Venue: Germany, Bhagvat saptha
I would like to thank all of you from core of my heart. We have come to Abhyanthair, (did I say it correct?)Someone said that meant the place of excitement, the place of adventure (is that the correct meaning also?). So certainly a forest, some devotees even lost their way (Maharaj laughs) so we got adventure to get here in midst of cold here. So, you are welcome to the lotus feet of Radha Madanmohan. He is attractor of the Madan, Madanmohan, He even bewilders, attracts Madan- cupid I don’t think we are going to call him stupid, cupid he is one of the Devatas- Kam I don’t think we should call him stupid. He is a devata, Kaamdev he is called Kamadev. He is a demigod, incharge of lust, Kamadev, Kamadevata. So, He not only attracts just one Kamadev but “Kandarpa koti kamaniya vishesh shobham”
His shobha, His beauty is amazingly wonderful that even kama, kama himself is very beautiful person. Kamadev is very beautiful person and he goes around with the arrow. Pushpa-baan, it’s called pushpa-banaya, he has a baan- arrow of the pushpas- flower arrow and he keeps shooting right into the heart. Especially he likes young heart. So he is beautiful and he has this arrow. So many fall prey to his arrows then become victims but here we have Madanmohan. So I think He’ll take care of all the madans, all the cupids. I just had this thought So that we could be peacefully, non-harassed, not harassed by anything. Place of adventure, Abhyanthair the forest. So everywhere I see trees here of course you have named already- Golokdham, also lots of trees Naimisharanya also, forest of Naimisharanya also has lots of trees. This is also like that.
We are far far away from the civilization; German civilization we don’t hear any sounds it’s like cave for us here we are in the cave. Leaving all else behind, we have come to the place of adventure, where there is a residence of Radha Madanmohan. He will protect us so that we could peacefully sleep. (I am seeing some eyes closing). People aspire for peace in the world I don’t know what their idea is? Once they have peace, so that they could peacefully eat. There is no one, so we could peacefully eat now, peacefully sleep, peacefully have sex life and peacefully fight. Eating, sleeping, matting and defending peacefully. However, as soon as devotee finds peaceful location immediately he wants to undergo Samadhi, going to samadhi. Oh! This is peaceful place for Samadhi oh! thisis peaceful place for “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”. Oh! Peaceful place; let me study Bhagvatam here, its peaceful. So, we wish to take, i had not imagined that this place could be so peaceful. Very appropriate “yam, niyam, asana, pranayam”, asana is important. The situation is important. Before you go to Samadhi, which is the 8th ‘anga’, ashtanga, the 8th anga. The last part is Samadhi but in between there is ‘asan’. Asan means situation and it doesn’t even refer to Vyasasan but asan is what is all around. The whole thing becomes asan. If we take this asan and put right in front of Franklin Airport, that’s not asan. Although we have a asan seat. So, asan, there’s also sukhasan, padmasan there are different asans. For each asan you could sit for long time and there is no disturbance of any sort physical or mental. Then you are still not in asan, you have nice asan but mind is, you have not attained the asan .So certainly external circumstances are right asan – right situation.
And Radha Madanmohan on our side He will take care of subtle things, protect us from any mental harassment, so that we could concentrate on the best business of our life. Although we are not running around, business means run around like a rat, rat race then that could be described as a business. But infact this (hearing Bhagvatam) is the best business because in return you get all the wealth, you do all the business and you get wealth so this could be described as a transcendental business because you do get the profit and you get all the wealth, you get Krishna. We wish to get Krishna within our heart and He is Laxmipati, you not only get Laxmi but you get pati its very important
We have original idea of 7 days but as compromise we have planned to atleast do 7 presentations. In your advertisement, I was reading triaah’- saptaah, so, sapta traditionally in India its famous, so sapta means 7, aah means day, saptah means 7 days of Bhagvatam and you are advertising this as triaah- 3 days. Then I thought, some way we could at least have 7. In 3 days we do 7 sittings, presentations of Bhagvatam. So that is what is in our mind. Whatever, 2 sessions today, 3 tomorrow and 2 the third and the final day which is the day after. Anyway, the schedule it’s already on the board. By the time you come out you will see. So some are bit longer, some are by half an hour, one hour and longer sessions. But I think the shortest one is 2 hour, 2 to 3 hours. Even in India we do this, we have morning and evening 3 and half hours every day, for 7 days kind of marathon and this Bhagvat saptah tradition is quiet popular in India attracting lots of people.
In Bhagvat katha that maharaj mentioned, we used to get 3 to 5000 everyday. But when some other popular speakers speak, they get 100,000 or 200,000 or more. 200,000 persons sitting, of course not 7 days, 7 nights as was the case 5000 years ago but they have also couple of sessions each day. Although Prabhupad was, condemned kind of this Bhagvat saptah business because this it’s a business they were making it a business. We also describe this as a business, but we concluded how this is a transcendental business but the other speakers end up doing business, in the sense they want cash in hand. For each katha they do, there is a contract signed and a big sum they demand and they get for the katha that they recite. Not all of them, but many of them. So it’s a business transaction, money making or many of them. That’s one reason why Prabhupad was certainly and he couldn’t be against Bhagvatam. He’s not against Bhagvatam there is lots of recitation of Bhagvatam he has done. Why not? But the mentality, the attitude of the speaker then they would be not only professional wanting, making money. Also sahajiyas tendency of being sahajiyas and also wanting to run immediately to the 10th canto again those 5 chapters the 10th canto 29 through 33 “Rasa-panch adhyaya” 5 chapters dealing with Rasa dance. Adhyaya means chapters and rasa means dance and they would do some more things. They would become Krishna, make other Gopis and sentimental things or many other speakers are mayavadisor Demigod worshipers and on and on. For some of these reasons, Prabhupada used to talk against that Bhagvat business and Srila Prabhupad’s point is to be Nityam Bhagvat sevaya. Bhagvatam says “nityam Bhagvat sevaya” read Bhagvatam regularly.
So, we wish also to increase our liking attraction for Bhagvatam within these few days of hearing or whenever we do for 7 days so that people again on the 8th day also they would go for reading Bhagvatam or the 9th day and like that. Mainly because we get people on the name of Bhagvat Saptah people come in India. If you advertise something else they won’t come but as soon as you advertise there’s a Bhagvat Katha, Bhagvat Saptah, people just come running, rushing, going out of their ways, taking leave from business etc. For many of them this is pious activity to counteract the impious deeds which they perform. They also have deals. Strike a deal, also gets something. Always not love of God Head or getting Krishna in return but they do come, in a big number they come. So we just try to catch on that sentiment we advertise Bhagvat Katha. People come in thousands and we speak on behalf of Prabhupada and our parampara. Mayavad out, so many things out, just present “Bhagvatam-as it is” and distribute Bhagvatam also. Radha Govind Maharaj, our God brother is also very popular doing Bhagvat Katha and we also has tried 108 sets of Bhagvatam but on end of the 7th day presentation we distributed 108 sets of Bhagvatam or 51 sets of Bhagvatam and we succeed which such goals and other books also get distributed. People come, take darshan of the deities and ofcourse we get them to chant “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”.
So purifying experience for them and that result in increasing our congregation. Whenever we do Katha in Pune and other places also from that time onwards our sunday guests and other’s number increase. People who normally do not come to Iskcon Temple for whatever reason they come by hearing oh! there’s a Bhagvat Katha in Hare Krishna temple. Once they come, they get hooked and so, there are many transcendental tricks and advantages involved with this Bhagvat and Srila Prabhupad asked his discple Yashomati Nandan prabhu from Gujarat, why don’t you do Bhagvat Katha. (maharaj says) I don’t know word to word but he said; so it implies he (Prabhupada) wasn’t against Bhagvat for 7 days if it is done in our way. So lots of devotees are doing and I have also started doing it (Maharaj laughs) . We just had a nice katha in Los Angeles last month. But we wish not to have any other motivation other than glorifying the Lord and present Bhagvatam in pure form as we have been trained by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivendanta Swami Srila Prabhupad and goal is “shranvatha svakatha Krishna punya shravana kirtan”. Certainly this is punya the most auspicious thing is to shranvatha svakatha krishna, Krishna Katha you hear and this is the most pious deed that you will be performing. The outcome is “rudyandhashtohi abhadrani vidhuni surutsatam”.
Srimad Bhagvatam topics will enter our hearts if we hear shradhhaya; with faith we hear, with attention we hear. Allow Bhagvatam to reach our heart. Not like it enters through one ear and out through the other one. “Ikdun tikdun jae vare”; there’s a saying in Marathi. If a pipe you have and blow from one end and it goes out through the other end. So this too going like that? No…..to the heart. Rudyandashtohi- destination is rhiday-heart. “Sarvasy caham hrdi sannivisto” (B.G 15.15) not only Lord is residing there but we also reside in the heart. According to Upanishad, the body is described as a tree and there are 2 birds residing in that tree one is us atma- anuatma, other one is vibhuatma the paramatma, so, as Bhagvatam topics enter our heart, reach our heart that is where Bhagvatam which is Lord which is incarnation of the Lord or Bhagvatam is past times of the Lord, qualities of the Lord, activities of the Lord, form of the Lord is also described, Dham of the Lord. So, this is all Bhagvatam is the Lord, His topics or different features of personality of Godhead to enter the heart and meet the soul. The meeting between soul and the Lord takes place there. Bhagvatam is Lord and the living entity so they meet. There’s an union, yoga, link and with that meeting everything works out. So Hearing Bhagvatam is meeting the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Of course the same thing could be said about the Holy Name and the Holy form and deity form and Holy prasad, that we know, very tasty. We have full realization that this must be Lord, sweet, delicious. Is Bhagvatam equally or more delicious than prasad? Have you relished like that? We eat sweet rice and right there we could taste the sweetness of the Lord and when we hear Bhagvatam when we oh! this is so sweet, nectarian. Then we could understand yes some abhadrani inauspicious things now getting rid off and meeting with the Lord. Because in India when we do this if we have lots of time sometimes we spend one session just talking about Srimad Bhagvat Mahatmya. The greatness of Bhagvatam which is already there. Throughout Bhagvatam you see here the greatness of Bhagvatam, how Bhagvatam is great scripture, very special. The dialouge between Naradmuni and Srila Vyas Dev, 1st canto 4th, 5th, 6th like that 7 chapters. This is meant to establish the supremacy of Bhagvatam over all the scriptures. Beginning of Bhagvatam says
“nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam shuka-mukhad amrita-drava-samyutam
pibata bhagavatam rasam alayam muhur aho rasika bhuvi bhavukah (S.B. 1.1.3)
That nigam kalpa taru- taru –vacha kalpa taru what is taru? taru means what? Tree. I am going to be using lot of sanskrit words here next 3 days. I know gaurangi doesn’t like so much of you prefer english ok. This means some kind of going to the original language of the soul. Certainly it’s not German or English or Dutch , Dutch is a name of language? No.. so, soul’s language is Sanskrit language. So we’ll be using. I’ll try to explain some words, the meaning of it. So much deeper meaning, you can’t sometimes find the equivalent for the sanskrit words. You could say something in some language like religion is not exactly the translation of dharma, dharma explains much more than the religion but that’s the best you could translate religion.
So, nigam-kalpa-taror; taror means tree so it says nigam-kalpa, nigam-kalpa means all the vedic literatures means Vedas, the Puranas, Upanishads, Vedantsutra, Mahabharat, this is all tree, nigam-kalpa-taror. Bhagvatam says kalpa-taror, taror- of this tree, this this this this….. all these scriptures put together is a Vedic tree and of that tree kalpa-taror galitam phalam- the ripened fruit of this tree is this Bhagvatam. Do you get that? All the other scriptures is a tree but Bhagvatam is a fruit and that too galitam, galitam means about to drop naturally so ripe, it is ready to come down. So what is most important thing in the whole tree. What is the most desirable thing to get from the tree? is what? Is a fruit. Ofcourse you could enjoy the beauty of that tree, oh! how nice are the leaves and how nice is a flower, this is nice but unless you relish the fruit what good is…so many trees are condemned they don’t give any fruit. So in the very beginning in the 3rd verse of Bhagvatam says that all other vedic texts complied by Vyas Dev is just the tree but Bhagvatam is a fruit and ripe fruit and not only that shuka-mukhad amrita-drava-samyutam, that this fruit has been touched by the beak of a parrot called shuka, shuka means parrot also, so he has tasted. First of all its ripe and the first one to taste Bhagvatam was Sukadeva Gosvami and shuka- Sukadeva Gosvami mukhad- from his mouth amrita is emanating and then he says pibata Bhagavatam- please drink this Bhagvatam, easy to remember. What do you do with the Bhagvatam? I think things are easy to drink than eat; khichdi eat and chew and so much, you would rather just drink. Things which you drink is much easier, you have to chew everything so it doesn’t says eat Bhagvatam says what? Drink Bhagvatam. It is also made into especially if you are little child or you are not a healthy person then you are meant to drink things not eat. So we are also like sick fellows, bhava roga- we have disease, sick we are, bhava- this world makes us sick. So there’s an appeal that pibata Bhagavatam rasam alayam- so much rasa here. rasika bhuvi bhavukah- this appeal is to those who are rasikas’. Rasik, you must be some kind of rasiks that you have come all the way Germany, here there, France. So to come all the way from there to here you have approved you are some kind of rasik, one who likes rasa is called rasik, oh! he is rasik bhakta. Means he likes rasa, he likes juice transcendently juicy things is his preference. So, Bhagvatam is for rasikas’ or to increase our appetite so that we end up becoming rasikas’ it’s for both for sadhakas and for rasikas. Sadhak is also some kind of rasik. So by hearing and hearing muhur aho rasika, muhur means again and again. Muhur aho- muhur aho oh!…………….O rasikas you drink this Bhagvatam again and again. This is the very beginning. So, those kind of statements are throughout Bhagvatam, glorifying Bhagvatam. Besides such glories throughout Bhagvatam Srila Vyas Dev also has compiled something called Srila Bhagvat Mahatmya in 5 chapters of Padma puran and Uttarakhanda Srimad Bhagvat Mahatme shravan vidhi kathanam naam shastho adhyayah. There are 6 chapters so that part in itself is also very very interesting but because we don’t have time. Sachitanada rupaya, begins with such beautiful prayer,
“sachitanada roopaya vishwa patyadi hetavetapatravinashaya shree Krishnaya vayam numah”
I offer my most humble obeisance’s unto Sri Krishna. He doesn’t says I offer, vayam numah vayam means us. He doesn’t says aham, he says vayam. Vayam means all of us together plural in number vayam numah let us all offer our obeisance’s. We are about to study, recite Bhagvatam, so let us all offer our obeisance’s Shree Krishnaya- unto Shree Krishna, Madanmohanaya- unto Madanmohan. Madanmohanaya vayam numah, we all assemble here; offer our most humble obeisance’s at the feet of Madanmohan. Madanmohan ki Jai ! Sachitananda roopaya- His roop is sachitananda and He is incharge of creation, maintenance and destruction and he has his manifestations and then tapatravinashaya, and that Lord who He does vinash- destruction, destroys…why we want to offer obeisance’s? you must be somebody and there’s some benefit, just by saying this ‘O! Lord, you are destroyer of what? tapatraya, miseries of three kinds, adhyatamika, adhibhautika, adhideyvika. tapatrayavinashaya- you are that kind of great personality so please accept our obeisance’s.
This Mahatmya is a dialouge between Saunak rishi and Sukadeva Gosvami . Sukadeva Gosvami is recitor of this Srimad Bhagvatam and as we recite so many personalities come into the picture and Narad muni is there, Bhakti devi is there, Gyan Vairagya is there, four Kumarars recite Bhagvatam. At the end of the 6 chapters, Saunak muni he asked, “O could you please tell us how many times this Bhagvatam has been recited prior to?” They were doing in Naimisharanya. Sukadeva Gosvami states 3 times and he said the first time Bhagvatam was recited was when the Kaliyuga was 30 years old and when Krishna left the planet; He was here for 125 years and Krishna left the planet and then taddinat kaliradaya from then that was the beginning, 1st day of Kaliyug and then what happened, kalaunashta drashamesham, people lost the eyesight because Lord was no more. Krishna surya sam, Krishna is like the sun, is no more in the scene. So total darkness people couldn’t see. Then what happened… Lord arranged puran arka uditah – then the Bhagvatam which is brilliant like sun appeared on the scene, the horizon. There’s also glory of Bhagvatam. So Bhagvatam appeared in the beginning in the age of Kali Srila Vyasdev compiled and so 30 years after the Lord’s departure from this planet at that time Sukadeva Gosvami recited this Bhagvatam and then like that 200 later there was a Bhagvatam recited for Gokarna and Dhundakari, they were both brothers, very interesting story and then that took place in South India central South India and then the 3rd one was on the bank of Ganga in Haridwar and the recitors were the 4 kumarars and this recitation was for the benefit of Bhaktidevi and Gyan and Vairagya who are the sons of Bhaktidevi, for rejuvenation for revival of their status, so it is mentioned that this 3 famous Bhagvatam were recited in the beginning of the age of Kali.
This is how it started and it’s going on and on and when this Bhagvatam was recited on the bank of Ganga, the speakers were 4 kumarars and everyone was there in attendance. And then Lord also appeared and all devotees were doing kirtan, Pralad Maharaj was playing kartal and udhhav was playing bumbers, Veena dhari sudarshi and Narad muni appeared, he had his Veena and Arjun was ( Maharaj sings……..aa……..) raag karta arjuno abhut; alap its called; singing is there so he is also expert then Indra, he was playing the drum, he is very expert, Indrovadim mrudungam and Sukadeva Gosvami was also present. He was bhavavakta, he was expressing different emotions and feelings corresponding the songs that they were singing and when this kirtan was going on then everyone was dancing, Bhaktidevi, Gyan, Vairagya also started dancing. They were on very weak situation, almost ready to depart, last breath of Gyan and Vairagya so Bhaktidevi was concerned, what to do what to do? How to revive? Bhakti Gyan Vairagya and it was recommended yes they should listen to the Bhagvat Katha and then Bhagvat Katha was recited and they heard it for 7 days, they became full of strength, spiritual strength so before they were just lying, literally dragged and lifted, brought to the place where Bhagvatam was to be recited but as they heard Bhagvatam for 7 days, at the end they were dancing like peacocks. Lord’s presence was there.
All the assembled devotees, they begged of one boon from the Lord, “My dear Lord, could you please that whenever there is recitation of Bhagvatam could you also be present as you are present now could you be present?” and Lord said, “Tathastu” so be it- Lord promised. So, we also expect we have some kind of Bhagvatam recitation going on here and of course we have Radha Madanmohan we will feel their presence more strongly as we go through recitation of this Bhagvatam. There’s a whole chapter, Sukadeva Gosvami, infact 4 kumarars were talking the whole vidhi, the process, do’s and don’ts during this Bhagvat Katha and who to invite and what should be the wording of the invitation that you send around and who should sit where and proper accommodations and Prasadam has to be arranged and the guests coming from nearby countries, they have to be worshipped properly and taken care of as if the Gods have come and funds are required. Very 1st thing mentioned is you raise funds. Just like when there is a marriage of your daughter, you really go out of your way, somehow you raise funds money to get your daughter married, money is required. So likewise for Bhagvat Katha you raise funds, that’s the 1st item in this chapter and many more things, what kind of speaker, his qualifications “virakto vaishnavo vipro vedashastra vishudhhikrut” he should be renounced, he should be vaishnav, he should be learned and like that few other things. Lot of times, the present day Bhagvat speakers doesn’t meet these conditions. They are not renounced, they are not Vaishnavs, they don’t have parampara connection, they just anybody everybody and about eating also falaharena, some do complete fast for 7 days that’s one way. Anyone here?(Maharaj asks the audience) that’s what the Sukadeva Gosvami was reciting Srimad Bhagvatam that was their program just eat some air and drink some air and breath some air, just air all the way and as a result your stomach is empty difficult to sleep, as soon as your belly is full, you sleep and when you eat and drink so many bodily demands you have to take care, run here and there taking care of the body. They have no difficulty because they are not putting anything in, there’s no input no output. So it’s easy, so if you can’t do that it just says there “malamutra jayartham hi laghva ahar sukhavah in the words of 4 kumarars they say, malamutra jayartham mala means stool jayat- in order to conquer this, you do go for laghva ahar, ahar-eat, we have to eat but laghu ahar, one is laghu one is guru, when your plate has a Govardhan hill on your plate there is laghu or Guru? There’s Guru… Guru means heavy. So one is heavy, that’s Guru. The other one is Laghu, laghu- ahar , laghva-ahar or you could do phala-ahar mentioned here and following bhramhachari during those days and it also says kathavrati, kathavrat is also vrat, there are so many vows, brhamchari vrat, ekadashi vrat, vrat means vows. So those who come with idea of hearing Bhagvatam for 7 days or in this case here 7 times in 3 days. kathavrati, kathavrat and one who takes this vow I am going to listen to this Bhgavatam, you take vow that’s a sankalpa kathavrati. So kathavrati, he stays away from, he tries to avoid
“kamam krodham madam manam mastaram lobaham aevacha dambham moham”
Like that, all the bad qualities. Try to live like a pure devotee to your best. You are free from kama, lust and anger and pride and envy and these things which is you know, harder task, harder than the fasting. What’s happening? Am I missing something? Ok, I got it. So that was a negative side, give up this give up that and then try to cultivate ‘satyam saucham dayam maunam arjavam vinayam tatha” the truthfulness cleanliness kindness during this Bhagvat recitation. Maunam means either no talk or very little talk only when it is necessary maunam arjavam vinayam- humilating. Udarmanasam- charitable or magnanimous, kuryat kathavrati. So these are some of the expectations. Quite detailed guideline here and then “jaya shabdam namah shabdam shankha shabdam chakarayet”
During Bhagvatam, there is lot of Jay! Jay! Jai ho! Appreciation of different things. Namahshabdam- pranam pranam! namaskar namaskar! obeisance’s. The audience so many times, they keep offering the obeisance’s. The speaker talks about offering obeisance’s to Madanmohan. As soon as this is said by the speaker, the audience what do they do? Speaker says lets offer obeisance’s. Vyasdev offers obeisance’s to Narada muni immediately. So being in the mood, being absorbed and kind of entering the past time that way. It’s not just floating at the surface on the water but diving deeper and then naturally, jaya shabdam namah shabdam shankha shabdam the blowing of conch shells and these things are there. So this is Srimad Bhagvatam and so many nice things. Srimad Bhagvatam is compared, Maharaj was describing how as Krishna Katha enters our heart then other fellow’s thieves and blunderers they become full feared they leave the heart. Likewise there is something else said here in the Bhagvatam that Srimad Bhagvatam is like a peacock and all these bad qualities are like a snake. So as soon as Bhagvatam is recited, it’s like a peacock is dancing and where there is peacock, what happens to the snake? Snakes are always scared of the peacocks, as soon as they see peacock dancing, they make their way out, they go away. So Bhagvatam is recited. “Kaala vyaala mukha grasa trasa nirnasha hitave”
Kaal- time, time factor, bad times, kaliyuga times compared with big snake, vyaal- snake and it has a mukha- mouth and grasa- gobble you. So you will be relieved this snake shut up the mouth, close the mouth and just go away. “nirnash hitave Srimad Bhagvatam Shastram kalau kiren bhasitam”
So that is why it says savadhana tayashrunu- please listen to this Bhagvatam. Savadhana taya- carefully and the examples we have of listeners of Bhagvatam, Parikshit Maharaj also, Saunak muni, what kind of saunak…kathamritras aswadan kushalah- Saunak muni is described as someone very expert, kushal means expert. Shaunakah kushalah- very expert in what? His expertise was in katha amritras aswad kushalah, rasa, first of all, katha amrit rasa, aswad means drinking prtikshan aswadan lolupashya vande gurau sricharana ravindam, so what we are doing, we are just following the footsteps of the acharyas which we worship. Vande guroh sri caranaravindam- we worship their lotus feet, why? Because they are known for prati ksanasvadana lolupasya- they have become addicted to what? Asvadan- drinking, relishing and How much? How often? pratikshana- at every step they are drinking, they have become drunkards kushala so like vise Saunak muni also described as katha armit rasa svad kushalah- very expert very smart in relishing, drinking the Bhagvat Katha. Sutaksha hi katha saram mama karna rasayanam, that is a right kind of nectar, solution for the karnas- the ears. So ears are decorated when ears hear Krishna Katha. Earings are not the decorations of the ears, decoration of the ears is Katha. Shravanam Krishna Katha namamrit aswadan these are the decorations. So let us make our ears decorative, decorate our ears by hearing this Bhagvatam.
“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”
Having said that we want to do kirtan for few minutes. So we will be starting, let me just introduce this and then kirtan few mintues. We wish to; if you have not heard the announcement in that regard we would like to hear story of Ajamila, technically they call Ajamila Upakhyan, it is there in the first 3 chapters of 6th canto of Bhagvatam. So we in our next session, we want to divide those 3 chapters in 7 parts which already have divided and decided in which how many shlokas or texts we do in each session, we will be doing, dealing with 15 to 20 verses. Normally nityam Bhagvatam sevaya we do one verse a day or sometimes a couple. In Bhagvat Saptah in India they do 18,000 verses, 12 cantos in 7 days. They kind of run through it or we also, I do much bigger sections summarize them in story form or linking but we’ll be only dealing with 3 chapters and 15 to 20 verses of Ajamila story which glorifies the Holy name of the Lord with example, example is you want proof? The proof is the life or the story of Ajamila, proof for what? The greatness of the Holy Name, ohh! Holy Name could be that important, is that great the Holy Name? Yes yes it is but could you recite some example? The example is Jagai Madhai and tarasakshi Jagai Madhai.
“deena hina yat chila hari naame udharilo tarasakshi jagai madhai”.
Deena- means poor. Din means day, dinkarma means the day is sun, dinkarma, so dina hina, hina-fallen yata chilo, hari naame udhharilo- what does Hari Naam do?…udhhar. That person would be elevated, fallen, poor, in conscious, that person will be lifted by what? Hari name udhharilo. Tarasakshi- the witness, the example, so that is gaudiya vaishnav example, there could be so many examples. There was also Valmiki rishi, he was big robber, thief and what not, Narad muni asked him to chant what? Ram, he asked him to chant Ram, but he was so sinful that he was not able to chant Ram he was chanting mara so sinful and in the beginning when we are bhaktas, remember when your 1st day when you came to Hare Krishna you were asked to chant Hare Hare , you struggle in saying Hare Hare ………ha…ha…….. Remember your 1st day, 1st time you or you were just listening to the Harinam party and you couldn’t figure it out what they are singing you heard it for half hour, you still don’t know what they are singing. When asked to chant Hare Krishna, you struggle. No training, no purification, can’t say the name properly. So that was the case with Valmiki, the compiler of Ramayan, he was very sinful, so he was asked to chant Ram but he was chanting mara mara mara…………………. ram ram ram. Starts with mara, gradually as he keeps chanting, he gets better. So goal is never stop, go on. Keep chanting. So, so many examples. So, the Bhagvatam gives examples, Sukhdev Goswami is giving example of Ajamila to glorify the Holy Name Harinam mahatmya, it’s a nice word. As soon as people go to Holy place, first they say mahatmya, they go to the book shop, is Vrindavan Mahatmya available? Mahatmya chahiye, Mahatmya, we want Mahatmya. Every place has its mahatmya, a book, guide book glorifying that mahatmya. So whether it’s a Dhama Mahatmya or Bhagvat Mahatmya or Harinam mahatmya, Mahatmya is greatness of different things. So these 3 chapters are describing Harinam Mahatmya. What is it describing? What? Harinam mahatmya.

Dated: 28th June 2006
Venue: Guayana
“Jaya jaya Radhe, jaya jaya Shyam, Jaya jaya shree Vrindavan dham,
Jaya jaya Radhe, jaya jaya Shyam, Jaya jaya shree Vrindavan dham”
In our minds, we would like to go to Vrindavan today, that is where Shree Krishna, made His appearance. Not exactly in Vrindavan, He appeared in Mathura. And then He comes over to Vrindavan to Gokul. He comes to Gokul. Before we talk of that past time, in Srimad Bhagvatam, as Sukhadev Goswami has described it, would like to just think of that Vrindavan. Make a journey to Vrindavan. Be there, as Lord Krishna appears. All the devatas , all the Demigods had come all the way from their respective aboards. You think Demigods are less busy; you are more busy than those Demigods?? They have much bigger affairs to handle. Each Demigod has a big universal department that they oversee; but as they got the news, got the clue, got the hint, indication that Lord Krishna would be appearing, they dropped everything. They ran, they rushed to Vrindavan.
Mathura Vrindavan ki……..JAI.
Anyway we already have dropped, am sure, something something ; watching television or this body, that body and different affairs. We already have come here, now all that, now we need to do is to in our minds, travel to Vrindavan, think of Vrindavan. Or as you think of Vrindavan, Vrindavan will come to you, Instead of you going to Vrindavan.
“Naham vasami vaikunthe nachayoginaam hridaye
Yatra madbhakta gaayanti tatra tishthami narada”
Lord has made it very clear that if you wish to find me, you go where the devotees have assembled for Bhagvat katha or for sankirtan , where they are chanting His glories, remembering Him, His past times , remembering His form, remembering His aboard , remembering His qualities I am there you could find Me there.
“Yatra madbhakta gaayanti tatra tishthami” Tatra – There I reside.
We did not complete that Bhagvat mahatmya last night but in there is also promise from Shree Krishna. In that Bhagvat katha, on the banks of Ganga in Haridwar, there 4 kumarars where reciting Bhagvatam. Towards the end of that Bhagvat katha, Lord Krishna appeared. Naturally, He was given big throne, big sinhasan to sit on. And as Lord took His seat, all the devotees did big kirtan…for Lord’s pleasure. Prahlad maharaj was there, he was playing kartal. And Udhhav was there, playing hand symbols. And there was Indra , he was playing mridanga. One of the best mridanga players in the world is Indra himself.
And Arjuna is also good singer. (Maharaj sings aa………aa……………..) Arjuna was doing aalap. And Sukhdev Goswami was there, doing all the bhava bhangi , he was expressing all the emotions, feelings; for different mudras, different facial expressions and body language. So like that and Brahma comes ……. And Shivji arrives with Bhavani . So like that, there was everybody there and they had this wonderful kirtan , everyone was participating to their heart content
“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”…………………..kirtan (everybody raise hands)
“yam brahma varunendra-rudra-marutah stunvanti divyaih stavair
vedaih sanga-pada-kramopanishadair gayanti yam sama-gah
dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yogino
yasyantam na viduh surasura-gana devaya tasmai namah” (S.B 12.13.1)
Yam Brahma – Brahma ji was there. Rudra marutah – rudra marus Sunvanti . Each one of them, they are all praising the Lord. “Brahma bole chatur mukhe” Brahma, with all his four heads in four directions he was chanting “Brahma bole chatur mukhe, Krishna Krishna hare hare” What was he chanting? From all his four heads he was chanting Krishna Krishna hare hare
“Pancha muke mahadev” One of the features of Mahadev is panchamukhi Mahadev, 5 headed Shiv and what was he doing with all his 5 heads and 5 mouths also. “Pancha mukhe bole ram ram hare hare”. With all his mouths he was chanting ram ram hare hare. In other words, Brahma and Shivji Mahadev they are also chanting this Mahamantra. “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”
And so on, everyone assembled there, they all stood up, they all got up They couldn’t resist the temptation of getting up, something within them was just making them stand up and they all started dancing very slowly. Everyone there, all the demigods and of course, you know there assembly, the rushis and munis, Brahmarishis, rajrishis. From everywhere they had come. Ganga had come, Jamuna was there. Ganga has her own form, she assumed her form she rides on a crocodile. Ganga comes, Jamuna was there. Godavari Saraswati………
“Narmade sindhu kaveri jalasvin san nidhim kurum”
All the rivers , different sastras, different scriptures, they had taken different forms, their own form Vedas, Upanishads all the 7 purans were there in that Bhagvat katha mahotstav, Bagvat katha festival and let us not forget very much there was Naradji…….Narayan . And there was bhakti devi, and there was gyan and there was vairagya. That whole katha was for their benefit and they were greatly benefited. At the beginning of katha, they had to be brought in, they needed help. They were picked up from Vrindavan, they were not able to even walk but by the end of the katha they were up and they were dancing like peacocks. Gyan and vairagya , they were dancing……………HARI BOL…..HARI BOL……HARI BOL.
Narada muni dancing of course he always dances and bhakti devi was dancing. The meaning that Bhagvat katha revived their spirits. They all became fully Krishna conscious by hearing Srimad Bhagwat katha. They were free form ignorance, they became knowledgeable, they became detached at the same time, they were full of bhakti, they were full of devotion for the Lord and gyan, bhakti, vairagya they were all dancing.
“Jaya Radhe jaya Krishna jaya Vrindavan Jaya Radhe jaya Krishna jaya Vrindavan
Shree Govind Gopinath Madanmohan Shyam kund Radha kunda Giri Govardhan” (bhajan)
In that Vrindavan, aboard of Radhe and Krishna “Jaya Radhe jaya Krishna jaya Vrindavan” The deities of Madanmohan, Radha Govind, Radha Gopinath these are principal deities there are so many, there are 5000 temples in Vrindavan. How many?? 5000 temples in Vrindavan.
“Shyam kund Radha kund Giri Govardhan………….” In that Vrindavan, there’s a place called Radha kunda…..very dear, Radha kunda is very dear to Krishna as Radha is near to Krishna. It is a very sacred pond; sacred lake where Radha and Krishna meet every day at noon time and next to Radha kunda is Shyam kunda. Kunda– the pond, the lake named after Krishna. Radha kunda Shyam kunda, and not far from there, is Govardhan, the hill that Lord Krishna lifted.
Shyam kund Radha kund Giri Govardhan Kalindi jamuna jaya jaya mahavan…………………….
Yamuna maiya ki……….jai.
Vrindavan is not complete without Yamuna. Kesi ghat bansi vat dvadasa kanan………………. .This Kesi ghat where Krishna killed the Kesi demon, Kesi ghat and there’s a bansi ban where Lord played His flute and like that there are 12 forest of Vrindavan. There’s a Madhuban, Talvan, kumud van, Vrindaban, kaam van, badhravan, bhandirvan, shree ban Lohavan, maha ban. Like this there are 12 forests of Vrindavan.
Jaha sab leela kaila shree nanda nanda Jaha sab leela kaila shree nanda nanda………………………………………
In all these 12 forests of Vrindavan, Krishna performed His past times. In each one different different past times, jaya Radhe jaya Krishna jaya Vrindavan…………………….. “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”…………………..kirtan.
There was kirtan everyone was taking part; we already mentioned we have everyone. So enthusiastic, they were all dancing, jumping up and down in ecstasy, and Lord was so much pleased with them. That particular kirtan, Lord personally appeared and He was very much there and He was hearing that kirtan directly. Krishna said, “I am very much pleased with all of you assembled devotees. You may ask for a boon…var mango…devotees, the assembled devotees, they were consultation with each other. What, what boon should we ask, what should we ask for?? Lord is personally asking, ask for a boon. What should we ask the Lord? Should we ask for this, ask for that. They were all debating. Finally they came to conclusion and they asked the Lord, my dear Lord, that we humbly appeal to you that whenever there is Bhagvat katha, wherever whenever the devotees get together and conduct this Bhagvat yagya, Bhagvat katha mahotsav. We would like you to be present in all those Bhagvat kathas. Could you kindly make your appearance in those kathas? And Lord’s response was tathastu. So ‘tatha-astu’ – as you desire, I promise, I would be there. So there’s one point, important point, we are also doing katha here. We made the point that ok; we should try to go to Vrindavan in our minds. But then it is easier for Lord to come here than for us to go there. Lord will come if we do not only assemble here for katha but with our devotion, with our enthusiasm, our thoughts going to Krishna, Krishna will come. Srila Prabhupad used to say, if you like to see your prime minister, I don’t know about in your country but prime minister like Mr. Bush or in India the big prime minister big country, very difficult to see him but what if, he would like to see you? Then easy. He could just arrange it.
So likewise, if we wish to see God, who knows how long it will take what it would take to see the Lord, meet the Lord but what if Lord wants to see you? Then He could manage very easily. Srila prabhupad used to say, you act in such a way that in your activities attract the Lord towards you. He would like to come and meet you, see you, thank you. So in this Bhagvat katha if you could please the Lord like that by our action, by our presence Lord is already pleased but if our kaya. Kayen mana vacha. Everything, there’s a body, there’s a speech and there’s a mind. So body we have dedicated in service of Bhagvad katha here. Our body is nowhere else but here sitting in the chair. Then we could also keep our mind fixed in Krishna’s katha, Krishna’s past times, remembrance of Krishna and whenever necessary, whenever possible we could use our tongue, speech not that we have to give lecture but if we could just say jay………….Vrindavan dham ki……..JAY. If we could just use our tongue or as these songs are being sung. If we could repeat after use our tongue again, so like this
“Kaayen mansa vacha Keval indrayi api Yoginah karma kurvanti sangatyatva aatma shudhhaye
In full detachment, the yogis they engaged everything at their disposal in service of the Lord , their bodies, mind, souls, they do this for ‘aatma shudhhaye’ for the self purification, and once we are purified we’ll be happy. Brahma saukhyam tam anantam, Brahma sukh – unlimited happiness is awaiting for those souls who undergo this process of purification, cleansing process, chanting the Hare Krishna maha mantra is that cleansing process in this age of Kali yug. Hare Krishna. HARI HARIBOL…
Become enlightened, become purified, become realized self realized, Krishna realized. Get your realization together, gets transformed not just information, gathering up information. The world is so proud….ohhhh this is the age of IT (Information Technology) to gather information, what good is that information if that doesn’t bring about the transformation of our hearts condition who do not become the men of characters or ladies of characters, good characters well behaved and God conscious that’s important than just information of this material world. So this Bhagvad katha is for transformation, purification, self realization. So that was the left over Bhagvad mahatmya.
Today our topic is ‘SHREE KRISHNA JANMA’
The birth of Lord Krishna. How many years ago did He appear? Who remembers? (Someone replies 5108) no no, that was disappearance….5108 years ago Lord disappeared. And how long was He on the planet? 125 years Lord was on the planet. So, you add this. 5108 + 125 grand total is 5233 years ago Lord Shree Krishna appeared on this planet. This Janmastami that is in month of august would be 5233rd Shree Krishna janmastami that this world would be celebrating. So, Lord Shree Krishna’s birth is Krishna is wonderful and His birth is also wonderful.
“Janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so arjuna” (B.G 4.9)
Lord Krishna in the 4th chapter of Bhagvad gita, He says “My janma, My appearance and karma in My past times are transcendental “janma karma ca me divyam.” It is not like your birth, my birth. No…..Lord’s janma karma ca me divyam- transcendental, Lord Krishna’s appearance is transcendental, out of this world, not ordinary, out of ordinary. If we could understand by hearing Lord Krishna’s appearance and His activities which are called Lila’s – tattvatah.
Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti – then when we give up these bodies which we will have to give up sooner or later. Then Krishna says, “If you have understood Me, My appearance, My past times then as you give up this body, you don’t have to take birth again” Life is tough and then you die someone in New York wrote it on a wall “Life is tough and then you die” and what ? then you born again. Life is tough then you die then born again. Like that, the cycle goes on. Tough life, then you die. I wish everything would end with death. But no, it doesn’t end with the death, it is another beginning and tough life is waiting and then you die. Someone wrote this in big letters in New York on the wall so that everyone could read.
We attend this Bhagvad katha, chant Hare Krishna, take Krishna Prasad, Food offered to Krishna. “Patram pushpam phalam toyam , yo me bhaktya prayacchyati” (B.G 9.26). This is Lord’s recommendation “Patram pushpam phalam toyam , yo me bhaktya prayacchyati”. You offer me fruits, flower or water, milk, juices, food made from grains, breads, sweets, milk sweets plenty of all this, all around. Krishna is providing. Krishna says offer this to me and then you honor the remnants as Prasad. This country would be different country if this country could eat only Krishna Prasad, food offered to Krishna full belly not just in the hand, this will transform we guarantee less murders. I was surprised to read as I was coming here for Bhagvat katha, that just in 3 months 75 murders in our country. 75 people got murdered, they are no more. So much violence, over 500 armed robbers and what there are so many others. Not so encouraging figures and facts. This is result of meat eating, fish eating. Person becomes violent by nature, becomes passionate, he becomes a tiger , he comes roaring where is the blood , he has drank the blood or ate the flesh, he has transformed, he has become a tiger, a lion he wants to act like one , he drinks the blood instead if he eats Krishna Prasad and let them drink Charanamruta . This is the different country, Guayana would be different country. Just chant Hare Krishna and honor Krishna Prasad, listen to this Bhagvat katha you would be the well wisher, friend of all living entities. You would have wanted to hurt anybody not even an ant. Wasn’t that Valmiki he was a robber, killer, a sinner . The name of Shree Ram transformed him. Ram……. Ram…. He chanted names of Ram. He was so simple, as you know, when he was asked to chant the names of Ram by devarshi Narada he was not even able to chant, utter the name of Ram properly. He started from the back, the reverse. What was he chanting? mara mara mara mara…….mara mara ………………ram .ram………….ram……mara became ram .. As he was purified, he was then able to chant.
“Ram ram ram bolo shyam shyam shyam bolo…..jag me sundar hai do naam” (bhajan) . In this world these two beautiful names…….Chahe Krishna kaho ya Raam – You say Raam or Krishna. Ram Ram Ram bolo……………Shyam Shyam Shyam bolo…Bolo Raam……………….bolo Shyam………….
This is the formula, is the process given by Shree Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The names of Krishna, chanting the names of Krishna, honoring Krishna Prasad and listening to Krishna’s message in the form of Bhagvat Gita, listening to His past times in the form of Srimad Bhagvatam. This is the need of the hour that leaders of this country, make the plans for chanting the holy name all over this island…..no, it’s not island. Sorry, whatever, country, nation.
“paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge” (B.G 4.8)
As we are talking of the appearance of Krishna, the birth of Krishna. Krishna again makes it clear in Bhagvat Gita, why does He appear or as He appears, what does Krishna do here?
paritranaya sadhunam – to protect His devotees. Lord protects His devotees and how does He deal with the demons.
vinasaya ca duskrtam – He does vinash, anillates and finishes the existence of these demons and by doing so dharma samsthapanarthaya – He establishes the principles of religion, He establishes dharma
sambhavami yuge yuge – with this purpose in mind, Lord Krishna appears.
Probably, you are wondering, aren’t there enough demons around, aren’t the demoniac parties now burdening the earth, 5000 years ago just prior to the advent of Lord Shree Krishna mother earth was feeling burdened was too much , this demon kings and rakshasas . She was crying, mother earth, Bhumi was in tears.
So, 5000 years ago, mother earth, Bhumi was in great distress. Although everybody is her child, her demoniac children she feels they are undesirable elements the demons. And she is burdened. So, she had gone to the Demigods, please help please help! do something and the demons were of big size demons they heard the reports and they said this is not cup of tea for us, we can’t handle. So they all go to Brahma, Brahma also ahe! This is too much and they all together they go to svetadvipa, and report to Vishnu, Shree Krishna. The Lord had promised yes yes you have so many difficult things and you bhumi and you all Demigods put together cannot put fullstop to these disturbances then I must come but you go ahead, you also take birth in Brajmandal, Vrindavan and I’ll be following you, very soon I’ll also appear and Demigods were very thankful to the Lord and mother Bhumi was feeling relieved. She returned, she had gone there in the form of a shape of a cow.
And then the Bhagvatam describes, Sukhdev Goswami describing about the sequence of events, how in Mathura the marriage ceremony of Vasudev and Devaki and Kamsa himself was driving that chariot and newly married couple Vasudev and Devaki, they were just sitting in the chariot driven by kamsa. And the middle of this marriage procession they were playing all kinds of musical instruments and chanting the mantras, the drums and what not. The marriage was being performed in Mathura and Vasudev is son of king Surasane and Devaki is daughter of king Devak. Devak was brother of Ugrasen, Ugrasen and Devak are brothers. So, Devak’s daughter is Devaki and Ugrasen’s son is kamsa. So kamsa and devaki, they were brother and sister. Cousin Brother, not real brother and sister. Their parents, fathers were brothers real brothers.
So he was driving the chariot of his cousin sister devaki and he heard, what did he hear? “You kamsa, you fool……now you are having this great celebration and you are driving your sister’s and brother in law’s chariot but do you know the 8th son of Devaki would be your killer but you really woke up” that shuck him that akashwani. The voice from up above and he immediately grabbed Devaki. He took sword and he was trying to kill somehow somehow Vasudev managed to protect rescue Devaki, he said no problem that’s the 8th child baba, there’s a long way away. Every time Devaki gives birth to child; I’ll bring that child to you. Including the 8th child. Then kamsa was pacified and Vasudev’s all 6 children one after the other were all killed by kamsa , once a year they would give birth to a child and dutifully to keep that promise, Vasudev would bring that child to kamsa and he would kill the baby. It was 7th time, 7th child to be born the child did not take birth in Mathura, in the prison house, ya he also had prison. Vasudev and devaki by this time, by yoga maya’s arrangement, Sukhdev Goswami explains how in Krishna’s own aboard, Lord explained the yoga maya. You yoga maya please go please go, you go to Vrindavan. 2 things you have to do. Well, first you transfer Balarama from Devaki’s womb to Rohini’s womb. Rohini was in Gokul those days under the protection of Nanda maharaj. So this way the 7th child was protected and he took birth as son of Rohini in Gokul and yoga maya was given another task, and then you take birth as daughter of Yashoda so yoga maya, tashatu yoga maya offered obedience’s and parikrama circumambulation to the Lord this is all going on in the spiritual sky, up there in Golok in Vaikunth, Krishna’s aboard and then yoga maya descends and she did her task transferring of Balarama to Rohini’s womb and then she will be taking birth as daughter of Yashoda.
Then it was 8th child’s appearance time, and news had reached the Demigods that Lord Krishna would be soon taking birth in Mathura. All the Demigods they came flying in each one has his own vehicle. Brahma has a hansa, he drives on the back of a swan and Shiv has his, what does Shiv rides upon? Anyone has idea? Nandi….and then who else, Ganesha also had travelled riding on mouse and Yamaraj came riding on the back of a crow.. No, who’s that….Shani has a crow, Yamaraj has a buffalo. You know any other vehicles? Kartikeya has peacock, Durga had come riding on the back of tiger. So like that they all had come and they had assembled in Mathura but they did not land right on the ground they were up there in the sky, it was so crowded you know 33 crore i.e. 330million demigods and each one wanted to be as closest possible to that spot where Krishna was going to take birth in that prison house. So there, there was a big traffic jam, no parking space, and each one was trying to get closer and closer as, as soon as Krishna takes birth, they wanted to have darshan of the Lord, so beautiful…..ohhh!! So beautiful Krishna. Before He exhibits His power, His strength and His intelligence and opulence and His vairagya, His is Bhagwan. To begin with, they’ll be seeing the beauty of Krishna
“su durdarsa m idam rupam drstavan asi yan mama deva apy asya rupasya nityam darsana kanksinah” (B.G 11.52) What is that? Nityam darsana kanksinah
Yes, again Krishna is talking about His own form. When Arjun wanted to see that Krishna’s two handed form in the 11th chapter of Bhagvat Gita . He said, “O! Arjun, you know this form now you are looking at, this is very rare to have darshan of this form.”
deva apy asya rupasya nityam darsana kanksinah – even demigods are very very anxious , always curious to have darsana of this form. Demigods are themselves very beautiful personalities and if they want to see that means He must be more beautiful than them, the demigods. So they had all come with idea of taking darsana of Shree Krishna and of course Kamsa was also very anxious. 8th child, he had killed 6 ones, 6 children. He didn’t realized what happened to the 7th one, miscarriage, he concluded but he’d been thinking all these 8 years what he was thinking? ohh that 8th child…..ohhh !! And he was really scared from the 8th child of devaki and he was thinking and thinking of that 8th child all the time. Anything that he would look at, if it was yellow colour, these bulbs also look like yellow, by seeing bulbs like this he would oye!! pitambar in yellow garments. Wherever he looked yellow. One time he was eating his lunch and there was some sabji that was yellow colour he thought ohhh! He’s coming out of my plate. He was so scared; he had become Krishna conscious in negative way because as soon as I see him, before he kills me I am going to kill him. This was his determination. He was a demon, demons always think like this.
The scientists also, they have this “ohh! God doesn’t exists” just kill Him then we could have all the fun then we don’t have to worry about these teachings of Bhagvat Gita and committing sin we don’t have to feel guilty. Do this and don’t do that. Be vegetarian and Krishnaterian and all these ethics we have to follow what for?? Because Lord exists and this karma and you’ll have to suffer or forget all this, God doesn’t exist. Come to this conclusion and then do any damn nonsense that you feel. Just do it, you heard of just doing it? In your country, they do this, just do it… in some country people go around with t-shirts and in the back of the t-shirt what do you read? just do it. Means they do not even think just do it. You have heard of – simple living and what kind of thinking? Living should be simple, thinking should be high thinking. But now there’s a different mantra. People are doing, their living is very very high and thinking is very very low. High living low thinking or sometimes we say, no thinking, low thinking that means atleast some thinking is there but not even low thinking, NO thinking and that is just do it. Feel good, just do it don’t even think, just do it. This kind of dictation to get from within or from their friends circle or this is the training this is the culture, trend. We are reading rubbish newspapers and what not…. So called hero’s in the cinemas, they are hero’s. Ram is not a hero, the film hero’s, where they display the sex and violence two themes of the cinema, sex and violence. They go together.
“Kamat krodhobhijayate” – the lust is not satisfied. The anger, kamat krodhobhijayate – this is how it has to happen one thing follow the other one. You are so much lusty desire cultivated by watching television, newspaper and the other media and the computers and what not……. There is so much desire to enjoy, to exploit and when that is not fulfilled, kamat krodho – anger, frustration and the person in angry mood he loses the sense of discrimination, cannot think straight. He’s hot headed, to take action, most of the times some destructive things he is doing and lastly…….ohhhh! what did I do!! Oo!… it’s too late. So, the demons like to kill Krishna, kill God, which is never possible. That Jarasandha this is the topic of Bhagvatam , You will see Krishna killing so demons after demons after demon after demon…bakasura and aghasura and you name the asura and there is a big list of asuras “paritranya sadunam vinasaya ca duskritam”. So demons think they could kill Krishna it’s not possible Lord eternally exists.
“nainam chindanti sastrani” (B.G 2.23) – no weapon could cut. Lord is made up of complete atma.
Sachhidananda vigraha – you can’t cut the soul. What to speck of cutting the super soul or supreme soul, there is no weapon that could the soul or supreme soul. Lord cannot be killed. Lord cannot be burnt. There was a forest fire in Vrindavan, Krishna’s friends were in difficulty. They all prayed Krishna….krishna….krishna.
“Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna he
Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Pahimam
Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna raksha mam” (bhajan)
Pray, lets pray…Ohhhh! fire, O! Krishna, please protect. The forest fire, cow and boys are in the middle, caught in the big forest fire, burning everywhere, could here the crackling noises and smoke everywhere. O! Krishna,
“Krishna keshav Krishna keshav Krishna keshav pahimam
Rama raghav Rama raghav Rama raghav raksha mam
Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna pahimam
Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna rakshamam”
“hye! Krishna karuna sindhu deena bandhu jagatpate Gopisha Gopika kanta Radha kanta namostute”.
Pahimam raksha mam – protect, please protect. As Krishna, He was hearing this, the appeal from His friends, please protect O! Krishna, Krishna responded to this prayer. He said, “Yes friends, ma bhaishta – do not be afraid, nilayat lochanani – and do another thing; close, everybody close your eyes boys. So all the friends as they closed their eyes, what did Krishna do?? He drank all that fire. Krishna drank the fire. Everything was quiet, no fire. Okay open the eyes. As everyone opened their eyes, looked around and there was no fire and everything was clean and green all around by Krishna’s arrangement. This big big fire which Krishna drank, did that burned His lips? Or His lungs or His body? No, nothing happened. Fire cannot burn the spirit, certainly not the Supreme spirit. Krishna cannot be burned, cannot be killed, He is eternal. Sacchidananda vigraha – only demon thinks the unthinkable, most undesirable. So kamsa had this idea of killing the Lord. So at the middle of night, Lord Shree Krishna, He appeared. Which night was that? That was Krishna Janmastami night, midnight, midnight is 12 O’clock. The moon was rising in the east on astami Krishna paksha nights are darker and darker. So, astami, 8th day, time for moon to rise and Lord Shree Krishna was also rising, appearing. Krishna Chandra was appearing; the Chandra, moon was appearing on eastern horizon. Shree Krishna Chandra was appearing in that prison house. The moon became so delighted Lord Shree Krishna was appearing in the dynasty of chandra, moon dynasty as Shree Ram, He appeared in surya vansh. He appeared in sun dynasty, He appeared during the day, the midday, when the sun was up. Shree Krishna is appearing in the moon dynasty as He had chosen the night and that night when moon is appearing, He’s also appearing. The moon was very very happy. That night, the moon was expected to be half moon. Because it was delighted, it was exceptional, it was full moon.
At midnight, it was full moon appearance. The moon appeared as full moon that night. Rohini nakshatra, one of the wives of moon is Rohini, different from Rohini, mother of Balarama. Two different Rohinis’. Lord choosed the appearing constellation called, nakshatra called Rohini nakshatra. It was month of bhadra; Shravan bhadra ashwin kartik. It is very auspicious month. Lord Krishna was appearing in rainy season. It was not heavy rain, some raining was there which is considered auspicious and then everything all over the planet there was jubilation and celebration and spring season everywhere, although it was not a spring time not vasant ritu time, waters were crystal clear in the lakes, lotuses were blooming, birds were chirping, peacocks were dancing, the cool breeze, fragrant breeze all around. Under the circumstances Lord Shree Krishna made His appearance in the prison house. As He appeared in front of Vasudev and Devaki, the whole room that prison house was lit as if millions of suns had appeared. Krishna’s body – koti surya samaprabha. As if millions of moons had appeared sorry, suns, surya – suns; millions of suns had appeared. This beautiful description of the beauty of Shree Krishna, the baby Krishna and He had clothes on. He was wearing all the clothing, yellow garments and He had all the ornaments. He was born with clothes and ornaments, the garland around his neck and Kaustub mani, now what a beauty to behold of that Shree Krishna, baal Gopal, Shree Krishna.
Vasudev and devaki, they were drinking the beauty of their darling this little son of Vasudev, krishna. They both offered their prayers, then Krishna, He speaks, expresses His appreciation and orders vasudev or requests please get me out of this prison house take me to Gokul. What could Vasudev think? He is very much tied down shackles, iron chains binding his feet and hand, he cannot even move and his baby Krishna says bring me, bring me to Gokul. So, he did not think much, Vasudev within his mind he was just willing to follow these instructions, the guideline of this newly born baby. He was willing and as he made attempt to pick up baby Krishna immediately all the shackles broke into pieces…. Hari Bol…..and there were so many prison doors and so many gate keepers but the arrangement of the yoga maya they all were sleeping ( Maharaj makes snoring sound ) what you thought it is a tiger?. No, they were all snoring, fast asleep; all of them, everywhere, the doors were locked. So how was he going to get out? There were so many door after door after door but no problem, as he picked up Krishna, and he starts walking, doors automatically opened; at the airport when you go, doors automatically open. First time I went to the airport, some 30 years ago, I did know how it works (Maharaj laughs) so I was having lot of luggage. So I was approaching the door on the airport, I was thinking of keeping my baggage and go forward, open the doors and push my cart, I was thinking I have to do this. I parked my baggage on a side and as I went few steps forward and the door s opened and I was like, hey! ghosts here, whats happening here. I was surprised what’s going on and I didn’t even touch the door and the door opened automatically. This automatic idea is not a new idea, it is just stolen idea, 5000 years ago, Krishna had this idea. Krishna arranged the opening of those doors automatically opening door after door after door and as vasudev was out of the prison house, all the way out in the compound there was Anantshesh waiting there. Balaram has a form; the snake that you see above Shree Krishna. See photographs of Shree Krishna and then there’s a snake with so many hoods, sometimes they show a crown of those hoods. These are not snakes from African jungles, some jungle snakes. Don’t think like this, this is Anantashesh, this is extension of Balarama, Balarama becomes a snake and renders different kind of service to Shree Krishna including all those hoods they chant Shree Krishna’s glories. He has sahastra vadan he has thousand hoods, thousand mouths sahastra vadan Shankarshan he is chanting with all those 1000 hoods and from each mouth there’s a different story, different leela, different past time, different katha, different name, different form. His mouth is talking different different topics and is unlimited. There’s no limit to Krishna’s glories even Anantshesh cannot find the end of the glories of the Lord and he doesn’t repeat same past time twice and he had been chanting glories of Shree Krishna.
Since the beginning of the creation, he’s chanting and he’s chanting and chanting and he is singing. So, as vasudev came out of the prison house, Balarama who had already appeared, he comes to serve his brother, Shree Krishna. It was rainy season so umbrella some protection had to be there. So vasudev was walking and shankarshan was going next to him and holding the hoods right above Shree Krishna. And they walked through the Mathura town, the yoga maya, the arrangement, even all the dogs were sleeping. What if the dogs would begin barking? That would have woken up some residents of Mathura and they could have told hey! look look vasudev, he’s running away from the prison house. They could have immediately mobiled kamsa. So, anticipating some difficulties of that sort, yoga maya had made all the dogs sleeping, nothing was moving, path was all clear. Krishna travels to Gokul and as they come to the banks of Jamuna; it was rainy season so river was so flooded. Vasudev decided to just keep walking and walking. He was not afraid, he was just instructed; go to Gokul that’s all.
Gokul is that way, so he was just looking forward, not looking backward, just moving, moving on and as he moved forward and forward and water was knee deep and waist deep and shoulder deep and seems to be that Jamuna was rising and rising. He could here water waves of Jamuna. Jamuna is a devotee of Shree Krishna. Jamuna was very very anxious. This was her opportunity to touch Krishna. She was rising and rising and vasudev was wondering why is this , why waters are just swelling. She was very anxious to touch Krishna and so after touching Shree krishna’s lotus feet, she was satisfied and she also was thinking, oh! in future, I’ll be one of the queens of Dwarkadhish, Shree Krishna. I better render some service, there will be not obstacle on His path. So remembering that future relationship, Jamuna immediately gave the way. Jamuna this side, Jamuna that side, both sides water body wall, water wall and vasudev is walking through the bed, river bed of Jamuna and he reaches Gokul, enters Nanda bhavan, lays his baby Krishna on the way infact he was in 2 minds, sometimes he would run thinking oh! what if kamsa would find, he may run to catch me, he may grab my darling Shree Krishna, no I better run. He would run, hurriedly moved forward but then next moment he thinks oh! no no, but if I run faster go faster like this I would be soon there in Gokul then I have to leave my darling, my baby boy Krishna there and I’ll be deprived of His association, I better slow down and go as slow as possible so that I get more time to be with my son. So he was going in these 2 moods. Vilambita druta vilambita druta vilambita……..sometimes faster, sometimes slower, faster slower faster slower and finally he arrived and he had to leave his baby Krishna in Gokul and Yashoda just now given birth to a daughter and yoga maya as Krishna had ordered. So he comes back to Mathura with a daughter. In this prison this was all arranged by Krishna his yoga maya back in the prison house and back with the shackles and the baby begins crying and kamsa’s men heard the crying of the baby. They all ran to the king, baby has taken birth baby has taken birth and kamsa jumped from his bed and rushed to the prison house and grabbed the little baby. You could only imagine there’s a description of the condition of devaki and vasudev. Please spare this child already you have killed my children please please.
But he was cruel, merciless, he just grabbed the child and he was thinking he hold the child round and round and round and finally as he was about to drop the child on the floor in front of him thinking he would crash, he would smash the child into pieces the child instead flew away “you fool” this baby daughter yoga maya had taken the form of 8 handed form of Durga, “your killer has taken birth elsewhere, your life will not be spared, be prepared to die kamsa”.
And back there in Gokul next day, on navmi, there was a big Nandostava, Nanda Maharaj all the residents of Vrindavan, they came, they got the news, Nanda Maharaj had given birth to a son, a child, big big celebration, big festival.
Nitai Gaur premanande……………………………… HARI HARI BOL.
Krishna jinka naam hai, Gokul jinka dham hai
Aise Shree bhagwan ko mere barambar pranam hai Krishna jinka naam hai, Gokul jinka dham hai
Krishna kanhaiya lal………………… ki jai
Gokul dham ki………………. jai
Nanda Yashodha ki………………. jai
Krishna Balaram ki ………………………………..jai
Nitai Gaur Premanande HARI HARI BOL.

Venue: Vrindavan
Dated: 2/8/12
Kolkata dhama ki…jai
So today is not just another day very historic day –reserved for Srila Prabhupada’s departure for USA America I don’t know what time of the he boarded that Jalduta 1965 I was small, you all remember what you were doing in 1965? (Maharaj ji asking the audience) no…Krishna remembers but you have forgotten, you were another body probably, 1965 how many were on the planet? ( A devotee say he got married in 1965) you were married in 1965 – so historic occasion (laughter) and happily married since then also accomplishment.
So it was way back in 1972 infact in Kolkatta Prabhupada was given his instruction “Oh! you seem to be very intelligent” Srila Prabhupada had walked into that quarter were Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur was delivering a talk to assembled disciples and devotees and Srila Prabhupada walked with his friend and offered his obesciances and Srila Prabhupada he was still trying to take his seat and then Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur point out – you.you…….seem to be very intelligent and you should spread this, bring this Bhagvat dharma , the idea was you should bring this message to the western world and preach in English language.
So it took long time before “life time preparation” before you execute anything they say you prepare 80% of time for preparation 20% time for execution then you will get the success not other way round, little preparation or no preparation and you jump in action. This kind of universal understanding how much time in preparation 80% time in preparation. So Prabhupada was preparing to one day to go to th West. He was also married and he had his little pharmacy in Prayag – Prayag pharmacy. Then Srila Prabhupada in 1944 he starts publication of his “Back to Godhead magazine” this was part of the preparation he goes to Jhasi, he used to travels all over North India sell his products so he was well received in Jhasi then he spend some more time in Jhasi going back and forth between Jhasi and Prayag on time he had gone back and Srila Prabhupada’s wife had sold his big fat Bhagvatam ‘kabadi…………….kabadi……………paper’ hye come come she sold and got some tea biscuits in exchange then Prabhupada realized what she had done. He was that’s it and he asked that question “you want tea or me?” take you pick wife had said of course jokingly she replied she had no idea what would happen with such response, light hearted manner she said I will go for tea. And Prabhupada went for something else, ok you stay with your tea and here I go.
And Srila Prabhupada left for Jhasi, he was going and coming but this time he was only going not coming any more this was also part of the preparation. Now he was from Grastha to Vanaprastha and lot of preparation in Jhasi, you know where Jhasi is ? not far from here 3,4 hours by train from here there is ISKCON Temple now south of Mathura. So Srila Prabhupada was doing some other preparation he was trying to recruit some preachers putting some adds in newspapers “preachers wanted” “If you have so many son give me one I will train him send him all over to propagate Krishna consciousness” no response very little response . He founded his Sarvabhaum sabha and he was preaching he conceived devotees in Jhasi or those who go deeper in what Srila Prabhupada did while he was in Jhasi he conceived ISKCON, he was mediating some strategy he had never forgotten the instructions of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur although lots of time had passed but he was preparing so ISKCON was conceived in Jhasi and delivered in New York, Conceived and delivered so conceived in Jhasi and delivered in New York.
Then Srila Prabhupada he had a place in mind he thought he would make that as his head quarter but that did not work out in his favor and he had to live Jhasi comes to Mathura Keshavaji Gaudiya matha first helping with some editing some writing he had his Caitanya Mahaprabhu deity of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Jhasi he bring them to Mathura understand it’s the same deity of Caitanya Mahaprabhu still on the altar of Keshavaji Gaudiya matha in Mathura, Keshava ji that’s spiritual master of Narayan Maharaj. And Srila Prabhupada he takes sanyasa 1959 this is also part of the preparation he is going to be travelling all over the world so sanyasa ashram is appropriate, he starts writing books, “easy journey to other planets” is one of the first book Prabhupada published. Then he moves to Vrindavan to some other place first then to Radha Damodhara temple first and further meditation on the mission future vision to propagate Bhagvat dharma in the Western world in English language.
Then he starts translation of Bhagvatam everything he does by himself translation, typing, editing he goes to Delhi riding on 3rd class train, such class doesn’t even exist now you know what 2nd class is like so you could imagine one class lower and getting his books printed goes to the printer sometimes he carries papers on his head to save some ricksaw fare. He goes sometimes to the printer he has not taken his meal doesn’t know where the meal is going to come from or there is not sufficient money to buy meal, so he is settling between Delhi and Radha Damodhara temple continues his translation he has 3 cantos of Bhagvatam ready.
He does not have anything substantial to carry to the west, so the book in English language he thought this would be the right thing. Prabhupada was in Kuruksetra attending Gita samelan – lots of speakers from all over the world, Kuruksetra is Gita’s place, place where Bhagvat Gita advented so they had some conference so Srila Prabhupada was invited. This is where he had met Sumati Murarji little encounter with Sumati Murarji the owner of East India navigation company. So at some point Srila Prabhupada after the Kuruksetra Gita conference had gone to Bombay met this lady Sumati Murarji incharge of Jaldutta boat and many other cargo boats she owned. “You are too old swamiji you may not even make to America, you will not survive it’s not an easy journey, you have return a book ‘easy journey to other planets’ but this journey is not going to be easy”. But Prabhupada he was fixed, he had to go this is instruction of my spiritual master, order of my spiritual master, I must go. So Prabhupada had to come several times to meet this lady he had to wait for hours to get the appointment to see her. So she agreed yes swamiji you could travel in a cargo boat the boat that carried goods not the passengers, some crew members some staff travelled along with the big luggage, big baggage lots of goods.
Srila Prabhupada travelled to Kolkata again by train this boat lives from Kolkata this Jalduta boat, well we only fly these days, Prabhupada has to catch boat from Kolkata he is taking train must be again third class train. In his diary he makes note that he travelled via Nagpur, so devotees in our Nagpur temple they think Prabhupada travelled to America via Nagpur. He started his journey in one sense from Bombay travelled to Kolkata via Nagpur. In Kolkata Prabhupada packed his baggage everything was in suitcase which he was able to carry no coolies and no bag on top of another bag and bag no, just one bag in one hand in the other hand he had umbrella. Sanayasi should carry danda or umbrella so there were few friends to say bye farewell and Srila Prabhupada climbing the stairs of Jaladuta boat that famous scene picture we all remember Prabhupada climbing, there is a one little diorama here in front of Prabhupada Samadhi diorama depicting those times.
Then onto the boat the first day was he had a good time riding on the Jaladuta boat, duta – means messenger of the waters that is technical meaning of the name of that boat but as now Prabhupada was riding on that boat he was devduta, he was Krishna duta riding on Jaladuta, duta means messenger. So in one sense very appropriate name for the boat, one duta in another duta, the boat is duta and the passenger Bhaktivedanta Swami is the duta the messenger. The next day as in Bay of Bengal it was raining, windy, it was turbulent and Prabhupada started suffering sea sickness, vomiting. So for next several days Prabhupada was ill he noted all this some mentions, brief mentions of this in his dairy which I snow known in ISKCON as Jaladuta diary. We don’t know whether Prabhupada was expecting one day his followers form all over the world would read his diary – Jaladuta diary of course we gave that name Jaladuta dairy that wasn’t Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada arrives at Colombo the captain of the boat called Pandya, Arun Pandya he takes Prabhupada lets go Swamiji, let’s take a little lets go of the boat into the town and Prabhupada was seeing the town around Prabhupada liked Colombo its very Clean Prabhuapada says, Oh! This reminds me of Pune he said he wrote a letter to someone that is where he mentions oh! This is very clean city back on the Jaladuta boat again and next destination was going to be Cochin the west coast of India from Kolkata to Colombo, Sri Lanka Silone before it was Silone now it is Sri Lanka, Cochin Kerala.
So Srila Prabhupada his books “Bhagvatam” were going to be loaded many crates of Bhagvatam were going to loaded at Cochin they went by lorry or other means of transportation his books were being loaded in Cochin. So boat was going to halt there one night. Prabhupada was in Cochin town and this Sea India navigation company they had some office there and some officers staying there in Cochin so Prabhupada was guest of this navigation company in Cochin. Some years ago our padayatra was in Cochin I visited Cochin then we went to look for that place where Prabhupada had spend the night as we went there we were surprised the lady who was also there in 1965 was still there she said “I cooked for your swami ji” and they showed us the place where he spend the night Prabhupada had just one night before he would live, his boat would live for America so that evening he wanted to do some satsanga. So the officers of the Navigation company office they organized some get together they invited guests and Prabhupada did program in that house.
He spend that night and next day his books were on the boat and finally leaving for America then on the way there were more encounters with the climate and rocking of the boat and rain and then there were the days Prabhupada had heart attacks one day one next day another one and Prabhupada wrote if there would be another one well this would be end of me these were Prabhupada’s thoughts he wrote down in the diary it was that bad but he is tolerating all this. Then he has a dream in the dream he sees a boat And Krishna he personally is roving the boat, Krishna has taken charge of the boat and comforting don’t worry don’t worry everything will be all right comforting Prabhupada, Krishna comforting and then rest of the journey was very smooth to Atlantic ocean. Captain Pandya noticed oh! I have gone back and forth so many times through this Atlantic Ocean but first time smooth journey like this. Then Prabhupada explained how Krishna appeared in the dream and he has taken charge of the boat and that is why. The wife of this captain said “swamiji you should accompany us on the way back to India then we will have another smooth journey if you are with us”.
1965 Janmastami Srila Prabhupada celebrated on the boat no one else had no clue that it was Janmastami day but Bhakti Vedanta Swami he was not called Srila Prabhupada those days. He made announcement he gathered the crew members and staff come ………come…come let’s have Janmastami celebration. When they all gathered Prabhupada talked about Krishna and distributed some prasadam to them. Next day was his birthday no ceremony only he knew that it was his birthday and there was no one say happy birthday to you or no cake no nothing silent observation Srila Prabhupada was although he was in Vrindavan and now he had left Vrindavan but not really he had not left his Vrindavan he was in Vrindavan he was remembering he mentions 3 deities name Govinda, Gopinath and Damodhar he is remembering these deities. So he lost or left his heart in Vrindavan although he is away he is very much here in Vrindavan, Vrindavan spirit. Throughout the journey he is reading, studying Caitanya Caritamrita he is absorbed in studies of Caitanya Caritamrita.
So these are some of the highlights then his boat Jaladuta arrived at Boston common wealth pear something like that this is where Srila Prabhupada cleared his customs and immigration clearance took place in Boston and this is the first town first city Prabhupada touched with his lotus feet blessed America. Pandya was again with him Pandya wanted to do some shopping “Swami ji come along lets go” so there some friendship developed he would take him to see the Boston. So Srila prabhupada was there in the town Boston around and on the streets and he saw the rat race people moving, going back and forth so fast no ready to stop so busy like rats they go from one hole to another and make residence then they make another hole they spend few minutes there and they get out and go to another one and another one they are racing. Rats do the racing from hole to hole and sometimes people have their houses in this town and they have property in another one in that town here there and they are shuttling back and forth this office that office this business that business running.
The rats are so busy if you ask rat hello! Mr rat shake hand is rat going to stop no no make the divergent and move fast faster. So Prabhupada thoughts were oh! I am here to preach the message of Gauranga finally as per instructions of Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur I am here in the west to propagate Bhagvat dharma in English language but look people are so bust how is this going to be possible to preach to them. So Srila Prabhupada back on the Jaladuta boat again and last leg of the journey from Boston to New York and that is when Srila Prabhupad took pen and paper and wrote a poem of what he had experienced in Boston and how he is going to accomplish the mission this propagation of Bhagvat dharma in the western world and then he starts praying the Lord, his prayers his thoughts he puts them on paper.
“nachao prabhu nachao nachao sei mate ami to kasteir putali”
He says “I am just little doll or puppet in your hand “nachao” you make me dance, you make me dance as you will feel on my own I can’t do anything I am just a doll in your hands make me dance oh! Lord make me dance, make me dance and talk and walk as you feel, I have this big name Bhakti Vedanta you do something so that I am not so called Bhakti Vedant let the purport of this name Bhakti Vedanta be fullfilled”.
So we get the glimpse of what was on Srila Prabhupada’s mind throughout what he was going through the illness, the thoughts, the prayers his determination his tolerance of course his enthusiasm his obedience to the orders of his spiritual master and his vision. He also wrote another poem before I think he reached Boston. He is talking how this holy name will reach every town every village the full confidence that this definitely will happen. So finally boat reaching New York it took him 35 days from Kolkata to New York now it takes 16 hours now we could go you don’t even have to break your journey in London or Paris you could just take off and land in New York, Philadelphia, Washington or Boston. But Prabhupada travelled 35 days and he has now arrived in New York. As Prabhupada gets off the boat unto the land of America Prabhupada makes another entry ok I have reached here but is there any one to receive me no…………anyone with the garland or chandan or kirtan, is there press awaiting what about the 5 star hotel booking something nothing………………….he is there but he does not know whether to turn right or left or where he should he go he does not know no clue.
And what about money he had 40 Rupees as the balance he also had to spend money on the boat on this and that and when he was in New York he had 40 rupees and 20 dollars he had sold set of Bhagvatam to the captain of the boat (maharaj laughs) and he made 20 dollars, so he had 40 rupees and 20 dollars but that money how long he could survive in New York with 40 rupees and 20 dollars may be 20 hours or 20 minutes. Then he does meet with the travel agent who would arrange Srila Parabhupada’s return journey. Boston he was given 3 months visa, he could stay only 3 months in America his visa was stamped 3 months stay in America so in New York he arranged his return travel 2 months after he had just arrived 2 months latter he was going to go back. So that person who arranged Prabhupada’s return travels the way Srila Prabhupada looked sadhu out fit simple cotton clothes saffron of course, tilak and kanthi mala. He had not seen anyone like him and of course no one in America probably had seen any traditional sadhu. And then Prabhupada goes to a bus station his sponsor was from butler Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania is a state, butler is a town city so Srila Prabhupada is going to catch bus so he is going to bus station he is catching bus to one Mr Agrawal he had sponsored Srila Prabhupada’s travels or visa but he had not come to receive Prabhupada. So Prabhupada had to go to bus station catch bus to go to his host, no courtesy, no hospitality.
He is there in America now with the 40 rupees there is a story it did stay on and on not just 3 months but several years he stayed in America and was that 67? or… …he came New Vrindavan with Kirtananda swami and they had also stayed at Radha Damodhar at that time and he was travelling Kirtananda was travelling with Prabhupada. So Prabhupada returned to india Delhi airport again there was no one to receive him then Prabhupada goes to Chipiwada near Red fort in delhi, Prabhupada used to stay in Delhi at Chipiwada just recently ISKCON New Delhi has taken possession of Chipiwada there is small Radha Krishna temple small one, Srila Prabhupada used to stay upstairs whenever Srila Prabhupada went from Vrindavan to Delhi to do his printing work he used to stay there so that was his base.
So Prabhupada went from airport to chipiwada and l had to pay taxi fare so he pulled 40 rupees the fare was exactly 40 rupees (maharaj laughs) which he had them in New York when he arrived in New York those 40 rupees he was saving those 40 rupees he did not convert or spend he came back with the 40 rupees and he paid his taxi fare at Chipiwada. So Srila Prabhupada is in America preaching by himself he must have come back spending time with the butler his sponsor they had a child and Prabhupada would play with him and there is a photograph of Prabhupada with little baby Prabhupada holding his hands, Prabhupada doing his own cooking he has three Fortier cooker and oceanic that lady had used as the oceanic “swami’s smile or laugh is oceanic is like a ocean”. And Prabhupada is back in New York and starts his mission in the foot path he is sitting and chanting he has only kartal no one to play, no drum and he has no microphone, but he is attracting attention of New Yorkers that strange looking with no hair and paint on the face and he is wearing a bed sheet.
So Prabhupada is chanting and people are gathering in between Srila Prabhupada stops and does some talking “look this is Supreme Personality of Godhead he is showing the photograph”. Oh! then what is that girl doing there New Yorker asking if this you say is God then that next to him is a girl what is that girl doing there? They don’t know so much ignorance. Now our Pancha Guada knows all the glories of Radharani, if this is Krishna then this has to be Radharani (Maharaj laughs). Next to Ram it has to be Sita and if this is Balaram this has to be Revati and if this is Narayana then this has to be Laxmi. Even little kids in india know this but those elderly folks in America they had no idea, no clue so they were asking such silly questions they were just innocent ignorant, what is that girl doing there. Then Prabhupada managed to get one store front he was doing preaching on the streets, in the parks now he had his own one rented store front 26 second Avenue and twice a week Prabhupada was conducting his classes there. He meet people in the parks and please come…please come to our get together. So there was some shop there before the owner there vacated, he shifted to another location, but he left the sign behind.
So some of the followers of Swami ji said “Swami ji that sign the previous owner he left the sign behind” what does it say? It says Matchless gift and Prabhupada said keep it, otherwise they were thinking of get rid of it throw it away. No..no ….keep it if the sign says Matchless gift, because my gift are matchless I have come with matchless gift, it’s very appropriate sign. So Srila Prabhupada was conducting classes there twice a week he was before the class or program he would do cooking for them and making offering to his deities and then he would go down there he stayed on the back on the first floor and his preaching place was downstairs in the front. Then Prabhupada used to give a talk get them up and teach them how to dance “swami step”, oh! What kind of dance you learned there? This is swami step we have learned swami step, foot there and foot there and moving – swami step. Then Prabhupada used to say – ok sit down and they all used to sit down no one else to serve the food or Prasad who is serving? He does the cooking, he does the offering, he gives the talk, he leads the kirtan, he teaches how to dance, he gets them to sit down, he feeds them, and when their bellies are full and they are out who does the cleaning? He does the cleaning all this Prabhupada is going through.
So it was all indoor going on now he had some followers and one day if you wish to join me and help me then you will have to follow some regulative principles. What are they? No meat, no egg, no fish, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling. Are you ready? And they all raised their hands this was after some months in America and this sadhu was getting American girls and boys, who were hippies’ long hairs, the bottles, their girl friends, the boots they had no idea, they don’t know even how to sit properly nothing Prabhupada is tolerant and compassionate, kind to all of them. But now they are all attracted to him, now they are able to stay high for ever, Swami ji oh! you I have a drug you take this drug then you will stay high for ever, now otherwise the drug you take you go high and then you low and then you higher and then you go lower and then you go highest and then you go lowest then you never come up again, up and down and up and down and down for ever. But the drug that I have you can stay high forever. So they were into the drugs looking for drugs specially someone coming from India there were check out whether carrying some drugs. Swami ji said yes yes I have a drug they were into drugs (laughs) what was the drug? “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare” was the drug.
So they were now getting intoxicated the first time boys and girls and the “hippies were becoming…………..happies”. so that’s the perfection of Srila Prabhupada’s mission he travels to the west he was fulfilling desires and executing the will of his spiritual master, he was in America that is the west and he was preaching in English language he was distributing gifts and he had now some followers ready to follow 4 regulative principles. Of course he had gone through lots of harassments and difficulties dealing with the crazy drug addicts in Bowery what he had to go through, his manuscript was stolen and this happened that happened. The first day I was in America in 78 we arrived and next day we were given a tour of New York where ever Srila Prabhupada Bowery and Yoga studio by river side there was devotee called Puru prabhu was our guide and guiding myself and Giriraj and few others we had travelled from India, myself first time and then he was giving us a tour of all the places of Srila Prabhupada and then that Tomkins square Park, tree was still there and that tree is still there now Prabhupada standing under that tree and giving his address and saying I have nothing new to say to you but I am here to remind you what you have forgotten. These are Prabhupada’s first public address words it’s like a first public address under neath that tree in Tomkins square park. I have nothing new to say but what you have forgotten I am here to remind you, so we visited that place also and lots of places and then Prabhupada goes for foundation of ISKCON- International society for Krishna consciousness.
Krishna consciousness was founded in 1966 about 1 year latter and all of this time for 1 year Prabhupada had stayed in New York he did not go any other towns and villages mostly in and around New York and now he had ISKCON- International society for Krishna consciousness ki………………………..jai.
And he had another one in San Francisco and that is the first time Prabhupada travelled from New York to San Francisco this is the first time Prabhupada had his air travel he had not travelled by plain before that first time he travelled to San Francisco and it’s time to land and he was seeing those buildings and he said they look like a match box on top of another match box and another match box (laughs). So as the plain was coming down he was watching skyscrapers tall building they were like match boxes one top of each other. So that was next town Prabhupada visits and establishes Mukund Goswami was from there he took leadership and many others and he goes to Montreal here there London n goes to Japan he is now publishing books his Bhagvat Gita was published by Macmillan company is checking his printing.
Then he returns to Kolkata and 71 Prabhupada has come to India this time he has come with lots of followers with him, he had come ones before in 67 just with one follower he had also send couple of them Jaypataka and Acutananda they were in Kolkata and Mayapur side and then Prabhupada starts travelling all over doing pandala program. Then he goes to Kumbhamela 72 Kumbhmela and like that 72 after Guar Pornima festival Prabhupada comes to Vrindavan and he had this land given by Saraf and Prabhupada did the ground breaking ceremony before that he had done one in Mayapur in 72 Guar pornima festival. Then he comes here and ground breaking ceremony and then he goes to Bombay and Hare Krishna land and ground breaking ceremony I think in 1 month or so he had 3 lands and the ground breaking and the temple constructions had started so that’s Srila Prabhuapada goes to.
So today is that day historic day Prabhupada’s departure for America it started with one person long time even after arrival in America he was just one person single handedly no friend no money rof course because he was not by himself he was not alone, we say he had no friend but his friend is?Sri Krishna was his and is his friend the best friend he had appeared in the dream on the boat also. And what about money he was penny less what was his wealth? “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare”. This was the wealth that he was carrying with all that wealth Americans had that wealth was not making Americans happy. But the kind of wealth that Prabhupada was carrying and delivered that wealth and made so called rich Americans in true sense Prabhupada enriched their lives gave lots of riches gave Krishna gave Krishna’s name Krishna’s message this was and is the wealth.
He travelled 14 times around the world making people wealthy everywhere and happy everywhere. So we should never ever forget sacrifices made by Srila Prabhupada for our welfare now we are sitting here in Balarama hall with the fans and marble floor, microphone- lots of sacrifices of Srila Prabhupada have been invested in those foundational days, setting up the scene – foundation of Hare Krishna movement. So this is the history that inspires us and that will continue to inspire the whole world. Jayadvait Maharaj was saying if Prabhupada got off the boat and if there was some reception and if there was some hotel booking there was this and that well that’s normal there is nothing to talk about or there is nothing to remember. But Lord has created such a situation – look Prabhupada pennyless, look Prabhupada 69 years, look Prabhupada has no friends, look when he gets in America he doesn’t know where to turn. So this is a different story all together extra ordinary and that makes us think or world think from such humble beginning everything kind of against elderly and no money, no friends.
Prabhupada I think once in Bombay he was giving a talk he started this movement with 40 rupees, when he started Hare Krishna movement he started with 40 rupees now he said we have 400 crores of property and wealth and empire all over the world. We started with 40 rupees and now see. In 72 Prabhupada had come for Kartik festival first and Prabhupada stayed humble dwelling Radha Damodhar quarter by this time he had followers all around the world and wealthy disciples and Ambarish and Gorge Harrison like supporters but when he comes back to Vrindavan he lived like a 6 Goswamis “tyaktva turnam asesa mandala pati” (sri sri sad goswamiastaka) all these 6 goswamis also had abandoned lots of wealth and big big positions and they are coming to Vrindavan and they were living very humble simple living very down to the earth very basics that’s where I had seen Prabhupada in 71 and in 72 I joined and I saw Prabhupada that kartik 72 I was bit surprised that kind of simple very simple life that Srila Prabhupada lead there was hardly any furniture facilities. So I also stayed 1 month 72 with Srila Prabhupada and we had some 40 – 50 devotees attending that kartik and we were thinking oh! we have lots of devotees attending the festival. And we were asked how many? 40 devotees attending 50 was considered lots of devotees and then Prabhupada used to send us everyday to this Raman reti from Radha Damodhar temple we would start kirtan in morning and going through here there loi bazaar coming down to Radha Madan Mohan, Bhaktivedanta Goshala and finally we would land here and ground breaking had taken place in March 72, in kartik some digging was going on and Tamal tree was there, when I stood next to the tamal tree I was taller than the tree that time but that tree is no more I think this is the 2nd or 3rd ? this is 2nd tree tamal tree in the court yard Prabhupada had made sure that no tree is cut specially tamal tree so made the design so that the tree is part of the temple. So we would come here every day very cold those days we would do kirtan here offer our obesciance here and go back again to Radha Damodhar temple.
Ok Srila Prabhupada ki………jai
Srila Prabhupada’s departure for America ki…………………….jai
Radha Damodhar ki……………………………………….jai

What is the real wealth?
Krishna, Krishna’s name, Krishna’s message this was and is the real wealth.

Jaladuta boat, srila prabhupada, America, ISKCON, vrindavan,
Jaladuta diary gives ……………….
The glimpse of what was on Srila Prabhupada’s mind throughout, what he was going through, the illness, the thoughts, the prayers, his determination, his tolerance, of course his enthusiasm, his obedience to the orders of his spiritual master and his vision.

Jaladuta – means messenger of the waters
Prabhupada was riding on that boat he was devduta, he was Krishna duta riding on Jaladuta, duta means messenger. So in one sense very appropriate name for the boat, one duta in another duta, the boat is duta and the passenger Bhaktivedanta Swami is the duta the messenger.
ISKCON Conceived and delivered
ISKCON was conceived in Jhasi and delivered in New York

Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.23.28-29 recitation:

Translation by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada: “The girls, being very respectful to Devahuti, brought her forth, and after bathing her with valuable oils and ointments, they gave her fine, new, spotless cloth to cover her body. They then decorated her with very excellent and valuable jewels, which shone brightly. Next they offered her food containing all good qualities, and a sweet, inebriating drink called asavam.”

This is the story of Devahuti, who was the daughter of Svayambhuva Manu and Satrupa. She was married to Kardama muni. Devahuti and Kardama muni were not an ordinarily married couple. Their marriage was in fact arranged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. They both are considered as ideal grihasthas, husband and wife. Just like Bhava and Bhavani – Shiva and Parvati.

Kardama muni is described as ‘sadhu’ whereas his chaste wife, Devahuti is described as ‘Sadhvi’ (female sadhu). Srimad Bhagavatam verse 3.23.1 mentions: “Maitreya said to Vidura, After the departure of her parents, the chaste woman Devahuti, who could understand the desires of her husband, served him constantly with great love, as Bhavani, the wife of Lord Shiva, serves her husband.” Kardama muni was equally renounced just as Lord Shiva. Kardama muni was very pleased with her service and said (Bhag 3.23.6), “O respectful daughter of Svayambhuva Manu, today I am very much pleased with you for your great devotion and most excellent loving service. “

After completing their austerities, they decided to travel by air. Kardama muni created a divine airplane by the dint of his mystic yoga power. The airplane was as vast as a town. The airplane would not only take them around the earth but would take them to different planets and lokas in the heaven (svarga loka) and to planets beyond heaven like Jana loka, Mahar loka, Tapo loka. They would get to see the scene view of Ganga river flowing into the heavenly planets and descending to the earth planet. There are also other tourists who visit these places. All of them are siddhas (perfected beings with mystic powers). Thus life is not just on earth but the whole universe is filled with different living entities in various species of life. Srila Sukadeva gosvami has elaborately discussed these various living places of the universe in Srimad Bhagavatam.

As a part of their preparations, Devahuti was being bathed with valuable oils and ointments by her friends. For a long time, Devahuti did not pay attention to elaborate procedures of bathing and dressing due to her being absorbed in assisting her husband in devotional service. After bathing, her young girlfriends, with great respect, gave her fine, new, spotless cloth to cover her body. Next they offered her food containing all good qualities, and a sweet, inebriating drink. Then they adorned her with variety of ornaments. Thus they made her ready.

However, Devahuti also had a different category of ornaments too. This chapter describes her other ornaments as a sadhvi. They are: titikshasva karunikah, sudridah sarva-dehinam, ajata-shatravah shantah, sadhavah sadhu-bhushanah (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.21) – The symptoms of a sadhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime. In fact these sublime qualities were her real ornaments. That is why the great personality like Shukadeva gosvami is elaborately discussing the personality of Devahuti in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Thus her ornaments were her genuine qualities like ‘titikshasva’ tolerance. In the service of her husband, she had to tolerate many things with patience. She was a princess and her father was king Manu who was the governor of the universe under the administration of Lord Brahma. There are 14 governing Manus in one day of Lord Brahma. At present the government is by Vaivasvat Manu. Each such government consists of Manu, various incarnations of the Godhead, Indra – the king of heavenly planets, the seven great sages, Manu’s sons and family, etc. So each Manu has such a team in his administration. So Devahuti was such a great princess of a great king of the universe. Srila Prabhupada wrote in one previous purport how she gave up every royal opulence. Not only that, she also gave up all lust, anger, greed, pride, envy and illusion. This princess gave up her royal residence and started living in a hermitage. Instead, Devahuti acquired ornaments with all good qualities – sadhu bhushanah. One of them was ‘ajata-shatravah’ – one without any enemies or more precisely, one whose enemies are never born. In fact, WE give birth to our enemies. Originally, there is nobody like our friend or our enemy in this world. Yet in this material world, filled with various concepts of dualities, we begin to consider someone as our friend and someone as our enemy. This concept of our duality gives birth to our enemies. However in Bhagavad Gita 4.22 Krishna describes how His devotees are enemy-free: “yadrichhaya labha santushto, dvandvatito vimatsarah, samah siddhav asiddhau cha, kritvapi na nibadhyate” – (He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady in both success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.)

Thus this sadhvi Devahuti was also ‘yadrichhaya labha santushto’ – satisfied with whatever came on its own accord. Staying in a hermitage in the middle of forest, eating roots and forest fruits – she was satisfied with it all.

She had no envy – vimatsarah. For a woman it could be quite difficult to be free from envy. Often envy is quite prominently present in the women class. She had no enemy, and was peaceful (shantah). To be peaceful, and not quarreling, this is also quite challenging for a woman. Women are famous or de-famous for being quarrelsome. (laughter). It is said by Chanakya Pandit that “mata yasya gruhe nasti bharya capriya-vadi, Aranyam tena gantavyam yatharanyam tatha gruham”. Meaning – If there is no mother at home and the wife is quarrelsome, does not speak very nicely with husband, disrespectful, then he is recommended to leave home and go to the forest. However this Devahuti is a real “dharma-patni” following the religious principles of being a wife, peaceful and being free of envy. Thus she is ‘sarva-guna-sampanna’ or bedecked with the ornaments of various good qualities. She was not only described as eating food that was ‘sarva guna sampanna’ or food with all good qualities; but she was herself bearing all good qualities of human life.

If one desires to have a wife, he should desire a wife like Devahuti. Of course the husband should be like Kardama muni in the first place. Thus Kardama muni and Devahuti were ideal couple as husband and wife. It is said the ideal husband-wife should be like Lord Ram and Sitadevi as well.

In the given verse, it is said that Devahuti was thus decorating her body with various ornaments. This process of decorating of the body by a wife and her beauty are meant only for her own husband and for no one else. According to Vedic system, a wife, who beautifies her body with various apparels and ornaments, does not go alone outside the house without her husband. If the husband is not in town or gone on foreign tour, the wife does not decorate herself with rich clothes and ornaments. She does not go in public functions in such situations but stays home in absence of her husband. Her adorning herself with apparel and ornaments is only for the pleasure of her husband. The purpose behind this concept is that the husband’s heart should be attracted to his wife alone so that he can remain satisfied with only one wife and does not go out to hunt for women. He can thus observe his austerity of having only one wife, of “eka-patni vrata”. Similarly, the wife’s austerity is to remain wife of only one husband “eka-pati vrata”. Thus they both have to observe the austerity of having only one spouse. Lord Ramachandra is one such ideal husband and ideal householder with His ideal wife Sita devi. Sita devi also proved to be an wife – by remaining simple in the forest, by faithfully following the austerity of her husband in the forest.

Thus a woman’s `”vesha-bhusha” or adorning is meant only for the husband and not for others’ pleasure as a part of her austerity as “pati-vrata”. Every couple of husband and wife is responsible for thus establishing the right religious principles of married life. Otherwise, men and women do not follow their respective dharma (religious duty) of being a good husband or good wife. This results into “dharmasya glani” or decline in religious principles. In such scenario, the women tend to decorate their bodies and make a show of their bodies for the sake of other persons, leaving aside their own husband. This is exactly what is happening in today’s world. It is precisely the exhibition of women’s bodies that is going on in today’s world. In their decorations, women do not even cover their bodies enough. Women are actually selling their bodies – through movies, entertainment, and advertisements. In every advertisement for every product, they put up a woman and exhibit her bodily beauty for cheap sale of their products. As if the woman like a machine – a sex machine. Women on their account have made themselves very cheap because they fell in their values. They degraded in their thinking process. Their minds are attracted towards the superficial.

Devahuti is called “manasvini” – not superficial. Her mind never ran outwards towards superficial attractions of sense enjoyment with other men. She remained “manasvini” – controlled in her mind. That is why it was possible for her to acquire other good qualities – like peacefulness, merciful, without enemies etc. Srimad Bhagavad Gita also enlists these qualities in Verse 18.42: shamo, damas tapah shauchah, kshantir arjavam eva cha, jnanam vijnanam astikyam, brahma karma svabhava-jam – (Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness—these are the natural qualities by which the brahmanas work.)

A Brahmana’s wife is called “brahmani”. Devahuti was real ‘brahmani’. She practiced sense control, and mind control – manasvani. A muni (thoughtful sage) is manasvi , mananashil – meditating. Devahuti was also inclined towards contemplation and meditation. She was not just “sundar”, bodily beautiful but was also “su-shila” beautiful with sublime qualities.

The Brahmana friend of Lord Krishna, Sudama – his wife was also su-shila, endowed with sublime qualities. Shukadeva gosvami described Sudama’s wife as sadhvi, sushila, charitravan – wife like a sage in thinking and qualities and chaste.

Thus, when such personalities like Kardama muni and his sage-like wife Devahuti do devotional service of the Lord and faithfully worship the Deity by decorating the Deity with various ornaments, they themselves get adorned with divine qualities. These qualities become their ornaments.

.Trinad api sunichena, taror iva sahishnuna; amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada Hari (Siksastaka 4). It is recommended that one decorate one’s neck with these four ornaments all the time: humility, tolerance, not hankering for self honor and ready to offer all respect to others. We should wear a necklace made up of these four qualities like a ‘kanthi mala’ (necklace) around our neck. “Manada” means one who is ready to give “mana” or respect to others. Similarly the word “a-mani” means having no desire for “mana” or respect for self.

It is likely that a person who possesses these qualities is able to chant the holy names of the Lord. Caitanya Mahaprabhu keeps these three conditions for being able to chant Lord Hari’s name incessantly – humble, tolerant, not desiring for self respect and always ready to offer respect to others. (namra, sahishnu, amani and manada). These qualities allow one to chant Hari incessantly.

When we adorn our bodies with ornaments, rich hair style, rich apparel etc., we do it all in front of a mirror. When we decorate our bodies, our image which is reflected in the mirror also gets all these decorations and ornaments. The image in the mirror is called ‘prati-bimba’. The person standing in front of the mirror is ‘bimba’ and his image or reflection in the mirror is called ‘prati-bimba’.

“Tadvad”, meaning on the same lines, we are the shadow or “pratima” reflection of the transcendental form of the Supreme Lord. It is said, “man is made in the image of God.” God made the man and the woman in His own image. If we decorate the transcendental body of the Lord or the form of His Deity, then you will understand that the devotee who is decorating the Lord also gets decorated.

Sri Vigraharadhana nitya nana, sringara tana-mandira marjanadau; Yuktasya bhaktan cha niyunjato ‘pi, vande guroh sri charanarvindam. (Sri Guravashtaka 3). (The spiritual master is always engaged in the temple worship of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. He also engages his disciples in such worship. They dress the Deities in beautiful clothes and ornaments, clean Their temple, and perform other similar worship of the Lord. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.) Thus when we do sringara (ornaments and clothing)to the Deity “the archa vigraha”, we also get decorated with sringara. It is indeed the decoration and ornaments of our soul! What are the ornaments of the soul? – “sadhavah sadhu bhushanah”. The soul of such a sadhu gets adorned with sublime qualities. In this way, the sadhus and sadhvis get decorated and adorned with good qualities because they adorn the Lord’s body.

This activity of doing sringara to the worshipable deity or archa vigraha of the Supreme Lord is one of the nine ways of devotional service. “sravanam, kirtanam, Vishnoho smaranam, pada sevanam, archanam, vandanam, sakhyam, dasyam, atma nivedanam”. These nine ways are ‘Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Sri Vishnu, remembering these aspects of the Lord, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service.’ (srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.23).

Decorating the Deity is archanam out of the above nine processes of bhakti. It also includes offering food with love and devotion. (patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayachati, BH Gita 9.26). We could offer to the Lord “chappan bhoga”, that is 56 different types of rich preparations of food or we could just offer just one simple preparation. Shabari from Ramayan just offered only berries to the Lord. Whatever may be offered, but most importantly it has to be offered with love and devotion. If we offer with love and devotion, why would the Lord not eat? If the Lord does not eat what we have offered, that is because we do not offer with utmost love and devotion. This archanam also includes cleansing and decorating the temple of the Lord. The word for this love and devotion is “bhaktya”.

Similarly, Devahuti’s service for the Lord was full of devotion (bhaktya). We can also do many such services for the temple and for the archa vigraha of the Lord in the temple. There are so many service we could do for the Deity. Preparation of food stuff for offering, making garlands, cleansing the temple, stitching clothes for the Deities, stitching curtains for decorating the temple, decorating the temple floor with colorful powders (rangoli) and so on. Doing all such services for the Lord with love and devotion will in turn adorn us.

If women thus get adorned due to loving service to the Lord, it will not matter whether they do or do not decorate themselves with the so called ornaments and jewellery. On the other hand, if they simple decorate themselves with various ornaments without doing any devotional service, they will never be satisfied with their personal adornment. Their lust for more and more jewellery and more and more rich clothing never ends. The Sanskrit word for woman “stri” means vistara or expansion. A woman’s mind is constantly engrossed in thinking about how to collect more and more opulences in terms of house, jewellery, household items etc. It is not a woman’s fault though – the Lord has designed a woman’s mind in that fashion. Then they want to expand the family by having children. Thus women are characterized by ever expanding desires. Nowadays, women get many new ideas for their never ending shopping listing by watching television and alluring advertisements about various products. These advertisement convince us that we need to eat this item, drink that item, smear this item on our bodies, need this machine for the house and so on. There is no end to this expansion if the women do not take to devotional service of the Lord.

If a husband wants to run the family with a low expenses budget, then he should engage his wife in the devotional service of the Lord. Then there will always be a shopping list for the Deity besides the wife’s personal shopping list. Thus the husband should give her the archa vigraha Deity of the Lord and ask her to decorate the Lord with fine clothes, ask her to offer food every day and ultimately ask her to make the whole house as the temple for the Lord. By this process, the tendency of the wife for having an ever expanding personal shopping list will be curtailed to some extent. Otherwise, even in the old age women remain busy with their personal adornment with makeup, plastic surgery, dental cosmetic and what not.

After all, there is vanaprastha ashrama after grihastha ashrama! Preparations for the transition to vana prastha have to begin while in householder status. Attributes like detachment, renounced attitude, simplicity have to be cultivated while in householder life to help transition into next Vanaprastha ashrama. Vanaprastha is meant for both the husband and wife and not just for men.

Thus the scriptures mention about two types of adornment: one is decorating oneself with rich clothes, ornaments, and all different processes of decorating the body. The other type of adornment is “sadhavah sadhu-bhushanah” – ajat shtravah, shantah. The first type of adornment is about beautifying the body with the jewellery, clothes etc. However, the second type of adornment is about beautifying the soul. The ornaments of divine qualities enhance the glory of the soul. The real purpose of life is beautifying the soul with the ornaments of divine qualities.

There are 26 well known qualities – known as the ornaments of the Vaishnavas. When we serve the Supreme Lord, when we decorate His Deity, then we get naturally decorated with these qualities. Serving the Lord includes hearing and chanting His names and His glories. Indeed the primary service is hearing and chanting. Hearing and chanting the descriptions of the ‘rupa-madhuri’ or the transcendentally beautiful form of the Lord will naturally lead to our detachment and renounced mood. In that state, we will not be much worried about beautifying our so called bodies.

Srimad Bhagavatam (1.7.10) has this verse about ‘atmaramas’ (those sages who take pleasure in the spirit self) – atmaramas ca munayo, nirgrantha apy urukrame, kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim, ittham-bhuta-guno Harih (All different varieties of atmaramas [those who take pleasure in atma, or spirit self], especially those established on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. This means that the Lord possesses transcendental qualities and therefore can attract everyone, including liberated souls.) This verse suggests that there are some ‘atmaramas’ who could be advaita-vadi or brahmanandi. These impersonalists are without any material bondage, without any attachments. Yet the Lord’s transcendental qualities attract the hearts of these impersonalists. This was said by Suta Goswami when he was asked about Shukadeva goswami. He was asked that if Shukadeva goswami was such an atmaram, brahma nandi, and materially detached, highly renounced yogi; then how come he got attracted towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In reply to this question, Suta goswami said this verse “ittham bhuta guno Harih”. It is the divine magic of the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord that they attract everyone’s heart, even the impersonal heart of the atmaram muni. That is why it is said, “akamah sarva kamo va, moksha kama udar dhih, tivrena bhakti yogena yajeta purusham param” (SB 2.3.10) – A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of all material desire, without any material desire, or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead. It does not matter whether we are akama, sarva kama or moksha kama, the Lord’s supreme qualities will equally attract us.

Thus if hearing and chanting are a part of devotional service, we should always be engaged in hearing the descriptions of the Lord’s beauty, the Lord’s ornaments and the process of His adornment by mother Yasoda when she decorates the Lord’s body every morning before sending Him to the forest. Yasoda bathes Krishna, decorates His body with different varieties of ornaments, and finally gives a beautiful flute in His hands. There are so many varieties of descriptions of the Lord’s beauty and His decorations. His ‘vara-mauktikam’ or special gem, His ‘kanthe cha muktavali’ or large variety of necklaces, His ‘makara kundale’ or special shark shaped earrings, His ‘sarvange Hari chandanam’ or body covered with chandan, and His Ghanashyama color or the hue of His bodily luster as a fresh rain cloud. On the backdrop of His rain cloud color, His pearl necklace is compared to the a line of swans. With His rain cloud color, His peacock feather is compared to the rainbow; and His yellow dazzling garment is compared to the lightening. All these descriptions can attract our hearts to Krishna and can make us His devotees.

There is a story of a dacoit, named Daku Bhagat. Once he heard the descriptions of the Lord’s beauty and the Lord’s decorations. He totally gained great faith in the Lord’s existence and decided to find Him. He thought it would be the best deal if he could steal the ornaments of such a fabulously decorated person. Upon enquiring he came to know that the Lord lived in Vrindavana. The dacoit started his journey towards Vrindavana with a constant remembrance of the Lord’s descriptions. He contemplated and meditated upon the descriptions of the Lord’s beauty throughout his journey. Due to his complete engrossment in constant remembrance of the Lord, he was blessed to see the real form of the Lord. And what did he do upon seeing the opulent form of the Lord? He totally forgot to steal the Lord’s ornaments! Instead he became a devotee!! Hari bol!

Venue: Braja mandala parikrama, Surbhi kunda
In Srimad Bhagvatam there is description of Vrindavan all over, as we seeing here at the banks of Surbhi kunda crystal clear water. Our obeisance’s to the Kunda here, Krishna comes here all the time with His cows and His cowherd boys. We should understand that where ever we see a kunda Krishna has come there with His cows. He comes to water His cows and as cows are drinking the water He also drinks the water, while drinking cows are not using hands they are drinking with their mouth, Krishna also drinks water like the cows with His mouth (laughter) Haribol……………Haribol
So Krishna has done this lila at surbhi kunda and other kundas “ittham sarat svaccha jalam padmakara sugandhina nyavisad vayuna vatam sa gogopalako acyutah” (S.B 10.21.1) Sri Krishna enters the forest He enters Kamavana also where there is svaccha jalam in the kundas like this- crystal clear water. Padmakar they are full of lotuses. In the past we had come and this kunda was also filled with lotuses. Devotees who came to this kunda came back with bunches of lotuses. As Krishna enters the forest “vayuna” from there is a cold breeze ventilation throughout the forest.
Vayu is blowing in one direction not like a whorl wind as during rainy season, the wind is blowing over the kundas which are full of lotuses. As air touches the cooling water the air also becomes cool, the fragrance of the lotuses is also carried by the air. So as this air moves on whole forest becomes like a air conditioned –cool and fragrant. Krishna comes with “sa gogopalako” with cows and cowherd boy friends,
“kusumita vanaraji” (S.B 10.21.2) and on the banks of the lake there are flowering trees, like this (maharaj showing a famous kadam tree at the bank of surbhi kunda) this is most famous kadam tree ki…………….jai. Rupa goswami says “oh! when I would be able to see Krishna” Krishna wearing the garland of kadam flowers, this kind of matches with His golden rope yellow clothing so they also have yellow round flowers “kusumita vanaraji susmi bhrnga” (S.B 10.21.2) there are lot of bumble bees. And as they drink the nectar from the flowers they become maddened intoxicated and they begin singing “hmmm……………hmmmmmm………” whole atmosphere is filled with humming sound. “dvija kula” and there are lots of birds of various kinds ( maharaj asking the devotees do you hear? The sound of the birds?) You cannot hear such sound in Bombay. Birds sing songs (Dinabandhu prabhu tells- its king fisher) Dinabandhu prabhu knows the name of the birds. Maharaj says king fisher airlines (laughter) and the sounds they kind of echo they resound, birds sing and there is echoing the sounds goes to wherever there are other lakes and other ponds.
So Vrindavan is full of lakes kundas like this “ sarah sarin” there are rivers flowing and “mahidram” there many mountains like Govardhana you also have seen Badrikashram mountains , Kedarnath mountains and more mountains are ahead of us. So all these sounds are all over echoing back and forth and whole atmosphere is surcharged. “madhupatir avagahya carayan gah” so then Madhupati enters the forest.
He is master of madhu He is also master of madhu mass which is spring, madhu and madhav are two months of spring and madhu is one of them. As the master of spring season enters the forest everything gets transferred just like spring. Wherever He goes there is spring like season lots of flowers lots of birds chirping, birds singing “carayan gah” and He herds His cows and He does this with “saha pala balas” cowherd boyfriends and Balarama. “cukuja venum” He places His flute on His lower lip and playes His flute.
We have to imagine in this context Krishna playing flute, He is forest and He is playing flute, everything is quite so krishnas flute playing reaches far and wide. “tad vraja striya asrutya venu-gitam smarodayam” (S.B 10 .21.3) the first party to hear venu gitam are the vraja striya – the young ladies of vraja. Krishna is in the forest and gopis are in their respective villages and homes and they are hearing this venu geet. “smarodayam” and the feeling are aroused as they are hearing the venu geet “smara” is also cupid of love- spiritual love- madhurya bhava, the conjugal bhava is aroused in the gopis . ‘kasit paroksam krsnasya sva sakhibhyo anavarnayan” (S.B 10 .21.3) and as gopis hear flute playing of Krishna some of them begin talking about Krishna leaders of different group they begin talking about krishna. Elderly gopis motherly gopis also hear flute of Krishna they have different feeling vatsalya
“tad varnayitum arabdhah smarantyah krsna cestitam” (S.B 10 .21.4) and they are reminded of Krishna oh! Krishna is playing flute first of all they remember the form of Krishna and then what follows is remembering lilas His pastimes then Krishna’s dealing with the gopis when He meet them previously.
“tad varnayitum arabdhah smarantyah krsna cestitam nasakan” Sukhdev Goswami says they become disturbed because they are very much excited as they have heard Krishna’s flute. They feel shy they do not kind of want to reveal their intimate relation with Krishna so they hide all this “nasakan’ they would like to talk although stopping they are only talking to their most confidential associates. As they are also talking they also wouldn’t like to show the connection what they are hearing no …no I am just talking I am not hearing anything. “smara vegena” and this is because of influence of the madhurya bhava within them. You are familiar with “ vaco vegam jiva vegam udaropasta vegam” in case of gopis its smara vegan which is pushing gopis.
“viksipta manaso nrpa” they are kind of disturbed as they hear, they are kind of trying to hide their connection, their conjugal thoughts their voice is also getting choked up, they are trembling, their body trembling as they hear the flute and their eyes are full of tears. As Sukhdev Goswami is describing state of gopis like this he is also having very similar feeling these, he could not hide that so in the middle of his presentation He is addressing “nrpa” oh! king Parikshit. Sukhdev goswami is describinfg all these state of affairs of gopis king Parikshit is also exhibiting some of these symptoms. So Sukhdev goswami “Hye! King what are you doing” don’t exhibit those symptoms. So our acharyas have given deeper meaning why in the middle of the presentation sukhdev goswami is addressing king Parikshit as “nrpa”.
Sukhdev Goswami describes some kind of talks, what kind of talks the gopis are doing.
“barhapidam nata vara vapuh karnayoh karnikaram bibhrad vasah kanaka kapisam vaijayantim ca malam” (S.B 10.21.5)
They have heard the flute of Krishna and immediately Krishna’s form is in front of them like television. ‘barhapidam” first is the peacock feather on His head and this is the most special feature of krishna’s form or beauty. And He is “natavara vapu” and His form is like that of an actor, Krishna dresses himself meticulously as if come press crue is awaiting, some television crue is awaiting for interview.
“karnayoh karnikaram” and gopis are reminded sukhdev goswami is also remembering that Krishna places a flower in His ear karni is a special flower compact yellow color. Sukhdev goswami He has 2 ears but only one flower so He is placing the same flower on each of the ears, so same flower sometimes He keeps it on one ear and then on another. “kanaka kapsam vasah” and He has golden rope “vaijayantim ca malam” and He wear very special mala and there are multiple descriptions of this vaijayanti mala. More commonly known description is that vaijayanti mala is made up of 5 different flowers of different colors. So now He is dressed like that and Krishna is already in the forest and then
“randhran venor adhara sudhayapurayan” He places His flute on His lower lip the flute becomes excited and ecstatic and begins singing and there are more descriptions that whether Krishna playing the flute or venu is playing herself. “gopa-vrndair” and He is surrounded by His friends “vrndaranyam sva pada ramanam” and He is entering Vrindavan, vrndaranyam – vrinda devis aranyam – vrindadevis vana Vrindadevi ki…………………….jai, forest is named after Vrindadevi. As he enters vrindavan He lives His foot prints of the ground Vrindadevi is pleased vrindavan is very very happy to have that touch of Lords lotus feet, those foot prints are like decorations on the body of Vrindavan. “savpada –ramanam” and as Krishna places, vrindadevi makes arrangement that Krishna has as soft feeling when He touches the ground so she places leaves so Krishna has a nice experience of walking on the soft ground. “pravisad gita kirtih” and krishna enters He is surrounded by His cowherd boyfriends and they all talking about Him.
“iti venu raman rajan sarva bhuta manoharam“ so this sound, sound of the flute is sarva bhuta manoharam- attracting minds of all the living entities. “srutva vraja striyahbnsarva” and again the real party audience for the flute playing are those gopis, they are hearing, they are talking, they are stoping they are embracing , they are talking and like that……Krishna is spreading the sound of the flute all this goes on. Then each gopi talks, every gopi is talking and what do they talk is the subject matter of this chapter of the 10th canto 21 chapter of Srimad Bhagvatam, venu geet this is the background the context and then gopis begin talking, you may like to see hear this sometime in future.
Jai Krishna Kanaiya lal ki…………………jai
Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari ki………………….Jai
Gaur premanande …………………….Hari Haribol

So did you notice that this killer of Dhenukasur is Balarama and its very appropriate that Balarama killed Dhenukasur. Dhenukasur is an ass (laughter) he is very dull headed. So Balarama He is adiguru, the original spiritual master. So the dull headedness within us, the assess are known for two thing one thing is they are less intelligent because the grass is everywhere they could eat but they think they must carry this big load on their backs then only at the end of the day they will be able to get some grass they think they must work hard that’s one thing. And then they try to enjoy and one of the, besides the grass they try to enjoy also the female association and when they run behind to approach to she ass but what does he ass gets in return? (sound of a kick) (laughter) just a big kick in the face. So they are working hard and wanting to enjoy sense gratification – all sorts specially sex life.
So what happens we want to just quickly say very important subject matter what we going to share it is important that we listen to this Krishna killing demons past times. Usually there is tendency to skip them and run for something more nectarine or even Rasa dance forget this killing part, violence but these past times of Krishna killing different demons they are in there with the purpose also that each of these demons Krishna is killing they represent different anarthas some bad qualities in them. So when we hear Krishna killing demons with whatever bad quality in them if that bad quality was say in us then we also just by hearing that past time that anartha in us gets killed we become free from that anartha by hearing that past time. So spiritual master on behalf of Balarama plays the similar role and brings us to the senses the mentality of wanting to work very hard like ass or they run after the opposite sex, so this anartha in Dhenukasur as we hear that past time we become free from that mentality that anartha, that bad quality in us. So like that there are other each demons represent different different bad quality and as we then like this we become purified then gradually ready for other more nectarine pastimes like rasa dance and then we are thoroughly purified it’s like preparation first thing first. So in few days we will be also reading in sequence the five chapters dealing with the rasa dance in summary form.
So I just wanted to remind you the benefits of hearing such past times and then more things we are going to quickly know about Krishna before we go for Kaliyas subduing Kaliya-kaliya daman leela its very exciting thing. So let’s spend little time, so then that day it was almost evening time and
“ krsnah kamala patraksah punya sravana- kirtanah
stuyamano anugair gopaih sagrajo vrajama avrajat” (S.B 10.15.41)
So Krishna kamal patraksah lotus eyed Krishna lotus eyed blooming lotus eyed His eyes reach almost His ears if ours do not reach what do we do? Do some painting so that we try to make our eyes bigger or kajal we try imitate Krishna
“punya sravana kirtanah” His friends “anugair gopaih” they are singing different glories appreciating Krishna, praising Krishna and all of them together they are now returning to Vraja meaning towards Nandagram in the evening time. Sukhdev goswami describes Krishna and His beauty further he says the cows are also walking the dust of braja is so light as they walk so much go raja go raja go dhuli is raised up in the sky and then that settles Krishna’s hairs are smeared and peacock outfit is also smeared covered with that dust – vraja, He has garland of forest flowers and caru-hasam His eyes are rucireksana- charming eyes and caru-hasam Krishna is known for His very attractive smile, charming eyes and smile on His face. “venum” He is playing His flute and other cowherd boys are also doing that now they are coming closer and closer they are about to enter Nandagram and the gopis are waiting the cowherd girls. There are two kinds of gopis you have to take note of the cowherd girls are also called gopis but the elderly gopis and young gopis they have different bhava towards Krishna different relationship with Krishna one is vatsalya bhava and another ones young ones have madhurya rasa- relationship- mellow with the Lord. And for the first time these young gopis have been mentioned because for first time Krishna is now of the appropriate age to enter experienced yet another rasa, yesterday or day before yesterday we were mentioning in Gokul Krishna experiences vatsalya rasa and little bit of sakhya or friendship then He grows and while He is calf herd boy vatsapal then He is spending more time with His friends sakhya bhava becomes dominant some vatsalya bhava continues but as He grows yet another dimension is added to His pastimes, His life and gopis come into picture and that’s what is going on here now.
As calf herd boys they were also returning evening but the young girls never cared to, they were also too young to think of those matters conjugal relationship only elderly ladies with vatsalya bhava – parenthood they would be waiting to receive Krishna but they would look straight look at Krishna meeting of eyes and everything. And now also that two kinds of gopis were awaiting Krishna’s arrival the elderly gopis are just looking at Krishna as affectionately as child but other gopis young gopis they cannot look at Krishna directly social difficulties are there young boy young girls. So they are looking elsewhere but with the side long glances they are looking Krishna, Krishna is going that way – they are looking there, their face is there but the eyes are that side (laughter) the side long glances only they could look at the Lord. And these gopis with the side long glances as if their eyes are like bee like and they are drinking “mukunda mukha saragham” (S.B 10.15.43) the face of “pitva” they are drinking the face of the Lord is like a flower and gopi eyes are like honey they are trying to drink, the bees always go to the flowers to get the honey and by doing so their tapa- so much separation from the Lord, Lord being away so as they drink that nectar emanating from the lotus face of the Lord that fever goes down they are pacified a bit.
So now they are Krishna and Balarama they are all the way close to Nandabhavan and they entered Nandabhavan. They are greeted by Nanda also Yasoda is there Rohini is there.
“tayor Yasoda rohinyau putrayoh putra-vatsale,
yatha kamam yatha kalam vyadhattam paramasisah” (S.B 10.15.44)
According to the time, place and circumstances they are always expressing their affection by giving different kinds of gifts, sweets or whatever children are in need of Krishna and Balarama, so first thing as they return from the forest
“Gatadhvana- sramau” sram they had been walking all day behind the cows the hot sun so “majjanonmardanadibhih” (S.B 10.15.45) bathing takes place in order to do that “nivim vasitva” Sukdev Goswami says the little boys now wearing only undergarments all other their clothes are off they are wearing undergarments and they been bathed by mothers Yashoda and Rohini while bathing little massaging is being done, putting some oil there and you know all day they are working very very hard “ruciram divya srag – gandha manditau” so then they are offered fresh garlands different other gandhas, chandan and their body decorated that way with fresh clothing.
“janany- upahrtam prasya” (S.B 10.15.46)
The dinner time they are made to sit down and they are feed “svadv annam” svadu svadu sweet dishes all they cook is nectarine, nice nice chappan bhoga offered. “lalito palito” there is lalan and palan both things are done. “samvisya vara-sayyayam” and finally around 10:30 or 26 minutes after 10 they have put to bed on a very special bed Krishna and Balarama they take rest – sukhe nidra gela. So this is one sample, sampling of how He returns how He is greeted at the entrance by two kind of gopis finally into Nandabhavan they are bathing, new clothing, feeding, put into rest and this is everyday. Everyday is exciting no routine, no boringthing and we have to. So like that Krishna’s past time continues and Sukhdev goswami quickly turns our attention to Jamuna river.
Jamuna maiyya ki ……………………………jay so kalindim “ yayau ramam rte rajan kalindim sakhibhir vrtah” (S.B 10.15.47)
Once upon a time that day Balarama was not with them, again Balarama is not with them all cowherd boys and Krishna only going into the forest they are now on the banks of Jamuna “atha gavas gopas ca” (S.B 10.15.48) the cows and the cowherd boys they are very thirsty and they end up drinking jamuna jal thirsty they are so what could they do. But “dustam jalam” the poisonous water they drank jamuna jala has become poisonous ‘visa-dusitam” and the result was they fell lifeless right there in front of Krishna “salilante” just on the bank of jamuna.
“viksya tan vai tatha-bhutan krsno yogesvaresvarah iksayamrta -varsinya” (S.B 10.15.48) He opened His eyes and He glanced over all the friends, the cows and “samajivayat” brought them back to life and now they were playing different games very close to Jamuna and Krishna is only thinking how to He understood what is this due to? Why water of jamuna is so poisonous?
“vilokya dusitam krsnam krsnah krsnahina vibhuh” (S.B 10.16.1)
Such wonderful…(maharaj laughs) Krsnam, “dusitam Krsnam” krsna – means here Jamuna. Krsna – krsnaa… if you say “hare krsnaa.. hare Krsnaa.. Krsnaa.. Krsnaa.. hare hare” you are saying “hare jamuna hare jamuna jamuna jamuna hare hare” different mantra you are chanting. Krsna- krsnaa…. Krsnaa… is jamuna Krsnaa… is also Dropadi, there is subtle difference understand, Krsna –Krsnaa.., suta-sutaa… “dusitam krsnam” so the river jamuna has become polluted this is because “Krsna ahina” ahina means serpant and because he is blackish he is addressed here as is Krishna-ahina the black serpant. And this is all vilokya Krsnah Krishna saw Lord Krishna saw that the river Krishna jamuna was polluted by black Krishna ahina, black serpant that is Sukhdev Goswami and “tasya visuddhim anvicchan” and in order to purify, cleanse the waters of contaminated river “sarpam tam udavasayat” He sent away the kaliya so Sukadev Goswami has summarized the whole chapter just in one verse this will and require attention let’s see how far we go interesting details here. The rivers water was so badly polluted full of poison that would be boiling because of poison heated and boiling the birds are flying above the river with the vapors coming evaporated water full of poison the birds would breath that air and result would be they would be falling dead into the river it was that bad. Also “praninah mriyante” animals were dying, birds were dying so what did Krishna do? He wanted to chastise this kaliya sent him away. So in middle of the game Krishna He climbed up kadamba tree right on the bank of this kaliya rte- this kaliya lake this name was kaliya lake because kaliya was residing in the lake.
So Krishna climbed up hey! Where are you going? He was just playing, and now He stopped the play and He just very swiftly He climbs up the tree and He is now standing at the top of the tree, top of the tree tallest branch and He is standing there (maharaj is asking the audience – you could see Him?) yes you have to see Him, you have to visualize this pastime kadamba tree on the bank of jamuna kaliya lake is part of connected with jamuna little extended lake. So He goes up there and He is doing (maharaj slapping his arms) He is slapping “asphotya” slapping arms – challenging that kaliya are you ready? come come lets have a fight wrestlers in India do that come come so this is what Krishna also did and “gadha – rasano” (S.B 10.16.6) Krishna is tightening his belt and the next thing is “nyapatad visode” He fell in the lake, then from there He is into the lake. So big splash all the water has been agitated, waves, water causing flood and the water is spreading now going beyond the lake and the kaliya he heard the splash and he noticed. Oh! There is someone has encroached my territory “asrutya niriksya .” (S.B 10.16.8) the snakes they hear with their eyes they don’t have ears. caksuh-sravah kaliya heard with the eyes the big splash and noticed also, saw also he was deep into, he has his home family also, palace there, children also came out in the direction someone had fallen into that water.
“tam preksaniya sukumara-ghanavadatam” (S.B 10.16.9) and so Krishna is swimming at the top and from underneath kaliya comes he is looking up at Krishna and this beautiful young boy he sees and he has a bluish complexion sri vatsa, he is noticing, He has a srivatsa mark on His chest Laxmi resides on the chest of Sri Krishna in the form of a golden line – suvarna rekha or srivatsa “pita vasanam” He has golden yellow clothing “smita-sundarasyam” His smiling face “kridamtam apratibhayam” and fearlessly He is playing there not scared He is fearless. “kamalodaranghrim sandasya” so kaliya comes he is furious and he starts biting Krishna and next thing he has done he has enveloped Krishna in its coils.
And so the cowherd boys and cows they were watching this scene. Krishna is their lives and it was too much for them to handle this situation for cowherd boys and the cows so they were going unconscious, they were falling there unconscious just on the bank of kaliya lake. “krandamanah su-duhkhitah” (S.B 10.16.11) they are crying they are very very distressed not knowing what to do they eyes are fixed on Krishna and they are standing still, motionless only looking with great anxiety and so while this was the scene on the bank of kaliya now all over Braja mandal there were bad omens. Lighting and this and that signs giving indication that something dangerous has happened in Braja somewhere so many indication.
Whenever such thing happen everyone of course Nanada Yasoda they immediately think of where is Krishna? Where is He? Is He difficulty? Hey! and another thing that they noticed “vina ramena gah krsnam jnatva carayitum gatam” (S.B 10.16.13) oh! Today Balarama has not gone with Krishna so oh! For sure there is some trouble. That other day also He did not go so Brahma had stole again Balarama had stole the cows and cow herd boys and again Balarama hasn’t gone look at all these difficulties all around bad omens everywhere. So they were expecting the worst and they were also thinking is Krishna alive does this mean He is no more, these thoughts were also coming to their mind. “duhkha –soka-bhayaturah” (S.B 10.16.14) full of lamentation have taken over.
“a-bala-vrddha-vanitah sarve anga pasu-vrttayah nirjagmurbgokulad” (S.B 10.16.15) so like that cow going looking for calf, all the men elderly men, gopis they left home, left Gokul, left Braja, left Nanadagram and they are searching “krsna darsana lalasah” (S.B 10.16.15) they are very very eager to find and see identify, locate their Krishna. While everyone is in total anxiety Balarama He isn’t because He knows extraordinary power of His brother Krishna, nothing to worry. But He could not share; He couldn’t say anything because of this emotion of everybody. But He was “prahasya” smiling, trying to conceal His smile and laugh as He is seeing everyone else in total anxiety and so they all go they want to find Krishna. So on the way they see some foot prints hey! come come everyone they all gather around the footprints and they see that these are the footprints of Krishna there are different signs – the flag, thunderbolt and immediately they understand these are foot prints of Krishna see see everyone confirms. And then they follow the foot prints they keep going following those foot prints and they end up on the bank of …………..Jamuna “jamuna jalasayante”
And what do they see there? Some animals died, cowherd boys unconscious, some are struggling to stay alive, those who are alive they are looking, where are they looking? They are looking inside so immediately everyone’s attention has gone towards that scene there ghastly scene. And so as these persons have come towards kaliya lake and as they see Krishna they are all trying to go in there to protect their Krishna they don’t care whether they will get drowned they just want to protect Him but Balarama forbid them stopped them, kept them away from entering the lake. So Krishna stays for few moments for a little while in that state but then seeing the condition of everyone else all around Vrajawasis everywhere, elderly ladies, gentlemen, Gopis very very anxious, crying, screaming wanting to get closer to Krishna but they can’t get there. So Krishna manages to get out of the coil of kaliya and kaliya and Krishna they are facing each other like two wrestlers, trying to overpower the other one.
And kaliya is trying to get closer to bite or again catch Krishna in his coils and Krishna is trying to avoid that so that kind of battling lasted for a while and this was little relief for those who were watching because atleast he was not in the tight grip of kaliya. But He was still there in the middle of the lake in front of kaliya, so next thing Krishna does is He is pushing some of the hoods of kaliya and he jumps up and Krishna is standing on the hoods of kaliya Haribol…………………Haribol.
And He has His flute and he begins His “akhila- kaladi gurur nanarta” (S.B 10.16.26) He is the adiguru of all the artist, all the dancers and the flute players, musicians He is the original guru – the master of everybody and He begins his dance. Krishna begins His dance on the hoods of kaliya, kaliya has one hundred and one hoods so that becomes His platform Krishna’s platform and as soon as Krishna desire to dance on the hoods of kaliya immediately just that minute the Gandharvas, the Siddhas, the caranas they all begin the orcastra party, they all play the best music and nice drumming is going on helping Krishna to, the dancer comes in good mood when there is nice music. So there are different scenes here Krishna kaliya in the middle of lake, Krishna in the middle all the Brajavasis – the audience on the bank of the lake water they don’t know what to expect, they are still in anxiety and up there in the sky it is all filled with the Demigods and gandharva and Apasaras and they are providing all the necessary music and Krishna is dancing on the hoods of kaliya, He is Nataraja – the best of all the dancers, amitabh bachchan is nobody why even remember him before Krishna. Krishna is best dancer and He is dancing, playing his flute also and he has ankle bells – jingling, tinkling around his ankle they are also playing and his attempt is He is trying to express anger and poisonous flame are emanating from different hoods, so which ever hood is most active trying to find Krishna, bite Krishna, Krishna puts his foot right there and “anghri pataih” he hits He dances, His dancing is working like hitting the hoods ok this one is out of 100, He has 100 to work with so as he is dancing he is watching also, playing now which hood where, which one now. So some times he is here middle hood, then this hood then that hood like that he is going all over and hitting this hoods now he has 50% taken over, 50% are just life less vomiting blood and then He is working on more hoods, some more dance and music goes on and on…….
Pushpas are being showered on Krishna and He is enjoying and now all his hoods, all 101 hoods have been totally subdued, kicked and brought under control by Lord who appears to do this “vinasayaca duskritam”. So at this point the Nagapatnis – wives of Kaliya they come they are addressing the Lord who is still standing on the hoods, head of their husband “nyayyo hi dandah” Krishna whatever you have done is very fair we have no complaints, this is the purpose you appear “tavavatarah khala nigrahaya ”.
“anugraho ayam bhavatah” infact benediction of yours upon our husband and ourself “tapah sutaptam kim anena purvam” we don’t know what kind of austerities our husband has performed as a result you have blessed him touched his head left lot of dust of you lotus feet on the heads of our husband they are reminded even that Laxmi she has performed so much austerities hoping to get closer to Krishna, getting the dust of lotus feet but she did not become successful but look our husband has become successful getting that sacred dust on his head and they say “vanchanti yat-pada rajah prapannah” (S.B10.16.37) this is the only desire of devotees of the lord just to get the dust –surrender into the dust of krishna’s lotus feet. They did not desire “na naka prstam” they don’t desire to go to heaven they don’t want to be emperors “paramesthyam” they dnt want post of Brahma they dn’t want to be any kind of rulers “na yoga –siddir” they don’t want bhukti-siddhi-kami no nothing………………..

Narottama Das Thakuravirbhava mahotsava ki jay!! All glories to the appearance day celebration of Srila Narottama Das Thakur.

Out of the many songs that Narottama Das Thakurhas written, there is a collection of songs called ‘lalasamayi prarthana’. Following is the song from this collection:

gauranga’ balite habe pulaka-sharira

‘hari hari’ balite nayane ba’he nira

ara kabe nitai-candera karuna haibe

samsara-vasana mora kabe tuccha ha’be

vishaya chadiya kabe shuddha ha’be mana

kabe hama heraba shri vrindavana

rupa-raghunatha-pade haibe akuti

kabe hama bujhaba se jugala piriti

rupa-raghunatha-pade rahu mora asha

prarthana karaye sada narottama dasa

H H Lokanath swami Maharaja reads and comments upon the purport by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada:

“This is a song sung by Narottama dasa Thakura, a great devotee and Acharya in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya, the disciplic succession coming down from Lord Caitanya. Narottama dasa Thakura has written many songs, which are recognized as authoritative by all the Vaishnavas. He has sung these songs in simple Bengali language, but the purport—the deep meaning of his songs—is very significant.”

In this song, he says, “Gauraga balite habe pulaka sarira” – when does one attain the perfection of chanting? – as soon as he chants the name of Gauranga, who inaugurated the sankirtana movement and at once there is shivering in his body. Of course it is not shivering due to cold, unlike us. (laughter). There was no external bodily cause for his shivering but Narottama das was shivering from within because his soul was trembling in ecstasy. This is not to be imitated. NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR is asking “When will that fortunate day come that I shall simply sing Lord Caitanya’s name and there will be shivering on my body as soon as I chant Lord Gauranga’s name?”

Then he says, “As soon as I shall chant ‘Hari Hari,’ or ‘Hare Krishna,’ there will be pouring down of tears from my eyes.” hari hari balite nayane bahe nira. That is the sequence. First there is shivering and then there will be tears in the eyes.

Then NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR is asking, “ara kabe nitai-candera karuna haibe”. We are all asking for the mercy of Lord Nityananda. Lord Nityananda is supposed to be the original spiritual master. So we have to approach Lord Gaurnaga through the mercy of Lord Nityananda. What is the symptom of the person who has achieved the mercy of Lord Nityananda? NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR says that the symptom of one who has actually received the mercy of Lord Nityananda that he has no more material desire. “samsara-vasana mora kabe tuccha ha’be”. Tuccha word is derived from the word ‘spit’. Tuccha means as insignificant as spitting. Srila Prabhupada once literally spat while giving a class in Calcutta. He was speaking the verse from Srimad Bhagavatam, 7.9.45 “yan maithunadi-grihamedhi-sukham hi tuccham” and then he spat. (Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Grihamedhis, so-called grihasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress.)

‘Sansar vasana’ means desire for material enjoyment. NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR wonders “When my desire for material enjoyment will be insignificant, non-important – tuccha.’’ Of course, as long as we have material bodies, there are so many material needs. We do not fulfill our needs in the spirit of enjoyment, but only to keep body and soul together.

NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR says further, “rupa-raghunatha-pade haibe akuti”, “Beginning from Rupa Gosvami down to Raghunatha dasa Gosvami,” pade, “at their lotus feet. When I shall be eager to be attached at their lotus feet;” Akuti means eagerness. Srila Rupa gosvami is the father of devotional service. He has written a book called Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu in which he has given directions on devotional service. These topics are also dealt with in Caitanya Caritamrita and other books. We have summary of those directions in our book, ‘teachings of Lord Caitanya’.

One has to learn the conjugal loving affairs of Radha and Krishna through the teachings of these six gosvamis. NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR directs us not to try to understand the conjugal love affair of Radha and Krishna by our own efforts. We should try to understand this jugal priti under the direction of the gosvamis. As long as the mind is too much absorbed in materialistic thoughts, one cannot enter the kingdom of Vrindavana. But NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR says, “vishaya chadiya kabe shuddha ha’be mana, kabe hama heraba shri vrindavana” “When my mind will be completely purified, uncontaminated from the material contamination, at that time it will be possible for me to see what Vrindavana is.” When my mind will be completely purified, free from material anxieties and desires, I will be able to understand Vrindavana. Then I will understand the conjugal love of Radha and Krishna and then my spiritual life will be successful.

So this song is a glimpse of the life and teachings of NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR– It reveals the thoughts of Narottama, his emotions, feelings – in summary this song is a glimpse into the consciousness of NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR. “gauranga balite kabe..” His heart is full of thoughts like this, always. They are revealed to us through his writing. Thus we could read his thoughts in black and white. Hearing them we get to know NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR. Vaishnavera kriya mudra.. very difficult to understand. (CC Madhya 23.39 – Even the most learned man cannot understand the words, activities and symptoms of a person situated in love of Godhead.). Just by looking at a Vaishnava you may not understand him and his exhibition of activities like trembling of his body, rolling on the ground and other ashta-vikaras. His exhibition of these activities is not with a purpose that others will take note of it or take his photographs or video etc. He does not care for these things. The vaishnava may try to contain his emotions and yet some of his emotions may spill out. They come out in the form of the ashta vikaras. His soul is in contact with Supreme soul and what transpires through this communication or linking (yoga) with the Supreme (yoga) is the symptoms like trembling etc. The result is Hari Hari balite nayane babe nira. The love of Godhead overflowing within the heart of the vaishnava starts to drip out of the eyes in the form of tears. Tears of love of Godhead.

Thus through such songs, we get to know personalities like NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR. I don’t know how much we really get to know because it is not easy to know a vaishnava. Just as it is difficult to know the Supreme Lord, it is equally difficult to know the devotee of the Lord. In fact, the more we understand a devotee of the Lord, the more we can understand Krishna. The more we understand devotee and our spiritual master, the more we understand Krishna. If we fully understand the devotee, we can also fully understand Krishna, as much as a human being could possibly know. Prabhupada says, even Krishna does not fully know Himself fully. He is ever changing, ever growing, and ever expanding. So how much could we, living entities can know Krishna? We can know Krishna to the degree we know pure devotees, to the degree we know vaishnavas, and to the degree we know our spiritual master. “Saksat Haritvena samasta sastrair..” Krishna is sanatana Hari, Gaura Hari, and the spiritual master is saksat Hari.

Knowing Krishna is also possible by knowing dham, being able to see dham, or being able to reside in the dham. In the words of Narrotatma das Thakur in this song, “vishaya chadiya kabe shuddha ha’be mana, kabe hama heraba shri vrindavana” . One who is able to see Vridavana or Mayapur as it is and is able to finally stay at these places; not just as visitor but resident of these places can really know Krishna. However in spite of being resident, if one’s mind goes to various other places from Mayapur to Calcutta, from Mayapur to London, then it is of no use. Hence, NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR says, “When my mind will be freed from the contamination of this material enjoyment and I shall be purified, then it will be possible for me to see Vrindavana as it is.” When my mind will be suddha or pure, then my chanting of the holy names will also be pure – without offence. It will lead to shuddha bhakti, purified devotion.

Devotional service could be performed when my mind will pure (shuddha). This is all for us, and not for NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR. This song are his instructions to us. You do not even have to refer to scriptures. His songs ARE scriptures!

Jagannatha Das Babaji used to say, spiritual realizations are very cheap nowadays. How much cheap? Oh, you just give 50 paise and buy the books of Narottama das Thakur’s songs. Just read and sing those songs and you will have realizations, you will get all clarity and you will be on your way back home, back to Godhead.

All the teachings of the Vedas are there in the songs of NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR. He made it easier. Sanskrit is difficult to understand. You can just sing the songs that deal with all spiritual topics. He writes the songs dedicated to vaishnavas, to his spiritual master who is like his life and soul, to Gauanga, and to Radha and Krishna. These songs are famous everywhere – Orissa, Bengal.. and Prabhupada made them famous all over the world. In every town and village, they are known as Narottama dasa’s songs. Even if they may not know the Vedas or Upanisadas, they know Narottama dasa Thakura’s songs! Thus they have access to the Vedas, to the sastras when they read and sing songs of Narottama Das.

Everything is there in the songs. We get a glimpse of that knowledge depending upon how much surrendered and purified our minds and souls are. To the degree of purity of our minds, we can understand the songs of Narottama das. Even one song is enough to realize and go back to Krishna. Through his songs, we can understand his emotions, his devotional mood and deep purport of his songs can help us understand Radha Krishna.. “Radha-Krishna prana mor yugal kisor”

Srila Prabhupada gave us these gifts of songs of Narottama Das Thakur and Srila Bhaktivinod thakur. Now those songs are all over the planet. Soon the songs of NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR in coming 5000 years will reach every town and village. Not just the mahamantra. Maha mantra will reach every town and village along with these songs. By then news will be out about NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR and his songs. He was not just another devotee. Just to be a devotee is not a small thing. But he is not just another devotee or another associate but direct contemporary of Caitanya maharpabhu.

Narottama Das Thakur’s transcendental life:

He appeared in 1531, three years prior to disappearance of Sri Caitanya mahaprabhu on a full moon day. Today is that full moon day of Magh purnima. Caitanya mahaprabhu appeared on Phalgun purnima and Narottama Thakur appeared on Magh purnima which is one month prior to Gaura purnima. Once, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in the kirtan and the kirtan stopped in the middle. CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU was in full ecstasy, His body trembling and tears gliding down His cheeks, He pointed to the village Kheturi gram and shouted “Narottama, Narottama..”. these were the words of CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU. All the devotees were wondering what happened. So they concluded that the Lord is indicating the appearance of some personality called Narottama. When CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU uttered the name of Narottama on His lips, it appeared very auspicious to the devotees. This also gives another glimpse of Narottama’s personality to see how CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU was attached to Narottama.

CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU entered the river called Padmavati (now in Bangla desh). The Lord filled Padmavati with love of Godhead. He instructed Padmavati, “I am leaving this prema with you. This is meant to be given to a very special person. Only to that person, you deliver this prema. She asked, How would I know who is that person? Mahaprabhu assured her, you would know. When this person enters your waters, it will flood, not because of rainy season or something but you will just rise and expand by the entrance of that person. So to that person you give this prema. That is what happened. When Narottama entered the waters of Padmavati, the river swelled and flooded and she remembered the instructions and gave the Krishna prema to Narottama. The Lord personally invested His preme into Padmavati’s waters until this personality of Narottama could come.

Narottama Das Thakurappeared as a prince, Krishnananda Datta. The king and his wife Naraynai gave birth to this very special child, very beautiful. We may end up thinking he might have been more beautiful than I am! (laughter). But no one had ever seen a beautiful child like Narottama. He had different features. His body was golden, his naval was deep. His eyes were wide like blooming lotus. Not a word jugglery but literally. His arms were long, reaching his knees. Certainly there was no match to his beauty. Upon his anna-prasan ceremony (feeding grains for the first time), he refused to accept. Soon the parents realized that those grains were not offered to the Lord. As they offered it to the Lord and brought him the maha-prasad, he gobbled it up. Even as a child he was teaching what to eat and what not to eat. He was sent to school. He was a brilliant student – shrutidhar – with a photographic memory. He soon became a very learned pandit in Sanskrit grammar and poetry.

He came in contact with Gauranga bhaktas and he started listening to Gauranga lilas. He got attracted to the personality of Sri Gauranga and Nityananda prabhu. He began chanting Their names and was very eager to find them and meet them. Lord Gauranga gave him darshan in dream in sankirtana as Pancha tattva. Soon Narottama lost all attraction for anything worldly. The family members became afraid about his leaving home and going away. So they decided to get him married. Surely, they thought, if he is married he will be bound. Bound by kama-pash – by the ropes of lust.

However Narottama was thinking of only going to Vrindavana. Family members kept guards to keep a strict watch on him so that he may not run away to Vrindavana. One day the king of Bengal sent a message to Narottama’s father. His father along with his brother left for Navadvipa to see the king. Narottama thought it as a good opportunity to run away and he did. He went to Vrindavana dham. On the way all the pilgrims were treating him nicely. However the guards searched for him and found him. Narottama fed them nice Prasad and told them Gaura katha so well that they forgot their job of grabbing him and bringing him home. They did not do that assignment and Narottama was able to head toward Mathura.

Then he reached Mathura. Upon reaching there, he heard the news! Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana gosvami were no more! He was so anxious. “Rupa Raghunatha pade hoibe akuti” he wrote. He was dreaming and thinking day and night, when that day would appear when I get to meet with Rupa and Raghunatha and so many other devotees in Vrindavana. We could imagine about Narottama’s reaction to that news. As if a thunderbolt had struck him. He lamented and fell unconsciousness. Knowing his thoughts, Rupa and Raghunatha and others appeared before him and gave him darshan even though they were not physically present.

Then he moved on to Vrindavana. In fact there was a prediction that Narottama would arrive on one of these days and Jiva Gosvami was expecting him. As he arrived, Jiva gosvami was one of first personalities to welcome Narottama and bring him to Radha Govinda temple. Then he saw some of remaining associates of Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

Narottama was searching for his guru. By this time, Narottama was studying under Srila Jiva gosvami. Jiva gosvami is Narottama’s shiksha guru, the instructing spiritual master. He was also serving Lokanath gosvami incognito. When Lokanath gosvami would take care of his daily bodily cleaning, Narottama would secretly go to that place and would clean that area thoroughly well. Days and months had passed like this. Finally Lokanath swami noticed it and found out who was secretly cleaning the area after he took care of his body? He came to know that it was none other than Narottama. Finally that connection was made. Narottama was initiated by Lokanath gosvami. Initially Lokanath gosvami had a vow of not making any single disciple of his own. However Narottama was insisting that he must have Lokanath gosvami as his spiritual master. They were both determined. Finally Lokanath gosvami gave up his vow. Narottama found his spiritual master.

Narottama wrote a song about the guru, “sri guru charan padma kevala bhakti sadma vando mui savadan mate”. (maharaja asks everyone to read the purport to this song). Srila Prabhupada selected this song for the daily ‘Guru pooja’. Every word, every line is so much important.

The lotus feet of our spiritual master are the only way by which we can attain pure devotional service. I bow to his lotus feet with great awe and reverence. By his grace one can cross the ocean of material suffering and obtain the mercy of Krishna.

My only wish is to have my consciousness purified by the words emanating from his lotus mouth. Attachment to his lotus feet is the perfection that fulfills all desires.

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

ur spiritual master is the ocean of mercy, the friend of the poor, and the lord and master of the devotees. O master! Be merciful unto me. Give me the shade of your lotus feet. Your fame is spread all over the three worlds.

My spiritual master is the final destination for me. My destination is his lotus feet, uttama gati. When I reach the lotus feet of my spiritual master, I will also reach the lotus feet of Krishna. His lotus feet will bring me to the lotus feet of Krishna. By the mercy of my guru, I will achieve Krishna.

One day in Vrindavana, one Gopi like beautiful lady approached Narottama and told him, “your service in Vrindavana is to boil milk”. Narottama approached his guru and mentioned to him that such and such lady told me that my service in Vrindavana was to boil milk. He asked his guru what was the meaning of that. Lokanath gosvami said, first of all, that lady is not just an ordinary lady. It is Radha rani. She has revealed your eternal service in Vrindavana. Narottama is actually “chamak-manjari” from the spiritual world of Goloka Vrindavana and the particular service of this manjari is to boil milk!

One day he was in his transcendental service of boiling milk for Radha rani. He was in trance and the milk started overflowing due to his meditation. He tried to put off the fire to stop overflowing of milk and his fingers got burnt. Soon he was out of that trance or absorption in service. Suddenly he came back to his external consciousness. He tried to hide his burnt finger as he did not want others to know about this transcendental service. But the news spread and others came to know the position of Narottama.

He kept studying there under srila Jiva gosvami. By this time, Shyamananda and Srinivas acharya were also studying. Jiva gosvami was thinking that his disciples should go on Vraja mandal parikrama. Soon after he had this thought, he saw Raghav gosvami of Vrindavana. He stayed near Vrindavana in a cave, which is still there. Raghav gosvami was also preparing to go on this parikrama. Srila Jiva gosvami requested him to take along Shyamananda, Srinivas acharaya and Narottama das with him on Vraja mandal parikrama. There is a description of this parikrama in Bhakti Ratnakar. It describes of their experiences; every few steps they would roll on the ground, their bodies trembling and tears flowing from their eyes. They went around Vraja like this hearing about Radha and Krishna, different pastimes, and wetting all the dust of Vraja with their tears which they were constantly shedding.

Jiva gosvami instructed them to go on the preaching mission with the books. Narottama also visited Mayapur, Shantipur, Puri, and then his hometown. By this time his father was no more. The area was being ruled by another king, named Santosh. The king greeted Narottama with great reverence. This king had association of Narottama Das Thakurfor some time and he became initiated disciple of Narottama das along with so many other prominent persons. However Narottama was not born in brahmana family. The then existing smarta brahmanas took objection to this initiation process saying how could Narottama do this. They decided to visit him for a debate. When they came to his village, there were so many learned disciples of Narottama, having taken up various occupations of vaishya category. When Smarta brahmanas entered the town, they happened to meet with all these disciples of Narottama Das Thakurat in various market places. All the disciples were speaking in Sanskrit! They had dialogs with the brahmanas and defeated the brahmanas in debate. The smarta brahmanas thought that these are just the disciples of Narottama; they are doing all sorts of occupations, and yet they are so learned. Thus they realized the position of Narottama das and did not go to debate with him.

First ever Gaura Purnima festival: Then Narottama das decided to celebrate the first ever Gaura purnima festival with great pomp. There were many temple opening events, deity installation was going on. This was the first ever gaura purnima festival and devotees from all over arrived. The whole festival lifted everyone’s consciousness. The main objective of festival was to raise consciousness of the devotees who were present in the festival. Narottama led an ecstatic kirtan. Vaishnavas were playing musical instrument, touching each other’s feet, they all were singing in the kirtan with right raga and right bhava. How can we describe that kirtan? It was practically out of this world! Pancha tattva Personalities from another world descended and joined Narottama’s kirtan. Meeting of the two worlds took place without any barriers. Even though Caitanya mahaprabhu, Nityananda prabhu and other members of Pancha tattva had already left this mortal world, everyone assembled there saw all these personalities joining the kirtan. Jahnava mata, Nityananda prabhu’s consort also saw Him. Advaita acharaya’s sons saw Advaita acharya. Finally kirtan stopped and everyone was back in their normal worldly position. They felt the absence of all these divine persoanalities and they fell unconscious as if having lost their lives, not being able to see again Mahaprabhu and Nityananda prabhu.

Jahnava mataji cooked feast and served everyone in the Gaura purnima festival. She was the acharya of gaudiya vaishnavas. That time there were many differences of opinion, many interpretations in understanding of the vaishnava philosophy after Mahaprabhu’s disappearance. During this festival, Jahnava mata, through ista gosti, reconciled everything, establishing the final conclusions and thus unified all the vaishanvas present at this festival at Kheturi dham. Then they played holi, throwing colors with the Deities. In this way Narottama Das Thakurorganized the first ever, grand Gaura purnima festival.

Our Gaura purnima festival is beginning now, ending after one month on Gaura purnima day. So please meditate upon this first ever Gaura purnima festival and on the life of Srila Narottama das thakur!!

Hari bol!

Reading from BG as it is, chapter 7. This is an overview of the chapter. Of course, by now you must be knowing why chapter 7 was selected for this festival at Cross Maidan. (someone responds). .. Yes, exactly. Srila Prabhupada had been giving his discourses on chapter 7 in 1971 here in Cross Maidan during morning hours. Srila Prabhupada ki jay. Of course, I missed the morning talks. Morning talks are for more serious students. Anyone could easily come in the evening. But to come in the morning – it takes special efforts – you have to be seriously interested in the subject matter. May be I did not have that much interest at that time in 1971. I was coming in the evening, attending Srila Prabhupada’s Hare Krishna festival right here at Cross Maidan. Unfortunately, I did miss the morning BG lectures.

The seventh chapter onwards, upto chapter 12 is considered bhakti yoga discussion. Yoginam api sarvesam mad gatim..This is how Krishna concluded the sixth chapter of Bhagavad Gita by saying that of all the yogis, the bhakti yogi is the topmost. Shraddhavan bhajate yo mam, same yukta tamah. Yukta tamah means the top most. This way one links with Me. Yoga is linking. The best and complete linking is there when there is bhakti yoga, with devotion. Of course, it is Srila Prabhuapda, who describes or translates bhakti not just as devotion, but devotional service. Lot others are there who say bhakti is devotion. But Prabhupada said bhakti is devotional service. Not just sitting around. That is over. Dhyana yoga is over, getting completed here. now it is time for gyana, meditation as well as action. That is devotional service. Mam anusmar yuddhya cha. Cha means and. You have to do two things. Mam anusmar is one thing. While remembering Me, yuddhya, fight ‘cha’, and . This and that. Not just remembrance and not just fighting, but fight while remembering Me. That is devotional service for kshatriya. So that bhakti yoga is being described here in chapter 7 and some more chapters. The knowledge of the absolute is the title of this chapter 7. Sri Bhagavan uvach..we will just take a look at the different verses. This chapter.. I was just running through the chapter. I could see practically that every verse in this chapter is the most quoted verse. Srila Prabhupada used many of them very frequently.

Verse 7.1 “Sri Bhagavan uvach: Mayy asakta manah partha, yogam yunjan mad-ashrayah, Asamshayam samagram mam, yatha jnasyasi tat chrunu” The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Prutha, how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.

Please hear. Who says this? Sri Bhagavan uvach. Shrunu.. give attention. the advise here is try to hear. How fortunate is Arjuna. We are hearing this verse of Sri Krishna at Cross Maidan 5000 years later. But there was Arjuna hearing directly from the lotus mouth of the Lord.

Ya svayam padmanabhasya mukha-padmad vinimsruta – “This one book, Bhagavad-gita, will suffice, because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and especially because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Gita-mahatmya 4 – mentioned in BHAGAVAD GITA introduction). It says that the Lord with lotus naval is speaking from His lotus mouth. The words are Padmanabh and mukha-padma. The words are coming out of the lotus mouth of the Lord and the first person to hear those words is Arjuna. He was recipient of this mercy. He said, this is Prasad my dear Lord. He said (BHAGAVAD GITA 18.73) “nashto mohah smrutir labdha tvat prasadan maya Achyuta” – My dear Krishna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am very thank ful for this Prasad. He said I have regained my consciousness by Your mercy alone. The Prasad that Arjuna is referring to is the verse that he heard from the Lord. What we get here in Cross Maidan is what? “Maha-pradad”. Acharyas have heard this in disciplic succession and we hear it from Srila Prabhupada in his BHAGAVAD GITA as it is. Prabhupada writes, “let Krishna speak!”. You have spoken enough, now you shut up. Kindly let Krishna speak. Even those who comment on BHAGAVAD GITA do not let Krishna speak; what to speak of others who are busy doing grama katha or prajalpa. But those who speak of so called bhagavat katha or Krishna katha, even they do not allow Krishna to speak. Hence Prabhupada had to insist to allow Krishna to speak. Let Him speak for Himself.

So that is BHAGAVAD GITA as it is. We have heard it. We are hearing it from Srila Prabhupada as maha-maha-maha-prasad.

So if we allow, as the acharyas allow Krishna to speak, then to know Krishna becomes possible. Krishna as He is could be known if we hear BHAGAVAD GITA as it is. There is no doubt about this.. there was not even a need to speak such a statement because Krishna is speaking. Yet Krishna is saying this so that no one should have any doubt. Krishna was not doubtful; it is for us that He is reassuring.

Sarvam etad hrutam manye, yan mam vadasi Keshav.. (BHAGAVAD GITA 10. 14) – “O Krishna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me”, said Arjuna. Still Krishna says, “asamshayam samgram”. You will know Me by giving Me ear, just hear – right here!!

Verse 7.2 Jnanam te ‘ham sa-vijnanam, idam vakshyamy asheshtah Krishna says, “I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and numinous”. Again Krishna says, asheshtah. As I speak, this knowledge will be complete; there will be no balance. Shesha means remaining. I will talk of gyanam and also sa-vigyana. There will be nothing more to be known. I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and numinous. This being known, nothing further shall remain for you to know.

Then Krishna says, how everyone is not interested in this knowledge. Everyone doesn’t come to the pandal; everyone is not interested in hearing these topics of religion or God consciousness.

Verse 7.3 “Manushyanam sahasreshu, kaschid yatati siddhaye

Yatatam api siddhanam, kaschin mam vetti tattvatah” Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.” How rare is knowing Krishna! Krishna clarifies this here. This knowing Krishna tattvah is of great important. Tat means that. What is that. That is Lord. Tat means the Lord. “Om tat sat”. “tat-va” means complete science about that ‘tat’, complete siddhanta about that ‘tat’.

So that kind of understanding is very important. Then “tyaktva deha puran janma na eti mam eti” (BHAGAVAD GITA 4.9) For that person, there is no birth but he comes to Me. He does not go for another birth but he comes to Me. So how important is this tatva business as is stated here.

Verse 7.4 “bhumir apo nalo vayu, kham mano buddhir eva ca, ahankar itiyam me bhinna prakritir ashtadha” Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—all together these eight constitute My separated material energies. Again this is one of the most often quoted verse. There are five great elements and tgree subtle elements. Grand total is ashta or eight. All these 8 elements constitute My separated external or material energies, Krishna says. Although the scientists have further broken down the five great elements into further more elements. They have reached the number 108. They are not able to go beyond this number. All those elements are there in the universe or “brahmanda” and also in this body called “pinda”. All the five great elements which are out there in the universe are also in the body, but in lesser proportion. However, the three subtle elements – mind, intelligence and false ego are even beyond this list of great elements. That makes the body different from the dead matter.

Yet another element which is of prime importance in the body. Krishna speaks of it in the next verse: Verse 7.5 “apareyam itas tv anyam prakrim viddhi me param, jiva bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat” Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature. The body comprises of the eight elements, as above, which are called as ‘matter’. Yet there is another ‘superior’ energy of Krishna which is the living entity and is present in the body.

Some scientists are coming slightly close to this conclusion. Srila Prabhupada mentions about Russian scientists in his book “easy journey to other planets”. The scientists are thinking that if there is matter; then there must be “anti-matter” also. Then it should be complete. This “anti-matter” or anti-material is the spirit soul. In the previous verse, Krishna spoke of matter or material energy. In the verse 7.5 He spoke of ‘param’ or His superior energy which is basically anti material. That is the living entity present in the body.

In the next verse, Krishna says, besides these superior and inferior energies, I am also there in the body. Verse 7.6 “etad yonini bhutani sarvaneeti upadharaya, aham kritsnasya jagatah prabhavah pralayas tatha” All created beings have their source in these two natures. Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both the origin and the dissolution. This ‘aham’ is referring to Krishna. There is no pride in Krishna when He says ‘aham’. He is just explaining the truth. What else He could have said? Krishna says, all created beings have two natures – one is material and other is spiritual. And I am both the origin and dissolution of all that is created. Thus, Krishna is all in all.

Verse 7.7 “mattah parataram nanyat kinchit asti dhananjaya, mayi sarvam idam protam sutre manigana iva” O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

This is Prabhupada’s favorite verse. He always emphasized that Krishna is the supreme personality of Godhead. How many times has he said this? How many times has he written this? Wherever he mentions the word “Krishna”; he always puts a comma and writes the subsequent words “the supreme personality of Godhead”. He is never tired of saying or writing it. This is Srila Prabhupada. This is his contribution. With full realization and conviction, Srila Prabhupada repeats the message of Krishna.

Prabhupada used to ask child Saraswati, “who is Krishna?” Saraswati was just a few years old daughter of Malati and Syamasundar prabhus and she used to sit on the dais in Hare Krishna programs in 1971. So Prabhupada used to ask her this question, who is Krishna. And she used to immediately reply, “Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead” to Prabhupada’s full satisfaction.

That is what this verse says, “mattah na andyad kinchit asti” – there is nothing more superior that Me, not even a little bit. Krishna is described as “asamordhvam” (Bhag. 10.44.14) meaning “not paralleled or surpassed”. No one is equal to Him or above Him. He is the one.

Everything rests upon Me as pearls are strung on a thread. Likewise same Krishna through each and every atom. Not just brahmada. This is the realization of Lord Brahma in Brahma Samhita. “Andantarastham paramanu cayantarastham” I am not only in the universes as Garbhodakashayi Vishnu but also in each smallest unit of the universe called molecule or atom (paramanu). In that sense, He is all pervading. Atoms are everywhere and He is in each and every atom.

Nowadays, the scientists are searching for new atoms – protons and neutrons. As they progress more and more, they wish they could produce a microscope to look at all the atoms. Of course that microscope is in fact Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. See through the eyes of the scriptures and you will see in that tiny atom the Lord is residing there.

Verse 7.8 “Raso ‘ham apsu kauteya, prabhasmi shashi suryayoh, pranavah sarva vedeshu shabdah khe paurusham nrushu” O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable Om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man. Now the Lord is giving some examples from different ‘pearls’ found here and there within the universe. He begins with “raso aham apsu”. He says He is the taste. I am the taste in the water. Every time Srila Prabhupada would pick up his water cup and drink water, he used to remember – oh! This is Krishna! Is it difficult to remember Krishna this way?

Prabhasmi .. Krishna says that I am the light of the sun and the moon. Every time you see the sun rise or the moon, think of Krishna. But without the light of the sun you cannot see. What is the power of our seeing if we have eyes but no light? That light is Krishna. Only with the help of Krishna you could see. If He does not want you to see, you cannot see. Do you not see how controlled we are? Srila Prabhupada further explains that the light of the sun and the moon are not independent. The light is actually coming from Krishna’s brahma jyoti in the spiritual sky. The sun is only acting as a mirror to reflect that real light of Krishna. When I was a child in the village, I remember we used to take the mirror outside during the day and then we used to throw the reflection of the light inside the house, right into the eyes of my mother. She used to shout as she could not see. Has anyone played these kind of tricks? Oh, so many. Just like this example of a child throwing the reflected light into the house, the original “Krishna – kanti”, the brahma jyoti is reflected into the material world with the help of the mirrors of the sun and the moon.

Pranavah sarva vedeshu is the OM sound. There are many pranavah sounds like Om, Aim, Clim. Of all these, Krishna says, I am the OM sound. Shabda khe. Kham means ether. The sound in ether is Krishna. Paurusham nrushu.. the ability in man or woman is Krishna. Anyone who is capable.. that capability is due to Krishna. Krishna is pointing out here how He is the common thread that goes through the whole creation.

Verse 7.9 punyo gandhah prithivyam cha, tejas casmi vibhavasau, jivanam sarva-bhuteshu tapas chasmi tapasvishu I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics. When we have obnoxious unpleasant smell, that is not Krishna. Once while looking at a patch of blooming flowers, Prabhupada said it was like the face of Krishna! When a devotee sees a beautiful flower, he thinks that let me offer this to Krishna. Another person would think that let me offer this to my girlfriend or boyfriend. So the consciousness is different where one is trying to abuse and exploit the energy of the Lord who is present there in the flower.

Verse 7.10 bijam mam sarva-bhutanam, vidhhi partha sanatanam, bhddhir buddhimatam asmi tejas tejasvinam ahm O son of Prutha, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men. If someone is intelligent , Krishna says that intelligence is Me.

Verse 7.11 balam balavatam chaham, kama-raga-vivarjitam, dharmavirddho bhuteshu kamo smi bharatarshabha I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna]. That lust which is not contrary to dharma or which is within the parameter of dharma, is Me, Krishna says.

In this way, Krishna continues to mention how He is everything as the common factor in every existence. Verse 7.14 “daivi hyeshya guna mayi mama maya duratyaya, mameva ye prapadhyante mayam etam taranti te”. This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it. Krishna says that all of this creation in which I am pervading is full of gunas – the three modes of material nature. This is My maya. Hence this has to be duratyaya.. very difficult to overcome, very powerful. Why?.. because whose maya is it? It is Krishna’s maya. So it has to be powerful; otherwise what kind of maya it would be if it is not strong? If it was my maya or your maya, it would not be so strong. But if it Krishna’s maya, then it is very difficult to overcome. Krishna is not scaring us, just informing us. He says, if you want to go ahead on your own, then go ahead and try it, try it. But you will not succeed in overcoming this maya. This is where I come into the picture. He calls us, hear me, I am here, come near O dear! Krishna says, if you surrender unto Me, then for sure very easily you could overcome because My maya is under My control. I can order her to go away at any time. Just like the owner of the dog can order the dog to go away as his friend wants to come in; the Lord also orders His own energy.

After suggesting us to surrender to Him, Krishna mentions that there are some people who would not like to surrender. Verse 7.15 na mam dushkritino mudhah prapadhyante naradhamah, mayaya apahrtia gyana asurim bhavam ashritah Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me.

Prabhupada always used these words – fools and demons and rascals and cats and dogs. He would say all these words during his lectures. I had just started listening to him that time in Mumbai and I thought, could he not use some better words? People used to come all the way from downtown to Juhu to listen to him – big rich people wearing coat-and-tie; with their wives sitting next to them with heavy jewelry. And Prabhupada used to address them – fools and demons, rascals, cats and dogs and on and on!! I was just a new bhakta and I thought, “What?! Such nice people with wives and family members coming from so far away just to listen that they were fools and rascals and cats and dogs? I had hard time digesting it for some time, but soon or rather gradually I realized that Prabhupada was presenting Bhagavad Gita “as it is”. These terms are right there in Bhagavad Gita which other speakers or commentators camouflage or modified as if sugaring of the pill. But Prabhupada presented it “as it is”. Straightforward.

Coming back to the verse, these are four kinds of people who do not surrender unto the Lord – grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion and atheistic. They are not Indians or Hindus only but people from all over the world who fit in these four categories – they do not surrender unto the Lord.

Verse 7.16 Now Krishna mentions the four kinds of people who do surrender to Him. These two verses are next to each other for our easy remembrance. So the verse is “chatur vidha bhajante mam janah sukrutino ‘Arjuna, arto jigyasu artharthi gyani cha bharatarshabha” O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute. They are described as ‘sukrutina’. Kruta means activity. Duskrutina are those who do not surrender unto God and sukrutina do surrender. Those who are great distress, or curious or in need of money or those with some knowledge – these four surrender unto Me.

Verse 19 “bahunam janmanam ante gyanavan mam prapadyate, vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah” 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. Some people do take some extra time to surrender. They are referred to as ‘gyanavan’. Earlier Krishna said that the ‘sukrutino’ or the pious souls surrender unto Me. Here Krishna says those who are gyanavan (with some knowledge) surrender unto Me after many many births. What is that knowledge? “Vasudeva sarvam”. If someone asks us what is knowledge? Here is the answer by Krishna : Vasudevah sarvam iti. Iti means this much. One needs to know only this much: Vasudevah sarvam – Vasudeva is all in all. One who knows this much is described as ‘gyanavan’, in full knowledge. With full knowledge, what does he do? Mam prapadyate – he surrenders unto Me, Krishna says. How many such gyanavan people surrender? “sa mahatma sudurlabha”. Very very rarely a person surrenders unto Me in full knowledge.

Having spoken about persons surrendering unto Him, Krishna says now that some people do surrender – but not unto Me, but to someone else. Verse 7.20 “kamais tai stair hruta-gyanah, prapadyante anya devatah, tam tam niyamam asthaya prakritya niyatah svaya” Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures. Krishna speaks of those who are afflicted or influenced by kama or lust and hence are deprived of the knowledge. Knowledge is confiscated from them due to lust. The lust is stealing the knowledge from them. They have intense desires and they do surrender to some other devatas – other than Myself. Those who are in full of knowledge – gyanavan – they come to Me; but those whose knowledge is stolen – they go to some other personalities – other demigods or demigoddesses.

Verse 7.23: “antavat tu phalam tesham tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam, devan deva-yajo yanti mad-bhakta yanti mama pi” Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.

That is fine, Krishna says. We cannot stop them from going to other demigods, but then they should know that the fruit or benefit that they will be deriving by going to other demigods will be ending soon – not lasting very long. They are alpa-medhasam. That is how the Lord is describing them – the demigod worshippers are less intelligent. They go to the demigods and those who are My devotees, they only come to Me. The Lord is making a distinction here.

And now the case of mayavadis – impersonalists. Krishna spoke about the materialists, those who do not surrender unto Me or who surrender to other demigods and now He speaks of the impersonalists.

Verse 7.24 “avyaktam vyaktim apannam manyante mam abuddhayah, param bhavam ajananto mamavyayam anuttamam. Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme.

The impersonalists who are also described as unintelligent. What is their philosophy? They think the Lord is ultimately avyakta – impersonal – He is just the light, all pervading. But occasionally He becomes vyakta – assumes a form. Manyante – they consider. About Me they think like this and hence they are unintelligent and do not know My superior nature which is inexhaustible and finest.

Verse 7.25 “naham prakashah sarvasya yoga maya samavritah, mudhoyam nabhijanati loko mama jam avyayam” I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible. The Lord is making a comment – I do not become known to everyone. They all are being covered by My yogamaya. They do not know that I am unborn and infallible.

Verse 7.26 “vedaham samatitani vartamanani charjuna, bhavishyani ca bhutani mam tu veda na kaschana” O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.

Krishna says I know Vedas. Not only Vedas, but everything else that is to be known, is known to Me. All the things from the past I know. Everything that is happening right now, right here I know and I know the future of everything and everyone. But .. tu means but.. Krishna says something contrary.. while I am like this.. even though I know past, present, and future of everything and everything.. mam tu veda na kaschana..but Me no one know. In the beginning of the chapter Krishna said “srunu”. You better hear from Me Arjuna.. jnasyasi.. you will know by hearing from Me. At the end He says, no one knows Me. So knowing Krishna becomes possible by srunu – by hearing. Hence Krishna is speaking, so that we can know.

Verse 7.28 “yesham tv anta-gatam papm jananam punya karmanam, te dvandva moha nirmuka bhajante mam dridha vratah” Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination.

Devotional service is getting established here. If you hear Me, then you would know Me. If you know Me, then you would serve Me. That is the sequence. They will go for worshipping Me. How will they worship? Dridha vratah – equipped with knowledge, they will worship Me, having become free from dualities of this existence and illusion. Their sins will be finished by hearing from Me. Those pious person, who listen to Me, will worship Me.

Verse 7.30 “sadhibhuta adhidaivam mam sadhijaynam cha ye viduh, prayan kale api cha mam te vidur yukta-chetasah” Those in full consciousness of Me, who know Me, the Supreme Lord, to be the governing principle of the material manifestation, of the demigods, and of all methods of sacrifice, can understand and know Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even at the time of death.

They will keep knowing and remembering Me, even at the time of death. That is the perfection – that we remember the Lord at the time of death. This chapter was knowing about the ‘Supreme’ and the next chapter would be attaining the ‘Supreme’. You know and you achieve.. any questions or comments?

Q from Tattvavit prabhu, editor of BTG and BBT: Maharaja, you quoted the verse in which Krishna says that He knows the future. Many people want to know future, so they go to astrologers to know future. Is that equivalent to trying to find Krishna?

A: if you chant Hare Krishna, you need not go the astrologer. Those who chant Hare Krishna.. their lives are changing. What your astrologer is going to tell you is action and reaction. If you perform this action, you will get this reaction. The astrologer has a way to calculate or know your past and your activities. He asks questions about your actions. Then there are governing effects of so many different planets on your life. So if nothing much changes and if you remain mundane, then based on these factors, he predicts your future. It depends upon your past, present, influences of various planets etc. But as soon as you chant Hare Krishna, surrendering unto Krishna.. Krishna says .. aham tvam sarva papebhyo mokshayishyami.. everything changes! I will make you free from all the reactions of previous life, and you will come to Me. The astrologer could talk about your next birth based on the previous birth. But if you surrender unto Krishna then there is no more birth. Astrologer has no way to talk beyond this creation or universe. They cannot talk about that future, but the scriptures could tell – not only that the scriptures will tell that you will go back to Godhead, but they will also tell which flight you will take, where you will land, what party will receive you, what will be your mellow.. how you will enter the nitya lila, the scriptures can see inside you, within these eight elements, within these gross and subtle elements they can see the soul. The astrologer could predict the body’s future and about mind, intelligence and false ego. But as soon as you surrender to Krishna, it is another jurisdiction, another knowledge of the future.

Q: raso aham apsu .. how about the taste of wine? Is Krishna there?

A: yes, taste is essentially the characteristic of water. Prabhupada said even if a person drinks wine, and thinks that Krishna is there in the taste, he could become Krishna conscious.

Hare Krishna!

Opulence

Performing devotional service in Kartik on of this ceremonial function is called “araja vrata” or “Damodhar vrata”. Uraja vrata is observed in Kartika October-november especially in Vrindavan there is specific program for temple worship of Lord in His Damodhar form. Damodhar refers to Krishna being bound with the rope by His mother Yasoda. It’s said as Lord Damodhar is very dear to His devotees so the month known as Damodhar or Kartika is also very dear to them. The execution of devotional service during uraja vrata in month of kartika is especially recommended to be performed as Mathura Mandala- Braja mandal.
This system is still followed by many devotees they go Mathura or Vrindavan and stay there in month of Kartika especially to perform devotional service during this period. In Padma Purana its said the Lord may offer liberation or material happiness to a devotee but after some devotional service has been executed particularly in Mathura during month of Kartika the devotees wants only to remain only pure devotional service unto the Lord. The purport is Lord does not reward devotional service to ordinary persons who are not serious about it. But even such unserious persons perform devotional service according to regulative principles during kartika within the jurisdiction of Mathura in India are very easily awarded Lords personal service. Haribol………………..Guara Haribol, Haribol………………..Guara Haribol.
Padma purana ki ……………………………..jai.
Today is not month of kartika, today is last day of month of ashwin, ashwin and kartika put together is sharad ritu or autumn season. So its end of one month and today as month is ending its purnima its very special purnima -sharad purnima also known as “Rasa purnima” so we have different verse on the board from the 10th canto please repeat.
Sri – badarayanir uvaca
“bhagavan api ta ratrih saradotphulla-mallikah,
viksya rantum manas cakre, yoga-mayam upasrit ah” (S.B 10.29.1)
TRANSLATION : Sri Badaraya?i said: Sri K???a is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all opulences, yet upon seeing those autumn nights scented with blossoming jasmine flowers, He turned His mind toward loving affairs. To fulfill His purposes He employed His internal potency.
PURPORT: As we begin the famous narration of Lord Krishna’s rasa dance, a dance of love with beautiful young girls, questions will inevitably arise in the minds of ordinary people regarding the propriety of God’s romantic dancing with many young girls in the middle of a full-moon autumn night. In his description of the Lord’s rasa dance in K??na, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, rila Prabhupada painstakingly explains the spiritual purity of these transcendental activities. Those advanced in the science of K??na — the great teachers, or acaryas — leave no doubt that Lord K?sna is full and satisfied in Himself, free of all material desire, which is, after all, a sense of incompleteness or lack.
Materialistic persons and impersonal philosophers stubbornly reject the bona fide explanation of sri krishna’s transcendental nature. There is no reason to deny the beautiful reality of an absolute person able to perform absolute romantic activities, of which our so-called romance is merely a shadow or perverted reflection. The irrational insistence that material activities cannot be a reflection of the perfect, spiritual activities performed by God reflects the unimaginative emotional disposition of those who oppose the reality of sri Krishna . This psychological disposition of the nondevotees, which leads them to fervently deny the very existence of the absolute person, unfortunately boils down to what may be succinctly described as envy, since the overwhelming majority of the impersonal critics eagerly pursue their own romantic affairs, which they consider quite real and even “spiritual.”
The actual supreme lover is Lord krishna. The Vedanta-sutra begins by declaring that the Absolute Truth is the source of everything, and even Western philosophy was born in a somewhat awkward attempt at finding the original One behind the apparent many of material existence. Conjugal love, one of the most intense and demanding aspects of human existence, can hardly have nothing at all to do with supreme reality.
In fact, the conjugal love experienced by human beings is a mere reflection of spiritual reality, in which the same love exists in an absolute, pristine state. Thus it is clearly stated here that when K?sna decided to enjoy the romantic atmosphere of autumn, “He resorted to His spiritual potency” (yoga-mayamupasrita?). The spiritual nature of Lord krishna’s conjugal affairs is a major theme in this section of the srimad-Bhagavatam.
A woman is attractive because of the sweet sound of her voice, her beauty and gentleness, her enchanting fragrance and tenderness, and also because of her cleverness and skill in music and dance. The most attractive ladies of all are the young gopis of V?ndavana, who are Lord krishna’s internal potency, and this chapter tells how He enjoyed their brilliant feminine qualities — even though, as srila Visvanatha Cakravart? ?hakura has mentioned, Lord K?sna was an eight-year-old boy when these events took place.
Ordinary people prefer God simply to be a witness of their romantic affairs. When a boy desires a girl or a girl desires a boy, sometimes they pray to God for their enjoyment. Such people are shocked and dismayed to find out that the Lord can enjoy His own loving affairs with His own transcendental senses. In truth, Sri K?sna is the original Cupid, and His exciting conjugal pastimes will be described in this section of the Bhagavatam.
When Lord K?sna descends to the earth, His spiritual body seems to take birth and grow as He displays His variegated pastimes. The Lord could hardly allow His boyhood to pass without exhibiting the supreme loving affairs between a young boy and young girls. Thus Visvanatha Cakravart? ?hakura quotes srila Rupa Gosvami as follows: kaisora? saphali-karoti kalayan kunje vihara? hari?. “Lord Hari perfects His youth by arranging loving pastimes in the groves of theVrndavana forest.”
So the topic is wonderful, Krishna is wonderful – Krishna’s pastimes are wonderful but our mind is not always wonderful so wonderful, so it becomes difficult to relish the wonderful pastimes of wonderful Lord Sri Krishna. No problem we have help of all acharyas we have help of king Parikshit also who is helping us understand Krishna’s most wonderful pastimes “sri-radhika-madhavayor apara madhurya lila guna rupa namanam prati-ksanasvadana-lolupasya vande guru sri caranaravindam” this is a topic of our previous acharyas the topic is Radha-Madhav, the topic is “radha-madhavayor apara madurya lia” madhurya –lila is also the topic at every step “prati-ksanasvadan-lolupasya’ they have become addicted in relishing these pastimes. ‘radha-krsna padaravinda-bhajanandena matttalikau” matta they are intoxicated, you cannot take them away from these topics of “radha-krsna bhajananda’ they are enjoying these pastimes.

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared after long long time He appeared why did He appear? “kalau avatirnah kalau samarpiutum unnat ujawal rasam” Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to deliver those pastimes what pastimes? ‘unnat ujawal rasam’ that rasa from that rasa come “rasa dance” from rasa come rasa. I give you some rasa while some one is serving you sabji what do you say? Hey prabhu rasa…rasa…juice…..mellow, so essence of the sabji is rasa. So there are 12 rasas and 5 principle rasas and of all those ‘unnat ujawal rasa” of all those 12 rasas unnat – the topmost rasa, which is ujawal, which is brilliant rasa, effulgent rasa is madhurya rasa. Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to deliver that rasa to His followers of course. Madhavendra puri pada had already set the scene by relishing himself those pastimes and talking about those pastimes he was the first acharya in our line and that’s where we have different branch, we differ from Madhvacharya so sometime extend and what is the special dimension our sampradaya – our parampara has this ‘madhurya lila-guna-rupa-namnam”.
Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu spend His time during the day He would chant “Hare krishna Hare krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare” this was for the public for everybody chanting of the Holy name ‘Hare Krishna” He did had Bhava of Radharani and the complexion of Radharani also relishing radha-krishna pastimes, radha –madhav pastimes, radha-shyamsundar pastimes.
So today is that day and than that night tonite Lord Krishna enjoyed those most wonderful pastime “bhagavan api ta ratrih” those nights, we thing it is only one night but here there is mention of many nights “ta ratrih” why is it? One night became as long as Brahmas night, so one was equal to many many nights. Hence the ratrih or the night has been mentioned as many nights. So “bhagavan api ta ratrih” so when that night was there evening time and it was “saradotphulla-mallikah” Lord is seeing around the blooming Jasmine buds, jasmine flowers, Prabhupada also mentions them as mallikah flower, they are mentioned as mallikah in Sanskrit text and they are also translated as jasmine flowers. So when Lord saw those flowers He was reminded of the autumn season “viksya rantum manas cakre” rantum manas cakre in His mind something happened in His mind. That evening when He saw those jasmine or malikah flowers that was evening time getting darker Lord immediately manas cakre within His mind or He made up His mind to “rantum” He wanted to enjoy oh! This night would be good night appropriate night for me to enjoy “rantum”. From ram comes Ram also, ram means to enjoy, form ram comes Raman reti, Radha raman raman also has ram.
So He had this thought Oh! Let me enjoy this is right night for me to enjoy “yoga-mayam upasritah” or as Lord desires to enjoy that night immediately Yogamaya got into action and Lord is thinking of meeting Gopis that night and enjoy the peak the best part of that night is going to be ‘rasa dancing” with Gopis. So this is a display by the influence of Yogamaya, arrangement of Yogamaya the Lord is be performing rasa dance. What makes us dance or the materialist dance or they become the dancing dolls or puppets in the hands of women, hands of lust and that is Mahamaya Prabhupada is describing, two kinds of Maya – Yogamaya “yoga-maya upasritah” . Chapter 29 to 32, five chapters Sukhdev Goswami will be describing these are all like “rasa dance” chapters and this is all display of Yogamaya, verses the Mahamaya of this material existence Srila Prabhupada is helping us to understand, he says Yogamaya because it is “bhagavan api ta ratrih” He is Bhagavan and His activities are Yogamaya activites or Yogamaya is in action. So there is relationship between this verse here wherein there is mention of two things one is ratrih –night mentioned here and “rantum” – enjoyment mentioned here, this has relationship with Lords statement to Gopis.
Krishna steals Gopis garments pastime at Chirghat “hemante prathame masi” (S.B 10.22.1) it was month of hemant after kartika, kartika is sharad ritu and when kartika ends new season, after autumn comes new season hemant ritu. So in that hemant ritu gopis perform special vrata and they worship Katyayani and their purpose was they wanted “nanda –gopa sutam devi patim me kuru te namah” (S.B 10.22.4). As Prabhupada is writing they are chanting mantra repeatedly oh! Katyayani give us Krishna as our husband, oh! Katyayani give us Krishna as our husband…………………..give Krishna as our husband, they were doing japa, chanting repeatedly “nanda –gopa sutam devi patim me kuru te namah” so that went for one month. And at the end of that month as Lord was pleased He arrived at the scene and they were bathing in Jamuna. He stole their garments climbed up the tree and said – come on come on and He has also briefly spoken to them and there He said towards the end of His dialogue with the gopis Krishna said “yatabala vrajam siddha mayema ramsyatha ksapah” (S.B 10. 22.27) OH! Now you may go, He had returned their clothes and He joked, He had little fun transcendental fun. Now you may go go now girls and return to Vraja your desire is fulfilled for in my company you will enjoy the coming nights after all the purpose of your vow to worship goddess Katyayani was to be with me to enjoy my company. So Lord said yes yes in future nights we will do that in future nights “ramsyatha ksapah” ksapah-nights. So many nights have passed gopis were thinking ok one night, two nights…..10 nights….30 nights….1 month….10 months from that time Lord Krishna said-coming nights we will get together I have understood what is your intension you had been praying to katyayani. She has blessed you I am here I am accepting you for my company I understand I can read your mind, so we will do this in coming nights so you may go now.
So as that was said some 10 months prior now today or tonight this evening Lord is thinking oh! I have promised gopis my company during the nights oh! That night could be this night, this night could be that night and hence here “bhagavan api ta ratrih”, ta ratrih- ta ratrih refers to some particular night the night which the Lord had mentioned yes yes we will enjoy future night so that night was going to be this night tonight. He is Bhagavan, He is atmaram but still He has this desire He wants to enjoy the company or He has promised. Sukhdev Goswami goes on explained or described that night moon bright moon has risen “tadodurajah kakubhah karair mukham” (S.B 10.29.2) Sukhdev Goswami is a great poet poetic way he is describing that moon is rising in the east and the moons rays- karair, moon rays are described as if those are hand of the moon and that moon with his ray like arms is holding a brush in his hands and he painting that horizon with pinkish color or he is sprinkling some kind of powder or painting that horizon and he is also comparing this horizon “priyah priyaya iva dirgha darsanah”. As if horizon is a lady who was waiting for her husband to return, husband was for long time and finally he is back and as he comes there is a meeting between wife and husband they are looking at each other, some time the husband may remove the veil like that and see her beautiful face.
So like that those kind of dealings are taking place between the moon and the horizon, little romantic description these kind of scenes are favorable for pastimes like this, dealing like this. And next thing Lord is doing now Lord this is the setting of the scene just few words have been said and then acharyas are talking more, filling in the details or elaborating the whole scene of rasa dance. As Lord only desired “ rantum manas cakre” immediately magical way Yogamaya arranged whole scene not only the moon was there the flowers were blooming, the cool breeze was blowing, the peacocks were dancing and the whole thing was happening in the banks of Jamuna which was flowing nearby. Lot more could be said it’s not a ordinary thing, yogamaya made arrangements for the Lord, the topmost, most wonderful, most confidential, most pleasing pastime the Yogamaya is going to move out of her way. So Vrindadevi the whole team that does the preparation sets the scene before Radha Shyamsundar and billons of gopis “laxmi sahastra satasambrahma sevyamanam” before they come whole setting of the scene is there.
So kind of scene is ready the next thing Lord is doing is “jagau kalam vama-drsam manoharam” (S.B 10.29.3) Lord played His flute with His pancham svara- high pitch and sound going al over Braja mandal travelling sound and when “nisamya gitam tad ananga-vardhanam” (S.B 10 .29.4) and that sounding flute playing of Lord Krishna has been heard “nisamya gitam” as gopis have heard those sounds and its mentioned here and Prabhupada also explains that the original kamadev – kandarba – the God of incharge of transcendental lust that is Krishna. So Krishna is playing His flute and immediately their desires have been aroused or with that they are reminded- yes yes don’t you remember I had said – one of those future nights we will be together and this sound of this flute has conveyed yes yes that night has come , that night is tonight gopis come. And they all rush and there is whole description what they were all doing, they were doing this “duhantyo” – milking cows or they were cooking in the kitchen, they were putting garments they were bust this way that way. But as they heard the flute playing they immediately rushed and they are heading towards Krishna in the vamsi vata. And king Parikshit he says what? King Parikshit says this is like Prabhupada helping us to understand this pastime this relationship between Radha, Krishna and gopis, this is most difficult thing to realize, understand. Because one is the realm of prema but those who are under the attack of the lust they have hard time understanding Krishna’s pure transcendental loving affairs full of love full of prema.
King Parikshit says oh! Sage Sukhdev Goswami he had just started describing the scene this rasa dance and immediately hey! stop stop oh! Sage the gopis knew Krishna only as their lover not as the Supreme absolute truth so how could these girls their minds caught up with the waves of modes of material nature? free them self from the material attachment. Question has been posed and nice purport has been complied king Parikshit was sitting in the assembly of great sages and other important personalities listening to the words of Sukhdev Goswami. If he was Sukhdeb Goswami and king parikshit he would not have interrupted but seeing that who else is in the assembly he had to raise this question. According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur as Sukhdev Goswami began speaking of gopis conjugal love for Krishna, the king noticed the expressions on the some of the faces of the more materialistic person present there, he was looking side long glances hey! What are they thinking?. So Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur is pointing out that king parikshit took note of the expressions on the persons sitting around him, some of the more material persons and realized the doubting lurk in their hearts. This was their doubt not king parikshit,s doubt he could smell. Face is the index of the mind seeing their faces he could read their minds oh! I know what is in your heart? What is doubt? What is your question?.
Therefore although the king thoroughly knew the purport of Sukhdev Goswami words he presented himself as experiencing personal doubt, so that he could eradicate the doubts of others this is why he asked this question which we just had heard. So even the team Sukhdev Goswami and king parikshit they are helping us to understand, they are giving us kind of glasses wear these glass first put on these glasses first before you look at the rasa dance or before you want to understand this pastimes. And in response while Sukhdev Goswami is responding to this question and Prabhupada teaches us all the time these things. Sukhdev Goswami has quoted persons who constantly direct their lust, anger, fear, protective affection, feeling of impersonal oneness, or friendship towards Lord Hari are sure to become absorbed in thoughts of Him. There are many statements but this is one statement “kamam krodha bhayam sneham’ if you do that for Krishna or you target that towards Krishna then that impurity that bhava, fear they get eradicated or that lust even lust of course this has to understood that there is no tinge of lust in gopis or Radharani.
But admitting that there was some lust, the reply is but that they are directing that to Krishna so “nityam harau vidadhato yanti tan mayatam hi te” (S.B 10.29.15) tat- maya- they become full of Krishna, they become Krishna conscious as they direct their lust, that person is purified. And then gopis have come “svagatam vo maha bahagah” (S.B 10 .29.18) welcome welcome, whatever they were doing they left that in the middle they there with Krishna 1000s of them are arriving and so welcome is there. At the same time He is asking why have come oh! What brings you here Krishna is very tricky. Like you ring someone, you phone someone and as the person at the other end picks up the phone hey! What do you want? You are the one who telephoned the other gentlemen and he picks up the phone and hey! What do you want what’s the matter? Not that that person wanted something. So Krishna is the one who played the flute, gopis have come, gopis should ask oh! why did you call us what is the reason that you are calling us.
But contrary happening Krishna says why have you come? So not a straight path transcendental crooked ness we see in this pastime and then there are 5 chapters pastimes are there. (maharaj says) I just want to read the very last statement and we will conclude.
“vikriditam vraja-vadhubhir idam ca visnoh sraddhanvito nusrnuyad atha varnayed yah,
bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah” (S.B 10.29.39)
So vikriditam this pastime, this krida – rasa krida of visnoh Krishna with vraja-vadhu, the damsels of vraja, so this pastime of Radha Krishna and gopis. One who listens to this, at the end of the 5 chapters there is phalasruti – what is the benediction ? what is the benefit of hearing, reading, studying these pastime? Not that you are not allowed..no…no.. please study, please read this part but how to do that “sraddhanvito” –with faith in the speaker who is speaking and again what kind of speaker “anusrnuyat” not only srnuyat but anusrnuyat. You should listen these pastimes from someone who has listened like, You should listen these pastimes from someone who has also listened from someone and that person has also listened, meaning by adding this “anu” –srnuyat, parampara principle has been stressed otherwise its very dangerous very risky business, misunderstanding Krishna is guaranteed. If it is not heard properly from proper person a proper dose also, one tablet or as per prescription of the physician you take the dose, not the same amount of dose for every person at every different level that also is prescribed or accordingly the expert preachers will talk.
And not only one should hear but “ varnayed” one who describes these pastimes what is the benediction? “bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam” such person will achieve bhakti unto Bhagavati the Supreme Personality of Godhead “param bhakti’ supreme devotional service and what would be the other side benfit? “kamam hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah” kama – the lust in the heart or hrd-roga, you heard one disease called heart disease, heart problem lot of people in the world has what problem? Heart disease but that not the kind of disease Sukhdev Goswami is talking about he is talking of the disease condition of the heart kama full of lust , heart full of lust he describes this as hrd-rogam. The person with hrd-rogam, the heart problem quickly he will become “aphinoty” he will be able to drive away that roga that kama from his heart. And that person will become sober-dhirah-peaceful in his mind by listening to these pastimes of radha and krishna. So tonight is very especial night, beautiful night Prabhupada decribes most beautiful night and tonight devotees also they keep sweet rice, so that when Krishna and radha whenever they want to its long night, sweating and sitting down to eat little snakes sweet rice and then what ever are the remnants the next day devotees take that sweet rice or even the moon rays they enter the sweet rice .
So it very especial sweet rice devotees get the next morning Krishna has very special night tonight, please take note of tonights moon very special moon and it is not a sun and moon moon according to our acaryas this is not the moon from the heavenly planets that participates in Krishna’s pastimes or plays his role in krishna’s rasa lila pastime, its another moon the transcendental moon specially appears to participate in krishna’s pastimes. So please read more read Prabhupada’s Krishna book and read these pastimes talk about these pastimes.

Venue: Vrindavan,Dated- 2/8/2012, Om namo bhagvate……………what? (Maharaj says ) Vasudevaya. Who is Vasudev here? There is always fighting here some says Krishna, some says Balarama but today He has to be Balarama. We offer our ( I don’t know how humble) very very humble, not just once but again and again our obeisance unto lotus feet of Vasudev . He has to be Vasudev and He has to be also Bhagvan “om namo bhagvaate vasudevaya” Bhagvan and Vasudev at the same time, so Bhagvan is Vasudev.
In Vrindavan they don’t know this, when He went to Mathura they started “jai jagadisha hare” and He is Vaasudev meaning son of Vasudev, He is not son of Vaasudev, why is He Vaasudev because He is son of Vasudev did you get that. One is Vasudev other one is Vaasudev, Vasudev is father and Vaasudev is son, Balarama so not only Krishna is his son 8th one but prior to him the 7th son of Vasudev and Devaki is Balarama.
Jai Balarama…Jai Balarama ……………jai Balarama….. jai Balarama. Are you happy? Haribol… its happy birthday Balarama He is always happy, He is always happy that is why His name is Ram, He is Ram, Nityananda Ram, He is Balaram “ramati ramaiti ca” that is why he is Balaram He is always happy and He makes others also happy that is why He is called Balarama, He is Ram, Ramati and we are sitting here in Raman reti, where Balarama and Krishna used to do their raman, raman is happily wandering, travelling, walking through dancing that is raman.
So Krishna Balarama they have done their raman here. Ram, Balarama has done His raman. Knowing this Srila Prabhupad gave us Krishna Balarama, what is Krishna Balarama’s address? Raman Reti all over the world Krishna Balarama’s address is Raman reti ( maharaj laughs) we did not know Srila Prabhupad told us, this is His address and Lord Balarama and Sri Krishna they are always together, they are always together off course Balarama came little ahead of Krishna, how many days ahead? 8 days only has to be 1 year and 8 days not the same year. I was going by the calculation each year one son, so 7th son one more year 8th son. Before completion of 1 year it was declared as miscarriage, so Balarama wasn’t in the womb for 1 year. Ya for the general public it is good, for you you are more than general public you are from Balarama’s home town you should be knowing all this I am just a visitor, I am trying to figure it out. So Srila Prabhupad gave the whole world Krishna Balarama he was always here in his nitya lila or aprakat lila and then prakat lila for our Krishna Balarama or Srila Prabhupad’s Krishna Balarama. Well our Krishna Balarama’s birthday is not today He appeared on Ramnavmi and appearance day of Ramcandra.
Balarama appeared, Krishna Balarama appeared and there was a big grand festival as Krishna Balarama appeared we had that opportunity to witness, be there as Krishna Balarama appeared anyone else was here? 1975 Ram navmi may be some of you were not even born when Krishna Balarama appeared or took birth here (Maharaj laughs). Srila Prabhupad greeted Krishna Balarama you know that photograph Srila Prabhupad offering aarti to Krishna Balaramaa and on next day on the morning walk Srila Prabhupad was talking about Krishna Balarama making reference about what Krishna had to say about Balarama.
Krishna Balarama were wandering here right here in Raman reti and Krishna said look look all these trees they were sages before but now they are offering obeisance’s unto you Krishna said this. And look at these birds they are all glorifying you as if Srila Prabhupad was seeing and hearing Krishna Balarama wandering and talking then Srila Prabhupad said that same Balarama has appeared now and when ever you feel weak you go in front Balarama pray to him Prabhupad said you say “sir such and such is difficulty please” Prabhupad said they will take care of you. In the morning walk Bhaktivedanta Swami marga Prabhupad was walking next morning he said you could approach Krishna Balarama and “sir such and such is the difficulty please” and He will do the needful, He will do the needful. Krishna Balarama ki ………….. jai.
So when ever we say or talk about Krishna Balarama (maharaj says) I always think of Krishna Balarama or Krishna Balarama mandir, Krishna Balarama it becomes easier they are of course non different from Krishna Balarama of Raman reti of Vrindavan. There are calves and cows their and every morning they get ready to go to the forest around 8.30 is their departure time. Sometimes Krishna and Balarama they have ropes in their hands to tie to the cows and the calves. Sometimes they are holding additional rope in the hands and when you see that kind of darshan you are reminded they are getting ready to go and you wonder weather you could also join them to day. They invoke such thoughts and memories remind us that we are also part of their past times and their abode and here we go, would you like to come? They are inviting us, join us.
In good old days they use to give, Balarama use to hold big club just like Hanuman’s (Maharaj laughs) then they realized no….. no ….no… not this . He does not hold club of this kind. He holds Mussal which does not have a big round. So now they have changed and there are different kind whatever this kind or that kind of club you stand before Krishna Balarama and you feel protected. Here is someone first of all He is Balarama and He has club in his hands. And He is your protector then how do you feel? You feel protected in presence of Krishna Balarama, Balarama sometimes holding his weapon. Then another time Srila Prabhupad asked he said amongst Krishna and Balarama who is stronger? Who is more powerful? ….. Balarama , there is always two opinion that time also devotees Krishna –Balarama , Krishna – Balarama, who is powerful? Krishna-Balarama, Krishna- Balarama. And Prabhupad said look at Krishna and Balarama as they were looking isn’t Balarama taking, He is holding on two clutches and He is taking some help of Krishna, even to stand up. So who must be powerful? Jay shree Krishna
“dauji ke bhaiyya ……….. krishna kanhaiyya,
dauji ke bhaiyya……… ..krishna kanhaiyya,
Krishna kanhaiyya…… dauji ke bhaiyya,
krishna kanhaiyya…….. dauji ke bhaiyya,
So this Krishna and Balarama the team is, the team of two Lords two topmost Lords. Although “advaitam acyutam anadir anantarupam” is there “ramadi murti sukla niyamen tistan nanavatar” so many forms, countless forms. But there is no form like Balarama, just right after Krishna the another personality of Godhead, Krishna is 100% God or Godhood is 100%, Balarama is 2% less, Prabhupad makes mention 98% Krishna , He is 98% Personality of Godhead, little less, little less. So no one comes closer off course “mattah parantaram nanayat kincid asati dhananjayah”, Krishna has already declared that about Himself and then talking about Balarama and after Krishna comes Balarama, He is number two Personality of Godhead.
Devotees of Vrindavan they don’t get into this technical matters who is who they know Krishna, they don’t get into this Godhood and Godhead. He may be in Vaikuntha, He may be in Dwaraka, He may be in Mathura but not here not in Vrindavan. Balarama’s appaearance day today full moon day for some reason there is rakhi, the devotees say this is for Balarama for my brother Balarama, protector Balarama. “yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham” (B.G 4.7) this principle is also there “paritranaya sadhunam”( B.G 4.8) Balarama is appearing “vinasaya ca duskrtam” lots of dustas, lots of miscreants headed by Kamsa, lots of them where around, he had gone all over the universe infact battling, fighting, defeating this demon that person, He had gathered big stock of demons at his disposal.
Vasudev (anyway don’t know where to start Maharaj says) Vasudev and Devaki’s marriage takes place, the procession is still going on, “the 8th son will be killing you” no…no… I can bring my son to you then what ever you wish to do with him ok…ok. Some treaty was signed then Devaki gives birth to 1st son, here is my son, promise is promise. Kamsa thought, no…no I don’t have any fear from this take him back home “Narayana Narayana” who come? Narada Muni comes – any one of the son’s could be the 8th son, you think of this Kamsa OH! That makes sense! Hye! Bring that child back he cursed him to death. Urgasena was the ruler that time and he could not stand this he could not tolerate this, he send some soldiers fighting took place between Kamsa and Ugrasena his father’s soldiers to teach him lesson, oh! You kill one but don’t kill another and he killed all the 1st six of them were killed one after the other “hatesu satsu balesu devakya augrasenina” (S.B 10. 2.4) this is Sri Suka uvaca 10th Canto. When the six children where already killed and lot of battling, fighting then of course we did not mention, Kamsa defeated the armies the soldiers of his father and arrested his father, he imprisoned his father, he became the ruler and lots of harassment to lots of people they all fled, started leaving Vrindavan and more details are there, they went to different places. “salvan vidarbhan nisadhan kusalan” (S.B 10.2.3) all these different countries they were leaving for theses different destinations for safety reasons. And what was going on here the news reached spiritual sky news reached Golok.
“bhagvan api visvatma viditva kamsajam bhayam” ( S.B 10.2.6) so Bhagavan api – Lord Sri Krishna also. Viditva – knowing, kamsajam bhayam- because of fear of Kamsa lots of residents were leaving Braj Mandal, Matura Mandal Lord is preparing strategy something has to be done now enough is enough, I cant stand this now “gaccha devi vrajam bhadra gopa gobhir alankrtam rohini vasudevasya bharyaste nand gokule” (S.B 10.2.7) He called Yogamaya….Yogamaya…………Yes sir ….go, where should I go? Go to Vrindavan “gobhir alankrtam” that Vrindavan decorared with the cows and gopas and gopisto tha Vrindavan you go. “yogamayam samadisat” (S.B 10.2.6) yogamaya was instructed and what is my mission ok I will go and what do there “devakya jathare garbham mamakam” (S.B 10.2.8) already there is “Balarama sesakhyam” known as Sesa Anantsesa popularly known as Anantsesa He has already appeared in the womb of Devki you go and “sannikrsya rohinya udare sannivesaya” (S.B 10.2.8) and your job is to transfer that Sesa transfer that Balarama from Devki’s womb to Rohini’s womb Rohini Nandan ki……………Jai
So at some point Rohini had left Mathura mandal crossed Jamuna she was riding on the horse crosses Jamuna then secretly at the time of dusk when there is less light she enters Gokul and finally ends up at Nandbhavan where she was greeted by none other than Yashoda they did embraced and welcome, you please stay here, you please stay here and other 16 total 16 queens Vasudev had one was with him in the prison she is a principal queen and others have. Lord Krishna have already “ vivaresu vasantihi anyasca” and other queens wives of Vasudev are residing, hiding in different parts, in the caves here and there hidingly but Rohini is in Gokul you go, Yogamaya was told. So there Krishna’s birth place where was He born? Mathura Balarama‘s birth place? You could not say quickly you take some time I know that, we don’t think, doesn’t come our mind that Balarama appeared in Gokul He has to appear there.
Rohini was residing in Gokul so on this day, this day has been reserved for Balarama’s appearance day, Balarama Pornima Lord Balarama appeared jay Balarama ………….jay Balarama. Did He cry as soon as he, certainly not that makes his birth different from yours and mine and everybody “janma karma ca me divyam” ( B.G 4.9) not only Krishna’s Balarama’s also and appearance is transcendental Balarama had already his clothes on, I am sure He had his weapons tiny weapons on, club ready to go.
But there was this talk going on in Gokul how come, Rohini’s husband is in prison she is here and giving birth some rumors were spreading. Whose child is this so this doubt was removed none other than Vyasdeva as news spread instantly, Vyasadeva and others come to know that Balarama has appeared and they have all already arrived in Gokul Vasistha has arrived, Brahaspati is there, Narad Muni is off course first one to be there, Vyasdeva and they are very anxious to take darshan of Balarama but before that as they have arrived and anxiously awaiting darshan of Balarama. Nanda Maharaj is enquiring how come husband is there and she is pregnant giving birth to a boy and not 10 months period completed, its too early and we are not expecting her to give birth now solve this please, explain and Vyasa uvaca and Vyasdev is explaining that .Dehval is there “sundaro balakoyam na drso samaha kvacit” this balak this boy is so beautiful, Nanda Maharaj is making them more eager so that they were wanting to take darshan I had not seen child beautiful like this, yes yes but please show us where is he? we want to go see him, no..no but I would like to know katha how did this happen? bruhi Mahamuni please explain he had already enquired. Sri vyasa uvacha “aho bhagyatum te nanda sisu sesa sanantanah devakyam vasudevasya jatoyam Mathurapure” and he explains this child appeared born first in the womb of Devaki and Yogamaya transferred him “krishneshya” and all this has taken place by desire and will and planning of Shri Krishna.
“nandaraj tvaya drso durlabho yoginam api” and Nanda Maharaj that boy you have seen is so duralabh to have His darshan is such rare “yoginam” yogis also do not manage to take darshan of Him but you had darshan. Please now give us darshan, then please come along and Nanda Maharaj brings Vyasdev, Narada Muni, Vasistha and others to that quarter, Rohini has given birth and the child is already in the cradle and as Vyasadev and others arrive there. “drustva prankvasthitam praha” as they take darshan of the child in the palana in the cradle what else you say? swing. Vyasdev immediately throws himself on the ground with all his most humble obeisance’s “natva satyavati suta’ that is Vyasdev “deva adhi deva bhagvat kamapalna namostute” Vysadev – please accept my obeisances oh! devadhi dev who are you ? you are “devadhi dev” the dev of dev, you are the original dev.
“bhagvat kama pal” you fulfill the desires of your devotees “namo santaya sesaya saksad ramaya te namah” I offer my obeisances unto you oh! Sri Rama oh! Sri Balarama oh! Sesa oh! Ananta and he goes on. “ dharadara purnaya svadhamne” oh! How effulgent you are you are holder of the planets, universes on your hood “sahastra sirse’ and you have thousands of hoods, of course you hold the planets and you also glorify the Lord Sri Krishna with those thousand hoods “sankarsanaya namha revati ramanam tvam” you are Revati raman ok. “ baladevo” you are Baladev you are powerful or giver of bala also, you need bala any one here looking for some strength? Any one wants some strength? you are already strong ok I think you are doing ok if you wish if you pray Balarama could you lots of strength today specially He is giving gift today, showering His mercy giving us strength.
“Baldevaya acyuta agraj” you are acyuta agraj elder brother of acyuta, you take birth first and then Balarama next to follow “halauda” you are holder of plow Balarama that also as weapon, He has plow and He has club. So Balarama’s strategy when he wants to kill demons, He drags the demon with his plow gets him closer and closer when he is very close then comes the club. “halauda pralambagnha’ You are killer of pralambasura in which forest? Bhandirvan. Pralambha – long long demon he was short in the beginning but soon he became long pralambha. And Balarama with lots of strength He did little boxing and demon fell unconscious. “pahimam purusottam” please protect me “balaya balbhadraya talankaya namo namaha” Srila Vyasdev offering his prayers where is he offering his prayers? Which town? in Gokul which day? today this day he is offering his prayers. “talankaya” Balarama in the chariot there is flag and the sign on the flag is that of a tala tree “talankaya” . This pastime another demon killed in Talavan by Balarama, Dhenukasura was killed in Talavan. Balarama started shaking those trees and all the friend were picking up the fruits and they were enjoying the fruits and then comes a donkey demon (maharaj laughs) when he was walking he was shaking the earth. There is a big battle Balarama pushed him behind he went so many miles then he came charging and this time as the donkeys do with their hind legs then Balarama caught hold of those legs and the whirling he ended on the top of the Tala tree and finished ……….Haribol. so the tala tree becomes sign on Balarama’s flag.
“ nilambaraya” you are nilambar, Krishna is pitambar, Balarama is nilambar – bluish garment He is always wearing “ guaraya” Krishna’s colour is like a fresh monsoon clouds and Balaramas complexion is autumn cloud in month of sharad season, during kartik there are some clouds they are white like swan Balarama’s complexion is like that “guaraya”
“Rohinaya te namha” Rohini maiya ki ……jai, my obeisances unto you you are dhenukari – You are killer of this dhenuka and mustikari you are killer of Mustik in Mathura there are five wrestlers it appears that two were were killed by Balarama and three were killed by Krishna. So you are Kustikari and kutari also Toshal and Kutshal and so so many five names. So kut was killed in wrestling, mustik was killed also. “rukhmyari” you killed rukmi also and there are some more names, you have killed lots of demon, you are killer of demons. “ kalindi bhednosi” remember that pastime Ramghat Balarama He is only another god other than Sri Krishna who could who could do the rasa dancing no one else Krishna and only other god, Personality of Godhead who could do rasa dance and that’s Balarama. Ram has only one queen and He has even taken vow just one and others are there basically one queen but Krishna has many and Balarama also. So at Ram ghat He wanted to dance He had come from Dwaraka for two months and He wanted to dance He wanted to spend time with His gopis and dance, right on the bank of Jamuna but jamuna was not that close.
Aye! Come here I say come here, Jamuna was not in mood and Balarama took his plow, He was dragging Jamuna ok ok I come and then Jamuna comes forward and Balarama. Krishna’s favorite item to eat or drink is was? butter mukkhan and Balarama’s – varuni. So there are some differences between these two brothers, lots of similarities so lots of differences.
“brajmandala mandanaha” your presence is like decoration of Brajmandala and hence beauty of Vrindavan. “kamsa bhratu pra hantasi” Kamsa was killed by Krishna, his brothers they were 8 of them they came running and Balarama killed all of them, all the brothers of Kamsa were killed by Balarama. You are “tirtha yatra karaha” you are the one who goes on pilgrimage, Balarama went this is another difference. Krishna was in favor of battle and Balarama wasn’t so He chose to go around all over India He travelled went on pilgrimage, so He is “tirtha karah duryodhan guru” you are guru of Duryodhan He taught Duryodhan use of the club and he has some soft corner for Duryodhan also.
While Krishna was …………….that Duryodhan I have to kill him but Balarama that’s why Balarama did not want to take part “saksad pahi pahi prabhu jagat” Duryodhana says – please protect …please protect “musaline baline haline namah” wonderful prayers “musaline baline haline namaha” you are haldhar, you are musaldhar and you are baladhar or balavan, you are powerful you hold this symbols. “balamparikramya satam pranamya tai” so offering all these prayers Srila Vyasadev did parikrama. Balarama is in the cradle and Srila Vyasadev and others they did circumambulation of the cradle “satam pranamya” offered obeisance’s hundreds of time again and again and again.
“sarasvatim sarasvati suto” and then finally with great reluctance he did not want to go and finally he did leave. So that is appearance day Balarama how old is He? He is till one day, first day and then Shri Krishna joined him in 8 days you say, well Jiva Goswami says so. So when Shri Krishna appeared and vasudev brought Vaasudev outside the prison house and the very first person who was ready to greet was…. Balarama no one else, it was rainy season Balarama had come, Sesa its rainy season so umbrella is required. So His service begins although he is God himself but He serves another God his god he takes that position of serving Shri Krishna. He is adiguru that way, He is adi guru Balarama He teaches by His example how to serve the Lord. So they stayed together crossing Jamuna and they stayed in Gokul for many years lots of pastimes together they are always together they are in Gokul then together coming over to Vrindavan they were together they started herding the cows. Krishna and Balarama became vatsapal, the protectors, the care takers of calves “choti choti gaiya chote chote guaval” they were little boys then Nandamaharaj picked up some small calves. Ok you take care and they were trained, quickly they were trained how to control the cows or how to make them turn around, ok sit down, come there this way.
So here they grew up when it was time for both of them to go, take care of the calves it was considered ok for Balarama to go everyday he was considered elder and competent enough but Yasoda would not let Krishna go everyday no..no you cant go everyday sometimes you could go, you have to grow you are still baby Balarama is your dada your bigger brother Krishna. So sometimes He was allowed Balarama would go everyday, sometimes Krishna is allowed sometimes He is not allowed. So one day it was day to stay and Yasoda said Krishna is staying behind today, so He had seen Balarama and other cowherd boys, calves leaving and Krishna was not with them He had stayed behind. So she got busy with her household duties but sometime after she saw that Krishna was running, He was trying to catch up with because He wanted to go some how He was kept behind and then Yasoda then started to catch Krishna not let him go. So at some distance away there was Balarama and some friends, cows and Krishna in the middle running towards Balarama and Yasoda is some distance behind trying to catch up, Krishna is looking behind Balarama says hey! come come stop stop don’t go don’t go tug of war going on, cowherd boys and Balarama come run run run, Yasoda no… no… stop stop and finally phone rang (laughter) its not my fault its time for me to stop probably, another speaker.
So when Krishna He got up with Balarama then He caught hold of Balarama and Yasoda also soon arrived and she was dragging Him Balarama was dragging Him helping Him to stay on finally ok ok today you go. So Krishna and Balarama they like to be together and also when Balarama is not with Krishna, then Krishna gets into trouble many times this happened. The day the Kaliya the pastime took place not far from here Kaliya dha, that day Balarama was some birthday some ceremony Balarama had to stay there were seen some bad omens all over and there must be some trouble. Where is Krishna? Oh! He has gone to forest but Balarama He is not with Him. Oh! For sure there is some, if Balarama was with Him then nothing to worry but today Balarama has stayed behind and we have seeing all these very bad signs omens.
And Krishna got into trouble that day they all came Balarama also came the day Bramha stole Krishna’s cows and friends that day also Balarama was not with Krishna that is also Balarama did not know almost for one year He did not know who are these boys? who are these cows? One day He had to enquire what is going on here. There is something extra ordinary situation the way Balarama was seeing the kind of affection the cowherd men had towards their children the boys. And the cows and the calves how they were getting attracted so much affection this was. So Balarama was come here come here what is all this?
You know that day you were not there and He started this happened that happened you know I was left by myself you know, it was time to go return. How could I come myself so that’s me all these boys that’s me and all these calves that’s me also. So Krishna has to disclose because Balarama was not there when the stealing this Bramha Vimohan Lila took place. The day well Yasoda tied Krishna to the mortar that day also Balarama was not at home and when He did return He saw His poor little brother (laughter) had been tied he cannot even move and then Balarama Hye! Who is it? Who has tied my brother come forward He is such a innocent boy he never ever looks at the gopis, (laughter) is that why everyone is thinking because He is teasing gopis is that the reason he has been tied and then Krishna says yes “at least someone understands me” (laughter) thank you no one understands me how innocent I am. So that day Balarama was furious when he saw this Krishna tied to the mortar.
So they were together in Gokul, they were together in Vrindavan together they went to Mathura in the chariot driven by Akrur together they did the killing, tighter the met Vasudev and Devaki, together they went to Ujjayan to Avantipur they were brahmacahris together in the ashram of Sandipani Muni was also spiritual master of Balarama. Together they had gone to find the lost son, killed son of Sandipani Muni and his good wife and then together they had battled with Jarasandha for 18years just two of them with small army, they where battling and 18th time together they went to Dwaraka. But then Krishna had gone alone to kidnap Rukmini, the next day when Balarama found out He also rushed then together they battled, together they returned and together they stayed. And of course Balarama’s marriage His elder brother, so His marriage takes place 1st before series of marriages (Maharaj laughs). Its just one marriage so get this out of the way He goes to have lots of affairs and lot of marriages so Balarama’s marriage with Revati that’s another story, at the time of marriage she was very tall as they stood facing each other at the time of marriage, Balaram had to look up to his wife, look up. And Balarama used his plow (Maharaj makes sound and action how Balarama pulled Revati down so tah she becomes similar to his height) ok she ok now.
So that Revati and Dauji they are in Dauji to take darshan Revati and Balarama, near Bramhanda Ghat Dauji. So then like that Krishna and Balarama stayed in Dwaraka then there and the other different outings or going to Hastinapur, going here there and most of the time they are together. Marriage of Subhadra with Arjuna one brother is in favor one is against, which one is? Balarama against Krishna was in favor. During Caturmasa, now Caturmasa is going on Arjuna had gone like sadhu and so it’s a great team and team effort, they are our Lords Krishna and Balarama ki………………………………………….jai.
So Srila Prabhupad gave us Krishna Balarama he said we could approach them saying “sir this is the difficulty please” our access to Krishna Balarama was made easy by Srila Prabhupad and of course instead of making this temple as Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar temple he made this temple as Sri Krishna Balaram temple he put Krishna and Balarama in the centre. So on this occasion of Balarama’s appearance day we are fortunate we pray like Vyasdeva. Ok I stop here
Balarama jayanti Mahotsav ki……….jai
His Holiness Lokanath Maharaj ki…………..jai.