not be there forever. At one time, you should be able to throw away the crutches and walk on your own and run. So degradation of this civilization or society is there. Like a dead state lying down. So get it up. So this varnashrama is providing some kind of crutches to lean against or some support system with the help of which you kind of stand up, rise and do some kind of fighting and walk. You can endeavor to walk. All that endeavor for the pleasure of the Lord, samsiddhi Hari toshanam. Here these crutches represent the three gunas. We have to become free from the three guna… because guna has three mode of material nature. The goal is nistrai gunya bhavarjuna, Lord declares. (Bhagavad Gita 2.45: O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes.) You become transcendental to the modes. Trai gunya vishava veda (Bhagavad Gita 2.45: The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three modes of material nature.) Lord says, the subject matter of the Vedas is full of three modes of material nature. Lord has declared already in the Vedas, there is karma kanda section, gyana kanda section, this section, that section. The Upanishadas is for different folks. Different folks – different shloks. Different sections are for those in goodness, passion, ignorance. Lord says, become transcendental – like throwing away these crutches. No limitations anymore. You are not a brahmana. You are above the brahmaha. You are a vaishnava.
So keep up this good work and nice. Take advantage of this divine arrangement on divine varnashrama, within Krishna Consciousness movement. Sometimes, we do hear some controversy. Prabhupada said, “I have done 50% of my work and 50% has yet to come.” He was referring to Varnashrama as the remaining 50% of his mission. So we may want to get out, get away or have shortcut but I think it won’t work. We just cannot declare that we have become vaishnava and that we have nothing to do with varnashrama. While coming here, I was debating whether I should carry danda or just go without danda – dandaless. But I was going to varnashrama, I’d better carry danda. We kind of keep our dandas away. But Prabhupada was not happy with that. I was given sanayasa in Vrindavan.
Prabhupada returned to Bombay and we followed him. And we were together. Mostly I carried my danda. I was a good boy. It was Sridhar Maharaja, our god brother. Sometimes he would carry and sometimes he would not carry. Prabhupada would ask, “Why did he not carry?” You are a good boy, you are carrying, why is he not carrying?”
Sometimes, we quickly want to leave our varna, ashrama behind and transcend but we need to hang in there for the longer so that we leave these three modes and the crutches, this process behind and enter into divine divinity and the spiritual realm where we are only spirit souls. Here we are the body and the soul. We are put together. So while we are body, some varnashrama has to be there. When we are only soul, then we are only vaishnavas. We have to leave this body behind. Until then we need to follow, practice this varnashrama. Once again thank you for being connected with varnashrama. Daivi varnashrama ki jay!
em

VENUE: ISKCON PANDHARPUR, SESSION II: THE VISION, OBSTACLES AND PLANNING FOR THE HOLY NAME

FIVE POINT PROJECT MANAGEMENT:

This is like some project management. There is a five point program to organize a project, plan the project on local, regional, global level. It has five steps of planning. We had applied this to our Srila Prabhupada’s centennial 1996 project. Of course, we started planning in 1992 and the celebration was in 1996.

CHANTING PROJECT – FOR CHANGE:

So what is our project here? Not only chanting, what did we say yesterday? “Chanting for change”. Change what? Change our consciousness and eventually change the world. Go deep within and make the change in there with the help of your chanting. When we say with the help of chanting, it is a big help out there. With the help of chanting, we change. With Krishna’s help, we bring about the change. It is possible if Lord helps. Then we could change ourselves and change the world, change people around us. So chant for change. It the theme of our seminar here. It is chant for change. So that is our project. So we want to apply these five universal principles to organize or plan the project. It has five components.

FIVE COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT:

1. Vision,
2. obstacles,
3. strategies to remove obstacles,
4. resources,
5. timeline.

First one is vision.

Next one is obstacles, stumbling blocks to achieve that vision. This is my vision. What could possibly keep me away from achieving this vision? This proactive approach, in advance we take the note of our difficulties which we may encounter on the way.

Third one is strategy. This is our vision, these are possible potential difficulties. Then what would be our strategy to get rid of these obstacles so that we achieve the vision.

Fourth thing is resources. There are two aspects – man power and funding. We will talk of resources. There may be some more types of resources.

Fifth one is time line. Time factor. How much time is it going to take for me to achieve this goal? If the total time is say five years. Then we must decide what is my first phase; what is my second phase. Let’s say we decide that we should achieve this much in first phase of six months. Then we decide in the next phase, I want to go forward this much and then each subsequent year this much.

APPLY THE 5 POINT FORMULA TO OUR PROJECT “CHANT FOR CHANGE”

Ok so this is the formula or the universal principle that we talked about. We want to apply these to our project “chant for change”. It is not just ‘chant for change’ for today and tomorrow. How to apply this 5 point formula for chanting japa. So we will go through these steps one by one and invite your comments.

VISION: (Maharaja gets a few responses from the devotee audience and approves them)
1. Transformation of heart.
Nayanam Galad ashru dharaya vadanam gadgad ruddhaya gira, pulakair nichitam vapu kada, tava nam grahane bhavishyati (Siksastakam , verse 6). So that is the vision. It is also Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s statement.
2. Chant purely.
3. Getting empowered.
Smaranam (remembrance of the Lord). Yes we want to end up with smaranam. We go with shravanam, kirtanam (hearing and chanting) and the goal is or the vision is remembrance.
Kirtaniya sada Hari (constant chanting) could that also be vision.
4. Seeing every object in relationship with Krishna, that is the goal.
5. Getting situated into our eternal position as a servant of Krishna is also a goal of chanting.
6. Realize abhinnatvat nam namino: realize that Krishna’s name is not different from Krishna.
7. Attachment to the holy name
8. Attentively chanting the prescribed number of rounds is a vision.
9. Please Guru and Gauranga by my chanting. Bring service attitude.
10. Chant for begging for service. When Krishna gives service, then you say, see you later. I will think about it. (Laughter)
11. Going back home. Back to Pune? (Laughter). One devotee said when he was in London, he always thought that going back home means I have to go somewhere else. So when he came to Vrindavan, he was on Vraja mandal parikrama and towards the end, he was sharing his realizations. He talked about all his thoughts from the past. He said, “I always thought of going back to home, means I have go somewhere else. And here now I thought I have to go somewhere else”. But once you are in Vrindavan, then he said, “This thought disappeared. I have come back home. I am back home. Now I need to go nowhere else.” Swadham here. So like that.
12. Self realization is the goal. Then Krishna realization. Self awareness, in fact. Very important. Become aware of the self as you chant. Awareness of the supreme.
Krishna prema. Holy name is Krishna prema (love of Godhead). Realizing this is the vision. Realize that Holy name is Krishna prema.

OBSTACLES:

Now you have to keep in mind our respective vision. We have to think, “I am sitting for chanting every day. So what could stop me from achieving this vision or goal?” So that is the next exercise. You understand the next exercise? What is the difficulty; what are the problems; who are the enemies of the chanting. Enemies of the chanting! As soon as I said enemies… (Laugher) almost everyone is alert. (Again Maharaja invites for various responses from the audience and approves them)
1. Offences against the holy name, especially vaishnava aparadha.
2. Laziness. Lazy to work. Lazy to chant.
3. Mind doesn’t cooperate.
4. No taste for chanting due to past conditioning.
5. Enemies. What are they? Kama, krodha, sad ripus from the past. (Lust, anger, greed, pride, illusion and envy).
6. Sleep. Nidra devi especially comes during chanting (laughter). Start chanting and she appears. In Bhagatavan class also she makes sure she is there! Om namo bhagavate…. (Laughter). So this is pretty serious obstacle.
7. Prajalpa (mundane talks) that you do or you entertain others to talk during japa.
8. Over eating is an obstacle.
9. Not being prayerful is an obstacle. What is it called? Mechanical chanting. Dry, routine, machine like. So body is chanting but you are not there, the soul not there, prayer is not there if that was the case, then the tape recorder or the radio will also go back to Godhead because the tape recorder or radio is singing Hare Krishna or devotional songs.
10. Lack of determination. Utsahat niscayat dhairyat, (Upadesamrita, Nectar of Instruction verse 3: with enthusiasm, patience/determination and confidence) applying that. If not applying that, it is obstacle.
11. Lack of preparation of mind.
12. Not sleeping enough at night time is also an obstacle. Lot could be said about this preparation. Do not worry about ‘chanting’, during chanting but the day before you should be worrying about tomorrow morning’s chanting. I will chant tomorrow morning; so what I will do? Is it going to help me or will it be an obstacle. Sachinandan maharaja also does yoga, stretches and gets ready.
13. Mental preparation. How I am going to prepare? Am I prepared?
14. Uncontrolled tongue and bodily disorders. Overeating results in sickness.
15. Being stubborn. Not being honest or obedient, not taking suggestions from others, not taking good advice in relation with his chanting from others for improving.
16. Lack of reading and hearing sufficiently. One should be philosophically sound and in that mood come resources, as we go for resources.
17. Considering ourselves as doers. Some kind of pride or aham. Boasting ourselves, “I am Mood of finishing the rounds for the sake of finishing. with it. Have celebration (laughter) finished. Finally I am let’s have a party. That kind of mood. We are eager to finish for sake of finishing.
18. Not understanding enough mahatmya or greatness, importance or significance of chanting. Not having faith in chanting. Lack of shradha because we have not heard the glories of chanting. So we have lack of faith. Commit the 5th offence. Consider glories of chanting to be imaginary.
19.Lack of humility. Lacking the qualities listed in the verse “Trinad api sunichena…; humility, tolerance, not being respectful to others. One thing is good that you had that ‘sadachar’ (appropriate behavior) program before this. Sadachar has a connection with chanting. A sadachari person could do chanting better. It is the right sequence. First prepare for the chanting session, be well behaved. Observe vaishnava etiquettes. Dealings, sambandhas with vaishnavas and with Lord also. If you are not sadachari, your chanting is very difficult. You may be chanting 64 rounds but you may be thinking you are doing kirtaniya sada Hari but there is no sadachar then that vision that we listed will not be achieved. Although chanting, kind of chanting is going on… one will be haunted by material desires… pratistha, pooja, labha (honor, profit, prestige).
20. Not wanting to reform. We may have some bad habits, we are doing something wrong twice, thrice, and then that becomes habit that becomes character, your second nature. It may be so that just the material part of your nature is getting solidified. So we want to change that. But not wanting to reform, not wanting to change is an obstacle. Sticking to our style. It is good to come out and chant with devotees. Then devotees will point out “prabhu, you are doing this wrong. This is not right. Do this way.” Or if you are chatting on your own, at Radha kunda by yourself, but incorrectly but what are the chances? Only Radharani could intervene. If you don’t have vaishnavas around, then that is an obstacle..
21.Breaking regulative principles. Bad association. Prayas (over endeavor). Prajalpa (mundane talks). Niyamagraha (Insisting on some niyam, or rules not knowing purpose of the niyam). Jana sangas ca (association of worldly people)

STRATEGY: is our next item. How to overcome the obstacles is dealt in these items called ‘strategy’. (In this section, maharaja picks up some of the items listed in the obstacles category, collects responses from the audience and addresses each of them by suggesting a strategy to overcome the obstacle.)
1. Strategies to overcome sleep:
Take proper rest. You take up a sankalpa (vow) about how much to, not going to sleep, or talk during japa, or attend to calls. Sankalpa is preparation. Reduce over eating, specially eating at night. Lunch eating may not be as bad as your eating at dinner time. So skip dinner or light dinner some fruits or milk. Water spray (laughter) if nothing else works. You could apply water especially on the temple. Applying cool water on the temple directly helps you to overcome sleep.
It is good to stay away from those who sleep. If their association is going to make you sleep, then no. Some drivers don’t allow persons sitting in the front seat to sleep because if they sleep he also feels sleepy. So like that. You could stay away from those who sleep.
Sitting position also. “Sit properly” Prabhupada used to say. So what is the right position as a part of strategy? Right sitting posture? Back bone and neck straigth. You could sit in Sukhasana, or in Vajrasana. Sit like yogis. When someone looks at japa yogi, the chanter, the person should get idea that this person is chanting. He is just like yogi. Sometimes you don’t get to chanting, you may be just sitting, or sleeping, not being alert, not being attentive. On the face there is no expression, it is just a blank face or the way he is sitting, his mind, his body, face; there you don’t read anything, nothing reminds you there of this person. What possibly he might be doing right now?? So if we know he has a bag in hand. We could probably say that he is chanting. But if a new, stranger looks at this person what would he think? There is no proper mood, not proper posture, not with proper facial expressions, alertness, attention, eagerness, crying like baby… All those things are not there, then how could anyone think that or be reminded that this is a “japa yogi”, this person is busy now in japa. So it is said that the atmosphere or aura around him should be so thick, that it should be difficult to penetrate. Another person would have to think: how should I approach this person? How could I stop this person? He is chanting. In that case, he may offer obeisance; or ask, “May I say something?” Lot of times, we won’t get to see that. As if that person is already eager to talk to you (laughter), you don’t have to seek permission.. He may be just waiting, just waiting for someone to come and talk to him and intervene. Praying intensively to overcome the sleep obstacle or for wakeful chanting.
To a question, whether walking and chanting is okay, Maharaja responds – for some time it is okay. If sitting is not helping then it is okay. But one has to try sitting down. That is the proper posture, asana for chanting. As you walk, the passion mode arouses. Then you are thinking of other things, other than even chanting. If we are chanting while walking and some thoughts come to you and they send you back and forth. So you could walk just to fight lower mode but not continuously.
2. Strategies to overcome distraction of the mind:
First point is what is distraction. Mind is wandering… yato yato nishchalati manah chanchalam asthiram (Bhagavad Gita 6.26 From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the self.) so you have to overcome roaming or wandering of the mind.
Not allowing sense to come in contact with sense objects. In chanting there is no scope for eyes to look. Seeing and not seeing at the same time. There is a difference between seeing and seen. See just enough and not see more. Not like see, and then go deeper, contemplate and get attached, then it becomes a habit, That is the whole process. Our goal is not stop the senses, like stop smelling, or put ear plugs or stitch the mouth, not talk etc. So the positive approach would be to see Krishna’s form or try to see or remember Krishna’s form. If another form is in front of you, try to think of Krishna’s form. So that other form is still there in front of you, but you are more influenced by Krishna’s form rather than the form in front of you, so try to practice this.
If service is giving distraction, it is very good to learn management principle to prioritize chanting, like management principle. We are learning that also here now. Chanting time and some other time. We must determine the priority. First thing first.. it is management principle. First thing is to chant. Then other things can come. Control you mind like that. Hold on or have some patience. Don’t be impatient. Don’t jump ahead of the time. When that time comes, you dive deeper.
Writing maha mantra and keeping it in front of you. Sachinandana maharaja also recommends meditating on written maha mantra.
Each name should be pronounced distinctly. When we can get all 16 names like this, no other thought can enter. Not think of 16 words at a time but one word, or even one syllable at a time. So this is more micro managing your chanting, rather than macro. HA – R E,K RISH – N A.. (emphasizing each syllable)
There is another dimension to the above point. Not only you are saying the names clearly and attentively, but the other goal is remembrance. While chanting, you are supposed to be remembering Krishna, praying to Krishna, remembering His form. There is so much to be busy with when you are chanting. Yesterday some devotee was comparing kirtan to japa saying that, “Japa is monotonous; same thing goes over and over again, one may have disinterest. It may be mechanical etc”. So these things are being addressed here. Hear, chant, remember; crying like a baby. If your mind is going elsewhere then you have another exercise to do… Drag it back, bring it back. Take the help of intelligence. Who is superior to the mind? Intelligence is superior to the mind. So where is mind going, whether it is going to the right place or wrong place or is it timely for the mind to go… Who will decide all this? Intelligence decides. Power of discrimination is with intelligence. Mind doesn’t have its own philosophy. Mind is just floating. Just like child. While walking, passing by the shop, the child cries… daddy, daddy… I want that. Mind is like that. Daddy tries to convince… no no… Take this lollipop and then the child runs for that. Just a moment ago the child was crying for something else and now drops that and runs for something else and then something else. There is nothing fixed about the mind. Hence you could change the mind. Mind you could change. Train the mind. Shape up the mind. So there is a scope. Knowing that there is scope for changing the mind, it is possible to changing the habits of mind. Mind doesn’t have its own philosophy. Superior to mind is intelligence. So you have to be very very alert, very very active. It is business. It is a serious business. You can’t do your business if your intelligence is not working. Chanting is a serious business. Do you do your business without intelligence? You have to be a very intelligent person. Very intelligent person could chant attentively or could really chant and achieve the vision. Krishna jei bhaje sei bada chatura. That person is called chatura who does “Krishna bhaje”, one who worships Krishna , serves Krishna.. very smart, very intelligent. So what does Srimad Bhagavatam say? Yajnair sankirtanah prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah” (Bhag. 11.5.32 In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krishna). Sumedha… this is job of ‘sumedha’, not some ‘drop outs’ or those who fail, miserably fail and so they become sadhus. This kind of worldly understanding is incorrect. Krishna says: “Gyanavan mam prapadhyate” (Bhagavad Gita 7.19 After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.) . One who surrenders to Me, he is gyanavan, knowledgeable. So chanting is the job of a very very intelligent person.
We have to have intelligence and exercise it, use that intelligence for improving our chanting. So you prove you that you are intelligent by using the intelligence. So your two hours, the 16 rounds – this is the time for you to use intelligence. Otherwise it is just sleeping business because intelligence is not being exercised. If intelligence is at job, alert sharp intelligence, immediately you will be able to tell: oh you are sleeping, you are doing this, your mind is going away.. you will watch and point out and come up with rectification measure. So japa is not just the time to sit around, just sitting the round. Your whole being, your whole existence is being used, in action. Body, mind and intelligence. So use the intelligence.
3. Strategies to overcome false ego
Falsely egoistic chanter is just the opposite of trinad api sunichena taror api sahisnuna (Siksastakam, verse 3: One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others). He will not be tolerant, patient, respectful and all that. So that is all ego. If somebody is helping that person to wake up from sleep etc. and that person who is receiving the help doesn’t appreciate the help, but fights back… That is also ego. This trinad api sunichena stragegry of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this is free from ego. No false ego. Your real ego, your soul is humble, pure, and tolerant. Dadami budhhi yogam. Krishna gives intelligence to those who are… ananyas chintayanto mam ye janah paryupasate, tesham nityabhiyuktanam yoga kshemam vahamyaham (Bhagavad Gita 9.22 But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.) satat and Yukta and priti purvakam means rendering service. Then Lord is pleased and He gives intelligence, buddhi. This is one kind of intelligence you are getting. Others are also getting intelligence. Materialistic people are also getting. But Maya (illusory energy of the Lord) is giving them intelligence.
Devotee gets intelligence from Krishna and materialistic person gets it from Maya or Maya’s agents or energies. What kind of intelligence we need during chanting? That intelligence which comes from the Lord. If the person has false ego then again there is a resistance. The intelligence coming from Krishna is not going to flow in his direction. Ego is the stumbling block. Ego is going to stop that flow. He may be getting intelligence but that he will get is “vinasha kale viparita buddhi” (at the time of one’s destruction, one gets absurd intelligence).. vinasha (destruction) has come and he is getting self destructive intelligence.
4. Strategies to avoid the offences:
So the 10 offences are to be avoided in order to quickly achieve the desired success of life, namely going back to Godhead. You should be familiar with the ten offences. Learn what each one is. What does it mean? Which offence I commit? I may not be committing all of them. Each one of us is specialized (laughter); someone commits first offence more, someone 5th, and so on like this… each one is different. So again we know. What is my obstacle? Which offence I commit? Work on that. Inattentive chanting is a result of offences. Vaishnava aparadh is an important offence.
5. Strategies to overcome laziness
Due to laziness, the mind doesn’t want to chant. Laziness could be of varieties. You should be around those who are enthusiastic. Then what happens? Chanting is enthused and you laziness runs away. If you don’t chant in the morning, chanting during the day takes longer because mind is not concentrated. This is common experience. Those who don’t chant in the morning, they take a long long time to complete. Then you may be just hiding behind the chanting. You are supposed to finish chanting and get ready for the service. But if you just keep chanting, that is not right thing to do. So we have to get up and chant.
With use of intelligence you get mind to surrender. With your intelligence, you should decide what is good for your life, what is good for you and you may also take the help of sadhus, sastras, to make a list of what is good for you and then just do it. Tell the mind also to cooperate. You don’t surrender to the mind but you get mind to surrender. What is good for you that you have decided with the use of intelligence and you want to get that done; so let the mind not interfere.
Planning: Plan your chanting or plan your 24 hours. Plan for your rest time, plan for eating also. When you sit down for a meal, you could have a determination that I am going to eat as much as required… yukta ahar. So this is planning before you sit down to eat. Once you start eating, then only after you are too much full, you may be doing lamentation. But that also could be reviewed after meal but you could also have a strategy before you sit down for meal. So there is strategy for everything. So planning. Plan your mind, 24 hour time, plan sleeping. Basic necessities are to be planned.
6. Strategies to overcome past conditioning:
During this “chant for change”, we want to work on past conditioning. Past is not only past life, but past five years, past ten years, or past so many lives we had. So all that is conditioning… cheto darpana marjanam… There is an example: There is a lake or well and the water doesn’t have any ripples or anything. Suddenly a bubble comes….. phat….. (Makes a bursting sound by mouth) Prabhupada gave this example. If the water is clean, everything is still and clean, then where is this bubble coming from? It proves that at the bottom of the well there is some kind of dirt, contamination. For a long time there is nothing, clean, clear, calm water. Suddenly… phat… This is an indication that deep within there is some conditioning, some contamination and then it pops up suddenly. You are taken by surprise. Why do the bad things happen to good people like ME you know..?(Laughs). Bad things happen to good people? We are not fully good yet. There is some bad. We have to go deeper and find where that bad is hiding. Trace is out. Not wait for it to appear. Who knows when it could appear? You could go deeper and take out the root.
7. Strategy to overcome lack of taste in chanting
We have taken chanting as a vow. So we must keep doing it. Secondly, the lack of taste may be because of past conditioning. We need training for developing the taste. These seminars are like training sessions. Attend more this kind of satsang, discussions on such an important topic of chanting. We have so many other topics. We rarely get to talk about this most important aspect of life. It is due to the mercy of ISKCON Leads program that this topic has come up today. This is also being discussed now a days in japa reforms and books also there in the market for this topic: Mahanidhi maharaja has a book. Sachinandan maharaja has a book. Satswarupa maharaja had one long time ago. ISKCON market is there with literature also on this topic. Some seminars are also held. We are doing it here also.
8. Strategy to overcome mechanical and dry chanting
Bring prayerful mood and remembrance, so that it is not just machine like chanting. Even if external chanting and lip movement are there, mind has to be involved. Intelligent has to be active, and the soul needs to be stirred up. Chanting is what? Soul stirred up. It is very active. Not mechanical. Mechanical means only body. In spiritual chanting, soul is involved. Soul is there, mind is there, favorable mind, cooperative mind and sharp intelligence. When all of that is there, then it will not be mechanical any more. Not having taste, because you may be doing just mechanical chanting. That is why no taste. Not striving harder for go forward. Not fighting with sleeping. No planning for eating or your uncooperative mind. So don’t have ruchi (taste). So all this is because of mechanical chanting.
9. Strategy to overcome lack of determination
Cultivate determination. It is also nistha… becoming nishtavan… you have to have a lot of determination, fixed up. So how does one get to the fixed up nishthavan stage? How does one get there? You have to do all the prior steps. Shraddha, sadhu sanga, bhajan kriya, anartha nivritti. (Faith, association of saintly persons, chanting of the holy name of Krishna and eradication of unwanted desires). More you do sadhu sanga, more bhajana, more anarth nivritti. As you become more and more free from anarthas. What happens? That results in determination/ nishtavan. You become steady, sober. This is science. We are spiritual scientists. Wes should be knowing… more shraddh, more glories of the holy name I should be hear, more sadhu sanga, more association, more guidance, I should be praying “give me some bhajana dan. Please purify O vaishnava with more of your bhajan gyan. How to do bhajan, how to worship to Krishna, you give me, teach me, share with me.
10 Strategy to overcome lack of preparation
Do your preparation a day before. Prepare a day before, night before; is my quantity of eating, time of eating going to help me tomorrow’s chanting? Or my association, is it good? So that way prepare.
11. Strategy for uncontrolled tongue
Not only eating but the uncontrolled tongue is.. vacho vegam manasah krodha vegam, jivha vegam udaropastha vegam, (Upadesamrita – nectar of instruction, verse 1 urge to speak, the mind’s demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals)…. So the tongue is in the middle. Just see how the arrangement is! Six items (the devotee is recommended to tolerate). In the middle is the tongue… one time mentioned as jivha and other time as vacha. So jivha eats and vacha speaks. Both are tongue. And then the two items up from tongue – mind and anger. From jivha two items beneath (the urges of belly and gentials). If speech not controlled, then uncontrolled mind and anger. If eating is not controlled, then udara upasatha (urges of belly and genitals). So same tongue two functions. Then there are 2 pushings. Up and down. Uncontrolled tongue… not taking good advice from others. That is the difficulty.
12. Strategy to overcome lack of hearing and reading
Philosophical soundness helps us in chanting. Doership mentality or false ego is a problem. If we are chanting out of humility, thinking humbly that I am chanting by the grace of my superiors and my spiritual masters, by Krishna’s mercy, then this is a good kind of mentality. It will result in good chanting. But if you are chanting mechanically, then you will be happy to quickly finish the rounds. But don’t be conditioned to chant only 16 rounds. Get out of this conditioning.
13. Lack of value and importance of chanting. How to overcome that? Read the glories of the holy name. There is a book called, Sri Namamrita. All Srila Prabhupada purports are there. Other literature is there. Caitnaya Caritamrita has several sections on the holy name. Hari nam chintamani is also a very good tool on how to remove obstacles. Bhajan rahasya is also very essential reading material. So get fixed up so you could say “sthito smi”.. now I have no more doubts of chanting, or chanting as the yuga darma of this age of Kali (religion of this age). So hear more.
14. Strategy to overcome lack of humble and tolerant mood
Lacking “trinad api sunichena” (being humbler than a blade of grass and tolerant than a tree).. Be humble; it is easy to say right? Sometimes people have t shirts that says… “Smile or “just do it.” Similarly we could say, “Somehow be humble”… Somehow… (Laughs)… yena kena prakarena… (By hook or crook) because there is no other way… chanting is also the only way… but to get right results from chanting, be humble… there is no other way. There is no short cut. We have to come to this stage. Person who has this kind of mentality can only chant… What is the translation of the verse trinad api sunichena? “One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” Please note the words “in such a state of mind”. So this instruction has come from Maharpabhu. If you have such a state of mind, then only kirtaniya sada Hari (you could chant constantly).
15. Strategies to overcome material desires:
We are haunted by material desires… pooja, labha, pratistha. (honor, profit and prestige) This is basic disease of the living entity. Bhakti Sidhhanta Saraswati compared his pooja, labha, pratistha with shukarer vishtha (stool of a hog). Vishtha as it is very bad. What does shukar (hog) eat? Vishtha. So shukarer vishtha is like the essence of the stool. That is the value of pooja, labha pratistha. Till we are convinced of this, we should be remembering this statement of Bhakti Sidhhanata Saraswati. We have to realize this is very important. As if this is like the vision of my life… (That pooja, labha and pratistha are like stool of hog for me)… there is no value of stool, what to speak of the stool of the hog. So you could convince yourselves of that.
16. Strategy to overcome the breaking of four regulative principles
Don’t break th has a book. Sachinandan maharaja has a book. Satswarupa maharaja had one long time ago. strongem! (Laughter). Again, keep chanting Hare Krishna. We have to resist the temptation that says, “This is inviting me. This is attracting me”. When we are attracted by Krishna, or Krishna’s holy name via chanting, then we could kick the temptation to break the regulative principles.
17. Strategy to avoid bad association
Give it up! First of all you should know what good association is and what bad association is. Who provides good and bad association? How do you determine this? With intelligence, you could discriminate and come to a conclusion that this is bad association. So keep safe distance from bad association, bad company.

RESOURCES:

All the things we listed so far are needed as resources, like:

1. Proper rest, Sankalpa (determination), Man power (help from others).
2. Reading Srimad Bhagavatm. Proper atmosphere. Dham or temple, association of devotees, good time. Good place, good circumstance. Morning time is a good time.
3. Japa quotes, written form of maha mantra in front of you. Some reading material, some literature is a resource. Photo, if you want a small one to carry in your travel kit with you.
4. Tulasi devi… chanting next to Tulasi is highly recommended. It is clean place. Fragrance, incense, flowers.
5. Ear plugs! You have to make sure you hear yourself
6. Well lit place, but not too bright. It can distort your attention. If it is dark, then also it is conducive for sleep. Light should be not too bright, not too dark.
7. Water bottle, sprinkler… (Laughter).
Many items from the strategy, items would be part of these resources.

TIME LINE :

How much time for chanting 16 rounds? 2 hours. If chanting one round takes 15 minutes, then it could be said that the mind is not focused. So two hours are considered kind of standard time. Then what time of the day chanting? Morning.
To achieve the vision for chanting, one must decide how much time will be needed. It could be said that we need one lifetime. Prabhupada gave that kind of goal. You could finish your business in one lifetime. Srila prabhupada used to say… like a business man doesn’t think “oh, I will make profit in next life. I will do business now, profit I will gain in the next life”. Businessman never thinks like that. He wants all profit in this life time. Then he used to say.. for devotees also, they should achieve their goal in this life time. So you don’t have to wait. Because we don’t know how much is the lifetime. How many days, months are at our disposal. .. “Adaiva vishatu me manas raj hansa” that prayer is there (by King Kulasekhar; “Krishna, I am now in good health. So kindly award me death immediately.”). Not waiting till the last minute, last moment. At the last moment, it is very difficult to induce mind and voice is choked up. So take advantage. ‘This’ is the time. Adhyaiva… Today… Now. Especially when one is young, it is easy to achieve things. If you do them when you are old, it is difficult or impossible. Lot of people, they don’t even get old. They die before they get old. Some people die even before they take birth. They are not allowed to take birth. They are killed in the womb. So take it seriously now. Intelligence is working, body is functioning. There is good association. We have resources at our disposal. So this is favorable now. So reap the results. So that is the time.

Question: Do we have to tackle each obstacle with a time line or all obstacles at once?

Answer: it could be both. You could get into the detailed exercise and then each obstacle you apply now only time line. For each obstacle, you could apply the vision, strategy, resource, and time line. That way you could achieve the vision faster if you get the details.

But not all obstacles are for everyone. One obstacle may be there for one, other obstacle for others. Similarly, the degree of obstacle may be different for everyone. Overeating may be a general obstacle, but for someone it may be very acute, very serious. For others, it may not be so serious. One needs to work on this. Okay. Hari bol..Thank you. (Maharaja ki jay!!)

Om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana –salakaya

Caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

Nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale

Srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine

Namaste sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine

Nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

SRI KRISHNA-CAITANYA PRABHU NITYANANDA SRI-ADVAITA GADADHARA SRIVASADI-GAURA-BHAKTA-VRINDA

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare |

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare ||

Hare Krishna, Did you like the drama? (HARIBOL) it is a real life story, not just a drama, life story of Bilvamangal Thakur. (Could the light be dimmed further, I want to see my audience?) The drama was entitled as the transformation of the heart, that is transformation of the consciousness also or the revolution in consciousness. It changed Bilvamangal Thakur. Personally Bilvamangal Thakur gave a detailed sketch of his own biography. What kind of a person he was, what kind of heart or what kind of consciousness he had once? As he was a young man, different events led to first of all in taking steps for Bilvamangal Thakur. Chintamni acted like a shiksha guru or vartman pradarshak guru. He decided to take life seriously. He decided to find Shri Krishna. He was now headed towards Vrindavan and finally he was there having encounter with Shri Krishna himself. He made a full circle from totally materially absorbed, full of lust consciousness to full of Shri Krishna consciousness. We saw in the drama, which was also the truth in the life of Bilvamangal Thakur. Krishna was away or He took extra minutes to reach Bilvamangal Thakur and thus he was feeling uneasy as he was separated from Krishna. As Nandalal finally arrived, Bilvamangal Thakur said I only think of you Nandalal, “Who r u?” He had become so conscious.

At every step he was thinking of Nandalal, he realized who He was later on, He was not different from Krishna. Srila Prabhupada has established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Society means of course the people, public not mundane public, the personalities but what kind of personalities? Krishna conscious. International society of men, women and children. What sort of men, women and children? Krishna conscious, conscious of Krishna. Consciousness is symptom of the soul, we touch the body and we feel that feeling is consciousness, which pervades the body. Bigger the body, the consciousness spreads over that higher body. Also, but in bodily concept of life, body is one thing and people are not only materially conscious or conscious of themselves but also for other family members, their children, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend. People are conscious that this is my child’s shoe, the mother is conscious as soon as she looks at the shoe, “Oh! This is my little boy’s shoe. This is his ball, this is my little boy’s ball or this is my husband’s coat.” As people look at different objects belonging to their beloveds, it reminds them of their beloveds, they are conscious. So in the same way, a devotee becomes conscious that this is Krishna’s world. Sarvoloka mahe… everything all around me is Krishna’s property, here is a beautiful flower; let me offer this to Krishna. Krishna conscious devotees always think like that. Materialistic people think in the following manner, “Oh! What a beautiful flower, let me bring these to my girlfriend or my boyfriend.” What is the difference, the difference of consciousness, if you wear the glasses with a green color, you will see the whole world greenish. If your glasses are of blue color, everything turns blue, consciousness is like that. People with materialistic consciousness think, “Oh! This is me and this is mine.” Prabhupada defines Krishna consciousness as, “Krishna consciousness means clear consciousness.” When consciousness becomes clear, devotees think everything is Krishna’s property, let me offer or use everything in the service of Krishna. The materialistic consciousness is boosso aham, aham boss asmi from there, from that kind of aham or isvaro aham conscious. One comes to the conclusion not bosso aham, aham daso asmi, that is Krishna consciousness. Conditional souls try to take the position of the Lord. In the words of Srila Prabhupada, “people want the kingdom of God but without God. Why would they want Him, because they think I am God. They are taking position of God and would like to enjoy like God.”

Few minutes ago, I was reminded of something, some 34-year-old experience, I was in Hare Krishna temple only for a week or so. My brother had come to take me back to village. He told me, “You have to come otherwise mother may give up her life.” So I had to go, they had promised that I could just spend a few days and come back. So I went to the village. My family had purchased a radio, a new radio; they used to listen to film songs lots of times. And as I was a new bramachari, I had to spend some time in the Hare Krishna land. I considered all those songs, which I had to hear as maya. The man taking turn, may be Amitabh Bachchan, was he around that time, he was taking a turn singing a song, glorifying the woman and then after few minutes, it was the turn of the woman to glorify the man, his eyes, his arms, jeena to kya jeena……….. Like that, they were going back and forth. Man glorifying woman and the woman glorifying the man. Your face is like the moon, disgusting. I, being a junior member of the family and this new toy, this radio, there was no way I could have stopped the radio from playing. So I was trying to think of something and came up with an idea, I could do one thing and that is what I started doing. Whenever the actor would sing, I used to think, “Oh! This is Krishna singing now,” and whenever it was the turn of the actress to sing, I used to think that the gopis are glorifying Krishna. It is like that, the only personality we should be glorifying is Radha and Krishna. Radha glorifies Krishna and Krishna glorifies Radha, we hear and we relish that the glory the beauty.

“Sri-radhika-madhavayor-apara-madhurya-lila-guna-rupa-namnam,prati-ksanasvadana-lolupasya,vande guroh sri caranaravindam.”

How pleasing are radha madhava or radha govind.

“Vrndaranya-kalpa-drumadhah, srimad ratnagara-simhasana-sthau,

srimad, radha-srila govinda-devau, presthalibhih sevyamanau smarami.”

There is the beautiful forest of Vrindavan and the desire tree. Underneath one desire tree, right there, there is a throne bedecked with jewels, upon that throne, there is Radha Govind and so many other damsels, so many gopis are serving Radha and Govind. I would like to mediate upon that Radha and Govind, who is being served by Lalita, Vishakha, Champakelata and Tungavidya. So that is Krishna consciousness, that is Krishna consciousness mediation and that is Krishna consciousness. On the contrary, what would people like. All that description about the forest find, tree find and throne find, I am there and a woman is there. I am being served. I am in the center, I am the enjoyer. That is the kind of false position that we take, that is the kind of consciousness that we have in this material world. We can get rid of that, minimize that or diminish that by the process of bhakti yoga. One should cultivate in oneself that daso asmi in the place of bosso asmi and come to the realization that, in fact I am just a servant of Krishna, my position is to serve him eternally. So to bring revolution in consciousness, change something within you. Just change one thing and then everything changes, what is that one thing? That changes everything, Change the color of the glasses and the world is of different color. So that is consciousness change, make it Krishna conscious, Krishna consciousness. Srila Prabhupad used to say sometimes, “Krishna Conscious revolution is most desirable, otherwise, this world has seen so many revolutions, resolutions, desolutions and  no solutions.”

So this world is going through so many transformations and changes. French revolution, this revolution or that revolution. But Srila Prabhupada has given to this world the process with the help of which we attain our original consciousness and that is Krishna consciousness. Jai Srila Prabhupada ki …..Jay. Thank you very much, HARE KRISHNA./strong

Venue : London Date : 19/06/10 The Material world is hot and cold, young and old, birth and death, ladies and gents, etc. The list gets longer and longer. But the Maha-mantra is not from THIS world.

Whilst we were just chanting together, I had a thought that each one of us is chanting and we were all with Krsna, in the form of the holy name. For most of the year, we are not physically together, but wherever we are, we chant and we are with Krsna. Therefore in this way we stay together. It is the easiest way to remain together.

When Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was getting ready to take sannyasa, everyone was naturally thinking that “we shall be deprived of His association!” Mahaprabhu spent 24 years together with His associates and then suddenly in the middle of the night He left and decided to take sannyasa. Prior to His departure He gave a speech to pacify and console. “No No! I will live with you in two forms! The first one, I will stay in the form of the holy name (chanting). Even when I am gone, keep chanting”. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is non-different from the holy name. So, one avatar of Mahaprabhu is the Holy Name.

kali kale nama rupe krsna avatara
nama haite haya sarva jagat nistara

“In this Age of Kali, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, is the incarnation of Lord Krsna. Simply by chanting the holy name, one associates with the Lord directly. Anyone who does this is certainly delivered. (CC Adi 17.22)

The Lord appears in every age. But in the Holy Name, He appears to all of us, unlimited, everywhere, everyday for each and every one of us! Even in THIS tent. The Lord appears at midday (Rama), in the middle of the night (Krsna) and during dusk (Caitanya Mahaprabhu/Nrsimhadeva) and so on. But Krsna’s holy name is ready to appear every day! Everywhere! And to Everyone! It is the beauty, the Lord making Himself accessible to everyone, and we all, each one of us, have our very own Lord. In this form He can become our cherished property.

This is homework for us – to chant Hare Krsna and be happy! This is the only transaction on initiation. We have the four regulative principles, which are the “DONT’s”, but what will you “DO”? This is the most important bit. We all have received Krsna in the form of the Holy Name. ‘Here is Krsna, in the form of the name”. Narottama Dasa Thakura said:

krsna se tomara, krsna dite paro
tomara sakati ache
ami to’ kangala, krsna krsna boli
dhai tava pache pache

We are paupers, penniless (kangala), poor – Oh Gurudeva, Oh Vaishnava Thakur, I am running after you for Krsna that you can give to me. This way, Krsna is given by Guru.

The second form in which Caitanya Mahaprabhu said he will stay is “Ananda” – Bliss! This Bliss, comes from chanting Hare Krsna. Therefore Chant Hare Krsna (first form) and be Happy (second form).

When you chant, ‘Ananda’ will also make an appearance. From Krsna comes bliss and this bliss is Krsna. Any genuine bliss in this world comes from Krsna.

‘Nanda ke Ananda bhayo’. When Krsna appeared at Nanda Baba’s home, all the Vrajavasis were singing this in joy. Some did not know what had happened and all they could hear was ‘Nanda ke Ananda bhayo’ from the other Vrajavasis running by them. They would try and stop one of the running Vrajavasis to inquire what has happened. But the person would not stop and keep on running in happiness and joy. They say “Ananda has appeared”, not Krsna, not Nanda Nandana, not Kesava, etc. Ananda, actual bliss, has incarnated. ‘Sat Cit Ananda Vigraha’.

The lilas, pastimes of the Lord in Vraja, are Ananda-Kunda. They fill up the lakes and reservoirs with Ananda. The residents of Vraja drown and swim in this Ananda. As it is written in the Damodarastakam prayers

itidrk sva lilabhir ananda kunde
sva-ghosam nimajjantam akhyapayantam
tadiyesita-jnesu bhaktair jitatvam
punah prematas tam satavrtti vande

Thus bathing Gokula in a great lake of bliss, He shows that love defeats Him. Devoid of reverence  conquered only by those in complete confidence. I offer Him unlimited loving praises. (Verse 3)

This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu‘s strategy, His plan. He appeared to expand the ocean of love of Godhead. He started in Mayapur and now He has reached London! The River comes to you! This is His kindness.

Our acaryas cut a canal from this river and they brought the same ‘Rasa’, Ananda, to us. Srila Prabhupada brought the flood of the holy name to us all. One press reporter asked Srila Prabhupada “Why have you come to our country?” I think it was here in London. Srila Prabhupada replied “You also came to ours” and they had come to loot, plunder and steal all the riches and precious gems, like the Kohinoor, which is on display in London. But Srila Prabhupada carries on “But what brings me here is to come and give what your viceroys left behind. The precious gem which is the culture of our country, the most ancient and valuable gift. The Holy Name is the wealth of our nation! All the scriptures are our wealth!”

nama cintamanih krsnas
caitanya-rasa-vigrahah
purnah suddho nitya-mukto
‘bhinnatvan nama-naminoh

Our homework, which can take a whole lifetime and more, is to realise this name is Krsna. This name, holy name, is non-different from the Lord. “Abhinnatvan nama-naminoh”. This is the glory, the introduction of the Holy name. “Nama Cintamani” – It is a gem, “Caitanya” – it is full of spirit. The word “Jada” means Matter, dead matter. But the Holy Name of Krsna is lively and is “Rasa-Vigrahah” – Source and Embodiment of all the Rasa’s.

The soul within this body is aspiring for that rasa, that joy and to drown in that bliss. But the living entity is finding it hard to find this and is just going round and round in search. But finally, by blessings of Krsna, we come in contact with devotees and vaisnavas and acaryas and we get the mercy to know the holy name!

I have been thinking recently, ‘You know the body, but does the body know you are there?’ Do your hairs and nails know you exist? Is the tooth aware of the teeth next door? “I think, therefore I exist”. Of course the body exists, but it cannot think. The soul exists and possesses and uses the body. It exploits it and unfortunately, the soul then thinks “I am the body”. But this soul, thinking this way, is not realized. The Holy name is to be realized by the soul. We use the body to chant the holy name, we use our lips and tongue to chant, but you can chant and exist without the body, naked, like without clothes, but I don’t think many of us would do that.

One time, when we become thoroughly purified, not aspiring or hankering to experience anything from this world, we are connected to the spiritual world and Krsna. The soul will exist regardless and dance, chant, eat and touch. The soul is also a person! The holy name is to be realized by the soul, not the body, even thought we use it to chant, clap in kirtan etc. It is the soul that will be liberated, not the lips. So Chant:

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

and be with Krsna. Also be together with each other (fellow devotees) and be happy. Hence when Caitanya Mahaprabhu said “I shall stay behind in the form of Name and Bliss”, He meant be happy and chant. Therefore keep chanting constantly and follow the regulative principles and associate with devotees.

One devotee was talking to me and mentioned that we should do our ABCDD.
A – Association – Sadhu Sangha
B – Books – Read Srimad Bhagavatam/Bhagavad Gita daily
C – Chanting of the Holy Name – Kirtan
D – Dhama Vasa – Stay in the Holy places, Go to temple, Make your home the Dhama
D – Deity Worship – Arcana, worship the Deity with faith.

By doing these ‘ABCDD’ with faith, we can achieve perfection in this life.

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana
sakala-sadhana-srestha ei panca anga
krsna-prema janmaya ei pancera alpa sanga

“One should associate with devotees, chant the holy name of the Lord, hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, reside at Mathura, and worship the Deity with faith and veneration. These five limbs of devotional service are the best of all. Even a slight performance of these five awakens love for Krsna.” (CC Madhya 22.128-129) spent 24 years together with His associates and then suddenly in the middle of the night He left and decided to take sannyasa. Prior to His departure He gave a speech to pacify and console.

HH Lokanath Swami speaks on the occasion of his 62nd Vyasa Puja at Shri Dham, Pandharpur on 11th July, 2011.

How many Hindi speaking disciples are there? Oh! Quite a lot. How many do not know Marathi? So what should we do? (Chorus for Hindi.) Marathi disciples keep quiet?

I was thinking that today I have to only hear and not speak; and then, Ishtadev prabhu reminded me that I needed to speak as well.

What should I speak on my own birthday? There is a specific topic for you to speak…no, the topic is not Hindi. (Responding to a prabhu’s call for Hindi from the audience.)

Today’s puja is for Vyasa dev, Vyasapuja. Vyasa. When you were giving your glorifications, ‘Guru is one tattva’. This is one of the arrangements of the Lord – Vishnu Tattva, Shakti Tattva, Panca Tattva in Mayapur – similarly Guru Tattva – I won’t go into the details of all. In this world, man forgets the Lord, one wants to enjoy the external energies of the Lord, and this has been happening since time immemorial. So the lost souls are wandering in this world, trapped in various bodies. However, the Lord does not want this. Still some souls adopt this path of enjoyment. The Lord is fully independent, and we, being His minute particles, have some independence. But we misuse this independence by thinking that, “I am the Lord.” Then some small indragopa germ, Srila Prabhupada informed us about the existence of this very small germ, till Indra, everybody is trapped in this mentality to different degrees to try and enjoy. So the facility to enjoy is what this world is for – it is for both enjoyment and deliverance.

The Lord does not want us to remain entrapped. He wants us to get liberated. sarvasya c?ham? hr?di sannivis?t?o…. Lord is present in every heart and knows what we desire. The Gopis were so fortunate that with each Gopi there was one Krsna. When we hear or read this, we forget that this is the arrangement, one living entity can be considered as one Krsna. As many living entities are there, there are as many Krsnas. Lord Krsna is present in everyone’s heart waiting for us to discard sense enjoyment and turn towards Him. brahmäëòa bhramite kona bhägyavän jéva, guru-kåñëa-prasäde päya bhakti-latä-béja, this is the arrangement of the Lord. This is the choice of the Lord. He keeps observing who is who and then some living entities have reached the end of their time, they desire to go back to Him or are tired of the material world. Guru Krsna kripa paye….then the Guru Tattva made by the Lord comes into the picture and he is also a person and on behalf of the Lord, those who are bhagyavan – bahut sukrit jiva – manuna Vitthal avadi. If he becomes warkari, knowingly or unknowingly, if he comes into the association of devotees, and then he assimilates those qualities, then they desire to achieve Godhead, and such a person, Guru Krsna kripa paye – adau shraddha… by the mercy of Guru, who teaches the path of devotion.

Guru is not independent but acts on behalf of the Lord, as Srila Prabhupada said, “Krsna says, ‘mam ekam sharanam,’ so the Guru says, surrender to Krsna. So the message remains the same.” However, nowadays swamis become Narayan themselves, and then the tattva is different. Their disciples are sometimes asked, “This swami used to come so regularly to the temple, but we do not see him at all now-a-days. Why so?” And they reply, “Since he has realized that he himself is God, he has stopped coming to the temple. He has realized that he is God – Narayan – aham brahmasmi. Then the bewilderment starts, then he stops being the representative of God and therefore he does not remain in Guru Tattva, and thus there is no Vyasa Puja also. This is the arrangement of the Lord…there is satsang, dharma.

Dharma is the arrangement of the Lord. It is not the result of household activity. If some people get together and decide what dharma is and pass a resolution that from now on we shall drive on the right, but as they start doing so, they get caught by the police, who states that their personal laws are to be kept at home, but in the world outside, law of the state has to be followed. The main dharma is dharman tu saksad bhagavad pranitam…this is what the guru teaches, by means of personal example. They become devotees themselves and show how devotional service is to be performed, and in this manner make more devotees. He has to take all his disciples back to Godhead! This is some kind of contract. (Chorus of Hari bol!)

Now don’t become a parent, friend, guru, etc, unless you can save the person from death, or from the repeated cycle of birth and death. So you can’t become a friend, a Guru if you cannot deliver them from birth and death. Hare Krsna.

So the Lord becomes Guru himself. He teaches Brahma himself…adi kavaye. We come in this parampara, Srila Prabhupada’s parampara – Brahma Madhva Gaudiya sampradya, in which Caitanya Mahaprabhu himself appeared 500 years ago, God appeared and acted in the manner of a guru. All acts of a guru were carried out by Caitanya Mahaprabhu himself. He introduced the chanting of the holy names, and delivered the yuga dharma.

Krsna lived in a few places only like Vrndavan. He also came here in Pandharpur, Krsna became Vitthal or Panduranga here. The same Krsna from Vrndavan, the cowherd Gopal, they all walk and the dust creates a cloud. This dust then settles down on earth again, and some of it settles on Krsna’s peacock feathers, his features, etc and thus He looks whitish – yellowish. That is the color of the Vrndavan’s dust, and this increases the beauty of Krsna and He is known in this form as Panduranga. Krsna went only to places like Kaundinyapur, Hastinapur, Prag Jyotishpur in Assam. There may be hardly 50 places where Krsna went, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu traveled all over, right down to the small towns and streets and all He requested was for everyone to take Krsna’s name. When He ordered Haridas Thakur and Nityanand Mahaprabhu to travel all over to preach, He himself also went. Nityanand Mahaprabhu preferred to be with Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu made him the founder acarya of West Bengal parampara.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu also went to Kerala, Orrisa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. He also came to Pandharpur. He taught the dharma for Kali Yuga – congregational chanting – very musical rendering of the holy names.

Sundara Lala….kirtan.

So Vitthal Bhagavan, Panduranga appeared 5000 years ago, and the same Krsna reappeared 500 years ago. So the latest God is Gauranga Mahaprabhu. So in this way, Krsna remains the same, there is no difference, one is Gaura Sundar and the other is Shyam Sundar. He inaugurated this yuga dharma. So the Gurus have only this work in parampara, the preaching that is there, should be of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings in this Kali Yuga. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna himself, so in that parampara, it is for every living entity in this world. There will be a time when there will be only one parampara in the world…in some years, maybe 10, 100, and 1000s of years – what will happen? Sarvatra – everywhere there shall be only this preaching of sankirtan. This is not a matter of winning or losing, but param vijayate Sri Krsna Sankirtan.

So now when I see this arrangement (points to the samadhis on stage), one is Rupa Goswami’s samadhi and the other is Bhajan Kutir, this sight is of Vrndavan’s Radha Damodar mandir. When I was Bhakta Raghunath – you have seen my family – my parents are no longer there. On 5th July, 1949, I was born; it was a Tuesday (his eldest brother agrees). Ram was also born on Tuesday, and therefore my name was kept as Raghunath. Raghunath Das, so when I was Bhakta Raghunath, I went to Vrndavan, and saw Radha Damodar mandir  for the 1st time, I saw Srila Prabhupada in  the courtyard, (and Laxmi N pr explained what was my 1st lesson).  I used to shake my legs while listening and this caught the attention of Srila Prabhupada. I was wondering why he was looking at me, his camera would stop every time he saw me, and the he ordered, “Stop It!” So I stopped, and it has stopped ever since except when I recount this as a demonstration. So Srila Prabhupada accepted this das, and it was during Kartik. So I was with Srila Prabhupada for a full month. He would give pravacans every morning and evening. He would sit between the two kutirs, and mornings would be Nectar of Devotion and Srimad Bhagavatam in the evening. There I got the chance of serving.
My life got a new direction, I was on the lookout for something, and the Lord brought me to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada. Otherwise, my education was going on in Sangli’s Shivaji University. But I thought that if I became a Bombay university graduate, that would be good. That’s how I went to Bombay. There I saw the banners and posters of Srila Prabhupada’s pravacans, and I went. As I heard more and more, I became Srila Prabhupada’s, and my chemistry books underwent visarjan in the sea, gutters and God knows where else.

So I went from Sangli to Bombay to study, but the Lord had some other plans, if I had remained in Sangli I would not have met Srila Prabhupada, who was in Bombay then. So the Lord brought me to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada. So during kartik, I went to Vrndavan and my initiation took place between the two kutirs, and from Bhakta Raghunath, I became Lokanath Das. Chant 16 rounds was the order, and I have been following ever since. So this sight on stage has taken me back to those days. So I met Srila Prabhupada in 1971, so this is the 40th anniversary, and in this way, and in that year itself, we met in April and in June he was to go to Moscow…those were different days, of communists, superpowers. So it was big news that an Indian swami was going there, so when everyone heard that Srila Prabhupada is going to Moscow, there was loud applause. Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

When Srila Prabhupada was in our midst, he was traveling all over the world; all of you know his story. He went all alone in 1965 to preach Bhagavad dharma, and those kirtans that only took place in India – he wished these kirtans to resonate in New York. Now we have so many mikes etc, but Srila Prabhupada sat on the footpath and he did not even have a hand mike. He would play kartala and preach there himself.
Then he took a small place on rent, and those whom he met on the streets would come there twice a week. They did not know the basics of spirituality and would come with their girlfriends and bottles of wine in their hands. Srila Prabhupada would cook prasadam for them, preach them, and teach them the swami step. Then he would seat them down and personally serve them halava puri, which they had never eaten before. They would eat and leave and Srila Prabhupada would wash the dishes. I was hearing yesterday, that devotees of the Lord can go anywhere to preach. Srila Prabhupada also said that, “Bowery was worse than hell.”  So he was alone in 1965 and after 10-12 yrs, when he reentered the eternal lilas of the Lord, he had already preached all over the world. The astrological prediction when he was born was that he would establish more than 100 temples, and he established more than 108 temples. He was instructed by his guru to preach in English, and this he did to the full satisfaction of his guru. Temples, goshalas, etc were established. The gobhakhaks became gorakshaks and they became human beings. Those who were ridiculed by society were nurtured by Srila Prabhupada.

This was the prediction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu – sarvatra pracar – and this was done by Srila Prabhupada, and is being continued by ISKCON – dharma samstharpa… The saints carry forward the message of the Lord. As I was explaining to the Chief Minister, the raja must protect dharma, and in turn protect the citizens. That is what the ISKCON movement is doing throughout the world. Today’s target is distribution of 16000 Bhagwat Gitas out of which 7k have already been distributed. The dindis from Dehu and Alandi started kirtans from their respective places and continued till Pandharpur. Also from Kaundinyapur. Prasad is also being distributed today. So Srila Prabhupada will be immensely happy by seeing all this.

There are many vacant places in Vaikuntha, your place can only be occupied by you. That is the desire of the Lord that we regain our original identities. Like Tukaram Maharaj’s Vaikunth agaman. ISKCON has manifested here in Pandharpur dham, and as we were planning significant expansion, there was an initiative by the authorities to provide facilities for the devotees. One should not come here as a tourist. So there are many proposals in the offing. So from Vishnupath, nearly 1.5 kms away, right till the bridge here; there shall be a ghat on both the banks of river Chandrabhaga.  So the authorities approached ISKCON and now Braj Hari prabhu informs us that a committee has been formed under which this project will be undertaken.

So we are eternally indebted to Srila Prabhupada, “without him I don’t know where we would all be.” Today we have assembled here in Pandharpur, and are discussing about returning to Godhead. So in his memory, we have proposed the name as Srila Prabhupada ghat. Is the name ok? (Haribol) So this is a big project, and we are offering this as a service to Srila Prabhupada. So today, during brahma muhurt, the bhoomi pujan took place. Some of you may have been sleeping or on the way, but do you think this is a good plan? So we all have to contribute towards the success of this plan.emstrongacarya